Where the Magic is
transcript Verlag eBooks November 23, 2023 DOI: 10.1515/9783839461921-008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Magic telescope Astronomy |
| Key points | Argues that ceremonial magic has increasingly integrated technology, from domestic appliances to digital platforms, leading to the emergence of 'occult technologists' who blend art, magic, and technology. |
Abstract
Ceremonial magic and technology have been flirting since the dawn of the new millennium. ‘Technowitches’ like Patricia Telesco and Sirona Knight promoted the wide range of domestic appliances such as mobile phones and microwaves that can act as magical media (Telesco/Knight 2002). Neopagan authors have encouraged city-dwellers to form a psychic bond with electrical and mechanical objects, pushing for an acknowledgement of our techno-centric reality. In recent years, when video call media, such as Zoom, and \nsocial media are being extensively used for ceremonial magic, ceremony masters who also go by the name ‘occult technologists’ combine art, magic, and technology to innovate experiments in theoretical and applied sorcery.