Accelerated Thinking

This month I have mostly been thinking about the future. I am really enjoying creating the essays for the Unpublished Notes section of The Accelerated Chaote, a recent addition to the site that is worth a look if you have yet to see it. Designed to allow me to share the kind of niche or controversial opinions that would never normally see print, they have also reawakened the drive to self publish and escape the questioning eye of editors entirely. And thus I see a few potential timelines open to me as reposting my previous professional work here winds down. First, I could remain focussed on seeing print in magazines, anthologies or websites again. Secondly I could shift my efforts towards zines and pamphlets, digital offerings that showcase my unique voice in occulture without the censorship. Finally I could mix the two, go full on small press side hustle, and see where I end up.

Empowered Words

“Quantum theory presents the greatest achievement of science, far more significant and far more direct, practical use than relativity theory. And yet, it makes some very strange predictions. The world of quantum mechanics is so strange, indeed, that even Albert Einstein found it incomprehensible and refused to accept the implications of the theory developed by Schrödinger and his colleagues. Einstein, and many other scientists, found it more comfortable to believe that the equations of quantum mechanics simply represent some sort of mathematical trick, which just happens to give a reasonable working guide to the behaviour of atomic and sub atomic particles but that conceals some deeper truth that corresponds more closely to our everyday sense of reality. For what quantum mechanics says is that nothing is real and that we cannot say anything about what things are doing when we are not looking at them.”
— John Gribbin, In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat

Occult Almanac

May feels like a much busier month from an astronomical point of view. Lunar observances start at the Third Quarter on the 1st, leading to the New Moon on the 8th and the First Quarter on the 15th. Then the Flower or Willow Moon rises on the 23rd before we have the next Third Quarter on the 30th. For those who have an interests in celestial magicks, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower peaks on the 6th and 7th in the Northern Hemisphere, and Mercury reaches its Greatest Elongation West on the 9th too. Neopagans celebrate Beltane on the 1st and demonolaters have a busy month with both the first rite to Leviathan on the 2nd and a rite to Belphegor on the 13th as well. With the summer solstice only a month away solar energies are waxing strong and the nights are shortening. All in all a perfect time for restorative magicks and late spring cleaning too.

Necronomicon Mortui

A list of notable members of the occult, paranormal and Fortean community, ordered by date of death as opposed to birth. Charles Hoy Fort, Author, born 6th August 1874, died 3rd May 1932. Michael Thalbourne, Parapsychologist, born 24th March 1955, died 4th May 2010. Guido Karl Anton List, Mystic, born 5th October 1848, died 7th May 1919. Hans Bender, Parapsychologist, born 5th February 1907, died 7th May 1991. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Theosophist, born 12th August 1831, died 8th May 1891. Doris Stokes, Medium, born 6th January 1920, died 8th May 1987. Antoine Court, Author, born around 1719, died 10th May 1784. Mellie Uyldert, Astrologer, born 31st May 1908, died 10th May 2009. Rufus Osgood Mason, Parapsychologist, born 22nd January 1830, died 11th May 1903. Marguerite Frieda Harris, Magickian, born 1877, died 11th May 1962. Kenneth Anger, Magickian, born 3rd February 1927, died 11th May 2023. Stanton Terry Friedman, UFOlogist, born 29th July 1934, died 13th May 2019. August Strindberg, Alchemist, born 22nd January 1849, died 14th May 1912. Austin Osman Spare, Magickian, born 30th December 1886, died 15th May 1956. Eusapia Palladino, Medium, born 21st January 1854, died 16th May 1918. Nandor Fodor, Parapsychologist, born 13th May 1895, died 17th May 1964. William Francis Brinsley Le Poer Trench, UFOlogist, born 18th September 1911, died 18th May 1995. Arthur Edward Waite, Mystic, born 2nd October 1857, Died 19th May 1942. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler, Magickian, born 7th October 1900, died 23rd May 1945. Sir William Fletcher Barrett, Parapsychologist, born 10th February 1844, died 26th May 1925. Eliphas Levi, Magickian, born 8th February 1810, died 31st May 1875. Timothy Leary, Mystic, born 22nd October 1920, died 31st May 1996.

Memento Magus

Charles Hoy Fort (born 6th August 1874, died 3rd May 1932) seems an odd character to build a movement behind. Lacking trust in authority figures, likely due to an abusive upbringing, his later writing put that neurotic personality quirk to good use. He spent much of his adult life trawling the newspapers and periodicals of the day for supposedly damned facts to rub under the collective noses of the establishment. Fort especially disliked scientists, and took a wry pleasure in disproving their theories with reports of supposedly unexplained phenomena. His published works on such bizarre topics, The Book of the Damned, New Lands, Lo!, and Wild Talents are seen by many as the core texts of Forteana. Yet they are hampered by painfully purple prose and an overly satirical style, leading to his value as an author being one of overall attitude as opposed to actual quality output.

Grimoire Guides

Heavy Metal magazine may not seem like an obvious choice for this section, and even less so now that it has sadly ceased publication. However back issues are easily available online and one in particular, hailing from Grant Morrison’s tenure as editor, definitely deserves a place on your bookshelf. Hailed as The Magick Special, number 286 contains his excellent Beyond the World and the Fool, an essay that serves as a natural sequel to his earlier Pop Magic! from The Disinformation Book of Lies. At once both dreamier and somehow more mature in tone, Beyond the World and the Fool is definitely less well known among all but the most occulture obsessed of sorcerers. Yet it makes some very important points about belief as a tool, consciousness as a weapon, and our will being nothing more esoteric than a directed application of the human imaginative function. Definitely worth chasing down if you can.

End Notes

And there it is, issue eleven of my occult and paranormal newsletter done and dusted. With The Accelerated Chaote turning one year old in mid June now seems like a good time to reflect on what the last twelve months have brought from a portfolio point of view. Anyone who was with me here since the start will have witnessed major changes to not only the format of these newsletters but also their name too. And for the wider site there were menu updates to make navigation easier as well as more uniform graphics designed to be less obtrusive. Though I would argue that the format is now fit for purpose, I have done so in the past and then completed a total overhaul soon after. No, chaos is mutable, and while what I have at the moment definitely works that does not mean it will look this way forever. So remember to subscribe if you are interested in seeing what my site eventually becomes.