Lecture 12_Principles of Magic

Anth 206: Anthropology of the Supernatural

• Course Content: Witches, Zombies and Vampires

• Lecture Focus: Principles of Magic

Historical Context

Antiquity (8th Century - 5th Century)

• Early Antiquity: Classically Pagan religions; influenced by ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle.

• Late Antiquity (3rd Century Onward): Era of Hermeticism and Neo-Platonism; competition between Christianity and Paganism.

Middle Ages (6th - 13th Century)

• Dominance of the Church; late influence of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Renaissance (14th - 16th Century)

• Revival of classical Greek and Roman thought, including Hermeticism and Neo-Platonism.

• Continued suppression by the Church.

The Scientific Revolution (17th Century)

• Beginning of "disenchantment"; rise of scientific methods led by figures like Francis Bacon.

• Secret occult societies maintained Western Magic.

Enlightenment (18th Century)

• Continued "disenchantment" with ongoing esotericism.

Modernity (19th Century - Present)

• Triumph of "disenchantment"; emergence of the Western Magical Revival aimed at "re-enchantment."

Origins of the Hermetic Tradition

• Core Text: Corpus Hermeticum, a collection of 17 texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus.

• Emerged in Roman-controlled Egypt (approx. 100 CE to 300 CE); peak in the 3rd century.

• Syncretic blend of Greek, Egyptian and other influences preserving Late Antiquity's magical and religious thought.

• Context: Hellenized and Romanized Egypt with competition among multiple faiths and Pagan cults.

• Key Hermetic Ideas:

  • Universe composed of four elements: air, fire, water, earth.

  • Importance of cardinal points in magic.

  • Magical correspondences: deities connected to planets, numbers, plants, etc.

  • Principles of sympathy, homeopathy, contagion in magic.

Influence of Neo-Platonism

• Emerged alongside Hermeticism in Egypt and the Near East.

• Founded by Plotinus; emphasized the interconnectedness of the Universe and the concept of “The One.”

• Developed ideas of a hierarchical universe leading down to humanity, influential on early monotheisms.

Key Contextualizing Events

• 312 CE: Conversion of Emperor Constantine I to Christianity.

• 361-363 CE: Emperor Julian the Apostate's reign; brief reemergence of Paganism.

• 476 CE: Fall of Western Roman Empire; decline of Neo-Platonic and Hermetic thought.

Renaissance Revival of Hermeticism

• Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499): Responsible for rediscovering the Corpus Hermeticum.

• Integration of Hermeticism into Renaissance magic, faced opposition from the Catholic Church.

• Symbol of repression: Execution of Giordano Bruno (1600).

• Emergence of Esotericism and occult groups; influence continues despite suppression.

Secret Societies

• Preservation of Hermetic and Neo-Platonic thought through secret societies.

• Formation of Rosicrucian Order (1614) and Freemasonry (1717).

Western Magical Revival

• 1888: Founding of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

• Aleister Crowley's influence on the revival; unconventional lifestyle and major figure in Western occultism.

Crowley’s Revelatory Experiences

• 1904: Experience in Egypt; received messages from a disembodied voice, Aiwass.

• Wrote the "Book of the Law" and established Thelema as a new religious framework.

Ordo Templi Orientis

• Founded in 1895; Crowley took leadership in 1925, reformulating it to promote Thelema.

Three Principles of Thelema

• "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

• "Love is the Law, Love under Will."

• "Every man and woman is a star."

• Emphasis on intention (“Will”) and respect for others’ wills in magical practice.

Understanding Magic

• Traditional forms of knowledge across cultures; principles organizing the universe based on symbolic connections.

Anthropological Approaches to Magic

Edward B. Tylor

• Suggested unilinear evolution; viewed magic as pre-rational and ultimately false.

Sir James G. Frazer

• Magic as a precursor to science; internal logic of sympathetic magic connecting all phenomena.

• Two key principles:

  • Homeopathy: Like causes like.

  • Contagion: Influence persists post-contact.

Emile Durkheim

• Distinction between magic and religion; magic as individualistic and anti-social.

Bronislaw Malinowski

• Magic compensates for technological insufficiencies, particularly in high-risk situations.

• Example: Trobriand Island fishermen engaging in more rituals for deep-sea fishing compared to lagoon fishing.

Stanley J. Tambiah

• Magic as performative technology; ritual performance has theatrical elements.

Susan Greenwood

• Magic as a collective consciousness shared across cultures; representation of an interconnected world with symbolic meanings.

Further Magical Principles

• All phenomena linked; interconnected universe.

• Magic operates within the bounds of natural laws; enhancement of natural tendencies is key.

• Non-permanence of magical acts; simplicity increases success likelihood.

Microcosm/Macrocosm

• "As above, so below" philosophy; interaction between larger and smaller patterns in existence.

Synchronicity

• Meaningful coincidences in the context of magic and fate.

Knowledge is Power

• Knowledge improves control over phenomena; emphasizes the importance of names and words.

Animism and Invisible Entities

• Phenomena considered alive and sentient; the existence of invisible entities can be communicated with.