From The Reprobate, “Your daily slice of art, culture and social commentary,” a photographic review of such long-gone late 1960s–1970s publications as Witchcraft, Bitchcraft, and Satan, all dedicated to the notion that “the occult” was sexy and could sell magazines.
Much of the same content exists today, if you care to look for it, on Tumbler.com and elsewhere. But I don’t know who makes money off it.
Author David Flint notes,
Today, there are several witchcraft magazines in print, but all seem to take themselves and their craft very seriously, and I very much doubt that most of the Witches of Instagram would be very amused by the cheerfully exploitative nature of these ancient publications. But I might be wrong – perhaps there is a gap in the market waiting to be filled. If so, then we are happy to step up and revive this gloriously tacky, cheesy and outrageous world of sex, sin and Satanism.
More than “several,” I think.
I probably was vaguely aware of occultural erotica on the news stands as a teen ager. But got a little more interested after the fad had passed, once I became acquainted with folks who treated it as a collectible and part of the history of today’s witchcraft.
Witchcraft in England with the photos of rituals and sky-clad witches may have kindled the theme. Continued, in my SF Bay Area news with pics of LaVey’s satanic events.
Pop occulture.
I don’t remember seeing anything like this in the 60s or 70s.
Ah well, you never went into the back alcove at the newsstand, I suppose.