Today we welcome back the great Phil Hine on his new book Queerying Occultures.

What is Queerying Occultures? 'Queerying' is a portmanteau word from 'Queer’ and 'Query'—classic Phil Hine word play. Occulture is another portmanteau word meaning 'Hidden Culture' (from ‘Occult’ and 'Culture').

The occult is Queer. Historically. Intrinsically. Radically. Wonderfully Queer. Yet at times this essential fact can feel unacknowledged in wider Occulture dialogues. Addressing this, Phil Hine’s Queerying Occultures is a collection of queer-themed essays exploring, questioning and reflecting on the diverse trajectories that might arise from applying queer questioning to occultural themes and practices. Drawing on perspectives from Queer Theory, history, Continental Philosophy, and shared experience, Hine explores subjects as diverse as Shamanism and gender-variance; the rise of the Queer Pagan approaches; the uncomfortable history of occult homophobia; Queer perspectives on Tantra, Pan, Sacred Spaces, and Crowley in Boy Bar Berlin. This far-reaching, necessary book is both a celebratory resistance text and indispensable investigation of the Queer in Occulture.

In the Plus show we get into the Aghori, ideas on the left hand path and the innate queerness of the left hand path. The Shivite story of the woman who became a ghoul. We get into the history of Masquerade balls, and discuss the relationship between the battle brothers Cuchullian & Ferdia and the curse of Macha of birth pain on the men of Ulster

If you want to hear the plus show, it’s very simple to do, simply join the patreon and get the entire Plus show back catalogue and all the bonus show extras. If you are watching this on YouTube or any other video platform remember to subscribe.

Show notes: