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Episode 203: Taboo Magic
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Welcome back, Witches! This week we’re diving into our Taboo Magic episode, where we explore topics like blood magic, necromancy, sex magic, and other practices that are often labeled “forbidden.” Rather than treating them as shock value, we’re looking at their historical roots, cultural contexts, symbolism, and the ways these traditions have been understood across different communities. So get in, Loser — because this week we’re having an honest, thoughtful conversation about the magic that lives at the edges.
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Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio- The Witch
Resources
- Nicole Lau (2025). Blood Magic: History, Power and Safety Concerns. Mysticryst Blog. https://mysticryst.com/blogs/the-mystic-journal/blood-magic-history-power-safety-concerns
- The Evil Wiki. (n.d.). Black Magic. The Evil Wiki. https://evil.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Magic
- Finke, L. A. (2024). Black Magic: Race in the European Witch Trials. Exemplaria, 36(3), 236–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412573.2024.2410652
- Redgre (n.d.). Cannibal Magic. Strolen.Com. https://strolen.com/viewing/Cannibal_Magic
- Sever, Astennu. Necromancy: The Art of Communing with the Dead. (2024). Occultist.net https://occultist.net/necromancy-101-the-art-of-communing-with-the-dead/
- Giralt, Sebastia. Medieval Necromancy, The Art of Controlling Demons. https://www.sciencia.cat/temes/medieval-necromancy-art-controlling-demons
- Raven, Chantelle. Guide to Sex Magic. (2022). Embodied Awakening Academy. https://embodiedawakeningacademy.com/guide-sex-magic/
- Beltane, Carla. What is a Soul Contract? https://witchesofthecraft.com/2023/03/02/what-is-a-soul-contract-the-complete-guide-to-soul-contracts/
- The Complete Guide to Soul Contracts. (2021) Diversity for Social Impact. https://diversity.social/soul-contract/#3-what-is-a-soul-contract-made-of
Recommended
Transcript
Podcast Introduction
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 Loser, We're Doing Witchcraft, a podcast all about what it means to be a witch and where to get started on your journey.
00:00:11
Speaker
Join us as we navigate through various witchy topics and share what we've learned about the craft. So get in witches as we step into the world of taboo magic.
Studio Setup Challenges
00:00:42
Speaker
I can tell that you're in a mostly empty room. I know. It's a little echoey. Yes. Yeah. So um yeah. Hi, guys. Sam here. It's echoey.
00:00:54
Speaker
we I'm in a new space that we're going to make into an office slash podcast studio. But right now, the only furniture that is in here is a desk. ah so And a lamp. Okay. In a lamp. So sorry about that. um So this episode is going to sound weird for my end because I'm in an echoey space. And it's also going to sound weird from your end too, Tiffany. Why don't you
Personal Updates
00:01:15
Speaker
tell them about that? So super sick.
00:01:18
Speaker
Well, yeah not anymore. I'm just really nasally now. Yeah. I spent 24 hours on the couch and then I went to work the next day and now this is what I sound like. So hopefully this passes soon.
00:01:31
Speaker
Yes. I'm thinking maybe i should get like those. i mean, maybe it'll be different when we have the bookcases in here, but like maybe I should get the padding for behind the computer. did better.
00:01:42
Speaker
yeah I did that when we were in Illinois and it was yeah I feel like my sound was so much better then, but I can't put shit on the walls here. so I'm going to do that. think I'm going to look the interwebs and see what I can find because you know what? We love you guys and I'm willing to pay for everything.
00:02:02
Speaker
something cool to make me sound better and not sound so echoey. So I'm sorry, guys. Yeah. Anthony bought them on Amazon. It was just like sound deadening i forget like sound deadening foam or something like that. And they were just little like foam squares that had little ripples in them. Yes. I was trying to explain that to Mike the other day and he was like, he didn't know what I was saying. And I'm like...
00:02:24
Speaker
Have you not seen that in like a recording studio or something? And he's like, well, I've never been in a recording studio. So no. Yeah. ah yeah So I'm just going order it myself.
00:02:37
Speaker
It's fine. Well, we're not talking about how this episode is going to
00:02:44
Speaker
What an amazing like banter session. you know just We're both going to sound like shit. And here's why.
Taboo Magic Overview
00:02:50
Speaker
you guys um um ah Yeah, you're welcome. Yeah.
00:02:55
Speaker
ah What are we talking about today? We are talking about taboo magic. o This one was really fun to research. A little is hard, but also a lot of fun.
00:03:08
Speaker
Yes. I had the same issue where like some things, like and we'll talk about it a bit later, some of the things that I was researching, I was like, i don't know if I should be researching this or- I can't find a lot of stuff on it. so yeah. Yeah.
00:03:23
Speaker
but But either way, it was fun. ah Yes, it really was. And if you're listening to this and you're like, um nothing's taboo, just give the episode a chance. Okay. We're not saying, and we're going to break it down throughout, like by the end of the episode, you'll get a better grasp of this topic.
Cultural Influence on Taboo
00:03:40
Speaker
But when we we're thinking about taboo magic, I think we we need to also talk about just what taboo is in a broad sense, because that is going to really filter what falls under this taboo magic framework and what doesn't. So there are many different definitions to the word taboo. Most often it refers to something that's banned on grounds of morality or taste. or that it is banned due to a risk, or maybe it's forbidden.
00:04:11
Speaker
And relating it back to magic and the occult, taboo magic is often magic that is considered dangerous and forbidden. And this includes types of magic that are considered unethical, that violate natural laws, free will, or moral boundaries.
00:04:24
Speaker
And when we look at taboo magic historically, it quickly becomes clear that what counts as forbidden has always depended on the culture, the time period, or who was in power.
00:04:37
Speaker
Magic itself was not always considered bad or dangerous. In many societies, it was simply part of everyday spiritual life. Things like healing charms, protective amulets, divination, and spirit communication were often practiced openly by respected members of the community, such as healers, priests, seers, or cunning folk.
00:05:00
Speaker
Magic was often woven right into religion, medicine, and daily survival. That said, even cultures that accepted magic usually had boundaries around what was considered appropriate.
00:05:14
Speaker
Certain practices crossed a line when they were believed to interfere with life and death, challenge religious authority, or intentionally harm others. A couple of examples that we're going to be discussing in this episode just to help put taboo magic into perspective are necromancy as one of the clearest historical examples.
Necromancy and Blood Magic
00:05:35
Speaker
Communicating with the dead appears in many ancient traditions, But it was often treated with suspicion or strict limits because of the fear of disturbing the boundary between the living and the dead.
00:05:46
Speaker
And then another is blood magic. And this frequently fell into taboo territory because blood has long been viewed as carrying life force. So rituals involving blood were often seen as especially powerful, which also made them seem more dangerous or morally questionable. What is interesting is that taboo rarely meant these practices disappeared.
00:06:11
Speaker
More often, they just moved into secrecy, practiced quietly outside official religious structures, and passed down through small communities, oral traditions, and grimoires.
00:06:22
Speaker
Looking at some of the different types of taboo magic, the first one that I'm going to cover is called blood magic. And this is one of the most controversial and misunderstood forms of magic.
00:06:32
Speaker
We covered this and minstrel magic more in depth back in episode 167. So if you've not listened to that, give that a go. But as far as definitions go, using blood, most often the practitioners and ritual work is essentially what blood magic is.
00:06:49
Speaker
Most often, this is considered taboo not because it's automatically dark and dangerous, but because the practice utilizes the practitioner's own life force, which allows for not just an amplification of the spell, but it also ties the caster to the outcome.
00:07:04
Speaker
Additionally, there is an ancestral link here to when blood is used, because your blood connects you to your lineage and ancestors, therefore tying your bloodline to a working.
00:07:15
Speaker
Many witches may feel drawn to blood magic because blood symbolizes the life force itself. And as I mentioned, blood is a magical amplifier when used in spell work. And when used, the barrier between intention and manifestation becomes thinner, making the magic respond more strongly, but it can also make mistakes more impactful.
00:07:35
Speaker
Because blood binds a practitioner to the spell, the blood becomes an offering, but you're offering a piece of yourself. Blood is linked to life and your identity, and it creates a powerful energetic link between the caster and the spell. Because of this, the spell may be harder to undo, and you may be energetically tied to the outcome.
00:07:55
Speaker
So looking at some examples now and throughout history, historically, Blood was used in offerings to gods and spirits in divination and in protection workings in Mesopotamia and ancient Near East.
00:08:08
Speaker
And in ancient Greece, animal sacrifice with blood offerings to deities, necromantic rituals, blood oaths and bindings, and healing rituals were used. And in Celtic traditions, healing practices using blood ancestral connection through blood Warrior rituals and blood oaths were common and potentially Druidic practices involved blood offerings as well. But of course, we don't really know that because we don't have a lot of written history about that.
00:08:34
Speaker
And in African traditional religions, blood was used in offerings in voodoo, Santeria, and other traditions. Typically here, the blood was animal and not human.
00:08:45
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And in modern practices, some traditional witchcraft lines continue blood magic practices in things like protection spells, binding spells to activate sigils, and in dedication rituals. And this includes rituals in voodoo, blood packs, blood sacrifices, and menstrual magic, which again we covered back in episode 167.
00:09:06
Speaker
Looking at some additional ethical considerations, because of its potency, blood can easily be used for coercive and manipulative workings. And examples of this are like binding, domination, and revenge spells. And because of its intensity, when used in magical workings, blood magic can easily spiral out of control if the practitioner lacks experience or discipline.
00:09:29
Speaker
Additionally, consent should absolutely be followed to the letter here. Do not take someone else's blood without their consent or use blood from someone who can't consent, like someone who's incapacitated or the blood of children.
00:09:42
Speaker
and blood magic should be approached with caution and respect and understand that there are certain elements of blood magic that can be tied to closed practices and shouldn't be touched at all if you are not from that practice.
00:09:55
Speaker
Man, I can't wait for the emails we're going to get for this one. I know, right? Yeah. There's going to be quite a few, I imagine. Yeah, I'm sure. The next one is necromancy, and Sam did a full deep dive on necromancy for episode
Modern Perceptions of Necromancy
00:10:11
Speaker
176. So if you want to learn more about it make sure to go back and listen to that episode.
00:10:17
Speaker
Necromancy is the practice of communicating with the dead, usually to gain knowledge, guidance, or insight that the living cannot access. Historically, it was less about raising like zombies and more about contacting spirits or ancestral dead for answers.
00:10:33
Speaker
But if we look back into medieval Europe, necromancy was classified by theologians as a forbidden form of magic because it involved calling on or commanding spirits, which back then church scholars believed were actually demons. Because it relied on supernatural beings,
00:10:52
Speaker
Rather than natural forces, it was viewed as a direct challenge to Christian doctrine. During the 12th and 13th centuries, translated Greek and Arabic texts on astrology, philosophy, and ritual magic began circulating in Europe. These works helped revive interest in complex ritual practices, often attributed to legendary figures like Solomon or Hermes, which influenced the development of learned necromantic traditions.
00:11:23
Speaker
Medieval scholars such as Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus distinguished between natural magic, which worked through hidden properties of nature and astrology, and necromancy, which sought power through spirits.
00:11:37
Speaker
Natural magic was sometimes tolerated as kind of early science, while necromancy was strongly condemned by the church. One example people often reference is the idea of consulting the dead for wisdom, which shows up in a lot of ancient traditions.
00:11:55
Speaker
Practices around sacred sites like the oracle traditions in ancient Greece sometimes blurred the lines between divination and spirit communication, where the belief was that knowledge could come from beyond the physical world.
00:12:09
Speaker
Necromancy tends to fall into taboo territory because many cultures have strict beliefs about respecting the dead and maintaining the boundary between the living and the afterlife. The fear is that disturbing the dead could bring spiritual consequences, anger spirits, or disrupt the natural order.
00:12:29
Speaker
In modern practice, necromancy is often reframed as ancestral work, spirit communication, or mediumship. Many practitioners approach it with a focus on respect, consent, and honoring the dead rather than commanding or controlling them. The next type of taboo magic that we're going to cover is dark or black magic, and this is often referred to as evil magic or maleficium or the black
Exploring Dark Magic
00:12:55
Speaker
arts. It's a type of magic that is used for selfish, destructive purposes and can involve using magic for crimes, summoning spirits, but most often it's used for selfish purposes at the cost of others.
00:13:07
Speaker
Historically, black magic was framed as the opposite of white magic, which was considered healing or benevolent. And the term black magic itself appears in English as early as the late 1500s and evolved from the medieval term necromancy, which referred to necromancy in communing with the dead.
00:13:24
Speaker
This type of magic is really a catch-all for a lot of different types of practices, depending on how you look at it. The most popular examples of things that would fall under black magic include things like summoning demons or spirits, casting curses or hexes, love or control spells, or any sort of magic meant to override someone's free will or force attraction, malicious spells and baneful magic to include revenge magic, necromancy, which Tiffany just covered.
00:13:52
Speaker
And I do think it's important to note here that many modern practitioners believe that magic itself is neutral and the ethical meaning depends on the intent and context, and there's no actual black and white categories.
00:14:05
Speaker
And many cultures practice forms of spirit work, ancestral work, and justice magic that are not considered evil within their own traditions, but have been historically labeled as black magic by outsiders.
00:14:17
Speaker
And why this is taboo, the biggest thing here is the ethical concern of violating someone's free will with spells that manipulate, control, or harm others. Belief in curses or harmful magic can create intense fear or paranoia, even if magic isn't actually involved, and it can cause people to react or behave in some pretty heinous ways.
00:14:38
Speaker
And in some religions of the world, accusations of black magic can lead to violence, imprisonment, and witch hunts. An example of this is roughly over 20,000 people, mostly women and children, this disabled and the elderly,
00:14:53
Speaker
were killed between 2009 through 2019 due to modern day fear and paranoia leading to witch hunts. And this mainly now occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Papua New Guinea and Nepal. But the fear there is still there. So that's why a lot of times black magic is framed as being taboo.
00:15:17
Speaker
and I think that's so crazy because if you really think about it, 2009 and 2019, those timeframes are not that far away from where we are today. Yeah, not at all. Like a few years ago.
00:15:28
Speaker
Right. And it was just a 10-year time span and 20,000 people. And there's probably more that we don't know, but that's just what we do know of.
00:15:39
Speaker
Yeah. And then also, I think it's important to note that Sam and I have talked about this on the podcast. I want to say back in season one where we actually do not really like the terms black magic and white magic because historically black magic, it was just like to make it was black magic was usually things that came out of hoodoo, voodoo, Santeria, like any of those non-traditional white magics. And so it was like, oh,
00:16:11
Speaker
People of color magic, bad black. And then white magic is good magic. And so I don't know. it's It's a term that is used in this realm. And so when you're talking about taboo magic, you have to like note like, hey, black magic is something that is considered taboo. And this is what it is. But it's also not a term that we agree with.
00:16:33
Speaker
Absolutely. So next we have sex magic, which we've also already done a deep
Sex and Cannibal Magic
00:16:40
Speaker
dive. on this topic in season four for episode 152. So if you haven't listened to that, make sure to go back and listen to that episode for a deeper look into the topic.
00:16:51
Speaker
Sex magic is the use of sexual energy within magical or spiritual practice. The idea behind it is that sexual energy is a powerful creative force that can be directed toward intention setting, manifestation, or even spiritual connection.
00:17:09
Speaker
By embracing sex as a ritual and channeling magic through your body, you can manifest your desires, cultivate self-love and acceptance, awaken your senses, and of course, indulge in joy and pleasure. And we see forms of this in ancient traditions, such as tantric practices, where sexuality was sometimes viewed as a sacred path to spiritual awakening.
00:17:32
Speaker
In more modern occult circles, Sex magic shows up in certain ceremonial magic traditions and among practitioners who work intentionally with sexual energy in ritual.
00:17:44
Speaker
The taboo largely comes from cultural attitudes towards sexuality itself. In many societies, sex has been treated as something private, sinful, or even shameful, so bringing it into a spiritual or magical context can make people uncomfortable.
00:18:02
Speaker
In a modern context, sex magic is often approached in a very personal way. For some practitioners, it becomes a tool for empowerment, body positivity, or deepening spiritual connection, while others simply choose not to work with it at all. The next taboo magic topic that I'm going to cover is cannibal magic. Yeah.
00:18:26
Speaker
which is sometimes called assuromancy. The definition of this type of magic refers to the belief that consuming the body of another being can transfer power, spirit, or life force to the person consuming it. And this type of magic and ideology is tied to sympathetic magic, which we've covered in depth back in episode 184.
00:18:48
Speaker
In many belief systems, people believed that eating a body or even small parts of it could grant strength, power, courage, wisdom, or the soul slash life force of the deceased, and it is a belief that appears in a lot of different mythologies, folklore, and ritual traditions around the world.
00:19:06
Speaker
Examples throughout history and anthropologically There are some warrior cultures that believe that eating parts of a defeated enemy could grant someone strength and courage. And in other cultures, people who consumed parts of their deceased relatives did so as a ritual to incorporate their spirit into the living community. Rather than being seen as disrespectful, this practice was seen as a way to honor the dead, and it kept the ancestors spiritually present, and it was seen to strengthen familial bonds.
00:19:35
Speaker
Anthropological research shows that in some cultures, there were beliefs that someone could change into or transform spiritually into something or someone else by consuming that person.
00:19:47
Speaker
you know this makes me think of? What? And I don't, I haven't read your notes, so i don't even know if you have this in there, but do you remember when they found like tombs in Egypt and people were like eating the mummy soup essentially like the dead people that were like mummified they were like yes like weren't they like Victorian yeah I can't even talk now you're you're passing your sinus shit on to me through the microphone yeah through the microphone um there was like Victorian people who did that shit yeah yeah
00:20:20
Speaker
I did not have that in my notes, but thank you so much for the reminder because that is fucking gross. it It is so gross. Like what is wrong with people? It's, and I'm just like, first of all, A, I would never fucking eat another that person. No. But second of all, why the fuck would you eat a mummified corpse? Like you have no idea what is in that at all. Like there could be disease. It poisonous. Yeah. Yeah. Disease. Ooh.
00:20:46
Speaker
Awful. God. It's just been sitting there for so long. well Yep. Yeah. So cannibalism and magical or religious symbolism appears often in symbolic religious rituals.
00:21:01
Speaker
Probably the most common one is the Christian communion, yeah which involves consuming bread and wine believed to represent the body and blood of Christ, which symbolizes unity with the divine. So FYI, all Christians are cannibals. always thought that was so weird as a kid in the church when they like hand out your little wafer and your little like cup of grape juice and it was like, the body of Christ and he would eat it and it's like that yeah I'm like this isn't witchcraft right it is and it's cannibalism yeah um listeners can you hear that um and then also there's ritual cannibalism in certain African and Amazonian tribes as well so that are also tied back to their religious symbolism
00:21:48
Speaker
Cannibalism in folklore and monster lore also exist. An example of this is the Wendigo, which is a cannibalistic supernatural being or cryptid associated with Algonquian folklore.
00:21:59
Speaker
And many versions of the Wendigo myth, becoming a cannibal transforms someone into Wendigo with the common theme here that cannibal magic can come with severe consequences and curses. And i did not know that about the whole Wendigo folklore. so I thought that was really interesting.
00:22:16
Speaker
I've read so many horror books with like Wendigo themes to them. And a lot of times it is like there's this horrible situation and they're all stranded and they end up being becoming cannibals and someone like ends up inevitably turning into a Wendigo because they were the cannibal.
00:22:35
Speaker
Yeah. So a little warning kiddos. Maybe don't do that. So why it's taboo? As you can guess, cannibal magic is considered probably one of the most extreme or the most extreme magical taboos for a plethora of reasons.
00:22:52
Speaker
The first of which, it ah it violates social and moral norms as cannibalism is one of humanity's strongest cultural taboos. Using it in a magical act only intensifies that violation.
00:23:03
Speaker
Cannibal magic involves direct interaction with human remains, which many cultures considered sacred or in some cases even dangerous. And in some belief systems, the consumption of another person could not just transfer their power to you, it can also transfer their suffering, curses, or corruption your way as well.
00:23:22
Speaker
And there's some colonial narratives surrounding cannibalism. Historically, accusations of cannibalism were often used to portray indigenous peoples as savages or uncivilized, even when there was no evidence to support that any such cannibalistic acts were taking place.
00:23:38
Speaker
And so that's something to think about as well. So just historically looking at it from a broader lens, history was written by the victors. And sometimes you got to take some of this historical stuff with a grain of salt.
00:23:50
Speaker
And in modern context today, cannibal magic often exists in horror fiction. dark fantasy and folklore studies. And modern practitioners generally treat cannibal magic as mythological or symbolic practice rather than a literal practice. So, you know, obviously the whole like Christ thing with the communion.
00:24:11
Speaker
Some magical traditions reinterpret cannibal magic as a metaphor for things like absorbing knowledge or power from a teacher, consuming symbolic representations of power, or even ritual meals eaten as a representative of spiritual transformation.
00:24:27
Speaker
And the last one we're going to talk about is soul binding or soul contracts.
Soul Contracts in Magic
00:24:33
Speaker
Soul binding or soul contracts generally refer to magical agreements that bind a person's spirit or essence to another being, force, or outcome.
00:24:44
Speaker
The idea is that the practitioner enters into a pact that carries spiritual consequences beyond the physical world. One of the most famous examples is the idea of Faustian bargains or PACs, where someone trades their soul or long-term spiritual freedom in exchange for knowledge power, wealth, or some other earthly game. Stories of packs with demons or powerful spirits appear in folklore across many cultures, but not all soul contracts are this Faustian bargain with a demon.
00:25:17
Speaker
Soul contracts can also be looked at through the lens of reincarnation and how our souls can be tied to other people. The idea of soul contracts suggests that souls make agreements with one another before incarnating,
00:25:32
Speaker
Choosing to meet in a lifetime in order to help each other learn important lessons and fulfill aspects of their life's purpose. These connections are often described as deeply spiritual bonds.
00:25:45
Speaker
Some bring love, support, and joy, while others may involve conflict or pain that is believed to encourage growth and transformation. Soul contracts are generally viewed as flexible rather than fixed. The relationships formed through them are meant to guide spiritual development, with each person playing a role in the other's life journey.
00:26:08
Speaker
This type of magic tends to be viewed as deeply taboo because it deals with entities and forces that are believed to exist far beyond human understanding. There's also the fear of a permanent or eternal consequence tied to making those types of agreements.
00:26:23
Speaker
In modern conversations about magic, soul contracts are often interpreted more symbolically. Some practitioners talk about energetic agreements, spiritual lessons, or karmic ties rather than literal deals with demons, though the idea still carries a lot of caution and debate within magical communities.
00:26:44
Speaker
So looking at ethics and morality, when we think about things like blood magic, necromancy, sex magic, or any of the other types of taboo magic we've discussed in on this episode, the immediate assumption is that usually these practices are dark.
00:27:00
Speaker
dangerous, or evil. But historically and culturally, the reality is much more nuanced and complicated than that. And we've touched on that in quite a few of the topics that we've talked about already.
00:27:10
Speaker
The category of taboo magic often reflects fears and social boundaries that we have as opposed to universal moral truths. Practices, like any of the topics we discussed, become taboo because they touch on things societies consider powerful or dangerous, like death, sexuality, the body, and spiritual autonomy.
00:27:30
Speaker
So the real question becomes, is the magic itself evil or is it how and why it's used? Many magical traditions and beliefs acknowledge that power and responsibility go handin hand in hand.
00:27:41
Speaker
And practices like blood magic, spirit work, and soul contracts are often considered dangerous, not because they are inherently evil, but because they involve high levels of spiritual and emotional consequences. Not every practitioner or culture believes in a universal rule like the wake and read or karma, but many traditions emphasize things like intention, consent, responsibility, and respect. And for many practitioners, consent is a key ethical line and magic that manipulates somebody else's free will is often considered ethically questionable, but not every tradition defines ethics in the same way.
00:28:20
Speaker
Views on taboo magic vary widely depending on culture, religion, and historical context. What one group considers forbidden or dangerous might be seen to another as a normal or even necessary spiritual practice.
00:28:34
Speaker
In many traditional cultures, forms of magic that outsiders might label as taboo were actually practical tools for survival. Spirit work, protective curses, or communicating with ancestors could be used to protect communities, seek guidance, or deal with illnesses and misfortune.
Historical Categorization of Magic
00:28:52
Speaker
At the same time, religious institutions and governing powers have often drawn strict lines around certain magical practices. Magic that challenged authority, worked with spirits outside of what might be considered, like quote-unquote, approved religious structures, or attempted to influence fate could quickly be labeled as dangerous, immoral, or forbidden.
00:29:16
Speaker
Yeah, and tying into that, it's important to understand that cultural context matters. Many practitioners that outsiders label as taboo or dark magic are actually sacred or cultural culturally specific traditions. And some examples of these are ancestral communication, spirit possession rituals, blood offerings, and oath binding rituals.
00:29:37
Speaker
These practices, when viewed from an outsider's perspective, especially through colonial and religious lenses, are often misunderstood and demonized. And some practices are not open traditions and are meant only for those specific communities because outsiders may not fully understand the history, the symbolism, and any rules or safeguards for those specific traditions. And this raises an important question here. Is it fair to vilify practices that we don't fully understand? And for many of us studying magic and religion, the answer to that question is no.
00:30:11
Speaker
One of the most interesting things about topics like this is that taboo magic often lives in a morally gray area where the same practice can be interpreted very differently depending on the belief system behind
Taboos and Sacred Traditions
00:30:23
Speaker
it. So just labeling something as evil can erase the complexity tied to that specific magical practice.
00:30:30
Speaker
Taboo magic has often lived in a strange space where it is both feared and relied upon. Communities might publicly condemn certain practices while still quietly seeking out practitioners when they need protection, and healing, or answers.
00:30:45
Speaker
For some belief systems, using taboo magic is seen as crossing a moral or spiritual boundary. Practices involving the dead, spirits, curses, or personal power can be viewed as disrespectful to the natural order or as interfering with forces humans were not meant to control.
00:31:06
Speaker
For others, those same practices are simply tools. They may be approached with caution and respect, but they're not automatically seen as evil. In these traditions, taboo magic can be viewed as a necessary part of spiritual work, especially when survival protection or justice are involved.
00:31:25
Speaker
And so just to kind of wrap some of this up, views on taboo magic vary widely depending on culture, religion, and historical context. What one group sees as forbidden or dangerous may be viewed by another as normal or even a necessary spiritual practice, especially in traditions where spirit work, protective curses, or ancestor communication were used to help communities navigate illness, conflict, or uncertainty.
00:31:53
Speaker
At the same time, Religious institutions and systems of power have often labeled certain forms of magic as immoral or dangerous, particularly practices that challenge authority or work outside approved spiritual structures.
00:32:10
Speaker
Because of that, taboo magic has often existed in a strange middle ground where it is publicly condemned but still quietly sought out when people need protection, answers, or justice.
00:32:23
Speaker
And lastly, I think it's important to note here that taboos in our society exist for a reason. And this is the case with magic as well. Taboos can protect sacred traditions, prevent misuse of powerful practices, and can warn practitioners about the real spiritual or psychological risks associated with specific practices. So in many cases, taboo magic isn't about practicing something that is forbidden. It can highlight something that is restricted, regulated for a closed practice, or meant for experienced practitioners only. So just keep that in mind as well. And before you try and email us and be like, you don't know what you're talking about. and
00:33:03
Speaker
And you know, whatever, whatever. Fucking don't. Okay. Okay.
00:33:10
Speaker
Don't. just just We don't need any virtual signaling emails. Thank you. thing Thank you. Unless you belong to that close practice and you're wanting to educate us on something, we welcome it. Which happens. If you're not from that close practice, leave us alone. Literally. Thanks.
00:33:41
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.
00:33:53
Speaker
It helps more witches, seekers, and magical misfits find our show. Want even more Get In Loser content? Join our Patreon or Supercast Coven. As a member, you'll get early access to episodes, a monthly newsletter, exclusive printable shadow work, and for more pages, access to our witchy book club, ch promo codes for merch, and so much more. Just check the show notes for the link or search Get In Loser We're Doing Witchcraft on Supercast and Patreon.
00:34:17
Speaker
You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at GetInWitches or email us at We'reDoingWitchcraft at gmail.com. Join us next week to learn about home protection practices. Until then, stay magical, stay curious, and as always, blessed be witches.