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- Bogdan, Henrik, 1972
(author)
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Challenging the Morals of Western Society: The Use of Ritualised Sex in Contemporary Occultism
- 2006
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In: The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies. - 1528-0268. ; 8:2, s. 211-246
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper discusses the historical roots of the use of ritualized sex in contemporary occultism, with special focus on the teachings of Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), Gerald B. Gardner (1884-1964) and Kenneth Grant (b. 1924). The notion of that sexual magic is related to Hindu Tantric practices is addressed, and a detailed historical develpment of the use of ritualized sex-as illustrated by Crowley, Gardner, and Grant-is presented.
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- Giudice, Christian, 1977
(author)
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Pagan Rome Was Rebuilt in a Play: Roggero Musmeci Ferrari Bravo and the Representation of Rumon
- 2012
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In: The Pomegranate. - : Equinox Publishing. - 1528-0268. ; 14:2, s. 212-232
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At 17:30 of 6 May 1923, on the Palatine hill, Roggero Musmeci Ferrari Bravo (1866-1937), better known by his pseudonym ignis, staged one of the most unconventional plays to be composed in Italian language: Rumon. With hundreds of extras hired for the occasion and a substantial financing by Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) himself, the play re-enacted the struggle between Romulus and Remus and the successive foundation of the Eternal City. More than a simple, albeit unlikely, example of pagan pageant, Rumon was the most noticeable expression of a cultural current set to bring about a new pagan Golden Age in Rome and, more generally, Italy. More than one critical review described Rumon as a potent rite of birth which heralded a new dawn for Rome and the traditons of its ancient cives, and the play itself features archaic invocations to Roman deities, the exaltation of Roman lineage and the use of the secret and magical names of Rome. In this paper I will briefly analyse the pagan milieu of Rome which no doubt influenced Musmeci Bravo, successively highlighting the most relevant passages of Rumon in which the birth of a newly pagan Rome was so majestically portrayed.
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| 6. |
- Gregorius, Fredrik
(author)
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Atlantis of the North: The Contested Reception of Old Uppsala, between Nationalism, Religious Identity, and Secular History
- 2021
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In: The Pomegranate. - : EQUINOX PUBLISHING LTD. - 1528-0268 .- 1743-1735. ; 23:1-2, s. 64-91
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The article presents the cultural reception of Old Uppsala with a focus in how it is used by contemporary Heathens. Modern Swedish Heathens see the place as spiritually significant, and there have been public blots at the site yearly since 2000. Such rituals are only ambivalently tolerated by the museum and Swedish National Heritage Board. In recent years other groups have started to use the site as well and it has also been used by a variety of smaller shamanistic groups. For Heathens, the place a sacred area, representing the last significant religious site for pre-Christian Norse religion and resistance to Christianization. I argue that Old Uppsala lies at the center of Swedens often complicated relationship with its own history. Its story follows broader cultural trends connected to national identity and when modern Heathens enter the scene, they become a part of this larger debate. The article will look at how the museum presents the Viking age and how their presentations both work with and in opposition to Heathen constructions about Viking age religion.
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- Hedenborg White, Manon
(author)
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To Him the Winged Secret Flame, To Her the Stooping Starlight : The Social Construction of Gender in Contemporary Ordo Templi Orientis
- 2013
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In: The Pomegranate. - : Equinox Publishing. - 1528-0268 .- 1743-1735. ; 15:1-2, s. 102-121
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Based on fieldwork in the United States, the article analyses the social construction of gender in contemporary OTO. The article addresses an important and often neglected area of study in research on Western esotericism, and discusses how the notion of binary gender is both created and challenged in interactions between OTO members. Thelemic divinity as presented in Liber AL is envisioned as consisting of a divine father, Hadit, mother Nuit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit, their divine offspring. Despite the gender polarity constructed thus, contemporary OTO members stretch the boundaries of binary gender through a plethora of deities, personal gender performances and acceptance of different sexual orientations and lifestyles. The creativity and innovation of contemporary OTO members' gender constructions demonstrates the necessity of greater methodological diversity in research on Western esotericism, in order to allow an understanding of esoteric traditions as lived religions.
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