History of magic continued…

_Elsa_

‘Cabalist Magic - Perhaps the best synthesis of magic in the Middle Ages and Renaissance was exhibited by Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola. In his works, Mirandola not only originated the romantic concept of a soulmate, he gave The Renaissance Magus the magic of Cabala, synthesized from the Jewish Mystical Kabbalah practices.

European Cabalist magic was a spiritual attempt to tap into the higher spiritual powers, placing great importance on angels and divine spirits. Cabala was at its core a concept of gaining knowledge of God. The magic derived from it was to be used mystically to aid in contemplation, or to make use of the power of Hebrew, or the angels invoked to perform feats of magic. Mirandola felt that no magic could be effective without using Cabala to complement and strengthen it. Mirandola created a successful marriage between Hermeticism and Cabala. This synergy in concepts ties in quite nicely for the modern fantasy fiction writer seeking to build their own system of magic.

Shared Magical Beliefs - The major similarities in magical beliefs from ancient times to the Renaissance were the beliefs in divination, especially by thunder, dream magic, astrology, and Natural Magic, which came from the Hermetic tradition. Clearly the forces of nature and the heavens played in the magical beliefs of all. Whether those of antiquity and the Middle Ages actually had the knowledge and abilities to accomplish the feats they spoke of is irrelevant.

Those of us building worlds and forging new imaginative systems of magic serving as the engines of our fiction can learn a lot by gazing into the minds of the great magic innovators of antiquity. Even a cursory review of the ideas of Galen, Ptolemy, Seneca, and Pico Della Mirandola offers a better understanding of the history of magic created by real world thinkers and scientists.

The Roots of Modern Magic - The idea of placing strictures on magic derives from ancient real-world beliefs. Sympathetic magic, binding magical powers into talismans, and detailed rules all harken back to the conceptions of magic developed in Medieval and Renaissance Europe. From Gandalf and Merlin, to Harry Potter, and The Force, all our most treasured magic in modern fiction can trace roots to the scientists and “magicians” from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. A bountiful harvest of rich conflicts and plot points abound for modern authors if we are willing to dig around in the past.’ (Source)

Let’s continue - The history of magic evolves

Start at the beginning – Yeti and Chewy learn all about magic