What is White Magic?
White magic has long been associated with the employment of supernatural abilities or magic for the benefit of others. Many are able accomplish things from knowledge or power passed down through family or as a result of an incident in their life. Healing, blessings, charms, incantations, prayers, and songs are all used in white magic. Simply said, white magic is the benevolent opposite of malevolent black magic.
History of White Magic
Gareth Knight, a well-known occult author, traces the roots of white magic to early adaptations of paleolithic religion and early religious history in general. Including Ancient Egypt’s polytheistic traditions and monotheistic ideas of Judaism and early Christianity. He concentrates on the Hebrew-speaking tribes, claiming that early Jews considered the worship of such deities as more religious regression than evil. With the expansion of the polytheistic and Pagan Roman Empire, Jewish leaders started uniting against these views.
From the Middle Ages until the twentieth century, cunning folk, also known as folk healers or wise folk, were practitioners of folk medicine, beneficial folk magic, and divination throughout Europe. In addition to resisting witchcraft, they also provided other services. Some cunning persons were accused of being witches, but they made up a small percentage of those accused. The term ‘cunning folk’ was initially used to describe folk-healers and magic-workers in the United Kingdom, but it is now used to describe people in other parts of Europe who are similar.
The Renaissance
Natural magic “had become highly discussed in high-cultural circles” by the late 15th century. Marsilio Ficino’s followers believed in the reality of spiritual beings and spirits in general. Despite the fact that many of their notions went opposed to those of the later Age of Enlightenment. While the Roman Catholic Church was hostile to Ficino and his allies, the Church acknowledged the existence of such entities; this acceptance was at the heart of anti-witchcraft activities. Ficino proposed a “purely natural” magic that did not necessitate the invocation of wicked or malicious spirits. He clashed with Johannes Trithemius, who refused to believe in Ficino’s thesis and instead devised his own spells and incantations for communicating with spirits.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Trithemius’ “disciple,” was instrumental in publishing part of his work and, in turn, creating his own. His work included accounts of classical elements, numerology, astrology, and kabbalah. Also thorough explanations of how to use those connections and laws in medicine, scrying, alchemy, and rites and ceremonies. During the Inquisition and anti-witchcraft feeling, white magic grew as the more respectable type of occult and pagan study.
White Witchcraft Symbolism
Gareth Knight claims that “at the basis of the Western tradition of white magic” is a combination of these ideas – early “natural” religions and philosophical reasoning. Symbol and the role of magic in religion, particularly religious symbolism, are also at the heart of white magic. The star as an example, which was important to Jewish tradition, early Christians and later Masonic tradition and Neo-paganism. White magic practitioners continue to value it in the form of the pentagram and night-time ritual.
Contemporary Interpretations
The basic essence of prehistoric shamanistic magic was “helping” white magic, and thus the structure of modern white magic. To treat illness/injury, interpret the future, analyze dreams, appeasing spirits, influencing weather and generating well-being, for example.
Goddess Worship
White magic is connected with feminine themes such as a Mother goddess, fae, nature spirits, oneness with nature, and goddess worship, yet it is not entirely a female profession. The idea of “white witchcraft” is sometimes associated with caring motherly spirit in modern fables. Think of the use of the “fairy godmother” time and again in fairy tale themes.
White magic practice requires little more than a pure heart that is set with good intentions. The most beautiful thing about magic is that it comes from within. Tools such as crystals and herbs can most certainly be helpful in assisting with certain spells and setting your intentions. However, the journey and practice of white magic simply comes from a person who seeks to help others above themselves.
