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Practices to which the witchcraft label has historically been applied are those which influence another person's mind, body, or property against his or her will, or which are believed, by the person doing the la belling, to undermine the social or religious order.
Spell casting: Probably the most obvious characteristic of a witch was the ability to cast a spell, a "spell" being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. A spell could consist of a set of words, a formula or verse, or a ritual action, or any combination of these.
Conjuring the dead: Strictly speaking, "necromancy" is the practice of conjuring the spirits of the dead for divination or prophecy ? although the term has also been applied to raising the dead for other purposes.
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