Magic (supernatural)

Etymology

The English words magic, mage, and magician derive from the Latin magus, which came from the Greek μάγος, itself from the Old Persian maguš. The Old Persian term magu- traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root megʰ-magh, meaning 'be able'. By the late sixth and early fifth centuries BCE, the Greek term goetia emerged with negative connotations for rites considered fraudulent, unconventional, or dangerous, particularly those involving evocation of daimons. Hellenistic authors later grouped practices such as enchantment, witchcraft, incantations, divination, necromancy, and astrology under the label 'magic'. Latin adopted this meaning in the first century BCE, and early Christian theology incorporated the concept, associating magic with demons. In early modern Europe, Protestants often labeled Roman Catholicism as magic, and European colonizers in the sixteenth century termed non-Christian beliefs magical. Italian humanists of the same period reinterpreted the term positively as natural magic.

Branches or types

Historians and anthropologists distinguish between high magic and low magic. High magic, also called theurgy or ceremonial magic, involves lengthy, detailed rituals and sophisticated paraphernalia, often performed indoors to draw down forces from heaven and achieve unity with divinity. Low magic, associated with peasants and folklore, uses simpler rituals like brief spoken spells and is linked to goetia and witchcraft, often performed outdoors. The terms white magic and black magic refer to intent: white magic is used for selfless or helpful purposes, while black magic serves selfish, harmful, or evil ends.

There is no consensus on what constitutes white, gray, or black magic, as definitions depend on the practitioner. Gray magic, or neutral magic, is performed neither for specifically benevolent nor completely hostile reasons. The term witchcraft carries multiple meanings: historically, it primarily meant causing harm through supernatural means, a usage still widespread. Other current definitions include anyone performing magical acts for any intent, practitioners of the modern Pagan religion of Wicca, or a symbol of female resistance to male authority. Belief in witchcraft often occurs in societies with a magical worldview.