Magic, Witchcraft and the Otherworld: An Anthropology

247 Pages·2000·0.66 MB·English

by  Susan Greenwood

Magic, Witchcraft and
the Otherworld:
An Anthropology
Susan Greenwood
BERG
Magic, Witchcraft and the Otherworld
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Magic, Witchcraft and the Otherworld
An Anthropology
Susan Greenwood
Oxford•New York
First published in 2000 by
Berg
Editorial offices:
150 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JJ, UK
838 Broadway, Third Floor, New York, NY 10003-4812, USA
© Susan Greenwood 2000
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form
or by any means without the written permission of Berg.
Berg is the imprint of Oxford International Publishers Ltd.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 1 85973 4456(Cloth)
1 85973 450 2 (Paper)
Typeset by JS Typesetting, Wellingborough, Northants.
Printed in the United Kingdom by Biddles Ltd, Guildford and King’s Lynn.
To Lauren and Adrian
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Contents
Preface ix
1 Introduction 1
2 The Otherworld 23
3 High Magic: The Divine Spark Within 49
4 Witchcraft and Natural Magic 83
5 Magical Identity: Healing and Power 117
6 The Return of the Goddess 151
7 Magic and Morality: ‘A Mixed Spectrum’ 179
8 Conclusion 209
Bibliography 213
Index 231
–vii–
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Preface
This is a study of certain ideas, philosophies, practices and groups within the
Western esoteric tradition in the last decade of the twentieth century. I explore,
through issues concerning magical identity, gender, and morality, aspects of what
magicians term the ‘otherworld’. The otherworld is a spiritual domain that is said
to co-exist with the ordinary everyday world; it is at one and the same time
primordial and also flowing through time, space and within the individual. My
analysis develops an approach that stresses the importance of a reflexive and
experiential fieldwork, and I begin this study with a short autobiographical introduc-
tion. As a child I was given to spending long periods of time in contemplation and
reflection on matters spiritual, finding most connection with nature rather than
organized religion. In the late 1970s I encountered feminism, and after reading
Starhawk’sDreaming the Dark (1982) I subsequently embarked upon an explora-
tion of feminist witchcraft. I was attracted to this form of magic by the combination
of nature religion, politics and the promise of psycho-spiritual development. Later,
as my experience and my questioning increased, I started an undergraduate degree
in anthropology and sociology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. A
final year research project on women’s spirituality resulted in more questions than
it answered; and my exploration eventually led to a PhD thesis, the basis of this
book.
Consequently, the research on which this book is founded has been part of a
personal drive to make sense of the Pagan alternative to more organized religion.
I have attempted to portray the realities of this countercultural movement with the
eye of an anthropologist, but also with an empathy of spirit which, although critical
of a great deal of what I have encountered, has tried to communicate the essence
of magic – of what it is like to be deeply involved in the spiritual experience of the
otherworld. My role has been as a communicator between two very different
worlds: the academic sphere and that of the magical counterculture. It is a position
that has not been easy, and it is one that has, at times, been misunderstood by both
sides. However, I have been encouraged by many people, and it is largely due to
them that this book has reached publication.
I owe a great deal to three people at Goldsmiths College. Firstly and foremostly,
I would like to warmly thank Olivia Harris, who accepted the PhD. research
proposal and supervised the greater part of the thesis. Her enthusiasm and commit-
ment to the work helped me to gain confidence in myself and with the material,
–ix–