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John Michael Greer (born 1962) is an American author and
druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
who writes on
ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...
, politics,
appropriate technology Appropriate technology is a movement (and its manifestations) encompassing technological choice and application that is small-scale, affordable by locals, decentralized, labor-intensive, energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable, and loca ...
,
oil depletion Oil depletion is the decline in oil production of a well, oil field, or geographic area. The Hubbert peak theory makes predictions of production rates based on prior discovery rates and anticipated production rates. Hubbert curves predict that t ...
and the
occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
.


Personal life

Greer was born in
Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...
and was raised in the
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
area. He is an initiate in
Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
and the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ( la, Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae), more commonly the Golden Dawn (), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th ...
. He currently lives in
East Providence, Rhode Island East Providence is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 47,139 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-largest city in the state. Geography East Providence is located between the Providence and Seekonk ...
with his wife Sara.


Druidry

Greer came to
Druidry A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
by way of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids in 1995 after some twenty years’ involvement in Hermetic occult spirituality. He received the Mount Haemus Award in 2003 from OBOD for his lecture "Phallic Religion in the Druid Revival". He served as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), an initiatory organization teaching Celtic nature spirituality, from 2003–2015. He wrote ''The Druidry Handbook'', which serves as the AODA’s core textbook and curriculum. Greer also created the training program for the Druidical Order of the Golden Dawn, an order which fuses druidry with Golden Dawn ceremonial magic, which he founded in 2013. He wrote ''The Celtic Golden Dawn: An Original & Complete Curriculum of Druidical Study'', which serves as the orders’s core textbook and curriculum.


Occultism

He has blogged on
occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
topics on ''The Well of Galabes'' (2014-2017), which is now hosted on ''Ecosophia''. He currently writes on political
astrology Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
using mundane ingress charts via the subscription services SubscribeStar and
Patreon Patreon (, ) is a membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service. It helps creators and artists earn a monthly income by providing rewards and perks to their subscribers. Patreon charges a com ...
.


Politics and nonfiction

Greer describes himself as a moderate Burkean conservative, influenced by the political theorist
Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS">New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS/nowiki>_1729_–_9_July_1797)_was_an_NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">N ...
. He is currently blogging at ''Ecosophia'', where he has written about the intersection of magic and politics. He previously blogged at ''The Archdruid Report'' on
peak oil Peak oil is the hypothetical point in time when the maximum rate of global oil production is reached, after which it is argued that production will begin an irreversible decline. It is related to the distinct concept of oil depletion; whil ...
, economics, history, philosophy and related topics from 2006–2017. He believes that gradual
societal collapse Societal collapse (also known as civilizational collapse) is the fall of a complex human society characterized by the loss of cultural identity and of socioeconomic complexity, the downfall of government, and the rise of violence. Possible cause ...
will ensue as
fossil fuel A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ma ...
–powered industries and societies decline through resource depletion. In a 2009 blog post entitled "Hagbard's Law", he contrasted the attention
global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
receives compared to
peak oil Peak oil is the hypothetical point in time when the maximum rate of global oil production is reached, after which it is argued that production will begin an irreversible decline. It is related to the distinct concept of oil depletion; whil ...
. In a 2005 abstract, called ''How Civilizations Fall: A Theory of Catabolic Collapse'', he wrote an ecological model of collapse in which production fails to meet maintenance requirements for existing capital. In ''The King in Orange'' (2021), Greer analyses the contemporary American political landscape through
class analysis Class analysis is research in sociology, politics and economics from the point of view of the stratification of the society into dynamic classes. It implies that there is no universal or uniform social outlook, rather that there are fundamental c ...
and occult practices. Focusing on the election and opposition to
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
as president of the United States, Greer predicts a continuing combination of magic and politics from the various class factions of the country. He criticises the openness of liberal occultists, arguing that magical practices benefit from more obscurity and secrecy.


Fiction

Greer has written many novels, including a series of eleven fantasy novels based on the worlds created by H.P. Lovecraft and his
Cthulhu Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was first introduced in his short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published by the American pulp magazine '' Weird Tales'' in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the pa ...
Mythos entitled "The Weird of Hali". He has also written deindustrial science fiction and a political-military thriller ''Twilight’s Last Gleaming''.


Reception

Writing in '' The Futurist'' magazine, Rick Docksai declared that Greer's book ''The Ecotechnic Future'' is "as realistic a portrayal of the end of civilization as one is likely to find." It was also positively reviewed in '' Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries'' and was recommended in the industry journal ''
Energy Policy Energy policy is the manner in which a given entity (often governmental) has decided to address issues of energy development including energy conversion, distribution and use as well as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to contr ...
''. The ''International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability'' referred to his book ''The Wealth of Nature'' as "challeng ngthe paradigms that underlie the complex system of wealth distribution we know as economics." His book ''The New Encyclopedia of the Occult'' was selected as a reference text in 2005 by ''
American Libraries ''American Libraries'' is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association (ALA). About ''American Libraries'' was first published in 1970 as a continuation of the long-running ''ALA Bulletin,'' which had served as the Association’s ...
'' and noted by ''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' and ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
''.


Works


Spirituality and the occult

*''Inside a Magical Lodge: Group Ritual in the Western Tradition'' ( Llewellyn, 1998), (New Edition, Aeon Books, March 2021) *''Monsters: An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings'' (Llewellyn, 2001)(rev. and expanded, 3rd ed. Aeon Books, 2021) *''The New Encyclopedia of the Occult'' (Llewellyn, 2003) *''Learning Ritual Magic: Fundamental Theory and Practice for the Solitary Apprentice'', co-authored with Clare Vaughn and Earl King, Jr ( Weiser, 2004) *''A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry into Polytheism'' ( ADF Publishing, 2005) *''Encyclopedia of Natural Magic'' (Llewellyn, 2005) *''The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth'' (Weiser Books, January 2006) *''Atlantis: Ancient Legacy, Hidden Prophecy'' (Llewellyn, 2007) *''Pagan Prayer Beads: Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries'', co-authored with Clare Vaughn (Weiser, 2007) *''The Druid Magic Handbook: Ritual Magic Rooted in the Living Earth'' (Weiser, 2007) *''The Art and Practice of Geomancy: Divination, Magic, and Earth Wisdom of the Renaissance'' ( Weiser, 2009) *''Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies: The Ultimate A–Z of Ancient Mysteries, Lost Civilizations and Forgotten Wisdom'' (
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News C ...
, 2009) *''The UFO Phenomenon: Fact, Fantasy and Disinformation'' (Llewellyn, March 2009) *''Secrets of the Lost Symbol'' (Llewellyn, January 2010) *''The Druid Revival Reader'', ed. John Michael Greer ( Starseed, 2011) *''Apocalypse Not: Everything You Know about 2012, Nostradamus and the Rapture Is Wrong'' (Viva, September 2011) *''The Druid Grove Handbook: A Guide to Ritual in the Ancient Order of Druids in America'', ed. John Michael Greer (Starseed, 2011) *''The Blood of the Earth: An Essay on Magic and Peak Oil'' ( Scarlet Imprint, 2012) *''Apocalypse: A History of the End of Time'' (Quercus, April 2012) *''Mystery Teachings From the Living Earth'' (Weiser, 2012) *''The Gnostic Celtic Church: A Manual and Book of Liturgy'', ed. John Michael Greer (Starseed, 2013) *''The Celtic Golden Dawn: An Original & Complete Curriculum of Druidical Study'' (Llewellyn, 2013) *''The Illustrated Picatrix: The Complete Occult Classic Of Astrological Magic'' translated by John Michael Greer & Christopher Warnock (Lulu, March 2015) *''The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order Study'', Israel Regardie ed. John Michael Greer (Llewellyn, January 2016) *''The Secret of the Temple'' (Llewellyn, December 2016) *''Circles of Power: An Introduction to Hermetic Magic'', third edition ( Aeon Books, 2017) *''The Academy of the Sword'' by
Gérard Thibault d'Anvers Gérard (or Girard) Thibault of Antwerp (ca. 1574–1627) was a fencing master and writer of the 1628 rapier manual ''Academie de l'Espée''. Thibault was from the Southern Netherlands which is today Belgium. His manual is one of the most detail ...
trans. John Michael Greer (Aeon Books, February 2017) *''Paths of Wisdom: Cabala in the Golden Dawn Tradition'', third edition (Aeon Books, 2017) *''The Coelbren Alphabet: The Forgotten Oracle of the Welsh Bards'' (Llewellyn, 2017) *''The Occult Book: A Chronological Journey from Alchemy to Wicca'' (Sterling Chronologies, 2017) *''Elementary Treatise of Occult Science'', co-authored with Papus and Mark Mikituk, (Llewellyn, December 2018) *''Ascendant: Modern Essays on Polytheism and Theology'' Contributor, (Independently Published, January 2019) *''The Conspiracy Book: A Chronological Journey through Secret Societies and Hidden Histories'' (Sterling, January 2019) *''How to Become a Mage'', co-authored with K. K. Albert, Joséphin Péladan and Jean-Louis de Biasi, (Llewellyn, June 2019) *''A Magical Education: Talks on Magic and Occultism'' (Aeon Books, 2019) *''Ascendant II: Theology for Modern Polytheists'' Contributor,(Independently Published, December 2019) *''Llewellyn's Complete Book of Ceremonial Magick: A Comprehensive Guide to the Western Mystery Tradition'' Contributor, (Llewellyn, 2020) *''On the Shadows of the Ideas'' Giordano Bruno translated by John Michael Greer (Arcane Wisdom, 10 March 2020) *''The Mysteries of Merlin'' (Llewellyn, 2020) *''Beyond the Narratives: Essays on Occultism and the Future'' (Aeon Books, October 2020) *''The UFO Chronicles: How Science Fiction, Shamanic Experiences, and Secret Air Force Projects Created the UFO Myth'' (Aeon Books, October 2020) *''The Sacred Geometry Oracle: Book and Card Deck'' (Aeon Books, April 2021) *''The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power'' (Inner Traditions, June 2021)


Economics and politics

*''The Long Descent: A User's Guide to the End of the Industrial Age'' (
New Society Publishers Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd. is a Canadian book publishing firm. Douglas & McIntyre was founded by James Douglas and Scott McIntyre in 1971 as an independent publishing company based in Vancouver. Reorganized with new owners in 2008 as D&M P ...
, September 2008) *''The Ecotechnic Future: Envisioning a Post-Peak World'' (New Society Publishers, October 2009) *''The Wealth of Nature: Economics As If Survival Mattered'' (New Society Publishers, May 2011) *''Green Wizardry'' (
New Society ''New Society'' was a weekly magazine of social inquiry and social and cultural comment, published in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1988. It drew on the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, psychology, human geography, social history and so ...
, 2013) *''Not the Future we Ordered: Peak Oil, Psychology and the Myth of Progress'' ( Karnac, 2013) *''Decline and Fall: the End of Empire and the Future of Democracy in the 21st Century'' (
New Society ''New Society'' was a weekly magazine of social inquiry and social and cultural comment, published in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1988. It drew on the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, psychology, human geography, social history and so ...
, 2014) *''Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush: the Best of the Archdruid Report'' ( Founders House, 2015) *''After Progress: Reason and Religion at the End of the Industrial Age Paperback'' (New Society Publishers, April 2015) *''Dark Age America: Climate Change, Cultural Collapse, and the Hard Future Ahead'' (New Society Publishers, September 2016) *''The Retro Future: Looking to the Past to Remake the Future'' (
New Society ''New Society'' was a weekly magazine of social inquiry and social and cultural comment, published in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1988. It drew on the disciplines of sociology, anthropology, psychology, human geography, social history and so ...
, 2017) *''The King in Orange: The magical and occult roots of political power'' (Inner Traditions Bear and Company, 2021)


Fiction

*''
Twilight's Last Gleaming ''Twilight's Last Gleaming'' is a 1977 thriller film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark. The film was a West German/American co-production, shot mainly at the Bavaria Studios. Loosely based on a 1971 nove ...
'' (Karnac, 2014) *''Star's Reach: A Novel of the Deindustrial Future'' (Founders House, April 2014) *''The Fires of Shalsha'' (Starseed Press, 2008) (Founders House, 2015) *''Retrotopia'' (Founders House, 2016) *''An Archdruid's Tales: Fiction From The Archdruid Report'' (Founders House Publishing, 2017) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 1): Innsmouth'' (Founders House Publishing, 2018) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 2): Kingsport'' (Founders House Publishing, 2018) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 3): Chorazin'' (Founders House Publishing, 2019) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 4): Dreamlands'' (Founders House Publishing, 2019) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 5): Providence'' (Founders House Publishing, 2019) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 6): Red Hook'' (Founders House Publishing, 2019) *''The Weird of Hali (Book 7): Arkham'' (Founders House Publishing, 2019) *''The Shoggoth Concerto'' (Founders House Publishing, 2019) *''The Nyogtha Variations'' (Founders House Publishing, 2020) *''A Voyage to Hyperborea'' (Founders House Publishing, 2020) *''The Seal of Yueh Lao'' (Founders House Publishing, 2020) *''The Weird of Hali Companion'' (Founders House Publishing, 2021)


Anthologies edited

*''After Oil: SF Visions of a Post-Petroleum World'' (Founders House, 2012 *''After Oil 2: The Years of Crisis'' (Founders House, 2014) *''After Oil 3: The Years of Rebirth'' (Founders House, 2015) *''After Oil 4: The Future's Distant Shores'' (Founders House, 2016) *''Merigan Tales: Stories for the World of Star's Reach'' (Founders House,2016)


See also

*
Dmitry Orlov (writer) Dmitry Orlov (russian: Дми́трий Орло́в; born 1962) is an American engineer and writer on subjects related to "potential economic, ecological and political decline and collapse in the United States", something he has called "permanen ...
– A Russian-American engineer who writes on
Peak Oil Peak oil is the hypothetical point in time when the maximum rate of global oil production is reached, after which it is argued that production will begin an irreversible decline. It is related to the distinct concept of oil depletion; whil ...
and economic, ecological and political decline. * David Fleming (writer) - An English historian and economist who writes about the importance of culture and community in response to the eventual collapse of the market economy. * James Howard Kunstler – An American author who writes about the end of industrialized society, suburbia and urban development.


Notes


References

* * *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Greer, John Michael 1962 births Living people People from Bremerton, Washington 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American cultural critics American male bloggers American bloggers American encyclopedists American conservationists American male novelists American occultists American astrologers American occult writers American modern pagans Futurologists Hermetic Qabalists Neo-druids 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Modern pagan writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers