Magic Flashcards
What is Magic?
It is mechanical control of the supernatural
What is Imitative Magic?
It is magic that operates on the principle that life actions produce life result
Eg: rain dance, homeopathy, chiroopractic
What is Contagious Magic?
It is magic that operates on the principle that after two things have been in contact they continue to influence each other.
Eg: lucky shirt…etc
What is Incantation? What are the examples?
It is something said or sung that gives force to magic.
Examples: curse, oath, mantra
What is a Curse?
It is an incantation of destruction.
Eg: God damn you
What is an Oath?
It is and incantation that attests to truth
eg: I swear on my children’s eyes
What is a Mantra?
It is a constantly repeated incantation
eg: chanting “ohmm”
What is Sorcery?
It is harming someone supernaturally through spells and paraphernalia.
Spells: series of words and/or actions that make magic happens.
Paraphernalia: any objects associates with a task (eg: chef’s knife)
What can we say about Sorcery?
It is external, learned and conscious.
- External because it uses wand, potions, words coming out to form spells…etc
- Someone has to learn to become a sorcerer
- It cannot be an accident
It is in a position of power. Eg: a sorcerer wants everyone to know he/she is a sorcerer
What is Witchcraft?
It is harming someone supernaturally through psychological process only.
What can we say about Witchcraft?
It is internal, innate and maybe unconscious
- There is no external evidence of witchcraft
- It is part of who you are
- Depends on cultures
Eg: Sabrina
It is in position of weakness
Eg: witch killing in Tanzania. Likely candidates are old women with productive land and no children
What is Evil Eye?
It is harming someone supernaturally through envy.
(everyone can do the envy)
It is part of a social security system in peasant society.
Define Peasant
a person who grows their own food but is a part of a larger economic system.
- Intensive agriculture society
- other groups include: merchant, craft, elite who take everything from tax and rent
- they typically don’t have much cash and have to come to the elite to ask for money when they need to.
What is Social Security?
It is knowing that you will be taken care of when you are in need.
eg: in St Vincent, don’t address people by their name in public for fear of gossip (being singled out from the community)
What is Amulet?
It is an object with magical force.
Associate with Animatism
