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Episode 184: Sympathy Magic
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Welcome back, Witches! This week, we’re exploring Sympathy Magic with the belief that like influences like, and that symbols, objects, and actions can shape reality. From ancient ritual practices to modern magical theory, we’re unpacking the roots of this enduring magical concept. So get in, Loser, because we’re tracing the invisible threads that connect intention, symbolism, and magic.
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Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio- The Witch
Resources
- Wigington, Pattie. What is Sympathetic Magic? (2019). Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/sympathetic-magic-2561922
- O’Neil, Darcy. Laws of Sympathetic Magic: Introduction. (2011) Art of Drink. https://www.artofdrink.com/science/laws-of-sympathetic
- Original Botanica. Understanding Sympathetic Magic: Principles and Practices. (2024). Original Botanica. https://originalbotanica.com/blog/sympathetic-magic-principles-laws?srsltid=AfmBOor-DBCtSOzIQxL44K2_mVzHL6myjNhL0W8kBMhFwgHH72_IpSwD
Sir James George Frazer. The Golden Bough- Chapter 3: Sympathetic Magic. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough/Sympathetic_Magic - Patti Wigington (2019). What is Sympathetic Magic? Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/sympathetic-magic-2561922
- Abeni (2024). Understanding Sympathetic Magic: Principles and Practices. Original Botanica. https://originalbotanica.com/blog/sympathetic-magic-principles-laws?srsltid=AfmBOorPbubkqWKznpD5nz_7Mwkn8b5_YIws0W7F6ETOxK6daGfzRN3j
- Hingston, Sean T.; McManus, Justin F.; Noseworthy, Theodore J. (2017)How Inferred contagion biases dispositional judgements of others. Journal of Consumer Psychology. Volume 27. Issue 2., Pages 195-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2016.09.005
- Colin Dickey (n.d.). Very Supersticious: The science of sympathetic magic, and why it persists. Lapham’s Quarterly. https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/magic-shows/very-superstitious
- My Cousins Coven. (n.d.). Sympathetic Magic. My Cousins Coven. https://www.mycousinscoven.com/sympathetic-magic/
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Transcript
Introduction to Witchcraft Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you feel drawn to learn more about witchcraft and the occult but feel lost on where to start? Then welcome to Get In, Lizard, We're Doing Witchcraft, a podcast all about what it means to be a witch and where to get started on your journey.
00:00:12
Speaker
Join us as we navigate through various witchy topics and share what we've learned about the craft.
What is Sympathetic Magic?
00:00:16
Speaker
So get in, witches, as we turn our focus to the workings of sympathetic magic.
Christmas Market Experiences in Germany
00:00:46
Speaker
It is Christmas market season. Oh, I love Christmas market season. Tell me more. While we are recording this, because obviously you guys are not listening to this until January, but we are recording this in December and it is Christmas market season, which is my favorite time of year in Germany.
00:01:03
Speaker
um I love me a Christmas market. They are all cute. They're all a little bit different. Great food. And of course, Glühwein. So there's that. It's not to love. I know. but we had gone For, um you know, Alexis is here. And she was able to get a appointment with my tattoo artist. Yes. And she got the most beautiful fucking tattoo of Persephone. I'm obsessed with it. It is absolutely gorgeous. It is stunning.
00:01:32
Speaker
And we went to the Christmas market there and it was so packed and like just not enjoyable. Christmas markets are not a vibe on the weekend. No. They've become like a tourist attraction, which is like I love that people are experiencing them. but also It's making it not enjoyable when you can only go on the weekends because they just get so packed that you can't even walk around and look at things. yeah But we originally were thinking about going um on our way back to the market in Cologne because it is like one of the most famous Christmas markets. You do have that beautiful Gothic cathedral if you've never seen before.
00:02:11
Speaker
Go look it up. If I remember, I'll post pictures to our socials because I definitely have pictures of this cathedral. It is stunning. And the Christmas market is like right in front of it. So it's a whole vibe.
00:02:23
Speaker
But after experiencing a very packed Ghent, we kind of diverted and went to a smaller market. I was looking up different markets and i found one that was, I was just looking on TikTok and TikTok knew and it was a witch themed Christmas market. God. While the whole market isn't witch themed, like majority of the market is just a regular Christmas market. But if you do a little bit of searching, you'll find a sign that says the Hexenhof, which is the witch's court.
00:02:56
Speaker
And once we got there, all of the glue vine mugs have witch covens on them around cauldrons. And they say like the Christmas market name with Hexenhoff on it. And you can get them in non-Christmas colors like black and orange, which obviously – I have a black and an orange cup because I had to.
00:03:16
Speaker
And there was cute like um handmade ornaments made from things like pine cones and spices and stuff. So we did a work gift exchange and all of my ornaments are little witchy ones. And it was so precious and so cute. um I'm really glad that we decided not to do the
Future Travel and Seasonal Festivals
00:03:35
Speaker
cologne market. And we went there because it just made my little heart so happy.
00:03:39
Speaker
Yes, that's wonderful. Yeah. That's cute. If you are out in Germany or traveling to Germany in December anytime, go to the Aachen Christmas Market and you have to like pay attention to the huts and look for the sign that says Hexenhof.
00:03:56
Speaker
So it was so cute. Yeah. Yeah. That is awesome. I am a little jealous. So next year, i mean, I don't know. I can't decide on when I want to come.
00:04:08
Speaker
I want to come during the summer. i want to come during every season. So you come during the summer, we have like the medieval festivals, which are all fantastic. And there's always little witchy huts at those too. Yeah. Well, maybe child is the kids, my mother-in-law is like, I want them the whole summer. And I'm like,
00:04:25
Speaker
Say less. Say less. I will miss my children, don't get me wrong, but my mother-in-law is i my favorite person on the planet, so i don't trust very many people with my kids, but I do trust her. And so i'm just like, well, that would be a great time to go.
00:04:38
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, summer's great. Yeah. Winter's also great. Fall, you have like the pumpkin festivals Octoberfest wine fest and just all the fun. And then, you know, winter, you you have the Christmas markets. It's beautiful. That is true. i want to come during every season. I know. But yeah maybe that'll be like my birthday wish for this year is like, I don't want any presents. I want a plane ticket to Germany. Thank you, babe.
00:05:07
Speaker
Perfect. That's i want. That's I also want that for you. But we could be reunited. we're not. And then could do podcasts together by person.
Historical Roots of Sympathetic Magic
00:05:19
Speaker
For once. For once. Because we didn't start this podcast when we lived near each other. Which would have been easier, honestly. but Honestly, but you know. It's fine. We digress. We are definitely not talking about any of this in this episode. No.
00:05:36
Speaker
What are we talking about? We're talking about sympathetic magic. I actually really enjoyed this episode, like the research for it. But also the whole time, all I could think of was that sympathy magic song by Florence. Like it was just playing in my head the whole time I'm like researching and thinking about it. Yes. As you do, maybe if you're listening to this, just put it on the background.
00:06:00
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, the whole album is fantastic, too. It is. Maybe just listen to the whole thing. It's very witchy. It's a whole vibe. i love it. Yeah. It is perfect. It is. But to get us started, according to Merriam-Webster... Sympathetic magic is a magic that is based on the assumption that a person or thing can be supernaturally affected through its name or an object representing it.
00:06:24
Speaker
At its core, sympathy magic is based on the idea that all things are interconnected, using symbols, objects, and actions to influence outcomes by directing energy through the connection that it has.
00:06:37
Speaker
Tracing sympathetic magic from early human ritual and folklore through 19th century anthropology reveals how long humans have relied on symbolism and perceived connections to explain and influence the world around them. And we're going to discuss this in more detail throughout this whole episode, so buckle up.
00:06:56
Speaker
Yes. And additionally, throughout this episode, we are also going to explore in depth the two types of sympathetic magic, the law of similarity and the law of contact or contagion, what they are and how they influence not just our practice, but also human behavior.
00:07:11
Speaker
And additionally, we're going to examine modern and everyday examples of sympathetic magic. So what is sympathetic magic? The core principles of sympathy magic holds the notion that like produces like, and it can be broken into two main laws. Like Sam said, the law of similarity and the law of contact or contagion. So the law of similarity is the belief that objects that resemble a person, a deity, or concept are believed to share its essence as in like produces like, or even like attracts like.
00:07:48
Speaker
This would mean that the actions that are being performed on, say, the image, like puppet, an idol, or a sacred representation, are symbolically understood to affect or equate to the original.
00:08:02
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This same logic shows up in religious imagery too, where statues, idols, or sacred images aren't just symbols, but are treated as equal to what they represent.
00:08:13
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Some examples to show this would be using color magic, like lighting a green candle to symbolize wealth and prosperity, where you're then directing energy towards financial success.
00:08:26
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or creating a poppet as a symbolic representation of something or someone that is then used to focus energy towards. Another one would be carving symbols or drawing symbols that have specific intention to channel the energy towards. The law of contact or the law of contagion is the idea that once in contact, always in contact. And this principle suggests that objects or people that have touched continue to influence one another even after separation because the part is treated as equal to the whole. And examples to represent the law of contact or contagion are using something like a piece of jewelry or another personal item in, say, a protection spell to shield them from harm, incorporating handwritten notes to strengthen a love or a healing ritual, um preserving a lock of hair in a charm or spell to maintain a connection with the individual, or even using a photograph and a spell to direct energy towards a specific person.
Comparing Magical Practices
00:09:29
Speaker
And each of these objects can serve as a conduit that will bring the practitioner's intent with the target of those intentions and energy.
00:09:39
Speaker
So how does this differ from ceremonial or high magic or even religious ritual? The focus in sympathetic magic is more on principle over structure. Sympathetic magic relies on symbolic connection rather than strict formulas, invocations, or hierarchies found in ceremonial or high magic. It is completely accessible to anyone and it's also very informal.
00:10:03
Speaker
So unlike ceremonial magic, which often requires specialized tools, training, and a lot of planning, sympathetic magic shows up in everyday practice and folk tradition. This type of practice is action-centered rather than devotion-centered. Religious rituals are typically acts of worship or obedience to a deity, while sympathetic magic is about influencing outcomes through symbolic action.
00:10:27
Speaker
There's less emphasis on divine authority in sympathetic magic practices, so ceremonial and religious practices often invoke gods, spirits, or cosmic forces, whereas sympathetic magic can operate without calling on any external being at all. And this type of practice is more embedded into daily life.
00:10:46
Speaker
Sympathetic magic often overlaps with cultural habits, superstitions, and common sense behaviors, blurring the line between magic, psychology, and tradition. Early anthropologists, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, used sympathetic magic as a framework to explain how non-Western societies understood cause and effect.
00:11:10
Speaker
So thinkers like James George Frazier categorized sympathetic magic as a pre-scientific way of reasoning rooted in imitation and symbolic association rather than empirical observation.
00:11:23
Speaker
Sir James George Fraser, who was a Scottish anthropologist and folklorist that was best known for his multi-volume work, The Golden Bough, which was published in 1890, it summarized the concept of sympathetic magic as like produces like.
00:11:39
Speaker
So The Golden Bough is a key source for sympathetic magic, but keep in mind that this is a very dated source, but it's still good to contextualize. And I've included a link to a wiki source on specifically chapter three of the golden bow. And that's the chapter that actually covers sympathetic magic specifically. So this text aimed to identify universal patterns in myth, religion, and magic across cultures, drawing heavily from comparative mythology and anthropology.
00:12:10
Speaker
Frazier proposed that human belief systems evolved through three stages. The first being magic, the second being religion, and the last being science, with sympathetic magic representing the earliest stage.
00:12:25
Speaker
Fraser defined sympathetic magic as a system based on the assumption that things act on each other at a distance through hidden connection. He divided sympathetic magic into two main laws, so the law of similarity, where like produces like, and the law of contagion, where things once in contact remain in contact.
00:12:46
Speaker
And according to Fraser, practitioners of sympathetic magic believed these laws operated mechanically, much like natural laws, rather than through divine intervention.
00:12:58
Speaker
Fraser viewed sympathetic magic as a form of mistaken logic, where symbolic relationships were treated as literal cause and effect. He argued that magical thinking failed when it did not produce consistent results, leading societies to turn towards religion, which relied on appeasing supernatural beings instead.
00:13:19
Speaker
In Fraser's framework, science eventually replaced both magic and religion by offering reliable testable explanations for natural phenomenon. Frazier's work has definitely seen its fair share of critiques in modern times, though. Frazier rarely conducted fieldwork himself, and he relied on secondhand reports, missionary accounts, and colonial sources, which affected accuracy and interpretation. Imagine that.
00:13:46
Speaker
His evolutionary model is now considered overly simplistic and shaped by Eurocentric and colonial perspectives. Despite these issues, Fraser's categorization of sympathetic magic remains influential, and it's still used as a starting point in anthropology and religious studies.
00:14:04
Speaker
Modern scholars emphasize that magic, religion, and science often coexist rather than replace one another. The golden bough is now valued more for its historical impact and conceptual framework than as an accurate or complete representation of the cultures that it describes.
00:14:22
Speaker
These scholars often treated sympathetic magic as a universal stage of human development, suggesting societies would eventually move from magic to religion and finally to science.
Modern Influence of Sympathetic Magic
00:14:34
Speaker
Sympathetic magic became a key example in anthropology because it appeared consistently across cultures, reinforcing the idea that humans naturally seek patterns and meaning.
00:14:46
Speaker
Early anthropologists frequently labeled magical practices as primitive or irrational, positioning Western scientific thinking as more advanced or evolved.
00:14:56
Speaker
This framework ignored the social, cultural, and psychological functions of magic, such as community, cohesion, emotional regulation, healing, and meaning-making.
00:15:07
Speaker
The term primitive reflects colonial and ethnocentric biases, reducing complex belief systems to simplistic or inferior explanations of the world. Modern anthropology recognizes that magical thinking often exists alongside scientific reasoning rather than being replaced by it.
00:15:27
Speaker
Many of the same symbolic and casual assumptions found in sympathetic magic still appear in modern behaviors, rituals, and cultural norms, challenging the idea that magic belongs only to the past. Sympathetic magic appears in spiritual and folk traditions around the world and consistently relies on the principles of similarity and connection, even though practices differ by culture. Its widespread presence reflects a shared human belief in the connection between the physical and the spiritual world. So if we look at African and African diasporic traditions, personal items such as hair, nails, and clothing are used to create energetic links to individuals.
00:16:09
Speaker
Herbs and roots are carried or worked with to support empowerment, protection, and and overcoming obstacles. Mojo bags combine herbs, roots, and personal items to attract outcomes like luck, love, or protection.
00:16:23
Speaker
Ancestral altars use photographs, offerings, and candles to maintain relationships with ancestral spirits. Floor washes are made with herbs to cleanse spaces and invite blessings. And iron objects like horseshoes or nails are used to strengthen protection and ward off harmful energies.
00:16:40
Speaker
If you look at Caribbean spiritual practices, candles and offerings are used to connect the physical world with spirits or deities. Natural elements like water and fire help direct intention and energy.
00:16:55
Speaker
Veves are drawn symbols that are used to invite and focus the presence of specific spirits. And there's like several different ones and each symbol ties to a specific like spirit or deity. Spiritual baths cleanse negativity and prepare practitioners for ritual or spiritual work.
00:17:14
Speaker
Protective powers are used to shield people and spaces from harm, and these traditions often emphasize ancestor veneration and harmony with the elements. In indigenous and folk traditions worldwide, medicine bags that are filled with sacred items serve as Personal talismans for protections and blessings. Talismans and written prayers are used to call in spiritual or divine assistance.
00:17:39
Speaker
Drumming and chanting raise energy and strengthen healing and spiritual protection. Sacred objects such as feathers, shells, or beads represent and channel natural forces. Incense offerings cleanse spaces.
00:17:52
Speaker
and invite blessings from ancestors or deities. And these practices reflect deep integration of spirituality into daily life and strong relationships with nature. In European folk magic and when we talk about cunning folk, we see poppets made from wax, cloth, or natural material that represent individuals in healing, protection, or to influence work.
00:18:15
Speaker
Charms and talismans are created to protect homes, attract love, or repel negativity. Herbal wreaths hung on doors or windows act as protective rewards, especially during seasonal shifts.
00:18:28
Speaker
Salt is used to create energetic barriers around people, objects, or spaces. Knot and cord magic stores intention through tying and releasing it when it's untied.
00:18:40
Speaker
And many of these practices continue in modern traditions such as
Symbolism in Magic Rituals
00:18:44
Speaker
witchcraft. But I think the biggest takeaway from this section is that we see the practice of sympathetic magic not only throughout the history of magic, but cross-culturally.
00:18:55
Speaker
This idea that like produces like was seen in more than one culture's practice consistently throughout time. So the question here would be, if sympathetic magic is based on connection and resemblance, what does that actually look like in practice?
00:19:12
Speaker
And I'm going to go over that. like So first, I'm going to take a deeper dive into the two main types of sympathetic magic.
00:19:22
Speaker
both you know them being the law of similarity and the law of contagion. So as Tiffany already mentioned, for the law similarity, like attracts like. This law suggests that practitioners can influence their reality by using symbols or actions that resemble their desired outcome.
00:19:42
Speaker
And so you're going to hear us talking about poppets a lot in this episode because that is one of the most powerful I feel like popular examples when it comes to sympathetic magic. So crafting a poppet as a symbolic representation of a person to allow for focused healing, protection, or even attraction, drawing a sigil to represent a specific intention, whether that be love, protection, or success, to channel energy to that specific goal.
00:20:10
Speaker
Using specific colored candles to direct energy to a specific purpose. So an example of this would be lighting a green candle to symbolize wealth, money, and financial success, or lighting a white or black candle to symbolize protection. using specific colored crystals such as a rose quartz for love. And in the law of similarity, symbolism matters because it operates not just on the magical level, but also on the psyche.
00:20:36
Speaker
So psychologically, symbols speak the language of the unconscious. It convinces the part of you that actually makes things happen. So symbols bypass the rational mind and communicate directly with the unconscious and the parts of us that actually drive our beliefs, our emotions, our intentions, and our behaviors. Our unconscious mind thinks in images, and these symbolic references communicate instantly to the psyche in a way that our spoken words and affirmations can't always do.
00:21:05
Speaker
So symbols condense meaning, and our beliefs are formed through our ability to resonate with those symbols. When a symbol feels right, the psyche accepts that the working is real. And this is crucial because magic fails most often when our unconscious senses isn't convinced. Additionally, ritualized symbolism creates altered states. We've discussed the ritual mindset many, many times on the podcast, but it's important to note that repetition, sensory cues like music and smells paired with symbolic action, move the practitioner into trance or liminality where our intention is more focused. And so that's why you see Oftentimes in witchcraft, it's not just about the intention, but it's about the symbols that you tie to that intention. And so specifically with Wicca, in getting into that ritual mindset, there are so many symbols that represent different things. And that is why
00:22:02
Speaker
it is so powerful is because that symbolism is tied to the psyche. And magically, symbols align patterns and correspondence. The law of similarity assumes reality is structured through patterns, echoes, and correspondences. Symbolism matters because it matches the energetic shape of what we are trying to influence.
00:22:23
Speaker
And as far as resonance and vibration, there is a belief that with this law, things that resemble each other vibrate on similar frequencies, and by using a symbol that resembles the outcome, you tune your working to the same energetic channel. It also anchors your intention into matter.
00:22:41
Speaker
Symbols act as the interface between our non-physical intention and our physical manifestation. The symbol then becomes the container for the spell. It holds the intention over time. So this would be examples like spell jars, talismans, or even poppets, as we've mentioned multiple times now.
00:22:59
Speaker
Symbolism also narrows and clarifies our intent. A vague desire and a strong symbol create a clear outcome. magic is notoriously literal and the more precise the resemblance we use in a spell the better results we can receive so this also ties into the belief that a poorly chosen symbol can cause a spell to backfire and so with the law of similarity even though symbols function as an anchor to a spell and can amplify it it doesn't mean that substitutions can't work on the contrary substitutions for a specific correspondence that would be traditionally used
00:23:34
Speaker
in a working can make a working even more powerful because of what that correspondence means to you. The key to remember here is to use traditional symbolism as a framework, but then personalize it for maximum results and resonance for yourself. And we've mentioned this so many times, like use what works best for you. If a green candle for wealth and prosperity does not resonate with you and a yellow candle is most likely what you resonate with when it comes to wealth and prosperity, use the yellow candle. Don't use the green candle because it's what's traditionally used in witchcraft.
00:24:07
Speaker
So moving on from that to the law of contagion. The law of contagion states that objects once in contact retain their energetic connection. This law explains why things like hair, photographs, or clothing are used in spells because they carry the essence of a person to create a direct link. These objects serve as conduits, as Tiffany's already mentioned.
00:24:29
Speaker
This can include using personal items from a person, like a piece of jewelry and a protection spell, ah to keep someone from harm. or incorporating handwritten notes to strengthen a love spell, using a photograph and a ritual or spell to direct energy towards a person in the photograph, looking at it a bit more in depth, we can also look at how practitioners believe in conceptualized energy retention. And first and foremost is energy imprinting. So objects don't just absorb energy, but in this belief, they also absorb things like habits, intentions, emotions, and states of being. There's also this belief that the longer or emotionally charged the object is, the stronger the imprint.
00:25:13
Speaker
And there's also another belief of sympathetic tethering. So once contact occurs, a tether is formed and the object becomes a sort of proxy, which can symbolically or energetically influence the source through that energetic resonance. So with this,
00:25:30
Speaker
Think maybe a poppet with somebody's hair attached to it. This would be a perfect example of this sympathetic tethering. And then lastly, there's charge amplification over time. Repeated contact with the object deepens the link, making the object more responsive in prayer work.
00:25:46
Speaker
And there are also different degrees of contagion and hierarchies of links. High contagion items would include things like hair, blood, nail clippings, breath, and bodily fluids.
00:25:58
Speaker
Medium contagion items would include things like jewelry, clothing, shoes, bedding, and tools that are used daily. And low contagion items are things like photographs, handwriting, signatures, names, etc. And what's cool about these low contagion items is that especially for like handwritten notes and photographs, handwritten notes preserve the state of mind at that time of writing and photographs capture a moment frozen in time. So the connection here, even though it's a low contagion item, it's across space and time, which I think is very beautiful, especially if you're practicing ancestral veneration or working with your ancestors for protection workings.
00:26:39
Speaker
There is a failure point here that I want to mention and Just because you have something to use as an object doesn't necessarily make it powerful. So for instance, if you use an object that no longer emotionally belongs to the person anymore, and a great example of this, if you're trying to perform a spell using your ex's shirt after they've emotionally severed any connection from it, it's not going to help you there. So you need to make sure that if you are using an object as in this law of contagion, that it is something that has...
Everyday Sympathetic Magic
00:27:10
Speaker
a connection to that person and they still would assume that that article, whether that be clothing, hair, whatever, is still connected to them. So looking at some everyday and modern examples of sympathetic magic, sympathetic magic is seen even in spaces where people don't even realize they're practicing sympathetic magic. The law of contagion, for instance, explains why people tend to value objects that once belonged to celebrities.
00:27:37
Speaker
And if you're old enough, you might remember when people were selling Justin Timberlake's half-eaten French toast on eBay back in 2000, because I remember that. you remember that. And behind this is the belief that owning a quote-unquote contaminated celebrity good incorporates the essence of the celebrity. And this also ties back into the belief of like, you know, if you meet a celebrity and they shake your hand, like, I'm not going to wash this hand. You know what I mean? That's the same thing. like tattooing, if they have them like sign their name and like tattooing it on. Yes. Yeah.
00:28:13
Speaker
And additional examples include things like wearing certain clothes to make you feel confident. So whether that be a dress that you believe will make you feel hot, or wearing something you consider lucky or like a power suit or something. We also see sympathetic magic a lot with athletes. Athletes have a lot of rituals and lucky items. So this would be things like wearing the same socks, not washing jerseys during a winning streak, et cetera.
00:28:39
Speaker
Vision boards additionally are a great example of sympathetic magic. So these are things like you know curating images that evoke the life you want, images of money, your dream house and lifestyle, et cetera. These are all symbols that you attach to a specific meaning and it's sympathetic magic. Wearing a wedding ring. So worn daily, these rings are infused with vows and intention and the ring itself becomes a container for the relationship.
00:29:07
Speaker
Lighting candles for intentions. for birthday cakes, memorial candles, et cetera. And lastly, especially with the law contagion, from early understanding, we understand the principle that physical contact can cause contamination. And when we're talking about pathogens, chemicals, et cetera, that absolutely ties back into the law of contagion.
00:29:28
Speaker
And so looking at some sympathetic magic and witchcraft and folk practices, as Tiffany already covered on some of the history and cross-cultural examples of sympathetic magic, I won't be covering that. But to sum up, we've seen sympathetic magic across many cultures throughout time, from ancient peoples drawing images of animals to ensure a successful hu hunt, sowing seeds for fertility, etc.
00:29:51
Speaker
Folk traditions as well are Across many cultures, use things like puppets, charms, spell jars, etc. to protect, heal, or banish. Additionally, temples and ritual spaces used in ceremonial magic are spaces that symbolically hold meaning and magic. And even the correspondences we use on a daily basis ais for money jars, candle magic, altar correspondences, etc. all contain components of sympathetic magic.
00:30:18
Speaker
So let's look at why sympathetic magic works for practitioners. It works because as humans, we instinctively treat symbols and objects as extensions of meaning, memory, and identity. And when we're looking at sympathetic magic, oftentimes people will say, well, that's just the placebo effect, right? Or, you know, that's not a magical worldview. And there's a argument based on which which one is correct, and both are. So for the placebo effect, basically this states that sympathetic magic works because the symbols we use change belief, emotion, and behavior, which in turn change our outcomes. And the magical worldview states that sympathetic magic works because symbols and objects are energetically connected with what they represent, allowing intention to move through those links. So regardless of what you want to believe here, it still
Ethical Practice and Energetic Hygiene
00:31:11
Speaker
works. Ritual as a meaning-making process is, you know, by completing the ritual and assigning a symbol to the ritual, it creates meaning and power. Additionally, pattern recognition and symbolism, as I mentioned earlier, symbolism and pattern recognition narrows and clarifies our intent. So when we're looking at why this works,
00:31:32
Speaker
Ritual, whatever worldview you want to take on, whether it's placebo or magical, and then additionally pattern recognition and symbolism, all of those tie together to create this very powerful form of magic. But I will say, when it comes to sympathetic magic, there are some ethical considerations to consider. regarding consent and magical hygiene.
00:31:52
Speaker
So especially for the law of contagion, there are consent considerations because it raises a lot of ethical questions, especially in love, binding, or manipulation spells. And if you are a longtime listener to the podcast, you know how we personally feel about these. Yes.
00:32:09
Speaker
But we're not here to judge anyone for their workings, especially if it's tied to a specific cultural practice. And at the end of the day, as we say all the time, it's best if you do your own research on this matter to determine if this practice is the right one for you.
00:32:24
Speaker
Also, don't come in our comments talking about this. Like every time we talk about the importance of consent, there is at least one person that comes at us. Right. And it's like, come on. believe that consent is important. If you don't, that's you and that you and your karma. Exactly. At the end of the day, I feel consent is important and that's me and my karma.
00:32:45
Speaker
but Exactly. Same. And if culturally that doesn't resonate with you, okay, that's fine. We can agree to disagree and yeah totally fine. We're just yeah bringing you the information. And as we say, do your own research. But every time, every time this is a like a topic of contention in an episode, somebody comes at us. Look, we can have differing practices. That's that's the beautiful thing about this world.
00:33:11
Speaker
Absolutely. We can believe how we want to believe and have different practices. Perfect. Yes. And then I think something that needs to be said as well with this outside of ethical considerations is energetic boundaries. When you're working with someone's personal items, this can open up a two-way channels if you're not properly warded or closed off. So before you dive into... especially the law of contagion and working with somebody else's property or their hair, their nail clippings, whatever, make sure that you take care of your own magical hygiene because that's the the last thing you want to do is open up some weird two-way channel that you weren't anticipating.
00:33:56
Speaker
Yeah. And then additionally, cleansing before and after. Cleansing after you use objects in your sympathetic magic spell work may require burial, burning, salt cleansing, or even returning the item to their owner if you're using the law of contagion. This is after neutralizing that item, of course. This responsibility lies with you as a practitioner to ensure that this is done correctly. And then before you use secondhand energy or secondhand things, With all things, but especially in the law of contagion, even thrifted items or inherited items or gifted objects can carry lingering emotional or energetic residue, especially if the item was present during intense events, trauma, grief, illness, abuse, whatever. So cleansing these items is important because it resets the object's energetic
Sympathetic Magic as a Worldview
00:34:51
Speaker
baseline.
00:34:51
Speaker
And just some closing thoughts. If we're looking through a worldview lens, sympathetic magic offers a way of seeing the world as interconnected, where actions, symbols, and intentions matter because everything is in relationship with everything else.
00:35:09
Speaker
Rather than separating the physical from the spiritual, it treats them as constantly influencing one another. If we look at it through the scope of symbolic language, at its core, sympathetic magic functions as a shared system of meaning, using symbols, objects, and actions to express intention. These symbols help translate abstract desires like protection, healing, or change into something that's tangible and actionable.
00:35:37
Speaker
If we look at it as a bridge between psychology, ritual, and spirituality, then sympathetic magic sits at the crossroads of human psychological and spiritual practice, showing how ritual, belief, and focused intention can shape perception, behavior, and experience, regardless of whether one views the process as mystical, as psychological, or even both.
00:36:03
Speaker
But that's sympathetic magic for you.
Episode Wrap-up
00:36:18
Speaker
That's a wrap on this episode of Get In Loser, We're Doing Witchcraft. We hope you had as much fun as we did. If you loved this episode, we'd be eternally grateful if you left us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
00:36:30
Speaker
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00:36:45
Speaker
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00:37:02
Speaker
Join us next week for another listener requested topic, this time covering manifesting spells intentions. Until then, stay magical, stay curious, and as always, blessed be witches.