A history of magical cults and the rise of NeoPaganism in Southern California

Includes bibliographical references (pages 218-230)This study traces the development of a Hermetic-pagan "Western Esoteric\ud Tradition", inculcating visionary aspects of shamanism, from its origin in second\ud century Alexandria through a succession of revivals: Renaissance NeoPlatonism,\ud Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry and the nineteenth century British Order of the\ud Golden Dawn, culminating in the present NeoPagan Movement.\ud The first part of the work is derived from research and deals with the\ud European antecedents of contemporary American NeoPaganism. The works of\ud British authors, Margaret Murray and Robert Graves are examined; the writings\ud and cultic systems of "Aleister" Crowley and Gerald Gardner are also considered.\ud The second part of the study is mainly derived from participant-observation\ud of the activities of several local cults, and interviews with cult leaders and\ud members. A history of local magical cult activities beginning in the 1930s with\ud Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis, is presented. The suburban residential "covenmodel" is delineated and social interactions between cult is described. The\ud NeoPagan yearly round of seasonal festivals is considered. An insider's view of\ud the Ordo Templi Astartes (O.T.A.) and Feraferia is presented with nine other\ud cults also covered.\ud This contemporary NeoPagan cult network is viewed as a "cultural\ud revitalization movement" as defined by Anthony F. C. Wallace (1966). Shamanic characteristics of the movement are noted following the social-anthropological\ud model of I. M. Lewis (1971). NeoPagan links to a larger "NeoRomantic"\ud community comprising science fiction fandom and the Society for Creative\ud Anachronism are discussed. The current NeoPaganism is seen as a religious\ud expression within a broader resurgence of Romanticism