Magic and Meaning

“I have not used ‘magic’ consistently, and indeed the Elven-queen Galadriel is obliged to remonstrate with the Hobbits on their confused use of the word both for the devices and operations of the Enemy, and for those of the Elves. I have not, because there is not a word for the latter (since all human stories have suffered the same confusion). Their 'magic’ is Art, delivered from many of its human limitations: more effortless, more quick, more complete (product, and vision in unflawed correspondence). And its object is Art not Power, sub-creation not domination and tyrannous re-forming of Creation. The 'Elves’ are 'immortal’, at least as far as this world goes: and hence are concerned rather with the griefs and burdens of deathlessness in time and change, than with death. The Enemy in successive forms is always 'naturally’ concerned with sheer Domination, and so the Lord of magic and machines; but the problem: that this frightful evil can and does arise from an apparently good root, the desire to benefit the world and others–speedily and according to the benefactor’s own plans–is a recurrent motive. JRR Tolkien, Letters

I happened across an interesting internet controversy yesterday.    I haven't been online much recently due to various medical things going on plus a planned trip to California coming up, and grandchildrens' activities.   But this one is connected to the "re-enchantment" idea that currently has a lot of mileage in the Catholic-net.   It is a book called Mysticism, Magic and Monasteries:  Recovering the Sacred Mystery at the Heart of Reality.  It is written by Sebastian Morello; I've quoted him previously.  

OK, that is already a lot of links, and even more are coming.   I found out about the book through a long (critical) review by Matthew Minerd and Thomas Mirus.  The review is detailed but mostly focused on the dangers of delving into magick and what was called New Age mysticism in pre-millenial decades.  ( Here's a TL:DR version of the Mirus review)  

 So I went looking for more context.   The book sounds interesting and somewhat connected to the themes of this blog but I have to admit that having lived most of my adult life in Oregon and California, it doesn't take much talk of crystals and curses and alternative wisdom to make me start backing away quietly.   

• First, from Morello:  a series of articles on "Hermetic Magic" which were probably the basis of the book -- written in 2023.  
• Second, a couple of Morello's responses to the critical reviews:  Some statements on Christian Re-Enchantment and A Reply to Michael Warren Davis.  (Michael Warren Davis is apparently a former Satanist who became Catholic and then Eastern Orthodox.   He is a contributing editor to the American Conservative.   His review itself has actually disappeared from access, but you can find some quotes from it here. )
• Some quotes from the book collated by Peter Kwasniewski for New Liturgical Movement.  
• Here's a pretty good and balanced summary of the controversy by Timothy Flanders:  Magic, Morello and the Restoration.    Lots of links and quotes.  

Now, I have nothing really to say here.  I haven't read the book.   The theme of disenchantment  seems to come from Schiller by way of Weber, and re-enchantment from Charles Taylor.    Charles Taylor has been very influential across professed Christianity from Evangelicals to a spectrum of Catholics.   I've even seen him discussed in America magazine, though Fr Sawyer seems to have a more positive take on secularity than most conservatives do. 

Here's a Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Rationalism.  There are at least three senses in which the word can be used, at least in this early 20th century work, and it seems even more equivocal as a term nowadays. 

I think that's all for now!