Magician
One who practices magic; one skilled in magical arts, who performs supernatural feats. Someone who can work magic by casting spells, with a knowledge of things greater than the rest of us; someone who may wave a magic wand and work miracles. A performer of tricks; A spiritualist or practitioner of mystic arts.
The typical image of a magician is someone characterized by the figure of Merlin, a wizened old man in flowing robes, wearing a pointed hat covered in stars. Although many of us envision the wise old magician to be essentially good, in medieval times anyone labeled a witch or sorcerer would suffer the consequences.
Throughout history, there have been many who have claimed having secret knowledge resultant of great supernatural powers. Merlin, Abaris, Cagliostro, Crowley, amongst many others, are some of the most recognized in times gone by as skilled in the magical arts.
Today, a man who practices magic for the good of mankind may be thought of as a white witch or white magician, whereas a man who practices magic with evil intent may be considered a black magician, more properly called a sorcerer.
See Abaris, Agrippa, Alchemy, Cagliostro, Crowley, Magic, Merlin, Paracelsus, Pythagoras, Diviner, Divination, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Witchcraft, Witch, Sabbat, Devil, Kabbalism, Numerology, Astrology, Satan, Casting Black Magic Spells, Commanding Spirits, The Tarot Store, Divination & Scrying Tools and Supplies, and The Pyramid Collection.
Sources: (1) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (2) Randi, James, An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, St. Martin's Griffin; (3) The Encyclopaedia Britannica Eleventh Edition Handy Volume Edition, Oxford University Press.
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