Misplaced Pages

Part of a series on
Magic
Background History of magic Magic and religion Psychological theories of magic
Forms Apotropaic magic Black magic Ceremonial magic Chaos magic Divination Evocation Goetia Gray magic Invocation Natural magic Necromancy Sex magic Shamanism Sigils Sympathetic magic Thaumaturgy Theurgy White magic Witchcraft
Religion Magic and religion Christian views on magic Folk religion Islam and magic Mysticism Shinto Thelema
Related topics Incantation Magical formula Magical organization Occult Western esotericism Brotherhood of Myriam
v t e

Gray magic, also called neutral magic, is magic that is not performed for specifically beneficial reasons, but is also not focused on completely hostile practices. It is seen as falling into a continuum between white and black magic. It is also spelled gray magic, grey magic or neutral magic.

Overview

According to D. J. Conway, practitioners of white magic avoid causing any form of harm, even to enact positive outcomes. Gray magic incorporates all the beneficial purposes of white magic but also works towards ridding the world of evils. Ann Finnin states that many practitioners of gray magic employ the term because of its vagueness, and to avoid having to consider ethical questions.

A rather different meaning to the term was given by Roy Bowers, a British Neopagan witch of the 1960s. For Bowers, it was a technique of baffling, bewildering, and mystifying everyone he met to gain power over them; by doing so, he was always more sure about them than they were about him.

See also

• Left-hand path and right-hand path – Dichotomy between two opposing approaches to magic

References

1. Smoley, R.; Kinney, J. (2006). Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. Quest Books. p. 121. ISBN 978-0835608442.
2. Cicero, Chic; Cicero, Sandra Tabatha (2003). The Essential Golden Dawn: An Introduction to High Magic. Llewellyn Books. p. 87. ISBN 978-0738703107.
3. Conway, D. J. (2001). Wicca: The Complete Craft. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. p. 43. ISBN 978-1580910927.
4. Finnin, Ann (2008). The Forge of Tubal Cain. Pendraig Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 978-0979616839.
5. Hutton, Ronald (1999). Triumph of the Moon. Oxford University Press. p. 315. ISBN 978-0198207443.

External links

The dictionary definition of gray magic at Wiktionary

This article about cultural anthropology is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This occult-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Magic (supernatural)
• Witchcraft
• Cultural anthropology stubs
• Occult stubs