The taboos of food and other things imposed are doubtless intended to guard against malefic spirits or mana.
In savage societies there are malefic deities, with individual names, connected with sicknesses and other ills; but such deities are not demons.
The Semitic material of malefic spirits, while in general the same as that found elsewhere in the world, has a couple of special features.
Where the hostile power is inherent in an object, punishment is supposed to follow violation automatically--through contact the malefic influence passes into the man's body and works destruction.
The malefic Powers of savages have generally been absorbed by higher beings or have otherwise disappeared.
Taboo recognizes the inherent malefic manifestations of the force (known by supposed experience), and avoids them; magic uses the mana energy to effect results impossible for unaided human power.
The Greek kēres and the wandering ghosts of West Africa do exactly what is ascribed to the malefic spirits of Babylonia.
The next instant, as if nature had not yet exhausted her malefic powers, a second earthquake, traveling more slowly than the wave which the first shock engendered, reached the island.
Next in order comes Mars, inferior only in malefic influence to Saturn, and called by the old astrologers the Lesser Infortune.
Malefic planets therein, especially in evil aspect to the Sun or Moon, shows many opponents.
If a malefic planet is rising or setting at birth it is advisable to fix the place of residence so much to the Eastward of the birthplace as will suffice to bring the malefic planets out of the angles of the horoscope.
The same if malefic planets occupy the 10th or 4th Houses.
Neptune in any malefic aspect to the Sun or Moon shows danger of deceit and treachery being practised upon the Subject, and if violent testimonies concur from the ill aspects of Mars or Uranus he will be in danger of an ambush.
Similarly, if Saturn or other of the malefic planets be coming to the meridian, the number of degrees between it and the Midheaven will indicate the age at which troubles will abound.
Death in infancy occurs when the malefic planets are immediately rising or culminating at the birth in evil aspect to the luminary which at the time may be above the horizon.
When malefic planets are afflicted in the 3rd House, or malefic planets in the 3rd throw evil aspects to the Sun or Moon, then there will be dangers and accidents.
Continual hardship and poverty is shown by malefic planets in the 2nd House, in evil aspect to the Moon or Sun; while at the same time the planets in the 2nd House will be severely afflicted by others.
The conjunction is good with good planets, such as Jupiter and Venus, and evil with maleficplanets such as Mars and Saturn.
When, however, the malefic planets hold these Houses, or afflict the luminaries therein, you may judge greater stress and privation.
In it we can see Bolshevism as it is, a repellent and terrifying thing ofmalefic might and purpose.
By nothing else is the malefic character and influence of Bolshevism more clearly shown than by the state in which it placed the land problem, just when it was about to be scientifically and democratically solved.
It was supposed that the Malefic Vision, besides being thus spontaneously presented to typically abandoned men, had actually been purposely called up by some few great adepts, and used by them to blast their enemies.
But there are malefic vapours rising from the corpse of a past not altogether buried, and most cultivated Englishmen who tarry there long feel their influence as did John Maltravers.
Adrian Temple would undoubtedly be cognisant of this legend, and the lost experiment may have been an attempt to call up the Malefic Vision.
That there was some malefic influence, mental or physical, thus working on him, no one who had known him before could for a moment doubt.
The soldiers kept watch, however, upon their prisoner at such a distance as to be as far as possible out of the reach of her malefic spells.
If a malefic affecting the Moon should be in the watery signs of Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces, shipwreck and even death by drowning may ensue during travelling.
But if the malefic influence is too powerful for them to avert, then they cause death in the various manners above described.
Should a disease begin when the Moon may be in a sign occupied at the birth by some malefic, or in quartile or opposition to any such sign, such disease will be most severe; and if the malefic also behold the said sign, it will be dangerous.
In his horoscope was a certain malefic influence which threatened that his life would be cut short before his forty-fifth year.
Before he saw the light malefic influences were at work against him.
It seemed that Troilus exercised some strange and maleficinfluence over his companion, who was taken with fever.
Brantome declared that in those early days it had been like the combat of a hero against malefic gods--a "sort of Greek tragedy.
