Black magic
For other uses, see Black magic (disambiguation).
Dark magic redirects here. For other uses, see Dark
magic (disambiguation).
Black magic or dark magic has traditionally referred
John Dee and Edward Kelley using a magic circle ritual to invoke
a spirit in a church graveyard.
to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and
selsh purposes.[1] With respect to the left-hand path and
right-hand path dichotomy, black magic is the malicious,
left-hand counterpart of benevolent white magic. In mod-
ern times, some nd that the denition of black magic
has been convoluted by people who dene magic or ritual-
istic practices that they disapprove of as black magic.[2]
1 History
Like its counterpart white magic, the origins of black
magic can be traced to the primitive, ritualistic worship of
spirits as outlined in Robert M. Place's 2009 book, Magic
and Alchemy.[3] Unlike white magic, in which Place sees
parallels with primitive shamanistic eorts to achieve
1
closeness with spiritual beings, the rituals that developed
into modern black magic were designed to invoke those
same spirits to produce benecial outcomes for the prac-
titioner. Place also provides a broad modern denition
of both black and white magic, preferring instead to refer
to them as high magic (white) and low magic (black)
based primarily on intentions of the practitioner employ-
ing them. He acknowledges, though, that this broader
denition (of high and low) suers from prejudices
as good-intentioned folk magic may be considered low
while ceremonial magic involving expensive or exclusive
components may be considered by some as high magic,
regardless of intent.[3][4]
See also: Renaissance magic
During the Renaissance, many magical practices and rit-
uals were considered evil or irreligious and by extension,
black magic in the broad sense. Witchcraft and non-
mainstream esoteric study were prohibited and targeted
by the Inquisition.[5] As a result, natural magic developed
as a way for thinkers and intellectuals, like Marsilio Fi-
cino, abbot Johannes Trithemius and Heinrich Cornelius
Agrippa, to advance esoteric and ritualistic study (though
still often in secret) without signicant persecution.[5]
While natural magic became popular among the ed-
ucated and upper classes of the 16th and 17th century,
ritualistic magic and folk magic remained subject to per-
secution. 20th century author Montague Summers gener-
ally rejects the denitions of white and black magic
as contradictory, though he highlights the extent to
which magic in general, regardless of intent, was consid-
ered dark or black and cites William Perkins posthu-
mous 1608 instructions in that regard:[6]
All witches convicted by the Magistrate
should be executed. He allows no exception
and under this condemnation fall all Diviners,
Charmers, Jugglers, all Wizards, commonly
called wise men or wise women. All those
purported good Witches which do not hurt but
good, which do not spoil and destroy, but save
and deliver should come under the extreme
sentence.
In particular, though, the term was most commonly re-
served for those accused of invoking demons and other
evil spirits, those hexing or cursing their neighbours,
those using magic to destroy crops and those capable of
leaving their earthly bodies and travelling great distances
2 3 VOODOO

in spirit (to which the Malleus Malecarum devotes one
long and important chapter). Summers also highlights
the etymological development of the term nigromancer,
in common use from 1200 to approximately 1500, (Latin:
Niger, black; Greek: Manteia, divination), broadly one
skilled in the black arts.[6]
In a modern context, the line between white magic
and black magic is somewhat clearer and most mod-
ern denitions focus on intent rather than practice.[3]
There is also an extent to which many modern Wicca
and witchcraft practitioners have sought to distance them-
selves from those intent on practising black magic. Those
who seek to do harm or evil are less likely to be accepted
into mainstream Wiccan circles or covens in an era where
benevolent magic is increasingly associated with new-age
gnosticism and self-help spiritualism.[7]
2 Satanism and devil-worship
vocation of demons or spirits is an accepted part of black
magic, this practice is distinct from the worship or dei-
cation of such spiritual beings.[7]
Those lines, though, continue to be blurred by the inclu-
sion of spirit rituals from otherwise white magicians in
compilations of work related to Satanism. John Dee's
16th century rituals, for example, were included in Anton
LaVey's The Satanic Bible (1969) and so some of his prac-
tises, otherwise considered white magic, have since been
associated with black magic. Dees rituals themselves
were designed to contact spirits in general and angels in
particular, which he claimed to have been able to do with
the assistance of colleague Edward Kelley. LaVeys Bible,
however, is a complete contradiction of Dees inten-
tions but oers the same rituals as a means of contact with
evil spirits and demons.[8] LaVeys Church of Satan (with
LaVeys Bible at its centre), ocially denies the ecacy
of occult ritual but arms the subjective, psycholog-
ical value of ritual practice, drawing a clear distinction
between.[8] LaVey himself was more specic:

White magic is supposedly utilized only for

good or unselsh purposes, and black magic,
we are told, is used only for selsh or evil
reasons. Satanism draws no such dividing line.
Magic is magic, be it used to help or hinder.
The Satanist, being the magician, should have
the ability to decide what is just, and then apply
the powers of magic to attain his goals.

Satanism is not a white light religion; it is

a religion of the esh, the mundane, the carnal
- all of which are ruled by Satan, the personi-
cation of the Left Hand Path.

The latter quote, though, seems to have been directed to-

ward the growing trends of Wiccanism and neo-paganism
at the time.[8]

3 Voodoo
Main article: Louisiana Voodoo

Voodoo, too, has been associated with modern black

magic"; drawn together in popular culture and ction.
However, while hexing or cursing may be accepted black
magic practices, Voodoo has its own distinct history and
traditions that have little to do with the traditions of mod-
Illustration by Martin van Male, of a Witches Sabbath, in the ern witchcraft that developed with European practitioners
1911 edition of La Sorciere, by Jules Michelet. like Gerald Gardner and Aleister Crowley.[7][9][10]
In fact, Voodoo tradition makes its own distinction be-
Main article: Satanism tween black and white magic, with sorcerers like the
Bokor known for using magic and rituals of both. But
The inuence of popular culture has allowed other prac- their penchant for magic associated with curses, poisons
tices to be drawn in under the broad banner of black and zombies means they, and Voodoo in general, are reg-
magic including the concept of Satanism. While the in- ularly associated with black magic in particular.[11]

A Voodoo doll.
4 Black magic and religion
The links and interaction between black magic and reli-
gion are many and varied. Beyond black magics links
to organised Satanism or its historical persecution by
Christianity and its inquisitions, there are links between
religious and black magic rituals. The Black Mass, for
example, is a sacrilegious parody of the Catholic Mass.
Likewise, a saining, though primarily a practice of white
magic, is a Wiccan ritual analogous to a christening or
baptism for an infant.[12][13]
17th century priest, tienne Guibourg, is said to have per-
formed a series of Black Mass rituals with alleged witch Concepts related to black magic or described, even inac-
Catherine Monvoisin for Madame de Montespan.[14]
In Islam, al-Fatiha al-Falaq, al-Nas and other Surahs are
recited to protect against sorcery. They may be recited
and blown on Olive Oil or water. In addition, using a
Taweez (talisman) containing some of the 99 Names of
Allah, Quranic verses and/or names of Saints have been
used for centuries and have origins in the Hadith.
5 Practices and rituals
The lowest depths of black mysticism are well-nigh
as dicult to plumb as it is arduous to scale
the heights of sanctity. The Grand Masters of
the witch covens are men of genius - a foul genius,
crooked, distorted, disturbed, and diseased.
Montague Summers
Witchcraft and Black Magic
During his period of scholarship, A. E. Waite provided
a comprehensive account of black magic practices, ritu-
als and traditions in The Book of Black Magic and Cer-
emonial Magic.[15] Other practitioners have expanded on
these ideas and oered their own comprehensive lists of
rituals and concepts. Black magic practices and rituals
include:
3
True name spells - the theory that knowing a per-
sons true name allows control over that person,
making this wrong for the same reason. This can
also be used as a connection to the other person, or
to free them from anothers compulsion, so it is in
the grey area.
Immortality rituals - from a Taoist perspective, life is
nite, and wishing to live beyond ones natural span
is not with the ow of nature. Beyond this, there is a
major issue with immortality. Because of the need
to test the results, the subjects must be killed. Even
a spell to extend life may not be entirely good, espe-
cially if it draws life energy from another to sustain
the spell.[16]
Necromancy - for purposes of usage, this is dened
not as general black magic, but as any magic hav-
ing to do with death itself, either through divination
of entrails, or the act of raising the dead body, as
opposed to resurrection or CPR.[17]
Curses and hexes - a curse can be as simple as wish-
ing something bad would happen to another, through
a complex ritual.[18]
6 In popular culture and ction
curately, as black magic are a regular feature of books,
lms and other popular culture. Examples include:
Black Magic (Little Mix song) - Lead single by British
girl-group Little Mix released in May 2015, for their
third studio album Get Weird.
The Devil Rides Out - a 1934 novel by Dennis Wheat-
ley - made into a famous lm by Hammer Studios in
1968
Rosemarys Baby - a 1968 horror novel in which
black magic is a central theme.
The Craft - a 1996 lm featuring four friends who
become involved in white witchcraft but turn to
black magic rituals for personal gain.
The Harry Potter series - black magic, including
various spells and curses, is referred to as "the dark
arts" against which students are taught to defend
themselves.
Final Fantasy - a video game in which white and
black magic are simply used to distinguish between
healing/defensive spells (such as a cure) and of-
fensive/elemental spells (such as re) and do not
carry an inherent good or evil connotation.
4 8
Charmed - a television series in which black magic
is also known as the black arts, dark arts, dark
magic or even evil magic, and is used by demons
and other evil beings.
The Secret Circle - A short-lived television series
featuring witches, in which there are two kinds of
magic. While traditional magic helps you to connect
to the energy around you, more lethal and dangerous
dark magic is rooted in the anger, fear and negativity
inside you. Only a few born with it can access dark
magic and some are inherently stronger than others.
The Power of Five is an entire series by Anthony
Horowitz about black magic and evil sorcerers. The
antagonists are all black sorcerers and are all prac-
titioners of black magic, black magic is a means of
summoning the Old Ones from their prison, Hell.
Black magic often takes the form of mass murder
and animation of inanimate objects.
Night Watch - In the Night Watch book (and movie)
series the magicians are grouped into two sides
Light Others and Dark Others. The dark ma-
gicians are more motivated by selsh desires.
Supernatural (U.S. TV series) - The television se-
ries Supernatural features many events and charac-
ters that feature and participate in black magic.
The Hobbit (lm series) - The lms based on J. R.
R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit feature elements of
black magic centered on a character known as the
Necromancer, however this is very seldom men-
tioned in the book. It later is discovered that the
Necromancer is Sauron who is the principle dark
character of the whole Lord of the Rings series.
The Lord of the Rings - The Lord of the Rings essen-
tial antagonist is Sauron. Sauron and his followers
use black magic on many events such as the creation
of many of his followers and the forging of the One
Ring.
Sherlock Holmes (2009 lm) - The rst of the two
Sherlock Holmes lms directed by Guy Ritchie in-
cludes elements of black magic although they are
later discovered to be false.
Versailles (band) released a short lm in 2009 which
depicted zombies that were resurrected by Jasmine
You through black magic.
Pizza II: Villa - An Indian Tamil suspense supernat-
[12] Black Mass. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclope-
ural thriller lm, written and directed by debutant
Deepan Chakravarthy.
The Necromancers: The Best of Black Magic And [13] Macmullen, Ramsay, and Eugene Lane. From Black
Witchcraft - A collection of folklores and stories Magic To Mystical Awe. Christian History 17.1 (1998):
about black magic edited by Peter Haining. 37. History Reference Center. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
REFERENCES
7 See also
Demonology
Gray magic
Left-hand path and right-hand path
Magical texts
Malecium (sorcery)
Necromancy
Seir
Ya sang
8 References
[1] J. Gordon Melton, ed. (2001). Black Magic. Encyclo-
pedia of Occultism & Parapsychology. Vol 1: AL (Fifth
ed.). Gale Research Inc. ISBN 0-8103-9488-X.
[2] Jesper Aagaard Petersen (2009). Contemporary religious
Satanism: A Critical Anthology. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
p. 220. ISBN 0-7546-5286-6.
[3] Magic and Alchemy by Robert M. Place (Infobase Pub-
lishing, 2009)
[4] Evans-Pritchard. Sorcery and Native Opinion. Africa:
Journal of the International African Institute Vol. 4, No.
1 (Jan., 1931) , pp. 22-55.
[5] White Magic, Black Magic in the European Renaissance by
Paola Zambelli (BRILL, 2007)
[6] Witchcraft and Black Magic by Montague Summers
(1946; reprint Courier Dover Publications, 2000)
[7] Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft by James R.
Lewis (SUNY Press, 1996)
[8] Modern Satanism: Anatomy of a Radical Subculture by
Chris Mathews (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009)
[9] Voodoo 2.0. Newsweek Global 163.9 (2014): 92-98.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
[10] Long, Carolyn Morrow. Perceptions of New Orleans
Voodoo: Sin, Fraud, Entertainment, and Religion. Nova
Religion: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Reli-
gions, Vol. 6, No. 1 (October 2002), pp. 86-101
[11] Voodoo Rituals: A Users Guide by Heike Owusu (Sterling
Publishing Company, 2002)
dia (2014): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Ency-
clopedia. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
 5

[14] Geography of Witchcraft by Montague Summers (1927;

reprint Kessinger Publishing, 2003)

[15] The Book of Black Magic and Ceremonial Magic by Arthur

Edward Waite (1911; reprint 2006)

[16] Immortality. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclope-

dia (2014): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Ency-
clopedia. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

[17] necromancy. Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary

(11th ed.). Springeld, MA: Merriam-Webster. April
2008.

[18] Hex. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition

(2013): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 11 Feb.
2015.
6 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Gurry, Finlay McWalter, Sam Spade, Lowellian, Yosri, Antandrus, Vishahu, Mike Rosoft, Jayjg, Dbachmann, Bender235, CamLewis, Ed-
ward Z. Yang, K12u, WoKrKmFK3lwz8BKvaB94, Flammifer, Eritain, Pearle, Alansohn, Snowolf, Samohyl Jan, Super-Magician, Ndtee-
garden, Arthur Warrington Thomas, Pytom, Brookie, Feezo, Woohookitty, WadeSimMiser, JRHorse, Ariamaki, Meneth, Ajshm, BD2412,
Matt Deres, FlaBot, DaGizza, VolatileChemical, YurikBot, Borgx, 999~enwiki, Pigman, Kitabparast, Thiseye, Nsmith 84, RUL3R, Jkelly,
Fatzebra, FF2010, 21655, Imaninjapirate, E Wing, Katieh5584, Serendipodous, SmackBot, Illuminattile, DCferret, McGeddon, Arny,
Gjs238, Hbackman, Vassyana, Unint, Koor der, JonHarder, VMS Mosaic, Khoikhoi, Filpaul, Kalathalan, Kuru, Perfectblue97, An-
tireconciler, Funnybunny, Lenn0r, CzarB, Romuluscrohns, Shoeofdeath, Thesexualityofbereavement, Tawkerbot2, Conrad.Irwin, JFor-
get, Galo1969X, KyraVixen, Karenjc, Cydebot, MC10, Chasingsol, Synergy, Kvitorm, Boboroshi, Dyanega, Bulmabriefs144, Jame-
sAM, Thijs!bot, Epbr123, Igbale, I do not exist, James086, RickinBaltimore, Mentisto, AntiVandalBot, Seaphoto, Julia Rossi, Arkayne
Magii, JAnDbot, MER-C, Sreesog, Lemmiwinkss, Magioladitis, Grafton14, Bongwarrior, VoABot II, Knowledge for All, Tedickey,
28421u2232nfenfcenc, Allstarecho, DerHexer, JaGa, Stephenchou0722, Ksero, Bballoakie, LedgendGamer, J.delanoy, Neutron Jack, Gin-
sengbomb, Ian.thomson, Demon4738, Balsa10, McSly, Ourima, Lygophile, SJP, Natl1, Inter16, Idioma-bot, Funandtrvl, Deor, Fatsnow-
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Fieldday-sunday, GD 6041, Download, Proxima Centauri, SomeUsr, Favonian, Tyler8779, Tide rolls, Luckas Blade, Zorrobot, Luckas-bot,
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