Wormwood Star: The Magickal Life of Marjorie Cameron [epub]

CAMERON. You've seen her haunting visage in the films of Kenneth Anger and Curtis Harrington (who devoted an entire short film, Wormwood Star, to her). Artist. Wife of pioneering rocket scientist Jack Parsons, who was killed (very possibly murdered by corrupt LAPD officials, or even FBI agents) in a horrific chemical explosion. Sometimes actress. Muse and mentor to many luminaries of the L.A. bohemian/beatnik crowd. She herself tended to ignore, even avoid the spotlight. She experienced intervals of madness where she destroyed both her own, and her late husband's work, further obscuring the trail for future historians. Her artwork, sometimes ethereal, sometimes drug-drenched and fiercely erotic, was banned as obscene. Kansa has written the first-ever biography of this enigmatic, dark, gifted, mad, fascinating woman - who believed herself to be the living incarnation of Aleister Crowley's all-powerful female force BABALON.

A lot of us have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book in digital format. I am still reading my paperback copy, and here we have a new, revised edition with a dreamy, haunting cover image of Cameron. The original edition is a pleasure to read and most informative, so I'm confident this revised edition will be even better.

Thus spake Amazon:

"In the first ever biography written about her, Wormwood Star traces the extraordinary life of the enigmatic artist Marjorie Cameron (1922-1995), one of the most fascinating figures to emerge from the American Underground art world and film scene. Illuminating her early childhood and wartime experiences, the book also offers a fresh perspective on her role in the infamous Babalon Working magick rituals, that were conducted by her husband, the maverick rocket scientist and Aleister Crowley disciple Jack Parsons, and the future founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. Following Parsons death in 1952 from a chemical explosion, Cameron inherited her husband's magickal mantle and embarked on a lifelong spiritual quest, a journey reflected in the otherworldly images she depicted, many of them drawn from the Elemental Kingdom and astral plane. As well as her artistry, the biography also takes an in-depth look at Cameron's film appearances, and features reminiscences from the many artists, poets and movie star friends she inspired along the way. With so much of her life and work shrouded in mystery, Wormwood Star sheds new light on this most remarkable artist and elusive occult icon."