Austin Osman Spare - Sigil Magick in Theory and Practice - The Origins of Chaos Magick
Sigil and Chaos Magic have proven decisive in the history of contemporary magickal theory and practice, both of which were powerfully influenced by the works of the artist, writer and occultist Austin Osman Spare. This episode explores the philosophical foundations of Spare's magical theory and practice, especially in his development of the concepts of Kia, Zos and how Sigils can be planted deep within the psyche to unlock what Spare took to be vast metaphysical powers. @drangelapuca follows up this exploration by exploring Spare's impact on contemporary esoteric practices, Chaos Magick and shamanism. Make sure to check out her episode as well!
Check out Dr. Puca's episode - • Austin Osman Spare - C...
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#chaosmagick #sigilmagick #magick
Recommended Reading:
Baker - Austin Osman Spare: The Occult Life of London's Legendary Artist - 978-1583947166
Check out Dr. Puca's episode - kzhead.info/sun/Za6dqZSxjINjZmw/bejne.html Make Sure to Subscribe & Consider supporting Esoterica by becoming a monthly Patron - www.patreon.com/esotericachannel or a one time donation - www.paypal.me/esotericachannel Your support is profoundly appreciated!
I would love if you read and reviewed "Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie" or "The Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic" by Éliphas Lévi. One of the second books I read when I started getting into the occult through my first reading of "The Kybalion" and all other things related to Hermetics and Mental Alchemy. Truly an inspiring and great read. I would argue that Éliphas Lévi's contribution to the occult and magick is not properly appreciated.
@@David-jq7wr Aleister Crowley felt a connection with Eliphas Levi, so much he (jokingly iirc) said that he was one of his previous incarnations. He had put up some astro charts and crunched them numerical values of names, dates, etc.
I can’t wait for you to see what I’ve done
@@savantofillusions ?
@@TheEsotericaChannel it’s a long story - but the short version is that I’m doing automatic surrealism with my fingertips in a way thought to be humanly impossible - I’m a genius savant with a brain injury - I am somehow like Janet’s patients but proving “cognitive surrealism” that resembles Maxwell’s Demon for art (mathematically) also there are machine learning models that might show what I do requires a quantum computer equivalent in the brain
I'm still looking for the buried treasure. The only treasure I've found, so far, is this channel.
The lost seek
Awwww......
Kind words....but I could use some gold, ngl ;)
and the bored.....and humble
Amen to that! And to the trail of mana leading to and fro.
Thank you for the heartfelt introduction, my friend! I loved collaborating with you and I look forward to the next one! Hopefully, we'll get to meet in person as well. 😊
I am glad he shouted out your channel. I will have to look at many of your videos that have popped my intrest
You deserve all the praise, many thanks for for your wonderful work. Hopefully we will meet in person soon - maybe even have a glass of absinthe together!
@@TheEsotericaChannel nothing better than getting in some Green Faerie while discussing the esoteric!
I subscribed
I'm so glad he mentioned you! I just subscribed to your channel :)
Nietzsche slide: "not pictured, the void, on the left" so good
That damn Freddy, always abyss-starin'
Every time I'm going to play one of your videos, they look too long on paper, but then when they are coming to an end, they seem too short. Truly magical.
"Not pictured: the void, on left" i love you dude
I recently used a technique inspired by Spare's methods to create a musical chord sequence generator app which transforms a string of words (an intention to be sigilized) into a set of four chords which can then be used as an object of meditation or "activation" by other means... My method for activating such sigils is usually to sit at a piano, toodle around on the chosen four chords until I settle on a pleasant riff, and then repeat that riff mindlessly for an hour or so, zoning out on it as hard as possible to the point that I'm barely awake at the piano. When I reach a point of exhaustion, I go rest and try to forget about the whole affair as much as possible. This act of introducing the data repeatedly at a point of exhaustion is one of the ways you can create and take advantage of that "stack overflow" you mentioned. Forgetting about it keeps your brain from retroactively "correcting" the changes you made on a subconscious level to conform with your previous patterns and protocols which the magick aimed to alter. You're kind of exploiting back doors in your own psychological immune system. Pretty dangerous stuff in the wrong hands.
That is, if it actually works. Any evidence?
Ok you babbling mad man. Seek help.
@@thenowchurch6419 Well, the way I understand the theory dictates that the technique is primarily useful for breaking or forming habits on various levels of one's mental/emotional architecture. I can say that I've had success refocusing my nervous system onto tasks that were previously much more opaque to my understanding and abilities. For example, this method has been very helpful in my recent shift from an attempted career in music to a more stable career in computer science. I target my intentions mostly toward new abilities I want to cultivate, and it seems to be helpful. Can't say much beyond that. Probably not much different than other affirmation-based motivational techniques, but at least this one has an interesting theoretical basis that my overcomplicated brain can appreciate as potentially valid and therefore utilize.
@@placer7412 I've certainly explored that possibility, but I think I've found a stable track now. Thanks for your concern.
@@andythedishwasher1117 ignore the rude people, your idea sounded interesting.
You make academic learning palatable and enjoyable! 🙌
Glad you think so!
As someone who has attempted to go very deeply into Spare's philosophy myself, I must say this presentation represents a very brave and impressive attempt at understanding and summarising it: bravo, Dr. Sledge!
Outstanding! More scholarly Chaos Magic-related videos are incredibly appreciated.
Found the friend. Using this for future work as well.
@@venenuminauro OH hi my brother
This idea of encoding (or "discovering") powerful sigils and then tapping into their potency by storing them deep within the mind reminds me a lot of the Caryll Runes found in Bloodborne, a game heavily steeped in Gothic and Lovecraftian occultism. The idea of "vacuity" of mind being a purer form of consciousness which leaves one more open to communion with greater cosmic powers is also _explicitly_ present in the game. Very interesting―I knew little about Spare, so this was quite enlightening. Thank you, as always!
God I love Bloodborne. Figures that only Dr. Sledge can help us make sense of the convoluted lore.
I haven't played Bloodborne, so I'm not actually familiar with these runes, but "Caryll" may be a variation of Carroll. This being a reference to Peter J Carroll, one of the leading figures in the development of Chaos magic. Carroll has been heavily influenced by Spare - particularly in regards to sigil theory, so this connection is highly plausible. If you're interested in the topic, Carroll has written a number of books. The most prominent being Liber Null / Psychonaut and Liber Kaos. Both should be widely available, probably around $15 or so for each. Not too long of a read, modern approach and very practical. I would consider them absolutely essentially to anyone studying magic, regardless of what tradition you are focusing on.
@@Shin_Lona played Bloodborne and read Carroll’s work and I have never thought about this connection. Sweet!
You must be somewhat saddist if you are referencing bloodborne. That is a truly difficult path. HAHHAHAHAH.... that darn game kicked my butt for years!!
@@veraha4706 I think the majority of bloodborne (and some dark souls) is directly ripped from the manga Berserk, and then mixed with European naturalism.
Genesis P-Orridge introduced me to Austin Osman Spare. He owned a few of his paintings and he told stories of the painting coming to life on the days that the paintings were made
I feel like you're the only voice on the internet on these niche subjects who actually cites his sources, so I appreciate the link Dr. Puca's channel because the more the merrier.
Seriously, I know of no other channel where half the fun is knowing you'll get an evaluation of the most relevant academic texts at the tail end of the video! My wallet does not thank Dr. Sledge, but I do! My list of 'to buy' books has grown immensely.
While citing sources has its value it can get in the way. AOS would never have existed if he only relied on things other people wrote. Imagine how sterile art would be if painters only could paint things that everyone could agree existed in the material world.
Beyond excited for the Esoterica perspective on Chaos Magick with a “k”!! Thank you, Dr Justin Sledge! You rock!!
Chaos Magic is so incredibly fun.
Indeed, it's fun and fascinating. I've tried it twice with great results, but I don't do it anymore.
Uumm? Tips?
@@iam-retarded-but nothing is real and everything is possible. Watch the other video to this collab and then her other videos. That's a start.
@@uglyweirdo1389 thank you so much
@@iam-retarded-but Grant Morrison is also a pretty fun resource. Good luck and you're very welcome!
AOS created some of my favourite art of all time. "Ascension of the Ego from Ecstasy to Ecstasy" is probably the most beautiful piece of art I've ever seen.
OMG you made a program of my favourite artist. He was magical and lived like an old wizard among the poor and downthrodden.
That was the best “buried treasure” yet. Holy moly.
I love Spare. I get many don't but there is so much there in how I do my work.
Saved!!! Looking very forward to this episode later tonight when I have the time to dig in! ❤
Thank you, very much! I've waited for this presentation!
Always learn something new Dr. Sledge! Thank you
LOVE sigil/chaos magic and Spare. Great video, Dr Sledge!
Great podcast! Exactly the type of content I've been searching for!!!❤
Most excellent upload!
This was a great overview. Thank you.
This channel is a gift to us all. Thank you kindly for sharing all of your knowledge in such an inviting way.
OMG I love AOS!! I'm so glad you made a video about him. I've read all his books and biography and is such a big influence in my practice! I just turned my notifications on for this channel because I can't believe I almost missed this.
Thank you! Please make more videos!
you are god sent, EXCELLENT work as always!! 👏
!!!!! So appreciated that was impressive and I can’t wait for more
I love this channel. Thank you.
Thank-you for this video, Doctor. The introduction to Spare is very comprehensive and particularly entertaining.
No words can express the gratitude I have for your channel.
A.O. Spare was a very enigmatic person, thanks for shedding more light into his precepts. I understood more from you than reading his texts a dozen times over!
Great video! Thank you very much!
Thanks, Dr. Sledge: very clear and educational video about Austin O. Spares ideas.
Once again Brilliant! So informative and humorous Enjoyed this immensely! Thank You
Happy you and Angela are covering AOS 🥰❤
What a surprise! I am entirely delighted that you've chosen to cover much more recent work in the occult! Thank you as always, doctor!
I just subscribed. I saw Dr. Puca's video on Spare and I am getting back into esotericism after spending a few decades away from it. This is all so fascinating.
"Not pictured: the void, on left" 🤣😂😂 I love you brother....thankyou for such a great channel. ❤👏🤌
Wow! This is an excellent look at Austin Osman Spare techniques in Sigil Magic in theory and practice. Thank you.
Thank you Dr. Sledge for this most excellent lecture on a much ignored subject.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I first watched your channel hoping to learn something and I have thank you but it's your sense of humor that keeps me coming back. I wish I was as quick.
Gotta love how genuine that appreciation was at the end of the video!
Thanks once again. Always informative and entertaining.
21:30 “allegedly Spar could make it rain, no not like that, rain rain” 🌧☔️⛈
I have been fascinated by Sigil and chaos magick for a while now, so I am absolutely delighted that you have done a deep dive into Spare's work and legacy. Brilliant video, as always, Dr. Sledge. Thank you.
Fantastic video on AOS!! You break down his occult philosophy where it can be understood!! Thanks again!!
Thanks for all your great work.
Love your voice and pacing. I am so glad I found you! Subscribed, nothing but blessings to you my friend
Just watched this a second time. Excellent presentation, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you!
this is the good stuff. keep em coming
i find your videos really interesting and appreciate the way you present them without feeling a need to editorialize. well done. this particular video reminds me of a comic book i was reading back in the 90's- "the invisibles" by grant morrison- wherein mr. morrison asked the readers to perform chaos magic to keep the book from being cancelled. in a note at the end of issue #14 he explained how to create a sigil and suggested that self pleasure was a good way to hack the perfect concentration requirement of the casting. the book continued for 45 more issues, so i leave it to the reader to decide whether it worked or not.
Fantastic. Very helpful.
Thank you, great video. Will check out patreon!
loved this episode so much! extremely informative. Spare has always been an occultist I’ve wanted to delve deeper into but would just end up getting completely lost, feeling like I could never even scratch the surface. Excited to try to find the book recommended!
I’ve been doing automatic drawings for about two decades out of inspiration from Austin Osman Spare. Psyched to see you covering him!
I have learned so much from your videos. Thank you for giving your time and expertise.
Always informative
Great study and insight in the subject....very informative - Thank you 🖤
Great video, Doc. The stack overflow analogy is a good one. I've heard modern practicioners use computing nomenclature in magickal contexts a few times actually.
I really enjoy your collaborations with Dr. Angela. Thank you. May God bless you and yours🙏
Me too!
While I'm VERY new to the world of magic and occultism, I could understand everything you've said in this video. You made 24 minutes seem like 5! You've definitely got my subscription. May many more come to you!
@@dr.faustus922 Can I get a hidden fortified base under the Antarctic ice with flying saucer air defence ? or like, even just £10 ?
@@dr.faustus922 Real magick is not hollywood movie magick, many great occultists didnt die rich
@@arete7884 but they they thought they were going to 😉
Your content is amazing!
Thank you for filling a gap for me. I recently watched "the witch of kings cross". When it was over, I had a want for a good documentary on ol Spare.
really enjoy your videos. always interesting, always engaging ...
Glad I found your channel, shalom!
Great video!
excellent timing with this video i am writing about this now.
great vid, loved it
Excellent episode (as always!). As a regular user of sigil magic, I never cared to learn much about the founder himself, and found this to be enlightening.
Thanks for the wonderful university lecture content I can enjoy from home with a cup of coffee ☕ Cheers!
Been waiting for this since I found your channel! ZOS KIA CULTUS
Hurray! A chaos magic episode!
(4:44) I laughed at the succinctness in the eye movements, hilarious. Watching this after watching Dr. Puca's presentation, I thank you, Dr. Sledge.
Thank you for your great work.
I'd never heard of Spare before this. Thanks for the intro.
Good episode
Thank you so much for your work
Ah, finally doing vids on more modern occult stuff. I love ancient stuff, too, tho!
Fascinating, thank you
Thanks for the video
Fascinating. There seems to be this need to create complex thought structures in order to prove a meta mechanism. Like we must invent such a clear vision of multiplicities and symbols in the outer world in order to get access to the front door of the inner world. Getting around doubt with a glorious technical manual and its obsessive studying to earn admission. There is something so human about this. Loved this episode!
You used the word 'multiplicity.' I like you.
Thank you for a really beautiful, learned presentation.
Very high praise, coming from you! Thanks for dropping by the channel.
Great video! insightful, fun, and really funny :D - this guy had a unique brilliance, as do you all!
Thanks!
Love this video.
So glad I listened to this episode. His methods seem more organic than some of the other occultists around that timeframe. It’s an interesting approach to be sure, vs the more stylized and formal, or stage oriented flares of some. I very much appreciate the artwork. It’s similar to some sketches in my journals over the years, though of a Far Superior quality that my own scribbles.. aside from the occasional divinely Inspired ones that sometimes emerge. Thanks 🙏 again for sharing your understanding of this individual and his contextual significance. Blessings!
Not that it matters a jot, and perhaps there are global variants, but in his case, Spare rhymes with air, mare, care rather than rhyming with star, bar, car. Excellent video regardless.
That was my understanding too. tbh, each of the many times his name was uttered i shuttered. Why!?
Whoa! Thank you!
I'm screaming at the "make it rain" comment 😂 "not like that-like rain, rain."
Thank you.
Keep up the great work 💪🧠
That's some good shade there , Again some magical shade 😆👏🏻👏🏻 . Brilliant episode.🙏🏻
Thank you !
You are 10000% correct regarding the difficulty of his written works. What I did was read his works multiple times, taking a fresh set of notes each time. ALSO you should view his art, not just a quick glance. Look at his art, spend time looking at his art works. His visual and written works are similar expressions of the same thing.
Thanking You Dr Sledge - I Created My First Sigil 2 Days Ago! My Kind Regards To Your Friend and Colleague Dr Puca! She Recommended You and Hence Forth - Speared Me Into You! Thanks Again ✨️ David 🌟 namaste 🙏
Thank you