Daughters of magic: esoteric traditions, relational ontology and the archaeology of the post-medieval past

Abstract

Animistic and other alternative ontologies have recently been discussed in archaeology and material culture studies, but these discussions, while not entirely unfamiliar to historical archaeology, have so far had a limited impact on our understanding of the post-medieval Western world. This paper uses Western esoteric thought and folk beliefs to engage with the idea of the relational constitution of reality. It is argued that forms of ‘magical thinking’ are relevant not only to the interpretation of particular ‘special’ activities and things but can provide new perspectives on the very dynamics of how people perceived and engaged with the world. The proposed reassessment of esoteric thought and folk beliefs has implications for, and is informed by, material culture studies. The paper begins with alchemy and proceeds to discuss broader issues.

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