(Ebook) Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community by Sarah M. Pike ISBN 9780520220300, 9780520220867, 0520220307, 0520220862

(Ebook) Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community by Sarah M. Pike ISBN 9780520220300, 9780520220867, 0520220307, 0520220862

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.