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Bob Freeman: The Occult Detective’s Journey Through Magic and Mystery

All Hallow’s Read 2024

Neil Gaiman is something of a pariah at the moment, but he did once propose that, “on Hallowe’en or during the week of Hallowe’en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they’ll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they’ll enjoy.” Thus, All Hallow’s Read was born. It’s a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.

Despite Gaiman’s fall from grace, let us not forget nor neglect this tradition, now in its 14th year. Share books and encourage reading, especially now and more than ever. There’s nothing quite like a scary book, for young or old, at this time of year, or all year long for that matter.

Let’s keep the tradition alive, despite its founder’s foibles. Give a scary book this Hallowe’en. Each and every year.

Come see us at the 6th Annual ParaUnity Convention

I’ll be appearing, alongside Attic Pages and Willow Products, at the 6th Annual ParaUnity Event, held at the Miami Co. Fairgrounds in Peru Indiana (1029 W 200 N).

I’ll be sharing ghostly tales of the haunted Mississinewa, signing copies of my books and comics, and reading Tarot. Kim and I will also have a great selection of used paranormal and spooky books for sale. As always, we’ll also be sharing space with Nick and Daniel’s Willow Products, my favorite purveyors of crystals, smudge sticks, and other valuable metaphysical paraphernalia.

My Review of Baphomet Revealed by Heather Lynn, PhD

From New Page Books, via Red Wheel/Weiser, I received a review copy of Dr. Heather Lynn’s latest work, Baphomet Revealed: Mysteries and Magic of the Sacred Icon. I had previously read her Evil Archaeology, a terrific book with an unfortunate name, and was thus excited to read her take on one of occultism’s more intriguing subjects.

Before I reveal my thoughts, let’s see how the publisher presents the work:

What is Baphomet? This comprehensive and accessible history sets the record straight on a captivating icon of the occult.
 
“Baphomet Revealed lifts the veil covering the most enduring occult symbol of our age. Heather Lynn approaches Baphomet as a scholar who is not afraid to include hints of esoteric wisdom in her research, revealing the androgynous, horned beast not as a devil, but as a pathway to spiritual perfection.”
—Travis McHenry, creator of Occult Tarot and Angel Tarot
 
Baphomet, often misunderstood and cloaked in misinterpretations, has left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness—standing at the crossroads of the occult, religion, and the quest for arcane knowledge. Baphomet’s origins are as elusive as their symbolic form, yet we begin our inquiry with the Templars, where the name was perhaps first uttered. We trace Baphomet’s course through history, their intersections with Gnostic thought, Freemasonry, the teachings of Aleister Crowley and Eliphas Lévi, and the myriad occult groups that have drawn upon Baphomet’s potent symbolism.
 
Baphomet Revealed will take readers on a journey that weaves together the threads of history, symbolism, and esoteric philosophy, unraveling the tapestry of Baphomet’s enduring mystique. This provocative entity exists simultaneously as myth, magick, and symbol. Over the years, Baphomet has been called a demon, deity, and the devil himself, but Baphomet is none of these—the figure is, in reality, a symbol—a complex cipher holding within their form the keys to profound philosophical and esoteric truths.
 
Author Heather Lynn draws extensively from primary sources, including historical depictions and magical seals associated with Baphomet, inviting readers to engage with the symbol directly. By melding rigorous academic inquiry with a spirit of open-minded exploration, Baphomet Revealed aims to shed new light on this shadowy figure, illuminating Baphomet’s proper place in the annals of human thought and spiritual endeavor.

The Eliphas Levi image was burned into my brain as a kid, from a volume of Man, Myth, and Magic, which I recognized as The Goat of Mendes from The Devil Rides Out. It is an enduring icon, with centuries of baggage attached to it. The author takes on the unenviable task of approaching this particular Gordian knot and, for the most part, is able to unravel the mysteries that surround the figure.

It is presented in an odd mix of scholarly research and speculative interpretation that is all very reasoned and approachable. While I don’t always agree with the author’s conclusions, I appreciate her dissection and methodology. If the book has a shortcoming, it’s that we don’t spend enough time with each subject. We are left wanting more from chapter to chapter. Nowhere is this more clear than in Chapter 5: The Intersection of Thelema and Baphomet: Aleister Crowley’s Great Beast. At a painfully scant 12 pages, Dr. Lynn barely scratches the surface of the importance of Baphomet to the philosophical heart of the movement.

Thankfully, there is a comprehensive bibliography attached that invites you to delve further down the proverbial rabbit hole.

As a symbol of autonomy. personal freedom, and creativity, Baphomet is a complex iconoclast, defying the labels put upon it and becoming far more meaningful, especially in the modern age, to occultists of all stripes. Through Levi and Crowley, we are presented a layered and serpentine work of art and innovation, the summation of magical thought. The Baphomet is what we need it to be, a means toward free will, woven into a symbol that embraces masculinity, femininity, and all points in between, within the polarities of the profane and divine.

Ultimately, this is a book that serves as a terrific introduction to the concept of Baphomet, laying the groundwork for you to delve further should you desire. It is designed for mass consumption, and that’s not a bad thing. That the adept’s road meanders elsewhere should not be some grand revelation.

Heather Lynn’s Baphomet Revealed is ultimately worth the price of admission and I recommend it without reservation. You can order a copy HERE for less than $20 (considerably less if you catch it on sale). That’s money well spent.

We All Have Our Origin Stories

Dark shadows played amongst the crumbling tombstones of Little Pipe Creek. It was a place with a long, storied history, where secrets were whispered, only to be heard by the restless dead. It was fifty years ago that I first crept alone into the cemetery, through the gaping maw that had once been filled by a gate that did more than bar entry… it sought to harm the men who dared enter, and so it was removed by the locals, to take away the dead’s weapon against them.

I climbed up into the old oak tree that stood like a preternatural guardian of the space, its limbs creaking like the bones of the long departed. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay. My heart raced—as much out of fear as anticipation. I had heard tales of spirits that lingered here all my life. I had always been fascinated by ghost stories and local folklore. Even at the tender age of eight, I was hungry for an experience, fueled by my recent discovery of the writings of Manly Palmer Hall.

When the experience arrive it came in the form of effluvium, a mist that rose out of the southeast corner of the cemetery, where three tombstones rose up like ragged teeth. That mist took on a human shape that I was convinced, from my arboreal perch, was a woman. I was smitten… not with the corporeally-challenged woman herself, but with the very idea that there was some semblance of an afterlife, a confirmation that there were indeed beings that existed on this plane of existence that defied rationality. I was smitten with the idea of there being more to existence than what we saw on the surface.

You have probably heard me recount this tale many times. It is an integral part of my origin story, a journey that began fifty years ago. While the experience itself was in the late summer, when I slinked out of my family home, under the cover of darkness, and began my first true foray into the unknown, by that Hallowe’en, in the year 1974, I considered myself a Night Stalker, a veritable monster hunter, if you will.

It has been a lifelong fascination that has never waned.

In a lot of ways, it feels like I’m just getting started.

I am celebrating this season as I do every year, by examining local legends and communing with those preternatural intelligences that haunt these Hoosier hinterlands. But as it’s an anniversary, of sorts, I am looking back on that place where it all began, Little Pipe Creek Cemetery.

It has changed a lot since I was a child. The oak tree is long gone. The stones are in disarray. And the ghosts? Well, they’re still there, residual reminders of those who once wore flesh.

Most of those graves were moved, from Water Street in Converse proper, in the early twentieth century, to their place in that very rural part of Miami County, in the corner of a field, near our ancestral farm. An odd connection that. How my childhood home was a short distance from that boneyard… and how we moved in my teen years, to the very grounds from which the interred were exhumed and moved.

That place on Water Street was haunted too.

So many restless ghosts, so little time.

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit: October Witchery

Happy October! On the first day of every month, I perform a little folk witchcraft, proclaiming ‘Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit ‘aloud when I wake to ensure good luck for the rest of it. And then I spread that joy all across social media for good measure.

Seems a fitting day, this crown of the Witching Season, to tip my proverbial pointy hat to witches everywhere, and, in particular, to those who took part in our little Giveaway contest featuring Anne Rice’s superb novel, The Witching Hour.

As promised, I will first share my Top 5 Favorite Witches from screens, large and small. Let’s to it, shall we?

5. Vanessa Ives

Eva Green is a marvel. While Penny Dreadful went from brilliant to less so, Green’s Vanessa Ives commanded the screen. Always compelling, she finds herself so low on the list simply because the screenwriters failed her. She also has the distinction of having also portrayed my favorite witch, so there you go…

4. Elaine Parks

Samantha Robinson’s Elaine, from The Love Witch, a terrific feminist occult film from Anna Biller, was just so captivating. The movie was an instant cult classic as we follow Elaine down a dark path of witchery that gets out of hand.

3. Willow Rosenberg

Willow, best friend to the Slayer and a founding member of the so-called Scooby Gang, was played by Alyson Hannigan. Willow had quite an evolution over the course of Buffy (and Angel), and those complexities and character developments, putting a naive and innocent kid through the proverbial wringer week after week, defined the modern witch in many ways.

2. Samantha Stephens

Elizabeth Montgomery played Samantha, the witch who married a mortal in Bewitched, a sort of reimagining of Bell, Book, and Candle. Her and her entire family of witches and warlocks — Endora, Maurice, Uncle Arthur, Aunt Clara, Cousin Serena — were so much fun. It’s still one of my favorites.

1. Angelique Bouchard

Angelique, the reincarnated, star-crossed witch of Dark Shadows fame, was a terrific foil for the vampire Barnabas Collins, masterfully portrayed by Lara Parker. The character was further refined in the revival series, with Lysette Anthony embodying the role, and again by the brilliant Eva Green in the disastrous cinematic reimagining by Tim Burton.

As for the contest, we did have three winners, even though I was forced to alter my contest rules since not a single entrant picked one of my five favorites. Here is a list of the witches that were submitted:

Hermione Granger was the most popular choice with 4 nods.

The Wizard of Oz was even more so, with The Wicked Witch of the West receiving 3 nods and Glenda, the Good Witch, receiving 2 nods.

We also had votes for Claudia from Snow White: A Tale of Terror, The Halliwell Sisters from Charmed, the Sanderson Sisters from the Hocus Pocus films, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Owens Sisters from Practical Magic, Nancy Downs from The Craft, and even Witchie Poo from HR Puffnstuff.

I was surprised there weren’t more classic film witches on any of the lists, my own included, with the likes of Angela Lansbury, Veronica Lake, Barbara Steele, and Kim Novak, just to name a few, not making the cut.

The thing is, the witch strikes us all in peculiar ways, and those imprints tend to be from our childhood. It is an enduring figure, etched into our psyches, which, I think, is a good thing. The powerful witch is a figure to be both admired and feared. As a symbol, they are a feminist icon that also embodies the forces of nature.

Beauty and fear, wrapped up in a neat little package.

The witch, in the modern world, is just as complex and fascinating, encompassing all genders, sexualities, ages, and, well, every flavor and color imaginable under the sun and moon. A witch is what he or she wills themselves to be. They seek to tame the wild magic, to harness it, to make their lives, and the lives of those around them, better. To leave the world better than the way they found it.

We could all use a little witchcraft in our lives.

You could win a copy of Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour, just in time for Hallowe’en

One of my favorite novels, easily finding itself in my Top 10, is The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. While it is the first novel in her series, Lives of the Mayfair Witches, followed by Lasher and Taltos, I think it works better as a stand alone novel. There is a majesty that is unmatched in the initial novel that falls flat in subsequent outings.

I frequently recommend this book to friends, colleagues, and those ask for something witchy to read, especially as we near Hallowe’en. Well, it does get much witchier than this. Rice brings all of her many talents to bear as we delve into the convoluted history of the Mayfairs, with witchcraft, secret societies, psychics, occult detectives, and, yes, ghosts set against the back drop of New Orleans’ Garden District.

It’s a beautifully written piece of work. Anne’s finest achievement, I think. Her particular skill set — intense research merged with immersive, poetic prose — is on full display. There are innumerable characters that are fleshed out so elegantly. The book really comes alive.

For me, it is unfortunate that she continued to revisit this world, because it really spun hard and away from her. Thankfully, book one is such delicious treat, with a satisfying ending, that one need not continue the series to be fulfilled.

Speaking of series, the less said about the AMC adaptation, the better.

So, as we gear up for Occultober (September 22-October 31) let me do you one better. Rather than me recommending The Witching Hour, how about I send you a copy? That’s right. I have three Mass Market Paperbacks, locked and loaded to be sent to persons in the continental United States (sorry rest of the world).

How do you get one? Easy. Send me an email at bob (at) occultdetective (dot) com and tell who your favorite Movie or TV Witch is. If your pick is on my Top 5 List, you get a copy sent from my covenstead to yours. In the event of a tie, the breaker will come by way of me pulling names out of a fedora.

The Witching Hour* Contest ends on Friday, September 27th. So put on your pointy witches hats are start thinking hard. I will post my Top 5 List of Cinematic Witches, along with the winners on Saturday, September 28th.

Good luck and have a magical day.

* prizes are used mass market paperback copies of Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour, all in readable condition.

These Haunted Hinterlands

Spooky Season is creeping up on us and this got me thinking about these haunted hinterlands where I make my home.

This is the Mississinewa I have come to know.

Let your imagination take flight. A preternatural mist clings to the water like a shroud, while the Mississinewa Reservoir lies in eerie silence, a seemingly serene body of water nestled within the rolling hills of Indiana. Can you see it? Can you feel it? Believe me when I say that beneath its placid surface, a dark history swirls, obscured by both time and treachery. The reservoir, a haven for those seeking solace or recreation, hides secrets that would chill even the bravest of souls.

The origins of the Mississinewa Reservoir are as shadowy as the legends that haunt its waters. In the early 1960s, the government’s decision to dam the Mississinewa River resulted in the creation of a large artificial lake, designed, they said, to control flooding and provide a source of water for the region. But were there more sinister machinations behind the government’s actions? Because that area, submerged for more than half the year, was home to strange magicks and supernatural creatures, many of which still linger.

The result of the government’s dam project saw an entire community  drowned beneath unnatural design, including homes, roads, and even old cemeteries, whose resting inhabitants were swallowed by the reservoir’s depths.

From its inception, whispers of the reservoir’s cursed nature began to circulate. Locals spoke of strange occurrences: ghostly apparitions drifting across the water, inexplicable chill winds, and the unnerving feeling of being watched. Tales of these ghostly encounters grew into a tapestry of urban legends that have persisted over the decades.

And what of doomed Somerset? The remnants of that fractured community now lay buried beneath the water. Some claim that on certain nights, when the moon is full and the water is particularly still, the outlines of streets and buildings can be glimpsed beneath the surface. Legend has it that the spirits of those who once lived there now roam the submerged streets, eternally trapped in a ghostly reflection of their former lives.

This was, after all, once the land of the Miami Indians, the last reservation in the State. It was these people who shared tales of ‘little people’, the Paissa, who shepherded the deceased into the afterlife, and channeled the energy of the river toward those ends. The dam itself was constructed atop seven sacred wellsprings, just southeast of their sacred Seven Pillars, disrupting the spiritual flow of the river’s course. This was surely no coincidence.

Another prominent legend tells of the ‘Lady of the Lake’, a spectral figure said to wander the shores of the reservoir. According to the story, she was a young woman whose tragic death occurred when her car veered off the road and plunged into the depths of the newly formed lake. Her spirit, restless and seeking justice, is believed to appear on misty nights, her mournful cries echoing across the water. Witnesses who have glimpsed her report an unsettling chill and an inexplicable sense of sorrow, as though the very essence of grief had become an enduring presence.

The darker side of these legends hints at more sinister forces. Stories circulate about individuals who, drawn by curiosity, have ventured too close to the reservoir’s depths only to disappear without a trace. Whispers suggest that the ancient and malevolent spirits of the land—angry at the intrusion and desecration of their sacred grounds—are responsible for these disappearances, dragging the unwary into the abyss.

Wary travelers have reported sightings of large, unsettling creatures that bear striking resemblance to the Sasquatch, of strange craft in the skies overhead, packs of wolves that are not part of the natural ecosystem, giant birds and snakes, and strange lights and chanting deep within the woods.

The Mississinewa Reservoir stands as a testament to the uneasy coexistence between the natural world and the supernatural. Its waters, though beautiful and inviting, conceal a history marked by loss and sorrow, and its depths are rumored to hold more than just water. For those who dare to probe its secrets, the reservoir offers an unsettling glimpse into the unknown, where every ripple and shadow may conceal a fragment of the dark legends that define its haunted legacy.

In the end, the Mississinewa Reservoir is more than just a body of water; it is a gateway to the enigmatic and the otherworldly, a place where history and myth intertwine beneath the surface, waiting for the brave—or the foolhardy—to unravel its cryptic mysteries.

My Thoughts on Evan J. Peterson’s Better Living Through Alchemy

When I caught wind of Better Living Through Alchemy, I reached out to its publisher, Broken Eye Books, and requested a review copy, which they very graciously supplied. There was a bit of buzz circulating, and the book had a decent pedigree of authors who had supplied blurbs for the book (including Nick Mamatas and Ann VanderMeer). I knew going in that it would be a socially conscious, modern-world take on a genre that tends to be mired in mid-20th Century sensibilities. I was hoping for something refreshing and original. I was not disappointed.

In Better Living Through Alchemy, Evan J. Peterson introduces us to Kelly Mun, a private detective with a unique gift — clairolfaction, or a psychic sense of smell. Right out of the gate, I loved this rather underused psychic device. It added an interesting twist to the character’s mediumship.

Mun is a fascinating character, damaged, which is part of the trope, but her relationship with her cousin Critter (who is another interesting divergence) adds real depth.

The heart of the story lies in the characters, but the plot is ripped right out of the underbelly. In this slight re-imagining of Seattle as a seedy occult-infused den of venality, we find a new street drug, bizarre and deadly, weaving through the cultural hellscape. Mun and Critter are on the case, hired by a mysterious and duplicitous businesswoman.

Peterson maintains the Noir roots of the occult detective yarn while bringing it kicking and screaming into the modern age. It has a freshness that a lot of urban fantasy lacks, chiefly in that the author is not taking themselves too seriously. The story is grim and weird and, oddly, has a roleplaying game narrative quality to it, that is ultimately a good thing.

Better Living Through Alchemy is not for everybody, but I dug it. If you loved Mamatas’ Love is the Law, you’ll like this one. If you haven’t read Love is the Law, rectify that.

I’ve really tried to not put any spoilers in this review, because an occult detective story works best when the twists and turns hit you unexpectedly. Well, this book has them aplenty, especially considering it’s a rather short novel at roughly 150 pages. It’s a quick read, lightning paced, and a great way to spend an evening.

You can purchase Evan J. Peterson’s Better Living Through Alchemy right HERE. I recommend it, especially if you’re a little weird like the rest of us.

My Thoughts on Donald Tyson’s Incantations and Enchantments

I have been a fan of Donald Tyson’s work since 1988 when I first read New Magus: Ritual Magic as a Personal Process. That book was a real turning point in my practice. When I reached out to Llewellyn, inquiring if they had any review copies they might send my way, I jumped at the chance to read Tyson’s latest — Incantations and Enchantments: The Power of the Voice and the Breath in Magic.

Here’s what the publisher had to say:

Vocalize the Spiritual Energy of Breath for Potent Magic

Cultures around the world and throughout history recognize the human breath as the seat of spirit. The chi of the Chinese, the ruach of the Hebrews, the pneuma of the Greeks, and the spiritus of the Romans refer to the same thing―the invisible energy that permeates the breath. Now, with this book’s in-depth study, you can maximize the potential of this energy in your magic.

Esteemed magician Donald Tyson presents an advanced look at how to compose your own incantations, use words and names of power, control the living breath, and more. He shows you the inherent potency of vibrating words and vowels, providing numerous examples from historical texts and occult practice.

Tyson presents a wide variety of spells for healing, love, and protection. He also shares enchantments for herbs, potions, wands, and even people. From binding the wind through knot magic to using alliteration and repetition, this book balances scholarship and practical workings so you can maximize the potential of breath and voice in your practice.

Tyson has a tremendously comfortable narrative style and it really shines here. Dissecting the importance of voice and breath can be a tedious subject, but in Tyson’s capable hands, the reader is transported and what he shares is approachable. Tyson is simply a gifted author and it really shows in this work. He writes in a way that pulls novices in and educates them without talking down to them, but at the same time, is able to address more seasoned occultists in a way that they are refreshed and given something new to chew on.

My copy of Incantations and Enchantments was an uncorrected proof, but it seems well put together. I can’t imagine them changing anything in formatting or structure. The book is refined and elegant in design. No flash. We’re here to study, and the element of the book I most appreciate is the careful care given to the instruction of the techniques, by slowly rolling out the history and then offering advise and direction.

I can’t imagine a better book for the beginner.

Is there anything more important than breath in magic? Think about it, taking a breath is the first thing we do when we enter the world and it’s the last thing we do before we leave it.

Tyson weaves a wonderful thread through the use of the spoken word, of the mastery of breathing techniques and how they elevate our practice, and, more importantly, see us through to successful magical execution.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you. It’s worth the price of admission for the bibliography alone. I believe you will find tremendous value in Incantations and Enchantments.

Happy reading.