Conjuration in traditional and most contemporary usage refers to a magical act of invoking spirits or using incantations or charms to cast magical spells. In the context of legerdemain, it may also refer to the performance of illusion or magic tricks for show. This article discusses mainly the original and primary usage, describing acts of a supernatural or paranormal nature. [1] [2]
The word conjuration (from Latin conjure, conjurare, to "swear together") can be interpreted in several different ways: as an invocation or evocation (the latter in the sense of binding by a vow); as an exorcism; as an act of producing effects by magical means.
The word is often used synonymously with terms such as "invocation" or "evocation" or "summoning", although many authors find it useful to maintain some distinction between these terms. The term "conjuring" is also used as a general term for casting spells in some magical traditions, such as Hoodoo. In that context, amulets and talismans are often kept in a "conjure bag" and "conjuring oils" may be used to anoint candles and other magical supplies and thus imbue them with specific magical powers.
Alternatively, the term "conjuration" may be used refer to an act of illusionism or legerdemain, as in the performance of magic tricks for entertainment.
One who performs conjurations is called a conjurer or conjuror. The word (as conjuration or conjurison) was formerly used in its Latin meaning of "conspiracy".[3]
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The text of the charms to be recited to conjure the spirit varies considerably from simple sentences to complex paragraphs with plenty of magic words. The language usually is that of the conjurer's, but since the Middle Ages in Western tradition, Latin was the most common (although many texts have been translated into other languages).
The conjuration of the ghosts or souls of the dead for the purpose of divination is called necromancy.
When it is said that a person is calling upon or conjuring misfortune or disease, it is due to the ancient belief that personified diseases and misfortune as evil deities, spirits or demons that could enter a human or animal body; see demon possession.
The notion of the action of a conjuration is traditionally linked to the task of repelling negative spirits away, and protecting an individual, space or collectivity. However, it is also believed by many, particularly in Christian and Islamic societies, that magic, and thus conjuration, is an inherently evil practice. According to these beliefs, conjurers summon demons or other evil spirits to cause harm to people or things, to obtain favors from them, or simply to enter servitude to such beings. The belief in similarly-minded conjurers also exists in belief systems in which magic is not inherently evil, although in these cultures these "black magicians" are not the rule and have opposition among more traditional magicians.
Conjuration is a very common mystic practice in the Middle East, most commonly found in Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. Many practice it to settle personal grudges or for healing, personal enhancement, or foretelling the future. There are also those who will sell their services as conjurers to others.
Islam strongly forbids the use of conjuration, because it is seen as an unholy procedure, and therefore to perform it is to give an insult to God. It is also considered to, in the end, harm people more than help them: those who regularly contact demons are believed to go mad through overdosing on power, or being possessed (since demons are thought to be short-tempered beings, and given the opportunity might overpower and enslave the one who summoned them).
Within some magical traditions today, such as contemporary witchcraft, hoodoo and Hermeticism or ceremonial magic, conjuration may refer specifically to an act of calling or invoking deities and other spirits; or it may refer more generally to the casting of magic spells by a variety of techniques. Used in the sense of invoking or evoking deities and other spirits, conjuration can be regarded as one aspect of religious magic.
In the context of illusionist magic practiced today as entertainment only, "conjurer" or "conjuror" is still a common term used by practitioners. In times past, illusionist conjurors were suspected of using magic power to create their entertaining illusions and even suspected of casting spells. They were regarded as "magicians" by the general public, who were often not cognizant of the techniques and tricks used to create their illusions.
The term is used in (and is the title of) a 2008 movie "Conjurer" to refer to dark spirits.
Conjuration is used in many video games, mainly RPGs, where it is usually referred to as summoning.
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Summoner | Table of Contents |
Walkthrough
| Summoner | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Volition |
| Publisher(s) | Graphics Simulation, THQ |
| Release date(s) |
Spring, 2001
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| Genre(s) | RPG |
| System(s) | PlayStation 2, Mac OS, Windows |
Throughout the multiverse are many divergent realms. Some are similar to our own; some drastically different. Legend has it that Jet Li became superpowerful by defeating himself in alternate realms.
Some magicians have learned the art of calling forth entities across realms, be they demons, spirits, or Bruce Campbell. The art of facilitating an entity's (or object's) travel from one realm to another is known as summoning.
Actually, summoning more frequently refers to just calling forth some great spiritual power within the confines of a single plane of reality, but this is far less exciting.
Summoners are a special class of magic users. Summons can have diverse effects - some helpful to allies, some harmful to enemies.
The Final Fantasy series is a popular proponent of summon magic. Through their own doing, it is now obligatory in all games that summons be accompanied by ridiculously long and flashy cinematic sequences. Can the player skip these cinemas? If not, that's even better. Final Fantasy IX actually gives the player a damage boost if the longer version of the summon animation is randomly chosen.
There is a tradition, steeped in ancient Japanese Shinto code, that a party of heroes must fight and defeat a great creature in order to be able to call upon it for help. If the heroes prove their strength, honor, and courage to legendary spirits such as Leviathan and the Tonberry King, they will be willing to assist the heroes in whatever pointless crap they want.
In the broader sense, summoning is basically calling a monster to do your bidding. The following is a list of some games that use summoning:
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The Summoner is one of the characters in the Canterbury Tales. He is always drunk. Children are afraid of him. When he drinks too much wine, he starts speaking in Latin. He has pimples on his face but is rather intelligent. Chaucer used to write about the medieval age. Anachronism can be found in his writings easily. Everything that he has described about the Summoner is set in that time.
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