FINAL Flashcards
What source is often referred to in modern witchcraft narratives
Margaret Murray’s work.
How do modern witchcraft narratives address contemporary issues like sexism and environmentalism?
They establish these concerns as part of a longer tradition, such as female healers, goddess worship, and nature-based rituals.
Why is projecting modern ideas onto historical practices problematic?
It assumes historical groups were egalitarian or environmentalist without evidence.
How do modern witchcraft narratives use early modern discrimination?
By drawing parallels between modern critics and early witch hunters.
What is a key critique of contemporary witchcraft narratives by scholars?
They often lack historical evidence to support their claims.
What are the two scholarly approaches to studying modern witchcraft narratives?
1) Rejecting them for not meeting historical inquiry standards.
2) Studying how these narratives function within modern witchcraft communities.
How do modern narratives position witchcraft within history to gain legitimacy?
By presenting it as a continuation of ancient traditions, associating age with authority.
How do scholars suggest modern witchcraft narratives should be studied?
By examining their context, audience, and impact on societal construction.
What are Bruce Lincoln’s four categories of narratives?
Fable, legend, history, and myth.
What distinguishes a myth from a legend or history, according to Bruce Lincoln?
A myth has truth claims, credibility, and authority, serving as a blueprint for life.
Why are myths considered important in constructing society?
They encode important societal values and evoke emotions that help shape social borders.
What role do elites play in myths, according to Bruce Lincoln?
Elites use myths to reaffirm or construct their social identity and societal structure.
What questions should scholars ask when studying myths?
Who creates the myth, the audience, the context, societal systems used, and the consequences if successful.
What is the difference between a narrative we can learn from and an authoritative one?
It depends on how the narrative is framed and its perceived authority.
What is the danger of scholars being condescending about myths?
They risk overlooking the cultural and social significance of myths in constructing society.
What is the function of myth as a “blueprint for life”?
It conveys natural truths and societal norms that are accepted as paradigmatic and unchallengeable.
Why do scholars remain ambivalent about modern witchcraft narratives?
Finding origins is often impossible, and the narratives don’t always meet historical evidence standards.
What knowledge did the Rosicrucians claim to possess?
Perfect secret ancient knowledge, the universal truth from which all religions stem.
What is the purpose of Freemasonry’s rituals and secret meetings?
To symbolically “carve” a person or society into a perfect form.
What is the most well-known 19th-century magical order?
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
What famous ritual was developed by the Golden Dawn?
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
What was the religious philosophy Crowley developed?
Thelema
What was the core belief of the Theosophical Society regarding religion?
That all religions stem from a single ancient source.
What societal changes contributed to the explosion of the occult in the 19th century?
The Industrial Revolution, decline of mainstream churches, and massive social changes like the Civil War and women’s rights movements.
