Article content continued

Even Taylor Swift has fallen under the Vancouverite’s spell, and again this is meant literally.

“In the book, I tell a story about how I did a healing spell on her during the Reputation era, when she was getting a lot of bad press,” Kazemi said. “I was a big fan. I felt a lot of connection to her. And then I wrote an article about her for Paper Magazine and she ended up seeing it and inviting me backstage in Seattle, at her show.”

“It was weird, because I did the spell to make her feel understood, and the first thing she said was, ‘Thank you for making me feel understood.'”

That’s the goal of Pop Magick: understanding, and not only of the occult, but of its application as a strategy for self-expression and self-worth. As an example, Kazemi suggested that a self-love spell, actualized through will and belief, could produce more self-affirming thoughts in the mind. In that sense, it matters very little if the sorcery is real or imagined.

“I think what makes me feel safe is there’s no solipsism — something past my concept of myself, my ego,” Kazemi said. “I can connect to whatever my idea of the upper world is: gods, goddesses, angels, crystals, drawing down energy or light, rather than reaching out to it through chaotic things like instant gratification, which is the root source of addiction.”

But Kazemi insists he’s no cult leader. He doesn’t want to be the next Anton LaVey, and he doesn’t want to recruit you into the Church of Satan, or any church, for that matter. Never mind that Kazemi has written a self-described “counterculture Bible” — he just wants to help people, especially young people, elevate their mindset. Call it practical magic.

“I warn people,” Kazemi said. “I say, ‘Be careful about the people in the occult who will try to misguide you into cult-like thinking.’ This has nothing to do with that. It’s just bare-bones thinking that you can apply to your life.”

hmooney@postmedia.com

CLICK HERE to report a typo.

Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com.