STARS & SNAKES IS OUT NOW
For Those Who Value Independent Voices
I’m pleased to announce something new: the release of Stars & Snakes: A Thelemite’s Field Notes—a collected anthology of these very writings, gathered together in one volume under my own independent Chnoubis Imprint.
As you’ve likely gathered by now, I’ve always treated this Substack space as something of an open notebook: essays, critiques, reflections, sometimes raw, sometimes refined, but always honest.
Many of you have followed my thoughts here, month after month, through explorations of Thelema, magick, institutional critique, and the broader currents of occulture. It’s been a privilege to have this ongoing conversation with you.
A quick clarification: this new project doesn’t change anything about my ongoing work with Watkins Publishing.
I’m still very much engaged with them, and they’ll be publishing what I consider my second proper “full” book this November, as already announced:
ALEISTER CROWLEY'S MYSTICISM: A PRACTICAL GUIDE
The moment we have all waited for the past two years has finally arrived, and the preorders for my second book are up!Magick Without Tears with Marco Visconti is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Think of Stars & Snakes as something more like Book 1.5, a way for me to publish all the essays, reflections, critiques, and occasional rants that wouldn’t necessarily fit the commercial criteria of a traditional publisher. It’s raw, unfiltered, and very much an honest snapshot of my evolving thoughts on Thelema, magick, and occulture.
Now, let me be perfectly transparent: if you’re subscribed here, you already have access to nearly all of this material. For free. With the sole exception of the monthly Tarot column, nothing is hidden behind a paywall, and I don’t plan to change that.
So, why release the book at all?
Because supporting projects like this has become harder than ever. The idea of true patronage—supporting the creators, writers, and thinkers whose work you value—is fading fast in the algorithm-driven, attention-fragmented world we find ourselves in. Self-publishing allows me the freedom to present ideas that are perhaps too niche or too blunt for traditional publishers, but it also means that these books live or die based on whether the people reading actually care enough to lend a hand.
If you've found value in what I share here, and you want to see more of it continue—this is one way to show it. Grabbing a copy of Stars & Snakes gives the project momentum, especially in its first month, when platforms like Amazon decide whether to push it out to others.
And if you do pick up a copy, a quick review makes an even bigger difference. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent publishing—without the backing of marketing departments, we rely entirely on readers spreading the word.
In short: if my writing has sparked something in you over these past years, here’s a simple way to ensure it keeps going.
Thank you, as always, for reading, engaging, and walking alongside me.