I mean, wheras before, 'magic' and the supernatural were a sort of clandestine affair now they're on t.v. on a daily basis. I'm not saying this is wrong or anything, but 20 years ago we never had the interest we do now. Why the meteroric rise in popularity?
2007-02-26 02:24:33 · 21 answers · asked by Leo B 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
They have always been very popular. Just think about the Middle Ages!
2007-02-26 02:40:03 · answer #1 · answered by gurlu 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The reason many pagans and occultists are more visible is that we now have laws to protect our right to express our religious beliefs. There is still a long way to go, people are still dismissive of paganism as a religion but it is much better than it used to be. Also those who pioneered the New Age movement have now passed their values on to the next generations, spreading the ideas and conventions of paganism much wider.
In our more secular society, many people are dissatisfied with established religion and seek a more individual spiritual path. Interestingly enough, this turn in ideology has long been predicted by astrologers. Apparently, we are entering the sphere of influence of the Age of Aquarius, a time when people will become more open to alternative forms of spirituality.
2007-02-26 13:00:04 · answer #2 · answered by queenbee 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe there is a rise in the popularity of the occult - there is just merely more means of dessiminating information (i.e., more TV channels than 20 years ago, the internet, etc.).
There has indeed been more studies and discoveries over the past 2 decades to make us raise our eyebrows and go "hmmmm???" about things.
2007-02-26 19:47:23 · answer #3 · answered by wonderful1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some thoughts...
1. Don't underestimate the power of advertising and marketing. In part it probably has nothing to do with the content of the Occult.
'It is there, let us sell it.' being the dictum.
2. You could go sociological and talk about the loss of religion in the west and the need for an 'alternative' means of accessing spiritual experiences/ doing interpersonal magic etc.
3. I find the occult is a good thinking tool. Most of the material is (for me) nearly incomprehensible. Try Crowley. It ends up becoming a template for whatever you want. The first lesson in the occult is 'seek and you shall find'.
4. For me the whole mandala/ kabalist tree of life is useful for demonstrating the patterns of relation between the various archetype-complexes in the mind, a sort of map of the soul. Interesting but esoteric.
2007-02-26 11:13:30 · answer #4 · answered by mince42 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Paganism is becoming more mainstream, largely due to the efforts of those pagans who have been trying to get widespread acceptance through good P.R. Therefore the image of paganism and the occult has become more friendly to the masses, who generally need things to be watered down adn easy to digest. This is why you have an explosion of Wicca 101 books with non-scary content and easy to read language, rather than a mainstream embracing of Aleister Crowley with his deeper topics and more difficult reading style.
2007-02-26 18:56:27 · answer #5 · answered by Lupa 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The occult has always had a following. You may just now becoming aware of it. It seems that there is a rising of the occult due to t.v. shows and what not, but it has always been around.
2007-02-26 12:47:08 · answer #6 · answered by ccourtne_99 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps it can be linked to dissatisfaction with established religions and the rise of 'New Age' philosophies.
People feel empowered by something they can learn about and practise without the mediation of authority figures.
Ideas derived from 'magic' have informed the work of many thinkers in Great Britain, most notably Sir Isaac Newton.
2007-02-26 10:37:51 · answer #7 · answered by idler22 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
People aren't getting spiritual satisfaction from mainstream religion and are looking elsewhere. The reason for this is that we have more time than our ancestors had. Modern technology has done that for us and we are actually starting to stop and reflect upon things and even question things that were once accepted without question.
2007-02-28 18:37:33 · answer #8 · answered by djdundalk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The major religions are just as popular as they ever where but, more younger people are being disillusioned by the inconstancy's in them. The occultist get a single strait forward answers to the questions they have in life. I myself am a heathen because I found to many falsehoods in the Faith of my parents.
2007-02-27 06:07:23 · answer #9 · answered by Scooter 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A large percentage of Women/girls appear to have adopted Neo-Paganism and its related activities. I do not see a large role available to woman within conventional belief systems, and the concept of new-age belief systems having equality, no book of Truth and no `Big Fish` driving Cadillacs, no doubt encourages individual freedoms. Without doubt new-age beliefs empower those of a superstitious persuasion.
2007-02-26 16:38:05 · answer #10 · answered by ED SNOW 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋