Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community

by Sarah M. Pike

Book Overview

Recent decades have seen a revival of paganism, and every summer people gather across the United States to celebrate this increasingly popular religion. Sarah Pike's engrossing ethnography is the outcome of five years attending neo-pagan festivals, interviewing participants, and sometimes taking part in their ceremonies. Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves incorporates her personal experience and insightful scholarly work concerning ritual, sacred...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520220862
• ISBN13: 9780520220867
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

an academic that actually does her job

This is the first academic ethnography on magic that has actually been objective in it's portrayal of Paganism. In other words, the author doesn't get caught up in letting her experiences overshadow the importance of actually describing and observing the pagan culture (unlike Magliocco and Greenwood). Her assessment of pagan culture is fairly balanced. She notes both the positive and negatives aspects of the culture and does so in a positive manner, avoiding any hint of cennsure or judgement. She's simply presenting the facts. Granted this doesn't mean there isn't some subjectivity on her part. Obviously she chose the pagan community because there was a gap in research there and she wants to get tenure, but even with that bias she does a credible job of presenting the pagan community and specifically the festival environment.

Interesting work....

Very well researched. I actually picked this book up at Borders while I was perusing the "New Age/Pagan" book section for new titles and noticed that a picture of a friend of mine was in it! So I bought it.. later I found some good information regarding transformational festivals that some friends of mine organize (Lumensgate). The author respectifully presented the material and provided pretty good insight into the current Pagan movement in all of its diversity. Highly recommended.

Good Scholarship

A very look at how the modern Pagan festival movement is creating personal identity in the Neopagan movement. The author did her research at fests in the Midwest, mainly Pagan Spirit Gathering and Starwood, and obviously enjoyed herself. She speaks glowingly of the power fo key moments at the fests, and examines how Pagans are contructing 'magical identities' in the midst of the modern world. Interesting sociological study.

Great book from the inside world of Paganism

Sarah Pike does a great job of revealing the secret inside world of the neopagan community. While I was interested in Neopaganism before reading this, I find myself even more intrigued by this new age trend. I would suggest this book to anyone, especially those who are mislead by pagan sterotypes... Great read!

An intimate look at contemporary paganism in the US

This is a great book. Pike spent years attending pagan festivals around the country, and she brings to her analysis the skills of a compassionate and sympathetic ethnographer and a critical scholar of religion. Her descriptions of pagan festivals are detailed, vivid and compelling; she opens this world up to readers who may not be familiar with it--and I am certain that pagans will recognize their culture in her careful account. Pike takes readers deep into the heart of pagan festivals, showing how participants create and inhabit their religious world using varied imaginative idioms, rituals, body work, and so on. Pike is also sensitive to the historical roots of this religious world, and offers helpful discussions of the traditions of alternative religions in American religious history. This is an exciting and engaging book, recommended for scholars and general readers, for anyone who wants to learn something about this important religious culture in the US beyond the distortions and hysteria with which it is too often treated.