John Rogers has once again demonstrated his unique talent for capturing the ever-evolving essence of London in his latest literary offering, “Welcome to New London.” — A full decade has passed since the release of his debut book, and during this period, both the world and the city itself have undergone profound transformations. London, the enigmatic metropolis that served as the backdrop for his initial exploration, has continued to evolve at an astonishing pace, its relentless…

This was my first written interview in a very long time. I used to do countless of them in my years as a musician, but nowadays, it’s all podcasts or livestreams. — Here’s an excerpt: What prompted you to eventually leave the O.T.O. after being an active member, and what core lesson did you take away from that experience? Multiple reasons locked in my decision to leave Ordo Templi Orientis, likely more than I can discuss here for the sake of brevity. …

Allen Greenfield and Olav Phillips take us on a ride through the dark side. — Secrets of the Real Black Lodge Revealed by Allen Greenfield (with help from Olav Phillips) is a fascinating exploration into the enigmatic world of secret societies and the occult. Greenfield is an occultist with a rich and diverse background in esoteric traditions. He has been actively involved in various occult…

The Hellier Team does it again. — The Unbinding is the new full-length documentary by the Planet Weird crew that brought us the magick of Hellier — and after having watched it last night, I can safely say “they did it again”. Greg and Dana Newkirk, alongside Tyler Strand and Jason Gowin, take us through a journey…

A Thelemite’s perspective, 3 years — and counting — later. — I originally wrote this piece on the Hellier subreddit right after binging both seasons in the early months of 2020. Remember those Before Times? It seems centuries ago, not a mere 3 years. With the release of The Unbinding, Greg and Dana Newkirk’s first full-length documentary, hitting the streaming services…

“I want real magick, not this boring shit!” says the internet. — One often repeated trope in occult social media discourse is that no one needs more people teaching the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. Yet, I always wondered how many of these same people have any actual success with these rituals. Crowley famously states in Liber Aleph to “Neglect not the…

For those who actually care about these things. — UPDATE: as of October 2023, the author of the statement I reply to has decided to delete it from her website. Now that everyone has said their piece, including deranged nonsense from the very same guy who has been pushing conspiracy theories and dangerous anti-scientific ideas for the past few…

The bitter fruits of the Wasteland — UPDATE: a bullet-point list of truths and falsehoods for those who want the tl:dr Five years ago, I documented my harrowing experiences inside Ordo Templi Orientis. In the intervening years, it became one of the go-to articles people find and read online when researching the trail of abuses and cover-ups…

The simplest and yet the most misunderstood of Crowley’s Libri — Liber Oz is often discussed, largely out of context, online. I touched on this tendency to make of it whatever one wants in my book, but this morning I mused on it a little more. Crowley wrote the piece in order to convey as simply as possible the “O.T.O. plan…