Natural Magic (1 janv. 1500 – 1 janv. 1600)

Description:

Magic in the Renaissance period referred to a system of beliefs that underpins a body of technical or craft knowledge and practice that seeks to capture and control the powers of nature. Natural magic is a subset of magic (spiritual, natural, and demonic) included astrology, alchemy, and disciplines that we would today consider fields of natural science, such as astronomy and chemistry. Natural magic is primarily concerned with gaining useful operative knowledge of nature (astronomy, alchemy, medicine, etc.). The focus is on manipulating and controlling nature, not necessarily exploring the theory behind phenomenon. Natural magic is based on the idea of the "Great Chain of Being" which posits that God created nature as a hierarchical structure of beings (the "Great Chain of Being"), which includes: minerals, plants, animals, human beings, the heavens, angels, God. These different levels are connected to each other directly and through correspondences, or secret connections. The goal of a natural magician is to uncover these secret connections and learn about them by spending time observing and studying nature. Thus, the main method used by magicians was experimentation, observation, and induction. - Sathvik Kolli