In the history of magic, the Renaissance age plays an especially important role. While learned forms of magic were also to be found in the Middle Ages, it was because of the Renessaince rediscovery of ancient texts and cultural heritage that magicians felt they possessed a much fuller understanding of ancient traditions than their medieval predecessors. Magic became one aspect of a philosophical rediscovery of Platonic ideas as opposed to the Aristotelian scholasticism of the Middle Ages. Greek texts from the Byzantine empire, and arabic magical texts written under hellenistic influence became the primary sources for the Renaissance Mage.
Above all, the main influence was Marsilio Ficino's translation of the Corpus Hermeticum, writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistos, the supposed Egyptian equivalent of Moses. Although later scholarship discovered that this and other writings attributed to Hermes can be dated to the second or third centuries only, indicating a strong Neoplatonist influence, Renessaince scholars believed these texts to be much more ancient, and in fact to be the original influence on Platon. The authority thus attributed to them made Hermeticism and attached magical practices appear in a much more favourable light than did Medieval necromancers, and other learned practitioners of magic. Ficino then developed a sort of "natural magic", which aimed at exploiting the physically available forces in the Neoplatonist universe, namely those from planetary influences, which could be used to one's benefit through the arrangement of one's environment in a way sympathetic to a planetary force and the corresponding mental and other advantages. Furthermore, talismans could be prepared which would enhance the accumulation of such influences. Although the latter aspect was much frowned upon, Ficino avoided any attempts to manipulate spheres above the planetary one, inhabited by angels and other spirits, and he thus managed to avoid most accusations of heresy and the like. Later, this was to change when Pico della Mirandola introduced the Jewish Cabalistic tradition into Renessaince magic to attract angelic influences, and by the influential work of Cornelius Agrippa, who did not even exclude demonistic influence (see planetry symbols from his work below). The most notorious case was that of Giordano Bruno burned at the stake for his Hermetic beliefs now without Christian disguise. It was also on account of the importance Hermeticism placed on the sun that Bruno incorporated the Heliocentric view of Copernicus into his system.
At this point, magic and science are pretty close to each other, especially in the sense that both aimed at operations, producing effects in the world based on an application of knowledge, which was foreign from the contemporary scholastic thought. Hermetic influence decreased in the following centuries, especially since its sources were dated in the mean time, and as an operative explanation of the universe, the mechanistic universe was brought forward. Still, even Newton's mechanistic universe with gravity as an operational force reminded many of the invisible forces of the occult. Indeed, the better understanding of the nature of gravity came only through the work of Einstein, and continues arising questions until the present day.
Above all, the main influence was Marsilio Ficino's translation of the Corpus Hermeticum, writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistos, the supposed Egyptian equivalent of Moses. Although later scholarship discovered that this and other writings attributed to Hermes can be dated to the second or third centuries only, indicating a strong Neoplatonist influence, Renessaince scholars believed these texts to be much more ancient, and in fact to be the original influence on Platon. The authority thus attributed to them made Hermeticism and attached magical practices appear in a much more favourable light than did Medieval necromancers, and other learned practitioners of magic. Ficino then developed a sort of "natural magic", which aimed at exploiting the physically available forces in the Neoplatonist universe, namely those from planetary influences, which could be used to one's benefit through the arrangement of one's environment in a way sympathetic to a planetary force and the corresponding mental and other advantages. Furthermore, talismans could be prepared which would enhance the accumulation of such influences. Although the latter aspect was much frowned upon, Ficino avoided any attempts to manipulate spheres above the planetary one, inhabited by angels and other spirits, and he thus managed to avoid most accusations of heresy and the like. Later, this was to change when Pico della Mirandola introduced the Jewish Cabalistic tradition into Renessaince magic to attract angelic influences, and by the influential work of Cornelius Agrippa, who did not even exclude demonistic influence (see planetry symbols from his work below). The most notorious case was that of Giordano Bruno burned at the stake for his Hermetic beliefs now without Christian disguise. It was also on account of the importance Hermeticism placed on the sun that Bruno incorporated the Heliocentric view of Copernicus into his system.
At this point, magic and science are pretty close to each other, especially in the sense that both aimed at operations, producing effects in the world based on an application of knowledge, which was foreign from the contemporary scholastic thought. Hermetic influence decreased in the following centuries, especially since its sources were dated in the mean time, and as an operative explanation of the universe, the mechanistic universe was brought forward. Still, even Newton's mechanistic universe with gravity as an operational force reminded many of the invisible forces of the occult. Indeed, the better understanding of the nature of gravity came only through the work of Einstein, and continues arising questions until the present day.
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