Month: October 2025

“Poetic Faiths Vol. I” Reviewed for the International Journal for the Study of New Religions

Click here to read the full review by Finnish scholar Essi Mäkelä: Since their basis of practice is not a historical writing or tradition/ritual that has been followed for hundreds of years, for many new religious movements it might be hard to see themselves as belonging to the category, while at the same time they … Read more“Poetic Faiths Vol. I” Reviewed for the International Journal for the Study of New Religions

Visiting the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (Hudson Valley, New York)

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors … The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors represents the life’s work of pioneering visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey. After outgrowing their New York City studio in 2009, the Greys moved to the small town of Wappingers Falls in the Hudson Valley. CoSM is now a campus-like arrangement in the woods, … Read moreVisiting the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (Hudson Valley, New York)

American Gods

Speculations on the future of American religion in a post-United States: The fragmented, multipolar political landscape of future America will tend over time towards something like a feudal or tribal condition. As above, so below—polytheistic paganism will appeal in this cultural habitat in a way that it doesn’t under a more centralized and hierarchical social … Read moreAmerican Gods

The Cortège: A Festive Funeral for Our Times

According to The Cortege website: The Cortège is a participatory procession occurring outdoors at dusk. It is a revival of the lost arts of mythic pageantry, and a festive funeral for our times. The evening begins with a brief orientation, followed by a preshow with food & beverage options, and live music. At nautical twilight, … Read moreThe Cortège: A Festive Funeral for Our Times

“Renew! Renew!” The Cult of Carrousel in Logan’s Run (1976)

In the futuristic world of Logan’s Run (1976), humanity – or at least that portion of humanity that the movie is concerned with – is sequestered away from the unknown “world outside”, living and dying inside vast Xanadu-like pleasure domes. Their lives and deaths are supervised by an AI who ensures that they want for … Read more“Renew! Renew!” The Cult of Carrousel in Logan’s Run (1976)

“The Cult of Midsommar”

Mark Winegust interviews Martin Karlqvist & Patrik Andersson, who designed the elaborate rituals of the Hårga cult in the modern folk-horror classic movie Midsommar: MARTIN: It’s of course a lot of backwards engineering, because we knew what we had at an early stage, but it’s also highly influenced by my psychology studies,and the writings of … Read more“The Cult of Midsommar”