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This is Chaos, edited by Peter J. Carroll

This Is Chaos: Embracing the Future of Magic, edited by Peter J. Carroll
Weiser Books, 1578638739, 288 pages, June 2025

This is Chaos: Embracing the Future of Magic is a captivating anthology that delves into the enigmatic world of Chaos Magic. It is edited by Peter J. Carroll, whose influence has been foundational in Chaos magic through both shaping its core principles but in popularizing and legitimizing it as a serious magical paradigm, yet it brings forth the voices of a diverse array of practitioners. This collection of essays, theories, and practical applications from various contributors offers readers a comprehensive overview of Chaos Magic’s philosophy, practical application, and future potential. As Carroll notes in the introduction:

“The essays in this anthology come from a variety of orthodox Chaoists, heterodox Chaotist, and Chaos heretics. Energy and information, and hence creation and destruction, suffuse their inspirations. Taste the Chaos!”1

This is Chaos: Embracing the Future of Magic is a captivating anthology that delves into the enigmatic world of Chaos Magic. It is edited by Peter J. Carroll, whose influence has been foundational in Chaos magic through both shaping its core principles but in popularizing and legitimizing it as a serious magical paradigm, yet it brings forth the voices of a diverse array of practitioners. This collection of essays, theories, and practical applications from various contributors offers readers a comprehensive overview of Chaos Magic’s philosophy, practical application, and future potential.

I’ve been happily making my way through this book for well over a month now, taking the time to reflect on and digest each chapter; it’s that thought-provoking! From the exploration of the nature of Chaos itself to belief as a tool for personal transformation and spiritual growth, there’s plenty of Chaos concepts to play around and experiment with while reading. Some essays focus on practical application, while others are more theoretical. Plus, certain essays’ segways into the scientific and postmodern influences of quantum physics, chaos math, and psychology/cognitive science open up even more doorways for readers to explore.

It’d be hard for me to pick a favorite essay, but I can share some of the revelations I had while reading:

  • • “On Naive Interventionism in Magic, How Not to Do Magic, and How to Do it Well” by Jozef Karika was great overall magic insight for practitioners. It makes you remember that magic doesn’t need to be your first intervention for every life problem while also highlighting how naive other magical systems can be. I loved the advice to change up my magical practice frequently: do it often then intermittently, shift the times of days and types of magic, and once comfortable, change the sequence of the work.
  • • “On the Casual Relationships Between Spirits and Archetypes” by Jacob Sipes led to crazy synchronistic discussions between my husband and I when he asked me if I felt archetypes had a spiritual essence that collectively we could shape and evolve. I had just read this chapter, which focuses on the existence of spirits and archetype and how these two models differ yet also have room to coexist with Sipes offering “a model that proposes a causal interaction”2 between them. This was an extremely interesting topic overall.
  • • “A Path into Animist Sorcery” by Aidan Wachter super opened my awareness to all spirits around me, from the intelligence of nature to the guidance of ancestors. The writing was very meditative, reminding readers we are part of a larger web of energy we can intentionally interact with, whether we consciously acknowledge this or not. I really resonated with Wachter’s observation that “Magical practice builds stronger connections, allowing greater and clearer passage of information. This information has a guiding effect on both the system and your experience within it.”3
  • • “Octomantic Neuro-Hacking: A Map and a Compass for ChaoSurfing” by Mariana Pinzón provides a Chaos Magic perspective on Dr. Timothy Leary’s Eight-Circuit Brain model presented in his books Neurologic and Exo-Psychology. In this essay, she combines the model with Carroll’s eight magicks in Liber Kaos, “to describe the different-colored flavors of “gnosis” a Chaos Magician might work with.”4 I highly enjoyed this mapping model overall and found it extremely useful for becoming more aware of certain thought patterns holding me back. It is definitely something I am going to continue to utilize in my magical practice.

What stood out most for me clearly gives some insight into my personal practice, and that’s the beauty of how all these essays offer personalized experiences for the reader. This book is appealing to an eclectic audience, doing a little dive into a wide-range of subjects that can be followed up on for further exploration. Other essay topics include Chaos Magic and tarot, chemogenesis, egregore entities, cybermagick, correspondences between Chaos Magic and Japanese Gods, Chaos witchcraft, and more!

“Thus, in Chaos Magic we observe an attempt to liberate magical practice from a single setting and set, defined by the truth claims of competing metaphysical viewpoints, and open up a multiplicity of possibilities.”5

Overall, This is Chaos is an enlightening anthology that successfully captures the versatility of Chaos Magic. Carroll’s skillful editing brings coherence to the diverse contributions, creating a well-rounded reading experience (although, you definitely don’t have to go in order!). Plus, the illustrations by Hagen von Tulien throughout the text are fun to look at, even perhaps meditate with, as you readers move through the book.

The book’s approach to Chaos Magic is suitable for practitioners of all levels. Instead of offering a single definition of Chaos Magic, it opens a multi-faceted prism that reflects the full spectrum of the paradigm.The result is a well-rounded, richly textured map of where the magical current has been, where it is now, and where it’s going. It doesn’t just teach—it invites readers to connect with the living, evolving practice of Chaos Magic. This is certainly a read I’ll be coming back to for inspiration again and again!

The King in Orange, by John Michael Greer

The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power, by John Michael Greer
Inner Traditions, 1644112582, 208 Pages, May 2021

With the many controversies happening within our country right now, from vaccination mandates to military withdrawal, it feels an opportune moment to reflect on the state of American politics and the forces that are shaping our current government system. Cue The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power by John Michael Greer, here to help magically-minded folks make sense of the political mess in terms they understand.

Drawing upon The King in Yellow, a book of short stories by Robert W. Chambers, Greer helps to discern the energetic forces behind collective political movements that have been taking shape the past decade through the lens of occult forces (both conscious and unconscious) guiding the path forward.

In particular, he highlights the competition between two competing schools of magic that ultimately lead to the presidency of Donald Trump. By examining what led to this Populist rise, an occurrence happening elsewhere too, such as Britain, Greer leads the reader through a journey in the masked magical forces impacting public discourse.

And I’m going to be honest, Greer gives a very fair treatment of the subject without ever outwardly picking a side. So, this book may be potentially troublesome for anyone very rooted in their own personal beliefs and isn’t willing to see things differently.

For the most part, there is no sway towards either political party. I will say the exception to this seems to be in regard to Greer’s writing on Hilary Clinton, which I did find to be rather pejoratively biased. Overall though, Greer presents the material very objectively, offering perspective to guide readers in making their own conclusions.

Greer really delves into the concepts such as virtue signaling, privilege in America, and the class divide rift between salary workers and wage workers. He especially packs a punch by highlighting the magic of the liberal, privileged salary class that directly contributed to the populist rise of Trump: mainstream culture and the mass media that perpetuates it.

“This is one of the crucial points about privilege in today’s America: to the privileged, privilege is invisible. That’s not just a matter of personal cluelessness or of personal isolation from the less privileged, though these can of course be involved. It’s one of the most significant magical spells we’re under. The mass media and every other aspect of mainstream American culture constantly present the experience of privileged people as normal, and just as constantly feed any departure from that experience through an utterly predictable set of filters.”6

The filters used by the media, as well as the new American Left, according to Greer, inaccurately portray Trump supporters using distorted narratives, such as homophobic, racist, misogynist, when in factor many votes for Trump were for populist reasons of job loss, wage cuts, unaffordable health coverage, and a general lose of faith in system that is willingness neglecting their interests. Though identity politics currently take precedent above other cultural divisors, the overlooked factor is social class.

Greer draws on the scholarly work of Ioan Couliano to illuminate age-old forms of manipulation dating back to the Renaissance now channeled into modern advertising and mass media. This one-sided perspective led to a nation-wide upset as millions of voters were blind sided by Trump’s victory, which was dismissed as impossible by the media narrative.

Simultaneously, chaos magicians are also waging their own in the form of Pepe the frog memes, truly believing their symbolism was having an effect on the election, and thus constellating a change in consciousness among a group of “internet wizards.” Delving into the story of how this magic was used via Reddit was a really interesting topic, particularly after having encountered it directly in my mid-20s as quite a few acquaintances began to post about it.

To be honest, I’m still integrating the way he’s woven together the underpinning occult energies in play in American politics with the recent history of the 2016 election to present a viewpoint that is entirely original and most relatable as a magical practitioner. As an avid seeker, I enjoy how Greer’s insight work blends discourse from political, social, and magical movements.

While the future is not set in stone, the deeds of the past are catching up and contributing to where we are now as a nation. With ample reference to material such as Oswald Spengler’s Decline of the West and Dion Fortune’s war letters, Greer provides multiple avenues for readers to further study.

Reading The King in Orange had me reminiscing about when I was a recent college graduate, filled with liberal ideals, dating a boisterous, in your face Trump supporter. Needless to say, the relationship didn’t even survive the political campaigning. As tension in the country has become more polarized, I’ve literally seen more and more long-term relationships ending over deep-set political stances.

I really feel like reading Greer’s ideas in this book helped me to reconcile my differences and find a more balanced perspective. When my Trump supporting friend asserted the other day that America needs to “Blame the suits, not the boots”, I had much more insight into her perspective.

The King in Orange is not an easy read, as there are some hard truths to swallow regardless of where your political beliefs lay. But this book opened my eyes to the roots of the current political climate that go deeper than just standard party issues. There are fundamental shifts to the American way of life that are leading to uncertainty about the future. Being more aware of the occult forces in play on both sides helps to be discerning in shaping our beliefs. I have been recommending this book to quite a few people recently who are wondering what’s going on in the politics right now because it’s a really thought-provoking read that delves into the psychological factors effecting the collective consciousness.