Linked to Magic?

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mcode1

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My family is traditional Catholic.
About a year ago, we were shifting through my deceased grandmother’s books and we found a book titled something like White and Black Magic. My brother and I jokingly flipped through it and found some disturbing things about rituals to summon demons and stuff like that. My mom freaked out and threw it away; later, when bringing it up to my grandfather, he said it had been passed down to us. Why would we have this book? My grandparents are die-hard Catholics and so is my family. Is there some link to magic with Catholicism? I just want some answers; I’ve been wondering about it a lot lately.
 
You think people on the internet who do not know you know why your grandmother had a particular book?

You are barking up the wrong tree. Ask your family members.
 
Practicing magic, either “white” or “black” is a grave sin. Period.
 
There is no link between magic and Catholicism. Magic is not allowed for in the Catholic faith.

As to how this relates to your family, you’d have to do some research within the family for an answer to that.
 
If your family crest consists of an inverted top hat with a bunny rabbit coming out of it, that may give you a clue…
 
Catholicism and Magic really shouldn’t be linked. That being said, I’m pretty sure that historically there have been places and ethnic groups that think nothing of the two coexisting. For instance, in parts of Latin America and among some Hispanics, there is a belief in brujos (practitioners of “black” magic) and curanderos (practitioners of “white” or good magic). Brujos and brujas would be like the European notion of evil witches, while curanderos and curanderas would be like “good” witches, or healers. Depending on what kind of “spell” or aide is needed, people might go to these people for help instead of getting a priest’s blessing. Not a good thing in the Church’s eyes, but not as uncommon as the typical American Catholic might think.
 
From the catechism:

2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

2138 Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic.
 
All I can think of from this thread is Magic: the Gathering.
 
Catholic4Christ said:
Catholicism and Magic really shouldn’t be linked. That being said, I’m pretty sure that historically there have been places and ethnic groups that think nothing of the two coexisting. For instance, in parts of Latin America and among some Hispanics, there is a belief in brujos (practitioners of “black” magic) and curanderos (practitioners of “white” or good magic). Brujos and brujas would be like the European notion of evil witches, while curanderos and curanderas would be like “good” witches, or healers. Depending on what kind of “spell” or aide is needed, people might go to these people for help instead of getting a priest’s blessing. Not a good thing in the Church’s eyes, but not as uncommon as the typical American Catholic might think.
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But still completely illegal.
 
BertBlyleven said:
All I can think of from this thread is Magic: the Gathering.
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Wow, you too!? XD

To the OP: With that in mind, this fantasy nerd has only two forms of advice.

Serious Advice - I’d go with 1ke’s suggestion (unless you can actually post a picture at least). Sometimes things like this are better discussed with family first before asking internet strangers. 😉

Not-So-Serious Advice - You sure it’s a book and not a TCG album (or flavor fiction of said TCG :p)? Maybe your grandma was a secret customer of Wizards of the Coast. 😃 (If that’s the case, my Planeswalker senses are smelling strong hints of both White and Black mana. :3)

Then again, it could also be a DnD book. 😃
 
mcode1 said:
My family is traditional Catholic.
About a year ago, we were shifting through my deceased grandmother’s books and we found a book titled something like White and Black Magic. My brother and I jokingly flipped through it and found some disturbing things about rituals to summon demons and stuff like that. My mom freaked out and threw it away; later, when bringing it up to my grandfather, he said it had been passed down to us. Why would we have this book? My grandparents are die-hard Catholics and so is my family. Is there some link to magic with Catholicism? I just want some answers; I’ve been wondering about it a lot lately.
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The best person to ask would be your grandfather, mother, father etc as to why she had it or why it was passed down. It may be much more innocuous than you think.
 
Magic is evil. It is forbidden by the Catholic Church. We must put our full faith in Jesus Christ.
 
nickybr38 said:
There is no link between magic and Catholicism. Magic is not allowed for in the Catholic faith.

As to how this relates to your family, you’d have to do some research within the family for an answer to that.
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👍 This.
 
Are we talking about a 1960’s paperback or an old, annotated grimoire?

Anyway: I may have a book about First Aid. It doesn’t make me a doctor.

And: Sorcery is forbidden to Catholics.
 
YoungTradCath said:
But still completely illegal.
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Well, yeah, no arguments there. I was merely pointing out that not all Catholics have seen it as such a cut-and-dry issue. They weren’t taught properly about the evils of sorcery and “magic,” which is unfortunate.
 
mcode1 said:
My family is traditional Catholic.
About a year ago, we were shifting through my deceased grandmother’s books and we found a book titled something like White and Black Magic. My brother and I jokingly flipped through it and found some disturbing things about rituals to summon demons and stuff like that. My mom freaked out and threw it away; later, when bringing it up to my grandfather, he said it had been passed down to us. Why would we have this book? My grandparents are die-hard Catholics and so is my family. Is there some link to magic with Catholicism? I just want some answers; I’ve been wondering about it a lot lately.
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I think it’s VERY SAD and deserves some serious reflection that a new member comes to this forum and on his/her very first post members choose to mock, jock and diss his/her question and concern… Of course we wouldn’t ‘know’ why his family would have this book, but He/she is obviously concerned and by coming here hoping for some sort of answers…

The fact that the title of the ‘book’ says White or BLACK MAGIC… Suggests a family member had interest in this sort of thing…

For those that truly don’t understand, dangers of past or present member dabbling in occult or seemingly harmless forms of ‘New age’ there is plenty of information out there to the contrary…

This person deserved a little respect!

catholicwarriors.com/pages/warfare_prayers.htm

saint-mike.org/warfare/library/spiritual-warfare-prayer-catalog

I suggest MCcode1 if you haven’t been discouraged by this forum and stop by again to pray the following…

Healing the Family Tree
Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help; I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglect and sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns, and defects in body, mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders.

With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, living or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders. In the name of your divine Son Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit, I ask you Father, to deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one.

Free all living and dead members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every contaminating form of bondage. By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father, and by the shed blood of your precious Son Jesus, I beg you to extend your blessing to me and all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative effect transmitted through all past generations, and prevent such negative effects in future generations of my family tree.

I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation; I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the bloodlines in my family lineage. Send protective angels to encamp around us and administer your divine healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability. Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels to heal, protect, guide and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as your sovereignty permits.

In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding of family love. And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son Jesus. Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest that love in all our relationships. All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
 
GoldenLight said:
I think it’s VERY SAD and deserves some serious reflection that a new member comes to this forum and on his/her very first post members choose to mock, jock and diss his/her question and concern… Of course we wouldn’t ‘know’ why his family would have this book, but He/she is obviously concerned and by coming here hoping for some sort of answers…

The fact that the title of the ‘book’ says White or BLACK MAGIC… Suggests a family member had interest in this sort of thing…

For those that truly don’t understand, dangers of past or present member dabbling in occult or seemingly harmless forms of ‘New age’ there is plenty of information out there to the contrary…

This person deserved a little respect!

catholicwarriors.com/pages/warfare_prayers.htm

saint-mike.org/warfare/library/spiritual-warfare-prayer-catalog

I suggest MCcode1 if you haven’t been discouraged by this forum and stop by again to pray the following…

Healing the Family Tree
Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help; I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglect and sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns, and defects in body, mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders.

With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, living or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders. In the name of your divine Son Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit, I ask you Father, to deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one.

Free all living and dead members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every contaminating form of bondage. By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father, and by the shed blood of your precious Son Jesus, I beg you to extend your blessing to me and all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative effect transmitted through all past generations, and prevent such negative effects in future generations of my family tree.

I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation; I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the bloodlines in my family lineage. Send protective angels to encamp around us and administer your divine healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability. Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels to heal, protect, guide and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as your sovereignty permits.

In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding of family love. And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son Jesus. Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest that love in all our relationships. All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
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Humor helps relieve tension. I am sorry if it was taken the wrong way, but it wasn’t intended to disrespect the poster.

People come into possession of lots of books over their lives. Owning a book about magic doesn’t really say very much. You have no idea whether it was taken seriously or not. I would err on the side of judging it charitably. Everyone is a sinner. I doubt that there is anyone who has never looked at their horoscope in the newspaper ‘just for fun’. That too is a sin according to the Church. God is ever merciful.

It is important to know that you are not responsible for the sins of your grandparents. You can pray for your grandmother, as you should, but obsessing about this serves no purpose.
 
mcode1 said:
My family is traditional Catholic.
About a year ago, we were shifting through my deceased grandmother’s books and we found a book titled something like White and Black Magic. My brother and I jokingly flipped through it and found some disturbing things about rituals to summon demons and stuff like that. My mom freaked out and threw it away; later, when bringing it up to my grandfather, he said it had been passed down to us. Why would we have this book? My grandparents are die-hard Catholics and so is my family. Is there some link to magic with Catholicism? I just want some answers; I’ve been wondering about it a lot lately.
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If you think the formulae to alter reality (magic) can be bought for $12.95 at Barnes & Noble, well, I have a cool bridge to sell you.
 
martininthefiel said:
I doubt that there is anyone who has never looked at their horoscope in the newspaper ‘just for fun’. That too is a sin according to the Church. God is ever merciful.
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Actually, I do. The fun part comes in how some of them actually turn up wrong. :rolleyes: The Church condemns believing in them and banking your life on a horoscope’s predictions. The act of reading them is in of itself not sinful.
Geist said:
If you think the formulae to alter reality (magic) can be bought for $12.95 at Barnes & Noble, well, I have a cool bridge to sell you.
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Forget this guy! Lookie what I got here! It’s a very special cauldron. All for $9.95! 😃
 
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