- Magic -

Even now, in our ultramodern society, magic still entrances us. There are few fantasy stories without the concept of magic, be it mages or fairies. In the real world we mutter more rites and spells than we are aware of. We perform charms (throwing salt over our shoulder), say holy exclamations and spells (touch wood).

Magic is different from religion in the sense that magic forces supernatural energy to help us in our conquest for skills. Pagan religions often contain elements of magical rites that stretch back for thousands of years, the earliest known are the Babylonian and the Egyptian.

In the early times divides were created between the high magics of priests and shamans and the low magic of local magicians. These magicians offered more affordable charms and cleansing rituals.

| IDEAS & CONCEPTS PRINCIPLES OF MAGIC WHAT MAGIC DOES |

| RITUAL & CEREMONIAL MAGIC DIVINATION | 

| BUILDING OWN MAGICAL WORLDS OTHER ELEMENTS |

The Force

Magics tend to share similar features. There is the concept of manna (there is a magical force in everything). Different cultures have different names for it, but the challenge is to tap as much of this force as you can. There are of course, boundaries to how much you can tap with traditions and consequences. But different levels of magic are apparent and the higher you go the more magical energy you can hope to train.

The Worlds

Everywhere in branches of magic there is the idea of two worlds existing in parallel to each other. One is the mundane, in which everything we are familiar with (including ourselves) exist. The other is the supernatural, spiritual, call it whatever you like. This world is unmapped, ever changing and only accessible to a witch / sorcerer / shaman. The goal of one is to control this unknown.

Sympathetic magic

This branch of magic is reliable on the idea that if two things resemble each other, they are somehow magically connected. There are two main types:

Homeopathy - like affects like.

Contagion - Things in contact remain having a contact whatever

These principles affect all types of magic. For examples, in the words of an incantation, strong things are recited for strength, wise beings for knowledge and so on. To cast a spell, a mage may use objects to represent the result they want. For instance, to cast away jaundice, they 'banish' the color yellow. The magician may release yellow birds, or paint the patient yellow and then wash the color away.

The mage must also believe in the action.

Homeopathy is the most common branch of sympathetic magic. The principle is that like affects like. For instance, one can give a potion that contains animal liver to cure a person of liver disease.

A well know example of Homeopathy is Voodoo Dolls. You create a image of the person you wish to affect and whatever you do to that representation, you do to the real person.

But this practice can work for good as well as evil.

Homeopathy is in a way like the pretend games of children with the sincerity to make the spells and incantations work.

Contagion is the concept that two things that have contacted, will always share a bond for ever. This holds the belief that two things may hold a magically useful bond. Often Contagion magic is mixed with Homeopathy in spells. So if a mage wishes to do a spell for someone, they would need objects that have been in contact with him or her.

Even today, suspicious people keep things such as their nail clippings safely. As with the above, contagion can work both for good and harm.

Antipathetic Magic

Antipathetic magic is white magic, or the kind that combats black magic. For instance, holy water drives away devils, a silver bullet slays a werewolf. These actions are antipathetic because they counter evil.

Taboos prevent magical contamination. This restricts contact between the tabooed person and others. They will need rites to protect them, including bathing, shaving and marking of the body by a magician. Examples are:

• Taboos surrounding contact with strangers. Both sides perform obligatory rites such as making fire and burning incense.

• On returning home a traveler must bathe and visit a shaman for cleansing

• Kings take plenty of precaution in destroying all refuse he has been in contact with. As a sorcerer may concoct deadly magic with these things.

• If a woman kills a male animal while her husband is out hunting he may die

Heavily tabooed people include mourners and those who have contact with: the dead, people leaving and entering houses, women at childbirth, those who kill other people, hunters and fishermen, warriors and soldiers.

Bronislaw Malinsowski identified magic as being one of three types: productive, protective or destructive.

Magicians, shamans etc, can accomplish these results via three ways:

• Spells, incantations, invocations, enchantments and what is said

• Actions taken: rites, procedures, gestures, use of tools and what is done

• Condition of practitioner which requires precise, arduous preparation

What is said is the first element of magic. Words have a magical ability to affect us all even in society nowadays. Curses can invoke saints, deities and such.

Spells are associated very strongly with magic. Usually a spell must be spoken exactly with proper pronunciation. The need for exactness in spells sparks a basis for much humor in postmodern fantasies.

As far back as we can imagine Magic had dealt with both dark and light purposes. The main thing to remember is that magic itself is neutral, it's the purpose that it is put to that determines whether it is back or white. And that depends upon the person.

Rites require perfect performing as much as spells. Most spells are accompanied by actions and the main purpose of this is to carry the magic to the desired location.

Rituals are ceremonial acts for religions or sacred purposes. They have various overlapping purposes such as honoring gods or calling deities.

The elements of rituals vary according to the type of magic practiced. Those required for ritual and ceremonial magic is covered in more detail in that section. Among the common features of ritual in all magic are:

• Reciting holy names, the names of Gods, spells, chants or prayers

• Dancing and other movements, particularly ritualized postures and gestures

• Costumes, masks, fetishes

• Incense, smoke, candles and fires

• Offerings and sacrifices

• Feastings or fasting

• Purification

• Use of sacred objects, relics, tools, images and symbols

Meditation is used to cleanse the body, soul and mind and to contact the creative force of the universe through altered concentration. Meditating on the tree of life forms an important aspect of Kabbalah.

Some magical systems actually do their primary work thought meditation, imagination and concentration. This can be achieved though fasting, and resistance of sleep, company or drums, dancing and drugs.

This is the performance of ceremony to obtain material and spiritual power. There are two paths to follow

In one path the person will spend plenty of time in study and preparation, learning secrets of the Kabbalah, the Hermetic books or a masters' teachings. He will only cease when he has learnt to discipline his own will and imagination, able to work magic on the 'astral plane'.

The astral plane holds hidden worlds of beauty and terror. It's literally a twilight zone containing dreams and nightmares. The person will travel there in a vision quest or to fight a demon. All of the higher occult experiences are here.

The magician can cross to multiple planes via various rituals, but one has to be fit to receive these teachings. Some can map out small parts of this plane and his or her master may have done this.

The students will rise among the planes as he rises in his grade and learns harder spells and rites.

The simplest methods of astral travel is though visualization training. Relaxing and imagining his spirit rising from his body begins it. With training the magicians can intensify this until the mind's consciousness proceeds to the astral watcher.

Both paths are dangerous to the life and soul of inadequately prepared magicians.

4.1 the Hermatica

This is forty two books written by various authors and credited in convenient fiction to Hermes Trismegistus. Legend says the Hermetic Books contain fragments of the magic secrets of ancient Greece and Egypt. These were originally contained on books lost when the library in Alexandria was burnt.

4.2 Medieval Magic

European magic was kept low after Christianity took over the west in the fourth century. The 36t^h canon of the Ecumenical Council at Laodicca forbids priests and clerks to become magicians, enchanters or astrologers.

The church followed this example by deciding that magic and Christianity did not mix.

Most magic practiced before the twelfth century was natural, with a basis on herbs, stones, the heavens and superstition. The church regarded them both as witchcraft or black magic.

4.3 Power Animals

Very early humans recognized the powers of animals that shared the earth and the ability to talk to animals became a basic skill of shamans and traditions. Acquiring an animal guide or a familiar is important in many branches of magic. Western magicians gained the aid of familiars through meditation, invocation and practicing shape-shifting.

Alligator or Crocodile: aggression, survival, reason.

Ant: group-minded, hard worker, wisdom.

Donkey: stubbornness, obstinacy, symbol or opposites

Bat: good fortune, great happiness, rebirth, guardian of the night, cleaner, guide to past lives.

Bear: power, adaptability, knowledge of healing power of herbs, brings balance and harmony on astral plane.

Beaver: builder, gatherer, concentration, and harmony in group work.

Bee: purity, queenship, and wearer of veils

Boar: courage, protection and fertility.

Buffalo: Sacredness and abundance

Bull: Strength, associated with many gods and used in many rituals.

Butterfly: metamorphosis, carefree, transformer, and love.

Cat: a strong protector, seer of spirits, independent and self-assured, seeker for hidden information and shape shifter.

Cow: love, abundance, nurture, contentment

Coyote: trickster, shape shifter, illumination, opportunist, insight and playful

Crane: solitude, independence, intelligence, astral travel to learning deeper mysteries.

Crow: trickery, boldness, prophecy, shape-shifter, keeper of the sacred law and an omen of change.

Doe of Hind: gentleness, loving - kindness, swiftness, alertness and bearer of messages.

Dog: loyalty, companionship, keen hearing and tracking skills, also a guard from approaching dangers.

Dolphin: kindness, playfulness, ocean links.

Dove: spiritual communication, spiritual messenger, peace, gentleness and love.

Dragonfly: flighty and carefree.

Eagle: connection to the creator, divine spirit, wisdom, swiftness and keen sight.

Elephant: confidence, patience, removal of obstacles, ability to lean.

Elk: strength, agility, freedom, passion.

Ermine: purity.

Fish: abundance, prosperity, harmony, loving family or friends.

Fox: cunning, provider, intelligence, stealthy, able to make a fool of pursuers.

Frog: transformation, resurrection, links to water elements, beginning of a new cycle.

Goat: wild energy, removal of guilt and independence.

Goose: new beginnings and a happy family life.

Grasshopper: nobility.

Hare or Rabbit: alertness, nurturing, hidden teachings, intuitive knowledge, transformation.

Hippo: birth of new ideas, righteous anger, protection of the family.

Horse: stamina, mobility, strength, companions for astral travel.

Hummingbird: messenger, time stopper, happiness and love.

Jackal: seeker of mystical knowledge, explorer of past lives, opener of the way.

Leopard, panther or cougar: leadership, courage, swiftness, perseverance, gaining confidence.

Lion: strength, courage, energy, royalty, family ties.

Monkey: ingenuity, clever solutions.

Moose: headstrong, unstoppable strength, longevity, shared joy and wisdom in solitude.

Mouse: secrets, shyness, ability to remain inconspicuous, attention to detail, stealth, trust, innocence.

Otter: finding near treasure, gaining wisdom, enjoyment of life and a trickster.

Owl: wisdom, truth, patience, keen sight, guide to the underworld, clairvoyance.

Peacock: all seeing awareness, dignity.

Pelican: self-sacrifice.

Phoenix: resurrection and renewal.

Porcupine: minds own business, trust in spirit, guards privacy, symbol of faith and trust.

Quail: good luck, courage, victory.

Ram: virility, fertility.

Rat: symbol of fertility and wealth.

Raven: trickster, teacher, hoarder, spirit messenger, change in consciousness, help with divination.

Salamander of lizard: understanding dreams, mental creativity, transformation.

Salmon: instinctive, persistent, determined and spiritually knowledgeable.

Scarab: symbol of the sun and creation.

Scorpion: keeper of the house of the dead, revenge.

Seahorse: confidence and grace.

Sheep: timidness, ability to keep your balance.

Snake: transformation, shrewdness, symbol of rebirth, immortality.

Sow: deep earth magic and knowledge of past lives.

Spider: creativity, weaver of pattern of life in mythology.

Squirrel: preparing for future, foresight, warning, changing and a spiritual watchdog.

Stag: Lord of the underworld, understanding the cycle of death and rebirth.

Stork: carrier of souls, fertility.

Swallow: bird of springtime, flowering and love.

Swan: grace, balance and innocence.

Thunderbird: Bringer of rain and heavenly gifts.

Tigers: swift action, strength and will in difficult situations, gambling, and wind elements.

Turtle: creative source, self-contained, long life, patience, spiritual shield, relaxation.

Vulture: carriers and defenders of the dead and prophecy.

Whale: wisdom, music, long life, telepathic abilities, providers.

Wolf: loyal, successful, leader on the astral plane, hunting and seeking, strong protection.

Wren: sacred of the druids, the fairy queen's form.

Foretelling the future always forms a significant part of a magician's job. Many of the oldest and most developed branches of magical arts involve divination.

Aeromancy: Divination from the air and sky, such as cloud shapes, comets or sky color. Comets in particular inspired prophets of ancient and modern times.

Alectromancy: A black hen or a white gamecock pecks corn grains from a circle of letters forming words or names that the prophet interprets. Recite the alphabet at daybreak, noting those letters that coincide with a rooster crowing.

Aleuromancy: Fortune cookies. Answers to questions rolled in dough and baked, random choice comes true.

Alomancy: Fortune telling by salt. Throwing some over your shoulder to avoid bad luck is a reminder of this practice.

Anthopomancy: prophecy through human sacrifice.

Arithmany: Divination through numbers

Astrology: Divination by the positions of the heavenly bodies.

Augury: Interpreting signs and omens, but also divination in general.

Austromancy: Divination by reading the direction and force of winds.

Axiomancy: An axe answers questions by it's quivers when hacked into a tree.

Belomancy: Tossing or balancing of arrows

Bibliomancy: Divination with books opened randomly, and many other methods.

Botanomancy: Burning tree leaves and branches.

Capnomancy: interpretation of smoke rising from fire.

Cartomancy: Divination with cards.

Catoptromancy: turning a mirror to catch lunar rays.

Causimomancy: studies how objects burn in a fire. An object that burns slowly or not at all indicates good tidings.

Cephalomancy: reading the head of an animal.

Ceraunoscopy: divination from thunder and lightning.

Ceroscopy: interpreting the bubbles that form when hot wax in poured in water.

Chiromancy: divination by reading the lines of the hand. Combined with chirognomy, or reading the shape and structure of hand, we get modern palmistry.

Cleromancy: casting lots using stones, sticks or other objects

Clidomancy: dangling a key that answers questions by turning one way to saw yes, another way to say no. Only one of the many forms or radiesthesia

Crominiomancy: divination from onion sprouts.

Crystallomancy: scrying, or crystal gazing.

Cyclomancy: fortune telling via a turning wheel.

Dactylomancy: A dangling ring answers questions, another form of radiesthesia.

Demonomancy: demon - aided future seeing.

Dendromancy: studying oak or mistletoes parts for signs.

Geloscopy: divining the future from laughter. For happy wizards only.

Gyromancy: people walk in a circle and spell the prophecy by marking where they stumble.

Haruspicy: prophecy by inspecting the innards of sacrificed animals.

Hippomancy: interpreting the neighing and hoof stamping of horses.

Hydromancy: divination by interpreting the color, flow, ripples and other shapes in water.

Ichthyomancy: Fishing for clues to the future.

Lithomancy: Precious colored stones are spread on a flat surface with the brightest color indication the future: red - happiness in love, yellow - disaster, purple - sadness, black or gray - misfortune, green - hope realized, blue - good luck. Colored beads may also be used.

Margaritomancy: pearls under a pot (they bounce if guilty person approaches).

Meteroromancy: telling the meaning of meteors, which have always been considered potent omens.

Moylbdomancy: foretells future events by interpretation of hissing molten lead.

Myomancy: omens made by the sounds of signs of mice.

Oculomancy: determines events by looking deep into your eyes.

Oinomancy: like hydromancy, except wine is the liquid examined.

Oneiromancy: the interpretation of dreams

Onychomancy: symbols and signs revealed by sunlight on fingernails.

Oomantia: inspecting eggs for omens and signs.

Ophiomancy: serpents used for divination.

Ormnithomancy: birds and their actions telling the future.

Pegomancy: spring water and it's bubbles used for divination.

Phyllorhodomancy: an ancient Greek technique of slapping rose petals against the palm and judging the future by the loudness of the clap.

Psychometry: obtaining impressions from physical objects.

Pyromancy: fortune revealed by interpreting flames.

Rhabdomancy: use of wand or stick to divine the future.

Rhapsodomancy: divination with a book of poetry that is randomly opened, the passage read as an omen or guide.

Sciomancy: spirits tell the future.

Sideromancy: studying the shapes of straws burned on a hot iron.

Sortilege: casting lots.

Spodomancy: signs red in cinders, ashes and soot.

Stichomancy: random opening of a book in hopes that a passage will tell the future.

Tephramancy: examining the cheese for omens and signs.

Xylomancy: Diving from the size and shape of pieces of wood randomly collected, or burning the pieces and observing which flames first.

In creating your own magical world you will probably not use all of the background material in your actual writing. The main thing to remember however is that your must creating a reality suspension system for your world to seem believable. In building the world you must ask yourself these questions:

• What are the names for magic users (e.g. shamans, witches)?

• Are stories told about told about famous magic users?

• Are mages male, female or both?

• What rewards does one receive for success?

• Is there punishment for failure?

• Do mages do good magic, evil or both?

• Are good and evil mages separate individuals?

• How does a mage attain his or her powers?

• What is a mage's social and political status?

• Do they form guilds or societies?

• Do they have secret meetings with each other or creatures?

• Are they outcasts or do they belong to a community?

• Are any of them particularly powerful?

• What are a mage's powers?

• Are they general or specific or limited?

• Do they have familiars?

Continue to imagine yourself as a folklorist collecting data in your imaginary world and ask these questions about their rites:

• What, when , where, how and why do they perform a particular rite?

• Are they performed in public or in secret?

• What is their purpose

• How are the mages and assistants dressed and what material is needed?

• What is the meaning and purpose of each material?

• Are there any preparations for the rites

• Are gestures used

• Does the magician dance

• Are their any symbolic movements

• Are special sounds made?

You must include these things and also the smells you encounter. The scent is often an integral part of magical rites and ceremonials.

6.2 Magical Practices

Your readers will want to know which spells or rites are used to:

• Kill enemies

• Injure enemies

• Blight or damage crops

• Injure domestic animals

• Harm other people's properties

• Become invisible

• Cause sleep

• Bring luck

• Bring success

• Combat evil

• Protect your family and such

• Preserve beauty, loyalty, fidelity and such.

Keep in mind all of these things as you write. A fantasy story is like a very complicated spell with lots of annoying parts that have to be accurate or else it doesn't work.

To add another element of reality to your story you cause describe the heavens. A very effective method is to stick to our sky map but change all the names of the stars. Also, if you want, poke into some astronomy.

Witchcraft is a slightly different path of magic and you may want to search for it on the internet at one of the more popular websites.