Magic: The Basics Bailey, Michael D

Name: Magic: The Basics Bailey, Michael D
Price: 29.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Bailey, Michael D
ISBN: 9781138809611

✍️ Bailey, Michael D

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Uncover magic's true global tapestry, woven through history and culture.

This foundational text offers a compelling entry point into understanding magic, transcending simplistic definitions. Michael D. Bailey meticulously explores magic not as an isolated curiosity, but as a deeply embedded, worldwide phenomenon. The book meticulously traces its historical evolution and diverse cultural expressions, offering a thematic lens to examine its social significance across various civilizations and contemporary global societies. It's an indispensable guide for those seeking to comprehend magic's pervasive influence on human experience, from ancient rites to modern practices.

Key themes

{'title': 'Universal Human Expression', 'body': 'Bailey reveals that magic is not confined to specific regions or eras, but is a fundamental aspect of human experience across all cultures and historical periods. It highlights how the impulse to engage with unseen forces manifests in countless forms globally, showcasing its deep-seated presence in human consciousness and societal structures.'} {'title': 'Societal Integration of Magic', 'body': 'This work delves into how magical beliefs and practices are intricately woven into the fabric of social life. It examines the roles magic plays in societal organization, community rituals, power dynamics, and the interpretation of the natural world, demonstrating its practical and symbolic importance in various historical and contemporary contexts.'} {'title': 'Diverse Cultural Manifestations', 'body': 'The book meticulously surveys the myriad ways magic appears in different cultures, from folk traditions and religious practices to esoteric systems. It contrasts and compares these diverse expressions, illustrating the rich spectrum of magical thought and practice that has shaped human societies throughout history and continues to do so today.'}

🏛 Routledge 📅 2017 📖 192 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781138809611

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Fun fact

Bailey's 'Magic: The Basics' is an essential primer for anyone serious about understanding magic beyond popular fantasy. It excels at demystifying the subject through rigorous historical and anthropological analysis, revealing its profound global impact. While not a practical guide for spellcasting, it brilliantly illuminates magic's enduring significance in human culture. Readers seeking instruction will be disappointed, but those desiring a scholarly, accessible overview will find it an invaluable entry point into the academic study of magical traditions worldwide.

📝 Description: Magic: The Basics Bailey, Michael D

Magic: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to magic in world history and contemporary societies. Presenting magic as a global phenomenon which has manifested in all human cultures, this book takes a thematic approach which explores the historical, social, and cultural aspects of magic.

⭐ Reader reviews

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⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.4/5

★★★★★

If you seek a comprehensive, academically sound exploration of magic beyond sensationalism and stereotype, this book is for you. It's perfect for students, curious spiritual seekers, or anyone fascinated by humanity's enduring engagement with the unseen.

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❓ Frequently asked questions

No, this is an academic and historical survey, not a practical grimoire. It explores the *phenomenon* of magic in human societies, its history, and its cultural significance, rather than instructing on its practice.

Absolutely not. The author adopts a comparative and thematic approach, presenting magic as a global phenomenon without favoring any particular tradition. It aims for a balanced, objective understanding across cultures and historical periods.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Universal Human Expression

Bailey reveals that magic is not confined to specific regions or eras, but is a fundamental aspect of human experience across all cultures and historical periods. It highlights how the impulse to engage with unseen forces manifests in countless forms globally, showcasing its deep-seated presence in human consciousness and societal structures.

Societal Integration of Magic

This work delves into how magical beliefs and practices are intricately woven into the fabric of social life. It examines the roles magic plays in societal organization, community rituals, power dynamics, and the interpretation of the natural world, demonstrating its practical and symbolic importance in various historical and contemporary contexts.

Diverse Cultural Manifestations

The book meticulously surveys the myriad ways magic appears in different cultures, from folk traditions and religious practices to esoteric systems. It contrasts and compares these diverse expressions, illustrating the rich spectrum of magical thought and practice that has shaped human societies throughout history and continues to do so today.

💬 Quotes from the book

«Magic, far from being a fringe belief, has consistently served as a crucial interpretive framework for understanding the unknown and influencing the perceived world in countless societies.»

«The persistent human impulse to engage with unseen forces, whether through ritual, spell, or invocation, reveals a shared psychological and cultural bedrock that transcends geographical boundaries.»

📜 Historical context

Michael D. Bailey's work stands within a rich tradition of historical and anthropological studies of magic, building upon foundational texts that moved beyond dismissive views to serious scholarly inquiry. It contextualizes magic within the broader history of ideas and comparative religion, offering a contemporary perspective on a timeless human phenomenon.

📚 Glossary

Esotericism
Animism
Syncretism

📔 Questions to reflect on

{'q': "Reflect on a cultural practice you know that, while perhaps not labeled 'magic,' shares characteristics with the phenomena described in the book. What are those similarities?"}
{'q': "How does understanding magic as a 'global phenomenon' change your perception of its historical role compared to a narrower, Western-centric view?"}
{'q': 'Consider the relationship between magic, religion, and science in a historical context. How have these categories shifted and interacted throughout different eras?'}