Season of the Witch is Here in Paperback!

The leaves are falling, the days are shortening, and the old gods are emerging! It's time again for the SEASON OF THE WITCH: HOW THE OCCULT SAVED ROCK AND ROLL!

So where can you buy Season of the Witch? Click on one of these links and it will magically appear at your home, spirited there by ancient forces, best left otherwise alone:

Season of the Witch  is available at Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
 
Or go into your local bookstore. and incant the title as loudly as possible until you are escorted out with the book in hand.



Praise:
"This sharply written narrative illuminates the centrality of the occult imagination at the heart of rock and roll."-- Library Journal, starred review

 “This book is a glorious headlong rush into the dark, full of the electricity of the arcane.  I loved it."--Warren Ellis, author of Gun Machine and Transmetropolitan
“A fascinating thesis reflecting the time when everyone seemed to give rock and roll the status of, if not a religion, then certainly that of a spiritual belief system.  Peter Bebergal’s Season of the Witch brought it all back. It's an absorbing read deserving an important place in rock literature.”– Michael Moorcock

“Told with clear-eyed scholarship and delectable anecdotes, Peter Bebergal's mind-expanding occult history opened my third eye to Rock & Roll's awesome power over human behavior. Rock & Roll will never sound the same to me again, and I'm glad about it.” –Mark Frauenfelder, founder of Boing Boing

“Peter Bebergal has written of his own searching, reconciling spiritual aspirations and personal background, in The Faith Between Us and Too Much To Dream. Both are on my bookshelves. Here, in Season Of The Witch, Peter presents an overview of one “alternative influence” at work on some of those intending to change the world. The world they hoped to change was a dangerous mess. Now, half a century later…” –Robert Fripp

“From grimoires to topographic oceans, from heavy metal to hip-hop, Peter Bebergal tracks the Mysteries through half a century of popular music (and some underground noise as well). At once an overview of rock's mystic rebellions and a handy primer on modern esoterica, Season of the Witch suggests that we may need to round out the trinity of sex, drugs, and rock' n' roll with an additional deity: the occult, another primal portal to a re-enchanted world.” –Erik Davis, author of Led Zeppelin IV and Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica

Lego Secret Society Members

Freemason (Master of the Lodge w/ gavel)

Mathers-esque Chief of Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (w/ dagger and cup)

Kabbalist and his golem (sefirotic tree, of a type, in background)

Rosicrucian (1600s, wholly imagined)

Reptillain Illuminati

Blurbs for Season of the Witch

“A fascinating thesis reflecting the time when everyone seemed to give rock and roll the status of, if not a religion, then certainly that of a spiritual belief system.  Peter Bebergal’s Season of the Witch brought it all back. It's an absorbing read deserving an important place in rock literature.”
– Michael Moorcock 



“Told with clear-eyed scholarship and delectable anecdotes, Peter Bebergal's mind-expanding occult history opened my third eye to Rock & Roll's awesome power over human behavior. Rock & Roll will never sound the same to me again, and I'm glad about it.”
–Mark Frauenfelder, founder of Boing Boing

“Peter Bebergal has written of his own searching, reconciling spiritual aspirations and personal background, in The Faith Between Us and Too Much To Dream. Both are on my bookshelves. Here, in Season Of The Witch, Peter presents an overview of one “alternative influence” at work on some of those intending to change the world.

The world they hoped to change was a dangerous mess.

Now, half a century later…”
–Robert Fripp

“This book is a glorious headlong rush into the dark, full of the electricity of the arcane.  I loved it.”
–Warren Ellis, author of Gun Machine and Transmetropolitan

“From grimoires to topographic oceans, from heavy metal to hip-hop, Peter Bebergal tracks the Mysteries through half a century of popular music (and some underground noise as well). At once an overview of rock's mystic rebellions and a handy primer on modern esoterica, Season of the Witch suggests that we may need to round out the trinity of sex, drugs, and rock' n' roll with an additional deity: the occult, another primal portal to a re-enchanted world.”
–Erik Davis, author of Led Zeppelin IV and Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica

Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll  is available for pre-order at Powell's, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble, and at your local bookstore.

The Songs of Comic Books

I have few memories that do not have a soundtrack associated with them, and none more intense than being between the ages of about 7 and 12. I grew up the youngest of four kids, all my siblings considerably older than me. Our home was filled with their music, whether it was spinning on my brother's turntable, whirring out my sister's 8-track, or out of the constant stream of FM friendly radio that dominated the 1970s. My own days were mostly about comic books, and when I think back on the ones that I treasured, I can hear the songs that seemed to playing in the background as I read them. What I offer here are my most fondly remembered comics of my youth, along with my best recollection (based on internet research) of what the songs were that are most evocative of those moments spent reading these comics.

This was also about spending too much time on two of my favorite web sites, The Grand Comic Database and The Newsstand where I was able to find exact dates and cover images for the issues.

Please add your own memories in the comments.

February 1974 Superboy #202 and "Rikki" by Steely Dan

June 1975 Giant-Size Avengers #4 and "I'm Not in Love" by 10cc

January 1976: Son of Satan #3 and "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright

July, 1976: Fantastic Four #175 and "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

November 1975: Marvel Presents #3 and "Why Can't We Be Friends" by War

January 1977: Avengers #158 and "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

May 1977 Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #231and "Fly Like an Eagle" by The Steve Miller Band

(By the late 70s I had moved towards magazine sized comics:)

March 1978 Creepy #97 and "Come Sail Away" by Styx

May 1978: Eerie #93 and "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO

Summer 1980: Marvel Preview #22 and "Call Me" by Blondie

December 1981: Epic Illustrated #10 and "Whip It" by Devo

 

Upcoming Season of the Witch Events

Thursday, October 16, 7:30pm
Book Release Party
TT the Bear's Place
10 Brookline St, Cambridge, Mass.

Featuring:
Elder
http://beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com/
Ghost Box Orchestra
http://ghostboxorchestra.bandcamp.com/
Herbcraft
http://herbcraft.bandcamp.com/

The night will start off with readings and a book signing
Gen admission: $10
Limited VIP: $15 - includes free copy of book and other special gifts

Monday, October 20, 7:00pm
Reading and signing

Brookline Booksmith

279 Harvard St, Brookline, Mass.

Saturday, October 25, 4:00pm

Talk and signing
Catland  

87 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY

$7-13 and $7 reduced admission to the afterparty.

Followed by:
SEASON OF THE WITCH HALLOWEEN PARTY   

Secret Project Robot Art Experiment, 7pm - 2am

Saturday, November 1, 4:00pm

Reading and signing

Book Soup

8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, California

Season of the Witch Excerpt

Tarcher has posted an an excerpt of Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll.

Check it out -here-

Also, mark your calendars for Oct 16 for the Season of the Witch Book Release Party at TT the Bears in Cambridge, Mass. with Ghost Box Orchestra, Elder and Herbcraft. While you are reading the excerpt, listen to some of their songs:

Season of the Witch cover by Arik Roper

Here it is, in it's full glory, the cover for my forthcoming book Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll, by the always amazing Arik Roper: