Magic

Political Fiction....This novel took off from the premise that history might be something far different from the boilerplate we are given. It might have gigantic holes in it, and through those holes impossible events and circumstances might enter.

Did you ever notice that there are some people who seem to always come out ahead in life? You know the ones...they are always at the right time and place to get the very best of everything. They get the best jobs, make a lot of money, are super attractive to the opposite sex, and they make it look so easy. What makes these people especially irritating is that it seems as if they don't try at all for these things that life just tosses everything that they desire right into their laps.

What are these boasted resources of the Christ-worshipers? Their morality? It is the same as in all religions, but their cruel dogmas produced and taught persecution and trouble. Their miracles? But what people has not its own, and what wise men do not disdain these fables? Their prophecies? Have we not shown their falsity? Their morals? Are they not often infamous? The establishment of their religion? but did not fanaticism begin, and has not intrigue visibly sustained this edifice? The doctrine? but is it not the height of absurdity?

"PUT A SPELL ON YOU CAUSE YOU'RE MINE" Those are the words of the great bluesman Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who was years ahead of Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath and a multitude of Heavy Metal bands seeking to embrace - and sometimes exploit - a bit of the macabre in their musical persona, including various aspects of occultism, from "Satanism" to Voodoo to Hoodoo. As a rock enthusiast, I truly admire Screamin' Jay, for he was genuinely authentic and an original - no doubt reinforced by a real visit to the infamous "crossroads" sometime in his life.

Many years ago I heard of the existence of this manuscript from a celebrated occultist, since dead; and more recently my attention was again called to it by my personal friend, the well-known French author, lecturer, and poet, Jules Bois, whose attention has been for some time turned to occult subjects. My first-mentioned informant told me that it was known both to Bulwer Lytton and Eliphas Levi, that the former had based part of his description of the sage Rosicrucian Mejnour on that of Abra-Melin, while the account of the so-called observatory of Sir Philip Derval in the Strange Story was to an extent copied from and suggested by that of the magical oratory and terrace, given in the eleventh chapter of the second book of this present work.

An eye opener into a topic seldom discussed in public... DEATH. Yet it holds its impending presence over us from birth.