Read this first: “A Cultpunk Manifesto”

We are Cultpunks.  We affirm that belief systems, rituals, symbols, pilgrimages, tenets, holy days, shrines, festivals, taboos, mythologies and pantheons can and should be created as works of art.  If so, then surely any sufficiently advanced magic is likewise indistinguishable from technology, and religions may usefully be considered as psychological technologies.  Just like any other tech, … Read moreRead this first: “A Cultpunk Manifesto”

The Religion of the Electric Gods

Jason Ananda Josephson Storm writes for the Center for the Study of World Religions on the short-lived new religion of Denshinkyō: Scholars dismiss The Religion of the Electric Gods as a byproduct of a 1945 Japanese law code that granted tax exemptions to religious institutions without specifying exactly what constituted a religion. Indeed, groups such … Read moreThe Religion of the Electric Gods

“Spirits of the Deep South”

Professor Yvonne Chireau explores the tradition of Hoodoo in the deep south and how its beliefs and traditions in spirituality, ancestors, the hereafter, and defense against evil inform the world and characters of the recent movie Sinners. Wunmi Mosaku, who plays Annie, shares how important her role was in the making of this film and … Read more“Spirits of the Deep South”

The Archdruid of Stonehenge’s Guide to Pagan Glastonbury

Samuel Firman writes for the BBC: Set amid the hilly wetlands of the Somerset Levels, Glastonbury has been a spiritual magnet for centuries. In the Middle Ages, many believed that Joseph of Arimathea visited with the Holy Grail, and the sacred cup is central to the Arthurian legends that infuse the town and its landscapes. Glastonbury is also considered the hub … Read moreThe Archdruid of Stonehenge’s Guide to Pagan Glastonbury

The Cult of Rame Tep (“Young Sherlock Holmes”, 1985)

The teenage Sherlock Holmes (Nicholas Rowe), John Watson (Alan Cox) and Elizabeth Hardy (Sophie Ward) investigate the sinister Cult of Rame Tep in this tense scene from Young Sherlock Holmes (1985). While the notion of a secretive and literally underground ancient Egyptian cult active in Victorian London strikes a romantic chord, various occult and esoteric … Read moreThe Cult of Rame Tep (“Young Sherlock Holmes”, 1985)

Sky News Australia responds to the CREATION documentary

Andrew Bolt, host of the conservative Sky News Australia channel, airs his grievances regarding the rival Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s screening of the documentary CREATION: A New Religion on Easter Sunday. Mr. Bolt’s comments are highly reminiscent of various Fox News presenters’ remarks on the Satanic Temple over the past ten years or so, mixing incredulity … Read moreSky News Australia responds to the CREATION documentary