Dark Magic

Cassie using her Dark Magic to conjure flames, a dark version of pyrokinesis.

“	Regular Magic is all about connecting with the energy around you. Dark Magic is all about drawing power from your own hate and anger.	”
	— John Blackwell on his family's known gift.

Dark Magic is an extremely dangerous and evil type that is able to effect change by magical means. Dark Magic is an incredibly powerful form of witchcraft that draws on malevolent powers, and may be used for evil purposes that deliberately cause harm in some way, e.g. to cause destruction or misfortune, or to injure and kill without regard or remorse for human life. Dark magic had the use of shadows and sometimes telekinesis. According to John Blackwell, Dark Magic draws power from the hate and anger inside of the user.

History

Dark magic was founded shortly after witchcraft by a powerful witch named Francis Balcoin. The exact nature of it's origins have not been revealed though it's known that Francis Balcoin passed on this dark magic to his descendants. Emotions such as anger/hate are used to access this power. The true source of dark magic has not been revealed however once in a dream, Jake Armstrong revealed to Cassie Blake that Balcoin blood comes from the Devil. Whether or not the Devil is in fact the source of dark magic is unknown as it has not been mentioned either way.

Dormant magic typically becomes active when a witch is in danger. Cassie Blake first exhibited her dark magic when she and the other circle members had been captured by a group of witch hunters. Facing near-death while in a panic frenzy, she managed to set a boy on fire before he could kill her. She used this method again with her half-sister Diana Meade, when she successfully activated her dark magic by causing Diana to suffocate. As Diana was slowly dying, her dark magic surfaced and saved her by breaking Cassie's hold on her and sending out a burst of energy that sent them both flying. It's unknown if this is the case for all witches, as John Blackwell probably possessed active dark magic most of his life.

Powers and Abilities

Dark Magic possess the same capabilities as regular magic, though it appears to be slightly more potent. Unlike regular magic, dark magic is not limited by Circle laws, as witches bound within circles are capable of using their dark magic without collective aid. Cassie Blake has successfully performed dark magic on several occasions while bound to her circle and was also capable of using regular magic as well, revealing witches that perform both dark magic and "white magic" appear to be able to distinguish the two apart and use them separately.

Dark Magic has been shown to penetrate an iron sulfate circle which is supposed to block a witch's magic while inside the circle. Cassie Blake was capable of setting a witch hunter on fire using her dark magic, despite the fact that she was inside the iron sulfate circle as well.

Dark Magic also appears to grant it's users a unique connection to others' minds, allowing them to view another's memories. Cassie Blake was able to see an apparition of Faye's memory while others could not with the exception of Faye. This connection was seen again when Cassie performed a spell to recall the "lost" memories of Jake Armstrong. Dark magic also appears to have a unique connection with other forms of magic (though the exact nature is unknown), as Cassie and Diana were noted to be the only witches that could form the crystal skull. Dark magic mostly appears to be an innate quality, however Royce Armstrong mentioned that John Blackwell wanted to teach the circle dark magic. Because dark magic is rooted and accessed by negative emotions (anger/hate), it's possible to some degree it can be achieved by those that do not come from dark lineage like the Blackwells, It is unknown if dark magic draws its power from other negative emotions like rage and fear, and if the more negative emotions the user has the stronger and more powerful dark magic becomes.

Those with dark magic not only negate the spells of other magic users but completely resist their own magic being negated because as stated previously Dark Magic is more potent the its White counterpart. This is first seen when Faye Chamberlain conjured a storm that she couldn't stop that Cassie Blake could instantly. This is called spell and magic negation. Also Dark Magic users have magic negation immunity, which means they can't have their magic stolen or canceled out. A common use of dark magic is to make a dark circle. This allows the creator to access the Underworld. If not used properly, the spirits that you disturbed will kill you from the inside out.

Practitioners

• Francis Balcoin †
• E. Blackwell †
• Joseph Blackwell †
• James Blackwell †
• Samuel Blackwell (possibly deceased)
• John Blackwell †
• Cassie Blake
• Diana Meade
• Four Unknown Blackwell Children

Gallery

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  Cassie used her dark magic

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  Cassie used her dark magic

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Notes and Trivia

• While dark magic is known to have a corruptive influence it does not make a witch inherently evil. Diana Meade portrayed outstanding morality and resistance, whilst her counterpart Cassie Blake, lacked restraint and succumbed to her inner darkness, leaving the conclusion that a witch with strong enough willpower can withstand the evil influence of Dark Magic.
  • It could be, while dark magic derives from evil and negativity, all magic is seductive and tempting. Despite not having Dark Magic, Faye Chamberlain and her mother Dawn Chamberlain have both exhibited instances in succumbing to the darker side of magic. Though they both possess cunning and manipulative personalities and share a similar strong lust for power. It can be deduced that a witch's personality factors into whether or not they will be good or evil.
• The full power of Dark Magic has never fully been explained. Cassie Blake's magic proved powerful against the more experience Elder, Kate Meade, but she could not withstand the power of her father, John Blackwell, and required the assistance of her sister Diana. It could be Dark Magic affects regular magic differently, or that despite being an Elder, John Blackwell was simply stronger than Kate.
• It is shown that witches with Dark Magic can't be killed by traditional means being that Cassie Blake returned the power of a Witch Cruid back onto the witch hunter that used it on her thus setting on fire and killing him and the ritual preformed by Kate Meade to cleanse Cassie Blake of her dark powers through death were thwarted because her dark magic stopped the spell, unburied, and saved her. Also John Blackwell escaped two attempts to strip his magic and one to kill him.