Hi everyone,
I never thanked everyone for the responses to my request of a few weeks ago
for information/thoughts about magic and esotericism in the 1960s. I just
needed some thinking time.
The question arose because I am currently writing a history of New Age ideas
from the late 18th c to the Mayan Calendar phenomenon, for Bloomsbury
Academic.
I have always had a problem with the notion of 'New Age' as a 'post
counter-cultural'. i.e., post 1960s phenomenon. A lot of commentators on the
topic hold to this idea, even if they acknowledge Alice Bailey's existence
from the 1920s onwards. My working assumption is that New Age ideas (and
magical, esoteric, theosophical, occult ones) had a significant input into
1960s hippy/psychedelic culture. Hence New Age did not arise from the
counter-culture, but contributed to it.
However, only Gary Lachman has dealt with this. No academic has touched it,
to my knowledge.
All other books about the 60s, either by insiders, academics or journalists
deal mainly with two aspects of the decade: either (1) political radicalism,
anti-Vietnam war protests, the New Left, etc; or (2) the party aspect - 'it
was all one big party'. The magical, esoteric, theosophical and occult has
been completely edited out. My explanation for this, which list members may
find familiar, is that many writers, whether insiders, academics or
journalists, are uncomfortable with such ideas and practices.
Anyway, the book is going well (I think), is due for delivery at the end of
the year, so may be out (hopefully) in summer 2015.
Best wishes to all,
Dr Nicholas Campion,
Director, Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture,
Programme Director, MA Cultural Astronomy and Astrology
Senior Lecturer, School of Archaeology, History and Anthropology,
University of Wales Trinity Saint David,
Lampeter,Ceredigion,Wales, SA48 7ED,UK.
|