Hey, don't undersell old Howard Phillips Lovecraft; he hated Jews, Irish, and Italians just as much as black people. Ironically, it's only his pathological fear of miscegenation that makes The Shadow Over Innsmouth (a personal favorite of mine) work at all, even though I'd imagine most people read it are more horrified by the bodily transformation aspect and the blending of man and monster (so, bestiality?) and miss what was actually tormenting the author.
Despite being a millenial, I can't say I find much allure in the commercialized "spookiness" of Halloween, and I say that as someone who listens to extreme metal, loves old horror movies, and reads Dracula every October with my wife. I'm also a loner when it comes to most of my interests, and having a bunch of other people jump on the spookiness bandwagon ruins the fun.
I've never encountered a demon, ghost, or witch, but I have watched a Bimoist shaman sacrafice a chicken and drink its blood. I grew up in southern China, where malicious spirits apparently run wild, but I somehow never managed to encounter anything even remotely supernatural. I know many of my Chinese friends would disagree, but like you, I feel nostalgic for a more demon-haunted world.
However, I fear demons have died out in the West only because we've replaced them.
Mostly unrelated, but have you thought of doing an article or two on hermetica? Given that you've touched on magic, neoplatonism, and perennialism several times before. I'd be interested to see what you could make out of the wisdom lineages, or maybe on the prisca theologia idea, like in Ficino. Renaissance platonists in general are fascinating, in part because they sometimes touch on the Hermetic material in a more Christian context
Hey, don't undersell old Howard Phillips Lovecraft; he hated Jews, Irish, and Italians just as much as black people. Ironically, it's only his pathological fear of miscegenation that makes The Shadow Over Innsmouth (a personal favorite of mine) work at all, even though I'd imagine most people read it are more horrified by the bodily transformation aspect and the blending of man and monster (so, bestiality?) and miss what was actually tormenting the author.
Despite being a millenial, I can't say I find much allure in the commercialized "spookiness" of Halloween, and I say that as someone who listens to extreme metal, loves old horror movies, and reads Dracula every October with my wife. I'm also a loner when it comes to most of my interests, and having a bunch of other people jump on the spookiness bandwagon ruins the fun.
I've never encountered a demon, ghost, or witch, but I have watched a Bimoist shaman sacrafice a chicken and drink its blood. I grew up in southern China, where malicious spirits apparently run wild, but I somehow never managed to encounter anything even remotely supernatural. I know many of my Chinese friends would disagree, but like you, I feel nostalgic for a more demon-haunted world.
However, I fear demons have died out in the West only because we've replaced them.
Fascinating read!
Mostly unrelated, but have you thought of doing an article or two on hermetica? Given that you've touched on magic, neoplatonism, and perennialism several times before. I'd be interested to see what you could make out of the wisdom lineages, or maybe on the prisca theologia idea, like in Ficino. Renaissance platonists in general are fascinating, in part because they sometimes touch on the Hermetic material in a more Christian context
Dear Mr. Armstrong,
I do not think I have read "October" or, much less, have heard of it. Could you tell (or show) me where to find it?