Collective independence allows us the flexibility of existing in multiple overlapping ‘magic circles’ - each dedicated to a different play, challenge, or ritual. Despite their fleeting nature, these worlds create lasting bonds between those inside them.
As described by historian Johan Huizinga in 1938, the magic circle is a physical or theoretical boundary temporarily marked off from the ‘real’ world. Huizinga makes no distinction between the playground, the arena, the courtroom, or the battlefield – each one is contained by special rules and dedicated to specific acts, which take on special meaning within the circle.
