After a brief trip to Stockholm on a successful book hunt, briefly stopping for a semla and a chat with author Per Faxneld at the endlessly charming Valand, I am now back in the comforts of London only long enough to pack and ship all of the orders of "Die Kröte, or the Toad" before I head off to Portugal at the end of the month.
Much is brewing behind the scenes of Alkahest Press, and once I get issue three of the Skeptical Occultist off to the printer there will be some exciting news, particularly for those of a darker, left hand, luciferian path. Another translation, long overdue, of a foundational text.
As well, I am considering a collection of obscure folk magic tracts from various historic sources, possibly coming out at midsummer. In particular there are some long overlooked female folklorists to whom more attention is needed.
The months ahead are going to be a fire tornado of activity, and a few of our projects will likely sell out faster than we can deal with the orders. Apologies in advance for any undue delays. "Die Kröte" is more than halfway sold out, I believe there are about 30 copies remaining. They have just come from the printer and the first batch of preorders should be shipping out by the end of the week. The Skeptical Occultist issue three is selling quickly as well, with only one or two of the limited preorders with hand-marbled dust jackets still remaining.
In my travels there are words that one hears as we drift through spaces, airports like nervous centers where cultures mash together in a flurry of travel inconvenience. We are close to those whom we may never know, and as we sift through the minds of those around us we can know things, understand the states of the world as it evolves.
Throughout these journeys I have lingered at the border of the landscape, both urban and wild, and that shifting transient space has revealed the weather patterns of human endeavor, exposed the horrors that seem inevitably on the horizon.
There are things afoot in the world of magic, a current that is poisoned (and not in the good way) is creeping into view. I sense the rise of ignorance and fear in the eyes of posturing racists and fascist faux occultists. Beware the whispers of "true paths", "pure lineages" or other nonsense that assumes authority over that which can not be controlled, that speaks of "knowledge" as absolute and rigid as the backside of a Pope.
Whatever they might tell you otherwise, there is no truth.
