Capricorn Radio
September 2, 2015Read moreI was recently interviewed by Heather Elizabeth Osborn and Edward James Swager for their Capricorn Radio Program, and really enjoyed the range of subjects we discussed, which included the sacred honey bee, Atlantis, and even why Noah was found naked and passed out in his tent after the great flood. Click on the image above, or here, to watch it.
70Harlequin Fayre
August 6, 2015Read moreI’ve decided to dust off my Hidden Hive of History lecture and do a warm up for the Beeholdium conference in Glastonbury by taking part in some fabulous summer fun at this weekends Harlequin Fayer. I am presenting at 4:45 on Saturday. I hope you can join us. And if you can’t come, then remember Beeholdium is coming in just
Beeholdium
July 31, 2015Read moreI am excited to present my updated Hidden Hive of History in Glastonbury – the ancient Beekeepers Island – at the inaugural Beeholdium festival this month. As you may know, the Hidden Hive of History is my body of research around the veneration of the honeybee. In my two-part talk I will examine the lost tradition of the most deified
Oracles of Deception
November 26, 2014Read moreOracles of the dead are peculiar places. We have grown accustomed to believing that they were all sacred domiciles, where otherworldly events took place in the presence of the gods. However, at the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I believe that this was not always the case. I recently travelled to Baia, Italy, and to the famed oracle in Delphi, Greece,
Trumpeting The Queen Bee
November 10, 2014Read moreI recently had the pleasure of meeting two fascinating bee experts, Debra Roberts and Filiz Telek. The three of us dined at an unassuming, but superb, little restaurant in Istanbul’s Galata district and, as you might expect, we discussed bees. The Galata restaurant where we dined. © Andrew Gough We took turns enthusiastically sharing our stories, and over dessert Debra,
The Cybele Conundrum
October 19, 2014Read moreThere is an image of Cybele, the mythological ‘Mother of the Gods’, that has haunted me for years. The early 20th-century postcard shows an eroded rock-statue of the Goddess on Mount Sipylus, Turkey, with an exhausted looking traveller recuperating at its base. The ancient relief is attributed to the Hittites and, according to Pausanias, the 2nd-century Greek traveller, geographer and
The Fleur-de-Lis and the Bee
September 27, 2014Read moreStylised images of bees, many of which are indiscernible to the pedestrian eye, have symbolised goddesses for tens of thousands of years. One quite famous image that many believe symbolises a bee, albeit a more modern image than the famous goddess statues from pre-history, is the fleur-de-lis. As tantalising as this association may be, I’ve always felt that it lacked
Istanbul’s Whirling Dervishes
September 15, 2014Read moreThe audience looks on as the Whirling Dervishes conduct the preamble for their remarkable ceremony © Andrew Gough Mevlevi Lodge is one of Istanbul’s best-kept secrets. The fascinating complex, located a short walk from the 1,400-year-old Galata Tower, provides the perfect backdrop to the Sema Ritual, a sacred Sufi dance inspired by the legendary mystic, Rumi. The Mawlawi order was
Lana and the 27 Club
September 7, 2014Read moreLive in London, 2012 © Andrew Gough My friend, Star Peimbert, is an amazing astrologer and occasionally she assists me with my research, such as when she provided invaluable insight into the astrological charts of Stalin and Lenin for my article, Russian Mysticism and the Secret of Stalin’s Skyscrapers. So, I have come to respect and rely on her
The Inquisitions: Atrocities in the Name of God
July 18, 2014Read moreWhen director, Bruce Burgess, asked if I would present a television series about the Inquisitions, I complied straight away. Details were not important. I was in. He had me, as they say, at ‘hello’. I have always been passionate about this period of history and had worked with Burgess before, mainly on the UK television documentary series, Forbidden History (I
John Dee And The Enochian Apocalypse
December 19, 2012Read moreDoctor John Dee (1527 – 1609), remains one of London’s most intriguing historical figures. He even inspired Damon Albarn, the singer/songwriter of Blur to write and perform an opera about his life in 2012. This should not be surprising, for Dee’s talents are many and his legend seems eternal. Dee was a renaissance man; an occultist, mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and
The Conspiracy Olympics
June 12, 2012Read moreFrom the balcony of my Shoreditch flat I can just about make out London’s Olympic Stadium in the distance. Should any of the 2012 Olympic ‘conspiracy’ rumours come to fruition then I am assured of having a bird’s eye view of the proceedings. Let’s hope the most memorable thing about the Games is the athletes. The 2012 London Summer Olympics
Everywhere But No Place
September 20, 2011Read moreI need to tell you about a great new book, but before I do let me say this: I hate fiction. I mean I loathe it. I really don’t care what colour someone’s eyes are or how soft their voice is. Frankly, most adjectives make me cringe. When I was filming the National Geographic documentary, The Truth Behind King Arthur,
The Stone
January 6, 2011Read moreI love horror films. Mind you, not just any scary movie. I’m talking about vintage, genre-defining works, such as Hammer Horror productions and cult classics, like The Wicker Man. In addition to horror, these films offered a sublime blend of drama and sex appeal that has never been equalled. The sexy, but convincingly mystical, Britt Ekland, in 1973’s The Wicker
Was Doctor Dolittle a Shaman?
March 21, 2010Read moreI recently attended a weekend workshop led by the writer and shamanic practitioner, Simon Buxton, who I interviewed in 2009 in support of his wonderful book, The Shamanic Way of the Bee. Simon facilitated The Way of the Shaman workshop on behalf of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, who have helped inspire a revival in shamanism, at least in the West, over
Music To My Ears
December 21, 2009Read moreIf I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred, maybe even a thousand times; man does not live by mysteries alone. Putting it simply, one needs pursuits and hobbies that do not involve questing after the Holy Grail! Luckily for me, there’s music; a vice that soothes my soul in an altogether different way. I grew up in Chicago
Remembering The Steeple Master
November 14, 2009Read moreFew pupils of masters ever achieve greatness, let alone become masters themselves. Nicholas Hawksmoor did, however, and I am privileged to live in the shadow of his baroque brilliance. As a student of one of England’s most renowned architects, Sir Christopher Wren, Hawksmoor was more ambitious than other apprentices. His work included Westminster Abbey, Blenheim Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington
World Premiere of Vanishing of the Bees
October 1, 2009Read moreI have my friend Simon Buxton to thank for introducing me to Maryam Henein, the talented Co-Director / Producer of Vanishing of the Bees, and I recently had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of her important new film. Along with Co-Director / Producer, George Langworthy, Maryam has produced a superb, must-see film that captures the world of the
The Highgate Vampire
September 26, 2009Read moreHighgate Cemetery is one of London’s special places. It’s also a favorite haunt – excuse the pun – of satanists, witches, lunatics and vampire slayers. So I figured I’d fit right in. The famed Egyptian Avenue at Highgate Cemetery My tour of the grandiose gothic graveyard begun promptly at 4 pm, and no sooner had we began than our guide
Atlantis Never Existed
September 24, 2009Read moreThe legend of Atlantis is predicated on hearsay and I have my suspicions that the fabled antediluvian utopia never existed. You see, Plato (428 BC – 328 BC) introduced the notion of the lost civilization in his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, and of the four personalities that he recounts only Critias speaks of Atlantis. Our entire notion of this antediluvian
The Godfather of Esoteria
September 20, 2009Read moreColin Wilson published his first book, the seminal The Outsider in 1956, before I was born! With over 100 books to his credit, Colin is not just a legend; he’s the Godfather of modern day esoteria. Colin Wilson – a portrait of timeless cool His new book, Super Consciousness: The Quest for the Peak, Experience, only adds to his
Black Genesis
September 16, 2009Read moreWhat a hoot. Here I am back at Edge TV preparing to interview the extraordinary Robert Bauval. Phil Gardiner, host of the esoteric talk show ‘Gardiner’s World’, asked if I would conduct half of Robert’s two hour interview, and needless to say I was delighted. I had prepared to chat with Robert about his illustrious career, but Phil has different
Sherwood Forest Shrews
September 12, 2009Read moreThere was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity to meet ‘the real’ Robin Hood, in Sherwood Forest, with his Merry Men and special lady, Maid Marian. Nope, it simply was not going to happen, especially as my friend, the author Philip Gardiner was filming a documentary on Robin Hood and was in need of an extra
Finding Solace on the Summer Solstice
September 9, 2009Read moreThe summer solstice is celebrated the world over, especially across old Europe. Quite simply, it’s a day of celebration and remembrance like no other. In England, the tradition is synonymous with Stonehenge, and in my opinion, not in a good way. Poor Stonehenge, I have always felt; the sacred, world heritage temple is routinely trashed by pseudo neo pagans and