Re-Enchantment Is Coming, but It’s Scary

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[KevinMakins]

2:07 - "It's just superstitious" It's worth asking what that word, super-stition, is meant to say. It appears to be the opposite of "under-stand" (super=above, stition=to stand). To have something stand over us, or to stand in the presence of something above us.

When we dismiss superstition it's not the feeling we are dismissing, as much as our attempts to control the situation we find ourselves overstood in. Throwing salt, avoiding cracks, etc. It's not superstition that we ought to dismiss rather our attempt to control whatever is standing above us. But the genuine sensation of superstition may be one of our best qualitative "proofs" for the existence of spirits (especially since it's experienced so universally).

[mythosandlogos]

Animism appears to be foundational to so many (especially early) human traditions, that it’s definitely worth taking the idea of a spirit/breath (Latin, animas) present in the things around us seriously. Perhaps a traditional Christian worldview could see that as akin to the Elohim/Heavenly Host, approaching the more enchanted, “fairy tale” view of the world with the caveat of the spirits therein needing to be aligned to the proper higher purpose; important because a demon is an Angel that no longer serves God!

I’ll caveat that I’m not Orthodox, and Orthodoxy would consider a lot of my personal beliefs heretical, but I think that there is something to consider here that nothing was created without the Logos. For order, though, it depends on what each thing serves, and it’s not a bad idea to take Christ’s advice and judge them by their fruits.

[cmbradford]

This reminds me of a recent episode on Alone, the TV series. A contestant had this owl flying around his camp. It was behaving very unusual for an owl. And the contestant started crying. He explained why he started crying. He recently lost her father and it reminded him of his father, who taught him everything he knows about survival. The contestant denied believing in God in the same breath that he is in awe of this occurring to him. Funny how this strange event made him cry and have a deep emotional connection, but it was nothing at the same time.

[SimpleAmadeus]

Oh, this is very, very interesting. In my atheistic youth and adolescence, I really enjoyed fantasy worlds, especially in video games (that made me feel present in them), and especially in magical forest settings. These places seemed "alive" in the sense that all the plants and even the sparkles seemed to hint at being conscious, magical beings. I can write that last sentence now, because this video has made me realize that that is what it was. In contrast, I've been taught to think of this world as completely dead and empty.

If I see a tree here, it's just a piece of wood that hasn't been chopped down yet to stop its nutrient intake to then process it into building material or fuel. I haven't learned to think of spiritual beings that might dwell in these trees. Of course as a Christian this is probably dangerous to think about because idolatry is lurking right beneath the edge, but I suppose that God did create a whole heavenly realm full of living beings that interact with this world to the very core.

The Bible is even almost explicit in acknowledging that this is happening, although the passages where seemingly unautonomous objects are commanded to do certain things tend to seem poetic. However, on top of being poetry, they might be genuine literal truths as well. Just because a verse that speaks about sheep lying down in green pastures happens to be poetic, that does not mean that sheep do not actually lie down in green pastures.

I don't know if I can actually do anything with this insight, but it at least gives me a bit more appreciation for God's creation.

[oneangelbug]

Isaiah 59:19 “So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.”

[timothypeden]

"intelligent patters coming back to manifest themselves in the world" is very well said! There's nothing new under the sun!

[CaptainDJ_VT]

Dude, it's hard not to idolize people who are so incredibly learned and eloquent. Hard, but not impossible

[Greg-n]

Jonathan, have you ever come across the writings of Joseph de Maistre?

[...]

It is scary because things like Wicken are the greatest growing phenomena in America. Intelectualizing an adolescent fascination with the occult isn't enchantment .

[gabrieltopan]

the animals and beengs are many, but if u eat them they dont realy like u ... love animals dont eat them