In a couple of weeks I was supposed to go out to Lithuania to present some of my work as an artist/magician as part of the Alytus Biennial: Art Strike Biennial. But it turns out, owing to a new law past in Lithuania banning anything that gives credence to paranormal phenomena, that my activities would be illegal. The law also bans other activities, significantly anything promoting homosexuality. For an article on the subject see:
I recently got offered a great commission. The deal was this:
I get paid to go to Dartington gallery
I can make any kind of art I want
I can work in any medium I want
I can pick someone to work with and they will get the same fees etc that I am getting
What ever I decide to do, its all got to be finished and completed in three days of arriving at the gallery.
What a great opportunity to be offered. After a little bit of thought I asked the writer and artist Stewart Home. I’ve known Stewart for a while, but we’ve never actually worked together on a project before. We both agreed pretty much from the word ‘go’ that we were going to make a video.
We kicked around several ideas but eventually settled on the idea of making a video about leading Italian Dadaist/part-time futurist/fascist/occultist Julius Evola. Stewart has suggested Evola and the idea really appealed to me given my recent magickal endeavours. Given that neither Stewart or I are Evolas biggest fan, we set out to make a mocumentary.
The filming took two days and the editing one and a half. It was a pretty good experience. Filming was fun. We got to gate crash a student party as well as take over a hairdressers shop for a morning. It was really great. We got to see old friend like Lindsay Hughes, Roddy Hunter, Judit Bodor and Joe Tervors as well as meet some new and interesting people. The film screened in Dartington gallery on Saturday 18th May 2008. We might screen it some other places as well.
It’s currently on you tube. Check it out:
While walking up the Dublin Road with my girlfriend, on our way back from an evening at the cinema we found a strange leaflet on the ground. The leaflet was a warning against Satanism. We obviously picked it up. Upon arriving in the back bar of the Errigle on the Ormeau road we got the leaflet out of my bag to have a proper look at it. I was shocked.
The heading on the Leaftet is: Warning – Against the Occult (Satan worship) The leaflet then goes on to confirm exactly what it means by “satan worship”. Here’s the list it supplies. You might find some of it shocking:
Witchcraft
Ouija Boards
Charms
divination
Superstitions
Tarot cards
fortune telling
Occult magic
Occult literature
occult games (e.g Dungeons & dragons)
Levitation
E.S.P
Psychic powers
Seances
Spiritualism
Trancendental Meditation
Heavy rock
acid music
Drugs
Glue sniffing
Terrorism
Cults (e.g. Jehovah witnesses, mormons etc)
New Age philosophies
Yoga
Reflexology
Acupunture
Crystals
Hypnosis
Colours and Lights for healing
Evolution
Reincarnation
Eastern Mysticism
Freemasonry
Ecumenical & Charismatic movements
World council of churches
Last night I made some dowsing rods. It was easy. I took out my tool box and looked at all the wonderful manly things inside it. I then took a pair of pliers and went and cut up an old wire coat hanger to make a set of dowsing rods. I’m not sure what I think about the idea of dowsing. I like the way it looks though. There’s a lot of potential in such a strange looking activity.
I think I will take myself to the Ormeau park next week and do a bit of dowsing. I could kill two birds with one stone. as that is where I’m thinking about putting my sigil. Speaking of which it’s still not ready. I’m going to try to finish it by the end of today (all being well).
An Account of Psychonautic Adventures in Belfast 