Hi Ted,
I take your point, but am still struck by the way philosophy
professors can talk about the *purpose* of Neoplatonism. Also how this
*purpose* is served by some Jungian ideas, by Kriya Yoga, Taoism etc.
and given due respect for theological and cultural differences these
can enhance one's application of Neoplatonism and ability to
illustrate it to students etc. I think that is what I am missing in
the context of academia and occultism. Perhaps it is simply too early,
and that may well be changing, just not fast enough for older guys in
a hurry like myself.
Jake
On 2 July 2010 10:16, Ted Hand <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> no worries Jake, I'm glad for the scolding because it helps to clarify my
> intent.
> I was absolutely wrong to imply that I didn't have a high regard for
> contemporary
> scholarship on magic. I've spent six years on and off to finish an MA and
> want
> to be recognized as an expert on this very field one day. My problem is not
> with
> academic structures but on the stigma attached to amateur work, especially
> if
> we have such excellent examples of it in the names I mentioned. I'm enjoying
> the discussion and glad for the opportunity to ramble about my views.
>
> I think this point you raise about academia not serving the needs of the
> practitioner
> is valid, but it isn't necessarily a valid criticism of academia to say
> that. I'm not any
> kind of an expert on the practice of magic from a practitioner's point of
> view, but I
> can see how academic stuff might serve a practitioner at a certain level,
> while not
> being by nature the right place to look for the more practical needs. What I
> think is
> the right way to respond is to allow for these liminal spaces between the
> exacting
> standards of peer review and the more pragmatic and gnostic styles of
> discourse
> common among practitioners. I don't know if the academic study of magic
> board is
> quite right for the weirder ways practitioners might want to write about
> magic, but I
> think this list is a great example of a place that can provide a safe space
> for informal
> discussion and questions from both academics and critically-minded
> practitioners
> alike. At least we know that your average academic is being honest about his
> lack
> of practitioner credentials.
>
> On Fri, Jul 2, 2010 at 1:54 AM, Jake Stratton-Kent
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> sorry if I landed you in something Ted, wasn't my intention. I used to
>> feel my lack of academic training was a problem, nowadays I'm not so
>> sure. I benefit from studying academic sources, as does my work
>> hopefully (both the practice and my writing). However, for my purposes
>> at least, the tightrope between academia and magic here seems to serve
>> academic strictures rather better than the needs of an informed
>> occultist. If that's how it works, I'm probably better out of academia
>> than in it.
>>
>> Jake
>>
>> http://www.underworld-apothecary.com/
>
>
--
Jake
http://www.underworld-apothecary.com/
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