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The spell is a magical or Magickal act intended to cause an effect on reality using supernatural means of liturgical or ritual nature. Spells are a substantial component of many Pagan religions such as Wicca, and Odinism and can also be found in some monotheistic religions. Others, like Islam and Christianity, explicitly forbid this practice. Medieval collections of spells were called grimoires.
History of spell Spells were probably developed during the Neolithic magical belief period and have been practiced since then both in accepted and clandestine environments. They were common in Pagan societies as part of massive official holidays promoted by authorities: this activity is well documented in a number of historical sources and has even survived in vodunist or shamanic religion areas. On the opposite, practitioners were harshly prosecuted in other places and ages, specially in areas whose state religion was Christianity. Today, practitioners have freedom of religion, a fundamental right protected by most democratic countries. Typical characteristics of a spell Typically, a spell can be a symbolic representation of a purported effect, performed under the invocation of a deity, a call for aid from a higher power, or the assemblage, direction, focus, or incorporation of the forces of nature. It can even be an unwilling instantaneous action with no specific shape. But in more developed Pagan beliefs, spells have the following general structure: The similarity between this structure and the liturgy of more modern monotheistic religions, from which these practices are derived, is quite noticeable. An excellent example of such a parallelism is the ritualism of Catholic Mass. Black magic and white magic When the goal of the spell and the means used to achieved it are regarded as immoral, illegal, or pernicious by a certain society, it is defined as black magic. If a society accepts both the goal and the means as innocuous, it is defined as white. While these terms are used by practitioners to convey to non-practitioners the difference between positive and negative magics, the terms 'black' and 'white' magic are not generally used amongst practitioners themselves, probably to avoid any racial connotations the terms could hold. Nowadays, a number of Neopagan religions like Wicca have recovered the usage of spells and vindicate it. Many people perform them privately for themselves, for others or for a price, usually following the instructions of occultist books or other sources, commonly seeking health, wealth and love although sometimes also for revenge or hate. It must be noted, however, that several branches of Neopaganism, such as Wicca, expressly forbid the use of magic if it harms others. Additionally, within the bounds of Wiccan ethics, if a spell is to be used on another human being, his or her consent must generally be obtained. Spells and Christianity In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas wrote that if a person has a spell put on them that causes them to get married, the marriage is invalid. See also | ||||||||
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