Daniel Bran Griffith - The Chattering Magpie: PILLARS Vol.2, Issue.2

Sunday 18 October 2020

PILLARS Vol.2, Issue.2 – ‘Seeds of Ares'

I am at present feeling very positive and very proud. A few days ago in early October my contributor's copy of the latest Anathema publication arrived in the post. PILLARS Vol.2, Issue.2 – ‘Seeds of Ares' is a magnificent work. Crafted and bound as a work of beauty, it presents nearly twenty chapters on the more chaotic aspects of the occult, in an outstandingly professional manner. It is a standard we have come to expect from what is one of the more prestigious, esoteric publishers of the English speaking world.

The original call for papers was over eighteen months ago and this in some way, serves to illustrate the effort involved in creating such a publication. Nearly two years of work has created a volume that will be highly sought and I believe, highly influential.

This is the second time I have written for Anathema Publishing and my seventh esoteric anthology inclusion. My previous papers have been published by Lear Publishing and Temple of the Dark Moon. My preceding contribution to Anathema was published in PILLARS IV – (Vol.2, Issue.1) – ‘Circling the Compass’ in 2019.

When writing then, I was acutely aware that I was the amateur surrounded by a garden of professionals. I was however, pleased to see on publication that many of the contributors were known to me. In the latest incarnation of Pillars, only one contributor is a dear friend and that is Andrew Mercer. Several of the other contributors are however, known to me by reputation or as friends of friends. As with the earlier Pillars, I am once again seated with the elect.

PILLARS Vol.2, Issue.2 – ‘Seeds of Ares' as a project and work, addresses those aspects of the occult arts than many choose to ignore or avoid. We are presented with a mirror as bright as the shield of Ares himself, in which the darker and more chaotic aspects of our society are reflected. We explore the shadows cast by a society, in which the norms are turned on their head. My own chapter is a work of maledictus magicia and I explore amongst other things, the controversial use of the Psalms in cursing. Yet cursing is not the sole or even the primary focus of the work. Rather we are examining the controversy of the occult or magical artes. Areas of serious study that the dilettante is best to avoid.

PILLARS Vol.2, Issue.2 – ‘Seeds of Ares' is published with a complementary CD of primarily instrumental music. It is music that has an ambience that is difficult to describe. Falling somewhere between the art of the Medieval Church and Post Modern Expressionism. It is conceptual, haunting and ethereal. I am listening to that CD again as I write now, it is an ideal accompaniment and captures the nature of the written word.

The internal artwork of PILLARS Vol.2, Issue.2 – ‘Seeds of Ares' is of an equally high standard. Like the musical accompaniment, it serves to support the ethos of the written work in a manner that is both expressive and challenging.