Accelerated Thinking

This month I have mostly been thinking about the dwindling opportunities to seek publication within the occult and pagan sphere. Whether it was the pandemic that caused print media to wither, or just the convenience of digital over paper, I am seeing less and less specialist magazines on the shelves. And when your entire spirituality could at best be considered a niche market, every magazine lost is a concerning event. Some in the artistic community doggedly fight to keep such old formats in focus, but the same cannot be said for occultists. Now as an Esoteric Accelerationist I am the last person to stand in the face of modernity. The trees are better standing than pulped into pages and covered in poisonous paint, no matter how tactile the results. But I still worry at how few sites have arisen to take the place of those periodicals, and how much power they hold over our joint narratives.

Empowered Words

“My name is John Constantine. I’m the one who steps from the shadows, all trenchcoat and arrogance. I’ll drive your demons away, kick ’em in the bollocks and spit on them when they’re down, leaving only a nod and a wink and a wisecrack. I walk my path alone. Because, let’s be honest… who would be crazy enough to walk it with me?”
— John Constantine, Constantine

Occult Almanac

Because of the Full Moon in the last days of September, October’s lunar cycle has less of an obvious connection to the flow of the month. As such the Third Quarter occurs on the 6th and the New Moon on the 14th. This coincides with an annular solar eclipse visible from the USA. The First Quarter on the 22nd is followed by the Blood or Vine Moon on the 28th, which also hosts a partial lunar eclipse as well. For those in the Southern Hemisphere the Taurids meteor shower will be active for the full month, before also being seen in the Northern Hemisphere from the 20th too. The Orionid shower is also month long, and the much shorter Draconids shower starts on the 6th before finishing around the 10th. Both are based in the Northern Hemisphere. Venus then reaches its greatest elongation West on the 23rd. For observances, the most obvious is Halloween on the 31st. While ostensibly a celebration of the dead, those of a demonological persuasion also honour Lilith, Eurynomous, Baalberith and Babel on that date. As a final note, those in the UK will see British Summer Time end on the 29th, and with the clock striking 2am twice the lost hour is the perfect time to fold in any secretive ritual endeavours that you would rather no one else know about.

Necronomicon Mortui

A list of notable members of the occult, paranormal and Fortean community, ordered by date of death as opposed to birth. Marsilio Ficino, Astrologer, born 19th October 1433, died 1st October 1499. Robert Orel Dean, UFOlogist, born 2nd March 1929, died 11th October 2018. Louis Claude de Saint-Martin, Mystic, born 18th January 1743, died 14th October 1893. Thomas Browne, Hermeticist, born 19th October 1605, died 19th October 1682. Gerard Encausse, Magickian, born 13th July 1865, died 25th October 1916. Murry Hope, Witch, born 17th September 1929, died 25th October 2012. Gilles de Rais, Magickian, born 4th September 1404, died 26th October 1440. Sybil Leek, Witch, born 22nd February 1917, died 26th October 1982. Theodor Reuss, Magickian, born 28th June 1855, died 28th October 1932. Walter Raleigh, Alchemist, born 1554, died 29th October 1618. Anton LaVey, Satanist, born 11th April 1930, died 29th October 1997.

Media Magick

Spooky season is upon us once again and my October choice is a film that should need no introduction. Candyman is without a doubt one of the best examples of the sort of early Nineties filmmaking that took conventional horror scares and spun an almost dreamlike narrative around them. Following the exploits of a hook handed urban legend wearing one of the best coats in horror history, Tony Todd’s presence remains an almost constant background buzz even when he is not on screen. At least until the last third of the film, when things begin spiralling out of control for one character in particular. Then we get to see him interact with an otherwise rational person to guide their descent into madness and chaos. Rightly considered a masterpiece of cinematic horror, and a primer on memetic contagion for those in the know, it remains a great choice for Samhain viewing.

Grimoire Guides

The Curious Lore of Precious Stones is not an easy read. Couched as it is in the same kind of verbose language that has put many a neophyte off of Crowley, those who can live with with the prose will soon see that George Frederick Kunz has assembled over four hundred pages of mineral based myths and legends in one handy place. An almost legendary figure in the field of gemmology in his time, it is unlikely that Kunz would have given much thought to the role that his treatise would play in the Neopagan community many years after his death. Yet it can be found in the bibliography of many a modern guide to the mystical and therapeutic uses of various gems, and rightly so. Copies of the book are a little harder to see in the wild now, though they do come up from time to time online, especially ex library editions. Not the cheapest purchase, but one that remains worthwhile for sure.

End Notes

Vulpine Occulture number four finished. Time to start putting sources together for the fifth one I guess. To be honest, the future of the wider Accelerated Chaote project is rarely off my mind. This Old Fox seems to always be grinding away at one aspect of it or another. Polishing or experimenting with new layouts and formatting. Adding and removing images and graphics too. I do have enough previously published articles to cover a weekly upload until July next year alongside these newsletters as well, but after that I may have to start creating completely fresh content as and when I have the time to write. There are also plans for a collected works style ‘zine at some point in 2024, or perhaps a series of them broken down into different topics. Typography is definite side passion of mine, and offering something on a pay what you like basis will help with server and domain costs too.