In early 2018 there was a call for papers by that
prestigious and significant publishing house, Anathema Publishing. Usually such
a call for papers would not have attracted my attention. Anathema publish works
of a strongly occult nature which although I read, are not necessarily part of
my active study or participation. This call for papers was however, significant
in its choice of subject matter.
This specific call for papers was on the subject of that
perennial favourite the magic circle but went beyond the usual boundaries. This
project sought to explore the Witches' Compass, an important practical and
philosophical model, often and wrongly assumed by many to be the same as a
magic circle.
This was and remains an area of interest for me. This call
for papers was an opportunity for me to dust off my notes, research the
perspectives of other writers and to rewrite those same research notes. After a
considerable amount of work I was able to weave together threads from numerous
sources; some public, some hidden and adding my own idiosyncratic
interpretations, I produced and submitted "The Compass - A Personal
Journey."
In September of 2018, the notification came through via
email that I had been successful in my submission. Over the next few weeks legal
contracts were exchanged, the use of accompanying artwork and photographs were
discussed, all in preparation for publication early in 2019.
Although I am a published author with work that has been
published in perhaps a dozen magazines and journals, another half dozen
anthologies, writing for Anathema was a step outside of my comfort zone. The
list of my fellow contributors is impressive and perhaps even intimidating. The
editor Gabriel Mc Caughry has not for the first time, gathered together in one
volume many luminaries of the esoteric community.
I consider being published by Anathema Publishing and to
share inclusion with such esteemed company as the other contributors, to be a
major achievement. I am well aware, acutely, that I am not a name in the same
sense as many of those included in the volume. To use a metaphor from English
football; I am not Premier League but I may perhaps, be considered
Championship. Breaking the rules of writing and choosing to mix my sporting metaphors;
by stepping outside of this comfort zone I am in a sense, boxing above my
weight.
The work itself is beautifully produced, typeset, bound and
illustrated. The articles as one would and should expect from Anathema, are of
a supremely high quality. My own contribution to this field of research is in
my own not so humble opinion, my best piece of writing to date. Suitably
illustrated and accompanied as it is, by two of my own photographs.
To say that I am honoured to be a contributor to PILLARS IV
(Vol.2, Issue.1) ‘Circling the Compass’ that finally saw publication proper in
February of 2019, barely encapsulates my feelings. Clearly I have been
ridiculously excited and proud. I am proud because I recognise the remarkable
prestige that publication by Anathema represents for me as a writer. The announcement
of my own inclusion has been a source of satisfaction and naturally a cause for
celebration.
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