CHAOS MAGICK

Emerging out of the Midlands in England, especially the city of Leeds, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chaos Magick draws on the ceremonial magic (spelled “magick” to promote a link with ages past) of such figures asAleister Crowley, the practices of “free belief” (appropriating any concept or symbol, not just arcane or indigenous lore, as a focus for effecting magic),alteredstates of consciousnessand sigil magic proposed by the artistoccultistAustin Osman Spare, and the gothic fantasy literature of H. P. Lovecraft. Chaos Magick gathered momentum in the late 1980s and 1990s with the published works of Phil Carroll (such asLiber Nulland Psychonaut, 1987) and Phil Hine. The title of Carroll’s volumePsychonautwas borrowed for the song of the same name performed by the gothic rock bandFields of the Nephilim, and suchmusicalongside that of Coil was important in promoting theneo-shamanisticaspects of Chaos Magick. More of a disparate collective of individuals than a “movement” as such, Chaos Magickians tend to practice alone.Cyberiathus offers a powerful resource and certainly some aspects of Chaos Magick are shared withtechno-shamanism.