Final answer:
In history, a conjurer, often linked to witchcraft and sorcery, could alter reality through rituals and the use of specific objects. Women in power often used this role for political influence and predicting the future. Conjurers could also serve spiritual and religious purposes, performing rituals like divination and exorcisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of a conjurer, often associated with witchcraft and sorcery, spans across different cultures and periods. Conjurers were believed to possess the power to alter reality by performing certain rituals and using specific objects. Their actions were guided by principles of 'sympathetic magic', as defined by anthropologist Sir James G. Frazer. This includes the 'law of similarity', involving rituals that mimic the desired change, and the 'law of contagion', underlining a perpetual connection between objects once in contact.
In the context of historical and cultural evolution, women, particularly those in positions of power such as Queen Himiko or Empress Suiko, often employed these practices for political influence and to foretell future events. Sorcery, a subset of witchcraft, specifically involves the use of physical objects and materials for magical purposes.
However, depending on context, conjurers could also fulfill roles beyond the political or practical, serving spiritual or religious purposes by leading rituals involving divination and exorcisms. In other cases, the conjurer could act as a symbolic guardian or protector, as seen with the king of the Beng people.
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