This is a legitimate question and topic, as I am genuinely curious on what exactly constitutes as Modern Era Magicks.
Like.. is it any magicks preformed by a modern day practitioner?
Is it any magicks developed recently? If so, how recent are we talking? Since the turn of the 20th century? past 10-20 years?
Is it magicks that have been developed through new mediums, such as incorporating technologies in new rituals?
Or is it defined by the focus of spells and rituals preformed today?
I legitimately want to know peoples thoughts and opinions on this, as when I first read the forum title for Modern Era Magicks, I thought it was a great idea, but when I started to try and think what specifically separated modern magicks form the already established schools and eras of magick, I kept tracing it back to previous generations being unable to grasp a clear picture on what exactly it is and what sets it apart.
What defines Modern Era Magicks?
What defines Modern Era Magicks?
Time is but an illusion in perception and is only perceived to pass by at the same moments together for us all... which is, quite frankly, me saying to not expect from me in a timely manner!
-I am but a simple wanderer... Though I may be gone for immeasurable time, always do I return.
-I am but a simple wanderer... Though I may be gone for immeasurable time, always do I return.
Re: What defines Modern Era Magicks?
I'm not sure what the person who wrote the title for this section of the forum had in mind, but Historically speaking. . . [tongue]
If we're going by Western Mystery Tradition and Western Magick in general, then I (and I think most people would agree) attribute Modern Magick with the Era that begins with Eliphas Levi, and ends with the decline of Aleister Crowley's work. This era of Western Magick gave us many of the ideas and methods that are still in use today, and also marked a distinct transition from the Magick practiced in previous Eras - Levi is one of the first in recent (Western) occult history who proposes that humans have an internal power and spiritual authority which may be applied to the practice of Magick, so we don't have to entirely rely on the conjuring and binding of spirits as many previous systems believed. Many people today underestimate how revolutionary Levi really was for the Occult societies of Europe during and after his day. After Crowley we saw a rise in Post-Modern Magick, which rebelled against the rigid ceremonial practice and the Lodge structure of the previous Modern Occultists and Occult systems, and produced systems like Chaos Magick, Psionics, Neo-Shamanism (and Neo-Paganism in general, ie the rise of Wicca), and other more free-style approaches to Occult practices.
Organizing our Occult History into Eras is rather difficult though, because there are many movements that often move side by side or overlap each other. But mundane history has that problem as well most of the time, so we usually just have to pick a subject to focus on and tell its history.
~:Shin:~
If we're going by Western Mystery Tradition and Western Magick in general, then I (and I think most people would agree) attribute Modern Magick with the Era that begins with Eliphas Levi, and ends with the decline of Aleister Crowley's work. This era of Western Magick gave us many of the ideas and methods that are still in use today, and also marked a distinct transition from the Magick practiced in previous Eras - Levi is one of the first in recent (Western) occult history who proposes that humans have an internal power and spiritual authority which may be applied to the practice of Magick, so we don't have to entirely rely on the conjuring and binding of spirits as many previous systems believed. Many people today underestimate how revolutionary Levi really was for the Occult societies of Europe during and after his day. After Crowley we saw a rise in Post-Modern Magick, which rebelled against the rigid ceremonial practice and the Lodge structure of the previous Modern Occultists and Occult systems, and produced systems like Chaos Magick, Psionics, Neo-Shamanism (and Neo-Paganism in general, ie the rise of Wicca), and other more free-style approaches to Occult practices.
Organizing our Occult History into Eras is rather difficult though, because there are many movements that often move side by side or overlap each other. But mundane history has that problem as well most of the time, so we usually just have to pick a subject to focus on and tell its history.
~:Shin:~
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Nahemah
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Re: What defines Modern Era Magicks?
The era is in the title as 'Modern Magick' is the title of a book by Donald Kraig and thus we didn't feel right in using that as a title. The magicks, is to show plurality, as there is more than one paradigm involved.
Basically this is for the 20th Century and onwards, Chaos magick and other recently popularised or developed systems have folders but there are areas that fall into or between the 'classic' paradigms that have nowhere to go elsewise than off topic. NAP was getting a lot of interest here when we set up this folder and the advances in technology and living conditions during this period inspired a lot of people in how they thought about magick and spirituality, given the situations going on around the world.
Wicca could go in here too, despite some folk's persistence in believing it to be an 'old religion', for instance.
However, the folder is here mostly as there was a space for it and a need for it, when we made it up.
Basically this is for the 20th Century and onwards, Chaos magick and other recently popularised or developed systems have folders but there are areas that fall into or between the 'classic' paradigms that have nowhere to go elsewise than off topic. NAP was getting a lot of interest here when we set up this folder and the advances in technology and living conditions during this period inspired a lot of people in how they thought about magick and spirituality, given the situations going on around the world.
Wicca could go in here too, despite some folk's persistence in believing it to be an 'old religion', for instance.
However, the folder is here mostly as there was a space for it and a need for it, when we made it up.
"He lived his words, spoke his own actions and his story and the story of the world ran parallel."
Sartre speaking of Che Guevara.
Sartre speaking of Che Guevara.
Re: What defines Modern Era Magicks?
Thank you both for your replies, they where quite detailed and it's given me a lot clearer of a picture now of what it means [thumbup]
Time is but an illusion in perception and is only perceived to pass by at the same moments together for us all... which is, quite frankly, me saying to not expect from me in a timely manner!
-I am but a simple wanderer... Though I may be gone for immeasurable time, always do I return.
-I am but a simple wanderer... Though I may be gone for immeasurable time, always do I return.