An historical overview of how modern-day magic evolved from the
beliefs and customs of the Celts and other ancient, Indo-European peoples.
The roots of magic come from the Celts, a people living between 700 BC
and 100 AD. Believed to be descendants of Indo-Europeans, the Celts were a
brilliant and dynamic people . gifted artists, musicians, storytellers,
metalworkers, expert farmers and fierce warriors. They were much feared by their
adversaries, the Romans, who eventually adopted a number of their customs and
traditions.
The Celts were a deeply spiritual people, who worshiped both
a god and goddess. Their religion was pantheistic, meaning they worshiped many
aspects of the "One Creative Life Source" and honored the presence of the
"Divine Creator" in all of nature. Like many tribes the world over, they
believed in reincarnation. After death, they went to the Summerland for rest and
renewal while awaiting rebirth.
The months of the Celtic year were named
after trees. The Celtic new year began at Samhain, which means "summers end,"
and was the final harvest of the year. This was also their "Festival of the
Dead," where they honored their ancestors and deceased loved ones. Many
contemporary Halloween customs come from Samhain.
Next on the wheel of
the Celtic year was the Winter Solstice, celebrating the annual rebirth of the
Sun. Our Christmas customs today are similar to this ancient celebration. Around
the beginning of February came Imbolg, a time when domesticated animals began to
give birth. The Spring Equinox and Beltaine, sometimes called "May Day," were
fertility festivals. The Summer Solstice, known as Lughnassa, celebrated the
glory of the Sun and the powers of nature. Lughnassa, the Fall Equinox, and
Samhain, were considered as Celtic harvest festivals.
The "Druids" were
the priests of the Celtic religion. They remained in power through the fourth
century AD, three centuries after the Celts' defeat at the hands of the Romans.
The Druids were priests, teachers, judges, astrologers, healers and bards. They
became indispensable to the political leaders, giving them considerable power
and influence. They were peacemakers, and were able to pass from one warring
tribe to another unharmed. It took twenty years of intense study to become a
Druid.
Translated, the word Druid means "knowing the oak tree." Trees,
the oak in particular, were held sacred by the Celts. Mistletoe, which grows as
a parasite on oak trees, was a powerful herb used in their ceremonies and for
healing. Mistletoe was ritually harvested at the Summer Solstice by cutting it
with a golden sickle and catching it with a white cloth while never letting it
fall to the ground.
The religious beliefs and practices of the Celts
grew into what later became known as Paganism, not to be confused with the term
Neo-Paganism, which is beyond the scope of this writing. The word Pagan is
derived from the Latin word Paganus, meaning "country dweller." This outgrowth
was consistent with the Celts' love for the land and their holding such things
as the oak tree and mistletoe sacred.
Paganistic beliefs and rituals
blended with those of other Indo-European descended groups, and over several
centuries spawned such practices as concocting potions and ointments, casting
spells, and performing works of magic. These practices, along with many of the
nature-based beliefs held by the Celts and other groups, became collectively
known as witchcraft.
The term witch, which means to "twist or bend," has
its origin in the ancient, Anglo-Saxon word "wicca," which is derived from the
word "wicce," which means "wise." Witch is also related to the German word,
"weihen," which means "to consecrate or bless." Some say that the origins of the
witch date back thousands of years, to the days when the goddess was worshiped
and humanity had great reverence for the powers of nature and for women as
creators of new life. In the "New Age" philosophy, this relates to the concept
of "Gaia," or "Mother Earth," which views planet earth as essentially a living
being.
Prior to the 14th century, witchcraft came to mean a collection
of beliefs and practices including healing through spells, mixing ointments or
concoctions, dabbling in the supernatural, divining or forecasting the future,
and engaging in clairvoyance. Groups holding to other beliefs and rituals often
branded witchcraft as "demon-worship."
After North America was
discovered and Europeans began migrating to the new land, witchcraft came into
practice by some of the early, colonial settlers. Since it had previously been
branded as "demon-worship," witchcraft was forbidden throughout the North
American colonies. Despite this decree by the powers of the day, some colonists
secretly practiced witchcraft knowing they would be hanged or burned if caught.
It has been said that certain rituals performed by early-American witches helped
shield their settlements from attacks by Native Americans.
Magic can
effect many outcomes, some good and some evil, depending on the type of magic
and the intentions of the practitioner. The more well-known types of magic are
denoted by colors.
"Black magic" is performed with the intention of
harming another being, either as a means of building the practitioner's power or
as the goal itself. The underlying ideology upon which black magic is based
states that the practitioner and his or her pursuit of knowledge and/or physical
well-being, are more important than other concerns, theological or ethical.
"Green magic" involves the practitioner's attuning himself or herself to nature
and the world around him or her. "White magic" is where the practitioner attunes
himself or herself to the needs of human society and attempts to meet those
needs. This is a form of "personal betterment" magic, and does not entail
harming other beings.
"Grey magic" is magic that is neither green, nor
black, nor white, and which usually replaces the absolute stand of these realms
with an ethical code that is particular to the practitioner. It is a type of
magic all its own, and may be used for many different purposes. "Folk magic" is
an eclectic collection of herbalism, faith healing, curses and hexes, candle
magic, and other workings that has thrived in rural areas for centuries. There
is also the term, "hedge wizard," which refers to an individual who attempts to
practice magic with little or no formal training.
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