Magical Thinking Is Holistic

Magic primarily resides in a participatory relationship with the world. Participation does not work with the sorts of divisions employed by Western thought, for instance, between economy and society, nature and culture, cosmology and practical action. According to non-Western thought, all the world is animate and sentient, sharing these qualities with humans. Forms of modern theory, such as 4E cognition, help us understand a participatory and less alienated stance toward the world. Such forms of thought and action are holistic, rather than analytical, emphasizing notions of care and morality in human relationships with the universe. I first lay out these general points, before looking at Indigenous Australian philosophy, focusing primarily on the notion of Country, as a prime example of participatory, magical action. Magic is a positive quality of engagement and something to be aspired to, rather than something to have any negative implications.