By Psyche | March 9, 2010
You've probably already subscribed to our RSS feed, followed us on Twitter, and joined our Facebook page. (You're so Web 2.0!)
But have you checked out our new Esoteric Book Club? First pick is Robert Anton Wilson's Quantum Psychology. Participate here!
The votes are in, and April’s Esoteric Book Club selection is S.S.O.T.B.M.E., written by Lionel Snell as Ramsey Dukes. The full title is Sex Secrets of the Black Magicians Exposed – I love his sensational titles, they have almost nothing to do with the books themselves (see also BLAST Your Way To Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula
– another book about philosophy).
It’s an excellent book, one I’ve already read several times, and one I recommend highly. I’m thrilled that it was chosen, I think it will make for excellent discussion in April.
The only reason I didn’t include it in my list of “Top 5 Books on Chaos Magick” was because S.S.O.T.B.M.E. predated it, but it will be interesting to trace its influence through to today.
April’s forum is open and ready if anyone wants to get started a little early, otherwise I’ll post a reminder closer to the date.
Hope you’ll join us!
By Psyche | February 9, 2010
Catalogue Seven was released today from Fulgur, featuring works of art by several of their authors and illustrators.
Most notably it contains several drawings and illustrations by Austin Osman Spare, including the one pictured left, titled there as “Three Men in a Cavern”.
Also included are “hand-decorated diabolical objects” by Barry William Hale, whose Legion 49was put out by Fulgur last year. By this they mean Jack Daniels and rum bottles decorated with sigils and atwork and, well, I’ll use Hale’s description:
The Sigillick Conjuration of Beelzebub is incorporated into the walls of these Seven unique Talismanic Bottles sporting a variegated panapoly of magical signs and symbols sacred to the Lord of the Flies.
One of my favourite modern occult aritsts is also featured, Orryelle Defenstrate-Bascule, with images from his Conjunctio, also published by Fulgur.
I’m more than a little in love with the pencil drawing of Isis, especially after getting the chance to see Orryelle’s Ganeshe in his glory at Treadwell’s last fall.
Even if, like me, you can’t afford any of them, it’s definitely worth a look.
By Psyche | January 14, 2010
Immanion Press has recently come out with two new titles that sound quite interesting.
The first, Liber 767 vel Boeingus: Rough Experiments in Chaos Magic, by Slovakian chaote Jozef Karika.
From the press release posted on Rending the Veil:
Karika takes chaos magic back to its experimental, exploratory roots with a wide variety of practices ranging from twisting the concept of servitors and sigils into new shapes (sometimes literally!), to both helpful and harmful applications of magic when dealing with other people. There’s also a hearty helping of pop culture magic a la Taylor Ellwood, and the integration of modern technology, most notably the easy to access cell phone, in on the go magical practice. And the psychological model of magic is much expanded in rather creative manners!
If you think chaos magic has jumped the shark, think again. Karika’s subversion of the proverbial box (as in, “thinking outside of the”) has produced a volume of practical, hands on, make-it-happen-dammit magic that anyone with a penchant for magical experimentation should take a good, close look at.
This summary doesn’t Continue reading »
By Psyche | December 16, 2009
It should hardly seem surprising that something called “chaos magick” is constantly in flux, both in terms of what gets classed as chaos magick, and in who it attracts.
I was first introduced to the subject by some English bloke on IRC in a random Wicca chatroom who later, through a series of unlikely circumstances, became my husband. He introduced names I’d never heard of before: Austin Osman Spare, Peter J Carroll, Robert Anton Wilson – people with three names writing weird stuff.
It was refreshing. I was young, and apart from a few friends in high school, I didn’t know anyone else who was interested in magick. Until I found the chaotes, all I knew were religious Pagans who left me empty, or pedantic ceremonialists who bickered over trivia that seemed unnecessary.
From there I devoured everything I could find: Ray Sherwin, Phil Hine, Stephen Mace, Jan Fries, Steve Wilson, Ramsey Dukes, Jaq Hawkins, Hakim Bey, ye gods even Adrian Savage, simply because the word “chaos” was in the title. The books were difficult to find, expensive and experimental; the websites were raw and their authors approachable. Continue reading »
By Psyche | November 21, 2009
Saturday Signal: sifting the signal from the noise of the Internet’s occultural cacophony.
Busy times, and it’s been a while since I last posted a Saturday Signal. Indeed, the last one was on Hallowe’en, that overcommercialized wreck of an otherwise excellent holy day.
The Onion is outraged, and takes pains to reminds us that “frightenin’ away demons is the reason for the season.” Which is pretty awesome.
It recently came to my attention that Earth’s Moon may be from Mercury. It’s a wild idea, and not universally accepted, but possible. Hey, at least Pluto’s still a planet, right? Right.
- Artist and magickian Danny Chaoflux wrote an interesting though unstructured piece titled “Style Sheet Witchcraft” discussing Aleister Crowley, chaos magick, Anton LaVey, memetics and art with some great design tips.
- An Italian inventor has created a holy water dispenser to help combat the spread of swine flu, so reports the Telegraph.co.uk. Apparently this thing’s a sacred cash cow. The designer is quoted as saying: “After all the news that some churches, like Milan’s cathedral, were suspending the use of holy water fonts as a measure against swine flu, demands for my invention shot to the stars. I have received orders from all over the world.” Well, why not? Though holy hand sanitizer would likely prove more useful in the long term. Any religious market for that?
Until next week, mes amis.
