This sequel to “Habitations of Darkness” explores the hidden history of King Philip’s War, a 17th century conflict between Algonquin Native American tribes and the English colonists of southeastern New England. It takes a unique approach at understanding history by exploring the spiritual/ metaphysical paradigms of both cultures which greatly influenced the sociopolitical landscape and the course of the war, revealing a legacy of bloodshed pervaded by manifestations of the supernatural, from premonitions to spirit entities, to paranormal feats of magick.

The war would test the faith of everyone involved and push them to seek divine assistance and sway spiritual forces in their favor through ritual. From Puritan humiliation rites to native shamanism, divination, sorcery/ necromancy, we shed light on the fascinating and sometimes terrifying beliefs which informed a symbolically cosmic war, a battle between not only human beings, but also of gods, which would decide the fate of the everyone living in the “new world” of America, perhaps even shaping the destiny of the nation itself.

It is a story that invokes the mysterious inner workings of the human psyche as it navigates notions of identity and place within the cosmos in a rapidly changing world. We use philosophical concepts regarding the sacred/ profane, the boundary between order and chaos, and the relationship between man and deity, to understand the religious impulses of the time, contrasting the Puritan notion of a “demonic” wilderness with Native American animism, to see how they affected peoples’ actions and increased cross cultural tensions.

Later, we also discuss occult metaphysical principles and the hidden power of words and language in connection to magic.

For a chronological history/ primer on King Philip’s War, see    • The Wampanoag IV: King Phillip's War ...  

“Correction”: 34:05 These powers were actually attributed to Passaconaway, powwow sachem of the Penacook. Tispaquin was said to be impervious to bullets.

00:00 - Intro
07:40 - Content Advisory
09:02 - Purity and Danger
20:22 - Magical Warfare
34:56 - Crisis of Faith
48:25 - The Sum They War From/ Meaning-Making
1:04:11 - Metaphysics of War
1:08:31 - Outro

#nativeamerican #hiddenhistory #colonialamerica #esoteric