In the practice of alchemy, the main goal was to turn lead and other expensive metals into gold and silver and also, searching for the elixir of life which was a magical potion for immortality. It was based on the idea that all matter was composed of four elements which included fire, earth, air, and water (“Magic” 80). People believed that one could change one substance into another by altering the balance of the four elements and the process that wanted to mastered by doing this was transmutation (Olsen 79)
Raising the spirits, also known as necromancy or sorcery was the most controversial form of magic during that time period. In this type of magic, it was believed that one could control the spirits through spells, charms, and rituals. Many of the sorcerers were devoutly religious men who sought to contact good spirits taken from religious works and wanted to seek answers to religious and scientific matters (Doris “Magic” 81). John Dee was the most famous sorcerer of his time and claimed to speak with the archangel Gabriel. Spirit conjuring was later considered evil and condemned by the English government and church because they claimed that any spirits contacted by sorcerers must be devils because God and angels cannot be summoned by spells (Bouseman 79).
Contagious magic is the belief that after a person has had contact with certain things, they will continue to influence that person. The most common examples of this involves parts of the body that has been removed such as finger nails, hair, and teeth. They can effect the rest of the body after being cut off and/or removed. A person can injure an enemy by damaging a piece of clothing or a lock of hair (Murray, par. 2).
They could also cripple them by putting a sharp object in their footprint. Believers would fear that the enemy can gain power by obtaining a part of their body. So they would dispose of these things very carefully (Murray, par. 3)
Voodoo magicians practiced homeopathic magic which was called envoutement. The person would make a doll or some other likeness of the enemy and harm it by sticking pins into the doll or injure it in other ways. Sometimes the doll would include a piece of clothing from the enemy or hair (Olsen 80). Black magic and white magic were also used in these times. Black magic was used to harm people while white magic was suppose to help people. A witch would use black magic to hurt people and a saint may cure the sick with white magic (Olsen 80).
Imitative magic is where the magician would act out or imitate what they wanted to happen. It would often use a model or a miniature of whatever they wanted to influence. Many taboos came from this type of magic, and one of the beliefs of this was that yellow flowers would cure jaundice (Olsen 81)
Fairies were found in popular folklore in England. They were portrayed as evil creatures and also known as elves, pixies or brownies. These fairies were responsible for illness or other misfortune. Demons, also known as devils were also disliked. They would work mischief in the world and stir up disbelief in God. They would also possess the bodies of their victims (Olsen 81).
Victims would portrayed their condition in many ways including having fits, treasonous statements, convulsions, facial and personality changes, super human strength and disgust for church objects and scripture as well as inability to say the Lord's prayer. Other signs included foaming at the mouth, gnashing of the teeth and hallucinations (Whannel, par. 3) Cures for possession was exorcism, holy water, sanctified candles, relics, crosses, masses, and noxious potions and foul smoke. The smoke would be created by burning brimstone, asafetida or galbanum. The more extreme methods would be to bind them to a chair and prod them with needles or mass fasting (Whannel, par. 4)
The Elizabethan magic and beliefs were much stronger and more real compared to today's magic which is all just a show. The people would fear a lot more with supernatural things back then. Their life was similar to a book of fairy tales and their beliefs were part of the stories.