04/30/2021
A New Edition of S*x, Drugs & Magick!
http://www.hilaritaspress.com/portf.../s*x-drugs-and-magick/
We've just republished RAW's S*x, Drugs & Magick! Click the link above for more info!
Creating the new edition of this remarkable book from RAW took some unexpected turns. Along with our usual work of searching for old typos, refining old graphics and/or adding new ones, and designing a new inviting interior for the book's contents as well as a great new cover, we came across an intriguing process as we thought about who we might ask to do a bit of reframing – who might be good for contributing a new introduction for this edition. The following text is the Publisher's Note we added to the beginning of this new edition to explain what happened . . .
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Coincidance, a Joycean word defined by Robert Anton Wilson as, "the dance of synchronicity throughout nature," may well describe part of the process by which Hilaritas Press came to have eight new essays, four forewords and four afterwords, to add as enchanting bookends to this edition of Robert Anton Wilson's S*x, Drugs & Magick: A Journey Beyond Limits.
A lot has changed for s*x, drugs and magick since this book was written in 1972-73 and revised by the author in 1987 and again in 2000. Offering an updated perspective on these topics for both new and long-time RAW fans seemed sensible, so we created a magickal ritual for calling forth interest in the world of writers familiar with s*x, drugs and magick. We used the sacred ritualistic tools of email and Zoom to cast our spell. That really seemed to work.
A few years ago we asked noted writer and chaos magician Grant Morrison if he might write a new foreword for any one of our upcoming new editions of RAW books. We sent him our list of books to choose from, and he replied, "The obvious one is S*x, Drugs and Magick, but I might also consider Ishtar Rising as I've been working on Wonder Woman for the last couple of years and the concept of the 'goddess' - and the rise of female power in the Aeon of Ma'at as Kenneth Grant might describe it - has been on my mind a lot and may yield some interesting insights."
Grant's interesting insights on the goddess led to a wonderful essay that we included in the new edition of Ishtar Rising: Why the Goddess Went to Hell and What to Expect Now That She's Returning, but we never stopped thinking that S*x, Drugs and Magick did seem like a natural choice, so we contacted Grant again as we began to work on this new edition of the book. At first he thought he didn't have time to write something, but he wanted to help out by suggesting we ask Arden Leigh, Alexis Mincolla and Rodney Orpheus to contribute. All three were practicing magick along with other arts, and all three had been greatly influenced by RAW's writing. That seemed pretty great, but when it rains it pours, and soon after, Grant ended up sending us a brilliant bit of writing after all.
Word also came back from the RAW Trust Advisors - RAW experts and old friends of RAW. John Higgs said he would love to read whatever chaos magician and comedian Andrew O'Neill would come up with. A number of the Advisors suggested both Phil Farber, author of High Magick: A Guide to Cannabis in Ritual and Mysticism, and cunning-man and journalist Cat Vincent.
Meanwhile, RAW's daughter Christina had asked practitioner and teacher Damien Echols if he had an interest in writing something about his connection to RAW and ritual magic. Damien thanks the books of Robert Anton Wilson for helping him find a "universe of infinite wonder" during the 18 years he spent, falsely convicted, sitting on death row.
Soon we had eight essays, eight entirely different viewpoints - all influenced by the ideas of Robert Anton Wilson. Four forewords and four afterwords. Four and four are fitting numbers in the RAW multiverse. In this case, an octet of magicians, well versed in the craft – casting an engaging set and setting for S*x, Drugs and Magick.
