Magician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses of the term, see Magician (disambiguation).
A magician is a person skilled in the mysterious and hidden art of magic, which can be described as either the act of entertaining with tricks that are in apparent violation of natural law, such as those performed by stage magicians or illusionists, or the ability of those who claim to attain objectives, acquire knowledge, or perform works of wonder through the use of sorcery and supernatural or nonrational means.[1]
Some modern magicians, such as Aleister Crowley and those who follow the traditions of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Ordo Templi Orientis, describe magic in rational terms, using definitions, postulates and theorems.[2]
The latter kind of magician can also be referred to as an enchanter, sorcerer, wizard, mage, magus, necromancer, or thaumaturgist. These overlapping terms may be distinguished by some traditions or some fiction writers. When such distinctions are made, sorcerers are more often practitioners of evocations or black magic, and there may be variations on level and type of power associated with each name.
Some names, distinctions, or aspects may have more of a negative connotation, than others, depending on the setting and the context. (See also Magic and Magic and religion, for some examples.)
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[edit] Historical magician claimants
Numerous people have stated that they were magicians or wizards, or were commonly believed to be so at the time.
A wizard, in this case, is a person who claims to be skilled in arts considered hidden or arcane.
Throughout history, there have been many who have claimed that to have secret knowledge, meant having great, often supernatural, power. Some claimed to know occult (literally, "hidden") techniques that they felt could be of great aid. Perhaps the oldest example of this is knowledge of the jealously guarded secret of the making and tending of fire. [3][4]
Alchemy, in particular, contained many elements that would now be considered magical, but many others that have been incorporated into the science of chemistry.
Some historical figures have also had magical powers attributed to them by legends and in fiction, with their actual abilities lost or unknown.[citation needed] Legends in medieval Europe attributed Virgil with prophetic powers, and sometimes more magical abilities, as in the fairy tale "Virgilius the Sorcerer" collected in The Violet Fairy Book. The figure of Faust appears to have been based on an actual alchemist, Johann Georg Faust, who was accused in his lifetime of practicing magic.
In modern use, the distinguishing aspect for wizards from other magicians is that their abilities were based off of knowledge, rather than faith. This is not to say that wizards did not invoke religion, but it was usually done through secret techniques and rituals as opposed to only prayer (See also Magic and religion and Gnosis).[citation needed]Jehoshua Ben-Pandira - An Egyptian wizard suggested by scholar Gerald Massey to be the original Jesus.
The "Atsinganoi", early Roma people as described in the time of Constantine IX,[5] Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa occult writer and alchemist, John Dee, Queen Elizabeth's court astrologist, and the controversial figure Aleister Crowley are among examples of these.
[edit] Magicians
- Magicians in fantasy
- Shaman
- Kalku
- Magus
- Seid (shamanic magic)
- Warlock
- Wizard
- Magic in the Greco-Roman World
- Sorcerer
[edit] See also
- List of occultists
- List of magicians
- Magic (illusion) for information about professional magicians
- The Magician for fictional works with that title
[edit] References
- ^ "Magic (Sorcery)". Microsoft Encarta 2006 Premium CD. (2006). Microsoft. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
- ^ Crowley, Aleister. Magick (Book 4) (Introductions and Theorems). Weiser Books. ISBN ISBN 0-87728-919-0
- ^ "Fire". HighBeam Research. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
- ^ Paul Rincon. "Early human fire skills revealed". BBC News. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
- ^ Jeetan Sareen. "The Lost Tribes of India". Kuviyam. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
