Basque Witches
At one point in time, prior to the formation of the Greek City-States, Europe was far from a unified society. It was composed of many distinct ethnicities, tribes, nomadic groups, and other people who did not fit within one of the above categories. Then as people began to band and empires grew, many of these small, diverse groups were forced to assimilate to the mainstream culture at the time. One of these first Diasporas came under the rule of Alexander the Great, around 340 B.C.E. In a short period of time, Alexander was able to conquer a majority of the European people, and force them to adapt to his ideals. Then came the famous rise of the Roman Empire, which dominated people throughout Europe, and even parts of Africa and Asia. Though the Empire, extending over a period of 500 years sometimes allowed smaller groups to maintain their distinct culture, these small groups could not keep their relevance without assimilating to the Roman perspective.
Spellcasting In History (Part 4)
After the later parts of the 19th century, and the re-emergence of many paganesque religions that were forced into hiding, many more people turned to the art of spell casting to aid them in their every day lives.
Freemasonry played a large part in the use of spell craft as a natural occurrence. They believed that it was possible to shape their own destiny and control the forces of nature by living as equals under the stars. Although their spell craft was limited, they often had with them a pentagram with a human body in the centre, to represent how grounded they were in their convictions.
Spellcasting In History (Part 3)
Love: The most powerful emotion a person can feel; the emotion that drives deep into the heart of the soul and causes that person to behave in ways different to their norm. In every culture, there has always been talk of ways to attract love into your life, or to keep a lover, or to improve the love that is shared, or even to end a relationship. One way to do this is through the use of a spell.
Prehistoric or ancient cultures used their shamans to find ways of altering the course of nature, by asking the spirits to bless marriages, or bring love into their lives. Popular cultures have dramatised the rituals of their times in regard to the relationships they have, with the use of omens before the marriage; for example, the weather must be checked, and prayers must be offered to the ancestors for their blessing of the unions. These spells were considered important to the custom of the time. If something bad happened, then it was considered that the spells were not strong enough, and the gods simply weren’t pleased by the unions. Since then, these people have often asked to bring the correct love into their live in order to please the spirits.
Spellcasting In History (Part 2)
There are many different forms of spell casting. Each depends on the cultural backgrounds of the person asking for assistance. Although the love spell is the most common, the use of spells are extremely helpful in providing the guidance we need in our every day lives.
A prayer, offered to the spirits or to the Gods or Goddesses of your religion is the simplest form of a spell. In asking those of a higher power for assistance and guidance, the follower is using the magical energies of the gods to benefit their lives. However, due to its strict religious connotations, it is rarely classed as a spell, but more a way of giving thanks to your selected deity.
Spellcasting In History (Part 1)
'Magic’, in its simplest form, has been used by ancient cultures to control the elements, and bend forces of nature to the will of the user. The Prehistoric man was very much in tune with how they were placed in nature, and often felt they must give up sacrifices and offerings to their Gods in order to keep them happy. These rituals are the earliest forms of spellcasting, as their power of giving thanks helped them in their tasks of farming or gathering food.
African and Native American cultures had their wise men and women to perform their spells for similar reasons. They used wands and crystals to aid them in their spell casting, and offered gifts of thanks for the spiritual powers. They focused more on charms and trinkets, or dolls to be carried around, and could perform spells wherever they were needed. Those who performed the spells were highly revered in their society, as they had proved themselves strong enough to handle the power of the spirits.
