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Saint Michael's Prayer against Satan and the Rebellious Angels, attributed to Pope Leo XIII, is considered the strongest prayer of the Catholic Church against cases of diabolic possession. [14] The Holy Rosary also has an exorcistic and intercessory power. [15] Holy water is a common aid for exorcisms. Its use belongs to the Prayer to St. Michael.
Magic in literature, while condemned by some Christians, is often viewed by Christians as non-evil. The key distinction would be between real-life magic and pretend magic. This view holds that in real life, the practice of supernatural abilities (i.e. magic) must have a supernatural power source or origin, which would be either holy or evil.
All the prayers of healing and exorcism, composed by the Fathers of the Church and in use since the third century, begin with the solemn declaration: In Thy Name, O Lord. [ 41 ] Though officially discouraged by the church, many lay Orthodox Christians believe in Vaskania , or the "evil eye", in which malevolent thoughts or intentions (namely ...
It was used in birth rituals, perhaps to draw a magic circle around the mother and child. Items and symbols such as crosses, crucifixes, silver bullets, wild roses and garlic were believed to ward off or destroy vampires. Peisistratus hung the figure of a kind of grasshopper before the Acropolis of Athens as apotropaic magic. [10]
Keith Thomas: "Spiritual magic or theurgy was based on the idea that one could reach God in an ascent up the scale of creation made possible by a rigorous course of prayer, fasting and devotional preparation." [6] Pierre A. Riffard: "Theurgy is a type of magic. It consists of a set of magical practices performed to evoke beneficent spirits in ...
The Charge of the Goddess (or Charge of the Star Goddess) is an inspirational text often used in the neopagan religion of Wicca.The Charge of the Goddess is recited during most rituals in which the Wiccan priest/priestess is expected to represent, and/or embody, the Goddess within the sacred circle, and is often spoken by the High Priest/Priestess after the ritual of Drawing Down the Moon.
To qualify as a Raqi, one needs, among other criteria, to believe in God, practise the Five Pillars of Islam, follow the Sunnah as examplified by Muhammad and the saints, believe that the Quran has the power to influence spirits, and knows about the spiritual world. [22]
Blood rituals often involve a symbolic death and rebirth, as literal bodily birth involves bleeding. Blood is typically seen as very powerful, and sometimes as unclean. Blood sacrifice is sometimes considered by the practitioners of prayer, ritual magic, and spell casting to intensify the power of such activities. [citation needed]