Identifier: womenofallnation04joyc Title: Women of all nations; a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence Year: 1908 (1900s) Authors: Joyce, Thomas Athol, 1878-1942 Thomas, Northcote Whitridge, 1868- Subjects: Women Women Publisher: London, Cassell Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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Text Appearing Before Image: or Saktism is Hinduism arrivedat its last and worst stage of mediaevaldevelopment, says Monier Williams. It isthe worship of the female element, whichworship Oman declares to be greatly on theincrease among Hindus throughout India.With it is combined the practice of magic,white and black. The rites and ceremonies desire. Most religions endeavour to gainthis end by the mortification of the bodyand the consequent subjection of the passions.Saktism professes to attain it by the grati-fication of the passions. It is a seductivecreed to the Oriental, whose standard ofmoralitv is never high, and whose power ofself-control and self-denial is not great.The art of black and white magic is setforth in the Hindu books of the Tantras.They contain mantras (formulas) for pro-ducing evil and for averting it. By then* 59§ WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS repetition with certain rites the magicianprofesses to bo able to engender everyemotion and produce every rendition oflife to which the human being is subject.

Text Appearing After Image: Practice ofMagic. > : - A MARWARI HUSBAND AND WIFE.He is a grain merchant, probably a Jain by religion. Her jewels are of goldset with rubies, emeralds, and pearls. The ornaments on her toes are of silver. The practice of magic is not confined tothe Hindus and Buddhists. It has takenfirm hold of the Mohammedans,who inherited it from their Arabancestors. Every tribe lies underits thrall; and it is the woman who findsit most attractive. For her the occult hasan extraordinary fascination. She consultsthe magician on every occasion, and forevery complaint or misfortune. She em-ploys him to weave spells that she mayobtain an influence over her husband orother members of the family; that she may cause personal hurt in the shape ofblindness, deafness, and disease to thosewho offend her ; that the property of hermore prosperous neighbour may be de-stroyed. Most common of all isthe demand for love-potions, tobe administered to lover orhusband. In the case of illness thewomen have more faith

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