The rise of magic
Astrology, sacred rituals, tarology… The occult sciences and other divinatory techniques are on the rise. Between fear of the future and magical thinking, where does this need to explore the extraordinary come from?
Are you annoyed that October 31 is now dedicated to celebrate Halloween? It's nothing, we now have to reckon with Samhain.
This year, it was a wave to honor this Celtic festival , brought up to date in recent years. After a shy start, Samhain has established itself as a heavy trend on Twitter, and even more so on Instagram. Many influencers have multiplied the proposals for "rituals" to celebrate the entrance into the dark winter. All against a background of sage, candle, chants and other burnt papers… handled by (young) women who look more like top models than frightening old women.
Because since the very serious work of Mona Chollet [i] , one does not count any more the books devoted to the witches . If you enter this occurrence in the search engine of a bookstore site, you get more than 10,000 results, from children's books to practical notebooks, to grimoire, sort of like ... 'there is an abundance of literature on the sacred feminine, powerful women and other prophetesses ... Feminists before their time or holders of mysterious powers, these women and their practices fascinate. And the moon and its phases accompany them in all stages of their life. Subscribe to a dedicated newsletter, and each week you will receive ritual ideas to celebrate our satellite star.
What about astrology? It is now only displayed on the last page of the bistro dailies. It is now attracting more and more young people, as shown, for example, by a recent article in Version Fémina ( How millennials became addicted to astrology ) and a documentary that Martin Weill on TMC devoted to the return of (young) sorcerers and other modern pythias.
Personal development is now a completely outdated ancestor. Today, we are looking for the marvelous in everything, including in techniques far removed from our cultures: numerology, lithotherapy, shamanism, reading of runes or oracles (another major trend in the card department, with the tarot) ... training courses abound to learn about these techniques in a weekend or a year.
This boom is obviously not about to stop. Leduc editions, until now specializing in natural health and well-being, recently launched “Leduc Eso”, a branch dedicated solely to this type of work.
Nothing frightening about all this, because the magician (ne) s version of 21 th century are no longer afraid: they take the subway like you and me and put magic, extraordinary or forgotten knowledge to everyone, making them accessible and fun. What's more, they are often gentle spells, positive rituals, or soul-searching to find your “life path” or improve self-knowledge.
A need for the marvelous
So, we could be satisfied with seeing in it a collection of nonsense reserved for the naive or the simple-minded. This would be very reductive.
Our time visibly calls for an extra soul, a quest for the marvelous , a desire for transcendence, when reality reminds us of so much materiality and constraints. Blocked in ordinary dailies or without quick prospects, the extraordinary opens a door to escape and reassurance. Because religions no longer have the prerogative of spirituality. An Ifop poll ( Le rapport des Français à la religion ), published last September shows that 51% of French people do not believe in God. The scandals that shook
the Catholic Church must not have helped matters ...
In an often incomprehensible world, magic undoubtedly gives back meaning, and perhaps even motivation. It exalts our need for mystery. These rituals provide structure and suggest that we can regain control of what escapes us, as a way of taking back the reins of our life. Often inspired by nature, they are in harmony with a search for what is essential, even fundamental: a return to a form of simplicity, in communion with the elements . We feel the need to be connected to the great whole, or to what connects humans to each other, beyond their differences or nationalities.
At all times, men have scanned the sky . To understand it or find solutions - or even just to dream. And I can't help but think that the success of Thomas Pesquet - our Frenchie astronaut who has regularly posted photos of the Earth seen from the ISS - also owes this desire to have his head in the stars. And this step back is undoubtedly beneficial in our perception of the fragility of the environment.
Observe and watch
These techniques also attract many manipulators and other sectarian organizations, quick to sell training and abuse the weakness of others. This has always existed, whatever the means used. Moreover, in case of doubt - for yourself or for a loved one - Miviludes [ii] can be of good advice.
The other embarrassing point lies in a temptation to question the future. Interpretations easily lead to predictions, which obstruct discernment and deprive everyone of their free will. It's a real risk, fueled by this tendency that we all have to rely on some form of magical thinking. To hope is good, to wait for the marvelous to occur can prove to be long and inevitably disappointing, causing stars to fall back to earth.
But if you keep your feet on the ground, handling a few cards or throwing stones can't hurt.
[i] Witches, the Undefeated Power of Women, Zones, 2018
[ii] Interministerial mission to fight against sectarian aberrations. To obtain an opinion from Miviludes: https://contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/miviludes/oburez-l-avis-de-la-miviludes/
This year, it was a wave to honor this Celtic festival , brought up to date in recent years. After a shy start, Samhain has established itself as a heavy trend on Twitter, and even more so on Instagram. Many influencers have multiplied the proposals for "rituals" to celebrate the entrance into the dark winter. All against a background of sage, candle, chants and other burnt papers… handled by (young) women who look more like top models than frightening old women.
Because since the very serious work of Mona Chollet [i] , one does not count any more the books devoted to the witches . If you enter this occurrence in the search engine of a bookstore site, you get more than 10,000 results, from children's books to practical notebooks, to grimoire, sort of like ... 'there is an abundance of literature on the sacred feminine, powerful women and other prophetesses ... Feminists before their time or holders of mysterious powers, these women and their practices fascinate. And the moon and its phases accompany them in all stages of their life. Subscribe to a dedicated newsletter, and each week you will receive ritual ideas to celebrate our satellite star.
What about astrology? It is now only displayed on the last page of the bistro dailies. It is now attracting more and more young people, as shown, for example, by a recent article in Version Fémina ( How millennials became addicted to astrology ) and a documentary that Martin Weill on TMC devoted to the return of (young) sorcerers and other modern pythias.
Personal development is now a completely outdated ancestor. Today, we are looking for the marvelous in everything, including in techniques far removed from our cultures: numerology, lithotherapy, shamanism, reading of runes or oracles (another major trend in the card department, with the tarot) ... training courses abound to learn about these techniques in a weekend or a year.
This boom is obviously not about to stop. Leduc editions, until now specializing in natural health and well-being, recently launched “Leduc Eso”, a branch dedicated solely to this type of work.
Nothing frightening about all this, because the magician (ne) s version of 21 th century are no longer afraid: they take the subway like you and me and put magic, extraordinary or forgotten knowledge to everyone, making them accessible and fun. What's more, they are often gentle spells, positive rituals, or soul-searching to find your “life path” or improve self-knowledge.
A need for the marvelous
So, we could be satisfied with seeing in it a collection of nonsense reserved for the naive or the simple-minded. This would be very reductive.
Our time visibly calls for an extra soul, a quest for the marvelous , a desire for transcendence, when reality reminds us of so much materiality and constraints. Blocked in ordinary dailies or without quick prospects, the extraordinary opens a door to escape and reassurance. Because religions no longer have the prerogative of spirituality. An Ifop poll ( Le rapport des Français à la religion ), published last September shows that 51% of French people do not believe in God. The scandals that shook
the Catholic Church must not have helped matters ...
In an often incomprehensible world, magic undoubtedly gives back meaning, and perhaps even motivation. It exalts our need for mystery. These rituals provide structure and suggest that we can regain control of what escapes us, as a way of taking back the reins of our life. Often inspired by nature, they are in harmony with a search for what is essential, even fundamental: a return to a form of simplicity, in communion with the elements . We feel the need to be connected to the great whole, or to what connects humans to each other, beyond their differences or nationalities.
At all times, men have scanned the sky . To understand it or find solutions - or even just to dream. And I can't help but think that the success of Thomas Pesquet - our Frenchie astronaut who has regularly posted photos of the Earth seen from the ISS - also owes this desire to have his head in the stars. And this step back is undoubtedly beneficial in our perception of the fragility of the environment.
Observe and watch
- If women's circles build sorority and self-confidence, what's the harm in that?
- If rituals offer appeasement, why is that embarrassing?
- If positive affirmations are reassuring, why deny them? Émile Coué, more than a century ago discovered the power of a sentence and a positive thought - this is what enabled him to highlight the placebo effect.
- And if the oracles help to understand our hidden part - unconscious - why deny it? The psychoanalyst CG Jung, very attached to the power of symbols as an expression of the unspeakable, would probably not see much to complain about. It is up to everyone to form their own opinion, since no one is forced to.
These techniques also attract many manipulators and other sectarian organizations, quick to sell training and abuse the weakness of others. This has always existed, whatever the means used. Moreover, in case of doubt - for yourself or for a loved one - Miviludes [ii] can be of good advice.
The other embarrassing point lies in a temptation to question the future. Interpretations easily lead to predictions, which obstruct discernment and deprive everyone of their free will. It's a real risk, fueled by this tendency that we all have to rely on some form of magical thinking. To hope is good, to wait for the marvelous to occur can prove to be long and inevitably disappointing, causing stars to fall back to earth.
But if you keep your feet on the ground, handling a few cards or throwing stones can't hurt.
[i] Witches, the Undefeated Power of Women, Zones, 2018
[ii] Interministerial mission to fight against sectarian aberrations. To obtain an opinion from Miviludes: https://contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/miviludes/oburez-l-avis-de-la-miviludes/
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