Novara Media ACFM Microdose: New Weird Britain
18 snips
May 10, 2026 They tour the revival of Weird Britain from ley lines and standing stones to folk horror and weird walks. They trace pagan revivals, invented rituals and the rise of megalith pilgrimage in music and counterculture. They map internet‑widened niches, hauntological vibes and the long lineage linking Blake, free festivals and contemporary pastoral aesthetics.
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Researching Paganism Before The Internet
- Jeremy Gilbert recalls needing libraries in the 80s to research Wicca, Druids and standing stones before the internet made it easy.
- He spent hours in West Lancashire libraries finding mid-70s to early-80s books and felt internet culture later amplified niche interests.
Esoteric Revival Responded To Technological Shock
- The late 19th century esoteric revival and inventions like the Order of the Golden Dawn responded to rapid technological change by reimagining 'magic' as an imaginative reaction to electricity and modernity.
- Jeremy connects electrification, telephony and cinema to the era's surge in occult and ritual invention.
Ley Lines Shifted From Trade Routes To Occult Energy
- Ley lines began as Alfred Watkins's 1925 mapping of aligned monuments as ancient tracks and later morphed into earth-energy occult lore.
- The idea persisted culturally despite statistical critiques showing random map points can form lines.
