Since the emergence of Romanticism in the late 1700s, the "disenchantment" of our modern world has been a constant cultural theme; and there have been may analyses of its cause; and suggestions concerning the possibilities for re-enchantment.
I have, over the past half century, read many books and essays on this theme; and I observe that more continue to be published.
In recent years I have expanded my explorations to include the tradition of Christian ceremonial magic, in particular the works of Dion Fortune and Gareth Knight. Knight, in particular, confronts this issue head-on, especially in his autobiography "I called it magic" (2011) - which describes the (almost) life-long quest for re-enchantment of his life.
What follows derives from such considerations; and takes the form of notes-to-myself, as a kind of aide memoire concerning a partial crystallization of ideas.
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In our world, here and now, the proper aim of magical activity is to establish the greatest possible range of loving contacts.
By which I mean, in particular, direct inter-Being contacts of a spiritual kind.
By "direct" contacts I mean mind-to-mind - therefore unmediated; not-perceptual, not symbolic nor linguistic.
By "Beings" I mean any of the primary units of reality - because I regard reality as consisting of eternally existing and developing, Beings: that are alive, purposive, and (to some extent) conscious.
Therefore; re-enchantment is not about abstractions or atmospheres; nor particular qualities of consciousness or thinking.
Re-enchantment is concrete and specific - like the interpersonal relationships with those we love.
Re-enchantment is about an expanded awareness-of and interaction-with many Beings of many kinds; and especially awareness of those entities that are (by mainstream modern ideas and ideologies) considered to be imaginary, not to exist, to be unalive/ dead, or not-to-be-Beings/ never-alive.
Re-enchantment is piecemeal and quantitative; because expanded awareness could include so many contacts with so many Beings of so many kinds.
Here is an incomplete list of the kind of contacts that constitute re-enchantment.:
Telepathy with living human beings.
So-called dead people - resurrected Men
Pre-mortal spirit humans
Animals, plants, and mineral-beings
Nature spirits
Fairies
Divine beings (including the Holy Ghost)
Planets and stars
The scope of "magical" contacts, is as wide as the nature of Beings.
To simplify somewhat; these contacts are what is missing from the alienated, materialistic and mundane life of Modern men; and a person who lived in continuous contact with all these kinds of Beings (and other Beings) would be living the "enchanted" life.
But more needs to be said, and that includes that the contacts be of the right quality; which is to say loving.
The point is Not (as so often has been sought) to make contact with Beings in order to "use" them to seek power/ wealth/ sex/ status; nor to get information from them; nor to be healed by them; nor to get guidance from them...
If other Beings are regarded as means to an end, any relationship will be dis-enchanted.
An enchanted relationship cannot be instrumental.
The "point" of these contacts is the value of loving relationships in and of themselves.
The point of these contacts is expanded awareness.
However, contacts are not static nor merely contemplative; because contacts are two-way, they are dynamic, developmental.
Beings in a loving relationship therefore aspire to a active relationship.
The interaction of Beings - their mutual influencing - is the context of creativity.
Creation (for an individual) is actively participating in the "web" of his relationships - by this activity he "makes a difference" to divine creation.
In sum: Contemplation is a passive participation in relationships on one side; however, Creativity is active participation on both sides.
Re-enchanting the world is thus about restoring and gaining the fullest range of contacts.
And, for the seeking of loving-contacts to be a meaningful activity in our actual lives (not to be regarded as trivial, nor explained-away in materialistic terms); we need to be able to explain to ourselves how this really happens, and why it is really significant in terms of eternal creation.
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