Phantasmaphile

October's Not Over!

I intended to write this post a few weeks ago, but that did not happen. October is always busy season for us witches, and this one is busier than ever with travels and projects. I am literally on an airplane as I write this, and it's the first free moment I've been able to snag all month. Not sure how long wi-fi will last up here, so I'm going to make these sky-words quick:

• My friend Shannon Taggart's book SEANCE is finally out from Fulgur, and it's a masterpiece. It contains 300 pages of her photographs of mediums, Spiritualists, and other liminal figures, plus essays by such otherworldly visionaries as Dan Aykroyd and Tony Oursler. This is a truly groundbreaking and gorgeous monograph, and it's a must-have for any occult art collection.
  
  
• MOMA will be showcasing several magical early prints by art legend Betye Saar, as well as her iconic assemblage work, Black Girl's Window, from Oct 21- Jan 4.
  
  
• The William Blake show up at Tate Britain looks tremendous, and I sincerely hope I can get to the UK before it closes on Feb 2.
  
  
• The new Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series on Netflix may be the most exquisite show I have ever seen (and the making-of documentary is astounding as well). Very excited to see this exhibition of puppets and character designs currently at the Museum of Moving Image, up through Feb 23.
  
  
• Like the rest of my magic pals, very into the AMC show Lodge 49, which is about a secret society in California, and is rife with alchemical references. We're still making our way through season 1 though so NO SPOILERS.
  
  
• Music: the new Chelsea Wolfe album, Birth of Violence, might be my very favorite of hers. It's more mellow and melodic than her last few, but perhaps even heavier from a content-perspective as it deals with the shadow-side of the divine feminine. Utterly beautiful. Also loving Derek Schmidt's Major Arcana album of shimmering tarot songs, and eagerly anticipating the new FKA twigs album (the videos have been stunning so far).
  
  
• I should have mentioned: the reason I am on an airplane again is because my book tour heads to California right now. I've got 5 juicy events in the SF and LA areas, some ticketed, so free. Please do join me if you're near.
  
  
• I'm also very honored to have been featured in this New York Times profile, as well as to have received some extremely kind words about my book in the Times Literary Supplement.
  
  
• The Witch Wave season 3 launches on Oct 30, just in time for Halloween. I've got some astoundingly stellar guests lined up, so do make sure you're subscribed in whatever podcasting platform you prefer.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but I blame it on the altitude. Here's hoping you also fly high for Samhain, and that all of your witches come true!

Summer Sorcery

Aube Elléouët "Intrusion" 2008

Hello hello. My goodness the last month-plus has been quite a ride. My book Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power came out in the US and UK (with more regions coming soon!). I did loads of events in support of the release, and am now enjoying a sliver of recharge time before things become busy again in that regard beginning next month. Until then, I'm working on all kinds of fun and fascinating things in the background, while also admittedly working on catching my breath. 

To that end, there are some lovely bits of (oc)culture I'm hoping to ingest in some form over the coming weeks:

• Apologies for the very late notice on this, but the Female Gaze: Women Surrealists in the Americas and Europe show is up at Heather James Fine Art for just a few more days. It's got some Carrington, Fini, Tanning, Abercrombie, and lots of other dream queens, so if you can see it before it closes on July 31, do.
  
  
• Speaking of Dorothea Tanning, I've been green with envy about the retrospective that happened recently in London, but I'm comforted to see that the terrific Menil Collection in Houston is currently showcasing some of her graphic works through Oct 13th.
  
  
• And again, kudos must go to the Tate for acquiring the archive of surrealist art magicienne, Ithell Colquhoun. Surely this should mean an exhibition of her work will be up there in the future, but until then we have Amy Hale's forthcoming biography and Fulgur's Taro as Colour book to tide us over.
  
  
• I've gushed many times about the witch photographs of William Mortensen before, so I'm thrilled that Stephan Romano Gallery will be bringing many of them to Cleveland's Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick from Aug 3 - Nov 3.
  
  
• Music! I'm overjoyed I finally got to see Bill Callahan live, and his pastoral new album, Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, has been on heavy rotation. I've also been loving Dizzy Fae's newest, NO GMO Mixtape, as well as the latest from Ex Hex, Shannon and the Clams, and this addictively diaphanous collaboration between Mary Lattimore and Meg Baird.
  
  
• Trying to limit the real estate that my own news takes up on here, but you might be interested to see some recent press I've gotten in support of Waking the Witch including some podcasts and interviews, as well as pieces I wrote for the New York Times, Powell's, and more.
  
  
• But you will want to note that tickets for the 4th Occult Humanities Conference at NYU are available now! I'm co-organizing it again with my brother-in-bewitchment, Jesse Bransford, and I could not be more excited about the speakers, artists, and vendors we have lined up. It will be on Oct 4-6, and it always sells out, so be sure to grab your tickets ASAP.
  
  
• What else? I've been adoring the newest episodes of one of my favorite animated series of all time, the sweet and magical Summer Camp Island (and was honored to get to interview its creator, Julia Pott, for the season finale of The Witch Wave).
  
  
• And I've been having a deep romance with rosewater. Seriously, I can't get enough. I've been bathing in it, eating it, and I just may have to bake this Persian Love Cake, summer heat be damned!

May Marvels

Leonora Carrington "Green Tea (La Dame Ovale)" 1943

Well, you can probably guess that I'm going to be crowing about my book again, because it comes out in just a few weeks on June 4th! I've got a whole bunch of events coming up in support of that, a few of which I'll be mentioning below. But you can see them all listed here, and you can sign up for my newsletter here to make sure you don't miss any.

In the meantime, however, there's a whole bunch of other spectacular stuff happening this month, too. So here we go!

• Leonora Carrington: The Story of the Last Egg will be in NYC at Gallery Wendi Norris (off site) on May 23 - June 29. It will feature several of her works, as well as a reading of her unpublished play Opus Siniestrus: The Story of the Last Egg, and a symposium to boot. I'm giddy with anticipation!
  
  
• On the topic of surrealist faves, there is currently a show up called Surrealism in Mexico at NYC's Di Donna Gallery. Works by Carrington, Frida Kahlo, and my #1, Remedios Varo, are among those included. I need to make sure I see it before it closes on June 28.
  
  
• And I could not be more excited for my friend Amy Hale's book on surrealist art magicienne, Ithell Colquhoun, which was just announced.
  
  
• Some of you know I love Kansas City and get there with relative frequency to visit one of my dearest pals. Hoping I can get there soon, as there is a Saya Woolfalk exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum up through Sept 1, and a Ralph Steadman retrospective up next month at the Kansas City Public Library.
  
  
• Speaking of Steadman, he's been on my mind lately because he did the poster art for Taylor Mac's GARY on Broadway, which is such an astoundingly brilliant show. I almost feel like the less you know about it the better, but let's just say it's a meditation on the purpose of art in challenging times. (And no, you don't have to be familiar with Titus Andronicus beforehand, so don't fret). See it.
  
  
• Occult poet and pal, Janaka Stucky, is currently on tour, and we caught his NYC ritual performance this weekend. Again, don't want to give to much away, but he is dazzling and unmissable, and you should absolutely catch him, particularly if one of his full-scale events in partnership with Atlas Obscura comes your way. Was very honored to write the forward for his sublime new book, Ascend Ascend, which is out now.
  
  
• On that note, thrilled to be doing an event with him this Saturday, May 18th in Philly. We'll be at BloodMilk's performance venue, Sphinx & Snakeskin, doing readings from our books and then having some juicy discussion afterward. Tickets here.
  
  
• OK, since we're talking events, here's a whole slew of NYC events of mine happening next month, so you can mark your calendars:

  Tues, JUNE 4, McNally Jackson Books (Williamsburg location), 7pm, FREE: 
  Official book release event in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (please note there are several locations of this bookstore, so make sure this is the one you turn up to!) I’ll be moderating a discussion with 3 of my favorite witchly writers, Dorothea Lasky, Kristen J. Sollee, & Mya Spalter. More details here.

  Thurs, JUNE 13, Catland Books, 7pm, FREE:
  I’ll be in conversation with Spolia Tarot creators Jessa Crispin & Jen May (each an amazing writer/artist in their own right) at Bushwick, Brooklyn's occult shop. Link coming soon, but it will be a juicy conversation about magic, feminism, and tarot.

  Thurs, JUNE 20, The Wing (Flatiron location) 6:30pm, FREE (Members Only): 
  If you are a member of The Wing, or you know someone who is that can bring you, I'll be interviewed about witchery & feminism by the brilliant Dianca London Potts. 

  Fri, JUNE 21, The Strand Bookstore, 7pm, $15: 
  This is a BIGGIE. I’ll be at the one-and-only Strand in Manhattan giving a presentation on witches and how my book came about. This will be a magnificent Summer Solstice event & when you buy your tix, you’ll also have the option of adding a reading with a magical divination expert as well. Magic will be in the air! More info and tickets available here.

  Thurs, JUNE 27, Barbes, 7:30pm, FREE (donation to musicians encouraged):
  I’m very honored that the musicians of The Bushwick Book Club will be performing songs that they’ve written based on my book. I'll do a short reading, but this will mainly be a music show, and I'll be hearing the songs for the first time myself that night. Barbes is a legendary bar and music venue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, so this should be a really special one!

• And while you've got that pen out, jot down the dates of Oct 4 - 6 for the next Occult Humanities Conference at NYU! So happy to be co-organizing this again with my brother-in-bewitchment, Jesse Bransford. Schedule and tix on sale soon, but as you can see the lineup is pretty tasty if I do say so myself.
  
  
• The new FKA Twigs video for Cellophane is one of the most gorgeous things I've seen in a while (and reminds me quite a bit of my favorite Aeon Flux episode, Isthmus Crypticus).
  
  
• Charming Disaster's darkly delightful new album, Spells + Rituals, comes out on June 7th.
  
  
• I'm obsessed with Lisa Hanawalt's new adult animated series, Tuca & Bertie. It has that quality of demented joy I can't get enough of.
  
  
• Maleficent is *technically* a malevolent fairy, but I was still happy to get my witch on and watch the new trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

That's all for now. Hope your May is off to a magical start!

Enchanted April

Rebecca Chaperon "Birth Place" 2019

Ahhh, so much going on. Where to begin, where to begin? I suppose with a quick note that apparently the Hilma af Klint show has officially broken the Guggenheim's attendance records. Not that I'm surprised, mind you. Women’s art and spiritual art have both been undervalued for so long. I'm happy to see either receive much deserved appreciation, but when combined together, as in Hilma’s work, it’s all the sweeter. I believe people are hungry for feminine magic in all forms, and this show is but one more affirmation of that. It closes in just a few days on the 23rd, so make sure you get there if you don't want to miss this monumental event. (I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that I write about Hilma and several other witchly artists in my book, WAKING THE WITCH, which is out on June 4th, and available for pre-order pretty much everywhere now!)

In other news:

• I saw the Agnes Pelton show at the Phoenix Art Museum a few weeks back, and it is magnificent. I predict this will be as revelatory as the Hilma show was for many folks, especially when it makes its way to the Whitney next year. The catalog is wonderful, and features an essay about female occult art by my phenomenal and brilliant friend, Susan L. Aberth.
  
  
• London's Serpentine Gallery has a big show up now of mystic and healer Emma Kunz's drawings. Great to see her getting more attention now, too. The show is up through May 19th.
  
  
• If crystal visions are your thing, as they are mine, you'll definitely want to check out the Rebecca Chaperon (above) and Debra Baxter double-header up now at Seattle's Roq La Rue running through May 5. 
  
  
• The Masters of the Fantastic show at NYC's Society of Illustrators looks excellent, and features the work of legendary fantasy and sci-fi illustrators including my favorites, Leo and Diane Dillon. It's up now through June 8th.
  
  
• Recently discovered Anne Jackson's remarkable witch tapestries online, and wish so much I could see them in person. Her show, Certaine Witches, has been touring throughout the UK. It's currently up at Devon Guild of Craftsmen through May 6th.
  
  
• Some of you may recognize that the title of my book, WAKING THE WITCH, is a reference to a Kate Bush song of the same name, and that both are a relatively positive reframing of a rather awful bit of sleep-deprivation torture employed to get accused witches to "confess." Was happy to come across an intriguing current group art exhibition touring the UK, also with the same title, which explores all manner of British witchery.
  
  
• I know some folks are wary of musicians being given art exhibitions, but I for one am looking forward to checking out the Annie Lennox show Now I Let You Go... up at MassMOCA now through May 25th (and bonus: my friend Christopher Mir's work is on display there, too). The Leonard Cohen group show A Crack in Everything at NYC's Jewish Museum is also up through Sept 8th, and I'm curious to see it as I adore his songs so much.
  
  
• A name you come across a lot on here is Max Razdow, as he is my friend and a hugely imaginative and prolific artist. He has a new series of occult oracle cards that he's created called MAGE CARDS, and honestly, you need to see them to believe how strange and beautiful they are.
  
  
• I really loved the fantastical Ghanaian film The Burial of Kojo by Blitz the Ambassador. It's a visually striking, slowly unfurling tone poem that is a bit reminiscent of Color of Pomegranates, Daughters of the Dust, and 3 Women. See it if you love magical realism, saturated colors, and dreamy imagery as I do. It's streaming on Netflix now.
  
  
• Very proud of the most recent Witch Wave episodes, I must say. The last three have been cosmic comics creator, Yumi Sakagawa; drag sorceress (and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5), Jinkx Monsoon; and occult poet, Janaka Stucky. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or direct on the Witch Wave podcast site.
  
  
• Speaking of listening, have you heard any good new music (other than the Beyoncé album/doc obviously)? I've been digging the recording of Beth Gibbons' new Górecki performance, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, and I'm eagerly anticipating the new Kelsey Lu and the new Lizzo that both drop on Friday.

I'm sure there's more - isn't there always? - but I've gotta shake a tail feather, so off I go!

March Magic

Agnes Pelton "Day" 1935

Hello, and happy new moon, happy almost-spring, happy March. Lots going on as ever, so this may be a quicker one than usual. Here goes:

• I have long been an Agnes Pelton fan, so I'm thrilled this undersung magico-morphic painter is finally getting her due! A retrospective of her work, Agnes Pelton, Desert Transcendentalist opens at the Phoenix Art Museum on March 9th and will be up through September 8th. If you've been losing your mind over the Guggenheim's Hilma af Klint show, then I think you'll want to plug into this one, too. Though Pelton was working many decades later than af Klint, I see them in a similar light as visionary women and spiritual, abstract (or at least quasi-abstract) painters who were so far ahead of their time. I wrote a little something about my love for Pelton for In Wild Air a while back, and I can't wait to see this show in person when I'm in AZ next month.
  
  
• The SPRING/BREAK art show is now happening here in NYC, and there are two exhibitions in particular that look amazing. Court of the Dryad is curated by The Sphinx Northeast, and features Phantasmaphile favorite Max Razdow as well as Aaron Spangler and Kyle Staver. Spiritual Art Advisory is curated by Sarah Potter and Caroline Larsen and features "a selection of artwork based on the archetypes of the Tarot's Major Arcana." The show is up through March 11th and this year is located at 866 UN Plaza.
  
  
• On a personal note, tickets for my Remedios Varo presentation Bruja with a Brush at Hauser & Wirth NY on March 20th are available here. The talk is free, but you must RSVP at that link. It's being presented by Morbid Anatomy and will also include a bunch of snaps I took at the Varo exhibition that I visited in Mexico City earlier this year. I'm very excited to discuss the occult influences on my favorite painter's work, and I hope you'll join me.
  
  
• I also have a new Wonder Woman essay up at Moleskine's The Fold. It explores the feminist (and super transgressive) roots of the Wonder Woman character, and celebrates female liberation and sexual freedom. 
  
  
• I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you that my podcast The Witch Wave has been happily expanding, and we've had some incredible guests on of late, including CIRCE author Madeline Miller, Erica Feldmann of HausWitch (and author of HausMagick), Witchery author Juliet Diaz, Strange Frequencies author Peter Bebergal, and the above-mentioned curator and Color Magic expert Sarah Potter. And the episodes coming up are pretty dang mind-blowing if I say so myself. Have a listen here or on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher (and as ever, if you're interested in sponsoring an episode or several, drop me an email or DM).
  
  
• Janaka Stucky is one of my favorite poets and performers of all time, so I was beyond honored to get to write the intro to his gorgeous new book-length poem, Ascend Ascend. It comes out on April 23rd, and Janaka will be touring all over the country to recite it with his signature incantatory rituals. Go see him live if you can, TRUST ME.
  
  
• I really dug the animated film, Ruben Brandt, Collector. Super stylish and inventive and contained so many of my favorite things: Surrealism! Art heists! Jungian dream analysis! Three-eyed faces! Highly recommended.
  
  
• I was way too spooked to watch Hereditary, which I heard was amazing, but very excited for Ari Aster's follow-up, Midsommar. Parallels to The Wickerman are obvious, but I love anything with a whiff of folktastical Pagan Revivalism, so sign me up.
  
  
• Heavy music rotation of late includes the newest albums by Dizzy Fae, Twin Temple, Neko Case, Leikeli47, and everything by SALES (but especially their perfect EP).

I know there's so much more to mention, but that's all I've got time for today. Hope you're all sparkling and well.

February Rebirth

     

Some of you know how precious the Remedios Varo painting "Nacer de Nuevo" has been to me since I was a teenager. I've waxed ecstatic about it many times over in various places, so I'll just say once more that this piece has affected me in profound ways, and is one of the skeleton keys to my psyche. So you can imagine how meaningful it was for me to get to view a never-before-displayed preliminary sketch for it at the "Adictos a Remedios Varo" exhibition at Mexico City's Museo de Arte Moderno last month. The show overall was astounding, and filled with many of her paintings, drawings, and sketches, let alone photographs, beloved objects from her personal collection, and books from her library. But seeing this one little drawing in particular was a highlight. A reminder that a humble idea can turn into a fully-fleshed out work, and once in a while, a masterpiece.

It was also amazing timing, as I was doing my final edits on my book while I was there, and just so happened to be putting finishing touches on my art witch chapter, which has a ton of Varo and Leonora Carrington in it. While it wasn't easy having to write on what was supposed to be a vacation / research trip, I can think of no better place to finish that chapter than in the very city where these image sorceresses lived. 

Anyhow, it's been far too long since I've posted here. Writing this book has been more difficult and time-consuming and emotionally challenging than I imagined. And yet it is now, finally DONE. I know it will never be perfect, but I can let myself say that I am really really proud of it, and put so much heart and work into it, and I hope very much that you will enjoy reading it. I received galleys last week, and it's wild and wonderful to hold it in my hands. If you, too, would like to read "Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power," it will be out on June 4, 2019, and it is available for pre-order now. Pre-orders are a huge help, so I thank you for considering doing so. But regardless, I hope that if and whenever you do read it, you find something in it which stirs and sparks you. 

With that personal preamble out of the way, onto some delectable, fantastical bits and bobs:

• Remedios Varo's book of collected texts, "Letters, Dreams, and Other Writings," in out from Wakefield Press, finally! So worth the wait, and full of tiny treasures.
  
  
• In more Varo news, I've been enjoying the new Vessel album "Queen of Golden Dogs," which not only has a Varo painting as its cover, but a song is dedicated to her as well.
  
  
• On a related note, on March 20th I'll be giving an illustrated lecture called "Remedios Varo: Bruja with a Brush" for Morbid Anatomy at NYC's Hauser & Wirth gallery. More details soon.
  
  
• I also write about Rider-Waite (or "Smith-Waite" as it's now rightly called) tarot illustrator, Pamela Colman Smith, in my book. So you can imagine I am very excited to see the "Pamela Colman Smith: Life and Work" exhibition up now at Pratt Institute through April 4th. (You have the new "Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story" book already, yes? It is huge and chock full of images and info.)
  
  
• The Tate Modern will be hosting a Dorothea Tanning retrospective from February 27th through June 9th, and it will have 100 of her works - the first of such exhibitions in 25 years. I am hoping so very much I'll be able to see it. (I realize I say that every time something tremendous like this happens in the UK, but I am always sincere.)
  
  
• There will be an Alejandro Jodorowsky retrospective at NYC's El Museo del Barrio from February 28th through May 12th. It will include "an array of visual, literary, archival, and filmic material drawn largely from the artist’s personal archives," and there will be screenings and events including tarot readings from the man himself.  EDIT: I just learned this exhibition was cancelled. Apologies!
  
  
• Two spellbinding books: the "SPELLBOUND" catalog from the Ashmolean's witchcraft exhibition of the same name, and Fatima Ronquillo's new monograph as well.
  
  
• Who doesn't want to watch a short film of Kenneth Anger swanning around Chateau Marmont, directed by Floria Sigismondi?
  
  
• I know there's far more than this going on, but I must leave now this Houston hotel room where I'm currently staying and begin my day. Still swooning over yesterday's visits to the Rothko Chapel and Menil Collection, two places I've dreamed about visiting for years. They are very strict about photos, so here's that Tilda Swinton / Tim Walker shoot at both locations to help you visualize.

March Mix

Darren Waterston "To Meet as Far This Morning" 2017

Oh my stars, it's been a while. I've come to realize that as long as I'm writing this book and doing the podcast (loads of new episodes up!) blogging here is just going to have to happen with a lot less frequency. Hopefully quality will eclipse quantity, and you guys will keep poking your heads in to find something new every now and again. Thanks for sticking with me.

A few things I'm excited about:

• Darren Waterston's new show, Ecstatic Landscape, up today through April 28th at DC Moore Gallery. He is one of my very favorite painters, and I'm always excited to see what sublime imagery he conjures. The works in this exhibition are described thusly:

"Though they draw from the long lineage of landscape painting, Waterston’s works are unbound, moving through uncharted territory. His works broach the psychological through a surreal and abstracted approach to the genre rather than taking a strictly descriptive method. The paintings are seductive, drawing the viewer in by their majesty and monstrousness. Thwarted by their artifice, one is left with a sense of yearning for something not quite attainable.

• The Collages of Helen Adam show at Tibor de Nagy beginning on April 10th. No listing on their site yet, but I got a lovely invitation in the mail to the opening. I've written about my Helen Adam obsession here, so you know I'm giddy about this one.
  
  
• Witch extraordinaire, Judika Illes, will be teaching a Magic Workshop at VERAMEAT on Friday, April 13th from 7-10pm. Tickets on sale here. Wish I could be there myself, but will be out of town.
  
  
• Not happening til October, but thrilled that the Harry Potter: A History of Magic show will be eventually making its way from the UK to the NY Historical Society: "Capturing the traditions of folklore and magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories, Harry Potter: A History of Magic unveils rare books, manuscripts, and magical objects from the collections of the British Library, New-York Historical Society, Harry Potter publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury, and other special collections."
  
  
• New Pinc Louds album is out on 4/6. They're having a release party that night at Littlefields. (Again, wish wish WISH I could be there, but I'll be traveling again.) And bonus! Album art is done by legendary cartoonist, Mark Alan Stamaty (Fun fact: his mom and my Grandma Sonya were both artists and dear friends. Whatever, you're impressed). The video for their new single, BABIES!, is here, and a madcap delight. I've spoken a bunch in the past about my love of "demented joy," and the Pinc Louds encapsulate that spirit for me in the most perfect, satisfying, ecstatically weird way. Drag and puppets and wordplay and prismatic bananacakes wacky wondrousness! LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
  
  
• Witchly e-pal of mine, Gabriela Herstik, has a new book out called Craft: How to Be a Modern Witch, and it is beautiful inside and out. (She's also my guest on the latest episode of The Witch Wave.)
  
  
• Lykanthea (composer of The Witch Wave theme song "Hand and Eye" amongst much other sonic beauty) featured on PRI's The World talking about her modern, electro- spin on Indian classical music.
  
  
• The exquisite and moving video for serpentwithfeet's new single, bless ur heart. (Can't wait for the new album, soil, coming out on 6/8)
  
  
• Season 10 of Drag Race, obviously.
  
  
• This list of purple birds

Episode 2 of The Witch Wave is up!

I'm super excited to announce that the 2nd episode of my new podcast, The Witch Wave, is up! It features Kristen Sollee, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive and Editrix of Slutist. You can listen to our saucy conversation about sex magick, witchcraft activism, and why the witch is a feminist icon by heading over to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or directly on the Witch Wave site. I am thrilled with how this episode turned out, and I think you'll dig it, too. If you do, kindly subscribe to us and give us a stellar rating - it makes an enormous difference. Thanks so much for listening!

The Witch Wave podcast + 12 Years of Phantasmaphile!

Photo by Shannon Taggart

Yesterday marked the 12 year anniversary of Phantasmaphile, and I tend to use this occasion as a time to take stock and give thanks. Though I've gone off in several witchly directions since October 2005 - and don't post on here nearly as often as I'd like to these days - this space remains the root of all of the other projects I've gotten to do, whether it's writing What Is A Witch, creating WitchEmoji, or co-organizing the Occult Humanities Conference at NYU. I'm so grateful to those of you have joined me on this journey, whether you're a long-time reader or a new traveler on the phantastic highway. Getting to meet so many of you, whether in person or in the e-aether, has been one of the most rewarding parts of keeping up this site. We all form a community of curious oddballs who are devoted to making the world more magical. 

It's in that spirit that I'm thrilled to announce my latest venture: The Witch Wave podcast. It's a show where I'll be having conversations about magic, art, creativity, and all sorts of other witchery with today's leading visionaries. My first guest was the incredible Briana Luna of The Hoodwitch, and I loved our conversation about digital mysticism, beauty rituals, and the importance of honoring our ancestors. You can listen to the episode on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or on the Witch Wave site itself. If you like it, I hope you'll subscribe to it and rate it - it would be a massive help, and I would deeply appreciate the support. This has been one of the most joyous projects I've ever worked on, and I'm so excited for the upcoming episodes. It hit #2 in the Spirituality category on iTunes and has gotten some great reviews since it launched last week, and I'm crossing my fingers/toes/eyelashes that it will continue to find a passionate audience, including you.

Many thanks for reading, for listening, for showing up, and shining bright. Wishing you a Happy Halloween, a Blessed Samhain, and a wondrous Season of the Witch. I'm honored to have you in my magic circle. 

Eclipse News

I hope this note finds you feeling hopeful. Darkness can be unsettling, but it's so often a source of wisdom and vast potential. Let's make sure this American Eclipse kicks off a new chapter of change, courage, and radical curiosity.

How can we contribute to building a world that is equitable and just? How can we use the power of our imaginations to more fully engage and transform? How can we learn more about ourselves and each other, and use our collective power to create more love, more art, and more beauty? (Here's a good place to start). These are the questions I'm mulling over. I hope you'll join me.

On that note, there's lots of news to share with you, so I'll jump right in:

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM

The third Occult Humanities Conference at NYU will be taking place on October 13-15, 2017. It is once again co-organized by Jesse Bransford and myself, and this year is shaping up to be the most magical yet. Full details are here, with even more to come. Tickets for the weekend are available here, so do be sure to get yours soon, as they will sell fast.

***

APPEARANCES & APPARITIONS

On Friday, September 1 at 7pm, I’ll be participating in the “Witch as Muse” panel discussion at the Seligmann Center in Sugarloaf, NY, alongside Sarah Potter, Kristen Sollée, and Cody Rounds. This is in conjunction with the “Season of the Witch” exhibition up now, which will be on view that evening. More info here.

On Thursday, October 5th at 6pm (New Zealand time), I’ll be participating remotely in “Night of the Witch” at City Gallery Wellington in honor of their “Occulture: The Dark Arts” exhibition. I’m going to be doing an illustrated reading of “What Is A Witch” and then a conversation and Q&A about art and witchcraft. More info here.

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SPELLCASTS FOR PODCASTS

I was honored to be a featured guest on the fabulist, feminist Stories of Strange Woman podcast. I had so much fun with this conversation, and it is quite extensive thanks to the great questions from twin hosts Tracy Hurley Martin and Tonya Hurley. Listen to the episode here.

And I’m grateful to The Wytch Files for doing an entire episode on “What Is A Witch,” complete with a stellar review and some annotations and other additional research. Listen to it here.

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BOOK, BOOK, AND CANDLE

A reminder that I wrote the forward to “Literary Witches” by Taisia Kitaiskaia with illustrations by Katy Horan. It’s out on October 10th, but you can pre-order this gorgeous book here.

And I’m thrilled to be featured in Kristen Sollée’s “Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive,” available now.

(OK, no actual candle news to speak of, but do be sure to check out my friends Mithras Candle online or in person at the Occult Humanities Conference if you’re in need of further illumination!)

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SHE’S SUCH A SHAMELESS WITCH

Lastly, a reminder that “What Is A Witch,” by me and Tin Can Forest is available for purchase here, and in many fine shops across the globe.

And my WitchEmoji sticker app for iPhone messaging is available here to charm your mobile coven.

***

Thank you for your continued support of my wyrd work. It truly means the world.

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Doubling Down on Twin Peaks

Greg Ruth "#6 This is the Water..." 2017

HellooOOooOoOoooOOOoo!

If your household is anything like mine, you've been living in your own little Twin Peaks lodge of late, and loving every second of it. We're over halfway through the season now, and I still can't say enough good things about it. It is even more beautiful, more astonishing, and more fully realized than I could have hoped. One of my favorite quotes is from Tom Stoppard: "Let your imagination run riot." Big bravo to Showtime for allowing David Lynch and Mark Frost to do just that.

With that said, I thought I'd share a few other Twin Peaks-adjacent items which have been flipping my log of late:

First up is this glorious series of graphite interpretations of several of the show's key elements and characters drawn by the seemingly unstoppable Greg Ruth. (Incidentally he is also doing the covers for another of my favorite stories: Akata Witch and its forthcoming sequel, Akata Warrior, by the fabulous fabulist, Nnedi Okorafor.)

I'm also currently addicted to Diane, a Twin Peaks podcast that examines each new episode with an esoteric eye. It's created by a group of exceptionally smart and good-spirited siblings from Brighton, and the juxtaposition of their warm voices and their unsettling content is as delicious as a damn fine cup of coffee being sipped beneath a shroud of mist. (And shout-out to my friend Rachel for turning me onto it!)

Have also been in sonic thrall of this fan-made Spotify mix, Nighttime at the Roadhouse, which features music that's either on the same wavelength as, or featured on, the show.

Been desperately trying not splurge on any of the David Lynch designed merch from the official Twin Peaks shop, but my gods it's difficult. I mean COME ON. (Though I did, I confess, buy his beans.)

Lucky for me, this excellent Interfaith Voices interview with Lynch conducted by my friend and occult scholar, Mitch Horowitz, costs nothing to listen to, but is rich in wisdom.

Lastly, I imagine many of you have read Lynch's book, Catching the Big Fish, already, but if not I recommend you remedy that posthaste. It's a spare but weighty tome on Transcendental Meditation and creativity, and it truly changed my life when I first read it a number of years ago. Unmissable for anyone interested in the relationship between art and the unconscious.

NONEXISTENT!!!

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Artemis in the Air

Carrie Ann Baade "Artemis Creatrix" 2015

I've had a deep connection to Artemis since I was a child (and long-time readers probably know this as I've posted many artists' homages to her over the years). Though she is a constant presence for me - a continuous low-grade lunar hum in my veins - she makes herself known to me in far more obvious ways when she needs to. Or when I need her to, more like.

Some of you are aware that I have just started a 6-month sabbatical from my day job. It's been an exciting decision, and one I know is the right one for me at this point in time. I have a lot of writing and healing and exploring to do, and I'm grateful to have been given the encouragement and support to be able to do it. That said, there is no small amount of anxiety that comes with big change, and in my case, little doubt goblins that creep in occasionally to make me second guess myself.

Artemis has been slaying these goblins for me, arrow by arrow.

She's been reminding me to trust my wild instincts and independence, and reassuring me by turning up in various guises and synchronicities over the past few days:

• Via a bottle of Artemis wine, given to me by a co-worker as kind send-off
• On NPR in between morning news segments in the form of a Jonathan Richman's "Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild," an Artemisian song I had just fallen in love with a few weeks prior
• In an email from The Seneca White Deer, a non-profit I've supported for years, announcing that they will soon be reinstating public tours. (I plan on going as a pilgrimage in the fall, and finally visiting my spirit animal in person)

...to name but a few.

This painting by Carrie Ann Baade is a splendid interpretation of her. In Baade's own words, "'Artemis the Creatrix' is a goddess of creation and inspiration who calls forth something from nothing and transforms it into matter."

Artemis, thank you for your guidance, your transformative magic, and for the luminous, creative energy you shine upon and through me. Blessed be.

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Mystic Medusa Astrology Offer

I sometimes get approached to offer deals or ads on here, and I almost always decline. But I've been a fan of Mystic Medusa's astrology site for years now, thanks to her wit, knowledge, and fabulous taste in art. Delighted to be able to offer Phantasmaphile readers 20% off any of her subscriptions - just use coupon code "juno" when you check out. Happy horoscoping!

WitchEmoji is #1!

WHOA!  WitchEmoji is the #1 sticker pack in the App Store!  Thank you so much to those who have downloaded it - I'm so grateful for the support.

A couple quick reminders:

1. If you're not familiar with stickers or are having trouble finding it in your phone, installation instructions can be found in the FAQ section of witchemoji.com
2. If you downloaded it and you dig it, would you please leave a review in the App Store?  It really, really helps.
3. And would you kindly also spread the word?  If WitchEmoji's momentum keeps up, it will mean I can add more stickers and expand to other platforms (e.g. Android) down the road.

Big BIG thanks again for the WitchEmoji love!  I hope it brings you lots of good magick.

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Introducing WitchEmoji!

I'm over the moon to announce that my WitchEmoji are now available in the App Store!

WitchEmoji is an iMessage sticker pack for all of your witchy needs.  It contains images of witches, spell craft objects, familiars, and magic symbols in a variety of skin tones and colors.  Use it to make your texts more magical!

WitchEmoji was created out of my desire to have delightful witchy/Wiccan/Pagan images to use in iMessage.  I couldn't find any I was satisfied with, so I decided to make some myself (with the help of one amazing emoji designer).  There are 80 stickers in this pack, so plenty to choose from.  You can see more samples of what's included here.  I hope you love them as much as I do.

Read more about WitchEmoji here!

Like WitchEmoji on Facebook here!

Download WitchEmoji here!

And if you dig it, please give it some nice, shiny ratings in the App Store, then kindly help spread the word.

Thank you and BEST WITCHES!

Mithras Candle

Holiday season is here, so I thought it worth mentioning that Mithras Candle is the official candle of Phantasmaphile for several reasons:

1. They do everything in small batches with locally sourced beeswax
2. They create stunning, Tolkienesque hand-dripped pillars, in addition to smooth and forthcoming pyramid styles
3. They are run by two of the loveliest humans, Ben & Andrea, based out of Philly
4. Their brand is stylish and magickal as all get-out.

Order yours today and have a Solstice with the mostest!

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Happy 11 Years, Phantasmaphiles!

Remedios Varo "Witch Going to the Sabbath" 1957

Yes, this day marks the 11th anniversary of this strange little corner of the interhaus!  (All the more special as 11 is my lucky number, so feeling rather auspicious).

It's been an incredible, Phantasmaphilic year indeed, with highlights including my "Language of the Birds: Occult and Art" exhibition, the 2nd Occult Humanities Conference at NYU, the publication of my "What Is A Witch" comic book with Tin Can Forest, and numerous other events and adventures you've read about on here.

It's also Samhain season, and I was very happy to kick it off yesterday by talking about (what else) witches on Huffington Post Live.  You can watch the segment here, if you so desire.

Thank you very much for enabling my wyrd ways for these past 11 years.  I'm grateful as ever for the support, friendship, opportunities, and great kindness you have all helped usher into my life.  And I wish you much magick and endless blessings today, and always.

Solstice Check-In

Inge Vandormael "The Third Eye" 2015

Happy Solstice, everyone!  I hope you had a magickal Solstice night yesterday, and celebrated it with equal parts stillness and sparkle.  I had much-needed evening of ritual and relaxation, beginning with a yuzu oil bath, per the Japanese tradition to usher in health and blessings.  It's been a whirlwind of a year, and things will continue apace as I get ready for my "Language of the Birds: Occult and Art" show at NYU, the Occult Humanities Conference, and a few other projects I've got tucked up my sleeve.  I'm grateful to have had a night of re-centering, and I hope that you make sure you stop and glow quietly for a bit, if you haven't already.

It's difficult to do amongst so much December activity.  Holidays!  Parties!  Star Wars (so good, wasn't it?  Maz!  Captain Phasma!  Rey!  But I digress)!  And to top it off, there are some other tremendous art shows to see:

Romano Gallery has two blockbusters that just opened:  a groundbreaking retrospective of the work of visionary artist Charles A.A. Dellschau, and an incredible group show of symbolic mystery works (including the piece above) called "Hieroglyphica." Both exhibitions are up through January 31st, so plenty of time to see them after holiday craziness is over.

Mark Ryden's "Dodecahedron" show opened at Paul Kasmin Gallery, and looks to be a stunning exploration of sacred geometry as seen through his signature lens of innocence and imagination.  And just check out this glorious invitation to it.  It's up through January 23rd.

Wishing you peace, art, light, and lots of love this season.  Blessed Solstice and Happy Holidays to each of you!

Help Cross Bones Graveyard Build a Public Garden!

If you live in or visit London, I hope you'll make a stop at Cross Bones Graveyard, if you haven't already.  It is an unconsecrated burial ground for prostitutes, called "The Winchester Geese," that dates back to at least the 16th century.  And it's become a shrine of sorts for outsiders and the outcast, with gates that are festooned with ribbons and prayers.

Though the garden within is beautifully tended, and there are occasional tours and vigils, largely thanks to the efforts of John Constable, it is not technically open to the public at present.  Bankside Open Spaces Trust is looking to remedy this, and has started an online fundraising campaign to fund public memorial garden.  Though they are hoping to raise £30,000 ultimately, they do need to make at least £7,000 in order to keep any funds that come through, and they're just shy of £4,000 currently.  Won't you please consider donating?  This is truly one of the world's sacred places, and will finally honor those nameless women who deserve dignity, beauty, and remembrance.

Full info here:

A Public Garden for Crossbones Graveyard

by Bankside Open Spaces Trust

On Redcross Way, a tranquil back-street running parallel to Borough High Street, there's a plot of land surrounded by hoardings. There's a big rusty iron gate adorned with ivy, ribbons, flowers, feathers, jewellery and other curious totems – and with a bronze plaque bearing the epitaph: 'R.I.P. The Outcast Dead'. This is Cross Bones, a pauper's burial ground with a legend going back to medieval times. ¹

A post-medieval un-consecrated burial ground south of the River Thames in SE1 that remained in use until 1853. Thousands of people – especially those on the margins of society including prostitutes from Bankside's brothels – are thought to be buried there.

Landowner Transport for London (TfL) has leased the burial ground to Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) ² , for at least three years.
We have been lucky enough to secure initial grant funding to make the site safe, add a gate, and lay out the first raised bed to protect the human remains. We need to raise a further £60,000 to turn this special place into a garden with regular opening hours, for all to enjoy, and remember.

The Cross Bones story has been championed by local writer John Constable and the gates at the entrance to the site on Redcross Way have become a focus for remembrance of those buried at the site.


Here lay your hearts, your flowers,
Your Book of Hours.
Your fingers, your thumbs,
Your Miss You, Mums.
Here hang your hopes, your dreams,
Your Might-Have-Beens,
Your locks, your keys,
Your Mysteries.

-from The Southwark Mysteries by John Constable,
recited during the monthly vigils at the gates.³

As BOST creates a safe beautiful garden for public access visitors will be able to experience and reflect in the unique ambience for the first time in over 100 years.

1. www.crossbones.org.uk
2. www.bost.org.uk
3. www.southwark-mysteries.co.uk

Please donate here now.

Contemporary Occult webinar on Reality Sandwich TONIGHT

Tonight, I'll be taking part in an interactive webinar about the occult in contemporary life on Reality Sandwich at 8pm EST.  And I will be in spectacular company, as the other three participants are Mitch Horowitz, Gary Lachman, and David Metcalfe.  Please join us!

REALITY SANDWICH Visionary Dialog:
Is the Contemporary Occult Different than Occult Era's Past? 

A live, interactive video discussion with Gary Lachman, Mitch Horowitz, David Metcalfe, & Pam Grossman

Date: TONIGHT, Monday, November 17
Time: 8pm EST

Price: Included as part of Reality Sandwich's pay-what-you-wish Conscious Agent membership program
Presented by: Reality Sandwich

Become a Conscious Agent and join Gary Lachman, Mitch Horowitz, David Metcalfe, and Pam Grossman for

November's Visionary Dialog:Is the Contemporary Occult Different than Occult Eras Past?

   

Today we see a growing interest in fringe consciousness experiences long associated with the "occult": clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition, and encounters with disembodied spirit. Burners return from the playa startled by the high incidence of synchronicity, and the uncanny moments when they caught their friends thoughts before words passed through their lips. Rigorous lab studies are demonstrating that these experiences are more than just superstition. At the same time, once-sober minded, skeptical shamanic journeyers return from ceremonies with plant spirit medicine convinced that consciousness permeates the universe. The contemporary occult expresses itself quite differently than the one we associate with 19th century seances, table tipping, Madame Blavatsky, W.B. Yeats and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. For instance, whatever happened to Ouija boards? Similarly, the mysticism of the 60s counterculture, with its obsessive throwing of the I Ching and the hippie levitation of the Pentagon, seems a far cry from how the occult appears today.  

 

But are the differences really so great? To explore this topic, we've gathered some of Reality Sandwich's most knowledgeable and popular writers on the occult.  

Featured Speakers:

 

Gary Lachman - Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member and bassist for Blondie. Has written for The Guardian, Mojo, Times Literary Supplement, and more. Author of "Aleister Crowley: Magick, Rock and Roll, and the Wickedest Man in the World" and "The Secret History of Consciousness."    

 

Mitch Horowitz - A nationally known writer, speaker, and publisher in alternative spirituality. Author of  "One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life."   

 

David Metcalfe - David is an independent researcher, writer and multimedia artist focusing on the interstices of art, culture, and consciousness. He writes regularly for Evolutionary Landscapes, Alarm Magazine, Modern Mythology, Disinfo.com, The Teeming Brain and his own blog The Eyeless Owl.   

 

Pam Grossman - Pam is an independent curator, writer, and teacher of magical practice and history.  She is the creator of the blog Phantasmaphile and the Associate Editor of Abraxas International Journal of Esoteric Studies.

  

It all starts in mid-November with a live, interactive video discussion led by our featured authors. You can take part in the conversation, just like a Skype call, able to ask questions and offer observations on camera. Then the discussion moves to a text forum for 4 weeks of dialog and debate by the RS community, led by the featured authors and moderated by the RS team.

 

My "Witching Hour" video essay on Film Comment

I'm thrilled to have gotten to do this video essay on witches in cinema for Film Society of Lincoln Center's Film Comment blog. 

You can watch it here, though there are some NSFW (AKA Nude Satanic Fetid Witches) bits, so be warned:

You can also watch it in its entirety here, or in 5-part chunks here.  And you can read the full transcript here.

I am indebted to Violet Lucca from Film Comment, who not only invited me to do the project, but was its tireless and brilliant editor both for the video and the text, and who was a delight to work with.  Thank you, Violet!

Wishing you all a blessed Samhain, and a wonderful, witchly Halloween.

Happy 9 Years, Phantasmaphiles!

Leo Kenney  "Seed and Beyond II"

Today marks the 9 year anniversary of Phantasmaphile, and I'm feeling a great deal of joy and gratitude about all this odd little blog has brought to my life: more art, deeper magick, new opportunities, and so many dear, dear friends.  This year alone has been an embarrassment of riches in terms of projects and travels, taking me from Lily Dale to London and beyond, and I'm excited for what's coming next, and grateful to you all for joining me on the journey.

A few changes have happened as well: as mentioned here, Observatory is no longer with us as of August, so I've been flying solo, and giving talks and running events at various venues in the US and UK since.  If you'd like to be sure you're kept updated about all of that, please join my mailing list here.  It's a monthly-or-so roundup of my various esoteric art activities, and it's the best way to make sure you don't miss anything.

Lastly, Phantasmaphile remains sponsor- and ad-free, and I'd like to continue to keep it that way.  If you'd consider making a donation to help offset hosting costs and platform fees, I would be most appreciative.  You can do so here or by clicking this shiny button:

Thank you as ever for your interest, your eyeballs, and your continued support.  May our paths continue to cross in the digital, aetheric, and material realms.  I'm so glad we've found each other.

Nino Japaridze Tarot Deck and Paris Exhibition

Nino Japaridze "Stranger of Gardens (Etranger des Jardins)" 2014

I've writtern about Nino Japaridze's work here twice before and with good reason: her vibrant pieces have a distinct surrealist lineage, but still feel wholly fresh and surprising.  Her latest project consists of her take on the tarot in its entirety - not unfamiliar territory for preceding artists.  Yet in Japaridze's skilled hands and under her distinct vision, it's renewed.  Her mixed-media works don't feel derivitive like so many of the decks out there which steal shamelessly from Pamela Colman Smith's designs.  Rather, these cards are unique and fantastical, teeming with color and alternative visual interpretations of the classic tarot tropes.  Additionally, this deck has different suits: Winds, Fire, Tides, and Gardens, rather than the usual Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles; and new entities such as The Stranger, The Jester, and The Drowned.

All 78 original paintings from the deck will be on display as part of the Gallery of Surrealism's "Japaridze Tarot" show at Paris' Hotel Drouot beginning this Thursday, October 30th through November 5th:

What: Japaridze Tarot
Where: 12 rue Drouot, 75009, Paris
When: Thursday 30 October - Thursday 06 November, 2014
Vernissage: Thursday 30 October 6:30-9:30pm admission by invitation

Japaridze Tarot, a re-imagining of the Tarot universe through the visionary lens of leading Franco-Georgian contemporary artist Nino Japaridze, is a hypnotic, deeply contemplative series of seventy eight original paintings in oil, acrylic, gouache, ink, and collage created over a period of two years.

Steve Lucas, owner of New York's Gallery of Surrealism which represents Japaridze, proposed to the artist in 2011 that she create twenty two works inspired by the Major Arcana of traditional Tarot.  As the remarkable works neared completion, they came to the attention of legendary Tarot authority and collector Stuart Kaplan.  Kaplan, author of the four-volume Encyclopedia of Tarot and whose company, U.S. Games Systems, is the world's foremost publisher of Tarot decks, was fascinated by Japaridze's timeless and mesmerizing images and determined to publish them under his imprint.  He challenged the artist to create an additional fifty six paintings constituting a complete tarot deck.  The artist, undaunted by the tripling of her efforts, was intrigued and created the remainder of the deck over the following year.

Born and raised in the Republic of Georgia's capital city of Tbilisi, Nino Japaridze has been a full-time artist her entire life.  She moved to Paris over twenty years ago and has painted and exhibited there since that time.  Her recent projects include L'Eternel Retour, an exhibition which premiered in 2010 at Paris' Palais de Tokyo and The Master and Margarita, a portfolio of four hand-painted etchings published in 2012.

In addition to the seventy eight original mixed media paintings for the Japaridze Tarot, all of which will be on view to the public for the first time, Gallery of Surrealism and Hotel Drouot are pleased to present the premiere of U.S. Games Systems' deluxe publication, a boxed set containing the Tarot card deck and 178-page book with full-color artwork.

Parisians, do be sure to see this beauteous work in person.  Those of us who live elsewhere will be able to content ourselves with the marvelous deck itself, released by none other than US Games this month - perfect timing for Samhain divinations. 

I:MAGE is here!

From "The Veil of Dreams" collaborative art working by Max Razdow & Jesse Bransford, 2014

Greetings from London!  I'm technically here to give my "Witch Pictures: Female Magic and Transgression in Western Art" talk at the I:MAGE Conference at the Warburg Institute on this coming Saturday, October 25th.  Check out the schedule and the staggering list of speakers I'll be alongside, and grab your tickets for this day-long esoteric extravaganza.

But I'm also here as friend of Fulgur Esoterica and a fangirl of so many of the artists whose work will be featured in the Fulgur's I:MAGE: Travelling with Unfamiliar Spirits group art exhibition opening tomorrow night from 6-9pm at the Cob Gallery, as well as an enthusiastic attendee of some of the other otherwordly events they have scheduled in conjunction with the show.  Once again, here's everything you need to know:

I:MAGE: Travelling with Unfamiliar Spirits

Cob Gallery, London

20^th October – November 2^nd    

www.cobgallery.com

The spirit world comes to life in this two-week-long celebration of esoteric art. The show’s theme coincides with the time of year: the beginning of the dark months. Popular culture calls it Hallowe’en but contemporary Witches and Druids across Europe and North America call it Samhain, Heathens Winter Nights, Greek reconstructionist movements Thesmophoria; Vodou practitioners celebrate Fete Ghede, followers of Santeria and indigenous religions in Latin America observe Día de los Muertos, while Welsh folklore advises staying away from cemeteries on Calan Gaeaf. In most magical and esoteric traditions the end of October is a sacred time of year, a time for honouring the dead and communicating with the spirit world. It is a time to acknowledge the winter months and delve into the darker part of the year and of the self. The boundaries between the familiar and what is Other shatter. The veil is thin. The magic begins.

In keeping with this significant event, I:MAGE 2 will reflect on the idea of communicating with spirits and travelling between worlds by inviting artists to place their work as a manifestation of one of the following:

Communicating with Celestial Spirits: You engage with the planetary and celestial spirits of the universe’s heavenly spheres, aiming towards the divine. From Blake’s Jacob’s Dream to Kandinsky’s Composition VII, these works may look at planetary attributes or the achievement of higher spheres of the Tree of Life.

Communicating with Chthonic Spirits: You engage with the underworld, the dead, the deepest, most recondite aspects of magic, art and self. Such works include Rodin’s Orpheus and Eurydice and Leonora Carrington’s Down Below.

We promise you two weeks of magic, art and celebration and we warmly invite you to join us.

 Confirmed Artists

Agostino Arrivabene 

Michael Bertiaux 

Jesse Bransford 

Anne Crossey 

Denis Forkas 

Cristina Francov 

Barry Hale 

Liz Insogna 

Francesco Parisi 

Residue 

Max Razdow 

Penny Slinger 

Natalia Smirnova 

Shannon Taggart 

 

I:MAGE Events:

I:MAGE Opening Night

Join us and celebrate!

October 21 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Cob Gallery,

205 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0SG United Kingdom

+ Google Map

Tonight, we open our doors to the spirit world and to our friends with an informal drinks and canapés reception. At 7 p.m. Robert Ansell will give a ten-minute speech explaining the concept of the show and will introduce the artists who were able to join us. They come from Russia, Italy, New York, Ireland and they are eager to talk about magic and art. Come and mingle, meet friends and experience world-class esoteric art. Please note: This event is…

Find out more »

The Colours of Western Esotericism

An Evening Workshop with Jesse Bransford

October 22 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Cob Gallery,

205 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0SG United Kingdom

Click "Find out more" below for full details and to purchase tickets.

Colour has enormous potential for facilitating lateral thinking and free association. It is these qualities that make it such a powerful concept in esoteric thought, theory and practice. As a history of the idea of colours from antiquity to the present, the workshop will rely primarily on colour ‘systems’ articulated in Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy and the work of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. As a hands on practium, the workshop will…

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The Veil of Dreams

Jesse Bransford and Max Razdow on Pilgrimage

October 23 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Cob Gallery,

205 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0SG United Kingdom

Click "Find out more" below for full details and to purchase tickets.

Join us for an evening of Icelandic magic, dream visions and art. Tonight, the artists Jesse Bransford and Max Razdow will discuss and answer questions about ‘The Veil of Dreams’, a six-month-long project in which the artists attempted to synchronise their dreams and shared them online using common symbols. They will further discuss and show photo-documentation of the last stages of the project, a pilgrimage to Iceland. The original dream journals will be exhibited tonight…

Find out more »

I:MAGE at the Warburg Institute

A Special One Day Conference on Esoteric Art

October 25 @ 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Warburg Institute,

Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AB United Kingdom

Click "Find out more" below for full details and to purchase tickets.

Organised by Fulgur Esoterica, this one-day of lecture aims to offer an insight into the emerging category of esoteric art by focusing on what has been defined as one of its key aspects – the engagement between artists and spirit entities and what this means in terms of artistic expression. The I:MAGE day of lectures will take place at the Warburg Institute, one of the most renowned centres…

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Embodied Spirits and Fetishes

An evening talk from David Graeber

November 1 @ 7:00 pm - 8:15 pm

Cob Gallery,

205 Royal College Street, London, NW1 0SG United Kingdom

Click "Find out more" below for full details and to purchase tickets.

Anthropologists have always had a very ambivalent attitude towards magic. To some degree this is because they are heirs to the Enlightenment tradition which sees religion as a matter of humans foolishly bowing down before their own creations, confusing their own powers with exterior natural or supernatural forces. But magicians don’t really do that. So there’s always a creeping sense that in some way, they actually do get it right. What’s more, one has to ask: if what’s called ‘fetishism’…

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I have my juices flowing already thanks to a visit to the "Witches and Wicked Bodies" show at the British Museum, a requisite stop into the occult gem that is Treadwell's Books, and a meal at a cafe called The Life Goddess.  i:MAGE, here I come!   And I hope some of you will be there, too.

Happy Anniversary, Wonderella!

I've been a longtime fan of Wonderella Printed, publishers and purveyors of the uncanny and the whimsical.  Clint Marsh, the dear-hearted wizard behind the Wonderella curtain, has been putting out pamphlets and books such as "Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop," "The Nature of Aether," and one of my personal favorites, "Red Rock, Black Sun" - and many more - for a glittering 21 years this summer.  To celebrate, he has released the above beauteous poster by R. Black.  Won't you celebrate along with him, and order one to grace your castle?  It's a limited edition of 500, and at a mere $10 is a frugal way to add some luster into your life.  

* 21 YEARS OF PRACTICAL ESOTERICA *

Wonderella Printed began publishing in July 1993 with the first issue of Real Life Magazine, a classic-style zine dedicated to the independent art and music scene in publisher Clint Marsh’s hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa. Since then, Wonderella’s offerings have grown progressively stranger and more attuned to Mr. Marsh’s unique view of the world, a genre of publishing he calls “practical esoterica.”

In honor of 21 years of producing books, pamphlets, and ephemera, Wonderella Printed is proud to present a specially commissioned poster by Bay Area graphic artist R. Black.

The Lady & The Moon
Wonderella first used its “Lady and Moon” logo in 2002. The first iteration of the image was copied from a 1606 alchemical textbook, Alchymia, by Andreas Libavius. In the image’s freestanding context as our logo, the white lilies and the female figure signify Clint’s astrological sign of The Virgin, and the moon represents illumination in the darkness, a goal of his work with Wonderella Printed. In 2009, artist Jeff Hoke updated the logo, and R. Black has given it a new spin for this poster.

About R. Black
The striking, unmistakable visual style of graphic artist R. Black has graced hundreds of concert posters, book and magazine covers, and the outer walls of Berkeley’s Ashby Stage. In 2008, Dark Horse Comics published Futura: L’Art de R. Black, a collection of his rock poster art. Black divides his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Eastern Sierras.

Wonderella Turns 21 is an offset 3-color poster measuring 11 x 17 inches. It has been printed in a limited edition of 500 copies.