This is a little bit of a departure, as it marks a return to my reading in and around my academic (and other) interests.
Serpents Song (2014) is a compilation of essays by Scarlet Imprint, an esoteric publishing house in England that has this neat model of releasing books in very high end, special editions with fancy paper and bindings, in addition to standard trade paperbacks. I just got the paperbacks, but I think it’s a fun model.
These essays fall into a few major buckets. One are examples of various local craft traditions, ranging from Cornwall to the Basque country in Spain. This last group are among the most interesting–these are traditions of which I was totally unaware and represent some intriguing concepts, especially of the relationship of spiritual practice to a concept of home and belonging.
There are always two views of this kind of collection. As an academic, it’s a great collection to look at through various standard anthropological lenses: there is a ton of boundary maintainance, a lot of arguments around the notion of “authenticity,” etc.
There is a little transgression fatigue if you have studied much in the 20th century magical traditions–the consistent argument around the potential value of the left-hand path is deeply flawed, and usually insufficiently supported and contextualized. If that is unfamiliar, the argument is basically that by pushing boundaries, by transgressing, we are able to come closer to our true solves, to an honest and direct encounter with both the inner and outer worlds. And it’s not wrong: we all have limits and boundaries that we or others have imposed on ourselves that we need to move beyond. But it’s also often in danger of veering into cliche and, more importantly, into a radical rationalization for self-importance.
It is parallel in some ways to the challenge of gurus: intense one-on-one work with a guru is among the most effective modes of study; the history of such relationships are rife with abuse and manipulation.
Still, if the areas of focus are of interest–and both the Basque information and the details around local practices in the southwest of England are notable–it’s a nice window into contemporary Central European practice.