A Brief History of White Magic. III, Post Renaissance to the 20th Century.
A ceremonial tablet of elemental symbols from an Order of the Golden Dawn splinter group. c.1900
Flora Knight June 18, 2024
And so we reach the end of our whistle-stop tour of White Magic. We have seen magic across time and society both revered and rejected but ever present. It has shaped our world quietly, offering answers beyond the reach of institutions and homes of controlled knowledge, and the history we have discussed still reverberates today, not just in magical practices but across everyday life. So much of the magic we think about in the 21st century happened in the brief period between the end of the renaissance and the start of the 20th Century. During this period, magic and witchcraft experienced a complex and transformative journey. Witchcraft was formally decriminalised and though occasional witch trials persisted, the fervor and fear that once surrounded this practice significantly diminished. In this era, the influence of the Rosicrucians led to a rise in secret societies such as the Freemasons, which contributed to the popularity of ritualistic magic and an interest in ancient practices.
Secret societies played a pivotal role in the evolution of magic during this time. While Masonic rituals had an essential influence on later magical practices, they were not directly relevant to the magical practices themselves. Instead, these societies fostered an environment where ritualistic magic could thrive. The late 18th century societies saw the development of somnambulism, a deep hypnotic trance state that would later become a significant aspect of magical and witchcraft activities.
A page from William Blake’s ‘The Four Zoas’, c.1800
One of the most symbolically intriguing developments of this period was the creation of the Four Zoas by the poet William Blake, for whom magic was a critical part of his practice. The Four Zoas are as follows:
Los: The Spirit of Prophecy and divine vision, derived from Sol, the guiding sun.
Urizen: The Spirit of Thought and Eternal Mind, residing in the Silver Mountains of wisdom.
Luvah: The Prince of Love, representing Eros and Eternal Youth, derived from the Lover.
Tharmas: The Corporeal Water of Matter, the fluid matrix of form and Prima Matter.
Blake’s work was a synthesis of millennia of magical thinking, exemplifying the third way that magic has always stood for. It imbued every element of his work, work that dealt antiquity and religion through a unique, magically informed, perspective.
Towards the end of this period, two significant occult groups emerged: the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Theosophical Society.
The Golden Dawn, formed through the writings of S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the ideas of three Freemasons, was arguably the most important occult group in history. The society operated on a three-tier hierarchical system and was notable for admitting women as equals alongside men, a significant departure from other secret societies. The First Order of the Golden Dawn taught Qabalah philosophy, Geomancy, Astrology, and Tarot Divination. The Second Order, known as the Inner Order, focused on Alchemy, Vision Quests, and Astral Projection. The Third and final order was reserved for the Secret Chiefs, who allegedly controlled the others through spiritual powers. Though the Golden Dawn lasted only about 15 years, it profoundly influenced modern magic practices, including Wicca and Thelema and popularised magical practices that had long fallen out of use.
An etching of Abramelin the Mage.
The Theosophical Society was founded by Madame Helena Blavatsky, and predated the Golden Dawn. It was inspired by Blavatsky's extensive travels and studies of Eastern and Asian philosophies. The society was an amalgamation of Buddhist and Hindu ideas interpreted through Neo-Platonic thought, envisioning humanity's destiny as a spiritual evolution. Blavatsky's ideas, expounded in her book "Isis Unveiled," introduced modern concepts of witches communicating with spiritual entities, which she viewed as mischievous elementals like gnomes, fairies, undines, sylphs, and salamanders, corresponding to the four elements.
These two groups gave rise to two of the most important figures in contemporary magic – Aleister Crowley and Abramelin the Mage. Crowley, known as the Beast 666, began with white magic but later developed a fascination with the Occult, becoming associated with black magic. Contemporary occultism still owes an insurmountable debt to Crowley, whos writings and ideas are the basis for modern Black Magic.
Abramelin the Mage, on the other hand, was an ancient Egyptian mage, retranslated and contextualised by a contemporary group. The works of Abramelins, who’s very existence is disputed, were compiled and translated by S.L.M. Mathers, focused mainly on Kabbalistic magic, Demonology and featured a number of Sator Squares which were believed to contain malevolent energy.
“The rise of psychoanalysis also influenced the understanding of magic and witchcraft. Much of white magic can be seen as rudimentary psychoanalysis, focusing on the inner workings of the mind and self-improvement.”
During this time, academic interest in historical witchcraft surged, most notably through the Witch-Cult Hypothesis. Proposed by German scholars Jarcke and Mone in the early 19th century, this theory suggested that the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries targeted a surviving pre-Christian Pagan cult that had descended into a Satanic sect. Although this theory, popularized by Margaret Murray's book "The Witch-Cult in Western Europe," has been widely rejected by modern scholars due to a lack of evidence, it significantly influenced the modern perception of witchcraft.
The rise of psychoanalysis also influenced the understanding of magic and witchcraft. Much of white magic can be seen as rudimentary psychoanalysis, focusing on the inner workings of the mind and self-improvement. W.G. Gray incorporated Jungian psychoanalytic theory into modern magic, refining the symbolism of witchcraft. This is best exemplified by the four magical weapons:
The Sword: Divides, cuts, and inscribes.
The Wand: Points, directs, or indicates.
The Cup: Contains.
The Disc/Coin/Shield: A field upon which information is laid out.
These symbols, rooted in ancient Celtic mythology and Arthurian legends, represent the four tenets of Wicca and Witchcraft, as well as a basis of a psychoanalytical understanding of the subconscious.
Magic and witchcraft evolved in this time through the influence of secret societies, literary contributions, emerging occult groups, and the integration of psychoanalytic theory. These developments laid the groundwork for modern practices and significantly shaped contemporary understandings of magic and witchcraft. They returned magic to its origins, not as something separate from religion or science, but as something complimentary, necessary and integral to understanding the world and ourselves.
Flora Knight is an occultist and historian.
