Non-Christian Magical Systems

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04 Sep 2011, 8:45 pm

I'm writing a paper for social anthropology but I am having a hard time finding a list of non-Christian Magical Systems other than Witchcraft that are still practiced today. Can anyone help with that? Please don't list the Judeo-Christian systems such as Ceremonial Magic etc...

simon_says
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04 Sep 2011, 9:01 pm

Real voodoo is still practiced in Togo, Benin and the Caribbean.

I think there is some form of New Age crystal magic.

androbot2084
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04 Sep 2011, 9:10 pm

Nuclear Physics is the modern day witchcraft.

OldFashioned
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04 Sep 2011, 9:40 pm

simon_says wrote:

Real voodoo is still practiced in Togo, Benin and the Caribbean.

I think there is some form of New Age crystal magic.

Ah yes, Voodoo, that's also a form of Paganism isn't it?

Any others? Surely Magic can't be a Judeo-Christian monopoly, the lecturer said there were plenty others.

jrjones9933
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04 Sep 2011, 9:45 pm

Huna, traditional Hawaiian magic, has had a recent resurgence in popularity.

Hindu swamis have some of the best magic going.

Hoodoo, a magical creole, is practiced mostly in the American South.

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jrjones9933
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04 Sep 2011, 9:46 pm

OldFashioned wrote:

simon_says wrote:

Real voodoo is still practiced in Togo, Benin and the Caribbean.

I think there is some form of New Age crystal magic.

Ah yes, Voodoo, that's also a form of Paganism isn't it?

Any others? Surely Magic can't be a Judeo-Christian monopoly, the lecturer said there were plenty others.

Voodoo blends West African religion with Catholicism.

Santeria, too, one difference being French creole vs. Spanish language.

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simon_says
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04 Sep 2011, 9:51 pm

It's mixed in the new world. I think there is a pure strain in Togo and Benin.

I'm sure if you look up some of the better known surviving tribes they will have magical rituals of some sort. Also, Native Americans.

JakobVirgil
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04 Sep 2011, 9:52 pm

I assume we are defining magic as not religion.
hand trembling among the dene (navajo)
Ghost shirts and the ghost dance (pan-amerind)
God-men, Fakirs and the Atharva Veda in India.
the Taoist/Chinese traditional magic as opposed to Taoism as a religion.
Feng shui.
Bön in Tibetan not the religion but the associated spells and such.

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Obres
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04 Sep 2011, 10:22 pm

androbot2084 wrote:

Nuclear Physics is the modern day witchcraft.

Really? Let's see witchcraft do that s**t

ruveyn
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04 Sep 2011, 10:32 pm

androbot2084 wrote:

Nuclear Physics is the modern day witchcraft.

So is the computer on which you type your nonsense.

Both A bombs and computers are the result of quantum theory which just happens to be correct.

ruveyn

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04 Sep 2011, 11:11 pm

There are several different types of "Witchcraft" outside of the well known Christian one. Islam for example does have a fairly well developed superstitious magical system. You could say most religions do though are often frowned upon on the surface, especially by members of the priesthood/equivalent and other orders.

The Sufi sect of Islam is a much more mystical version of the religion with some inherent magical qualities to its beliefs

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05 Sep 2011, 7:33 am

the word magic is not interchangeable with the word supernatural. are you intentionally being offensive or are you some kind of moron?

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JakobVirgil
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05 Sep 2011, 10:05 am

Knifey wrote:

Are you intentionally being offensive or are you some kind of moron?

QFDH

quoted for deep hypocrisy.
perfectly weighted
it means are you intentionally being offensive (you know like I am).
Bravo

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ruveyn
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05 Sep 2011, 11:10 am

Knifey wrote:

the word magic is not interchangeable with the word supernatural. are you intentionally being offensive or are you some kind of moron?

There is a big overlap though. The supernatural could be divided into what we call magic and meta-natural which means there are higher order laws behind physical laws.

ruveyn

naturalplastic
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05 Sep 2011, 11:31 am

One obvious example in modern society is that surviving form of magical divination: astrology.

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05 Sep 2011, 11:46 am

naturalplastic wrote:

One obvious example in modern society is that surviving form of magical divination: astrology.

Astrology has links to magic (Some use astrology to time certain rituals or to create certain magical objects etc.), but I don't think it is inherently 'magic'. No more than, say... mathematics is.

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