Star.Ships
A Prehistory of the Spirits
by Gordon White
A defining text of the new magical renaissance, Star.Ships addresses the question of who we are now by tracing where we come from, and by drawing out the stories and the spirits that have journeyed and evolved with us. The goal is, as Gordon White writes, the restoration of context.
To this end, White applies his globally-recognised data and demographics skills to realise a groundbreaking work of truly interdisciplinary research. Utilising mythological, linguistic and astronomical data to reconstruct palaeolithic magical beliefs, he maps them to the human journey out of Africa; explores which aspects of these beliefs and practices have survived into the Western tradition; and what the implications (and applications) of those survivals may be for us.
Written for a magically literate and operative audience, Star.Ships displays the flair, wit and engagement with evidence that adherents of Rune Soup have come to expect from Gordon. He deftly handles vast time scales and cosmologies to build his case; avoids the pitfalls of alternative historians with a refreshing absence of dogma or wishful thinking; and, in a masterful deployment of the latest research, simultaneously questions outworn dominant narratives and is not afraid to champion the work of independent researchers and entertain forbidden discourses. It is exactly what chaos magic should be.
Göbekli Tepe, the Pyramids and Sphinx, Nabta Playa, Gunung Padang, Easter Island and Sundaland are some of the points spangled across a work of truly cosmic scope. Star.Ships beckons those who are willing to engage in the adventure to follow the great river of history that flows into and out of an ocean of stars.
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Table of Contents
Preface THE MISSION AT THE END OF THE WORLD
I ONE FUNERAL AT A TIME
II THE CATHEDRAL PREDATES THE CITY
III ET IN LAURASIA EGO
IV ISLAND OF DRAGONS
V STAR LORE
VI HOW A WORLD ENDS
VII EXPULSION FROM EDEN
VIII THE MIRROR OF HEAVEN
IX THE TREE OF MANY BRANCHES
X CHILDREN OF THE MOTHER OF HEAVEN
Conclusion CANOPY OF STARS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
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Illustrated throughout with photographs, maps, diagrams, tables, etc.
Paperback Edition
312 pages. Sewn paperback printed on 120gsm paper, with blue card covers with silver foil.
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Press, reviews, endorsements
“Gordon White’s exercise in using data analysis to speculatively reconstruct ancient belief systems is a mind-bending journey through our most ancient history… It’s an exciting synthesis of historical accounts, research into genetic migration, and the more perplexing recent archaeological finds, such as as Göbekli Tepe. All of which suggest that our historical view of our ancestors has been, and in some cases continues to be, presumptuously condescending… I finished reading this book a couple weeks ago, and it’s simply refused to leave my thoughts.”
Daniel Andrlik - read the full review here
“Myth is the carrier wave of civilisation. Put simpler: astrology leads to astronomy leads to navigation. Embedded in the former are the conditions for the latter. This comes to me from STAR.SHIPS by Gordon White, a book I read some years ago and is still haunting me to the point where I’m still referencing it today... [STAR.SHIPS] is a marvellous piece of work - it delights, informs, provokes and freaks your shit out.”
Warren Ellis - read the full review here
Book Review by The Wild Hunt - read the review here
Author Talk by Gordon White at Watkins Books - watch on YouTube here
Interview with Gordon White on the Higherside Chats podcast - watch on YouTube here
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About the Author
Gordon White is a chaos magician, shamanic practitioner and permaculture farmer based in Tasmania. His website and podcast, Rune Soup, is one of the most popular digital watering holes in the world of modern magic. He is one of the most exciting teachers and writers in contemporary occultism.
A success in many spheres, Gordon has worked for some of the world’s largest digital and social media companies. In a life that few experience, he has partied with princes, dined in castles, been mentored by a former director of a private spy agency and had a billionaire knight buy him a bottle of champagne; he brings the same chameleon skills to his magical work. Gordon has dived in search of sharks and lost cities, sat in ceremony under desert stars, travelled extensively and researched voraciously. Gordon speaks and teaches on the topics of magic, animism and psi around the world.
