CHAOS Making a New Science by James Gleick, Penguin Books, 1987
If so do you utilize the information in your magickal operations?
If so do you utilize the information in your magickal operations?
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Portland
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Sun, March 19, 2006 - 5:50 PMi've read it - excellent work. -
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Sun, March 19, 2006 - 9:19 PMThe book that rests next to my copy of Chaos Making a New Science is Katya Walter's "Tao of Chaos DNA & The I Ching" published
by Element Books, Inc 1996. While Katya can get a bit "new agey" the information inparted is very worth the read, imo. -
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Sun, April 2, 2006 - 12:59 PMyeah, most new-agey stuff makes me want to hurl.
another excellent book out there that people into chaos magick should consider reading is "Zero: the biography of a dangerous idea" by charles seife.
chaos, void, zero - etc. the preternatural void. power. etc. -
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Mon, April 3, 2006 - 12:10 PMI saw that title and thought about picking it up but did not... I'll certainly have to read it, it seemed like an interesting subject.
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Mon, April 3, 2006 - 5:00 PMRemarkable.
Both of those rest next to each other on my shelf as well.
If you enjoyed Chaos, pick up 'Complexity' by Roger Lewin.
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Sat, September 9, 2006 - 8:48 AMI have always wondered why Chaos Magicians flock to Chaos Theory. Its not like they are directly related or anything.
I have been a professional scientist on occasion, and bought this book long before I found out that what I'm interested in can be described by the term "Chaos Magic". It was of interest to me; because I love finding out about emerging complexity of any sort; how things that seem alive, or the product of rational design, can in reality be based on simple rules, no more.
Chaos Magic, on the other hand, is about inserting intelligence into a system, thereby creating new things. Where mathematical chaos is based on a mechanical universe, magickal chaos is based on creative intelligence.
Yeah the pictures look good on a T-shirt; and we all like to think were as powerful as that tornado-generating butterfly; but most of Chaos Theory is as magickal as watching paint dry - and crack as it dries into unpredictable cracks. Its tools are algorithms and silicon chips. Completely unrelated to orgasmic release, subconscious manipulation, creative art.
However for those who insist that Chaos Theory is Groovy; I totally recommend "Chaos Theory Tamed" ISBN 0309063515
It gives you the maths tools, in a way that a child can learn. If only all math theory books were as good as this one.
Slightly more relevant to Chaos Magic is "Chaos Bound" 0801497019; "Orderly Disorder in contemporary Literature and Science". This text at least relates to human creativity.
Sometimes I wish there were a better term for Chaos Magic, a more SPECIFIC term, which excluded the silly orange string people, and the ceremonial thelemites. And for that matter the Cult of Cthulu. All of these are related, to be sure, but they arent the central concept; which is that of approaching Magick as an experimental science - although using tools that science would not use. -
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Re: How Many Have Read?
Thu, September 28, 2006 - 12:48 PMAnd in another venue, Sociology maybe, I was checking out my battered and tattered copy of Jules Feiffer's "SICK SICK SICK
a guide to non-confident living" that I have been lugging around from place to place for over 40 years. Reading through it
brought to mind that while we accept that "change is the only constant" some changes are indeed like "watching paint dry on
the wall". Btw, Feiffer is still alive and well and at work creatively. A little googlemancy can bring ya up to date in that area.
<grins>
George
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