INDIVIDUALISM AND COMMUNITY IN ALTERNATIVE SPIRITUAL MAGIC

''Religion'' has been distinguished from ''magic'' for the solidarity ties allegedly offered by the former, but not the latter, which by con trast is claimed to emphasize individual needs. However, the contempor ary ''alternative'' or ''countercultural'' spiritual network (e.g., Ne w Age, Neo-Paganism) utilizes beliefs and practices that could be desc ribed as magic, while still offering social solidarity. Excerpta from in-depth interviews with 22 alternative spiritualists illustrate how t he strain between individuality and community is addressed. Shared ide ology across individuals suggests that alternative spirituality is a c ontemporary social movement, in which protest against social control i s voiced more through communication codes than overt political action. Thus, expression of individuality paradoxically becomes a source of s olidarity. This movement reflects large-scale tensions in complex soci eties regarding individuality versus community. Therefore, ''magic,'' when enacted in a complex society, deals with many of the same social strains as religion or other social institutions.