CARLOS ATANES (b. Barcelona, 1971). Is an essayist, underground filmmaker, playwright and seeker of the occult. He has always conceived his work, both fiction and non-fiction, as a tool to cleave and widen cracks in the walls of consensus reality. His encounters with Chaos Magic are both predictable and inevitable. Currently, he resides in Madrid and his website is Carlos Atanes, author and filmmaker
Chaos Magic For Skeptics
Carlos Atanes
Format: Softcover/135 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-914153-17-4
£14.99/US$22.00
Subjects: Chaos Magic
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As one might expect from such an articulate commentator, it also brings together practical how-to information, academic writing, and far reaching metaphysical exploration. This book touches on many different magical systems. Informed by the experiential approach of Chaos Magick and diving deep into the Mystery as presented through many traditions, this work explores:
Psychogeography and Magick
Transgressive bodywork
Our Vision of the End Times
Gender fluidity as spiritual process
The Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft
Zombies and the New Age movement
Buddhism meets Chaos Magick
Entheogenic magick, the law and social transformation
Mindfulness practice as the still point in the storm of chaos
The esoteric metaphysics of Pooh Bear, Tigger and Eeyore
…and much more!
By Peter Carroll and Matt Kaybryn
The Epoch – Hardbound Folio Book & Altar Icon Card Deck.
The Book: This fully illustrated and illuminated hardback opens with a detailed historical resume of magical and esoteric thought (where it came from and where it may go) before presenting the reader with three complete grimoires.
The Deck: A Cartomagical tool for the 21st century, the Deck presents 54 glorious Altar Icons spanning the three Spheres of Elements, Bi-Planets and Stellar god-forms. Hardcover: 216 pages, 28cmx23cm
Publisher: Arcanorium College (21 Mar 2014)
ISBN-10: 0992848822
ISBN-13: 978-0992848828
UK Price – Elsewhere, use same buttons, see below for guide to worldwide postage.
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Postage outside UK is expensive as this is a premium book, could be an additional 50% of order total, eg it costs about £40 to send both items, we will contact you with the actual cost, and refund if preferred. Why not start with the book and come back for the cards if you find you need them, it works out same postage wise
” This really is a pantheon for the present day: up-to-date technowizard
artwork, a commentary which soars over millennia of tradition, picking out
what is useful and relevant at the present, and icons which sum up what
deities from the whole span of Western and not-so-Western culture have
cumulatively come to mean. This is a book to which goddesses and gods,
historically so sensitive about their images, should be happy to belong.”
Professor Ronald Hutton – Fellow of the British Academy
” Not content to release a new grimoire, the Chancellor of Arcanorium College has produced three. Oh, also, one of them is a Necronomicon.
Elemental, Planetary, and Lovecraftian grimoires are joined by an accompanying tome of digitally and painstakingly rendered icons. The Portals of Chaos, and its Chaobala systemisation, marks a particularly cohesive collection of Carroll’s work. But it also contains much exciting new material. Exploration of bi-planetary sorcery – a central component of Renaissance magic somewhat absent in modern occult discourse – is a particularly important feature.
Epoch is a useful resource both for those just starting out and for experienced magicians. There is something here to excite and challenge
occultists of many different dispositions and practices. ” Alexander Cummins – Author of ‘The Starry Rubric’
“The enormous scope of the theory expounded within, coupled with the extraordinary pictures (which are better than anything of this ilk since Freida got down with her paintbrushes), provoke many thoughts as well as providing a neat summary of some complex ideas. Simultaneously a history and a prediction, it casts a spell covering spacetime and beyond, allowing your magick to have results.” Nikki Wyrd -Author of ‘The Book of Baphomet’
Pulled together, it is a fantastic cohesion of ideas in need of cohering, doubly so because the cohesion makes no claims to antiquity and doesn’t have to fit with either Neoplatonic emanations or Sanskrit body centres. Getting your head around the Chaobala is getting your head around a substantially updated magical cosmology. If that kind of thing is your jam, this kind of book is your toast. Gordon White – Runesoup
Without a doubt, the Epoch will have a great influence on the chaos magick paradigm and modern magick in general for years to come. I think every magician, even if they have their own correspondences, should examine the Chaobola system for its elegance and breadth. James Wilber – Scroll of Thoth
Peter Carroll
The Octavo
A Sorcerer-Scientist’s Grimoire
Peter J. Carroll
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 9781906958176
£15.00 / US$24.00
Subjects: Chaos Magick
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Every universe potentially has its own Supreme Grimoire containing the spells which define its reality and the magic which you can perform within that reality. In this Octavo we have assembled scattered secrets for a Supreme Grimoire for Roundworld, the universe in which you’re standing.
To this end we have taken some inspiration from Pratchett’s Discworld, and a lot from Theoretical Physics and Practical Chaos Magic.
The most original, and probably the most important, writer on Magick since Aleister Crowley.”
– Robert Anton Wilson. Author of the Cosmic Trigger trilogy.
Review of The Octavo by Dave Lee
This is the second book Pete Carroll has brought out in the last two years, after a number of years’ silence. In 2008, there was ‘The Apophenion’, which was something of a departure towards an overall philosophical position, which we might call chaoism, as distinct from chaos magic. Now he presents us with a new synthesis that aims at a much closer marriage of scientific theory and magic than he, or, to my knowledge, anyone else, has attempted.
The first thing you’ll notice about this book (other than the excellent illustrations) is the subtitle. The reference will be lost on non-Pratchett experts like me; I’ve enjoyed a few of Pratchett’s books and found others a bit twee for my taste. (I have to admit, though, that he shows superb understanding of the thermodynamics of godhood in ‘Small Gods’, and a brilliant vision of the Other in ‘Lords and Ladies.’) Apparently, there’s an Octavo of Discworld spells, and it seems this volume is using the conceit that it’s the Roundworld equivalent in order to show how physics and magic can be combined in two very different universes.
The second thing you’ll notice is the physics. Publishers say that every equation in a book halves the readership, and there are a lot of them in The Octavo*. More, in fact, than in Liber Kaos, but they – at least the ones in the first few chapters – are of a very different kind.
The ‘Equations of Magic’ in Liber Kaos have always been problematic: they dealt in quantities which are not measurable, and probably never will be, like ‘degree of gnosis’ and ‘magical link’. So, they are not really equations, but things that look like equations; what they amount to, at best, is a mental checklist, a summary of what we know about magic so far. With a shorthand like that, all that matters is that it’s easily memorable, and the physico-mathematical symbolism does not help at all.
The equations in Octavo are very different. They are much more ambitious, genuinely cosmogonic in nature, and I suspect they have some very important things to say – to those who understand them rather more deeply than I do. I did get lost for much of chapters 2 and 3 (I only have maths to just short of A-level), but surfaced again at the start of Ch 4, where he compares Discworld and Roundworld physics, and comes out with some pretty profound stuff.
One of the things that’s particularly interesting about Carroll’s science is the way he attributes real physical – or aetheric / shadow-physical – reality to quantities that appear in the fundamental equations of physics. In Liber Kaos for instance the wavefunction in the Schroedinger equation is a measure of a real quantity in shadow-time, rather than a mere mathematical convenience, to be discarded as soon as possible in the course of calculations. No, Carroll finds a home for these misty, despised quantities, integrating them into a description of a magical universe. In The Octavo, he comments about quantum superposition, which is a concept we’re normally just supposed to get our heads round, that it actually has fine detail which makes it much more physically real – the alternative forms of the particle are kind of parked in sideways-time. For me, that is a distinct improvement on the usual way superposition is described.
This realistic use of mathematical entities recalls Galen Strawson’s ‘real materialism’**, as does this (p97):
‘A visualized or imagined event can have a similar effect on the imaginary time plane as the probability function of a material event, because it too constitutes a wave-particle event’.
In other words, ‘thoughts are as real as rocks’, to the real, Strawsonian materialist. Carroll also gives a physico-mathematical reality to Sheldrake’s morphogenetic fields – they are the information contained in the virtual radiations emitted by everything all the time.
I do like the depiction of particles as closed universes (p23), and it’s satisfying to read Theories of Everything, but the problem for the mathematically sub-literate becomes: how can I distinguish the true ones? I’m not sure that Carroll’s doing away with the Big Bang (a dirty job, but someone had to do it) yields a truly more complete ToE than the current one: a steady state model of the universe comes no closer to explaining where everything comes from than the expanding-from-a-point one does, it simply makes it an unaskable question, which is not the same thing. His cosmological explanation of the red shift (the core mystery of cosmology) involves something like a new mechanism for Zwicky’s previously-rejected ‘tired light’ hypothesis, and I have asked a mathematical friend of mine how viable an explanation it is.
Some of my reservations about this book stem from Carroll’s over-willingness to form Laws. Right near the beginning of the book, he has concreted the ‘multiple selves’ model into one. The idea of selfhood as multiple arose out of a very postmodern milieu of thought about what we are, and has proved very useful to magicians. However, it does suffer from a vagueness at its core: it would be a good idea to clarify the difference between personalities and the moment-to-moment sense of selfhood. The former may be usefully thought of as multiple, but the sense of self is always and ever phenomenologically singular. I challenge anyone to describe how it can be sensed otherwise.
This excessive taste for laws surfaces again on p66, where Carroll attempts to prove that there is always ‘ an even number of selves’, with an argument I found so unconvincing I suspect the author is self-consciously preaching to the choir, knowing we’ll indulge him.
My main criticism of the book is that the ‘Equations of Magic’ reappear in Ch6. I’ve said above why they are not equations, but simply tally-sticks; they remind me of Frazer’s useless laws of magic, but with added algebra to put more people off. Has a magician ever told you they’ve helped him or her plan a working?
Their inclusion wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it wasn’t for the very high quality of arguments pursued using real equations in the cosmological parts of the book: to someone who hasn’t been following the maths very closely but can see how the EoMs cannot be real equations, they simply serve to cheapen the value of the other equations and arouse suspicion about their validity. And to use them to derive, via a complicated chain of reasoning, the conclusion that group magic is no more powerful than individual magic is pure tautology, because the only way anyone could get that conclusion would be by building it into the ‘Equation’ in question.
By the way, can we have a straw poll on this? My feeling is that group magic is immensely more effective for some kinds of enchantment.
The final complaint I have is a purely aesthetic one. Sure, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replace the phrase ‘material base’ with something else, because we do talk about servitors quite a lot. But the term ‘groundsleve’, to my ear, is down in the flooded and odious basement of English, along with ‘staycation’ and ‘bromance’. (OK, I suppose that means I’ll have to come up with one myself.)
Back to a few final words of praise: One of the satisfying things about this book is the way Carroll fills out and brings up to date old ideas, some of which he has developed and used years before. Like the way the good old GPR gets completed into the GCR, a much more symbolically satisfying and complete thing.
Proper weight is given to the Apocalypse, and what wizards can do to help avert the collapse our stupidity has got us into.
I have to make a special mention of the llustrations. If there was an award for ‘best occult book graphics of the year’, then Matt Kaybrin’s would sweep it, with these bold, dark, unusual mixtures of traditional and cyber-art.
In the end, I would definitely recommend this book. It is important, maybe very important, and will stir some interesting thoughts even in the non-mathematically-inclined. Carroll’s basic attitude to mysteries is the only healthy one: not to try and banish them, like the Dawkinsian parascience bunch, or use them to obfuscate, like the religious do. He writes: ‘Mysteries should present challenges, not opportunities for dumb belief.’
*I showed the book to a mentally tough shaman I know, and as soon as he saw the equations, he declared he’d rather chew his leg off than try to understand them.
‘The Octavo is remarkable in the finest sense of the word: a great and indeed unique achievement, making a genuine physics of magic’.
– Professor Ronald Hutton
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Chaotopia!
Dave Lee
Format: Softcover
ISBN:
£15.00 / US$26
Subjects: Chaos Magick
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‘Once one is fairly competent at practical sorcery, there is little of importance that remains to be said or read about the subject; the magician at this point tends to emphasize inner development in his work. It seems to me that Chaos Magic itself has reached this point; the basic ideas needed for anyone to construct his or her own system of sorcery and to hone their skills are already covered by the available books. What has been lacking so far, is a Chaos magical approach to the investigation of the ecstatic states that underlie magical gnosis. This book, rather than trying to provide yet another slightly different flavour of Chaos technique, takes as its starting point the relationship between ecstasy and magic; between Chaos Magic and Chaos Mysticism, if you like.’ from Chaotopia! page 8
Chaotopia! is neither Utopia nor its opposite. It is what Austin Osman Spare called ‘the chaos of the normal’, seen through an illuminated eye, the eye of the sorcerer.
Chaotopia! includes updates and evaluations of techniques in Chaos Magick and an exploration of ecstatic states in relation to both magick and mysticism.
Also chapters on:
Wealth Magick/Conflict and Exorcism/Sex Magick/Body Alchemy and Healing/Magick and Physics/Chaos Illumination/Spirits/Aeonics
Praise for Dave Lee’s Chaotopia!
‘A highly intelligent book by a leading Chaos Magician which will broaden and deepen Chaoist debate, theory and practice.’
– Peter J. Carroll
MORE REVIEWS
”Chaos magic has come magician and NLP maven Lee. This is not a primer or grimoire; instead, the book puts chaos magic in its conceptual context, explaining the theoretical and metaphysical vistas which have underscored the art’s development since its inception under the asgis of the late, great Austin Osman Spare.
It allows us to see chaos magic äs a form of autonomous mysticism; not so much a syncretic exercise in cosmic tourism äs a balancing attempt to make sense of what arrives in one’s head. This makes it more democratic than the intimidating acolytism of learned magic in the European tradition. Chaos magic rests on the principle that the practitioner can apply belief at will, rather than surrendering to any particular paradigm (thus the slightly wrenched meaning of ‘paradigm stuft’ in chaos practice). It also assumes that altered states permit a powerfui interaction with one’s own centres of power, and äs a result, chaos magicians experiment with psychotropic techniques, including drug use, meditation, hyperventilation and extreme exercise.
Lee shows us the intellectual underpinnings of a practical System, without rendering the art, or his discourse on it, abstract or arch. He sets out the theoretical contribution of Robert Anton Wilson et al, explains Aeonics, and the trajectory of its distillation from the baroque theatre of angelology, and expounds the vital notions of chaos and Illumination, äs Spare originally conceived them, and as practice has altered and matured them.
This is not for the beginner in chaos magic, but it is a good guide for the observer with a grounding in the history of European magic, and a grasp of its cultural milestones. If you ever wondered why magicians do what they do, it’s because it works. If it didn’t, the tradition would have died out with the birth of science; it hasn’t and is enjoying a fertile period. Chaos magic is central to the continuing health of magical traditions, and writers like Dave Lee are central to that influence. His observation that accomplishe magicians concentrate on inner development ties chaos magic firmly to the Spiritual traditions of alchemy, and suggests that the development of chaos magic as a Spiritual endeavour has a long future, as well äs a brilliantly energetic past. Great stuff.”
Review from Sly Delaney – FT214 – Fortean Times verdict 8.
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”Chaos Magick has been the “sorcery” of choice for some years; indeed it is feared by many to have become way too trendy. There have been many books coming onto the market supposedly outlining the Chaos Magick vision which seem to confuse incoherence with mystification.. However, I am very pleased to say Chaotopia! is not one of them indeed I consider it one of the better books on Chaos Magick I have read in quite a long time. It was originally published in 1997 but includes a very succinct but updated introduction which gives us a snapshot of the basic principles of Chaos Magick and how it works.
In many way I found Chaotopia! a real “debate starter” it covers so many subjects, all of which demand further thought, investigation and discussion, for a relatively small tome of 200 odd pages there is little “padding” and lots of content, no wasted words here ! There are carefully placed “interludes” which include all sorts of exercises, meditations and rites in addition to practices throughout the work so Chaotopia offers a solid balance of theory and practice.
Lee outlines a theory of magick based on Leary and Robert Anton Wilson’s model of Eight Brain Circuits; this is quite an intriguing model and does offer quite a lot of insight into how magick work. He also outlines later in Chaotopia! Carroll’s model of Aeonics and cultural evolution. For the budding Chaos magician I would suggest comparing these with such developments as Spiral Dynamics and Ken Wilber’s Integral Model, each has its benefits and drawbacks. The Eight Brain Circuits are more practical (i.e. psychedelic), while Wilber’s model is certainly more cerebral. Aeonics has a magical foundation but I think lacks some integration into the bigger picture which Wilber’s offer. As you can see there is a lot to think about in this work ! Every chapter I read made me what to read more, think more and practice more….
There is a very insightful chapter on wealth and money, a subject looked down on by “high” magick and yet so imperative in today’s busy and demanding work. There is a great section on cursing and exorcism which avoids the paranoid mood so often found in works on “psychic self defense” and offers down to earth guidelines and well as techniques if you really need them.
The section on sex and magick is impressively without pretense and covers all sorts of issues ranging from the use of sexual fluids to S & M. I especially found the section on sex and smell impressive and felt Lee explored area’s ignored by other works.
The theoretical chapter on Magick and physics is a real intellectual stimulator. It offers a new theoretical foundation for magick as found within the Bose-Einstein Condensate. It will trigger lots of discussion and debate.
I could continue chapter in this way. There is so much packed in here. Chaotopia! is how magical books should be written. No padding, no BS, no wasted space, lots of important information, practice advise and hints. An avoidance of pretense and an openness which leaves the reader eager to go out and learn more and practice more.
Dave Lee, Thank You !”
Review in Living Traditions
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You enjoyed reading Bright from the Well and Chaotopia! and would like to know more about the latest techniques, articles, resources, workshops, news and events from the author, then check out DAVE LEE’S CHAOTOPIA WEBSITE www.chaotopia.com