Magic and occultism in the Late Medieval and Renaissance period (15th and 16th century). The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ... For other uses of this term, see occult (disambiguation). ... Dante by Michelino The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (1300–1500 CE). ... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ...

Renaissance humanism saw a resurgence in hermeticism and Neo-Platonic varieties of ceremonial magic. The Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, on the other hand, saw the rise of scientism, in such forms as the substitution of chemistry for alchemy, the dethronement of the Ptolemaic theory of the universe assumed by astrology, the development of the germ theory of disease, that restricted the scope of applied magic and threatened the belief systems it relied on. The seven artes magicae or artes prohibitae, arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 1456, their seven-fold partition reflecting that of the artes liberales and artes mechanicae, were: The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... Humanism[1] is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities—particularly rationalism. ... Hermeticism should not be confused with the concept of a hermit. ... Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is an ancient school of philosophy beginning in the 3rd century A.D. It was based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists; but it interpreted Plato in many new ways, such that Neoplatonism was quite different from what Plato taught, though not many Neoplatonists would... A Watt steam engine. ... Scientism is a term mainly used as a pejorative[1][2][3] to accuse someone of holding that science has primacy over all other interpretations of life such as religious, mythical, spiritual, or humanistic explanations. ... The Ptolemaic system was a model to explain the motions of the heavens, espoused by Claudius Ptolemaeus in his work, the Almagest some time around the 2nd century, C.E., and accepted for over 1,000 years by the vast majority of Europeans to be the correct cosmological model. ... The germ theory of disease states that many diseases are caused by microorganisms, and that microorganisms grow by reproduction, rather than being spontaneously generated. ... Johannes Hartlieb (born ca. ... Septem Artes Liberales (The Seven Liberal Arts) in Herrad of Landsbergs Hortus Deliciarum (The Garden of Delights). ... Artes Mechanicae (mechanical arts) are the following: weaving, blacksmithing, navigation, war, the manufacture of agriculture, medicine, architecture, and the theatrical arts. ...

1. nigromancy ("black magic", demonology, by popular etymology, from necromancy)
2. geomancy
3. hydromancy
4. aeromancy
5. pyromancy
6. chiromancy
7. spatulamancy

The division between the four "elemental" disciplines (viz., geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy) is somewhat contrived. Chiromancy is the divination from a subject's palms as practiced by the gypsies (at the time recently arrived in Europe), and spatulamancy is the divination from animal bones, in particular shoulder blades as practiced in peasant superstition. Nigromancy contrasts with this as scholarly "high magic" derived from High Medieval grimoires such as the Picatrix or the Liber Rasielis. Necromancy (Greek νεκρομαντία, nekromantía) is a form of divination in which the practitioner seeks to summon operative spirits or spirits of divination, for multiple reasons, from spiritual protection to wisdom. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. ... Geomancy (from Old French geomancie <Late Latin geōmantia <Late Greek geōmanteia< geo, earth + manteia, divination) from the eponymous ilm al-raml (the science of sand), is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground, or how handfuls of dirt land when someone tosses them. ... Hydromancy (from Greek hydro, water, and manteia, divination) is the art of divination by means of water. ... Aeromancy (from Greek aero, air, and manteia, divination) is divination conducted by interpreting atmospheric conditions. ... Pyromancy (from Greek pyros, fire, and manteia, divination) is the art of divination by means of fire. ... The Fortune Teller, by Caravaggio (1594-95; Canvas; Louvre), depicting a palm reading Chiromancy or cheiromancy, (Greek cheir, “hand”; manteia, “divination”), is the art of characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm, also known as palmistry, palm-reading, chirology or hand analysis. ... Spatulamancy is divination using the shoulder blade of an animal. ... The Rroma people (pronounced rahma, singular Rrom) along with the closely related Sinti people are commonly known as Gypsies. ... This design for an amulet comes from the Black Pullet grimoire. ... The Picatrix or Ghâyat al-Hakîm fil-sihr is also known as The Aim of the Sage. ...

Both bourgeoisie and nobility in the 15th and 16th century showed great fascination with these arts, which exerted an exotic charm by their ascription to Arabic, Jewish, Gypsy and Egyptian sources. There was great uncertainty in distinguishing practices of vain superstition, blasphemous occultism, and perfectly sound scholarly knowledge or pious ritual. The intellectual and spiritual tensions erupted in the Early Modern witch craze, further re-inforced by the turmoils of the Protestant Reformation, especially in Germany, England, and Scotland. A witch-hunt is a search for suspected witches; it is a type of moral panic. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II...

• C. S. Lewis, English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, Excluding Drama (OUP, 1954)

Only an obstinate prejudice about this period could blind us to a certain change which comes over the merely literary texts as we pass from the Middle Ages to the sixteenth century. In medieval story there is, in one sense, plenty of “magic”. Merlin does this or that “by his subtilty”, Bercilak resumes his severed head. But all these passages have unmistakably the note of “faerie” about them. But in Spenser, Marlowe, Chapman, and Shakespeare the subject is treated quite differently. “He to his studie goes”; books are opened, terrible words pronounced, souls imperilled. The medieval author seems to write for a public to whom magic, like knight-errantry, is part of the furniture of romance: the Elizabethan, for a public who feel that it might be going on in the next street. [...] Neglect of this point has produced strange readings of The Tempest, which is in reality [...] Shakespeare’s play on magia as Macbeth is his play on goeteia (p. 8) Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... The original Gawain Manuscript, Cotton Nero A.x. ... Prospero and Ariel from a painting by William Hamilton The Tempest is a play written by William Shakespeare. ... in india magia means a slang in the name of somebodys mother. ... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by Théodore Chassériau. ...

• Johannes Hartlieb (ca. 1400–1468)
• Marsilio Ficino (1433-99)
• Johann Georg Faust (ca. 1480-1540)
• Paracelsus (1453-1541)
• Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
• Pico della Mirandola (1463-94)
• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535)
• Nostradamus (1503 – 1566)
• Judah Loew ben Bezalel (1525-1609)
• John Dee (1527-1608)
• Edward Kelley (1555-1597)
• Michael Sendivogius (1566 - 1636)
• Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639)

Johannes Hartlieb (born ca. ... Domenico Ghirlandaio. ... Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approx. ... Paracelsus (11 November or 17 December 1493 in Einsiedeln, Switzerland - 24 September 1541) was an alchemist, physician, astrologer, and general occultist. ... The Mona Lisa Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian polymath: scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, and writer. ... Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (February 24, 1463 – November 17, 1494) was an Italian Renaissance humanist philosopher and scholar. ... Cornelius Agrippa, as portrayed in Libri tres de occulta philosophia. ... Nostradamus: original portrait by his son Cesar Michel de Nostredame (December 14, 1503 – July 2, 1566), usually Latinized to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous world-wide. ... Judah Loew ben Bezalel (Judah Loew son of Bezalel, also written as Yehudah ben Bezalel Levai [or Loew], 1525 – August 22, 1609 or Elul 18, 5369 according to the Hebrew calendar) [citation needed] see discussion was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi... For the American college basketball coach, see John Dee (basketball coach). ... Edward Kelley, nineteenth-century portrait Edward Kelley or Kelly, also known as Edward Talbot (August 1, 1555 - 1597) was a spirit medium who worked with John Dee in his magical investigations. ... ... Tommaso Campanella (September 5, 1568–May 21, 1639), baptized Giovanni Domenico Campanella, was an Italian philosopher, theologian and poet. ...

See also

• Alchemy
• Hieroglyphica (discovered 1422)
• Natural Magic (1558)
• The Book of Abramelin
• Key of Solomon