Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, Richard Metzger (ed.), The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003

Magick is defined as "the art and science of causing change in conformity with will" (Aleister Crowley). That's the intention behind the pieces in this book, to look at many aspects of magick and the occult, and thereby do really interesting things with the concept of reality.

Peter Levenda looks at Hitler's obsession with the occult, and a side of World War II fought with spells as much as with bullets. Daniel Pinchbeck tells the story of how he unintentionally brought poltergeists into his home by snorting a hallucinogenic compound called DPT. One of the pieces in this book is an interview with Black Pope Anton LaVey, author of the "Satanic Bible." Of course, Aleister Crowley is well represented in this book.

The crises in our present-day world are the "fault" of a powerful spiritual being called Ahriman. It is the inspirer of materialistic science and commercialism, and permeates modern culture with deadening forces. Another piece analyzes the Cthulhu Mythos stories of H.P. Lovecraft. Several pieces look at various aspects of the magickal collaboration between Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs. Robert Anton Wilson tells of a collaboration in the field of astral projection between him and Timothy Leary, while Leary was part of the California penal system. Jack Parsons was one of the pioneers of the American space program, helping to found what would become the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He was also an avid practitioner of the occult sciences. Ida Craddock was an advocate for women's freedom, including sexual freedom, in the late 19th century. She also claimed to be the wife of an angel.

To quote from the Introduction, "And if it is your first dip into occult literature, I do hope this book is like having a nuclear bomb go off behind your eyeballs or a razorblade slashed across your brain." In that respect, this book succeeds really well. It is another book from The Disinformation Company Ltd that is not for the faint of heart, or those who don't want their perceptions challenged. Parts of this book were way over my head, but I enjoyed the rest of it. Those with any interest in magick or the occult need this book. It's very much worth it.