Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels
Lately I’ve been watching the 2004 remake of Battlestar Galatica. I’m really enjoying re-watching the series because of the different themes that are interwoven into the story. Yes there’s the SF theme of space battles, but there’s also the exploration of mystical and spiritual themes, such as some of the characters interacting with spirits. However what really interested me about the show was the Hybrid character that pilots the basestars and how they live in a state of being that can be described as non-linear. When they tell the ship to jump, I think of that as having some potential to be worked with in terms of space/time magic.
I don’t limit my pop culture magic workings (or any other type of working inspired by pop culture) to what the latest pop culture is, though I do try to keep track of the latest pop culture. I think that the best pop culture magic, or any magic inspired by pop culture magic will be derived from the actual pop culture you enjoy. This might be pop culture that isn’t currently popular, but if it inspires you and your magical practice, does that really even matter?
With the glut of pop culture we have access to now, via different forms of media, it’s easy to get caught up in new pop culture and never look back at pop culture we enjoyed at one time. But I make a point to revisit the pop culture I enjoyed because while there’s always going to be new content, the older pop culture has its own timelessness to it that can be useful for aspiring pop culture magicians.
Some of my best ideas for pop culture magic comes from rereading or re-watching pop culture I enjoyed in the past, but maybe where I missed some thing. In the case of BSG, seeing the Hybrid jump the ship inspired me to consider a space/time magic technique based around jumping between timelines. I hadn’t thought of it until I re-watched the show, but there it was inspiring an idea for a technique to be developed.
What’s some pop culture you’ve enjoyed that you haven’t revisited in a while? Maybe, in the midst of all the new shows coming out, it’s worthwhile to take a moment and enjoy and be inspired by something from the past. You might be surprised by how it inspires your magical work.
