What is "natural magic"

Magic \Mag"ic\, n. [OE. magique, L. magice, Gr. ? (sc. ?), fr. ?. See Magic, a., and Magi.]

1. A comprehensive name for all of the pretended arts which claim to produce effects by the assistance of supernatural beings, or departed spirits, or by a mastery of secret forces in nature attained by a study of occult science, including enchantment, conjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, incantation, etc.

   An appearance made by some magic.
   --Chaucer.

2. The art of creating illusions which appear to the observer to be inexplicable except by some supernatural influence; it includes simple sleight of hand (legerdemain) as well as more elaborate stage magic, using special devices constructed to produce mystifying effects; as, the magic of David Copperfield. It is practised as an entertainment, by magicians who do not pretend to have supernatural powers.

   Celestial magic, a supposed supernatural power which gave to spirits a kind of dominion over the planets, and to the planets an influence over men.

   Natural magic, the art of employing the powers of nature to produce effects apparently supernatural.

   Superstitious magic, or Geotic magic, the invocation of devils or demons, involving the supposition of some tacit or express agreement between them and human beings.

   Syn: Sorcery; witchcraft; necromancy; conjuration; enchantment.

Natural magic in the context of Renaissance magic is that part of the occult which deals with natural forces directly, as opposed to ceremonial magic, in particular goety and theurgy, which deals with the summoning of spirits. Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa so uses the term in his 1526 de vanitate. Natural magic so defined thus includes astrology, alchemy, and disciplines that we would today consider fields of natural science, such as astronomy and chemistry (which developed and diverged from astrology and alchemy, respectively, into the modern sciences they are today) or botany ( herbology). In a modern context, white magic may be referred to as "high magic" (not to be confused with the alternate meaning of "high magic", which denotes ceremonial or ritual magic).