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Magicians of the Twenty-First Century: An Attempt at Dimensioning the Magician's Personality
- Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft
- University of Pennsylvania Press
- Volume 4, Number 2, Winter 2009
- pp. 176-206
- 10.1353/mrw.0.0150
- Article
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This article presents findings of a field study of comtemporary magicians representing a large spectrum of magical disciplines. Eleven interviews were conducted in German-speaking countries, focusing on biographical embedding, experiential aspects, and world views. From this data, an attempt is made to describe the magician's personality. Five approaches and motivational structures guiding magical practice are identified, and five typified aspects of the magician are distinguished: the magician as artist, the magician as social utopian, the magician as scientist, the magician as "fully functioning person," and the magician as seeker of wisdom.