The Black Magic: Witchcraft and Sorcery

The witches and sorcerers still attract Human Beings even in the 21st century. The witchcraft and sorcery find a lot many believers in this era of science and logic.
Actually, this topic of witchcraft and sorcery has been widely studied by the discipline Anthropology. Black Magic is at the heart of both the witchcraft and sorcery. Surprisingly, there is some similarity between the Science and Black Magic. Both believe in correlation between the means and ends. But rites and the rituals performed in Black Magic are supposed to force the supernatural forces to act in the intended way. Science deals with the natural world and there is no belief in Supernatural world.
There are some rules which the Black Magicians - Witches and Sorcerers follow. They are:-
1. Imitative rule:- Like begets like is the philosophy behind this rule e.g. the sounds of rumbling stones downhill producing sounds similar to thunders are supposed to bring rains.
2. Sympathetic rule:- This can explained with examples. In medieval England, burning mud where one has kept foot was supposed to cause death of that individual. While burning the lock of hair of estranged lover would cause pain and agony to him or her.
Surprisingly, there is much similarity between the Black Magic beliefs across the world than the Religious beliefs.
Black Magic has been attributed negative connotation across the continents. But there lies a bit distinction between witchcraft and sorcery. Witchcraft happens in mind and at psychological level while sorcery needs specific instruments and implements. So, it is easy to identify sorcery than witchcraft.
According to Anthropologists, Witchcraft has been evolved as a social control mechanism. Fear of being alleged a witch makes one adhere to social norms. Nobody becomes a witch by choice. Generally one from a lower social order is alleged to be a witch. Witches can be both males and females. Mostly they belong to female sex.
In India, witch hunting is quite common in north east especially Assam. Mrs. BirubalaRabhas has started a mission named MISSION BIRUBALA to eradicate this evil practice of stoning the people to death in name of being. She faced many difficulties in her endeavour. But today she is a well-known figure in Assam and her movement is getting response. Success of her endeavour would be a true homage to the rationalists like Dabholkar, MM Kaburgi and Pansare.