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sympathetic magic

noun
  1. magic predicated on the belief that one thing or event can affect another at a distance as a consequence of a sympathetic connection between them.
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Compare contagious magic, imitative magic.

Origin of sympathetic magic

First recorded in 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for sympathetic magic

sympathetic magic

noun
  1. a type of magic in which it is sought to produce a large-scale effect, often at a distance, by performing some small-scale ceremony resembling it, such as the pouring of water on an altar to induce rainfall
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012