Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture

Rating:
Summary: Modern Manifestations of Ancient Traditions
Review: The worldwide popularity of the Harry Potter books has been seen as a boon not just for publishers, but for children who are getting excited about reading and are looking forward to reading the next one. But a large segment of American society does not see this as good news. The books are seen by some Christian fundamentalists as spiritually dangerous to children, since they introduce concepts of the occult in attractive ways. Certainly not all Christians feel this way, recognizing the books as belonging to the type of fantasies written by Christians like C. S. Lewis and others. If fundamentalists feel that the Harry Potter books are the works of the devil, however, they are in good historical company. In _Lucifer Ascending: The Occult in Folklore and Popular Culture_ (University Press of Kentucky), Bill Ellis has continued an academic query which he described in his previous _Raising the Devil_. While his current book is not an analysis of Harry Potter books and the movement against them, J. K. Rowling's works are shown to be just a contemporary part of folklore beliefs that have gone back for centuries.

Witchcraft was (and is) practiced in opposition to an increasingly rationalistic theology. The practices allow marginalized groups to use traditions to give themselves a sense of degree of control over their lives, but can also be employed by those who have no particular conflict with society. Ellis examines such hardware of the occult as the "grimoire" or magic book, chain letters (!), and even the rabbit's foot. He shows how young people are especially prone to old-time occult activity. Since medieval times, people have made special trips to, say, Neolithic monuments. Folklorists call this "legend-tripping," and teenagers have kept up the tradition. The trip, often to a forbidden house or a graveyard, is made in a cultivated atmosphere of fear; stories of previous trippers who suffered the penalty for violating the taboo get passed along and keep the tripping alive rather than restraining it. Ellis shows that teens calling upon spirits by means of the Ouija board is quite similar to calling spirits out during exorcisms, an illustration of how belief in the occult actually compliments and supports orthodox belief. Frightened fundamentalists may be taking the Ouija threat too seriously; one student user says, "You really don't get any answers that mean anything. We just get drunk and have a good time."

Ellis, himself an active Lutheran, makes clear that he is not advocating for the folklore practices described here, or even apologizing for them. He admits that while many of the practices might be harmless, spooky fun for teens, there may be bad consequences as well. He gives such concrete examples as vandalism resulting from a graveyard visit, rather than the possibility that Satan might take over the souls doing the trip. His is an academic work, but even so, with its unusual themes, it is an entertaining one. He is especially amused by the famous spoof article in the satirical paper _The Onion_, telling about how satanic groups were being overwhelmed by Harry Potter readers trying to join up. The article was ridiculous, but was sent as a chain letter by many Christian youth counselors as a bona fide warning about the danger Harry poses. Their more Internet-savvy students were embarrassed that their elders could not tell reality from a joke. _The Onion_ just gave the elders an opportunity to overreact, but Ellis's book shows that the pattern of overreaction, giving definition to both orthodoxy and the occult, has been going on for centuries.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Dose of Reality
Review: This book is an excellent read, especially for mainstream, conservative Christians who become a bit paranoid, or overly concerned about "demonic" influences. This book gives a balanced perspective in understanding the underlying social and religious influences that brought about the practice of folk magic. Subjects discussed are the origins of chain-letters, the "lucky" rabbit's foot, Ouija Boards, Root Doctors, Mirror-Gazing, scary graveyard legends, and many other related folklore topics. While reading this book, most people will recall the use of some sort of folk magic or practice within their own family history or from their own personal experiences. It is very interesting to read how and why these practices came about.Of particular interest is the chapter that addresses Evangelical Christianity and the roots of its beginning...a real eye-opener for Christians who want to "cast the first stone" at anything that even remotely has the "appearance of evil".This is a great read, and I highly recommend it.