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Published by Destiny Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A study into the enigmatic devil of folkloric witchcraft and his many forms
• Explains the Dark Man phenomenon through centuries-old folklore and mythology, testimony from British witch trials, and modern accounts
• Challenges the simplistic concept of the Devil as “evil,” explaining how encounters with this entity can reveal one’s life purpose and how the Dark Man can be an initiator into witchcraft
• Presents interviews with those who have witnessed the Dark Man firsthand, offering insights into how he can serve as a guide to a more positive life
From the fortean phantoms that terrorized Victorian England to the haunted crossroads of the Irish hinterlands, the Devil—also known as the Dark Man—has found countless novel ways to influence culture and bring us face to face with our fears. Tracing this enigmatic entity through the centuries via mythology, folklore, occult writings, and modern accounts, Darragh Mason shows how the Dark Man is more than just a myth: he is a real presence in our world.
Drawing on Irish manuscripts dating back to the 12th century, testimony from 17th-century Scottish witches, his own experiences, and interviews with contemporary witches and mystics, Mason builds the case for the pattern of the Dark Man phenomenon, showing what his presence can mean, what it’s like for those who experience him, and how his appearance serves as a calling to the path of witchcraft. In doing so, Mason challenges conventional understandings of the Dark Man as an evil presence, emphasizing his role in questioning authority and liberating individuals from the confines of strict social convention. He shows how the Dark Man’s presence serves as a potent illustrator of the battles between light and dark.
But, Mason emphasizes, these stories of the Dark Man are not necessarily just folktales. Sharing a series of interviews with contemporary figures, including Orion Foxwood and Peter Grey, who speak of the nature of this spirit and their experiences with him, the author illustrates how encounters with the Dark Man can challenge you to make changes—often painful ones—and how if you meet his challenges, you may be bestowed with mystical gifts and initiated into witchcraft. Ultimately, Mason shows how the Dark Man may be a liberating figure: if one faces him and moves beyond the fear, he can open the door to a richer, more fulfilling, and more magical life.
• Explains the Dark Man phenomenon through centuries-old folklore and mythology, testimony from British witch trials, and modern accounts
• Challenges the simplistic concept of the Devil as “evil,” explaining how encounters with this entity can reveal one’s life purpose and how the Dark Man can be an initiator into witchcraft
• Presents interviews with those who have witnessed the Dark Man firsthand, offering insights into how he can serve as a guide to a more positive life
From the fortean phantoms that terrorized Victorian England to the haunted crossroads of the Irish hinterlands, the Devil—also known as the Dark Man—has found countless novel ways to influence culture and bring us face to face with our fears. Tracing this enigmatic entity through the centuries via mythology, folklore, occult writings, and modern accounts, Darragh Mason shows how the Dark Man is more than just a myth: he is a real presence in our world.
Drawing on Irish manuscripts dating back to the 12th century, testimony from 17th-century Scottish witches, his own experiences, and interviews with contemporary witches and mystics, Mason builds the case for the pattern of the Dark Man phenomenon, showing what his presence can mean, what it’s like for those who experience him, and how his appearance serves as a calling to the path of witchcraft. In doing so, Mason challenges conventional understandings of the Dark Man as an evil presence, emphasizing his role in questioning authority and liberating individuals from the confines of strict social convention. He shows how the Dark Man’s presence serves as a potent illustrator of the battles between light and dark.
But, Mason emphasizes, these stories of the Dark Man are not necessarily just folktales. Sharing a series of interviews with contemporary figures, including Orion Foxwood and Peter Grey, who speak of the nature of this spirit and their experiences with him, the author illustrates how encounters with the Dark Man can challenge you to make changes—often painful ones—and how if you meet his challenges, you may be bestowed with mystical gifts and initiated into witchcraft. Ultimately, Mason shows how the Dark Man may be a liberating figure: if one faces him and moves beyond the fear, he can open the door to a richer, more fulfilling, and more magical life.
Product Details
- Publisher: Destiny Books (September 18, 2024)
- Length: 208 pages
- ISBN13: 9781644119099
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Raves and Reviews
“Darragh Mason has given us a bold book. He leads us across the land’s broad hills to suddenly fall into hidden depths and through the old tales to discover haunting stories—all in pursuit of that strange being we seek and yet also fear: the Dark Man, the Dark God. A masterpiece: a gem not only for the witch within us all but also for the dreamer.”
– Christina Oakley-Harrington, founder of Treadwell’s Bookshop
“Song of the Dark Man is a very personal book about a spirit, a spirit esteemed by witches and magicians. The first part looks at the folklore of the Dark Man from Irish folkloric sources as well as witch trial documents, which provide the setting and root the entity in times past. In the second part, Darragh speaks to working magical practitioners about their experiences—abstract, concrete, protective, initiatory, and sometimes terrifying—with the Lord of the Crossroads. In these encounters, visions, and ritual meetings, we see the shapes the Man in Black takes today and the effects he has on those who meet him. A fine work, and highly recommended.”
– Aidan Wachter, author of Six Ways: Approaches and Entries for Practical Magic
“Who is the Dark Man? Trickster, initiator, embodiment of mystery? In this fascinating book, Darragh Mason traces the footprints of this elusive specter through folklore, history, and myth. Bringing a wide-ranging perspective together with the reporting of contemporary practitioners, Song of the Dark Man provides a unique focus on this liminal and eternal figure.”
– Phil Hine, author of Condensed Chaos and Queerying Occultures
“Mason’s Song of the Dark Man is a great introduction to an important aspect of contemporary occulturation: when there’s a need for it (and there certainly is today), the forces of nature will take on mythological form to make us more aware of problematic issues. Specifically contextualizing the ‘Dark Man’ archetype in many of its fascinating forms and impacts, this book also allows magical practitioners of renown to share their own experiences of this primordial intelligence growing and eventually blooming within their psyches.”
– Carl Abrahamsson, filmmaker, photographer, musician, and author of Anton LaVey and the Church of Sat
“Frankly, my mind is blown. Song of the Dark Man is a book I wish had come out ages ago. In the years to come, I am certain Darragh will be showered with praise for this indispensable exploration of an underexamined pattern in our folklore; he deserves every ounce of it.”
– Joshua Cutchin, speaker and author of Ecology of Souls
“Darragh dares to spotlight the ineffable and creates the improbable. Song of the Dark Man is a captivating book that seeks to shed light on a figure I’d wager each and every one of us who draws breath has encountered at least once in our lives. For those of us who remember, like Darragh does, he deftly delves into the roots and rhizomes of numerous folklores and nightmares. Until now, any real examination of this figure has been nonexistent. I believe it’s safe to say that the Dark Man has finally been given his due.”
– Douglas Batchelor, host of the What Magic is This? podcast
“While it is often very difficult to cover such nebulous subjects, Darragh Mason has more than succeeded. Through his meticulous research, Darragh has brought one of the most enigmatic figures back to life. Song of the Dark Man proves that while some entities are calcified within mythopoeic thought, others are merely waiting to be incarnated once more.”
– Nathaniel J. Gillis, lecturer, religious demonologist, and author of A Moment Called Man
“Darragh Mason draws together a rich tapestry of folkloric, historical, and cultural materials relating to the ‘Dark Man’ of the Witches’ Sabbath. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of culture, experience, and the other.”
– Jack Hunter, PhD., author of Manifesting Spirits
“This is an excellent book for Witches, Pagans, those interested in folklore, and especially Traditional Witches, Luciferian type magickians, and those like myself who straddle the Left and Right Hand paths. Because of this, I believe that this work is groundbreaking in its’ research, depth, and quality of content. I give it a 5 out of 5; this is probably one of my favorite books I’ve reviewed thus far, and a favorite and influential one for my year, personally.”
– The Modern Merlin, PaganPages.org
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