“The Book of Uncommon Rituals”
The Book of Uncommon Rituals (forthcoming series) is an adventurous collection of original submissions from practitioners from all over the world, spanning a wide range of spiritual paths and no spiritual path.
Cultpunk
The Church of Burn
Introducing the Church of Burn: Art-Magic Cult? New Age Religion? Ritualists? Gnostics? Chaos Mages? When the Fitzwilliam Museum described Church of Burn as “organisers of special events that resemble religious ceremonies,” it felt like we were being observed through the lens of a Victorian anthropologist — as if our rituals needed some kind of official … Read moreThe Church of Burn
“Finding my Religion: Poetic Faith and DIY Shamanism”
Advocate for soul, renegade psychologist, men’s coach, artist, musician, cultural activist and host of the Howl in the Wilderness podcast Brian James writes on Poetic Faith, the recent anthology Poetic Faiths: New Religions and Rituals as Works of Living Art and his own development of Archetypal Shamanism: Both Coleridge’s Poetic Faith and Keats’ Negative Capability … Read more“Finding my Religion: Poetic Faith and DIY Shamanism”
The London Magical Moon Pilgrimage
Advance notice of this ritual event in London, to take place overnight beginning on April 26th: Walking the Thames Serpent Dream Bridge With our brave, wild, beautiful imaginations, the grief and laughter of our bodies, the attention of our hearts and desire of our dreams A small and merry band of pilgrims will join in … Read moreThe London Magical Moon Pilgrimage
Alan Moore on the Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic
Arch-Magus Alan Moore (pictured above with his patron deity Glycon) is interviewed on the occasion of the launch of his arcane tome The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic.
“Why More Māori Are Rejecting Christianity”
The Religion for Breakfast YouTube channel offers an insightful take on the phenomenon of contemporary Māori atheism, based on this 2024 academic study. See here for my own take on post-theistic “civic mythopoetics” in New Zealand.
The Planet People (“The Quatermass Conclusion”, 1979)
Scientist Bernard Quatermass has his first glimpse of the Planet People, a hippie/punk cult drawn to megalithic stone circle sites, in this clip from the 1979 series (also released internationally as a movie) The Quatermass Conclusion. On a personal note, while I have no other memory of having seen this show, I do recall this … Read moreThe Planet People (“The Quatermass Conclusion”, 1979)
The Temple of Poetic Faiths
Here is the notional Temple of Poetic Faiths (ignore most of the text, it’s AI gibberish). Here is a place – perhaps an installation in a modern art gallery, perhaps a civic center in a nation that truly values things like art and imagination and religious pluralism – wherein are found the altars and shrines … Read moreThe Temple of Poetic Faiths