Magic, belief systems + web3

magical knowledge tends to be passed from person to person, rather than disseminated top down.

Both then and now, belief magic is ultimately decentralised and community-led (just ask a modern practitioner how they feel about the Magic Circle’s elitism). Just like the homemade pamphlets that circulated and enabled citizens to criticise the monarchy or church, their information channels do not rely on conventional means.

You can see the line I’m drawing between the act or art of belief magic and what it means to be working in any emergent technology space; especially this emergent space we call web3, trying to build all three elements at once from the ashes of past scenes that didn’t feel so magical.

And, for all the criticisms (some fair, some not) I’ve seen levied at this space by non-believers, I’ve seen, with my own eyes, magic being made nearly every day — through refreshed optimism, through hard work done fast, through groups coming together to do what individuals alone cannot.

The very structure of DAOs (decentralised autonomous organisations) themselves provide solidarity networks, with increasing collaboration between DAOs to build a broader scene. It’s early but this blend of community knowledge + solidarity networks + folklore exists, right now.

In both cases, there’s a sense of mystery or necessary key to unlock understanding, powered by secret knowledge that travels back and forth. And, while there was an initial steward or creator, this folklore tends to be decentralised, community-led and learnt from peers.

Why have institutions such as the church and the state always been so threatened by magic? Part of the answer derives from who practices it; again, there are few robust studies of the trials, but less than 15% of those executed were men. Often the women prosecuted were unmarried and intelligent, while lacking the formal education given to their mal... See more

By community knowledge, I mean beliefs, truths and cures passed down over time. By solidarity networks, I mean acting with trust, in small self-selecting groups. By folklore, I mean the ritualistic repetition of the first to build the second.

for all the criticisms (some fair, some not) I’ve seen levied at this space by non-believers, I’ve seen, with my own eyes, magic being made nearly every day — through refreshed optimism, through hard work done fast, through groups coming together to do what individuals alone cannot.