Religion and Magic

       Magic and religion have gone hand-in-hand for centuries.  It is impossible to create a distinct line between magic and religion, because they both have relatively the same concept.  There are other reasons as well.  They both depend on the belief of supernatural powers. One such example is Stonehenge. Magically, it was believed to be made by Merlyn, but religiously, it was known as a site for Druidic rituals. The Heel Stone, or the center stone, was placed there so that on June 21, the summer solstice, the sun would appear directly above the top of the stone.

Magic was used in ancient Native American tribes for many purposes. An example of this exercise is blowing powdered tobacco up a patients nose to rid him or her of evil spirits. A well-known practice is the art of Voodoo. Voodoo is when you make a doll with a distinct likeness of a person, and inflict pain upon the doll to duplicate the damage on the victim. To do this, a personal item of the victim must be taken, and ceremonies must be performed, specifically for that person.

Magic is used in many ceremonies for many different purposes. These ceremonies are called rites of passage.  Some rites are birth, naming, puberty, marriage, illnesses, and death.  The ceremonies may include magical objects, words, songs or places.  Other ceremonies are performed to pray to the people's gods for help; rain dances, protection against diseases or parasites, preparation for planting season, harvests, hunting and fishing ceremonies, and returns of victorious warriors. Some ceremonies may be a sort of two-in-one deal.  For example, ceremonies that heal one person may also protect the entire community.

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