By Psyche | April 22, 2010
Dr Brendan Cathbad Myers, professional philosopher, lecturer, author, podcaster and all ’round swell guy, is offering a course on Nietzsche and Paganism through Cherry Hill Seminary.
From the course description:
Perhaps the most misunderstood, difficult, and notorious philosopher of the modern age is Friedrich Nietzsche, creator of such powerful ideas as the Will to Power. Accused of promoting a kind of paganism, even within his own lifetime, he certainly mounted the most powerful critique of all religious thinking ever written in the Western philosophical tradition. In this course we will examine three of his most important books very closely, and we will learn why his work remains important for the study of ethics, religion, and culture and also why it remains dangerous.
It’s a 12 week Masters’ level course taught online, and as per Brendan’s note, “although it is a graduate level course, it may be audited by anyone (with [his] approval)”. It’s only $375, and it is bound to be excellent.
Unfortunately, I’ll be in Paris when it begins, and won’t be able to take it, but please do check it out and consider signing up. Continue reading »
Popularity: 1%
By Psyche | March 9, 2010
The votes are in, and April’s Esoteric Book Club selection is S.S.O.T.B.M.E., written by Lionel Snell as Ramsey Dukes. The full title is Sex Secrets of the Black Magicians Exposed – I love his sensational titles, they have almost nothing to do with the books themselves (see also BLAST Your Way To Megabuck$ 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!
Popularity: 2%
By Psyche | January 17, 2010
Standing Stone and Garden Gate is a new podcast started at the end of December 2009 by author and philosopher Brendan Cathbad Myers and Juniper, who blogs at Walking the Hedge. Their tagline is “the podshow for thinking Pagans and working Witches” and they’ve already put out three episodes.
In Episode One Brendan and Juniper introduce themselves and the podcast. Also introduces the segments, such as Standing Stone, a segment dealing with philosophic themes – very appropriate for Brendan. Rants and Raves, which will be commentaries on current media, book reviews and other social commentary on the Pagan scene. Garden Gate, how to find the magickal in the mundane, every day practice. Ask Dr Expert, a segment where Juniper will try to stump Brendan on some bit of arcane lore. Continue reading »
Popularity: 5%
By Psyche | August 29, 2009
Saturday Signal: sifting the signal from the noise of the Internet’s occultural cacophony.
It’s been a crazy week with lots of great stuff to post, but I fear that there may be distinct lull in September.
No one (yet) has volunteered to take over the blog Update: One person has e-mailed me interested in taking over while I’m stranded in England on vacation in September, but there’s certainly still room for more. Position is still wide open, and I’d love for this to be an opportunity to widen the range of this blog to more than just my voice.
Hey! Signal!
- Martin Fackler writes about Japan’s dying mediums for nytimes.com. It seems itako and other shamanistic mediums were common across Japan in medieval times, but were were suppressed in the late 19th century as Japan built a modern nation. Now, when they die, there’s none to replace them.
- Digging this up from aeons (not yet) gone by, read this piece about chaos magick, by Ray Sherwin, one of its founders. In it, Sherwin discusses some of the history of the chaos current, the IOT, chaote philosophy and its (non)beliefs.
Er…noise?
Hey, remember back in June when I promised to let you know when I’d finished reading Francis Breakspear’s If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Be Doing It!
? Well, the review is up on SpiralNature.com now.
As always, if you find something weird, cool or otherwise noteworthy, please e-mail me about it. If you’re pro-promotion, include your name and website for extra credit. Thanks!
Popularity: 2%
By Psyche | August 15, 2009
Saturday Signal: sifting the signal from the noise of the Internet’s occultural cacophony. And oh, the Internet’s full of cacks and phonies. We do what we can.
Without further ado, here’s what we’ve found signal worthy this week:
- Randy Boswell, on Canada.com,o reports on Charles Taylor‘s negative comments in Philosophy Now on the atheist bus campaign started in Britain, which have also swept Canada this year. Taylor calls them pathetic, but I think they’re great. The religious response has been generally amusing as well. A church near my house has put up a poster in the same brightly coloured style proclaiming “There probably is a god. Now stop worrying and enjoy life.” Misguided, but hip none the less.
- In is blog RitualMagick.co.uk, David Rankine looks into Gematria of Blog and discovers that in Prime Qabalah it adds up to 80, the same number as dance, red, debauch and kala. What to make of that?
- John Crow collects editions of Liber AL vel Legis, and earlier this year he posted a detailed review of Italian and Norwegian editions in Treasure-House of Pearls. The Norwegian edition in particular looks gorgeous.
If you find something weird, cool or otherwise noteworthy, please e-mail me about it. If you’re pro-promotion, include your name and website for extra credit. Thanks!
Popularity: unranked
Dr Brendan Cathbad Myers, professional philosopher, lecturer, author, podcaster and all ’round swell guy, is offering a course on Nietzsche and Paganism through Cherry Hill Seminary.
