Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book offers an ethnographic study of the initiation ritual practiced by one coven of Witches located in Ohio. As a High Priestess within the coven as well as a scholar of religion, the author of ...
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This book offers an ethnographic study of the initiation ritual practiced by one coven of Witches located in Ohio. As a High Priestess within the coven as well as a scholar of religion, the author of this book is in a unique position to contribute to our understanding of this ceremony and the tradition to which it belongs. The book's analysis of this coven's initiation ceremony offers an important challenge to the commonly accepted model of “rites of passage.” Rather than a single linear event, initiation is deeply embedded within a total process of becoming a Witch in practice and in community with others. This book expands our concept of initiation while giving us insight into one coven's practice of Wicca and introduces readers to the contemporary nature religion variously called Wicca, Witchcraft, the Old Religion, or the Craft.Less
This book offers an ethnographic study of the initiation ritual practiced by one coven of Witches located in Ohio. As a High Priestess within the coven as well as a scholar of religion, the author of this book is in a unique position to contribute to our understanding of this ceremony and the tradition to which it belongs. The book's analysis of this coven's initiation ceremony offers an important challenge to the commonly accepted model of “rites of passage.” Rather than a single linear event, initiation is deeply embedded within a total process of becoming a Witch in practice and in community with others. This book expands our concept of initiation while giving us insight into one coven's practice of Wicca and introduces readers to the contemporary nature religion variously called Wicca, Witchcraft, the Old Religion, or the Craft.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. It begins with an assessment of reflexivity as a nontraditional methodology for religious studies scholarship. It then talks about the ...
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This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. It begins with an assessment of reflexivity as a nontraditional methodology for religious studies scholarship. It then talks about the implications of the author's religious practice for new models and ways of scholarship investigation concerning religion.Less
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. It begins with an assessment of reflexivity as a nontraditional methodology for religious studies scholarship. It then talks about the implications of the author's religious practice for new models and ways of scholarship investigation concerning religion.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This short epilogue talks about the changes that have come to the Merry Circle. The Merry Circle no longer exists as a single practicing group, because some of its members either have already ...
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This short epilogue talks about the changes that have come to the Merry Circle. The Merry Circle no longer exists as a single practicing group, because some of its members either have already relocated or will relocate so far from one another geographically. This chapter talks about the last meeting between the four High Priestesses, and how it gave the author the strength to complete this book.Less
This short epilogue talks about the changes that have come to the Merry Circle. The Merry Circle no longer exists as a single practicing group, because some of its members either have already relocated or will relocate so far from one another geographically. This chapter talks about the last meeting between the four High Priestesses, and how it gave the author the strength to complete this book.
Ian Bostridge
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198206538
- eISBN:
- 9780191677205
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206538.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This chapter examines the last major debate on the issue of witchcraft in England during the early 18th century. This debate was between Richard Boulton and Francis Hutchinson. In 1715, Boulton ...
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This chapter examines the last major debate on the issue of witchcraft in England during the early 18th century. This debate was between Richard Boulton and Francis Hutchinson. In 1715, Boulton published his first book on witchcraft titled A Compleat History of Magick, Sorcery, and Witchcraft. After reading the book, Hutchinson criticized Boulton through the publication of his Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft. To this Boulton retaliated and issued a more analytical work titled Vindication, which was published in 1722.Less
This chapter examines the last major debate on the issue of witchcraft in England during the early 18th century. This debate was between Richard Boulton and Francis Hutchinson. In 1715, Boulton published his first book on witchcraft titled A Compleat History of Magick, Sorcery, and Witchcraft. After reading the book, Hutchinson criticized Boulton through the publication of his Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft. To this Boulton retaliated and issued a more analytical work titled Vindication, which was published in 1722.
Robert C. Fuller
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195146806
- eISBN:
- 9780199834204
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195146808.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In colonial America, only 15% of the population belonged to a church. The majority was nonetheless spiritual at a personal level, but fashioned their personal beliefs by drawing upon a variety of ...
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In colonial America, only 15% of the population belonged to a church. The majority was nonetheless spiritual at a personal level, but fashioned their personal beliefs by drawing upon a variety of magical and occult philosophies. Astrology, divination, and witchcraft permeated everyday life in the colonies. By the early and mid‐nineteenth century, the writings of the Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg and the American Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson gave middle‐class Americans a new vocabulary for describing their inner‐relationship to unseen spiritual dimensions of life. And, by the latter part of the nineteenth century, both mesmerism and spiritualism provided general audiences with new ways of exploring this inner‐relationship to the spirit world.Less
In colonial America, only 15% of the population belonged to a church. The majority was nonetheless spiritual at a personal level, but fashioned their personal beliefs by drawing upon a variety of magical and occult philosophies. Astrology, divination, and witchcraft permeated everyday life in the colonies. By the early and mid‐nineteenth century, the writings of the Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg and the American Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson gave middle‐class Americans a new vocabulary for describing their inner‐relationship to unseen spiritual dimensions of life. And, by the latter part of the nineteenth century, both mesmerism and spiritualism provided general audiences with new ways of exploring this inner‐relationship to the spirit world.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter presents the author's thoughts about Wicca and philosophy. The chapter talks about the author's initiation into the Craft, the insider/outsider dichotomy, and her study of religion and ...
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This chapter presents the author's thoughts about Wicca and philosophy. The chapter talks about the author's initiation into the Craft, the insider/outsider dichotomy, and her study of religion and philosophy. The author believes that philosophy is not exactly a particular thing, a discrete disciplinary subject in a course of study at the university. Rather, philosophy is itself a doing, a practice, a temperament, an engaging of oneself with the world, a way of living in the world, a way of asking questions, a deep curiosity about the ways we are and why.Less
This chapter presents the author's thoughts about Wicca and philosophy. The chapter talks about the author's initiation into the Craft, the insider/outsider dichotomy, and her study of religion and philosophy. The author believes that philosophy is not exactly a particular thing, a discrete disciplinary subject in a course of study at the university. Rather, philosophy is itself a doing, a practice, a temperament, an engaging of oneself with the world, a way of living in the world, a way of asking questions, a deep curiosity about the ways we are and why.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter begins with the author's account of her introduction to the Craft. It then discusses deities, the coming of the “Jahweh-in-Drag”, coven structure and organization, ritual, text and ...
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This chapter begins with the author's account of her introduction to the Craft. It then discusses deities, the coming of the “Jahweh-in-Drag”, coven structure and organization, ritual, text and authority.Less
This chapter begins with the author's account of her introduction to the Craft. It then discusses deities, the coming of the “Jahweh-in-Drag”, coven structure and organization, ritual, text and authority.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter introduces the author's coven and describes its basic ritual patterns. The author established her coven, called the Merry Circle, in 1984. The Merry Circle is composed of six Priestesses ...
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This chapter introduces the author's coven and describes its basic ritual patterns. The author established her coven, called the Merry Circle, in 1984. The Merry Circle is composed of six Priestesses and two Priests. The Merry Circle usually performs its group rituals at night and, whenever possible, outdoors in nature. Formal group rituals are held in a specially prepared space called the Circle. The Circle is often marked off from the space around it by a ring of stones (if outdoors), a ring of red yarn (if indoors), or some other distinctive marking determined by the creativity of the individual Witch. The four directions — north, east, south, and west — are plotted as accurately as possible using a compass and then marked by specially blessed and prepared candles that are used in the ceremony.Less
This chapter introduces the author's coven and describes its basic ritual patterns. The author established her coven, called the Merry Circle, in 1984. The Merry Circle is composed of six Priestesses and two Priests. The Merry Circle usually performs its group rituals at night and, whenever possible, outdoors in nature. Formal group rituals are held in a specially prepared space called the Circle. The Circle is often marked off from the space around it by a ring of stones (if outdoors), a ring of red yarn (if indoors), or some other distinctive marking determined by the creativity of the individual Witch. The four directions — north, east, south, and west — are plotted as accurately as possible using a compass and then marked by specially blessed and prepared candles that are used in the ceremony.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter focuses on the initiation of the path towards Wicca. Topics covered include the recruitment of new members, public education and outreach, teaching the craft to those interested in ...
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This chapter focuses on the initiation of the path towards Wicca. Topics covered include the recruitment of new members, public education and outreach, teaching the craft to those interested in joining a coven, the skills and expertise needed by Wiccan practitioners to teach, the process of learning Wicca, hands-on practice, and ending the introductory class.Less
This chapter focuses on the initiation of the path towards Wicca. Topics covered include the recruitment of new members, public education and outreach, teaching the craft to those interested in joining a coven, the skills and expertise needed by Wiccan practitioners to teach, the process of learning Wicca, hands-on practice, and ending the introductory class.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter discusses the Rite of Dedication, the first formal, ritualized step toward initiation into the coven. This ceremony of self-blessing and dedication to study marks a change in the status ...
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This chapter discusses the Rite of Dedication, the first formal, ritualized step toward initiation into the coven. This ceremony of self-blessing and dedication to study marks a change in the status of the student from the merely curious to the serious seeker. The rite formally blesses and dedicates the student to a path of self-discovery that may lead to initiation. Dedication marks a significant step in the acquisition of skills for the student and demands an intensified commitment to the learning process from both the student and the teaching Witch.Less
This chapter discusses the Rite of Dedication, the first formal, ritualized step toward initiation into the coven. This ceremony of self-blessing and dedication to study marks a change in the status of the student from the merely curious to the serious seeker. The rite formally blesses and dedicates the student to a path of self-discovery that may lead to initiation. Dedication marks a significant step in the acquisition of skills for the student and demands an intensified commitment to the learning process from both the student and the teaching Witch.
Nikki Bado-Fralick
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166453
- eISBN:
- 9780199835799
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166450.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter focuses on the Dedicant's initiation. It discusses the screening process for potential Dedicants and the actual rite of initiation. An analysis of how the initiation ceremony continues ...
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This chapter focuses on the Dedicant's initiation. It discusses the screening process for potential Dedicants and the actual rite of initiation. An analysis of how the initiation ceremony continues some of theological and practical groundwork begun with the Rite of Dedication is presented.Less
This chapter focuses on the Dedicant's initiation. It discusses the screening process for potential Dedicants and the actual rite of initiation. An analysis of how the initiation ceremony continues some of theological and practical groundwork begun with the Rite of Dedication is presented.
Ronald Hutton
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198207443
- eISBN:
- 9780191677670
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207443.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter discusses significant developments in the career of Gerald Gardner. The 1950s were the decade in which Gardner announced the existence of his witch religion to the world, and succeeded ...
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This chapter discusses significant developments in the career of Gerald Gardner. The 1950s were the decade in which Gardner announced the existence of his witch religion to the world, and succeeded in establishing it as a lasting component of modern spirituality. In 1954 his book Witchcraft Today gave that religion a generic name, of ‘Wica’, adapted by the 1960s to its enduring form of ‘Wicca’. Throughout the mid-1950s Gardner promoted Wicca with press, radio, and television interviews, and this public profile brought liabilities as well as rewards.Less
This chapter discusses significant developments in the career of Gerald Gardner. The 1950s were the decade in which Gardner announced the existence of his witch religion to the world, and succeeded in establishing it as a lasting component of modern spirituality. In 1954 his book Witchcraft Today gave that religion a generic name, of ‘Wica’, adapted by the 1960s to its enduring form of ‘Wicca’. Throughout the mid-1950s Gardner promoted Wicca with press, radio, and television interviews, and this public profile brought liabilities as well as rewards.
Peter Elmer
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199663965
- eISBN:
- 9780191745379
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199663965.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, History of Religion
This chapter extends the analysis of Greatrakes cures to include discussion of his own peculiar explanation for the success of his cures, which he construed as a form of exorcism. Greatrakes, as ...
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This chapter extends the analysis of Greatrakes cures to include discussion of his own peculiar explanation for the success of his cures, which he construed as a form of exorcism. Greatrakes, as described here, was something of an expert in all things demonological and had formerly played a prominent role in one of Ireland's best-documented witch trials. Similar interests permeated the thinking of many of his most committed followers. The chapter concludes by arguing, paradoxically, that belief in witchcraft at this period was characteristically invoked in order to promote religious reconciliation and unity among Anglicans and dissenters.Less
This chapter extends the analysis of Greatrakes cures to include discussion of his own peculiar explanation for the success of his cures, which he construed as a form of exorcism. Greatrakes, as described here, was something of an expert in all things demonological and had formerly played a prominent role in one of Ireland's best-documented witch trials. Similar interests permeated the thinking of many of his most committed followers. The chapter concludes by arguing, paradoxically, that belief in witchcraft at this period was characteristically invoked in order to promote religious reconciliation and unity among Anglicans and dissenters.
Lionel Laborie
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780719089886
- eISBN:
- 9781526104007
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719089886.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
Chapter 4 explores the debate around enthusiasm in late Stuart England. After looking at the French Prophets’ millenarian assemblies, during which they performed Biblical allegories and miracles, it ...
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Chapter 4 explores the debate around enthusiasm in late Stuart England. After looking at the French Prophets’ millenarian assemblies, during which they performed Biblical allegories and miracles, it considers how enthusiasts and dissenters took advantage of the lapsing of the Licensing Act in 1695 to promote their beliefs. With their claims to divine inspirations and insight into the future, the French Prophets sparked a spectacular battle of pamphlets of at least 150 extant titles in just three years. This controversy contributed to the early Enlightenment debate on the nature of enthusiasm. It shows how beliefs in witchcraft and demonic possessions persisted beyond 1700 and how satire became a weapon against enthusiasts in general. The case of the French Prophets would later serve as a precedent against the Methodists in the mid eighteenth century.Less
Chapter 4 explores the debate around enthusiasm in late Stuart England. After looking at the French Prophets’ millenarian assemblies, during which they performed Biblical allegories and miracles, it considers how enthusiasts and dissenters took advantage of the lapsing of the Licensing Act in 1695 to promote their beliefs. With their claims to divine inspirations and insight into the future, the French Prophets sparked a spectacular battle of pamphlets of at least 150 extant titles in just three years. This controversy contributed to the early Enlightenment debate on the nature of enthusiasm. It shows how beliefs in witchcraft and demonic possessions persisted beyond 1700 and how satire became a weapon against enthusiasts in general. The case of the French Prophets would later serve as a precedent against the Methodists in the mid eighteenth century.
Michael Hunter
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300243581
- eISBN:
- 9780300249460
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300243581.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This chapter comprises the study of John Wagstaffe's The Question of Witchcraft Debated (1669) that was published in 1995. This is a reprint close to its original form, and has been cited by other ...
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This chapter comprises the study of John Wagstaffe's The Question of Witchcraft Debated (1669) that was published in 1995. This is a reprint close to its original form, and has been cited by other scholars during the intervening period. Wagstaffe's book can bring one closer to the otherwise elusive phenomenon of oral, fashionable scepticism about which contemporaries complained, and hence to the nature of free-thought in the Restoration period. That this is the case is further suggested by the debate between Wagstaffe and two orthodox antagonists that followed the work's initial publication. In replying to his critics, Wagstaffe enhanced the learned character of his work, and this may illustrate how printed controversy had the effect of directing intellectual discourse into predictable channels.Less
This chapter comprises the study of John Wagstaffe's The Question of Witchcraft Debated (1669) that was published in 1995. This is a reprint close to its original form, and has been cited by other scholars during the intervening period. Wagstaffe's book can bring one closer to the otherwise elusive phenomenon of oral, fashionable scepticism about which contemporaries complained, and hence to the nature of free-thought in the Restoration period. That this is the case is further suggested by the debate between Wagstaffe and two orthodox antagonists that followed the work's initial publication. In replying to his critics, Wagstaffe enhanced the learned character of his work, and this may illustrate how printed controversy had the effect of directing intellectual discourse into predictable channels.
Michael Hunter
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780300243581
- eISBN:
- 9780300249460
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300243581.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This chapter expands more fully on Wagstaffe's legacy. It takes the story forward into the early eighteenth century. The chapter considers the comparable views that were expressed by Deists and ...
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This chapter expands more fully on Wagstaffe's legacy. It takes the story forward into the early eighteenth century. The chapter considers the comparable views that were expressed by Deists and freethinkers at that point and the way in which orthodox thought at last began to change — not least in the hands of Francis Hutchinson. Hutchinson's reference to Wagstaffe's book in his Historical Essay concerning Witchcraft (1718) neatly encapsulates just how far the orthodox did and how far they did not follow their freethinking precursors. The chapter focuses on him both to try to understand what factors underlay the change of beliefs among the educated about witchcraft, and to explore how far thinkers like him were now speaking the language previously espoused by the heterodox.Less
This chapter expands more fully on Wagstaffe's legacy. It takes the story forward into the early eighteenth century. The chapter considers the comparable views that were expressed by Deists and freethinkers at that point and the way in which orthodox thought at last began to change — not least in the hands of Francis Hutchinson. Hutchinson's reference to Wagstaffe's book in his Historical Essay concerning Witchcraft (1718) neatly encapsulates just how far the orthodox did and how far they did not follow their freethinking precursors. The chapter focuses on him both to try to understand what factors underlay the change of beliefs among the educated about witchcraft, and to explore how far thinkers like him were now speaking the language previously espoused by the heterodox.
Fredrik Gregorius
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199779239
- eISBN:
- 9780199979646
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199779239.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter discusses Luciferian Witchcraft, which is to a great extent a spin-off from the Wicca movement, but with a satanic twist. While Wicca has created a “medium tension” towards society, by ...
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This chapter discusses Luciferian Witchcraft, which is to a great extent a spin-off from the Wicca movement, but with a satanic twist. While Wicca has created a “medium tension” towards society, by utilizing the negative witch figure as its central metaphor, Satanism has generated a stronger such tension by focusing on the strongly negative figure Satan. Both, however, are part of a larger movement where partly similar renegotiations of cultural symbols are being conducted. The interpretation of Lucifer is of central interest, as Lucifer can be seen to act as a crossover deity that appears with different meanings both within non-satanic as well as satanic interpretations of witchcraft. The chapter concludes that Luciferian Witchcraft can be seen as an example of the typological difficulties of positioning Satanism as an autonomous milieu within the larger Dark Magical subculture.Less
This chapter discusses Luciferian Witchcraft, which is to a great extent a spin-off from the Wicca movement, but with a satanic twist. While Wicca has created a “medium tension” towards society, by utilizing the negative witch figure as its central metaphor, Satanism has generated a stronger such tension by focusing on the strongly negative figure Satan. Both, however, are part of a larger movement where partly similar renegotiations of cultural symbols are being conducted. The interpretation of Lucifer is of central interest, as Lucifer can be seen to act as a crossover deity that appears with different meanings both within non-satanic as well as satanic interpretations of witchcraft. The chapter concludes that Luciferian Witchcraft can be seen as an example of the typological difficulties of positioning Satanism as an autonomous milieu within the larger Dark Magical subculture.
Joseph Bulbulia, Armin W. Geertz, Quentin D. Atkinson, Emma Cohen, Nicholas Evans, Pieter François, Herbert Gintis, Russell D. Gray, Joseph Henrich, Fiona M. Jordon, Ara Norenzayan, Peter J. Richerson, Edward Slingerland, Peter Turchin, Harvey Whitehouse, Thomas Widlok, and David S. Wilson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262019750
- eISBN:
- 9780262318297
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262019750.003.0020
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Religion may be one factor that enabled large-scale complex human societies to evolve. Utilizing a cultural evolutionary approach, this chapter seeks explanations for patterns of complexity and ...
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Religion may be one factor that enabled large-scale complex human societies to evolve. Utilizing a cultural evolutionary approach, this chapter seeks explanations for patterns of complexity and variation in religion within and across groups, over time. Properties of religious systems (e.g., rituals, ritualized behaviors, overimitation, synchrony, sacred values) are examined at different social scales, from small-scale forager to large-scale urban societies. The role of religion in transitional societies is discussed, as well as the impact of witchcraft, superhuman policing, and the cultural evolution of moralizing gods. The shift from an imagistic to a doctrinal mode of religiosity is examined, as are the relationships between sacred values and secular worlds. Cultural evolutionary approaches to religion require evidence and methods from collaborative and multidisciplinary science. The chapter concludes with an overview of several projects that are working to provide conceptual, methodological, and empirical groundwork. Published in the Strungmann Forum Reports Series.Less
Religion may be one factor that enabled large-scale complex human societies to evolve. Utilizing a cultural evolutionary approach, this chapter seeks explanations for patterns of complexity and variation in religion within and across groups, over time. Properties of religious systems (e.g., rituals, ritualized behaviors, overimitation, synchrony, sacred values) are examined at different social scales, from small-scale forager to large-scale urban societies. The role of religion in transitional societies is discussed, as well as the impact of witchcraft, superhuman policing, and the cultural evolution of moralizing gods. The shift from an imagistic to a doctrinal mode of religiosity is examined, as are the relationships between sacred values and secular worlds. Cultural evolutionary approaches to religion require evidence and methods from collaborative and multidisciplinary science. The chapter concludes with an overview of several projects that are working to provide conceptual, methodological, and empirical groundwork. Published in the Strungmann Forum Reports Series.
Mark Stoyle
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780859898591
- eISBN:
- 9781781384978
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780859898591.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History
One of the more bizarre consequences of the English Civil War of 1642-46 was the elevation to celebrity status of a ‘dog-witch’ named Boy. The loyal companion of King Charles I's nephew, Prince ...
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One of the more bizarre consequences of the English Civil War of 1642-46 was the elevation to celebrity status of a ‘dog-witch’ named Boy. The loyal companion of King Charles I's nephew, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Boy, like his master, was held to possess supernatural powers and was frequently portrayed in the popular literature of the day as a ‘devil’, as a witch or as a witch's familiar spirit. Some measure of the interest which Boy aroused among contemporaries may be gleaned from the fact that no fewer than five separate images of him were produced for public consumption between 1643 and 1644. Many previous scholars have remarked upon the fantastical rumours which circulated about Prince Rupert and his dog, but no one has ever investigated the origins of these rumours or explored how the supernatural elements of the prince's public image developed over time. This book sets out to uncover the true story of Boy – and in the process to shed new light on the fascinating series of collisions and interactions which took place between traditional witch-belief and Royalist and Parliamentarian polemic during the troubled 1640s. [190 words]Less
One of the more bizarre consequences of the English Civil War of 1642-46 was the elevation to celebrity status of a ‘dog-witch’ named Boy. The loyal companion of King Charles I's nephew, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Boy, like his master, was held to possess supernatural powers and was frequently portrayed in the popular literature of the day as a ‘devil’, as a witch or as a witch's familiar spirit. Some measure of the interest which Boy aroused among contemporaries may be gleaned from the fact that no fewer than five separate images of him were produced for public consumption between 1643 and 1644. Many previous scholars have remarked upon the fantastical rumours which circulated about Prince Rupert and his dog, but no one has ever investigated the origins of these rumours or explored how the supernatural elements of the prince's public image developed over time. This book sets out to uncover the true story of Boy – and in the process to shed new light on the fascinating series of collisions and interactions which took place between traditional witch-belief and Royalist and Parliamentarian polemic during the troubled 1640s. [190 words]
David Clarke
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780748678891
- eISBN:
- 9780748689286
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748678891.003.0002
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Scottish Studies
The activities of the first local notable person related to Glasgow astronomy form this chapter. George Sinclair, Professor of Natural Philosophy, is known for his tracts on physics, astronomy, ...
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The activities of the first local notable person related to Glasgow astronomy form this chapter. George Sinclair, Professor of Natural Philosophy, is known for his tracts on physics, astronomy, mathematics, religion and witchcraft. His chief astronomical text of 1688 on the ‘Celestial Sphere’ was ‘The Principles of Astronomy and Navigation’. He was notoriously accused of plagiarism on several occasions, particularly in claiming authorship of ‘Truth's Victory over Error’, a religious text simply translated from a Latin script of Dickson of Edinburgh. He wrote on the principles of coal mining, but it was suggested that he was better at ‘mining the minds of others’ rather than writing with originality. He observed Newton's Comet of 1681 but was taken to task by Professor Gregory of St Andrews on the uselessness of his observations. Other astronomical studies related to the secular movements of the Sun and Moon were also castigated in similar vain. He had a passion for understanding the behaviour of the barometer according to the weather and was the first person, at least in Scotland, to measure the heights of mountains by barometric pressure changes on their summits. He is also credited with inventing the diving bell for undersea wreck salvaging.Less
The activities of the first local notable person related to Glasgow astronomy form this chapter. George Sinclair, Professor of Natural Philosophy, is known for his tracts on physics, astronomy, mathematics, religion and witchcraft. His chief astronomical text of 1688 on the ‘Celestial Sphere’ was ‘The Principles of Astronomy and Navigation’. He was notoriously accused of plagiarism on several occasions, particularly in claiming authorship of ‘Truth's Victory over Error’, a religious text simply translated from a Latin script of Dickson of Edinburgh. He wrote on the principles of coal mining, but it was suggested that he was better at ‘mining the minds of others’ rather than writing with originality. He observed Newton's Comet of 1681 but was taken to task by Professor Gregory of St Andrews on the uselessness of his observations. Other astronomical studies related to the secular movements of the Sun and Moon were also castigated in similar vain. He had a passion for understanding the behaviour of the barometer according to the weather and was the first person, at least in Scotland, to measure the heights of mountains by barometric pressure changes on their summits. He is also credited with inventing the diving bell for undersea wreck salvaging.