The Pseudonomicon

Pseudonomicon

What is The Pseudonomicon? It's Cthulhu Mythos. It's Cthulhu Madness! It's a Cthulhu Pathworking!! First published in a very limited edition in 1994, and reprinted only once since, The Pseudonomicon has been extremely difficult to find. By special arrangement with Dagon Productions, we have brought it back in this revised and expanded edition. Of The Pseudonomicon the author says: "Disclaimer: It is generally agreed by experienced magicians that working with the Cthulhu Mythos is dangerous due to the high risk of obsession, personality disintegration or infestation by parasitic shells. Whilst giving this opinion due consideration, I have decided to release this material since, before the throne of Azathoth, questions of who is sane and who is mad become inconsequential." and: "Each god brings its own madness. To know the god -- to be accepted by it, to feel its mysteries -- well you have to let that madness wash over you, and through you. This isn't in the books of magic. Why? For one thing, it's all too easily forgotten, and for an other, you have to find it out for yourself. And for those who would sanitise magic, whitening out the wildness with explanations borrowed from pop psychology or science -- well, madness is something that we still fear -- the great taboo. So why did I choose Cthulhu -- High Priest of the Great Old Ones -- lying dreaming "death's dream" in the sunken city, forgotten through layers of time and water? It sounds so simple to say that I merely heard his "call" -- but I did. Gods do not, generally, have a lot to say, but what they do say, is worth listening to". With a new Introduction and a completely new, and greatly expanded section on Banishing.

The Sacred in Fantastic Fandom

To the casual observer, similarities between fan communities and religious believers are difficult to find. Religion is traditional, institutional, and serious; whereas fandom is contemporary, individualistic, and fun. Can the robes of nuns and priests be compared to cosplay outfits of Jedi Knights and anime characters? Can travelling to fan conventions be understood as pilgrimages to the shrines of saints? These new essays investigate fan activities connected to books, film, and online games, such as Harry Potter-themed weddings, using The Hobbit as a sacred text, and taking on heroic roles in World of Warcraft. Young Muslim women cosplayers are brought into conversation with Chaos magicians who use pop culture tropes and characters. A range of canonical texts, such as Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Sherlock--are examined in terms of the pleasure and enchantment of repeated viewing. Popular culture is revealed to be a fertile source of religious and spiritual creativity in the contemporary world.

The Demons of Tiamat, the New Gods and the Exploration of the Nightside