For the record, the American colonies would also be dark green no matter how many centuries were covered. Our impression to the contrary derives from the many forms of anti-Puritanism from people who know little or nothing about them.
It is a surprising point of history that the the beginning of modern science occurred when we started burning witches. Indeed, it happened for the same reason.
Good post 10 years ago. I first came across the idea from CS Lewis, who noted that science and the occult grew up at the same time, and were the same impulse. They were siblings, perhaps competitors, but not oppositional forces. There have always been superstitions, but consider, for example, the Foxfire sort of medicine and magic, which involves things such as walking widdershins around an old stump while reciting the Lord's Prayer backwards under a gibbous moon, or grinding up odd parts of plants and animals (usually in sympathetic medicine) and boiling them together to drink. How is that different from science experiments of the time? Alchemists were philosophers, and astrologers and astronomers were the same people.
The writers who had the temerity to call themselves The Enlightenment taught differently, because they wanted to praise themselves.
Yes, natural magic was one discipline, allied with natural theology, natural philosophy, and natural history.
Astrology had a very scientific explanation, until Newton, I think ...? Been a while since I've read about that. Galileo was also an astrologer. Tycho Brahe was also an alchemist. And, Newton, for that matter, at least studied alchemy.
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https://ottomanladies.tumblr.com/post/181318561194/was-witchcraft-punished-in-ottoman-empire-by
It is a surprising point of history that the the beginning of modern science occurred when we started burning witches. Indeed, it happened for the same reason.
https://grimbeorn.blogspot.com/2012/02/science-and-burning-of-witches.html?m=1
Good post 10 years ago. I first came across the idea from CS Lewis, who noted that science and the occult grew up at the same time, and were the same impulse. They were siblings, perhaps competitors, but not oppositional forces. There have always been superstitions, but consider, for example, the Foxfire sort of medicine and magic, which involves things such as walking widdershins around an old stump while reciting the Lord's Prayer backwards under a gibbous moon, or grinding up odd parts of plants and animals (usually in sympathetic medicine) and boiling them together to drink. How is that different from science experiments of the time? Alchemists were philosophers, and astrologers and astronomers were the same people.
The writers who had the temerity to call themselves The Enlightenment taught differently, because they wanted to praise themselves.
Yes, natural magic was one discipline, allied with natural theology, natural philosophy, and natural history.
Astrology had a very scientific explanation, until Newton, I think ...? Been a while since I've read about that. Galileo was also an astrologer. Tycho Brahe was also an alchemist. And, Newton, for that matter, at least studied alchemy.
Grim, have you read Rodney Stark's "For the Glory of God" ?
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