Compelling Character Corner

What's an Archetypal 'Modern Occultist'?  Have you ever wondered what occultists look like these days?  In reality, if you're writing a book, it would be cool to make your modern occultist someone different to the pale skinned moody satanic goth. Honestly, enthusiasts of the esoteric are a diverse bunch, many of them come across as regular people. Isn't it all weird and dark?  Agreed  ceremonial rituals and things like divination with presences might seem odd, but the less  grand stuff like sigil magick; which, for instance, the comic book legend, Grant Morrison practices as a Chaos Practitioner is most common. Chaos Magick is a late twentieth century movement based on the occult works of the artist Austin Osman Spare. Another common type of magick is found in Wicca and Eclectic or folk magick. In this blog, I'll share a worldview of someone called Baz, a bloke inspired by Hermeticism and Chaos Magick theory.  Pre-determinism is a physical thing: context.  Our

The Contrarian Contrarian characters exist across most forms of recorded media, from folklore to Hollywood. I love them. We might see them as trickster-like characters like with the Joker , and his anarchist ramblings, to Marvels Loki , as well as with the court jesters of medieval Europe; it's that maverick characteristic. For better or worse, they test the status quo; often debasing established norms.  The have to take a stand against someone or something, oppositional, adversarial even, always striving.  The Fool is a less commonly used term for a Contrarian, but still, someone we are all familiar with, nonetheless. That oddball who pops up in Shakespeare's plays, those humour wielding jesters, who'll hit near the mark of the most powerful people within the king's court, even the king himself! The Jester eventually became  a valued advisor to the Monarch! However, my favourite Contrarian is to be found in the Rebel; a soul driven by a strong will to overthrow what th

The Trollop: Helly Sourham! The term 'trollop' is a derogatory name, but seriously, loads of generations have used this word as a humorous expression, admittedly, it is of disapproval, pointing at bad conduct. Definitely, the word does conjure up a negative vibe, I concede. However, it also serves to encapsulate my semi fictionalised cartoon character, who, in fact, actually meets the criteria of the word! The word 'trollop' originated from the word 'troll,' a fourteenth-century French term used to describe a slovenly woman, wandering off in the quest for game. Helly Sourham, did precisely that, cheating on Steven, her husband of seven years. Throughout the ages 'trollop' evolved and now it generally means a messy tart. Helly Sourham is this archetype with a pulse, quite an interesting character. I would love to know her psychological profile or psychiatric diagnosis, if she has one! Instead of discussing this woman's offensive manner, my persistent