With Magic We Play : Implementing popular culture into magical practice
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | Even though magic is often perceived as a traditional practice, applying symbols and teachings validated by time, especially in the post-modern esoteric milieu, innovative approaches and branches were slowly emerging. One of such new forms is the in popularity ever-growing Chaos Magick. Many of its practitioners are willingly choosing a more liberal approach to their practice, creating new symbols and rituals, combining traditional forms, with modern, experimental, and often straight up eccentric elements. One of these elements I focus on in my research, is the inclusion of aesthetic and narrative elements from popular culture, mostly video games and animation. Already firmly embedded into contemporary society, with a numerous and devoted fan base, pop cultural elements are now often being used as substitution for more traditional deities, symbols, or cosmology. Thus, for example the chaos gods from the extended Warhammer universe are becoming guiding entities for some, while characters from popular animation like Naruto, or Pokemon are becoming egregores for others. This presentation will, based on several case studies, introduce how these elements of popular culture are finding their way into magical practice, what lies behind their appeal, as well as how they are perceived within the community itself. |
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