By Mark Stavish
14 Nov. 2021
My wife Andrea has taken to visiting antique shops. The selection within a reasonable distance is good, with many being of the larger antique mall variety. And yet, as they say in business, location is everything. The strange and wonderful thing about Schuylkill and Carbon Counties is as Andrea pointed out, their location.
“There is some strange and unusual geological activity going on there” she commented. To which I replied, “That explains the other unusual activity.”
The hard life that has formed the psychic environment of those regions – one of suffering, despair, political corruption on a massive scale, nuns that struck with rulers for any infraction, priests that raped children – and others that turned a blind eye to it – all culminating in broken dreams for far too many. It also created an environment in which across the last century alcoholism (now replaced with Opioids), extreme religious piety (Roman Catholic now Evangelical), cynicism (despair by any other name), and of course – magic also flourished On the edges of Pennsylvania Dutch Country this region of once prosperous farms, coal mines, industries, and rail was for several decades during the Industrial Revolution of the wealthiest regions in the world and had the greatest extremes in economic standards of living. It’s extremes in poverty and wealth, and hypocrisy of its ruling classes was inspiration for Pottstown’s least favorite, as well as most famous son and master of the short story John O’Hara. For many, the only hope was heaven’s reward in the afterlife or a miraculous escape in this one.
To my memory I have only been in Tamaqua three times: once on my way to interview Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki; once to interview a Lutheran minister about an exorcism he performed; and once on my way to an exorcism I was to perform.
The first shop we entered was very nice, and had the usual collection of Catholic missals – many in Polish, crucifixes, religious paintings and icons of various qualities, and the occasional piece of church furniture. What I was not prepared for was the stack of incense, crystals, and piece of Palo Santo or “Holy Wood” for sale. I asked the owner how well it sold I was told, “We sell a lot of it.”
Maybe not so strangely the scene repeated itself in the other stores we visited. Book wise a small treasure of Pennsylvania German materials were to be found, along with a copy of Crowley’s Tao Teh King (Askin Publishers, 1976) with an Introduction by Stephen Skinner.
You see, these old coal regions are haunted landscapes. They show scars of the industrial revolution on their hillsides, and the psychic scars are equally visible on their main streets were a zombie population – a fraction of what it once was – shuffles from empty doorway to empty doorway. Yes, there are exceptions, and the green shoots of optimism: arts centers, new cafes, restaurants, and businesses other than tattoo shops and chain store discount outlets or fast food franchises – are brilliantly visible against the contrast of gray people, gray storefronts, gray buildings and gray skies. At times, it as if even the sun avoided these haunted realms as everything is a lunar gray.
And haunted they are, haunted for real. They are ghost realms, one step from falling into hell, and two steps from being returned to an even better version of prosperity than they once were. These decaying coal belt towns have not seen the sun for over fifty years, and I have to wonder if they ever will again. If one wants to truly understand what motivated Joseph Lisiewski in his magical quest one need only to visit the region for a day and go to nearby Shamokin. Towns that thrived into the 1950s and 60s and then collapsed never to return. In his book discussing the fate of towns in the region, author Michael Tolle titled it, “They Have Been Down So Long … Getting Up Is Still On Their Minds”.
As Andrea said, “I am never going to Tamaqua again. I’m still trying to get “it” off me.”
Oh well, I guess that means no side trip to the sulphur scented landscape of Centralia.
That struck me as a little depressing. The local malaise is a microcosm of the general decline brought on by decades of sloth among the ignorant masses of zombies. Half going to the polls every two years to vote for more handouts and the other half abdicating completely by leaning on false spirituality and not voting at all. Then the gratuitous slam against a convenient villain perpetuates the twisted illusion that abuse is concentrated in one particular hierarchy.
The beat goes on….
“Gratuitous slam” I have no idea what you are referring to. And it is depressing, that is the point. It is a very depressing environment. Have you been there?
That was a reference to the comment about Priests and children. Sincere Seekers can find that studies have been done showing that if we objectively analyze court records and such we find that among all the organized religions commonly practiced in the 1950’s, children were safest among … wait for it…
Catholic Priests. Safer than with Baptist ministers, Methodists, Mormons, etc. etc. etc. (See “Priests & Pedophiles, Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis” by Jenkins).
A relatively recent news story underscores how the deceptive propaganda problem persists to this day. The New York Times reported the story of “mass graves” for Native American children behind a Catholic school. It turns out to have been the church cemetery. The anti-Catholic bigotry has been flowing steady and thick since the Reformation. Do you think the Pope arrested the Templars? False! The truth is actually closer to the exact opposite. Have you ever quoted the Papal Legate who reportedly said at Beziers, “Kill them all, let God sort them out”? He never said that — it is pure fiction. (He was 5 miles away in surrender negotiations at the time of the massacre — which was the end of a battle started as a low down, surprise attack by the Cathars on Catholic forces outside the gates resting in “truce” mode). See “The Jesus Mysteries” by Freke & Gandy — but you have to read the footnotes.
I have found that Rosicrucians and Freemasons cling tenaciously to so many of these falsehoods. I was basically kicked out of the Rosicrucians for sharing historically accurate perspective on matters of this nature. Nearly all of my posts were scrubbed and my account was frozen so I could not renew membership. A 32nd degree Freemason friend shared with me some interesting behind the scenes info on the whole matter.
Maybe you should be a little more specific in your generalizations. I am specifically speaking of THAT geographic area, not the Catholic Church as a whole. See the State Attorney General’s Report on Church Abuse in PA. Also, I worked in Social Services, so, I am speaking from experience. Now, if you don’t mind, go write your own blog instead of trying to write mine.
Interesting town, this Tamaqua. If you take a look at it on Google Street View, you can see remnants of its former prosperity. Curiously, you can find a “Trump 2024” banner and a Ukrainian flag on the same street… However, it’s important to note that these economically depressed towns are not limited to particular counties, or confined to Pennsylvania, you can find them in any state. Its an Augean stable, requiring a Herculean effort to clean up.
Of course they are in many places, but this is tied into what I wrote about Dr. Lisiewski in the book “The Magical World of Dr. Joseph Lisiewski,” so as I have said, in the end it doesn’t matter that Upstate New York is also a sea of rural poverty with islands of prosperity built around college and university towns, as I am writing about what is local to me and related to those experiences so readers have a better understanding of how environment can shape a person’s view. As for Google, there is also a lot that it doesn’t show you.
This brought back some memories. Both sides of my family came from the Wilkes-Barre area, a bit north of Tamaqua. We often visited the appropriately named town of Ashley. As a child I recall climbing hills with enormous cracks in them where the land was falling into the holes men had mined beneath them. There were stories about people’s houses that had dropped into the earth for the same reason. It was rumored there was an underground fire nearby that could never be extinguished. Truly a haunted landscape, and an utterly ruined ecology.
There is an underground fire somewhere near Ashley, but the big one is Centralia. Sink holes are an issue and never buy property without looking at the mining map and getting subsidence insurance.
Hailing from Jersey (only a few miles from the sea), I only ever made a few forays out into mid-Pennsylvania and beyond, however when we did so, I remember the horizon presenting a sort of terror for me, as if it were endless. To the east lies the ocean, which my father traversed to get here–but I can still look at it and imagine the lands beyond. And yet when I turn towards the setting sun, where no ocean is, I am struck by a chill and a sense of its vastness…endless roads and no particular destination. Perhaps that’s the spirit of America itself grinning at me.
Axé
The lower astral has been clogged with filth for some years now and keeps getting worse. At least here in Seattle, it has been so bad lately that I’ve had to banish twice everyday –the word rohypnol kept ringing in my ears, later to find out it is a rape drug– so I agree with the opiods being the new alcoholism…
By the way, I clicked on your website and couldn’t access the VOXHERMES archive of posts. Is that still available?
From a recent Facebook post:
Centralia Anyone?
Less than a month after posting the essay below fate would have it that my wife and I would be returned to Tamaqua and other points south and west. My brother and his wife are in the area to take care of some business dealings and as such, we drove to meet them. On the bright side Tamaqua was busy, Father’s Day was an active time and we even encountered traffic jams entering the town. We passed through on to Lansford, turning off near the “No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum.” We did not get to visit the Nebenwelt, but instead entered another alternate reality a few miles down the road.
After a wonderful lunch at the a corner bar called “The Coal Miner’s Bar and Grill” (really good food), I joked that we should get our pictures taken in Centralia. Taking that as a good idea he drove there through the remains of towns that were passing from the ghost realm into the hell realms in the comfort our SUV. Even the shadow of their former glory was mixed shades of grey and black. Empty streets, collapsing buildings, and disrepair being the order of the day: along with despair, meth, alcoholism, and boredom.
In Centralia we met several adventurers on the home-made ATVs cruising the coal banks. Zombie related stickers and tattoos were increasingly evident on many of the vehicles, and of course people, as we entered the Zone.
We did have a very pleasant conversation with those who we crossed paths with, the terrain being taken over by “pioneer growth,” peppered with sink holes, and streams of water containing a host of mining residues that cause it to run from clear to deep orange, and rust colored coloring everything it touches.
We did pass still operating coal mining operations, mostly strip mining and shale salvage – essential for keeping those lights on and electric cars on the road. But few people can imagine the degree of cultural, human, and environmental degradation that has occurred in that region – as well as how large a territory we are talking about.
The question we asked each other was, “What can be done to repair these towns? To repair these people?”
It is really amazing what a few million dollars could do in places like this. Five, ten, or twenty-million dollars could buy an entire stretch for renovation. A small amount considering that our current official budget for the Ukrainian government and military is over $1.5 billion per month. Even on the small end, say $5 million, it is no surprise that at times various organizations, movements, or what we derisively call ‘cults’ purchase entire towns to make them their own. Osho, or Rajneesh is of course the most famous of these in the 20th century.
But at the end of the day, it takes vision and if that vision comes from Osho, or someone like him, then well, at least someone saw an opportunity and took it. The run of the mill spiritual types have not a single moral leg to stand on when criticizing them – regardless of how criminal it may turn out – because few in the ‘spiritual community’ are willing and able to do it or anything remotely similar: to present a vision and path of action that inspires others and they are willing and able to follow.
Too much of the “The Spiritual Community” keeps looking for a Sugar Daddy to solve its problems and those of the world. Instead, each of us needs to step up and embody and enact the role of Jupiter, ‘sky father’ if we are to make a difference in this world, and in doing so secure a place worth having in whatever world to come we may encounter. That requires a sacrifice of Time, Talent, and Treasure, an investment to build a better future for themselves and others.
We cannot fix the world, that is make it perfect, or a utopia, but we can keep it – or at least parts of it – from falling into such disrepair that it needs to be scrapped and started from the ground up again. To do that takes vision, commitment, courage, and cooperation with others. Qualities that only each individual can decide for themselves are of value. However, the clock is always ticking, we do not get an eternity to decide what to do, only an eternity to live with our decisions – so “choose wisely.”
Great prose. Beyond the useful information, this captures the tragic poetry of that region (where I grew up). Beautiful melancholia.
Thank you.