University of Groningen Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies MA in Theology & Religious Studies (research) Master thesis: Interpretative perspectives in contemporary magical orders Thesis Supervisor: prof. dr. C.K.M. Stuckrad Second Reader: prof. dr. M. van Dijk Presented by: Tancredi Marrone Matriculation Number: s2386852 E-mail: [email protected] Groningen, 2018 Tancredi Marrone Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Methodological Aspects ................................................................................................................ 17 Chapter 2: Golden Dawn and Magical Order of Aurora Aurea ....................................................................... 22 Chapter 3: Data Collection............................................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 4: Coding. ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 5: Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 77 Primary literature ........................................................................................................................................ 77 Online sources ............................................................................................................................................. 77 Secondary literature .................................................................................................................................... 78 Interviews .................................................................................................................................................... 80 Fieldnotes .................................................................................................................................................... 80 Appendix I: Interviews ..................................................................................................................................... 81 MOAA 2015a: Nick Farrell ........................................................................................................................... 82 MOAA 2015b: Paola’s interview ................................................................................................................ 104 MOAA 2015c: Guido’s interview (Italian) .................................................................................................. 116 MOAA 2015c: Guido’s interview (English) ................................................................................................. 143 MOAA 2016d: Frater RL’s interview (Italian) ............................................................................................. 168 MOAA 2016d: Frater RL’s interview (English) ........................................................................................... 209 Appendix II: Fieldnotes .................................................................................................................................. 250 F.MOAA 2015a: Nick Farrell interview ...................................................................................................... 250 F.MOAA 2015b: Pantheon tour 10 April 2015........................................................................................... 251 F.MOAA 2015c: Paola Farrell interview 10 April 2015 .............................................................................. 255 F.MOAA 2015d: Dinner 11 April 20.30 ...................................................................................................... 257 F.MOAA 2015e: Initiation 12 April 2015 15.00.......................................................................................... 259 F.MOAA 2015f: Guido Corsi interview 16 April 13.00 ............................................................................... 264 F.MOAA 2016g: Frater RL Interview 20 May 2016 .................................................................................... 267 Introduction The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the discernment of magical experiences by part of contemporary followers of Western esotericism and in particular the western mystery tradition. The latter are groups and individuals who practice rituals and meditations drawn from mystical bodies of work such as the abbalah and Hermeticism, with the objective of obtaining secretive exclusive knowledge of the world, God and the Universe. These philosophies and practices are sets of knowledge within the context of western culture which are restricted to a selected group of people as opposed to exoteric knowledge which is revealed to the masses. The pursued secret knowledge is endeavored with attaining Gnosis, meaning direct insight into cosmology, metaphysics, invisible realms or aspects of existence1. A strong component of these esoteric traditions is the experiencing of such mystical states on a regular basis2. These descriptions of esotericism encompass both contemporary and ancient spiritual and esoteric practices from the West3. The research will develop a general scheme to understand what strategies contemporary magicians use to verify magical experiences. It will investigate the various roles of the components of magical experiences, the meaning and the value that each magical component has, and what assumptions are relevant in the interpretation of magical experiences. I will research the definitions and descriptions of magic and magical experiences both from the academic perspective and from the perspective of the magicians. Focus will be directed prevalently to the latter as this research will follow a prevalently insider perspective. As particular patterns of behavior emerge while learning magic it became of paramount importance for me to experience magical practices first hand4. The reason for my line of research for this investigation is based on the research Tanya Luhrmann in Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft, Sabina Magliocco in Witching Culture and Kennet Granholm in Dark Enlightenment considered the insider perspective as imperative to participate actively in ritual setting and interacting with the interlocutors in order to obtain an insider perspective. I thus decided to venture in personal initiation after understanding the necessity for first hand experiences in magical practice to absorb the perspectives of the magicians as much as I could. The importance of researching magical experiences from an insider perspective is grounded in the potentiality of bias of the outside observer. Strong preconceptions as to what magic is and the meaning that it has for its practitioners can lead to the misinterpretation of what magic effectively means for its followers. Previous research has effectively addressed such issues and the necessity for the study of magic in the attempt to eliminate such potential biases and preconceptions. Consequences can lead to the assumption that magic has a particular role which 1 Arthur, Versluis, Magic and Mysticism (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2007), 1. 2 Mark S. Morrison "The Periodical Culture of the Occult Revival: Esoteric Wisdom, Modernity and Counter-Public Spheres." Journal of Modern Literature 31, no. 2 (2008): 3. 3 Versluis, Magic and Mysticism, 1. 4 Luhrmann, Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft, (Cambridge, Massachussets: Harvard University Press, 1989), 11. 1 could have nothing to do with the real intentions of the magicians and their perception of magic5. For example, some magicians are more interested in the manifestation of magical effects although to a lesser degree as opposed to the accomplishment of their desired task. The results of magic are highly imaginative and emotional and although a skeptical outsider can attribute such manifestations to wishful thinking for the magician they are indicators of successful magical practice6. Moreover, contemporary magic is alive and constantly developing. It is practiced by well-educated middle-class people who are recognized as having a sound mind. Magical practitioners have been observed as having their own specialist language for discussion, interpretation and analysis of magical and mystical experiences within a structured narrative. Magical practice has a strong experiential and emotional component. Belonging to a group, coven or loge, participating in gatherings promotes a sense of community and shred values together with a unique interpretative structure of an interconnected universe. Although this thesis will concentrate on the western mystery tradition, I included secondary literature which addresses neo-paganism and witchcraft. This will allow for a more comprehensive and varied approach to the ideas about magic allowing for new research to be as inclusive as possible. This thesis will consequently contribute to the field of academic research into magic by expanding the pre-existing body of work: Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America, Persuasion of the Witch’s Craft and Dark Enlightenment: The historical, Sociological, and Discursive Contexts of Contemporary Esoteric Magic. The first, Witching Culture is an ethnographic