Accelerated Thinking

This month I have mostly been thinking about the descent into the darker half of the year. I have always been a magickian of two halves, a strange personality quirk explored in a couple of my more self reflective articles over the years. Spring and summer see me unpacking my Neopagan toolkit and setting up shop firmly in the urban shaman space. But come the summer solstice I feel the pull of the underworld in my veins once again. And then I devolve into the Fox of Bones, necromancer and high priest of the dead. Funnily enough this is not some sort of bizarre pathworking, nor a conscious effort to live the wheel of the year. Those around me will see a real shift in polarity, and remembering the ever cyclic nature of my interests while growing up I guess it has always been the case. So buckle up Gravehounds, because it is only a few months until Halloween and I for one cannot wait.

Empowered Words

“The most thoroughly and relentlessly Damned, banned, excluded, condemned, forbidden, ostracised, ignored, suppressed, repressed, robbed, brutalised and defamed of all Damned Things is the individual human being. The social engineers, statisticians, psychologists, sociologists, market researchers, landlords, bureaucrats, captains of industry, bankers, governors, commissars, kings, presidents etc. are perpetually forcing the Damned Things into carefully prepared blueprints and perpetually irritated that the Damned Thing will not fit into the slot assigned to it. Theologians call it a sinner and try to “reform” it. The governor calls it a criminal and tried to “punish” it. The psychologist calls it a neurotic and tried to “cure” it. Still, the Damned Thing will not fit into their slots.”
— Robert Anton Wilson, Damnation by Definition

Occult Almanac

July begins the long and all too warm descent into the darker half of the year, and though it may seem a long way off the nights are indeed lengthening now. Lunar observances start with the New Moon on the 5th and First Quarter on the 13th before the Blessing or Oak Moon rises like a beacon on the 21st. The Third Quarter then occurs on the 28th, the same time as The Delta Aquariids meteor shower peaks, though the latter continues on through the 29th as well. Mercury reaches its Greatest Elongation East on the 22nd, and while there are no notable Neopagan or Demonolatry related observances harvest season is coming, and the dog days are very much in effect. As with more agrarian communities of old the toil you put in now, both literal and figurative, will see you through the coming winter. Just as well there is so much invigorating solar energy up for grabs, then.

Necronomicon Mortui

A list of notable members of the occult, paranormal and Fortean community, ordered by date of death as opposed to birth. Michel de Nostredame, Seer, born around 21st December 1503, died 2nd July 1566. John Alva Keel, Author, born 25th March 1930, died 3rd July 2009. Arthur Conan Doyle, Spiritualist, born 22nd May 1859, died 7th July 1930. Franz Bardon, Mystic, born 1st December 1909, died 10th July 1958. Philip J. Corso, UFOlogist, born 22nd May 1915, died 16th July 1998. Elizabeth Hope, Medium, born 20th November 1855, died 20th July 1919. William Lyon Mackenzie King, Spiritualist, born 17th December 1874, died 22nd July 1950. Moina Mathers, Magician, born 28th February 1865, died 25th July 1928. Margot Adler, Witch, born 16th April 1946, died 28th July 2014. Paschal Beverly Randolph, Magickian, born 8th October 1825, died 29th July 1875. William Wynn Westcott, Magickian, born 17th December 1848, died 30th July 1925.

Memento Magus

Best known for the highly influential book, Drawing Down the Moon, Margot Adler (born 16th April 1946, died 28th July 2014) was also a talented journalist and radio broadcaster who specialised in various social interest topics. A Wiccan priestess and member of the Covenant of the Goddess, Adler’s writing formed the initial gateway to modern Neo-Paganism for many American practitioners, and as such is an important milestone in their history. Her later biographical work, Heretic’s Heart: A Journey Through Spirit and Revolution is also often cited as one of the most honest depictions of the 1960’s civil-rights and antiwar movements committed to print. Possessed of a keen mind and inquisitive nature, she openly identified as Pagan during a period when such beliefs were still perceived as in some way tainted by the Christian Devil, weathering discrimination with her head held high.

Grimoire Guides

Sometimes there is value in recognising books that are not necessarily for a dedicated occult audience. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Paranormal by Nathan Robert Brown is one such entryway into the realms of the weird, and an interesting read for the more experienced Fortean too. Do not let the 2010 year of publication fool you, research into such topics moves at such a slow pace that the narrative is still relevant today. This is split into broad subject areas including Japanese monsters, psychic phenomena and of course the odd vampire tale as well. Necromancy gets a mention, as does therianthropy, and the author laces some of the entries with methods for stopping those creatures, such as silver or stakes. Indeed Brown is credited in his author’s biography as a doctoral student of mythological studies, and this level of good old fashioned research can be seen on every page.

End Notes

And there it is, issue thirteen of my occult and paranormal newsletter set to infest the digital astral. Seeing as the format here is now pretty much ready to go I will instead lay out some rough plans for the next six or so months. Media Magick reviews for A Dark Song and Pontypool are on the way, as is one for the criminally underrated Whisperer in Darkness too. My pile of books has expanded exponentially recently, but Dave Lee’s Primordial Chaos and Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen are both near the top of that stack. I’ll be doing a write up on them under the Grimoire Guides banner once they’ve been suitably digested. First I need to get to the end of the Hexorian Movement’s #OpGrimoire, a fascinating work that reminds me of Urban Gothic and what bubbles beneath the surface of good old London town. Until then all I ask is that if you like my work, share it for others. And feel free to leave a like too.