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Today I learned that David Bowie was into the occult in the mid-70s. (I'm young. This isn't part of my generation's cultural consciousness.) I subsequently learned, to my horror, that he also flirted with fascism in the mid-70s. These things were related. 1/ https://twitter.com/jack_of_wands/status/1288585190122627078
And look, people have complicated legacies, and I'm not trying to posthumously cancel Bowie. As far as I can discern, he grew, learned, and became vocally anti-racist and anti-fascist. But I'd like to have a broader conversation about fascism and the occult. 2/
(Sidebar: learning this history does make his occult music harder to listen to. Bowie's character of the Thin White Duke is terrifying. Even "Quicksand," which is quite possibly the most beautiful song I've ever heard, references "Himmler's sacred dream reality.") 3/
Liberal and left-wing occultists sometimes speak of occultism (and Paganism, etc.) as if it is something inherently moral and good, which by its nature it drives justice and equality forward. It is not. 4/
On the contrary, the far right has a long history with the occult. The Third Reich was loaded with occultists. Occultism and Paganism are frequently used, even in the present day, as recruiting propaganda for racist and fascist agendas. (cf. the AFA) 5/
As occultists in the 21st century, it's our responsibility to commit to fighting racism, fascism, and white supremacy in our own communities. Part of what that means is simply acknowledging that it's here in the first place; we can't fight what we won't admit exists. 6/
(cf. the shitshow that's going on in some Thelemic communities right now. I'm not a Thelemite, so I don't know all of it, but yowzers.) 7/
Fuck Nazis. Fuck white supremacy. And may there be no quarter for fascists in our occult, Pagan, Wiccan, and Heathen communities. #WitchesAgainstWhiteSupremacy #NoNazisInValhalla 8/
And finally, please read this excellent piece by @amyhale93 about precisely this issue, and how we can confront fascism in Pagan and occult spaces. Then read it again, and again, until it is burned into your skull.
https://medium.com/@amyhale93/the-pagan-and-occult-fascist-connection-and-how-to-fix-it-d338c32ee4e6 9/9
https://medium.com/@amyhale93/the-pagan-and-occult-fascist-connection-and-how-to-fix-it-d338c32ee4e6 9/9
