What do these three things have in common? I’m still not quite clear on that.

I received Francis Breakspear’s new book, If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Be Doing It! a few months ago, read a few pages, then got caught up in other things. I recently picked it up again, and so far it’s as direct and funny as his first book, Kaostar!,as expected.

Also as in Kaostar!, essays appear from Kate Hoolu and someone called “Dave Evans” (a pseudonym if I ever heard one).

I’ve just finished reading a two-essay interlude by Kate Hoolu, the first, titled “Stereotyping”, deals with issues of race and culture, and the second, “That behaviour is not normal! But how do you prove it?”, discusses mental health. It’s unusual to see these topics addressed in books ostensibly about practical magick, to say the least. Continue reading »

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Legion 49, by Barry William Hale looks to be another fascinating title from UK’s Fulgur.

Hale’s blog seems to be dormant, but Caduceus Books gives us a taste of his style, while Fulgur’s author bio fills in the rest.

From Fulgur’s website:

Barry William Hale has nurtured an early fascination with the order Diptera to develop a buzzing, post-modern grimoire-bestiarum. Drawn from many years practical experience working with Beelzebub and his servitors, Legion 49 provides us with a rare glimpse of ‘the Lord of the Flies’ and the dark quintessence of his Legion. In a series of short, de-constructionist essays the artist explores traditional methods of evocation and the myths surrounding Beelzebub, before providing an iconographical and sigillic recension of his horde of forty-nine servitors, glimpsed through the protective-symmetry of the paper-cut traditions of old Mexico.

Fulgur always produces gorgeous work, last year’s Conjunctio, by Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule and The Valley of Fear, by Austin Osman Spare were further proof of this.

Popularity: 6%

Robert Anton Wilson (1932-2007) was an entertaining novelist, playwright, philosopher and magician.

His daughter, Christina, is selling some of his personal effects on eBay, including several tarot decks, mugs, lighters, clothing, and other items.

Each item has a little personal story associated with it.

Christina’s reasons are given on the new Robert Anton Wilson site as:

I do want to announce that you now have an opportunity to have an authentic RAW Artifact, from his life, his home, his library, his love: up close and personal items as I work to raise funds to help his disabled son, and pay off his final debts. Yup, he left some. Didn’t mean to, and apologized to me before skipping the event horizon. Wish I didn’t have to, but it’s my job to wrap up this debt, and move on so that we can actually do what he wanted. Which is to keep the lasagna flying – his work available to all who were interested, and provide some support for his son. He was never very attached to physical things, but he did get great joy from many items that came to be in his home. I want to make them available in the hopes that they will also bring you joy, and will close the door on Bob’s debts. So here’s your chance to have a real RAW Souvenir, to inspire your own Muse and bring RAW energy into your own space!

The auction appears genuine, so if you’re interested, click on over to eBay, grab something of RAW’s, and help support his remaining family.

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