Ritual
Tapu te Ranga Marae
I visited the Tapu te Ranga Marae several times over the years when I lived in Wellington, NZ. Sometime in the late ’80s or early ’90s I had a memorably cryptic encounter with founder Bruce Stewart in the main meeting hall. The Marae (very loosely, “community center”) was an extraordinary place. Probably the first and … Read moreTapu te Ranga Marae
Forbidden Fruit Eve: a Proposal for a New Satanic Yuletide Custom
In the hallowed tradition of inventing new holidays and rituals expressing the wants and needs of niche communities – witness the viral success of Wolfenoot, an annual festival of canine-themed kindness created by an imaginative seven-year-old, or Festivus, as popularized by Seinfeld – here is a modest but timely proposal for Forbidden Fruit Eve as … Read moreForbidden Fruit Eve: a Proposal for a New Satanic Yuletide Custom
Goose and Crow: Urban Magic
Poet and playwright John Constable, sometimes known as the urban shaman John Crow, relates some of his communions with The Goose – the spirit of a medieval sex worker whose apocalyptic visions spurred the creation of the Crossbones Memorial Garden in Southwark, London.
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
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)
The College of Extraordinary Experiences
Part Hogwarts LARP, part Bohemian Grove for a diverse collective of experience design professionals, the College of Extraordinary Experiences is also an excellent model for ritual artists keen to meet and mingle.
Douglas Rushkoff beatified by the Church of Earthalujah (circa 2010)
Much more on Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir here.
“Eldritch Wonders”
Eldritch Wonders is an upcoming: (…) three day immersion into the practical applications of contemporary ritual. Students will learn how ritual structure, metamodern philosophy, and ancient mythopoetic wisdom can enrich the human condition on a planet headed toward not only imminent destruction, but imminent rebirth. Honour the past, embody the present, and collaborate on futures … Read more“Eldritch Wonders”
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