Lesson One
The Evolution of Magic
Definitions: Anathema: (noun) a person or thing detested or loathed.
As all things in this universe have an end, they must also have a beginning. The drive and need to have a purpose in ones life, to make some difference, to understand concepts which have eluded mankind for centuries are the fuel to the continuation of this world. In simpler terms, it is thanks to evolution of all different kinds that our existence on this planet is possible.
However, we are going to focus on the evolution, physical and historical, of our magic. Students in this courses' sister class (Muggles and Magic) are going to cover Irish magic, involving the Druid clans of Ireland and Northern Ireland. If you are unfamiliar, this magical race focused their magic upon the natural world and the natural magic the earth produced. Whether through the moon, sun, oceans, or nature. If you are curious about this race, you should take Muggles and Magic next term.
*winks*
Now, we are going to go quite a distance back into our history and talk about something that is quite anathema and as dark and twisted as its namesake.
Blood Magic
Those select few who choose to practice this Blood Magic were known as Blood Path Mages. Mages being the dated term for "magical folk" in the earlier centuries. Some philosophers and historians even date Mages back to the days of Biblical reference, when they were referred to as 'Magi.'
The term 'Mage' tends to hold a bit more respect than that of magician, wizard, warlock, or witch. Unfortunately, the entertainment and media industries have morphed the terms 'magician, wizard, warlock, and witch' into a mockery. Casual terms to be associated with fictional works of literature and theater, not to be taken seriously. However, if you'll keep the thought of these media industries in the back of your mind for a while, we will discuss this concept more a little later on.
Continuing with the concept of Blood Path Mages. As mentioned before, these Mages are ancient, not many scholars can precisely date when Blood Path Mages were most prominent, but they have been documented from the times of BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini). Noticeably, Blood Path Mages became more common before and during the Medieval era. If you'll remember, this is the time where non-magic people were extremely terrified of magic in any form. With good reason, too.
Blood Path Mages pull their power directly from the essence of the blood of living beings. Meaning human sacrifices, animal sacrifices, and personal blood sacrifices from their own body. This ritual would normally be in the presence of an altar; a workshop for performing sacrifices. Such as this one.
I use the present tense for a very specific reason. If you look at the personality qualities of Blood Path Mages and you think about our recent magical history, does this remind you of anyone?
Lord Voldemort himself. While he might not have been called a Blood Path Mage directly, he certainly presented all of the qualities. However, the main difference between Lord Voldemort and ancient Blood Mages is that the Wizarding World is unsure if Voldemort ever actually used the power that comes from committing murder. We are all well aware that Voldemort committed murder in order to create Horcruxes and gain immortality.
The main difference between creating Horcruxes and being a Blood Mage is that most Blood Mages had an entity, a being of infinite power, they worshiped. This, of course, was not the case for all of these magical types. Lord Voldemort thought too highly of himself to admit there would ever be another being that could be greater than he was. Which ultimately led to his down fall.
Before we continue onto the next point, I would like to clarify some terms. Witches and warlocks are not the same thing to most cultures of magic. Witches and wizards can be the same things, however, simply different genders. The main difference between witches and warlocks is that witches tend to practice wholesome and “good” magic, while warlocks turn to the darkness and more “evil” paths of magic.
If you'll notice, we use the abstract terms of 'good' and 'evil' simply because this is how people base what is “right and wrong, moral and ethical.” However, ponder this, some deed or action that is essentially good, but done in the name of evil is still good. This also holds true that if some thing evil is done in the name of good, it is still evil. Thus, when we decide if an action is good or evil, it's not what the action is for, it is what the action is itself that decides which allegiance it will fall under. If you will continue to ponder that theory, we are going to discuss that thought later in another lesson.
Elaborating on this concept a bit more, Medieval France saw a great deal of witches and warlocks who would make living sacrifices, human and animal, to their specific gods and goddesses. They believed these sacrifices would give them favor and greater power to achieve their magical goals.
Systematically and historically, witches have been known to worship the Goddess (in her many different forms) and perform their rituals by night, when the moon is visible, as it boosts their magical energy.
On the reverse, the ever present sun is the symbol for warlock covens and they perform their rituals by day. The main entity of worship for Warlock covens is the god known as Pan, the classic horned creature of the woods.
During the time the sacrifices were being made, it would have been impossible for townsfolk not to notice that others were missing. However, those who were causing the disappearances were crafty and clever. When an issue from a town would arise, the head priest of the nearest Church would be summoned to that town. Unfortunately, the townsfolk didn't quite realize that those warlocks and witches had paid off those priests in order to draw less attention to themselves. The priests would assure the town everything was “quite all right” and the people accused of witchcraft were “God fearing and tithed generous amount to their Lord.”
Of course not all witches, warlocks, and wizards fall into this category. There is an abundance of different rites, rituals, and ceremonies the magical community takes part in. As our society and generations advance and merge into the modern world, so does our magic.
All right. While there is so much more I can go into, I am afraid I must draw this lesson to an end. If you will be so kind and proceed to your assignment, we shall see what you have gained from this magical evolution of magic. Redundant, isn't it?
The personalities of Blood Path Mages tend to be quite similar. Those mages who go down this dark path are normally obsessed with power; obtaining it, harnessing it, and controlling it for their own means. They are also infatuated with the concept of immortality. To make themselves immortal would give them ultimate power over their subjects and their land. The followers of these mages are those who seek power, but can not achieve it on their own. Those who want the same sickening control over others, but can only achieve their goal through a mage who is able to harness power beyond their own meager ability. Followers are not hard to come by for Blood Path Mages.
The image to the left is of a classic magical altar. On it are various tools of the trade including colored candles, crystals, a ceremonial dagger, and a photo of what I believe one would use for invocations.