“Beyond Belief: The Cults of Burning Man”

An excerpt from the ever-increasingly-iconic Erik Davis’ 2006 essay on emergent cultic activity at Black Rock City: Thus it is with some trepidation that I turn to one of the more vexing questions that one might ask about Burning Man: can or should we speak of the event as a sacred gathering? Even if we … Read more“Beyond Belief: The Cults of Burning Man”

CHAPEL by [M] Dudeck

CHAPEL by [M] Dudeck/RELIGIONVIRUS September 7-9/2023 at Graffiti Gallery was a three day durational performance. [M] Dudeck, PhD, (born in Winnipeg, 1984) is an artist and cultural engineer who invents their own queer religion as art. Their project, called RELIGIONVIRUS, has been performed, exhibited, screened and published in over thirty countries worldwide. Their work as … Read moreCHAPEL by [M] Dudeck

“Make ‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’ Your New Religion”

As suggested on the BackRow.com movie blog: The Electrical Life of Lous Wain conjures the same sort of exhilaration that documentaries Jodorowsky’s Dune and Beauty is Embarrassing bring their viewers; the wildly ecstatic high of one man’s vision striking those around him like a lightning bolt, leaving the permanent marks of what was and will … Read more“Make ‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’ Your New Religion”

VR Near-Death Simulation and Memento Mori Rituals (New York City, September 2023)

On the afternoon of September 17th, nine participants gathered in the Morbid Anatomy Library in Brooklyn, NYC to undertake an experiment in ritual space and time, guided by artists Bridget Carey, Tony Wolf and Virgil Wong. The main gates of Green-Wood Cemetery, just a few minutes’ walk from the Morbid Anatomy Library. Note the large … Read moreVR Near-Death Simulation and Memento Mori Rituals (New York City, September 2023)

Sky Meadow: a place to be

I’ve just returned from a three-day Sacred Harvest event at Sky Meadow, an idyllic 115-acre spiritual retreat in the rugged and mountainous Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The Harvest is a work-stay arrangement, with free accommodation and an organic feast on the final night offered in return for harvest labor – weeding, picking vegetables, stacking wood … Read moreSky Meadow: a place to be

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

Located in Wappinger, New York, CoSM is: (…) a place of contemplation & worship for community honoring the practice of art as a spiritual path. CoSM’s site and structure provides a living model of the ideals expressed through the inspiring artwork of the collection and exhibitions, the writings of the founders and invited contributors. CoSM … Read moreThe Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

Metamodern Magick with Scoutleader Wiley

Scoutleader Wiley offers an illustrated presentation on her system of Metamodern Magick: Metamodern Magick is a cross-disciplinary framework that seeks to enrich every individual’s knowledge of self and sense of being in the world through individual and communal ritual practice. Drawing from the work of John Vervaeke, Gregg Henriques, Marie-Louise von Franz, and Catherine Bell … Read moreMetamodern Magick with Scoutleader Wiley

The Sisters Academy

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, The Sisters Academy is: (…) a school in a world and society where the sensuous and poetic mode of being is at the center of all action and interaction. It defines the primary mode of being and is the values on which all societal institutions are building – including the school. … Read moreThe Sisters Academy