Victorian Occultism and the Making of Modern Magic

Victorian Occultism and the Making of Modern Magic

Author: A. Butler

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2011-01-05

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0230294707

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The late Victorian period witnessed the remarkable revival of magical practice and belief. Butler examines the individuals, institutions and literature associated with this revival and demonstrates how Victorian occultism provided an alternative to the tightening camps of science and religion in a social environment that nurtured magical beliefs.


Book Synopsis Victorian Occultism and the Making of Modern Magic by : A. Butler

Download or read book Victorian Occultism and the Making of Modern Magic written by A. Butler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-01-05 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The late Victorian period witnessed the remarkable revival of magical practice and belief. Butler examines the individuals, institutions and literature associated with this revival and demonstrates how Victorian occultism provided an alternative to the tightening camps of science and religion in a social environment that nurtured magical beliefs.


Magic in the Modern World

Magic in the Modern World

Author: Edward Bever

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2017-04-18

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 0271079878

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This collection of essays considers the place of magic in the modern world, first by exploring the ways in which modernity has been defined in explicit opposition to magic and superstition, and then by illuminating how modern proponents of magic have worked to legitimize their practices through an overt embrace of evolving forms such as esotericism and supernaturalism. Taking a two-track approach, this book explores the complex dynamics of the construction of the modern self and its relation to the modern preoccupation with magic. Essays examine how modern “rational” consciousness is generated and maintained and how proponents of both magical and scientific traditions rationalize evidence to fit accepted orthodoxy. This book also describes how people unsatisfied with the norms of modern subjectivity embrace various forms of magic—and the methods these modern practitioners use to legitimate magic in the modern world. A compelling assessment of magic from the early modern period to today, Magic in the Modern World shows how, despite the dominant culture’s emphatic denial of their validity, older forms of magic persist and develop while new forms of magic continue to emerge. In addition to the editors, contributors include Egil Asprem, Erik Davis, Megan Goodwin, Dan Harms, Adam Jortner, and Benedek Láng.


Book Synopsis Magic in the Modern World by : Edward Bever

Download or read book Magic in the Modern World written by Edward Bever and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2017-04-18 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays considers the place of magic in the modern world, first by exploring the ways in which modernity has been defined in explicit opposition to magic and superstition, and then by illuminating how modern proponents of magic have worked to legitimize their practices through an overt embrace of evolving forms such as esotericism and supernaturalism. Taking a two-track approach, this book explores the complex dynamics of the construction of the modern self and its relation to the modern preoccupation with magic. Essays examine how modern “rational” consciousness is generated and maintained and how proponents of both magical and scientific traditions rationalize evidence to fit accepted orthodoxy. This book also describes how people unsatisfied with the norms of modern subjectivity embrace various forms of magic—and the methods these modern practitioners use to legitimate magic in the modern world. A compelling assessment of magic from the early modern period to today, Magic in the Modern World shows how, despite the dominant culture’s emphatic denial of their validity, older forms of magic persist and develop while new forms of magic continue to emerge. In addition to the editors, contributors include Egil Asprem, Erik Davis, Megan Goodwin, Dan Harms, Adam Jortner, and Benedek Láng.


Ritual Embodiment in Modern Western Magic

Ritual Embodiment in Modern Western Magic

Author: Damon Zacharias Lycourinos

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-11-15

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1351329952

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In the Western world, magic has often functioned as an umbrella term for various religious beliefs and ritual practices that seek to influence events by harnessing supernatural power. The definition of these myriad occult and esoteric traditions have, however, usually come from those that are opposed to its practice; notably authorities in religious, legal and intellectual spheres. This book seeks to provide a new perspective, directly from the practitioners of modern Western magic, by exploring how a distinctive mode of embodiment and consciousness can produce a transition from an ‘ordinary’ to a ‘magical’ worldview. Starting with an introduction to the study of magic in the Western academy, the book then presents the author’s own participant observation of five ethnographic case studies of modern Western magic. The focus of these ethnographic case studies is directed towards ideas and methods the informants employ to self-legitimise and self-represent as ‘magicians’. It concludes by discussing the phenomenological implications and issues around embodiment that are inherent to the contemporary practice of magic. This is a unique insight into the lived experience of practitioners of modern magic. As such, it will be of keen interest to scholars of the Occult and New Religious Movements, as well as Religious Studies academics examining issues around the embodiment and the anthropology of religion.


Book Synopsis Ritual Embodiment in Modern Western Magic by : Damon Zacharias Lycourinos

Download or read book Ritual Embodiment in Modern Western Magic written by Damon Zacharias Lycourinos and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-15 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the Western world, magic has often functioned as an umbrella term for various religious beliefs and ritual practices that seek to influence events by harnessing supernatural power. The definition of these myriad occult and esoteric traditions have, however, usually come from those that are opposed to its practice; notably authorities in religious, legal and intellectual spheres. This book seeks to provide a new perspective, directly from the practitioners of modern Western magic, by exploring how a distinctive mode of embodiment and consciousness can produce a transition from an ‘ordinary’ to a ‘magical’ worldview. Starting with an introduction to the study of magic in the Western academy, the book then presents the author’s own participant observation of five ethnographic case studies of modern Western magic. The focus of these ethnographic case studies is directed towards ideas and methods the informants employ to self-legitimise and self-represent as ‘magicians’. It concludes by discussing the phenomenological implications and issues around embodiment that are inherent to the contemporary practice of magic. This is a unique insight into the lived experience of practitioners of modern magic. As such, it will be of keen interest to scholars of the Occult and New Religious Movements, as well as Religious Studies academics examining issues around the embodiment and the anthropology of religion.


Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams

Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams

Author: Aren Roukema

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2018-05-29

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 9004369112

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In Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams, Aren Roukema looks through the portal of Charles Williams’s fantastic fiction, analyzing the author’s narrative translations of ritual experiences with modern magic, kabbalah and spiritual alchemy.


Book Synopsis Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams by : Aren Roukema

Download or read book Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams written by Aren Roukema and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-05-29 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams, Aren Roukema looks through the portal of Charles Williams’s fantastic fiction, analyzing the author’s narrative translations of ritual experiences with modern magic, kabbalah and spiritual alchemy.


The Devil and the Victorians

The Devil and the Victorians

Author: Sarah Bartels

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-03-04

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1000348040

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In recent decades, there has been a growing recognition of the significance of the supernatural in a Victorian context. Studies of nineteenth-century spiritualism, occultism, magic, and folklore have highlighted that Victorian England was ridden with spectres and learned magicians. Despite this growing body of scholarship, little historiographical work has addressed the Devil. This book demonstrates the significance of the Devil in a Victorian context, emphasising his pervasiveness and diversity. Drawing on a rich array of primary material, including theological and folkloric works, fiction, newspapers and periodicals, and broadsides and other ephemera, it uses the diabolic to explore the Victorians' complex and ambivalent relationship with the supernatural. Both the Devil and hell were theologically contested during the nineteenth century, with an increasing number of both clergymen and laypeople being discomfited by the thought of eternal hellfire. Nevertheless, the Devil continued to play a role in the majority of English denominations, as well as in folklore, spiritualism, occultism, popular culture, literature, and theatre. The Devil and the Victorians will appeal to readers interested in nineteenth-century English cultural and religious history, as well as the darker side of the supernatural.


Book Synopsis The Devil and the Victorians by : Sarah Bartels

Download or read book The Devil and the Victorians written by Sarah Bartels and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-03-04 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades, there has been a growing recognition of the significance of the supernatural in a Victorian context. Studies of nineteenth-century spiritualism, occultism, magic, and folklore have highlighted that Victorian England was ridden with spectres and learned magicians. Despite this growing body of scholarship, little historiographical work has addressed the Devil. This book demonstrates the significance of the Devil in a Victorian context, emphasising his pervasiveness and diversity. Drawing on a rich array of primary material, including theological and folkloric works, fiction, newspapers and periodicals, and broadsides and other ephemera, it uses the diabolic to explore the Victorians' complex and ambivalent relationship with the supernatural. Both the Devil and hell were theologically contested during the nineteenth century, with an increasing number of both clergymen and laypeople being discomfited by the thought of eternal hellfire. Nevertheless, the Devil continued to play a role in the majority of English denominations, as well as in folklore, spiritualism, occultism, popular culture, literature, and theatre. The Devil and the Victorians will appeal to readers interested in nineteenth-century English cultural and religious history, as well as the darker side of the supernatural.


The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy

The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy

Author: Liana Saif

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-04-29

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 1137399473

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Investigating the impact of Arabic medieval astrological and magical theories on early modern occult philosophy, this book argues that they provided a naturalistic explanation of astral influences and magical efficacy based on Aristotelian notions of causality.


Book Synopsis The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy by : Liana Saif

Download or read book The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy written by Liana Saif and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-04-29 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Investigating the impact of Arabic medieval astrological and magical theories on early modern occult philosophy, this book argues that they provided a naturalistic explanation of astral influences and magical efficacy based on Aristotelian notions of causality.


The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic

Author: Owen Davies

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017-02-09

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 0191034002

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This richly illustrated history provides a readable and fresh approach to the extensive and complex story of witchcraft and magic. Telling the story from the dawn of writing in the ancient world to the globally successful Harry Potter films, the authors explore a wide range of magical beliefs and practices, the rise of the witch trials, and the depiction of the Devil-worshipping witch. The book also focuses on the more recent history of witchcraft and magic, from the Enlightenment to the present, exploring the rise of modern magic, the anthropology of magic around the globe, and finally the cinematic portrayal of witches and magicians, from The Wizard of Oz to Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic by : Owen Davies

Download or read book The Oxford Illustrated History of Witchcraft and Magic written by Owen Davies and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-02-09 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This richly illustrated history provides a readable and fresh approach to the extensive and complex story of witchcraft and magic. Telling the story from the dawn of writing in the ancient world to the globally successful Harry Potter films, the authors explore a wide range of magical beliefs and practices, the rise of the witch trials, and the depiction of the Devil-worshipping witch. The book also focuses on the more recent history of witchcraft and magic, from the Enlightenment to the present, exploring the rise of modern magic, the anthropology of magic around the globe, and finally the cinematic portrayal of witches and magicians, from The Wizard of Oz to Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Magic: A Very Short Introduction

Magic: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Owen Davies

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2012-01-26

Total Pages: 153

ISBN-13: 0191623881

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Defining 'magic' is a maddening task. Over the last century numerous philosophers, anthropologists, historians, and theologians have attempted to pin down its essential meaning, sometimes analysing it in such complex and abstruse depth that it all but loses its sense altogether. For this reason, many people often shy away from providing a detailed definition, assuming it is generally understood as the human control of supernatural forces. 'Magic' continues to pervade the popular imagination and idiom. People feel comfortable with its contemporary multiple meanings, unaware of the controversy, conflict, and debate its definition has caused over two and a half millennia. In common usage today 'magic' is uttered in reference to the supernatural, superstition, illusion, trickery, religious miracles, fantasies, and as a simple superlative. The literary confection known as 'magical realism' has considerable appeal and many modern scientists have ironically incorporated the word into their vocabulary, with their 'magic acid', 'magic bullets' and 'magic angles'. Since the so-called European Enlightenment magic has often been seen as a marker of primitivism, of a benighted earlier stage of human development. Yet across the modern globalized world hundreds of millions continue to resort to magic - and also to fear it. Magic provides explanations and remedies for those living in extreme poverty and without access to alternatives. In the industrial West, with its state welfare systems, religious fundamentalists decry the continued moral threat posed by magic. Under the guise of neo-Paganism, its practice has become a religion in itself. Magic continues to be a truly global issue. This Very Short Introduction does not attempt to provide a concluding definition of magic: it is beyond simple definition. Instead it explores the many ways in which magic, as an idea and a practice, has been understood and employed over the millennia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


Book Synopsis Magic: A Very Short Introduction by : Owen Davies

Download or read book Magic: A Very Short Introduction written by Owen Davies and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-01-26 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Defining 'magic' is a maddening task. Over the last century numerous philosophers, anthropologists, historians, and theologians have attempted to pin down its essential meaning, sometimes analysing it in such complex and abstruse depth that it all but loses its sense altogether. For this reason, many people often shy away from providing a detailed definition, assuming it is generally understood as the human control of supernatural forces. 'Magic' continues to pervade the popular imagination and idiom. People feel comfortable with its contemporary multiple meanings, unaware of the controversy, conflict, and debate its definition has caused over two and a half millennia. In common usage today 'magic' is uttered in reference to the supernatural, superstition, illusion, trickery, religious miracles, fantasies, and as a simple superlative. The literary confection known as 'magical realism' has considerable appeal and many modern scientists have ironically incorporated the word into their vocabulary, with their 'magic acid', 'magic bullets' and 'magic angles'. Since the so-called European Enlightenment magic has often been seen as a marker of primitivism, of a benighted earlier stage of human development. Yet across the modern globalized world hundreds of millions continue to resort to magic - and also to fear it. Magic provides explanations and remedies for those living in extreme poverty and without access to alternatives. In the industrial West, with its state welfare systems, religious fundamentalists decry the continued moral threat posed by magic. Under the guise of neo-Paganism, its practice has become a religion in itself. Magic continues to be a truly global issue. This Very Short Introduction does not attempt to provide a concluding definition of magic: it is beyond simple definition. Instead it explores the many ways in which magic, as an idea and a practice, has been understood and employed over the millennia. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


MAGIC IN THREE CONTEMPORARY BRITISH AND AMERICAN NOVELS:TRAUMA, ARCHIVE,AND SPECTACLE 三本當代英美小說中的魔術:創傷、檔案、奇觀

MAGIC IN THREE CONTEMPORARY BRITISH AND AMERICAN NOVELS:TRAUMA, ARCHIVE,AND SPECTACLE 三本當代英美小說中的魔術:創傷、檔案、奇觀

Author: 吳哲硯 CHE─YEN WU

Publisher: 索引數位股份有限公司

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9869290841

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本書是關於魔術與文學、文學中的魔術、以及魔術中的文學性。論 文始於一個單純的發想:魔術於今日可以做些什麼?除了娛樂,或頂多 被視為藝術,魔術在當代創傷記憶橫溢、暴力遍地、對他者充滿敵意的 世界中,是否有任何嚴肅的功能? 追溯其系譜,我們可發現魔術的播撒是由上而下、朝向世俗化的過 程。它的意義與功能,與時推移。我的進一步提問是:當魔術出現於當 代文學文本中,是否可引我們深思反省?我將魔術論述與理論方法帶進 三本當代與魔術有關的英美小說,探究《奇術師》中的創傷記憶、《戰 爭魔術師》中的檔案問題、及《黑人魔術師》中的失能奇觀。 克里斯多夫.裴斯特的《奇術師》主要涉及家族世仇,但其實文本 中很大一部分也隱含帝國殖民主義和現代性除魅的議題。大衛.費雪的 《戰爭魔術師》與殘酷的二戰檔案記憶有關。丹尼爾.衛理斯的《黑人 魔術師》則是由四位畸零人講述黑人魔術師亨利失落及失能的一生。我 在這三本小說中所處理的議題包括家族創傷、殖民創傷、現代性創傷、 戰爭檔案、及失能歧視。魔術作為推動 事的轉義,在三本小說中具有 重整並改變結構的潛力。我檢視魔術在三本小說中消解認同的詩學、可 能性、及未逮處。


Book Synopsis MAGIC IN THREE CONTEMPORARY BRITISH AND AMERICAN NOVELS:TRAUMA, ARCHIVE,AND SPECTACLE 三本當代英美小說中的魔術:創傷、檔案、奇觀 by : 吳哲硯 CHE─YEN WU

Download or read book MAGIC IN THREE CONTEMPORARY BRITISH AND AMERICAN NOVELS:TRAUMA, ARCHIVE,AND SPECTACLE 三本當代英美小說中的魔術:創傷、檔案、奇觀 written by 吳哲硯 CHE─YEN WU and published by 索引數位股份有限公司. This book was released on 2016-04-01 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 本書是關於魔術與文學、文學中的魔術、以及魔術中的文學性。論 文始於一個單純的發想:魔術於今日可以做些什麼?除了娛樂,或頂多 被視為藝術,魔術在當代創傷記憶橫溢、暴力遍地、對他者充滿敵意的 世界中,是否有任何嚴肅的功能? 追溯其系譜,我們可發現魔術的播撒是由上而下、朝向世俗化的過 程。它的意義與功能,與時推移。我的進一步提問是:當魔術出現於當 代文學文本中,是否可引我們深思反省?我將魔術論述與理論方法帶進 三本當代與魔術有關的英美小說,探究《奇術師》中的創傷記憶、《戰 爭魔術師》中的檔案問題、及《黑人魔術師》中的失能奇觀。 克里斯多夫.裴斯特的《奇術師》主要涉及家族世仇,但其實文本 中很大一部分也隱含帝國殖民主義和現代性除魅的議題。大衛.費雪的 《戰爭魔術師》與殘酷的二戰檔案記憶有關。丹尼爾.衛理斯的《黑人 魔術師》則是由四位畸零人講述黑人魔術師亨利失落及失能的一生。我 在這三本小說中所處理的議題包括家族創傷、殖民創傷、現代性創傷、 戰爭檔案、及失能歧視。魔術作為推動 事的轉義,在三本小說中具有 重整並改變結構的潛力。我檢視魔術在三本小說中消解認同的詩學、可 能性、及未逮處。


The Occult World

The Occult World

Author: Christopher Partridge

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-12-05

Total Pages: 781

ISBN-13: 1317596765

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This volume presents students and scholars with a comprehensive overview of the fascinating world of the occult. It explores the history of Western occultism, from ancient and medieval sources via the Renaissance, right up to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and contemporary occultism. Written by a distinguished team of contributors, the essays consider key figures, beliefs and practices as well as popular culture.


Book Synopsis The Occult World by : Christopher Partridge

Download or read book The Occult World written by Christopher Partridge and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-05 with total page 781 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents students and scholars with a comprehensive overview of the fascinating world of the occult. It explores the history of Western occultism, from ancient and medieval sources via the Renaissance, right up to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and contemporary occultism. Written by a distinguished team of contributors, the essays consider key figures, beliefs and practices as well as popular culture.