Aleister Crowley – Summoning the Demon

Born to a wealthy British family and the son of a preacher, Aleister Crowley, whom his mother called ‘The Beast’, became infamous later in life for his influence on the occult. Although Crowley was not, according to many religious scholars, a Satanist, his exploration of ancient Egyptian deities and adopting Baphomet’s name in a mystical…

Yamashita’s Gold – Spoils of War

War is an expensive business, and historically to the victors went the spoils. When an invading army such as the Japanese during its imperial drive to conquer Asia sought treasure, it did so by looting the vast historical and cultural artifacts of places like China and Burma with their temples full of gold. When the…

Catholic Power in the American Empire

The Catholic Church has for centuries stood as a center of power and influence throughout the world, with a reach today of over 1 billion members. In America, the influence of the Church rose most significantly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the waves of Catholic European immigrants, much to the chagrin…

Hanoi’s War – Vietnam and the Struggle for Independence

Vietnam’s history as a people and culture dates back thousands of years. But as an independent nation in modern history, the country is very young. After centuries of foreign occupation ranging from the Chinese, Japanese, French, and finally the Americans, in 1975 the Vietnamese nation came into its current form. After going through colonialism, the…