Sympathetic magic is a form of magic used in objects or actions symbolically associated with an event or person.
Description[]
Sympathetic magic can be performed by a single person or a group. It can be done by invoking someone’s name, or in creating a correspondence between an object or event that represents someone.[1]
History[]
In 1878, while riding toward Cadair Idris, Will Herondale felt his parabatai bond snap and saw his rune bleeding. Believing this meant his parabatai, Jem Carstairs, had died, Will performed sympathetic magic by cutting the palm of his hand with a dagger Jem had given him and buried it in the ground by an oak tree. By doing this, he bound Jem's spirit to him in a meaningful way; infusing the dagger with his grief and burying it in order to have the strength to continue.[2][3][4]
In 2012, the Followers of the Guardian performed sympathetic magic using a system called the Lottery. They would meet once a month at the Midnight Theater and hold a lottery to decide which of the followers would murder a person as a sacrifice to the Guardian, in exchange for a favor from him. When the sacrifice was carried out all the members of the group became stronger, with the murderer gaining a bit more strength than the others.[5]
Known practitioners[]
References[]
- ↑ "...sympathetic magic — magic based in the idea of invoking someone’s name, or in creating a correspondence between an object that represents someone and that person in reality." Cassandra Clare on Tumblr
- ↑ Clockwork Princess
- ↑ After the Bridge
- ↑ "In Will’s case he’s infusing the knife Jem gave him with his grief, and burying that grief both to preserve it and to allow himself to continue on and do what he has to do without the grief crippling him." Cassandra Clare on Tumblr
- ↑ Lady Midnight