WYRD #1 [REVISED EDITION]

TITLE - WYRD #1 [REVISED EDITION]

EDITED BY - WILL WRIGHT 

GENRE - SHAMANISM/MAGICK/MEDITATION/OCCULT

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM 

A5/52 PAGES/FULL COLOUR/PERFECT-BOUND

PRICE - £6.00 + SHIPPING FROM THE WYRD WEBSITE.

"Wyrd" is a publication of "art and articles of contemporary shamanism, occult and high strangeness". It includes actual magical techniques and guides to meditation, trances, photography and art. Described in the editorial as a zine intended to "support initiation", it was born out of the chaos of 2020 when people had a heightened desire for help and enlightenment. First published in March 2021, issue one is now in its fourth printing, and I suspect there will be more.

Edited by self-professed wizard, Will Wright, and with erudite contributions from various artists and visionaries, it soon becomes clear that "Wyrd" is the real deal. Wright's editorial is a clear statement of intent - "Wyrd" aims to bridge the gap between ancient knowledge and contemporary culture to create an enlightened world in these admittedly strange times that we live in through magick and meditation. 

All the articles are knowledgably written to a high standard. Magnus Stokoe's "Handrunes" offers an introductory guide to this esoteric technique which can be performed using the joints of the fingers, which is steeped in Norse mythology. Will Wright's "Yggdrasil: The Universe Inside" relates his experience of a very personal vision of the World Tree, which he then sketched and developed. Will takes us through every aspect of the drawings he has made, a version of which can be seen on the zine's striking cover. Claire Wyldheart's piece entitled "Trance Visions" chronicles a very powerful and profound vision that Claire experienced whilst in a trance. The article is accompanied by Claire's own photos of her sketches of the experience.

"Mr. Punch" is a jovial yet sinister photo-article featuring Wright & Wyldheart's Mr. Punch doll, who has his own Instagram account -@therealmrpunch - out and about in a variety of locations. The photos are sweet and funny on the surface but evoke a folk-horror frisson all the same. The photos are accompanied by a short history of the character who can be traced back to the Lord of Misrule and to Norse mythology's Loki. Fair warning - the photo of Punch sitting in an abandoned pushchair is pure nightmare fuel. The zine is rounded off with Magnus Stokoe's deep and thorough article "Banishings and the Northern Perspective, and finally there is a "Wyrd Basics" primer in meditation. I assume this last is a regular feature in the other issues. 

There are full contributors credits and a list of the drawings and photos featured in the zine, prints of which can be purchased on the Wyrd webstore. "Wyrd" displays high production values throughout, resulting in a glossy product, but there is a huge amount of substance within its pages. Whilst experienced magickal practitioners will get the most out of the zine, "Wyrd" is also an excellent starting point for anyone wishing to know more about meditation and magick.