Rune Soup Hospicing Modernity's Magic
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Feb 25, 2026 A nostalgic look at the quirky, 'safe' magic of the late 20th century and what should be left behind. A proposal to 'hospice' modernity’s magical promises as they fade. A roadmap for exploring Jung, psychedelics, UFOs, orientalism, fake magic, and the grimoire revival in a new narrative series.
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Recent Magical Revival Surpassed Victorian Occultism
- The late 20th–early 21st century magic felt safe and hobby-like, coexisting with real magical revival that recovered serious texts and practices.
- Gordon argues the recent revival (Project Hindsight → Grimoires → animist turn) surpassed the 19th-century occult revival and peaked about ten years ago.
Reviewing Alan Moore In Peru Sparked The Insight
- Gordon recounts reviewing Alan Moore's Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic in Peru and noticing modern 'safe' magic sailing beside real revival.
- He uses that experience to illustrate how many commentators recycle 40–50-year-old ideas without acknowledging the revival's advances.
How Scholarship And Animism Made Magic More Authentic
- The revival combined newly translated Hellenistic texts, grimoire scholarship, and comparative animist study to create more authentic spirit and ancestor work.
- Gordon cites Project Hindsight, Stephen Skinner, Scarlet Imprint and horizontal learning from Afro-Caribbean traditions as key developments fueling practical, non-extractive practices.
