Sorcery
From Solitary Witches Wiki
The distinction between sorcery and witchcraft is at best murky. Both have been nearly universal throughout history and have been defined with different shades of meaning. In many cases, the terms sorcery and witchcraft have been used interchangeably. During the Renaissance witch hysteria in Europe, however, witchcraft was regarded as quite different than sorcery.
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Origins
The word sorcery comes from the French sors, for "spell", and refers to the casing of spells or the use of charms to influence love, fertility, luck, health and wealth. The French word for "witch" is sorcier. In many societies, the assumption is made that these spells have an evil purpose and that sorcerers cast spells against others for whom they have an unjustified hatred. Conversely, sorcery provides protection against other sorcery, and counter-sorcerers, witch doctors or medicine men may be sought out to cast protective spells against the evil spirits of other sorcerers, or to break evil spells.
Sorcery fulfills various needs in society, such as protecting people and livestock against disaster, outsiders and enemies; redressing wrongs and meting out justice; controlling the environment; and explaining frightening phenomena.
Concepts of Sorcery
Sorcery is low magic: it is not a set of beliefs, like high magic, but is mechanistic and intuitive. Some societies still make distinctions between sorcery and witchcraft. Many African tribes view witchcraft as thoroughly evil, while sorcery is close to religion. It is benevolent when performed for the good of society, such as protecting a village or tribe from the evil of enemy sorcerers or from natural disasters, but it is evil if performed for the gain of one individual at the expense of another.[1]
References
- ↑ Guiley, R. (1989) The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Facts on File, New York, New York
