Taking Sides: Left and Right Concepts in the Enactment of Magic

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Magic, Spirits, Shamanism, and Trance" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Magic is essentially performative and heavily ritualized in its enactment whether wielded by specialized (e.g., shamans, cunning folk, alchemists) or lay practitioners. Each detail of the ritual performance not only works in tandem with all other aspects, but the details simultaneously connect with and draw upon cosmic forces as the agentic energy that empowers the magic. Frequently, deeply embedded associations of directionality, especially left and right positioning and movement, are integral to the magical rite’s efficacy. Using a specified hand with which to pick magical plants, to touch ailing or possessed patients, or to handle magical objects is often required as part of the ritual protocol as the left or right hands themselves are imbued with positive or negative energy. Movement throughout the ritual in clockwise (right-wise) or counterclockwise (left-wise) direction around features, elements, and subjects also allies the ritual with celestial cosmic movement. This paper will illustrate how crucial it is for archaeologists to understand the often invisible, but critically important, role left and right play in the physical enactment of magical rites and how we might endeavor to make the invisible, visible.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Magic, Spirits, Shamanism, and Trance   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37894.0