The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels is a group of

occultist The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism an ...

s and performers including writer and magician

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 200 ...

member

David J David John Haskins (born 24 April 1957, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England), better known as David J, is a British alternative rock musician, producer, and writer. He is the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and for Love and Rock ...

, and musician Tim Perkins, who perform occult "workings" consisting of prose poetry set to music. Several of these "workings" have been released onto CD. It was also the name of the group's first performance piece which was released as a

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

CD in 1996.

History

The group formed in the mid-1990s, as part of Moore's " "coming out" as a magician," described by

Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...

as "a return to his roots of performing from the days of the Northampton Arts Lab and the various bands along the way from there to here.""Come in Alone"
by

for

Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

, 16 December 2000. Accessed 9 November 2008. David J and – particularly Tim Perkins provide "musical backdrop to Alan's monologues and verse... ometimesaccompanied by a dancer." Some performances are recorded live, others are "recreated in the studio" after the fact.

Performances (workings)

The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels

The group's initial, self-titled "working" occurred in 1994. It was released on CD in 1996 on the Cleopatra label, (just a week after ''Birth Caul''), and re-released in limited form in 1999/2000. The "most overtly occult," it was an exploration of magic,

Glycon Glycon ( grc, Γλύκων ''Glýkōn'', : ''Glýkōnos''), also spelled Glykon, was an ancient snake god. He had a large and influential cult within the Roman Empire in the 2nd century, with contemporary satirist Lucian providing the primary ...

(a Roman snake deity) and "a tour of the wild magic of the London area the piece was being performed in." Fellow writer

wrote in 2000 that parts of Moore's monologue "emerged first as introductory pieces to ''

From Hell ''From Hell'' is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell, originally published in serial form from 1989 to 1998. The full collection was published in 1999 by Top Shelf Productions. Set during the Whitechapel murders of ...

'', s well as inthe

Iain Sinclair Iain Sinclair FRSL (born 11 June 1943) is a writer and filmmaker. Much of his work is rooted in London, recently within the influences of psychogeography. Biography Education Sinclair was born in Cardiff in 1943. From 1956 to 1961, he was educate ...

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

-documentary for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

... ntitled, "The Cardinal & the Corpse"; in which Moore appearedas an occult fanatic trapped in a room with strange old books." Tracks from the CD release have featured on other albums, with the first track – "The Hair of the Snake That Bit Me" – appearing in 1995 on ''Hexentexts'', the Creation Books Sampler CD, for which Alan Moore drew the cover.

The Birth Caul

The trio's second performance (and technically their first CD release) was ''The Birth Caul (A Shamanism of Childhood)'', a spoken word piece by Moore with music by David J and Tim Perkins. The performance took place at the Old County Court in

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...

, on 18 November 1995, and was released on 5 March 1996 by Charrm (CHARRMCD22).Pádraig Ó Méalóid, "Alan Moore CD covers," 16 October 2008]. Accessed 9 November 2008 The 'birth caul' itself a thin piece of the

placenta The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mater ...

sometimes present at birth, and traditionally kept as a good luck charm. Moore's text treats the caul as a map of humanity. With it, he examines the connections between language, identity and our perceptions of the world, regressing from early adulthood through adolescence, childhood and infancy to prenatal existence, in a quest for a primitive consciousness existing before language. In 2000, Warren Ellis described the working as In 1998, after completing the artwork for ''

'', Moore played the CD recording to artist Eddie Campbell, who immediately asked if he could do a pictorial interpretation; this was self-published by Campbell in 1999. In 2005, it was reprinted as part of Moore and Campbell's ''

A Disease of Language ''A Disease of Language'' is the 2005 collection of adaptations by Eddie Campbell of two of Alan Moore's performances, ''The Birth Caul'' (1999) and ''Snakes and Ladders'' (2001). It is rounded by a 2002 interview of Moore conducted by Campbell for ...

''. Warren Ellis called it an "excellent adaptation." In 2003 an essay – "Unwrapping the Birth Caul" – examining the text, performance and comic by English teacher and comics reviewer Marc Singer was published in the 50th Birthday tribute book '' Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman''.

The Highbury Working, A Beat Séance

This was performed on 20 November 1997 at the performance club 'Absorption' at The Garage in Highbury by Moore and Perkins, with dancer Paule van Wijngaarden.Severin, Steven "THE RE:PLAY SERIES – STAGE CUES AND WHISPERS: ''The Highbury Working, a beat seance''"
Accessed vi
The Internet Archive
9 November 2008 The Absorption event was curated by Chris Brook who had met Moore when he was touring the K Foundation £1m burning film, screened in Moore's living room a year earlier. Brook had invited Moore to present an event that might be somehow specific to the location of

Highbury Corner Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads. The manor house was sit ...

in London. The CD was designed by

John Coulthart John Coulthart (born 15 March 1962) is a British graphic artist, illustrator, author and designer who has produced book covers and illustrations, CD covers and posters. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Lovecraft-inspired book '' ...

and released in November 2000. During his study of the area, Moore looks at – among other things – the building of the

football stadium Football stadium may refer to: * A stadium used in gridiron football, association football or Australian rules football * A soccer-specific stadium Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sp ...

(and the

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

football team itself), construction of the

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poe ...

, and local gangsters. Warren Ellis described it as an "evocation/invocation of a specific area... Highbury, in London" in the same mould as the group's initial, self-titled working. It comprises

The RE: label

Starting with the CD release of ''The Highbury Working'', the Moon & Serpent group (Moore & Perkins)'s CDs were released on ex-

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

songwriter and co-former

Steven Severin Steven Severin (born Steven John Bailey; 25 September 1955) is an English songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He is best known as the bassist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees which he co-founded in 1976. He took th ...

's record label RE: (1998–2003)."About stevenseverin" at Steven Severin's Music
Accessed 9 November 2008 Founded in 1998, ''RE:'' was Severin's independent label created primarily to "release 3 solo albums of commissioned music" Having released three albums (1998–2000), Severin "concentrated on developing the label by bringing on board the inestimable talents of comics legend, Alan Moore... eleasing3 spoken word albums by Alan Moore in collaboration with his musical partner, Tim Perkins." Severin's ''RE:'' label released a number of diverse CDs over its five-year life, including three by the Moon & Serpent collective/Moore & Perkins. A limited-edition print of the CD cover by

was also sold.

Snakes and Ladders

Performed on 10 April 1999 at Conway Hall in

Red Lion Square Red Lion Square is a small square in Holborn, London. The square was laid out in 1684 by Nicholas Barbon, taking its name from the Red Lion Inn. According to some sources, the bodies of three regicides—Oliver Cromwell, John Bradshaw and Hen ...

at a meeting of the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ( la, Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae), more commonly the Golden Dawn (), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th ce ...

by Moore, with music by Tim Perkins. It explored the local area and its magical associations, and dealt particularly with the disinterment of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

and Elizabeth Siddell, and

Arthur Machen Arthur Machen (; 3 March 1863 – 15 December 1947) was the pen-name of Arthur Llewellyn Jones, a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. Hi ...

's visionary experiences.Annalisa Di Liddo (2005) "Transcending Comics: Crossing the Boundaries of the Medium in Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's ''Snakes and Ladders''". ''

International Journal of Comic Art The ''International Journal of Comic Art'' is a journal about comics art, published twice a year. It was established in 1999 by John Lent (Temple University), who is also the editor-in-chief. The journal is independently published and does not main ...

''. 7 (1). 530–545. In 2001, it was adapted into comic-form by frequent collaborator Eddie Campbell, and in 2006 was reprinted as part of the pair's ''

''. A CD – the collective's fifth – was released in 2003 by RE: (RE:CD05).

Angel Passage

This was performed on 2 February 2001 at The Purcell rooms as part of the "Tygers of Wrath" evening of readings and performances celebrating the life of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

.Severin, Steven, StevenSeverin.com, Jan 29, 2001
Accessed vi
The Internet Archive
9 November 2008 Moore and Perkins performed alongside

Jah Wobble John Joseph Wardle (born 11 August 1958), known by the stage name Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; ...

and

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

CD releases

Five recorded versions of the groups performances have been released to date. Since 2000, these have been on the RE: label. In order of release, they are: *''The Birth Caul'' (Charm HARRMCD22 1996) *''The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels'' (Cleopatra LEO 96882 1996) *''The Highbury Working, A Beat Séance'' (RE: E:PCD03 2000) *''Angel Passage'' (RE: E:PCD04 2001/2002) *''Snakes and Ladders'' (RE: E:PCD05 2002/2003)

Other

Tracks from ''The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels'' have appeared on other audio compilations. *''Hexentexts: A Creation Books Sampler'' (Codex ODE1 1994) :Features "The Hair of the Snake That Bit Me" and a cover by Moore. *''Cleopatra Records Presents Goth Box'' (Cleopatra LP 9798-2 1996) :Features "The Enochian Angel of the 7th Aethyr" (credited to David J only) *''Gothic Legends'' 3CD Limited Edition Set (Cleopatra LP 0741-2 1999) :Includes the previously released ''Grand Egyptian Theatre..'' (1996) alongside

Eva O Eva Ortiz (born January 11, 1961), better known as Eva O, is a music artist most notable for her previous works in Christian Death and a band she formed with her then-husband Rozz Williams called Shadow Project. Regarded as a veteran and "one of ...

's ''Past Time'' (1993) and

Christian Death Christian Death is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles County, California, in 1979 by Rozz Williams. With major line-up changes over the years, Christian Death has retained "a relentlessly confrontational stand against organized reli ...

's ''Death in Detroit'' (1995).

Text releases

A Disease of Language

Two of Moore's spoken-word pieces – ''Birth Caul'' and ''Snakes & Ladders'' – were adapted by his ''

'' artistic collaborator Eddie Campbell into self-published comic books in 1999 and 2001. These were collected, with additional interview material, in 2006 as ''A Disease of Language'' by Palmano Bennett and

Knockabout Comics Knockabout Comics is a UK publisher and distributor of underground and alternative books and comics. They have a long-standing relationship with underground comix pioneer Gilbert Shelton. History The company was founded in 1975 by Tony and Caro ...

().

The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic

This book – written by Alan Moore with Steve Moore (Moore's mentor; no relation) – was due out from

Top Shelf Productions Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, originally owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf is based in Marietta, Georgia. Top Shelf pub ...

in 2013, and will be released in 2023.Alan Moore and Steve Moore's Bumper Book Of Magic Publishing In 2023
Accessed 28 July 2022 The book intends to be "a clear and practical

grimoire A grimoire ( ) (also known as a "book of spells" or a "spellbook") is a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and ...

of the

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

sciences," containing "profusely illustrated instructional essays upon the Moon & Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels sect's theories of magic" from c. 150AD to the present.Top Shelf Catalog listing for ''The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic'' by Alan Moore and Steve Moore
Accessed 13 June 2008

References

External links

"Come in Alone"
by

for

, 16 December 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Moon And Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre Of Marvels, The Alan Moore Spoken word