Phantasmaphile

October's Not Over!

I intended to write this post a few weeks ago, but that did not happen. October is always busy season for us witches, and this one is busier than ever with travels and projects. I am literally on an airplane as I write this, and it's the first free moment I've been able to snag all month. Not sure how long wi-fi will last up here, so I'm going to make these sky-words quick:

• My friend Shannon Taggart's book SEANCE is finally out from Fulgur, and it's a masterpiece. It contains 300 pages of her photographs of mediums, Spiritualists, and other liminal figures, plus essays by such otherworldly visionaries as Dan Aykroyd and Tony Oursler. This is a truly groundbreaking and gorgeous monograph, and it's a must-have for any occult art collection.
  
  
• MOMA will be showcasing several magical early prints by art legend Betye Saar, as well as her iconic assemblage work, Black Girl's Window, from Oct 21- Jan 4.
  
  
• The William Blake show up at Tate Britain looks tremendous, and I sincerely hope I can get to the UK before it closes on Feb 2.
  
  
• The new Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series on Netflix may be the most exquisite show I have ever seen (and the making-of documentary is astounding as well). Very excited to see this exhibition of puppets and character designs currently at the Museum of Moving Image, up through Feb 23.
  
  
• Like the rest of my magic pals, very into the AMC show Lodge 49, which is about a secret society in California, and is rife with alchemical references. We're still making our way through season 1 though so NO SPOILERS.
  
  
• Music: the new Chelsea Wolfe album, Birth of Violence, might be my very favorite of hers. It's more mellow and melodic than her last few, but perhaps even heavier from a content-perspective as it deals with the shadow-side of the divine feminine. Utterly beautiful. Also loving Derek Schmidt's Major Arcana album of shimmering tarot songs, and eagerly anticipating the new FKA twigs album (the videos have been stunning so far).
  
  
• I should have mentioned: the reason I am on an airplane again is because my book tour heads to California right now. I've got 5 juicy events in the SF and LA areas, some ticketed, so free. Please do join me if you're near.
  
  
• I'm also very honored to have been featured in this New York Times profile, as well as to have received some extremely kind words about my book in the Times Literary Supplement.
  
  
• The Witch Wave season 3 launches on Oct 30, just in time for Halloween. I've got some astoundingly stellar guests lined up, so do make sure you're subscribed in whatever podcasting platform you prefer.

I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but I blame it on the altitude. Here's hoping you also fly high for Samhain, and that all of your witches come true!

Summer Sorcery

Aube Elléouët "Intrusion" 2008

Hello hello. My goodness the last month-plus has been quite a ride. My book Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power came out in the US and UK (with more regions coming soon!). I did loads of events in support of the release, and am now enjoying a sliver of recharge time before things become busy again in that regard beginning next month. Until then, I'm working on all kinds of fun and fascinating things in the background, while also admittedly working on catching my breath. 

To that end, there are some lovely bits of (oc)culture I'm hoping to ingest in some form over the coming weeks:

• Apologies for the very late notice on this, but the Female Gaze: Women Surrealists in the Americas and Europe show is up at Heather James Fine Art for just a few more days. It's got some Carrington, Fini, Tanning, Abercrombie, and lots of other dream queens, so if you can see it before it closes on July 31, do.
  
  
• Speaking of Dorothea Tanning, I've been green with envy about the retrospective that happened recently in London, but I'm comforted to see that the terrific Menil Collection in Houston is currently showcasing some of her graphic works through Oct 13th.
  
  
• And again, kudos must go to the Tate for acquiring the archive of surrealist art magicienne, Ithell Colquhoun. Surely this should mean an exhibition of her work will be up there in the future, but until then we have Amy Hale's forthcoming biography and Fulgur's Taro as Colour book to tide us over.
  
  
• I've gushed many times about the witch photographs of William Mortensen before, so I'm thrilled that Stephan Romano Gallery will be bringing many of them to Cleveland's Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick from Aug 3 - Nov 3.
  
  
• Music! I'm overjoyed I finally got to see Bill Callahan live, and his pastoral new album, Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, has been on heavy rotation. I've also been loving Dizzy Fae's newest, NO GMO Mixtape, as well as the latest from Ex Hex, Shannon and the Clams, and this addictively diaphanous collaboration between Mary Lattimore and Meg Baird.
  
  
• Trying to limit the real estate that my own news takes up on here, but you might be interested to see some recent press I've gotten in support of Waking the Witch including some podcasts and interviews, as well as pieces I wrote for the New York Times, Powell's, and more.
  
  
• But you will want to note that tickets for the 4th Occult Humanities Conference at NYU are available now! I'm co-organizing it again with my brother-in-bewitchment, Jesse Bransford, and I could not be more excited about the speakers, artists, and vendors we have lined up. It will be on Oct 4-6, and it always sells out, so be sure to grab your tickets ASAP.
  
  
• What else? I've been adoring the newest episodes of one of my favorite animated series of all time, the sweet and magical Summer Camp Island (and was honored to get to interview its creator, Julia Pott, for the season finale of The Witch Wave).
  
  
• And I've been having a deep romance with rosewater. Seriously, I can't get enough. I've been bathing in it, eating it, and I just may have to bake this Persian Love Cake, summer heat be damned!

May Marvels

Leonora Carrington "Green Tea (La Dame Ovale)" 1943

Well, you can probably guess that I'm going to be crowing about my book again, because it comes out in just a few weeks on June 4th! I've got a whole bunch of events coming up in support of that, a few of which I'll be mentioning below. But you can see them all listed here, and you can sign up for my newsletter here to make sure you don't miss any.

In the meantime, however, there's a whole bunch of other spectacular stuff happening this month, too. So here we go!

• Leonora Carrington: The Story of the Last Egg will be in NYC at Gallery Wendi Norris (off site) on May 23 - June 29. It will feature several of her works, as well as a reading of her unpublished play Opus Siniestrus: The Story of the Last Egg, and a symposium to boot. I'm giddy with anticipation!
  
  
• On the topic of surrealist faves, there is currently a show up called Surrealism in Mexico at NYC's Di Donna Gallery. Works by Carrington, Frida Kahlo, and my #1, Remedios Varo, are among those included. I need to make sure I see it before it closes on June 28.
  
  
• And I could not be more excited for my friend Amy Hale's book on surrealist art magicienne, Ithell Colquhoun, which was just announced.
  
  
• Some of you know I love Kansas City and get there with relative frequency to visit one of my dearest pals. Hoping I can get there soon, as there is a Saya Woolfalk exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum up through Sept 1, and a Ralph Steadman retrospective up next month at the Kansas City Public Library.
  
  
• Speaking of Steadman, he's been on my mind lately because he did the poster art for Taylor Mac's GARY on Broadway, which is such an astoundingly brilliant show. I almost feel like the less you know about it the better, but let's just say it's a meditation on the purpose of art in challenging times. (And no, you don't have to be familiar with Titus Andronicus beforehand, so don't fret). See it.
  
  
• Occult poet and pal, Janaka Stucky, is currently on tour, and we caught his NYC ritual performance this weekend. Again, don't want to give to much away, but he is dazzling and unmissable, and you should absolutely catch him, particularly if one of his full-scale events in partnership with Atlas Obscura comes your way. Was very honored to write the forward for his sublime new book, Ascend Ascend, which is out now.
  
  
• On that note, thrilled to be doing an event with him this Saturday, May 18th in Philly. We'll be at BloodMilk's performance venue, Sphinx & Snakeskin, doing readings from our books and then having some juicy discussion afterward. Tickets here.
  
  
• OK, since we're talking events, here's a whole slew of NYC events of mine happening next month, so you can mark your calendars:

  Tues, JUNE 4, McNally Jackson Books (Williamsburg location), 7pm, FREE: 
  Official book release event in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (please note there are several locations of this bookstore, so make sure this is the one you turn up to!) I’ll be moderating a discussion with 3 of my favorite witchly writers, Dorothea Lasky, Kristen J. Sollee, & Mya Spalter. More details here.

  Thurs, JUNE 13, Catland Books, 7pm, FREE:
  I’ll be in conversation with Spolia Tarot creators Jessa Crispin & Jen May (each an amazing writer/artist in their own right) at Bushwick, Brooklyn's occult shop. Link coming soon, but it will be a juicy conversation about magic, feminism, and tarot.

  Thurs, JUNE 20, The Wing (Flatiron location) 6:30pm, FREE (Members Only): 
  If you are a member of The Wing, or you know someone who is that can bring you, I'll be interviewed about witchery & feminism by the brilliant Dianca London Potts. 

  Fri, JUNE 21, The Strand Bookstore, 7pm, $15: 
  This is a BIGGIE. I’ll be at the one-and-only Strand in Manhattan giving a presentation on witches and how my book came about. This will be a magnificent Summer Solstice event & when you buy your tix, you’ll also have the option of adding a reading with a magical divination expert as well. Magic will be in the air! More info and tickets available here.

  Thurs, JUNE 27, Barbes, 7:30pm, FREE (donation to musicians encouraged):
  I’m very honored that the musicians of The Bushwick Book Club will be performing songs that they’ve written based on my book. I'll do a short reading, but this will mainly be a music show, and I'll be hearing the songs for the first time myself that night. Barbes is a legendary bar and music venue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, so this should be a really special one!

• And while you've got that pen out, jot down the dates of Oct 4 - 6 for the next Occult Humanities Conference at NYU! So happy to be co-organizing this again with my brother-in-bewitchment, Jesse Bransford. Schedule and tix on sale soon, but as you can see the lineup is pretty tasty if I do say so myself.
  
  
• The new FKA Twigs video for Cellophane is one of the most gorgeous things I've seen in a while (and reminds me quite a bit of my favorite Aeon Flux episode, Isthmus Crypticus).
  
  
• Charming Disaster's darkly delightful new album, Spells + Rituals, comes out on June 7th.
  
  
• I'm obsessed with Lisa Hanawalt's new adult animated series, Tuca & Bertie. It has that quality of demented joy I can't get enough of.
  
  
• Maleficent is *technically* a malevolent fairy, but I was still happy to get my witch on and watch the new trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

That's all for now. Hope your May is off to a magical start!

Enchanted April

Rebecca Chaperon "Birth Place" 2019

Ahhh, so much going on. Where to begin, where to begin? I suppose with a quick note that apparently the Hilma af Klint show has officially broken the Guggenheim's attendance records. Not that I'm surprised, mind you. Women’s art and spiritual art have both been undervalued for so long. I'm happy to see either receive much deserved appreciation, but when combined together, as in Hilma’s work, it’s all the sweeter. I believe people are hungry for feminine magic in all forms, and this show is but one more affirmation of that. It closes in just a few days on the 23rd, so make sure you get there if you don't want to miss this monumental event. (I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that I write about Hilma and several other witchly artists in my book, WAKING THE WITCH, which is out on June 4th, and available for pre-order pretty much everywhere now!)

In other news:

• I saw the Agnes Pelton show at the Phoenix Art Museum a few weeks back, and it is magnificent. I predict this will be as revelatory as the Hilma show was for many folks, especially when it makes its way to the Whitney next year. The catalog is wonderful, and features an essay about female occult art by my phenomenal and brilliant friend, Susan L. Aberth.
  
  
• London's Serpentine Gallery has a big show up now of mystic and healer Emma Kunz's drawings. Great to see her getting more attention now, too. The show is up through May 19th.
  
  
• If crystal visions are your thing, as they are mine, you'll definitely want to check out the Rebecca Chaperon (above) and Debra Baxter double-header up now at Seattle's Roq La Rue running through May 5. 
  
  
• The Masters of the Fantastic show at NYC's Society of Illustrators looks excellent, and features the work of legendary fantasy and sci-fi illustrators including my favorites, Leo and Diane Dillon. It's up now through June 8th.
  
  
• Recently discovered Anne Jackson's remarkable witch tapestries online, and wish so much I could see them in person. Her show, Certaine Witches, has been touring throughout the UK. It's currently up at Devon Guild of Craftsmen through May 6th.
  
  
• Some of you may recognize that the title of my book, WAKING THE WITCH, is a reference to a Kate Bush song of the same name, and that both are a relatively positive reframing of a rather awful bit of sleep-deprivation torture employed to get accused witches to "confess." Was happy to come across an intriguing current group art exhibition touring the UK, also with the same title, which explores all manner of British witchery.
  
  
• I know some folks are wary of musicians being given art exhibitions, but I for one am looking forward to checking out the Annie Lennox show Now I Let You Go... up at MassMOCA now through May 25th (and bonus: my friend Christopher Mir's work is on display there, too). The Leonard Cohen group show A Crack in Everything at NYC's Jewish Museum is also up through Sept 8th, and I'm curious to see it as I adore his songs so much.
  
  
• A name you come across a lot on here is Max Razdow, as he is my friend and a hugely imaginative and prolific artist. He has a new series of occult oracle cards that he's created called MAGE CARDS, and honestly, you need to see them to believe how strange and beautiful they are.
  
  
• I really loved the fantastical Ghanaian film The Burial of Kojo by Blitz the Ambassador. It's a visually striking, slowly unfurling tone poem that is a bit reminiscent of Color of Pomegranates, Daughters of the Dust, and 3 Women. See it if you love magical realism, saturated colors, and dreamy imagery as I do. It's streaming on Netflix now.
  
  
• Very proud of the most recent Witch Wave episodes, I must say. The last three have been cosmic comics creator, Yumi Sakagawa; drag sorceress (and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5), Jinkx Monsoon; and occult poet, Janaka Stucky. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or direct on the Witch Wave podcast site.
  
  
• Speaking of listening, have you heard any good new music (other than the Beyoncé album/doc obviously)? I've been digging the recording of Beth Gibbons' new Górecki performance, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, and I'm eagerly anticipating the new Kelsey Lu and the new Lizzo that both drop on Friday.

I'm sure there's more - isn't there always? - but I've gotta shake a tail feather, so off I go!

March Magic

Agnes Pelton "Day" 1935

Hello, and happy new moon, happy almost-spring, happy March. Lots going on as ever, so this may be a quicker one than usual. Here goes:

• I have long been an Agnes Pelton fan, so I'm thrilled this undersung magico-morphic painter is finally getting her due! A retrospective of her work, Agnes Pelton, Desert Transcendentalist opens at the Phoenix Art Museum on March 9th and will be up through September 8th. If you've been losing your mind over the Guggenheim's Hilma af Klint show, then I think you'll want to plug into this one, too. Though Pelton was working many decades later than af Klint, I see them in a similar light as visionary women and spiritual, abstract (or at least quasi-abstract) painters who were so far ahead of their time. I wrote a little something about my love for Pelton for In Wild Air a while back, and I can't wait to see this show in person when I'm in AZ next month.
  
  
• The SPRING/BREAK art show is now happening here in NYC, and there are two exhibitions in particular that look amazing. Court of the Dryad is curated by The Sphinx Northeast, and features Phantasmaphile favorite Max Razdow as well as Aaron Spangler and Kyle Staver. Spiritual Art Advisory is curated by Sarah Potter and Caroline Larsen and features "a selection of artwork based on the archetypes of the Tarot's Major Arcana." The show is up through March 11th and this year is located at 866 UN Plaza.
  
  
• On a personal note, tickets for my Remedios Varo presentation Bruja with a Brush at Hauser & Wirth NY on March 20th are available here. The talk is free, but you must RSVP at that link. It's being presented by Morbid Anatomy and will also include a bunch of snaps I took at the Varo exhibition that I visited in Mexico City earlier this year. I'm very excited to discuss the occult influences on my favorite painter's work, and I hope you'll join me.
  
  
• I also have a new Wonder Woman essay up at Moleskine's The Fold. It explores the feminist (and super transgressive) roots of the Wonder Woman character, and celebrates female liberation and sexual freedom. 
  
  
• I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you that my podcast The Witch Wave has been happily expanding, and we've had some incredible guests on of late, including CIRCE author Madeline Miller, Erica Feldmann of HausWitch (and author of HausMagick), Witchery author Juliet Diaz, Strange Frequencies author Peter Bebergal, and the above-mentioned curator and Color Magic expert Sarah Potter. And the episodes coming up are pretty dang mind-blowing if I say so myself. Have a listen here or on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher (and as ever, if you're interested in sponsoring an episode or several, drop me an email or DM).
  
  
• Janaka Stucky is one of my favorite poets and performers of all time, so I was beyond honored to get to write the intro to his gorgeous new book-length poem, Ascend Ascend. It comes out on April 23rd, and Janaka will be touring all over the country to recite it with his signature incantatory rituals. Go see him live if you can, TRUST ME.
  
  
• I really dug the animated film, Ruben Brandt, Collector. Super stylish and inventive and contained so many of my favorite things: Surrealism! Art heists! Jungian dream analysis! Three-eyed faces! Highly recommended.
  
  
• I was way too spooked to watch Hereditary, which I heard was amazing, but very excited for Ari Aster's follow-up, Midsommar. Parallels to The Wickerman are obvious, but I love anything with a whiff of folktastical Pagan Revivalism, so sign me up.
  
  
• Heavy music rotation of late includes the newest albums by Dizzy Fae, Twin Temple, Neko Case, Leikeli47, and everything by SALES (but especially their perfect EP).

I know there's so much more to mention, but that's all I've got time for today. Hope you're all sparkling and well.

February Rebirth

     

Some of you know how precious the Remedios Varo painting "Nacer de Nuevo" has been to me since I was a teenager. I've waxed ecstatic about it many times over in various places, so I'll just say once more that this piece has affected me in profound ways, and is one of the skeleton keys to my psyche. So you can imagine how meaningful it was for me to get to view a never-before-displayed preliminary sketch for it at the "Adictos a Remedios Varo" exhibition at Mexico City's Museo de Arte Moderno last month. The show overall was astounding, and filled with many of her paintings, drawings, and sketches, let alone photographs, beloved objects from her personal collection, and books from her library. But seeing this one little drawing in particular was a highlight. A reminder that a humble idea can turn into a fully-fleshed out work, and once in a while, a masterpiece.

It was also amazing timing, as I was doing my final edits on my book while I was there, and just so happened to be putting finishing touches on my art witch chapter, which has a ton of Varo and Leonora Carrington in it. While it wasn't easy having to write on what was supposed to be a vacation / research trip, I can think of no better place to finish that chapter than in the very city where these image sorceresses lived. 

Anyhow, it's been far too long since I've posted here. Writing this book has been more difficult and time-consuming and emotionally challenging than I imagined. And yet it is now, finally DONE. I know it will never be perfect, but I can let myself say that I am really really proud of it, and put so much heart and work into it, and I hope very much that you will enjoy reading it. I received galleys last week, and it's wild and wonderful to hold it in my hands. If you, too, would like to read "Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power," it will be out on June 4, 2019, and it is available for pre-order now. Pre-orders are a huge help, so I thank you for considering doing so. But regardless, I hope that if and whenever you do read it, you find something in it which stirs and sparks you. 

With that personal preamble out of the way, onto some delectable, fantastical bits and bobs:

• Remedios Varo's book of collected texts, "Letters, Dreams, and Other Writings," in out from Wakefield Press, finally! So worth the wait, and full of tiny treasures.
  
  
• In more Varo news, I've been enjoying the new Vessel album "Queen of Golden Dogs," which not only has a Varo painting as its cover, but a song is dedicated to her as well.
  
  
• On a related note, on March 20th I'll be giving an illustrated lecture called "Remedios Varo: Bruja with a Brush" for Morbid Anatomy at NYC's Hauser & Wirth gallery. More details soon.
  
  
• I also write about Rider-Waite (or "Smith-Waite" as it's now rightly called) tarot illustrator, Pamela Colman Smith, in my book. So you can imagine I am very excited to see the "Pamela Colman Smith: Life and Work" exhibition up now at Pratt Institute through April 4th. (You have the new "Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story" book already, yes? It is huge and chock full of images and info.)
  
  
• The Tate Modern will be hosting a Dorothea Tanning retrospective from February 27th through June 9th, and it will have 100 of her works - the first of such exhibitions in 25 years. I am hoping so very much I'll be able to see it. (I realize I say that every time something tremendous like this happens in the UK, but I am always sincere.)
  
  
• There will be an Alejandro Jodorowsky retrospective at NYC's El Museo del Barrio from February 28th through May 12th. It will include "an array of visual, literary, archival, and filmic material drawn largely from the artist’s personal archives," and there will be screenings and events including tarot readings from the man himself.  EDIT: I just learned this exhibition was cancelled. Apologies!
  
  
• Two spellbinding books: the "SPELLBOUND" catalog from the Ashmolean's witchcraft exhibition of the same name, and Fatima Ronquillo's new monograph as well.
  
  
• Who doesn't want to watch a short film of Kenneth Anger swanning around Chateau Marmont, directed by Floria Sigismondi?
  
  
• I know there's far more than this going on, but I must leave now this Houston hotel room where I'm currently staying and begin my day. Still swooning over yesterday's visits to the Rothko Chapel and Menil Collection, two places I've dreamed about visiting for years. They are very strict about photos, so here's that Tilda Swinton / Tim Walker shoot at both locations to help you visualize.

Happy 13 Years, Phantasmaphiles!

Hilma af Klint "Group IX/UW, The Dove, No. 1" 1915 from the SUW/UW Series

Lucky 13! Just popping in for a bit to say THANK YOU for your continued support. This blog is where I first gained my confidence to start sharing my peculiar passions with the world, and it's very humbling and exciting to see where it all has led. I'm so grateful to have connected with so many incredible artists, projects, collaborators, friends, and readers through this space. While it's true that it also means my attention has been pulled in more directions, I plan to keep blogging over here about various wonders and occulture whenever I am able.

 

On that note, a few more things to add this month:

• Peter Bebergal's new book Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story of the Technological Quest for the Supernatural is out now! He's a dear friend and a tremendous writer. You're going to love it!
  
  
• Mitch Horowitz's new book The Miracle Club: How Thoughts Become Reality is also out now! I remember when Mitch first mentioned this title to me a few years back, and I got chills because I knew it was going to be something special. Can't wait to read it.
  
  
• I know I mentioned it already, but the Hilma af Klint show at the Guggenheim is truly, truly, TRULY unmissable. A game changer. A LIFE changer. Hear me: DO NOT MISS THIS. It's up until April 23rd, but if I were you, I'd go ASAP.
  
  
• Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is even better than I could have hoped. And as a bonus, I got to interview one of their writers (and a practicing witch!) Joshua Conkel as my first guest on Season 2 of The Witch Wave. It's a really juicy and illuminating chat, so have a listen.
  
  
• You're going to VOTE in the midterms on Nov 6, yes? Please join me in doing so. Do it for those who can't. Do it for those whose lives are being threatened by this administration's policies and rhetoric. Do it because there is always, always hope.

Thank you again for a truly magical 13 years. I'm looking forward to conjuring more witchery with you from here on out! 

October Splendor

It's the best month of the year! Happy October, folks. Lots of exciting news to share on the personal front, and loads of fabulous occulture to recommend as well.  Here goes:

• Thrilled to announce that my book, Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power will be winging its way into the world from Gallery Books / Simon & Schuster on June 4, 2019. Available for pre-order now!
   
  In it I explore the archetype of the witch throughout history and in pop-culture, with a dash of my personal story woven throughout as well. 
   
  If you're a fan of witches, feminism, magic, and/or art, this is the book for you! I can't wait to share this with you all.
  
  
• I've got two events coming up in NYC this month:    

  First up is “What is a Witch Without Her Coven” at The Alchemist’s Kitchen on October 23rd. Some of my favorite humans (Mallory Lance from Ravenous, Kristen Sollee, Dianca London Potts, and Staci Ivori) and I will be speaking about witchcraft, sisterhood, and our coven. Tickets available here.

  Second is “The Witches Are Here” at The Assemblage on October 30th. It will be a really special evening of discussion and magic performance with me and magicienne Belinda Sinclair. Tickets are here.

• And more exciting news: Season 2 of The Witch Wave podcast starts back up on Wednesday, October 24th! I'm so excited to kick things off with special guest Joshua Conkel, a writer on the new Netflix series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and a practicing witch to boot. 
   
  Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play, or listen on witchwavepodcast.com
  
  
• So happy the Hilma af Klint show has finally made its way to the states. Come see this Spiritualist master (and one of the earliest abstract artists ever, pre-dating Kandinsky). Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future is UNMISSABLE, and is up now through April 23rd.
  
  
• One of my very favorite art mages, Elijah Burgher, has his occult drawings up now at the Drawing Center, alongside the work of Toyin Ojih Odutola and Nathaniel Mary Quinn. Go see their colored pencil conjuring in For Opacity up now through Feb 3rd.
  
  
• Bridging Two Worlds: The Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead is up now through Dec 2nd at Green-Wood Cemetery's Morbid Anatomy space, and it's filled with intriguing art and artifacts about the afterlife.
  
  
• I already mentioned the Harry Potter: A History of Magic and Leonor Fini shows last month, but yeah. Worth reminding you.
  
  
• Heads up that Ken Russell's The Devils is available now through Criterion's streaming app, FilmStruck. It's only up through Dec 27th, so go watch if you haven't already.
  
  
• Countdown to Suspiria and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!
  
  
• Looking forward to Hex Wives from Vertigo comics which is launching this month, and thrilled that all of the new Sandman Universe titles have started coming our way, too.
  
  
• Do you want to watch some anime about a skeleton who works in a manga bookshop? Thought so.

Wishing you a Happy Halloween and a Blessed Samhain!

Pre-fall Preternature

Alison Blickle 2018

It's been quite a summer. It took me to Missouri, Maine, and Minnesota, as well as some lovely trips to upstate New York to get some research and writing done for my book. Speaking of which: I handed in the first draft to my editor last week (eek!), so now enjoying a very small intermission before I dive back in for edits and rewrites. It's been an intense process, but I'm getting excited to share the results with you next year. More on that front soon!

In the meantime, there is so much magical stuff happening over the next month and beyond. Here are some of the things that are currently making me sigh and swoon:

• Alison Blickle's new show The Myth of Inanna opens at Kravets Wehby Gallery on Sept 6th and is up through Oct 13th. I've loved her hyper-patterned occult starlets for years, and can't wait to see this series, which is loosely based on stories about the Sumerian goddess.
  
  
• SPELLBOUND: Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft is up now at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and I am hoping beyond hope that I'll be able to see it in person before it closes on January 6th. It has over eight centuries of magical artifacts on display, and is getting rave reviews already.
  
  
• Long-overlooked surrealist, Gertrude Abercrombie, is finally getting her due, courtesy of a nearly 70 piece retrospective up now at Karma. There will also be a related monograph being released in October. 
   
• Sun Worship and Solar Machines is a group show about sun magic which is up now at Boston's Assemblage, FPAC at Envoy Hotel through Oct 6th. It's curated by Kari Adelaide and Max Razdow, and features work by some of my favorite artists such as Jesse Bransford and David Shaw. Furthermore, my favorite playwright, Matthew Freeman, is writing a short piece for the show, which will be performed on Saturday, Sept 16th at 2pm. 
  
  
• Photographer Frances F. Denny's new show of portraits, Major Arcana: Witches in America will be up at ClampArt from Oct 4th through Nov 24th. I'm very honored to have been included in this series, and to have sat for such a gifted photographer (and I'm also truly dazzled by the company I'm in.) 
  
  
• Julie Heffernan's new show, Hunter Gatherer, is up now through Oct 6th at PPOW. It contains her signature festooned self-portraits, this time commenting on the proliferation of imagery that fills our conscious and unconscious minds. Looks magnificent per usual.
  
  
• Thrilled to see that another of my favorite lady surrealists is getting more love: Leonor Fini: Theatre of Desire 1930-1990 will be up at NYC's Museum of Sex from Sept 28 through Mar 4th. It is being billed as "the first American museum survey" of her work, and will feature paintings, illustrations, costume designs and more.     
  
  
• So happy Harry Potter: A History of Magic will be coming to the states. It will be up at the New York Historical Society from Oct 5 through Jan 27. Per the show description, it: "combines century—old treasures including rare books, manuscripts, and magical objects from the collections of the British Library and New-York Historical Society—with original material from Harry Potter publisher Scholastic and J.K. Rowling’s own archives."
  
  
• I'm also thrilled that magical-realist film about Zambian witch camps, I AM NOT A WITCH, is finally opening this month in the US. And I'm even more thrilled that I'll be hosting a screening of it at Alamo Yonkers with Mitch Horowitz on Sunday, Sept 16th at 7:30pm. We'll be having a short conversation about contemporary witch hunts after the screening as well. Tickets available soon, so watch this space! here now!
  
  
• In further personal news, I really enjoyed being a guest on Jason Louv's Ultraculture podcast recently. We got into a really great discussion about witchcraft and gender, so I hope you dig listening to it as much as I dug doing it.
  
  
• Sabat Magazine's major arcana deck, Le Tarot de L’étoile Cachée is available now. I wrote the guidebook for it and the unbelievably talented Elisa Seitzinger did the art. It is even more shiny (literally!) and beautiful than I imagined. 
  
  And here are a few more things to obsess about:
  
  
• Sweet and magic-infused new cartoon Summer Camp Island. The counselors are witches!
  
  
• Anna Calvi's glorious and gender-bending new album, Hunter
  
  
• My brilliant brother-in-law David Freeman's hilarious new podcast about ghost lore, The Most Haunted Boys in School
  
  
• My favorite writers and performers of uncanny cabaret, Charming Disaster, have a Kickstarter up for their new album, SPELLS + RITUALS, with lots of juicy perks!
  
  
• The latest trailer for Luca Guadagnino's SUSPIRIA is so gorgeous and terrifying and TILDA TILDA TILDA. And Thom Yorke's new song, Suspirium, from his soundtrack is streaming now. He also was quoted as saying that writing the score was "a form of making spells." Welcome to the club, Thom!

June Joy

This has been a brutal week, and my heart is aching. I've seen a lot of sentiment that the world is a very frightening place right now, and in many respects it is. But there is still so much beauty and art and magic and love, and I believe it is an act of resistance and revolution to hold those up as reality, too. And to make more of them all whenever we can.

On that note, here's your dose of monthly marvels:

• The new serpentwithfeet album, soil, is out today (pictured above). I have been looking forward to this for years, really, and it is even more gorgeous and majestic and fiercely tender than I'd hoped.
  
  
• SEED is a group show at Paul Kasmin Gallery that celebrates art as a sort of witchcraft, and features 29 female phenoms such as Yoko Ono, Rachel Feinstein, and Lisa Yuskavage. It's up June 21 - August 10. (Thank you, Martin Bland!)
  
  
• David Lynch's new autobiography / personal history, Room to Dream, is out on June 19th, and is chock full of interviews from people in his life, as well as his own writings.
  
  
• The trailer for the new Suspiria reboot looks promising.
  
  
• National Sawdust's month of Hildegard von Bingen programming is sublime. This John Zorn tribute to her, Hilma af Klint, and Agnes Martin sounds particularly intriguing.
  
  
• WE WANT IT DARKER is an evening of surreal and oneiric burlesque, drag, and dance featuring the splendid Cassandra Rosebeetle, Vangeline, and more. It's at Slipper Room on Weds, June 20th at 8pm.
  
  
• Can't wait for this comprehensive (and long overdue!) book about Pamela "Pixie" Colman Smith, the artist behind the iconic Rider-Waite(-Smith) tarot deck. More people should know her name and her story.
  
  
• The Phantasmagoria show at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is closing on June 24. Wishing I could get there, but my schedule is not looking promising.
  
  
• I am really loving the new Nickelodeon animated web series, Mr. Sheep & Sleepy Bear & the Department of Dreams. It is whimsical and adorable and inventive. And even better: my two brilliant friends, Sean Kenin and Rohana Elias-Reyes, do ALL of the voices for it. INCREDIBLE.
  
  
• More mirror cake videos, please.

Let's keep talking about the good things, too.

May Flowers

Show image: Rebecca Chaperon "Portal Sign"

I've been in hermit mode writing and podcasting and the like, but there are a few magnificent things happening this month, so poking my head up for a moment to share them with you:

• My beloved Matthew Freeman has a gorgeous new show called THE HOLLOW: An evening of short works, and it is opening in one week!
   
  It will be up from May 23 through June 2 at Brooklyn's legendary Brick Theater.
   
  Here is the oh-so intriguing description:
   
  A Polaroid face down on a table. A foreboding diagnosis. A book discovered in the attic. The Hollow presents three short plays that explore memory, mortality and magic.
   
  Tickets are on sale now, so be sure to snag yours today (and hot tip: offer code HOLLOWEARLY gets you $10 off the opening night performance).
  
  
• I'm thrilled to be writing the text for a new major arcana tarot deck for Sabat Magazine. 
   
  Le Tarot de L'Etoile Cachee consists of 22 cards designed by artist Elisa Seitzinger. Translating to "The Tarot of the Hidden Star," the deck is inspired by the Tarot de Marseille, and seeks to help the reader uncover their light within. 
   
  I always love working with Sabat, thanks to their impeccable production values and exquisite eye, so it's an honor to get to put words to this special project of theirs. 
   
  The deck will be available in June, and it's available for pre-order now.
  
  
• I was recently interviewed for Grimoire Magazine, and in it, I talk witches, feminism, art, and drag - so many of my favorite things!
  
  
• The Duende: Artists Translating Spirits show up now through June 9th at Cavan Morris looks sublime. (Thank you Lorenzo De Los Angeles for the heads up!) 
  
  
• The Liminal Worlds show at Trestle Gallery is also up through June 9th. It features artwork about "betwixt and between" places by four great artists, including the fantastic Elizabeth Insogna.
  
  
• Volume 2 of Black Magick comes out next week.
  
  
• Mary and the Witch's Flower is finally available to watch online. Not my favorite plot or writing, to be honest, but the animation is beautiful and full of inventive and charming witchery.
  
  
• Been listening obsessively to Hannah Epperson's music. Strings, electronic beats, otherworldly looping, swirling sonics, poetic lyrics. Heaven.
  
  
• Lately I've been dealing with some pretty tough personal stuff. The books Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach and Kintsugi Wellness by Candice Kumai have been bringing me comfort. Read them if you also want to learn how to accept and love your broken places, and, in the latter case, turn them into gold. 

I hope the rest of your May is beauteous and blooming. XO

April Showers

Jesse Bransford "Draum Stafir (To Dream Unfulfilled Desires)" 2014

It's still chilly here in NYC, but the sun is shining, and spring is slowly but surely springing. Several marvelous things are happening this month, so here's a little stack of magic for you:

• Jesse Bransford book and exhibition! Many of you know what a huge impact my dear friend Jesse Bransford has had on my life. He's one of the finest occult artists and teachers working today, and it's been a joy to watch his beautiful, potent work develop over the years. So thrilled that his book of Icelandic visual spells, A Book of Staves, is out now from the exquisite Fulgur Esoterica.     
  
  And if you are in NYC, you must come see his solo show, The Mahavidyas and Fields of Ice, opening tomorrow evening at Brooklyn's Ortega y Gasset   Projects. Here's more information about that:
  
  The Mahavidyas and Fields of Ice 
  Jesse Bransford

  Curated by Zahar Vaks
  On View: April 21–May 20th, 2018
  
  Opening Reception: Saturday April 21st,  6:00-9:00pm
  Join us for the opening reception of this show which will coincide with the the release of Bransford's new book A Book of Staves published by Fulgur.

  Discussion: Sunday May 6th, 5:00 pm 
  The Mahavidyas and the Divine Feminine with Jesse Bransford and Elizabeth Insogna, moderated by Pam Grossman.
  
  Ortega y Gasset Projects presents The Mahavidyas and Fields of Ice, a solo exhibition by Jesse Bransford. April 21-May 20th, 2018. The exhibition will feature Bransford's paintings and drawings in conversation with a site-specific installation.

  Feeling can lead to understanding. Other times, an understanding of something can hold certain emotions. Jesse Bransford‘s work does both simultaneously. His work elicits both understanding and an intuitive emotional response. Work is clear and lucid; one can experience it and say that they understand in that first moment of looking, yet over time the work becomes ambiguous: layered with subtle meaning and something that is beyond understanding.  
  
  Jesse Bransford's The Mahavidyas and Fields of Ice works with two specific magical trajectories: the Mahavidyas and Icelandic folk magic. These works seek to articulate the intimate relationship between the creation of art and the working of magic. Bransford calls these works "spells" not paintings.  He describes his "spells" as having a hesitant and ephemeral quality resulting from the unforgiving medium of watercolor. Some of the works are direct manifestations of Iceland's land, using local well water and of a scale congruent with traveling in outdoor spaces. Bransford is highly aware of the power of color (he teaches color theory) and describes working with it as being a "synthesis of intuition and intellect. There is often too much of an attempt to make sense of color. Color is unpredictable. The magic lies in its visceral, pleasurable, and mysterious qualities; not verbal, not rational, and yet holding an internal logic." The color use in his "spells" takes on a language of its own, born of a deep engagement with the material. 
  
  Yantra (यन्त्र) in Sanskrit literally "machine contraption" is a mystical diagram, mainly from the Tantric traditions of the Indian religions. They are used for the worship of deities in temples or at home; as an aid in meditation; used for the benefits given by their supposed occult powers based on Hindu astrology and tantric texts. They are also used for the adornment of temple floors, due mainly to their aesthetic and symmetric qualities. Specific yantras are traditionally associated with specific deities. (Wikipedia)
  
  The Mahavidyas (Great Wisdoms) are a group of ten aspects of the supreme feminine principle (Adi Parashakti) in Hinduism. Especially invoked in Tantric practices, these emanations depict the cosmic cycle of birth, evolution, death, and regeneration. For example, Bhuvanesvari is the fourth concept and is the universe at the apex of its development. The entire Universe is said to be her body and all beings are ornaments of her infinite being. (Wikipedia) Her yantra here is imagined as a radiant space of light in fullness with the lotus petals carrying the colors of the rainbow.

  Jesse Bransford is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work is exhibited internationally at venues including The Carnegie Museum of Art, the UCLA Hammer Museum, PS 1 Contemporary Art Center and the CCA Wattis Museum among others. He holds degrees from the New School for Social Research (BA), Parsons School of Design (BFA) and Columbia University (MFA). An associate professor of art at New York University and the chair of the Department of Art and Art Professions, Bransford's work has been involved with belief and the visual systems it creates since the 1990s. Early research intocolor meaning and cultural syncretism led to the occult traditions in general and the work of John Dee and Henry Cornelius Agrippa specifically. He has lectured widely on his work and the topics surrounding his work and is the co-organizer of the biennial Occult Humanities Conference in New York.
  
   Zahar Vaks Is a visual artist based in New York, NY. He earned his BFA from Tyler School of Art, and his MFA from The Ohio State University. He has shown at the Leslie Heller Workspace and performed at the Henry street settlement in New York, The Contemporary Art Museum in Houston (CAMH), along with galleries in Philadelphia, Columbus, Las Vegas, Vienna Austria, Rome Italy, and on the island of Svalbard in Norway. Zahar attended the Galveston Artist Residency from 2012-2013. Currently, he is a member of the Ortega y Gasset Projects (OyG), an artist-run curatorial collective and exhibition space in Gowanus, Brooklyn. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York

• I'm very much looking forward to moderating a discussion there with him and artist Elizabeth Insogna about the The Mahavidyas and the Divine Feminine on Sunday, May 6th at 5pm. Do join us.
  
  
• On a related note, I had a very juicy conversation with Jesse on The Witch Wave. We talk about his career, his influences, art as magic, and so much more. Have a listen here, or on iTunes, Stitcher, or via RSS.
  
  
• Speaking of the podcast, I've had loads of great guests on there over the past few weeks, including Rachel True of True Heart Tarot (and yes, co-star of 90s cult film, The Craft); author and fashion witch, Gabriela Herstik; comic book art legend of Wonder Woman and Black Magick, Nicola Scott; and many more. Have a listen - and if you dig it, please rate it, leave a comment, and spread the word. Your support is so very appreciated!
  
  
• And speaking of Nicola Scott, looks like there's a Black Magick collected hardcover edition coming out in November, and available for pre-order now!
  
  
• And if you can't wait for that, you can now order original Black Magick merch, including original art from Nicola, here. 
  
  
• In other news, I am lusting over the new Leonora Carrington retrospective opening tomorrow at Mexico City's Museo de Arte Moderno. My friend and Carrington scholar, Susan Aberth, is sending drool-worthy dispatches from the field, and if she's impressed, you can be sure it's going to be a mind-blowing show.
  
  
• Madeline Miller's new novel, Circe, is here, and getting stellar reviews. I have my copy already, though no idea when I will actually get to read it, as I'm in writing purgatory for a good while longer. But I truly can't wait.
  
  
• Some of you know of my Sanrio love (Gudetama, Kirimi-chan, and Aggretsuko are my primary jam, with some Little Twin Stars sprinkled on top for nostalgia.) Excited for the new Aggretsuko Netflix series that's dropping today. Get ready for some karaoke death metal red panda feminist rage!
  
  
• And not quite Phantasmaphilic, but Killing Eve is easily the most stylish, compelling, delightfully twisted show going. It's about an MI5 worker (played by the incredible Sandra Oh) who is trying to track down a ridiculously fashionable and highly sociopathic lady assassin. It's got a powerhouse female cast, it's written by the ingenious Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag, and it's got a terrific soundtrack, too. Addicted.
  
  
• Lastly, the highly anticipated book of Remedios Varo's writings and letters *finally* has a more detailed listing and publication date from Wakefield Press. November, you cannot come fast enough!

March Mix

Darren Waterston "To Meet as Far This Morning" 2017

Oh my stars, it's been a while. I've come to realize that as long as I'm writing this book and doing the podcast (loads of new episodes up!) blogging here is just going to have to happen with a lot less frequency. Hopefully quality will eclipse quantity, and you guys will keep poking your heads in to find something new every now and again. Thanks for sticking with me.

A few things I'm excited about:

• Darren Waterston's new show, Ecstatic Landscape, up today through April 28th at DC Moore Gallery. He is one of my very favorite painters, and I'm always excited to see what sublime imagery he conjures. The works in this exhibition are described thusly:

"Though they draw from the long lineage of landscape painting, Waterston’s works are unbound, moving through uncharted territory. His works broach the psychological through a surreal and abstracted approach to the genre rather than taking a strictly descriptive method. The paintings are seductive, drawing the viewer in by their majesty and monstrousness. Thwarted by their artifice, one is left with a sense of yearning for something not quite attainable.

• The Collages of Helen Adam show at Tibor de Nagy beginning on April 10th. No listing on their site yet, but I got a lovely invitation in the mail to the opening. I've written about my Helen Adam obsession here, so you know I'm giddy about this one.
  
  
• Witch extraordinaire, Judika Illes, will be teaching a Magic Workshop at VERAMEAT on Friday, April 13th from 7-10pm. Tickets on sale here. Wish I could be there myself, but will be out of town.
  
  
• Not happening til October, but thrilled that the Harry Potter: A History of Magic show will be eventually making its way from the UK to the NY Historical Society: "Capturing the traditions of folklore and magic at the heart of the Harry Potter stories, Harry Potter: A History of Magic unveils rare books, manuscripts, and magical objects from the collections of the British Library, New-York Historical Society, Harry Potter publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury, and other special collections."
  
  
• New Pinc Louds album is out on 4/6. They're having a release party that night at Littlefields. (Again, wish wish WISH I could be there, but I'll be traveling again.) And bonus! Album art is done by legendary cartoonist, Mark Alan Stamaty (Fun fact: his mom and my Grandma Sonya were both artists and dear friends. Whatever, you're impressed). The video for their new single, BABIES!, is here, and a madcap delight. I've spoken a bunch in the past about my love of "demented joy," and the Pinc Louds encapsulate that spirit for me in the most perfect, satisfying, ecstatically weird way. Drag and puppets and wordplay and prismatic bananacakes wacky wondrousness! LOVE THEM SO MUCH.
  
  
• Witchly e-pal of mine, Gabriela Herstik, has a new book out called Craft: How to Be a Modern Witch, and it is beautiful inside and out. (She's also my guest on the latest episode of The Witch Wave.)
  
  
• Lykanthea (composer of The Witch Wave theme song "Hand and Eye" amongst much other sonic beauty) featured on PRI's The World talking about her modern, electro- spin on Indian classical music.
  
  
• The exquisite and moving video for serpentwithfeet's new single, bless ur heart. (Can't wait for the new album, soil, coming out on 6/8)
  
  
• Season 10 of Drag Race, obviously.
  
  
• This list of purple birds

Ithell Colquhoun's "Taro as Colour"

I have been eagerly awaiting Fulgur's book "Taro as Colour" by Ithell Colquhoun, and its arrival is only a month away! It features Colquhoun's extremely rare abstract tarot paintings from 1977, collected here for the first time in book form. Details:

In 1977, a series of 78 strange enamel works were exhibited in a small gallery in Cornwall. The vibrant images were modestly grouped together in five large frames. For the curious viewer the artist provided a page of explanation, affirming that these ‘psycho-morphological’ studies were, in fact, designs for a Taro. Within a few weeks, the exhibition was gone.

Such was the first and last appearance of Ithell Colquhoun’s revolutionary explorations of the Taro As Colour. The product of a lifetime of esoteric study and art practice, Colquhoun’s bold project seeks to dispense with the figurative narratives of the traditional tarot and re-imagines the forces behind each card as pure colour. Drawing from the pioneering work of Moina Mathers and Florence Farr in the 1890s, Colquhoun integrates the esoteric teachings of the Golden Dawn with Surrealist automatic techniques to produce a design for a taro deck that remains unique in Western esotericism. Setting aside the role of the tarot in fortune-telling, through the power of pure colour Colquhoun invites us to reach for transcendence.

Published here as a book for the first time, Taro As Colour draws upon newly commissioned photography to present Colquhoun’s magical designs in vivid colour. Printed using the latest techniques of six-colour offset lithography, the original cards are augmented with gold and silver inks and gloss coated to better emulate the original enamels. Colquhoun’s original essay is also accompanied by a scholarly introduction by Amy Hale, who explores the background, approach and theory behind this extraordinary body of work.

The book is issued with four variations of elemental binding: Air (Yellow), Water (Blue), Fire (Red) and Earth (Indigo). If you have a preference, please state it in the comments box during the checkout process and we will do our best to fulfil your request.

Colquhoun herself was an incredible - and incredibly undersung - British occult painter who worked in several styles from surrealism to abstract esotericism. She invented her own systems of art magic that incorporated color, sacred geometry, and sexual energy, often blending together an eclectic array of pan-cultural mystical practices. Her name should be spoken in the same breath as Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Cameron, Austin Osman Spare, Hilma af Klint, Georgiana Houghton, Agnes Pelton, and other pioneers of esoteric art. Thanks to Fulgur's devoted efforts, as well as the scholarship of Dr. Amy Hale, perhaps it finally will.

Ravishing Roundup

John DiLorenzo "...So He Went Forth" 

It has been far too long since I've posted here, and for that I'm truly sorry. Life has taken a rather exciting but all-encompassing turn for me, as I've begun the transition into making my witchery my full-time vocation. I've been busy working on my podcast, The Witch Wave, writing my first full-length book (more news on that soon!), and getting up to all sorts of other supernatural shenanigans. I'm trying to resist turning this blog into too much of a self-promotion machine, so the best way to hear about my latest happenings is by receiving my newsletter. I only send 1-2 update emails a month, so please do sign up here if you want to be sure not to miss anything.

With that out of the way, there's a ton of Phantasmaphilic art magix occurring right now. Here's a big old list of what's been exciting me of late:

• John DiLorenzo's show "NIGHTFALL" at OVO Gallery in South Orange, NJ. Opening is Feb 2nd from 7-10pm, and the show is up from Feb 3rd - Feb 25th. 
• "The World Bewitch'd: Visions of Witchcraft from the Cornell Collections" is up through Aug 31st. It features selections from Cornell's incredible Witchcraft Collection, and I can't wait to get back there to see this.
• Iris Van Herpen is one of my favorite designers, so it's exciting to see her get the schmancy museum treatment. The "Transforming Fashion" exhibition has been traveling around, and I hope I can catch it when it's at the Phoenix Art Museum, Feb 24th through May 13th. (They're also planning a 2019 retrospective of another one of my faves, the visionary painter, Agnes Pelton, and I CANNOT WAIT. [I recently wrote about my love for her here, FYI.])
• Bowie is coming to Brooklyn. March 2nd - July 15th. Need I say more?
• "Women Who Fly: Goddesses, Witches, Mystics, and other Airborne Females" by Serinity Young is coming out from Oxford University Press on Feb 1st. She was our closing night speaker at the last Occult Humanities Conference, and if her book is anything like the presentation, I'm expecting loads of inspiring images of wonderful winged women.
• "Leonora and Alejandro: La Maga y El Maestro," an epic new theatrical dance piece based on Leonora Carrington and Alejandro Jodorowsky's creative partnership is coming soon from the visionaries at Double Edge Theatre. Its world premiere is happening in March at Montclair, NJ's Peak Performances, and I've already got my tickets. Counting the days.
• Damien Echols has a new solo exhibition called "High Magick" up at Last Rites Gallery here in NYC. You can view his talismanic works through Feb 17th.
• Sabrina the Teenage Witch is coming to Netflix, and will star the tremendous Kiernan Shipka AKA Mad Men's surly spirit animal, Sally Draper. It will be based on Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack's fantastic current comics reboot, "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina." And as with Riverdale, Aguirre-Sacasa will be creating the show as well.
• Speaking of, I'm sure you already know that Netflix will also be doing the series, "The Dark Crystal: The Age of Resistance," in 2019. But I'm mentioning it again because I'm so so happy about it.
• I got tickets to see Astrid Hadad, "The Lady Gaga of Nixtamal," perform at the Met Museum, and I am giddy as hell.
• Dior's Spring 2018 Couture collection is based on Leonor Fini (with a sprinkle of Pamela Colman Smith tarot imagery for good measure), and it's taking my breath away.
• And of course, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 debuted last night. I should say "it gave me life" like the kids do, but in all honesty it was so good it gave me life, death, and reincarnation as a multi-breasted burlesque goddess of mirth. (Also if you haven't listened to Ru talking to Oprah already, you must remedy this immediately.)
• OK, fine, maybe just two little me mentions. I adored this profile that just came out in the Observer - one of the few to talk about my witchly work holistically, and I'm so grateful. And I was also over at VICE yesterday, as a guest on Sarah Lyons' delightful tarot show. We talked witches, divination, and the SUPER BLUE BLOOD FULL MOON (!!!) coming up next week. You can watch it over on Broadly's Facebook page here.

Alrighty. Plenty more where that came from, but hopefully that will help keep the magix flowing for you for now. Thanks a million for your patience and your presence. I appreciate it more than you know. <3

Josh Sessoms

Josh Sessoms "Reverie (Ode to Damballah VI) 2017

I've adored Josh Sessoms' work for years now, and his latest drawings have gotten even more mind-blowing. Many of his pieces are vibrant and meticulously detailed homages to African deities, from Egyptian gods to Vodun loas. He writes of the above colored pencil masterpiece, "Damballah is a Vodun Loa of the primordial cosmic mind - both collective and individual. Damballah takes the form of the serpent and is associated with creation, vast primeval waters and rain."

It's speaking to me especially now, at the turn of the year, as we all prepare to shed our skins and slither into our own new creative forms. If this message connects to you, too, I highly recommend listening to "Dambala" from Exuma's exceptional 1970 self-titled album, and/or Nina Simone's powerful cover.

Here's wishing you a blessed shape-shifting for 2018. 

Helen Adam

Helen Adam, "In Harpy Land" excerpt, 1980

I've been wanting to write about Helen Adam for some time, after falling in love with her delightfully warped collages at the "An Opening of the Field" show at NYU a few years back. She was a Scottish poet and prodigy, having published three books of ballads by the age of twenty. She then moved to San Francisco with her mother and sister Pat, after a freak golf accident killed her father. Fortunately, she eventually fell in with Robert Duncan, Jess, and their group of visionary (and ultimately legendary) writers and artists in the 1950s. Adam would perform her witchly writings in the style of a balladeer, singing and rocking in incantatory fashion (there are a few marvelous videos of this here and here), and by all accounts enchanting the SF poetry literati of the day.

Her collages came later, and juxtaposed pictures of benign fashionable ladies with insects, monsters, and other creatures of the night (her bat-covered lady piece captioned "Perhaps no one will notice them" is a favorite.) Eventually she created a book entitled "In Harpy Land," (you can scroll through the link to see several pages) which combines collage and poetry to tell the tale of a world controlled by dark, magical women. It recalls Max Ernst's surrealistic visual novels such as Une Semaine de Bonte, though Adam's story is far more matriarchal.

Sadly, Adam died impoverished and ill as a ward of New York State in 1993, and many people still don't know of her work. A few devoted folks are looking to remedy that, including Kristen Prevallet, whose writing about her is both extensive and beautifully sensitive, culminating in the book "A Helen Adam Reader." And in more happy news, Further Other Book Works is about to release the monograph, "The Collages of Helen Adam," which looks as though it can be pre-ordered as part of this bundle.

Here's hoping this bewitching bard finally gets her due.

"Black Mirror: Magic in Art" exhibition!

Lindsey Bull "Conductor"

Britishfolk: if you can get yourself to Arts University Bournemouth's gallery, do, for there you'll find the mouth-watering "Black Mirror: Magic in Art" exhibition. The show features fourteen artists whose work focuses on occult imagery and techniques, including Phantasmaphile favorites Jesse Bransford, Lindsey Bull, Paula Rego, and Suzanne Treister. Full details:

Black Mirror: Magic in Art
November 23 - February 1, 2018

Curated by Dominic Shepherd
The Gallery, AUB

Black Mirror: Magic in Art explores the influences and roles of magic, enchantment and the occult in contemporary art and how they function as aesthetic, conceptual and political forces. Through a multi-disciplined curatorial approach of 2D, 3D, film, video and performance art, Black Mirror will showcase the work of fourteen internationally recognised artists.

Modernism was built in the late nineteenth century, we live within its legacy; the same period created the foundations of modern magic as it is practised and understood today. The magical and occult have been much marginalised within the scholarship of twentieth century art, seen in opposition to enlightenment and progressive values. This exhibition challenges this premise, taking fourteen artists whom draw on the magical to propose that enchantment and occult are intertwined with contemporary issues.

Covering a period over the last thirty years a magical aesthetic is intrinsic to an engagement with environmentalism; feminism; gender; post-digital; neo-liberalism and nationalism. Black Mirror is an exhibition where the magical, occult and enchanted are activated as progressive forces that question and direct the flux in this uncertain age.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Jesse Bransford, Clinical Associate Professor; Department Chair, NYU Steinhardt
Siân Bowen, Professor of Drawing, AUB
Lindsey Bull, Artist
Tom Butler, Artist
Willem de Bruijn, Senior Lecturer in Architecture, AUB
Tessa Farmer, Artist
Heywood and Condie, Artists
Jason Martin, Artist
Judith Noble, Associate Dean Media, Plymouth College of Art
Paula Rego, Artist
Dominic Shepherd, Associate Professor Fine Art, AUB
Mark Titchner, Artist
Suzanne Treister, Artist
Marie von Heyl, Artist

CURATOR

Dominic Shepherd is Dorset based Artist and Senior Lecturer in MA Fine Art at the Arts University Bournemouth. He studied at the Chelsea School of Art and graduated with both a BA and MA in Fine Art. Dominic is a prize winner of the 2004 John Moores Prize, a prestigious prize that showcases avant-garde paintings. In 2008, he undertook a research fellowship at AUB and in 2015, he was made an Associate Professor at the University.

He has exhibited internationally with an extensive record of group and solo shows in London, New York, Berlin and Los Angeles and is represented by Charlie Smith London. He has also been included in and written for, various publications.

Dominic is presently the co-coordinator (with Judith Noble and Jesse Bransford) of the Black Mirror Network that explores the influence and role of Enchantment, the occult and magic in modernist and contemporary art.

There is also an accompanying catalog available with contributions by Associate Professor Dominic Shepherd, Willem de Bruin and Professor Emma Hunt.

It all looks just marvelous.  

 

 

Episode 2 of The Witch Wave is up!

I'm super excited to announce that the 2nd episode of my new podcast, The Witch Wave, is up! It features Kristen Sollee, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive and Editrix of Slutist. You can listen to our saucy conversation about sex magick, witchcraft activism, and why the witch is a feminist icon by heading over to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or directly on the Witch Wave site. I am thrilled with how this episode turned out, and I think you'll dig it, too. If you do, kindly subscribe to us and give us a stellar rating - it makes an enormous difference. Thanks so much for listening!

Alexis Palmer Karl's "THE ECSTASY OF FORBIDDEN DAYLIGHT" show!

Alexis Palmer Karl "Ritual Skulls" 2017

This is the time of year for us to connect with our dearly departed and tap into our witchiest selves. It's also a perfect moment to view Alexis Palmer Karl's "THE ECSTASY OF FORBIDDEN DAYLIGHT" show, up now at NYC's Pratt Institute. It's a multimedia exhibition which seeks to honor ancestors and depict witchcraft rituals for the modern age through photography, video, and talismanic objects. Full description:

Pratt Institute and Stephen Romano Gallery are pleased to present a solo exhibition by New York artist Alexis Palmer Karl entitled “THE ECSTASY OF FORBIDDEN DAYLIGHT” Oct 12-Nov 12.

 “THE ECSTASY OF FORBIDDEN DAYLIGHT”  is an immersive multi media experience involving sculpture, photography, painting, sound and film which explores the pull of magic lifting the veil between our world and the spirit realm. 

Alexis Palmer Karl is a Multimedia artist who works in sculpture, painting, photography, film and dark ambient music with her bands LEX and Parallax Born, who release their music with Onyudo Records.  

Alexis's work has been exhibited in the states and internationally, with performances at the Whitney Biennial and Guggenheim Museum, and is represented in New York by Stephen Romano Gallery. Alexis's work explores the reinventing of oracular magic and ritualistic objects and the redefining of the witch archetype.

The work reinvents sacred ritualistic objects, and presents a portrait of Oracles who, while bound by this mortal coil, can see a world beyond. Inspired by her scholarly research and lectures of historical  accounts of witchcraft and folkloric magic spell books, Karl's work recasts and shifts the powerful Witch archetype. 

A painted and filmed coven harness elements of the earth to do their magic; borrowing from death to bring new life, they are archetypal and goddess -like in their power.  Obsidian- laden scrying bowls and black a Quartz pendulum reveal the future, and call forth spirits. 

The work challenges the viewer to embrace the artist’s reinvention of magical practices, and brings into the light which has for centuries been seen as dark. The exhibition includes Animal Familiar ritual bowls, ritual bowls that secure love spells, and witch bottles to bind malevolent spirits.

ALEXIS PALMER KARL is a multidisciplinary artist, professor at Pratt Institute and School of Visual Arts, and scholar and lecturer on magic and ritualism in art, fashion and fragrance. She has lectured extensively on ritualistic shamanic practices and folkloric magic, and the relevance of ritual within artistic culture at both the Metropolitan Museum and The Morbid Anatomy Museum, where she was the house perfumer and an exhibiting artist.

Karl’s art work is concerned with a reinterpretation of magical objects and the illustration of oracular magic through sculpture, film, gothic dark ambient music, ritual fragrance, and large scale portraits of witches. Her upcoming solo exhibition at Pratt Institute, “The Ecstasy of Forbidden Daylight”, is based on studies of 18th century accounts of witchcraft trials from her research in the UK, and a series of her lectures at The Morbid Anatomy museum, and serves to bring the archetype of the Witch into the modern era.

Sounds like it will lift spirits in more ways than one!

The Witch Wave podcast + 12 Years of Phantasmaphile!

Photo by Shannon Taggart

Yesterday marked the 12 year anniversary of Phantasmaphile, and I tend to use this occasion as a time to take stock and give thanks. Though I've gone off in several witchly directions since October 2005 - and don't post on here nearly as often as I'd like to these days - this space remains the root of all of the other projects I've gotten to do, whether it's writing What Is A Witch, creating WitchEmoji, or co-organizing the Occult Humanities Conference at NYU. I'm so grateful to those of you have joined me on this journey, whether you're a long-time reader or a new traveler on the phantastic highway. Getting to meet so many of you, whether in person or in the e-aether, has been one of the most rewarding parts of keeping up this site. We all form a community of curious oddballs who are devoted to making the world more magical. 

It's in that spirit that I'm thrilled to announce my latest venture: The Witch Wave podcast. It's a show where I'll be having conversations about magic, art, creativity, and all sorts of other witchery with today's leading visionaries. My first guest was the incredible Briana Luna of The Hoodwitch, and I loved our conversation about digital mysticism, beauty rituals, and the importance of honoring our ancestors. You can listen to the episode on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or on the Witch Wave site itself. If you like it, I hope you'll subscribe to it and rate it - it would be a massive help, and I would deeply appreciate the support. This has been one of the most joyous projects I've ever worked on, and I'm so excited for the upcoming episodes. It hit #2 in the Spirituality category on iTunes and has gotten some great reviews since it launched last week, and I'm crossing my fingers/toes/eyelashes that it will continue to find a passionate audience, including you.

Many thanks for reading, for listening, for showing up, and shining bright. Wishing you a Happy Halloween, a Blessed Samhain, and a wondrous Season of the Witch. I'm honored to have you in my magic circle. 

The Occult Humanities Conference is this weekend!

The third Occult Humanities Conference at NYU is nearly here and is SOLD OUT. However, PLEASE NOTE that the vending area, gallery exhibition of Tin Can Forest’s work, Saturday night evening performance by Alunaré, and Sunday evening closing reception are all FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC on Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th, per the posted schedule on the website. Looking forward to seeing you there! 

"Literary Witches" is out today!

Just a little poke with a broom handle to remind you that "Literary Witches" is out today! I was so thrilled to be invited to write the forward to this book, and Taisia Kitaiskaia's words matched with Katy Horan's illustrations make for a truly irresistible brew:

Celebrate the witchiest women writers with beautiful illustrations and imaginative vignettes.

Literary Witches draws a connection between witches and visionary writers: both are figures of formidable creativity, empowerment, and general badassery. Through poetic portraits, Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan honor the witchy qualities of well-known and obscure authors alike, including Virginia Woolf, Mira Bai, Toni Morrison, Emily Dickinson, Octavia E. Butler, Sandra Cisneros, and many more.

 

Perfect for both book lovers and coven members, Literary Witches is a treasure and a source of inspiration. Kitaiskaia and Horan bring fresh insights on your most beloved authors, suggest enchanting new writers, and invite you to rediscover the magic of literature.

Order yours today or grab a copy at your local book shop.

Witch-Ikon exhibition and book!

If you have the good fortune of being in Seattle, then you must jump on your broom and fly to Mortlake & Company tonight for the opening of Witch-Ikon, a month-long exhibition of witchcraft imagery that includes some of my very favorite artists. Oh how I witch I could be there!

WITCH-IKON
An Exhibition of Contemporary Witchcraft Imagery
Opening Reception October 5 - 6pm - 9pm

Witch-Ikon: An Exhibition of Contemporary Witchcraft Imagery, a special exhibition at Mortlake & Company Gallery, Seattle, throughout the month of October. Exhibited artists will include Benjamin Vierling, K. Lenore Siner, David Herrerías, Dolorosa de la Cruz, Rory MacLean, Santiago Caruso, Marzena Ablewska-Lech and Timo Ketola, among others. Throughout the month of the exhibition, various guest lectures will be presented on aspects of the witch in art. Additional exhibition-only publications will be available for purchase at the gallery, as will prints from Three Hands Press.

 

There is also the Witch-Ikon book coming from Three Hands Press, which is 288 pages of artwork and essays that explore the image of the witch through the ages. Looks tremendous.

TONIGHT Art & the Occult panel at The Assemblage NoMad

I'm very excited to take part in The Assemblage's Art & the Occult panel at 7pm tonight. It's at The Assemblage NoMad at 114 East 25th St, and it's free. It will be moderated by Haley Houseman, and feature Kevin Pelrine of the Tarot Society and artist Holly Simple. Tickets here. Come one, come all!

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