History of magic

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‘The belief in magic and magical powers dates back to the earliest recorded history. In Egypt, for example, large number of magical papyri, in Greek, Coptic, and Demotic, have been recovered. These sources contain early instances of much of the magical lore that later became part of Western cultural expectations about the practice of magic, especially ceremonial magic. They contain early instances of:

• magic words said to have the power to command the spirits

• use of magic wands and other ritual tools

• use of a magic circle to defend the magician against the spirits he is invoking or evoking

• use of mysterious symbols or sigils thought useful to invoke or evoke spirits.

The use of spirit mediums is also documented in these texts; many of the spells call for a child to be brought to the magic circle to act as a conduit for messages from the spirits. The time of the Emperor Julian of Rome, marked by a reaction against the influence of Christianity, saw a revival of magical practices associated with neo-Platonism under the guise of theurgy.’ (Source) 

‘Real World Magic: Ancient Times to the Middle Ages - Often authors and readers of modern fiction alike believe our modern concepts of magic and mages stems only from Tolkien and the King Arthur legends. In fact, a study of scholarship from ancient Rome, the Medieval, and Renaissance periods reveals modern wizards in fiction are firmly rooted in much older real world works and treatises.

The history of magic in the real-world spans far back beyond even Merlin and Gandalf. Writers of Fantasy interested in magic would be well served to look to the works and thought of a collection of real world Medieval and Renaissance “mages” for inspiration.

Medieval and Renaissance Magic - Several great scientific minds originated real-world concepts of magic based in science, medicine, and philosophy. The history of magic in the Medieval and Renaissance periods stems from ancient times, originating primarily from the works of four prominent authors in Roman times: Seneca, Ptolemy, Pliny, and Galen. These thinkers provided a firm foundation for “magic thought” that further developed in the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.

The most dominant ancient magic themes tended to revolve around divination, dream magic, astrology, and natural magic. Sound familiar? Modern fiction, television, film, comic books, and video games are all variations upon these ancient concepts.

Seneca, an ancient philosopher often cited in the Middle Ages, focused his views on magic around divination and astrology. Seneca viewed the stars as being divine and considered their study as sacred and almost religious. Although he firmly believed in the impact the stars had on future events, his major focus was the divination of the future by thunderbolts of all things.’ (Source)

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