In Conversation: Alex Langstone
Hello readers and friends. On this winter solstice day, we send our wishes for magic & creativity in the coming year.
This edition of our blog post features a very special interview which will resonate with countless readers in familiar and relatable ways. Our staff recently had the great opportunity to engage Alex Langstone in interview, and we are looking forward to sharing the conversation below.
Alex Langstone is a writer, poet, and folklorist whose work centers on the mysteries of the British Isles, and the land of Albion. His work includes From Granite to Sea: The Folklore of Bodmin Moor and East Cornwall, The Liminal Shore: Witchcraft, Mystery and Folklore of the Essex Coast, and most recently Spirit Chaser: The Quest for Bega. Alex was also on the editorial team of ASH: The Esoteric Journal of Albion, a journal which explored and detailed the psychogeographic, folkloric, and magical aspects of the British landscape.
OL: Hello Alex and thank you for taking the time to chat with us about your work, writing, and areas of interest. Looking back to your work with ASH, it is quite incredible that the work within the publication stands the test of time so wonderfully. The inception of ASH is fascinating, and you note the diverse cast of figures that Dave Hunt assembled in the early days of the publication. What memories of that early period in Essex do you hold most fondly, and how did your involvement arise?
AL: I can still vividly remember picking up a leaflet at a psychic fair in Basildon, which led me to a group which called itself “New ERA”. This was a collective which gathered every month to chat about the occult, psychic development, magic and Earth Mysteries.
Dave Hunt was one of the group’s founders. This was in the summer of 1985; I was 20 years old, and I had been reading books about ancient sites, witchcraft and a weird and deeply obscure thing called psychic questing. Meeting the folk at New ERA was like coming home.
They were a diverse bunch of witches, psychics, and earth mysteries enthusiasts. I fitted in well.
It was through this group’s introductions that I met the likes of Andrew Collins, Chesca Potter, Paul Weston, David Southwell, and Yuri Leitch, to name a few. However, it wasn’t until 1988 that a few of us (myself, Dave Hunt, Jim Kirkwood, Ian Dawson and Claire Capon) had the idea to put a ‘zine together. Many of the above would end up writing for it or featuring within its pages. Our editorial meetings were exciting and often inspiring. With diverse ideas and influences giving rise to some great debates. We also got the opportunity to listen to some of the early recordings of our co-editor, Berlin School musician Jim Kirkwood, before he became a Dungeon Synth superstar.
1991, no. 11 issue of ASH, including “Artwork by Yuri Leitch, capturing the spirit of the Michael Line Rally, 1991.” Courtesy of the ASH archive.
I also have great memories of some of the crazy field trips that we often embarked upon, seeking out old stones, terrestrial zodiacs, mysterious churches, fairy mounds and other features of the ‘secret country’. Much of the early written work in ASH was inspired by these adventures. Great friendships were formed at this time. Around the same time, I embarked on a collaboration with ancient mysteries author, Andrew Collins. This was the period when he had a bit of a cult-following surrounding his Black Alchemist and Seventh Sword psychic questing books. I also began working with a remarkable psychic called Carole Young. It was through the many extraordinary psychic experiences and supernatural encounters that both Carole and Andrew engaged in that inspired the adventures which led to the writing of Spirit Chaser: The Quest for Bega.
OL: In a contemporary context, a large swathe of zines and small-press publications have arisen exploring the folkloric and psychogeographic aspects of the British Isles. Publications like Weird Walk, Hellebore, and others can be seen as following in the footsteps which ASH tread across the land. Do you maintain dialogue with any folks in the contemporary zine community? Further, how do you situate ASH in this tradition?
Autumn 1988 issue of ASH. Courtesy of the ASH archive.
AL: I am a keen advocate of the resurgence of this type of publication. However, I have not really been in touch with those who are producing these ‘zines. It is not through a lack of interest, but just watching it all unfold with joy and amazement, whilst I continue to progress my own work. I touch on this in the introduction to the new edition of Spirit Chaser.
It is also interesting to note that one of my old friends, David Southwell, who curates the exquisite “Hookland” project, wrote a few articles for the Rituals & Declarations zine, and I also managed to persuade him to write a foreword for The Liminal Shore. So, there is a contemporary link after all.
You must remember that ASH magazine was also part of a revival that took inspiration from the earth mysteries movement of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I think that ASH sits within this ongoing tradition of home produced periodicals and fanzines, and I was always inspired by books such as John Wilcock’s Guide to Occult Britain which was published in the 1970s, and by Mike Howard’s The Cauldron magazine.
I also took inspiration from The Unexplained series of magazines, which were published in the early 1980s, plus many of the regional folklore and earth mysteries publications that were produced in the 1970s; including The Ley Hunter, with its ancient wisdom, landscapes and sacred sites focus, and the Tor Mark Press series of Cornish Folklore and Legends booklets, which were also of this period, which in turn, and much more recently, inspired me to produce Lien Gwerin, my own series of folklore ‘zines.
OL: The material of ASH was also expressed in the context of the Esoterica conferences. How did these conferences draw the magical community of the period together, and what important roles did the publication ASH play in this process
AL: They were a natural extension of what we were trying to achieve. The gathering of ‘like-minds’ and the exchange of ideas. We were a diverse bunch, the first conference included Bob Trubshaw, Chesca Potter and Paul Weston on the lineup. We also had support from The Atlantis Bookshop and its owner of the time, Caroline Wise; ancient mysteries author Andrew Collins; Ogham Grove author and artist Yuri Leitch, plus numerous local witches, astrologers and other magical practitioners. It was a stimulating period-of-time for sure, and one that still inspires much of my written work.
Original bill for Esoterica ‘92. Courtesy of the ASH archive.
OL: Your website is quite special in regard to the archival material from ASH which readers can explore. Have you any plans for print anthologies, or archival publications? Are there any successes you’ve had in regard to placing ASH in institutional or archival repositories?
AL: I may look at publishing a ‘best of’ sometime in the future. However, it feels more important to get more content on the website first. I have had some fantastic feedback from former subscribers, telling me how they love reading the online archive, so this is top priority. As far as archival repositories, apart from yourselves, I think the only place that has a partial collection of ASH magazine is the Museum of Witchcraft &Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall, and I did have the opportunity to add some introductory notes to this a few years ago. I think the British Library hold copies of every issue. Sadly though, even I don’t hold a complete archive.
OL: Alex, in the age of digital publishing, you maintain a fruitful print relationship with Troy Books, now maintaining three works through the publishing house: From Granite to Sea, The Liminal Shore, and most recently, Spirit Chaser. How did your working relationship with Troy Books arise?
AL: I moved from Essex to Cornwall in 1994, and I suppose it was inevitable that I would one day be published by a company based in Cornwall and specialising in witchcraft, magic and regional folklore. I have had the pleasure of making many friends and acquaintances within the esoteric and magical community of Cornwall, and it all started with the fabulous seasonal pagan meetings at Harmony Pottery. Presided over by Geraldine Andrew (now McCarthy).
These legendary gatherings held within the mystical landscape at Wheal Rose hold a special place within me. From these festivals, I quickly began to meet others with whom I shared an interest in Druidry, folk magic and the ancient lore of the land. It was at the Harmony gatherings where I met fellow Troy Books author Cheryl Straffon, who is a mine of fascinating information about Cornwall, and editor of the long running and well-respected earth mysteries and pagan ‘zine Meyn Mamvro. I think I first met Jane Cox and Gemma Gary from Troy Books at one of the many magical conferences organised by the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle.
The museum is a fascinating place, which frequently garners interesting connections with the most magical folk and inspiring people. However, our paths had crossed at many diverse events across Cornwall before this, as we share more than a few mutual friends and associates going back many years.
Cover of the special edition of From Granite to Sea, published by Troy Books.
OL: What do you find is most important for you in regard to balancing your relationship to the land you live and explore with the writing you carry out concerning it? How has your writing enhanced your relationship to the folklore and magical expressions of Albion?
AL: I have been forming and reforming relationships with various landscapes across southern Britain for many years. Living in the ancient land of Cornwall, where I have dwelt for the last 30 years, has allowed me plenty of scope for the esoteric exploration of many different landscapes across the rugged Celtic peninsula.
I have engaged with the mysterious moorland of Bodmin Moor; the spectacular rocky North coast; the verdant haunted coombes of mid-Cornwall; the unique megalithic monuments of West Penwith; the secret land of the Lizard; and the sandy coves of the southern shore. Each district of Kernow (to give the region her native name) is unique, wild and enchanted. I have been incredibly lucky to have easy access to these areas of exceptional magic and lore.
I couldn’t write any books without an intimate relationship with the place I am writing about. It is about respecting regional culture and immersing oneself within it. It is also about trying to cultivate a deep relationship with the genii locorum – the spirits of place that dwell within each river, lake, forest, valley or beach. I have written about this in Spirit Chaser, where I was both consciously interacting with the spirits of place out in the ethereal landscapes of the Cumbrian Fells, and subconsciously through dreams and visions.
Standard paperback edition of Spirit Chaser: The Quest for Bega, published by Troy Books.
These visionary, mythopoeic encounters led me to gain a huge understanding of how to interact with the secret landscape and its denizens of guardians, guides, spirits, and deities. It began with a longed-for personal nostalgia of a childhood holiday in the spectacular and enchanted Lake District of Cumbria; and ended with a greater understanding of place, and my relationship to it.
Of course, the events described in Spirit Chaser happened a long time ago, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and although Spirit Chaser is an exciting first-hand account of what I often describe as an interdimensional pilgrimage, I feel that the work I am most proud of is within the pages of The Liminal Shore, where I got to relive some of my childhood and youth spent within the eerie landscapes of eastern Essex, where I grew up.
Cover of the standard paperback edition of The Liminal Shore, published by Troy Books.
Here I re-examine the folklore and occult topography of the Essex coast and its hinterland. This region is known as Witch Country with good reason, and I had an immense amount of fun writing this, and it also gave me an excuse to re-visit these landscapes and re-acquaint myself with the enchanted and deeply meaningful land where I was born and raised.
OL: Alex, thank you for taking the time to sit down with us today. Congratulations on the recent publication and thank you for your splendid work with ASH. We look forward to connecting again in the future.
Alex Langstone’s website can be found here:
https://spiritofalbionblog.blogspot.com/
The official archival for ASH, containing articles, art history, and background can be found at the following link:
https://albionssacredheritage.blogspot.com/
Finally, an author page for Alex’s published books can be found at all the Troy Books webpage below:
https://www.troybooks.co.uk/alex-langstone/
We thank our readers for taking time to enjoy this interview, and we hope that it will spurn new or reconnected engagement with Alex’s body of work.
As we approach our one-year mark since founding The Occult Library, please look forward to a first-year recap. We are eminently grateful for the support and patronage our readers and users have offered us during the past year. We are in greta anticipation of what the next year will bring our community!
All of our best,
— The Occult Library staff