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Book Review -- Generation Hex
Nov. 25th, 2005 11:39 amHi,
Right, so I've gotthree four categories of friends:
1.) Those who believe in magic and may actually practice it.
2.) Those who don't believe in magic, but love reading up on the occult.
3.) Those who couldn't care less about magic or actively disbelieve it.
4.) Those iconoclasts who don't like my three easy categories.
The following review will only be interesting for the first two categories. People in category three can move along. People in group four can figure it out for themselves.
Right, so with our audience defined, here's a review of Generation Hex by Jason Louv. It's a collection of about 20 essays covering a wide range of magical theory, practice and thought as seen through the eyes of 20-something magicians. As with any collection, certain pieces are much better than others. On the whole, however, the book is quite good and generally lucid. There are a few points that sort of stray into Internet-whackjob land, but on the whole it's all pretty well written.
The magicians in the book all have a different set of individual practices, but as a group, their roots tend to run to Heremetic and Western Tadition systems with a lot of post-modern chaos and psychedelic magic thrown into the mix. The bibliography is quite extensive and the footnotes show that the authors have done their research.
Still, you do sometimes wonder if 20-somethings really "get it" or if their writings are simply youthful optimism that will atrophy away over time. True, age is no absolute indicator of wisdom and it is the nature of mysteries to arise in unexpected places. It would certainly be interesting to get the writers' perspectives in another 10 years to see how their explorations of Self have come along. There's definitely a sense that a couple of them are likely to burn out and a couple that might mature into full fledged net.loonies. Clearly, most of the authors have a healthy sense of perspective that should serve them well. Describing his initial forays into magical knowledge, one author writes:
"I had been searching for a way to integrate magic into my life and wound up with a fashion statement and more friends named "Lestat" than anyone should possibly ever have."
And that youthful optimism also serves as a rallying cry for magicians to be more active in their work:
"Something has to change. This world has no need for quiet legions of self-satisfied men mouthing pompous words to their imaginary friends or ranks of complacent women reciting nursery rhymes over a campfire."
The previous quote draws up another recurring theme running through the essays -- the importance of developing a magical tradition that is unique to the individual (even if it takes advantage of larger, cultural symbols and themes) and the importance of actually using that magical tradition to help the wider community. Occult activism you might say. One of the essays specificially records a magician's attempt to change the corporate culture at Fox News. Others act a bit more quietly and locally.
In the end, I think this is definitely a book worth reading and thinking about if you have any interest in this subject whatsoever. Either as a snapshot look at new thinking about magic or as a mine for new ideas and practical advice, the book has a lot to offer.
later
Tom
Right, so I've got
1.) Those who believe in magic and may actually practice it.
2.) Those who don't believe in magic, but love reading up on the occult.
3.) Those who couldn't care less about magic or actively disbelieve it.
4.) Those iconoclasts who don't like my three easy categories.
The following review will only be interesting for the first two categories. People in category three can move along. People in group four can figure it out for themselves.
Right, so with our audience defined, here's a review of Generation Hex by Jason Louv. It's a collection of about 20 essays covering a wide range of magical theory, practice and thought as seen through the eyes of 20-something magicians. As with any collection, certain pieces are much better than others. On the whole, however, the book is quite good and generally lucid. There are a few points that sort of stray into Internet-whackjob land, but on the whole it's all pretty well written.
The magicians in the book all have a different set of individual practices, but as a group, their roots tend to run to Heremetic and Western Tadition systems with a lot of post-modern chaos and psychedelic magic thrown into the mix. The bibliography is quite extensive and the footnotes show that the authors have done their research.
Still, you do sometimes wonder if 20-somethings really "get it" or if their writings are simply youthful optimism that will atrophy away over time. True, age is no absolute indicator of wisdom and it is the nature of mysteries to arise in unexpected places. It would certainly be interesting to get the writers' perspectives in another 10 years to see how their explorations of Self have come along. There's definitely a sense that a couple of them are likely to burn out and a couple that might mature into full fledged net.loonies. Clearly, most of the authors have a healthy sense of perspective that should serve them well. Describing his initial forays into magical knowledge, one author writes:
"I had been searching for a way to integrate magic into my life and wound up with a fashion statement and more friends named "Lestat" than anyone should possibly ever have."
And that youthful optimism also serves as a rallying cry for magicians to be more active in their work:
"Something has to change. This world has no need for quiet legions of self-satisfied men mouthing pompous words to their imaginary friends or ranks of complacent women reciting nursery rhymes over a campfire."
The previous quote draws up another recurring theme running through the essays -- the importance of developing a magical tradition that is unique to the individual (even if it takes advantage of larger, cultural symbols and themes) and the importance of actually using that magical tradition to help the wider community. Occult activism you might say. One of the essays specificially records a magician's attempt to change the corporate culture at Fox News. Others act a bit more quietly and locally.
In the end, I think this is definitely a book worth reading and thinking about if you have any interest in this subject whatsoever. Either as a snapshot look at new thinking about magic or as a mine for new ideas and practical advice, the book has a lot to offer.
later
Tom
