by David Griffin
On his Talking About Ritual Magic blog, Frater Barrabas just wrote an interesting article discussing Internet censorship and Internet piracy. You can read it here.
Like Frater B., I too am against misguided attempts to censor the internet like SOPA and PIPA. As occult authors, however, we do have good reason to be concerned about piracy. As you likely know, there are a group who call themselves "Digimob" and are dedicated to scanning every new significant magical work that comes out, and releasing in immediately in a torrent file on Pirate Bay and the like.
The "Digimob" means well, wanting to make occult works available to people with limited resources. I wonder, however, if they realize how much work goes into producing a quality occult work and how limited our financial return actually is for all of our effort?
I spent, for example, five fulll years in the research and writing that went into the Ritual Magic Manual.
I also wonder if Digimob realizes, that they are actually sawing off the branch they are sitting on. Moreover, each of us makes important decisions based on what they are doing.
For example, I have already written and for years have had ready for release, a revolutionaly book on Rune magick based on research I did living in Scandinavia using sources not at all available in English translation.
The occult community, however, continues to be deprived of this knowledge and the fruit of my research, because, in response to Digimob piracy, I personally refuse to release it only to have it given away without my permission in a torrent file.
Unlike many occult authors, I have no real need to publish any information at all. Firstly, I do not need the money. Secondly, I do not need to promote of my name. The Ritual Magic Manual stands on its own merits and my reputation is already solid as the Chief Adept of the A.O. In other words, I have neither financial, professional, nor even ego investment in kudos for releasing information, including a book already finished that will revolutionize thinking on rune magick.
My choice is instead to simply deprive the esoteric community of the fruits of this essantial research. I have been sitting on the manuscript already for years while using its contents in my own magical practice and sharing it with select others who know how to respect secrecy.
But wait ...
There is more!
In fact, most of the esoteric community is already well aware that as Chief Adept of the A.O., I am sitting a vast treasure trove of other traditional occult information available nowhere else. Granted, much of this is information is protected by initiatic secrecy, but there is plenty of stuff that I actually could release to the public.
However, with the Digimob pirates around, why should I?
What the Digimob pirates fail to realize is that they are actually depriving THEMSELVES of essential and astounding occult information as the direct consequence of their misguided actions.
When the Digimob pirates stop destroying the already tiny market for occult works, I will resume releasing occult information that the public will otherwise never have access to.
Meanwhile, I will continue to simply sit on a vast treasure trove of secret information, sharing only bits and pieces in initiatic circles...
While the pirates eat the goose in one single meal, and go on missing out on entire hen houses of golden eggs!
