A probable theorem

"The third and, given due consideration, most probable of all my theorems, is that life is ordered by the principles of some religion so peculiar and obscure it has no followers, and none may fathom it, nor know the rituals by which to court its favor."
                                                                -Alan Moore, Voice of the Fire

Saudi Arabia's Witchhunters Ride Again

  Heads up, witches, wizards, and Harry Potter fans! Saudi Arabia's Anti-Witchcraft Unit has been mobilized again, this time in response to the discovery of the severed head of a wolf wrapped, apparently, in women's lingerie.

  Those unfamiliar with Saudi Arabia's witchhunters should not be surprised to learn that the frighteningly conservative and mind-bogglingly religious state treats claims of its citizens meddling with dark forces very, very seriously. Established within the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in 2009, the elite Anti-Witchcraft squad is devoted to investigating and eliminating alleged sorcerers, witches, and astrologers, breaking spells, and teaching the populace about the dangers of seeking after Forbidden Knowledge.

  According to Abdullah Jaber of Al-Jazeera "In accordance with our Islamic tradition we believe that magic really exists. The fact that an official body, subordinate to the Saudi Ministry of Interior, has a unit to combat sorcery proves that the government recognizes this, like Muslims worldwide."

  In the case of the wolf's head, the Anti-Witchcraft Unit in Tabouk claims to have broken the spell. The Saudi daily Okaz reported on Monday that the unknown family that had fallen victim to the spell had been "liberated from the jaws of the wolf.” No word yet on the methods used, but if I had to guess, I'd say they probably weren't combating dark sorcery with the power of rainbows and friendship.

  The Saudi Press Agency claims that The Anti-Witchcraft Unit was created in order to educate the public about the danger of sorcerers and "combat manifestations of polytheism and reliance on other Gods."

  TNT would not return our calls regarding the possibility of  a new hit series, Law & Order: AWU.

More at http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=230183

Year In Review

So it's been a little while, hasn't it? Over a year has passed since the last post, so I'd say we have a little catching up to do. The following have occurred since then, in no particular order:

i. I took a massive hit to my self-confidence after having to leave my job as a wilderness counselor for medical reasons. The demoralizing process of leaping through workman's comp hoops, physical therapy, MRIs, steroid injections, weird medications, and finding a new job all combined to create an insidiously corrosive effect. This effectively wiped me out on all projects, clients, and magical activities for large swaths of last year.

ii. I got better. Not where I want to be, by a long shot, but at least I've picked myself back up and am back on the damn Path. Now I need to pick up the pieces and figure out how to make them into something better. Solve et Coagula and all that.

iii. My new job has required me to travel all over the country: Philadelphia, Chicago, LA, San Fran, Denver, Boulder, Memphis, Tombstone, New York, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Seattle, Dallas, and more podunk towns in the middle of god-forsaken-nowhere than I care to count. I've visited dozens of bodegas, botanicas, creepy Chinese apothecaries, and occult bookstores along the way, amassing a ridiculous supply of herbs, incenses, candles, grimoires, and sundries. I'm technically traveling as a researcher, but for everything but the couple of hours spent actually interviewing people, I'm a jet set sorcerer.

iv. The Middle-East caught on fire, exactly as I predicted. Remember?

v. I made a few t-shirts on a print-on-demand site. The plan is to have all 72 demons of the Goetia represented on American Apparel products by fourth quarter. Go check it out.

vi. Lady Gaga has succeeded in convincing the pop culture world that being weird can be incredibly profitable, and now we have songs in the Top 40 about having sex with aliens. Well done, Illuminati. Well done.

vii. I met a young person who reminded me of what it was like to first start studying and practicing magic: challenging, strange, incredibly exciting.
For the record, it's a lot like this:
The Klaxons - Magick

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