All art by John Collier, 1850 - 1934
The mid-Eighties gave rise to a second wave of the Chaos Current. 1985 saw the publication of The Cardinal Rites of Chaos, by the pseudononymous Paula Pagani, which outlined a series of seasonal rituals as performed by the Yorkshire-based Circle of Chaos. Alas, by this time, the early co-operation between exponents of Chaos had given rise to legal wrangles, literary sideswipes, and even magical battles. For some at least, Chaos magic = loadsa money while others discovered that they had a position to hold onto as defenders of the title of spokesperson for a movement. True to its nature, Chaos splintered and began to re-evolve in different ways.
Three different magazines emerged to continue the Chaos debate - Chaos International, Nox, and Joel Birroco's Chaos. Chaos International was formed on the basis of networking, specifically the idea that the editorship would change hands with each issue. A good idea in principle, it gave rise to practical problems such as address changes, obtaining back copies, and meant that each issue had to be virtually self-supporting. Chaos International survived five different editorial changes, after which it passed into the hands of Ian Read, who has had the job of producing it ever since. Chaos International has now matured into one of the best all-round magazines of innovative magical ideas.
Nox magazine emerged out of the wilds of South Yorkshire to serve up a mixed brew of Chaos magic, Left-Hand path material and Thelemic experimentation, which matured into one of the best magazines publishing experimental magic from a wide variety of sources. Since its inception, it has grown from being an A5 fanzine to paperback book status. Joel Birroco's Chaos introduced a Situationist perspective into the Chaos debate, predicted the glamour for Chaos-isms as experimentation turned inevitably into fashion accessory, and then proceeded to identify various magical leaders and tear them apart with the eagerness of a whole pack of Greek cynics.
The debate over the progression of the Chaos Current raged throughout these zines and the aforementioned Lamp of Thoth. Arguments begun in one zine spilled over into another and sides were drawn up as some voices allied with others, though allying with Birroco's iconoclastic stance on Chaos turned out to be a tactical error, as he invariably massaged the egos of his allies only to drag them down at a later date. In 86 the S.A. Press released Julian Wilde's Grimoire of Chaos magic, the first book on Chaos magic outside the Sherwin/ Carroll circles. Despite heavy criticism from other Chaos factions, Mr. Wilde never came forth to explain his ideas, nor has much been heard from him since.
Grimoire departed radically from the other approaches to Chaos, particularly with his assertion that Chaos magic was in itself, a system. Grimoire was followed by a tape The Chaosphere, and later, another book The Apogeton, by Alawn Tickhill which was marketed as a Chaos Manual although the book itself made little reference to Chaos magic. None of these releases were received very favourably by the other Chaos factions and this third wave of Chaos development further rang to the sound of voices raised in acrimony, slanging matches in print, and behind-the-scenes bickering.
By late 87 one of the weirder Chaos groups, the Lincoln Order Of Neuromancers (L.O.O.N) had announced the death of Chaos magic, asserting in their freely-circulated chainbook...
“Magic is already dead, and the only debate is between the vultures over who gets the biggest bones.”
This assertion was also made by Stephen Sennitt, the editor of Nox magazine. In retrospect, it seems less that Chaos magic died, and more that the furious debate which blew up around it for many years had become boring - it had hit the point where constructive criticism had degenerated into a mere slanging match. Perhaps some Chaos Magicians shook themselves and wondered, after all, what all the fuss had been about.
By this time, Pete Carroll had begun to reformat the IOT into The Pact, setting up temples in the UK, USA, and Europe. The IOT is seen as the Order for serious Chaos Magicians in the same way that the OTO exists for serious Thelemites. At the time of writing, the IOT Pact has temples active in the UK, Europe and America and, despite the apparent hierarchical structure outlined in Pete Carroll's latest book "Liber Khaos/ The Psychonomnicon", there appears to be much scope for new growths and experimentation within its loose structure.
Written by Phil Hine