New Thinking Allowed Audio Podcast

Robert Anton Wilson and the Origins of Chaos Magick with Gabriel Kennedy

Nov 21, 2025
Gabriel Kennedy, a multimedia artist and author of Chapel Perilous, dives deep into the transformative ideas of Robert Anton Wilson. He reveals how Wilson's Illuminatus Trilogy shaped chaos magick and influenced countercultural movements. Kennedy discusses the magical technique of sigils, the concept of belief as a flexible tool, and the fascinating interplay between art and magic. He also explores how characters like Grant Morrison popularized chaos magick through comics, emphasizing the significance of imagination and personal transformation in magical practices.
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INSIGHT

Illuminatus As A Counterculture Catalyst

  • Robert Anton Wilson's Illuminatus Trilogy amplified Discordianism and seeded chaos-focused counterculture.
  • The 1977 UK stage adaptation accelerated its influence among British magicians and artists.
INSIGHT

Founding Texts And Figures

  • Peter Carroll read Illuminatus and used it to form the Illuminates of Thanateros, shaping chaos magic's origins.
  • Foundational chaos texts like Liber Null and The Book Of Results codified practical techniques in the late 1970s.
INSIGHT

Sigils, Gnosis, And Forgetting

  • Sigil magic (from Austin Osman Spare) became chaos magick's signature technique for manifesting desires.
  • The method pairs symbol creation with a gnosis state then intentional forgetting to bypass conscious resistance.
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