Question: Congratulations on the new book Sanctum of Shadows Volume III: Spiritus Occultus. Tell us a little about the book.
Aleister Nacht: Thank you very much. I am very excited about it. This book is an exploration of truth. My readers are interested in the Occult, Satanism, and Devil Worship however, I also feel my readers are more intellectually engaged and this book personifies that "depth of reasoning" while providing arguments for and against certain ideas and established 'truths'. When I decided to cover this specific subject matter area, I was afraid some readers would be alienated and so I chose to broach the subject slowly and steadily; building the overall foundation of each topic and fleshing out the associated ideas.
Question: This book was a little shorter in length than the past Sanctum of Shadow volumes. Can you explain why you decided to go with a shorter book in this case?
Aleister Nacht: Yes. The fact is, the Sanctum of Shadows series is designed to address specific points and very specific subject matter. For this reason, I have decided to look closely at a small cross-section of information and bring some clarity using certain teaching points for those who are interested in pursuing the line of study. An encyclopedia is a good reference book to define variables of a large, diverse subject matter, often known as 'horizontal' view of the subject matter.
For example, the elements of Satanism may be viewed horizontally:
Satanism = Rituals, Reference Books, Spells, Incantations, Satanic Principles, Beliefs, etc.
A 'vertical' view is a “deep dive” into the specific subject matter. For example, the elements of Rituals may be viewed vertically:
Satanism = Rituals
Rituals = Altar, Athame, Candles, Incense, etc.
I also want to point out it is very difficult to hold the attention of a large number of people. For this reason, approaching the subject matter from a different perspective (re-scoping or adjusting the scope of the material) is the best way to communicate the point to the reader. Data must be converted to usable information before consumption. If the reader is bombarded with data and information, (too much information to digest) the reader will come away with frustration and ultimately feel he / she has been cheated, even though a massive amount of information has been presented. The fact that one book is 100 pages and the next book is 500 pages, in my opinion, holds neither validity nor special meaning when it comes to communicating and ensuring the message is understood by the reader.
Question: It seems that in this book you have made a conscious attempt to remain footed in the secular world. Was this done on purpose or did this just happen by coincidence?
Aleister Nacht: While writing this volume, I did not really set any linear requirements or prescriptive bounds to remain within for the manuscript. The only requirement was to be able to present my ideas and perhaps present them in a different way in order to produce or provoke "thought" for the reader. This book is less about facts and data, although it uses the facts and data to form arguments, define the premises for the argument, present elements to suggest a certain line of thought, and ultimately present conclusions for some arguments and no conclusion for others. Leaving the conclusion open allows the reader to form her / his own conclusion; not based upon the enormous amount of data presented, but by providing the reader with exercises to actually use their cognitive ability to formulate their own conclusion. This may be accomplished perhaps through her / his own belief or through what has happened to them in the past. Either way, it allows the reader to arrive at her / his own conclusion as opposed to an answer I have presented as “prima facie”. This in itself is a departure from the other Sanctum of Shadows volumes and I am really happy to explore this method of writing. Based upon the early feedback and book reviews, I believe my readers are enjoying this methodology very much.
Aleister Nacht: Thank you very much. I am very excited about it. This book is an exploration of truth. My readers are interested in the Occult, Satanism, and Devil Worship however, I also feel my readers are more intellectually engaged and this book personifies that "depth of reasoning" while providing arguments for and against certain ideas and established 'truths'. When I decided to cover this specific subject matter area, I was afraid some readers would be alienated and so I chose to broach the subject slowly and steadily; building the overall foundation of each topic and fleshing out the associated ideas.
Question: This book was a little shorter in length than the past Sanctum of Shadow volumes. Can you explain why you decided to go with a shorter book in this case?
Aleister Nacht: Yes. The fact is, the Sanctum of Shadows series is designed to address specific points and very specific subject matter. For this reason, I have decided to look closely at a small cross-section of information and bring some clarity using certain teaching points for those who are interested in pursuing the line of study. An encyclopedia is a good reference book to define variables of a large, diverse subject matter, often known as 'horizontal' view of the subject matter.
For example, the elements of Satanism may be viewed horizontally:
Satanism = Rituals, Reference Books, Spells, Incantations, Satanic Principles, Beliefs, etc.
A 'vertical' view is a “deep dive” into the specific subject matter. For example, the elements of Rituals may be viewed vertically:
Satanism = Rituals
Rituals = Altar, Athame, Candles, Incense, etc.
I also want to point out it is very difficult to hold the attention of a large number of people. For this reason, approaching the subject matter from a different perspective (re-scoping or adjusting the scope of the material) is the best way to communicate the point to the reader. Data must be converted to usable information before consumption. If the reader is bombarded with data and information, (too much information to digest) the reader will come away with frustration and ultimately feel he / she has been cheated, even though a massive amount of information has been presented. The fact that one book is 100 pages and the next book is 500 pages, in my opinion, holds neither validity nor special meaning when it comes to communicating and ensuring the message is understood by the reader.
Question: It seems that in this book you have made a conscious attempt to remain footed in the secular world. Was this done on purpose or did this just happen by coincidence?
Aleister Nacht: While writing this volume, I did not really set any linear requirements or prescriptive bounds to remain within for the manuscript. The only requirement was to be able to present my ideas and perhaps present them in a different way in order to produce or provoke "thought" for the reader. This book is less about facts and data, although it uses the facts and data to form arguments, define the premises for the argument, present elements to suggest a certain line of thought, and ultimately present conclusions for some arguments and no conclusion for others. Leaving the conclusion open allows the reader to form her / his own conclusion; not based upon the enormous amount of data presented, but by providing the reader with exercises to actually use their cognitive ability to formulate their own conclusion. This may be accomplished perhaps through her / his own belief or through what has happened to them in the past. Either way, it allows the reader to arrive at her / his own conclusion as opposed to an answer I have presented as “prima facie”. This in itself is a departure from the other Sanctum of Shadows volumes and I am really happy to explore this method of writing. Based upon the early feedback and book reviews, I believe my readers are enjoying this methodology very much.