Magia Naturalis

Magia Naturalis (Natural Magic) is an Actor Term heavily deployed by Ficino, Pico, and Agrippa to legitimize their occult practices against accusations of demonic trafficking (superstitio).

The Mechanics of Occult Philosophy

Natural magic was theorized as a highly advanced form of natural philosophy. It posited that the universe is bound together by hidden sympathies and antipathies (e.g., the sunflower following the sun, the magnet attracting iron). The natural magician merely understands these hidden cosmic wires and utilizes natural items (stones, herbs, planetary music) to manipulate the spiritus (the subtle medium of the universe) to cure disease or attract celestial influences. It explicitly forbade the invocation of intelligent entities (angels or demons), separating it from ceremonial magic.