Let’s write a sourcebook together!
Kids and peoples,
I’m on this board under a new name (don’t worry about it–some of my stuff is in here, but I’ve been gone for a while) after a long abscence due to living in Japan. Living in this country, seeing all it’s wierdness, it made me immediately think about UA’s particular brand of wierdness. That, and Japan’s brief mention in Break Today (a great supplement!), made me think hard about Japan’s Occul Underground–what it would be like, who would be there, what sorts of awesome shit could be going down.
This is a book I could easily write myself, but I’ve seen how talented the people on this board could be, so I’d like to toss out an offer: if you’re interested, please reply to this message, and I’ll start up a YAHOO! group: “Japan_Occult_Underground” for us to sound off on.
This board will be no-commitment, and low stress–it’ll basically be a place where you can throw out your ideas, from some random thought you have, to a new magick school, Things You’ve Heard, fiction, or anything else. You can toss it up and walk away, or you can be a fully contributing member of the community. It’s no big deal–there will be no “rules” beyond basic civility (stay on topic, no racist/sexist/etc. comments aimed at other contributors, etc.). It’s for fun more than anything else.
You also have my solemn word–print this out if you like–that you remain the SOLE owner of any contribution you make, and if it actually becomes a book, you recieve your name in the credits, and a cut of the cash.
So how about it? Know something about Japan? Asia? Mythology, politics, culture, pop-culture, any of that? Lemme know.
Nate
Well, the only things I know about Japan come from anime and Tom Clancy novels, so I doubt I would be of any help. That said, I would love to read that.
So where’s this Japan_Occult_Underground list.
I’ve got some UA Asia ideas that might go here.
C.
What ideas do you have so far?
I know next to nothing about Japan, but this sounds interesting.
So far? Well, I have three or four Japan-specific adept schools–Hikikomori, Sacred Go, Phoenix Ladies, some others in the works–some Things You’ve Heard, a couple organizations.
Right now I’m working on a general theory of the Japanese Underground (there’s one for the US Underground, even if it was never articulated for readers). I also think it’s useful to make a list of important Japanese historical epochs, to attach some occult aspects to them.
After that, I’m looking at Japanese Arcetypal Masks, and idiosyncratic aspects of Adept School obsessions and paradoxes (like Dipsomancy in Japan is much less solitary, much more group oriented) and similar things.
The hardest thing so far has been trying to get a comprehensive look at Japanese monsters and similar peasant mythology.
The Yahoo! listing is coming. Just gotta register…
Nate
I dont post often..(or at all really) but i’d strongly suggest a book called “The Art of Arrow Cutting” there’s lots of japanies things in it. and its very UA-able in parts.
I’m game dude! I’m sure I can dredge my brain for a few ideas. And what with the Japanese obsession (both good and bad) with American culture, I’m sure their UA would be freaky indeed.
Ooo, if we’re talking about books that would make good UA material for Japan, check out, “The Floating World” by Cynthia Gralla. Between the Maiko gang, the Dance of Utter Darkness, and Carlo the Effurvescent monk, it looks like the Occult Underground right away. I’ve considered writing her and asking if I could use some of her ideas in the UA-Japan project.
Not a GREAT read–it’s a little tiring in places, what with the nine-hundred meatphors a minute–but I didn’t stop reading ’till I was done.
Nate
I would be interested in participating, though I think it should be an UA Asia, so it can cover a lot of ground. I have some ideas related to Bali and China. Perhaps it could even cover Australia.
dude i love japan and i just can’t get enough of the anime.