• TheWitchofThornbury
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    18 days ago

    Yep, Crowley was a hagfish - everything he touched turned to slime.

    For early 20th century occultism, try looking up Dion Fortune (pseudonym) who was actually quite positively focused. He/she wrote several novels, of which Psychic Self-Defence is probably the most famous. Gardnerian witchcraft is also tied into all this stuff, more or less positively depending on context. The short stories of Sylvia Townsend-Warner are a thinly disguised contemporary critique of the participants too. And very funny. This stuff is not at all fashionable, but sneaks up and bites where it matters. I recommend it as an antidote to practically all instagram occultism.

    There’s a few clubs that play tarrocco around in the northern suburbs - if you like card evenings they’re quite fun. Only most of the people involved are eldery Italians, so if you are under 60, or just don’t yet use a walking frame, prepare to be flirted with.

    • Seagoon_OP
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      18 days ago

      ooh, someone else who has read Dion Fortune.

      All bunk of course.

      • TheWitchofThornbury
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        18 days ago

        Legacy of the hippie era - the books were re-issued then. Odd, of course, but some of the psychological insights still have value. Particularly the ones relating to credulity.