I just published an article on my blog I wanted to share. It goes into the the commonality of magickal practice (Goety) found in Catholicism, Hoodoo, Santeria, and the grimoiric tradition. It's long and easier to read on my blog so I'll just post the opening part and a link:
Definitions of GOETY
Etymology: Latin goetia, from Greek γοητεια ‘witchcraft’, from γοης ‘sorceror’.
Noun: (archaic) witchcraft, demonic magic, necromancy
Go"e*ty\, n. [Gr.
witchcraft, to bewitch, sorcerer: cf. F. go['e]tie.] Invocation of evil spirits;witchcraft. [Obs.] –Hallywell.
Goety is the art of the sorcerer, the practice of working magick with demons and other spirits, which is also classically known as witchcraft.
"In classical times, "witchcraft" was a direct reference to working with spirit Familiars, or the performance of necromancy." (Leitch, Aaron. Secrets of the Magical Grimoires. p. 13). Leitch further clarifies that classical scholars used the term necromancy to label any work that involves summoning of spirits, whether spirits of the dead, or demonic.
The classical definition of witchcraft is the same as that of conjurer, practitioner of the natural arts, or sorcerer. This is the same as what we understand today as shamanism – a shaman is a human who has built a relationship with spirits, and who has the ability to journey through the realms and/or evoke entities from other realms into our own, in order to perform workings through interacting with gods and spirits directly.
Shamanism, witchcraft, sorcery, conjure – it all comes from the same roots – the practice of magic and workings done through the collaboration of a human with the deities and familiar spirits he or she forms ongoing relationships with, often through traveling the astral and spiritual realms, and through conjuring the spirits directly into our realm.
This kind of magic can be seen throughout many cultures and time periods, it seems to be universal. Whether the spirits are demons, angels, nature spirits, the dead, loa, or others, there is evidence that many spirits from many realms and at varying levels of power have always interacted with humanity. We cannot deny this. In fact some believe that the most profound revelations and discoveries are bestowed into mortal minds directly by the most powerful spirits themselves. I see the mind as a psychic instrument that is able to both transmit and receive. It has been established that geniuses like Tesla or profound minds like Socrates have often had lives filled with spirit contact and were guided by otherworldly forces into their inventions, discoveries, and teachings. They were able to receive insights directly from these powerful spirits which changed the world.
Many ancient traditions speak of entities, called Watchers and Fallen Angels in the Judeo-Christian tradition, who came to earth to teach humans the concepts that shaped civilization. These same entities, beings of advanced intelligence from other realms, are still teaching us and performing magical workings with us today. In my own practice one of the spirits I work directly with is Azazel, who is head of the spirits or demons known as Watchers.
"The schools of magick or "natural philosophy" (that is, alchemy, astrology and spirit-working) were considered among the respectable sciences from the earliest of times. The medieval and Renaissance mages… were also physicists, doctors, astronomers, biologists, mathematicians, philosophers, architects, navigators, etc… In truth, the men who created most of our modern fields of scientific study were adept mages as well (such as Sir Isaac Newton, who was in fact an alchemist)… Not only was magick respected among the sciences, it was actually considered the highest and most sacred science." (Lietch, p.28)
...cont'd
http://castaspell.info/goety/
:dragons::
