Rock n' roll is the Devil's music, so they used to say. But all things considered, the so-called King of the genre, Elvis Presley, seemed to be a pretty wholesome guy.
But what if Presley had more Crowleyian curiosities than we realized?
That's (apparently) the premise of a new book from writer Miguel Conner, titled The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King. Here's just part of the blurb:
Writer and researcher Miguel Conner reveals how Elvis was a profound mystic, occultist, and shaman. Beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth—including his stillborn twin brother, Jesse—Conner traces the diverse thread of mysticism that runs through Elvis Presley's life, drawing on firsthand accounts from the people closest to him, including his wife, Priscilla, friends and family, the Memphis Mafia, and his spiritual advisors. He reveals how Elvis was a student of seminal nineteenth- and twentieth-century occultists, including H. P. Blavatsky, Manly P. Hall, G. I. Gurdjieff, and P. D. Ouspensky, as well as a devotee of Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. He argues that Elvis was well-versed in esoteric practices including sex magic, meditation, astrology, and numerology and had a deep familiarity with Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Theosophy, and Eastern traditions. Conner also reveals how Elvis was a natural healer, telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveler who had significant mystical experiences and UFO encounters.
Looking at the conspiratorial and paranormal aspects of Elvis's life, the author explores the "Elvis visitations" that have occurred since Presley's ostensible death and the general high weirdness of Elvis's life. As Conner convincingly argues, Elvis was not just a one-of-a-kind rock-and-roller. He was the greatest magician America ever produced and a key player in transforming Western culture forever.
I guess that adds an interesting twist to the continuing cult of Elvis impersonators.
Conner, the author, also spoke with The Guardian about the book, which certainly seems, uhh, interesting:
In The Occult Elvis, meanwhile, we learn of Presley's talent for weather manipulation, one day waving his hands to clear rain from the sky, so two friends could play racquetball at his Graceland court. Longtime fan Wanda June Hill also appears, with her revelation that the King divulged to her that he was not from this planet, but rather hailed from Jupiter's ninth moon. The book also details Presley's belief in extraterrestrials and his claim to have had several UFO encounters, once telling his bodyguard Sonny West: "If they make contact, we can't be afraid, because they are not going to hurt us."
There's also a whole passage about Elvis watching a cloud in the Arizona desert transform into the face of Jesus and then into the visage of Joseph Stalin, which Presley apparently interpreted as a sign from the universe about US Imperialism. Which, sure, that tracks.
The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King [Miguel Conner]
Occult Elvis: was Presley a telepathic demigod who could heal the sick and change the weather? [Tamlin Magee / The Guardian]
