Why Smart People Stay in Cults Opening This is completely unacceptable. I am angry. I am clear. I am done. It was 2022. Three years before I left. Someone who had harmed people was being let back in. And then—within days—someone swooped in and said, “I believe you. I’m going to fix this.” And just…
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Why Do Smart People Do Terrible Things in Groups?
Why Do Smart People Do Terrible Things in Groups? (And Why Aristotle Saw It Coming) INTRO My interview about OTO dropped last week. Within less than 24 hours, two members showed up in the comments. One showed up to criticize the bureaucratic process I followed when advocating for survivors of sexual abuse in the organization….
Interview with the Cults to Consciousness Podcast about my experiences inside Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.)
Interview with the Cults to Consciousness Podcast about my experiences inside Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) Transcript Intro JAMES There’s this doorway in front of you, and it’s charged with these symbols, and you’re going to cross through this thing, and you don’t know what’s on the other side, but there’s other people there, and you’re…
Red Flags and Green Flags in Spiritual Community
Spiritual community is a double-edged sword. A healthy group can amplify your agency, give you strength when you falter, and create a kind of shared aliveness no one person could hold alone.
Thelema and the Missing Technology of Relationship
Thelema gives us a powerful metaphysical vision: each person has a true will, a unique trajectory through life, and love is the law that aligns oneself with that trajectory. Union, polarity, and relationship are built right into the system. Nuit and Hadit, the Serpent and the Egg, and the Rosy Cross are not solitary symbols….
Forms of Life, Forms of Power: Thelema, OTO, and the Uses of Spirituality
Systems don’t run on violence and oppression alone. Harm has to be rationalized, aestheticized, and made to feel meaningful.
Ideas as Catalysts, Not Cures
An idea can accelerate transformation in someone who is already self-organizing in a certain direction, but it rarely creates something entirely new.
Is It a Bad Day, or a Bad System?
Not all chaos is created equal. Some disruptions are situational and pass with patience, while others are baked into the very structure of a system. Learning to tell the difference—and knowing when to adapt, when to reform, and when to leave—can save your energy, your creativity, and your peace of mind.
Better a Menace Than a Coward
Someone called me a menace the other day. My response? Better a menace than a coward. The comment came under a video where I talked about the inner strength that comes from refusing to lie, bend, or back down in the face of fear. You have to appreciate the irony of being called a threat…
Dealing with attacks when you speak out against O.T.O.
Dealing with attacks when you speak out against O.T.O. The Foundation of Spiritual Strength Your Inner Refuge When life presses in—when people attack you, betray you, twist your words—it’s natural to look outside yourself for safety. We look to institutions. To leaders. To groups that promise protection. But here’s the truth: If your refuge isn’t…