I have decided to can my existing “About Me” page because it no longer feels as though it accurately reflects what I am doing or what my site is all about. But, I didn’t want to just throw it all away. So I thought I’d post it here as a last hurrah and so that I could save all this luscious text for someday down the road when I want to read it again and look at how I saw myself and what I was doing and how I wanted other people to see it. Perhaps you all will get a kick out of reading this in comparison to where I have been going lately as well. I think most of this text is between 1 and 2 years old at this point - if that says anything to you. In the meantime, I will be writing a new “about” page. Stay tuned.

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If you’re interested in finding out a little bit more about me, you’ve come to the right place. On this page you’ll find a brief introduction to my life and what this website is all about. Immediately following that is an FAQ which hopefully will answer some of your other questions. Also check out this interview a fellow blogger did with me for even more. I also highly recommedn this condensed introduction to my approach to religious and spiritual exploration.

To contact me directly, go here.

An Introduction To Me

Just months before finishing elementary school, my family moved to a new house in a neighboring school district. I was not happy about it. It was a rather awkward age for me, and leaving behind all my friends wasn’t making it any easier. The school I was transferring to was named Sunquam Elementary. Popular lore held that “Sunquam” actually meant “stink-hole” in the local Native American language. The school itself was a wreck, so it was appropriate whether or not the legend was true. A month before I got there, a student had died in a freak gym accident, and since the school was already in such bad shape, it was slated to be shut down upon completion of the term.

My only saving grace during those hellish two months of re-adjustment was my teacher, Mr. Gaffney. He was not your average fifth grade teacher. He was in fact something much weirder. He spent the last hour of every day reading to us about aliens, pyramids, the inventions of Nikola Tesla and any other weird paranormal topic he came across. He included it as though it were a perfectly ordinary part of the curriculum. Classmates said he even used to show videos about UFO’s during school hours, until some kids complained to their parents about nightmares. He moved the screenings to after school and I stayed a few times, even though all the alien stuff really freaked me out.

On Wednesday mornings before class, Mr. Gaffney also ran something called TV Club, which didn’t involve watching TV at all. Instead Mr. Gaffney would bring in broken appliances and TV’s and tools for us to take them apart. We never really tried to fix anything; that wasn’t the point. In fact, there wasn’t really any rhyme or reason behind what we did. It was strictly for exploration. Being a nerdy little kid, this was exactly what I needed. And I took to it immediately, only wishing that I’d been in his class the whole year. He encouraged us to push the limits of our imaginations, no matter how weird it might get. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.

I only had one other teacher with a similar spirit later when I was in high-school. The first day of class my American History teacher took our textbook and hurled it across the room, screaming that it was all a bunch of “BULLSHIT!” Needless to say, our teenage apathy evaporated as those pages fluttered across the room. The rest of the year was spent avidly investigating the hidden side of history, and learning how to read between the lines into what was really going on.

These two teachers molded me in ways I’ve only come to appreciate much later in life. I have no idea how they slipped in under the radar at their schools, but thank god they did. They helped instill in me a real devotion to questioning and finding things out on my own, rather than letting somebody else do it for me. Over the years I turned that ability loose on other subjects: from current events to pop culture, even religion. I try to approach each of them as Mr. Gaffney taught us in TV Club on Wednesday mornings. Take things apart and see how they work. It’s such a simple and effective philosophy for learning.

After years of studying, this strikes me as probably the most useful attitude to have in understanding the occult and how it fits into the world at large. Strip away the taboos and the superstition, and what you’re left with is a spirit of exploration and a dedication to finding things out for yourself. While there may be pitfalls along the way, keep this at the heart of your quest and you’ll always find your way home. Explorers know the terrain better than anybody else. I hope you’ll treat the ideas in this website the same way. Open them up, fiddle around with them. And if they don’t work for you, then you’re always welcome to throw something across the room in a fit of rage (that is, something besides your computer). Just make sure you scream and swear while you’re doing so. It feels a lot better.

FAQ

I have a great tip on an occulture-related story. Where can I send it?

Awesome. I love when people send me new stuff. Just use this contact form to send it my way. I prefer it if you don’t just send a link all by itself. Include an introduction, or a little bit about what makes the item you’re sending me special. If you have your own website, be sure to include that too, so I can credit you on my site if I end up writing an article based on your tip.

Can you find out what something means and its history for me?

I don’t have a ton of spare time, but I can sure give it a shot. If I’m personally interested, there’s a better chance I’ll want to spend my time looking into something for you. I’m pretty good at tracking stuff down, especially online. And I do love being able to make connections for people. If nothing else, I might be able to connect you to places for further research, or maybe hook you up to somebody else who could be of use.

I want to be the subject of your next Pop Occulture interview! How can we make it happen?

Yeah, this interview series is turning out to be really exciting and we’ve had all kinds of great guests. At some point, I’m going to work out doing audio recordings of interviews, but for the time being, they are all email based. In order to be the subject of an interview, I basically need to have a good way to find out about you and your expertise and experience. If you have a website, send me the URL with instructions on where to get started. If you’ve just published a book or other media item, send me a promotional copy of it along with notes with what you’d like to talk about. I won’t promise that those are the questions I will ask, but anything that can give me a quick handle on what you’re all about works for me.

I’ll also consider the possibility of publishing anonymous or pseudonymous interviews under extreme circumstances. If that’s the case though, contact me and describe why you’d need your identity withheld and follow the above guidelines.

I’d like to send you a review or promotional copy of my book or other media item. Where can I send it?

Please use my contact form to describe what you’d like to send me and I’ll get back to you with my address. Please note that sending me an item does not guarantee a published review or interview. I reserve the right to pick and choose according to what interests me and what I think my readers will enjoy.

I’m having trouble with an entity or other phenomenon; what should I do about it?

First things first: don’t freak out! This stuff’s all pretty “normal,” even if it is freaky. Getting scared can be a thrill, but giving into fear isn’t going to be very useful. The key thing to remember is that people have been experiencing weird stuff for all of history, and it doesn’t mean you’re going nuts or you’re evil or anything like that.

The next step is to learn about these types of things from whatever sources you’re comfortable with. There is a wealth of information available from all different types of groups and traditions. Some people prefer religious materials, some like other approaches. Try also studying this from a few different angles, various religions, psychological sources, mythology and even pop culture can help open up new pathways of understanding. Most importantly, find what suits you. Find what helps you to minimize your fear, and take control over your responses to whatever you’re experiencing. Whatever it is will pass, and you will be stronger for it.

Another really important thing to do is to talk about your experiences with somebody close to you who you trust. Whether that’s a friend, loved one, pastor, counselor, it’s up to you. The important thing is that you share your story and your experience with others, because it will help you to come to terms with it.

I certainly understand that it can be difficult to talk about this stuff with some people though. You don’t want them to think you’re a total nutcase or a crackpot or something. If nothing else, I’m always available to lend an ear to your story. Chances are if you’re looking for advice I’ll go back through what I said above. But I’m also really good at pointing people towards good places to look for more information and assistance. I also have a knack for helping people to uncover hidden connections, and I’m always really happy to do it.

I am a young person looking for info on occult or unusual professions. Can you point me in the right direction?

Boy, this is a really hard question. Our modern world does not look with particular fondness on those who choose the road less traveled. Especially when that road goes by things which people call occult or paranormal.

I don’t like to think of myself as much of a career model, nor do I think I’m particularly qualified to give out advice in general. So instead, I’ll just tell you the things that I wish I knew when I was younger. Nobody needs to know the exact shape their life will take ahead of time. It’s important to have goals and dreams, but it’s equally important to keep yourself open so that you will be able to spot important and unexpected twists in the trail. They will more than likely lead you to better places than you could have ever imagined by yourself.

The other thing I would say is never make the mistake of thinking that your profession defines who you are. Who you are is who you are. If you can truly be yourself, then you’ll be able to find happiness in even the unlikeliest of places.

This quote from sci-fi author Robert Heinlein gets right to the heart of the complexity of really being wild-eyed multi-faceted human being. Maybe it will offer some inspiration:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

What are your religious beliefs?

I recently heard it said that beliefs are for those who have no experience of something; that if you know god, or if you’ve ever been in love, you don’t need to memorize a list of doctrines or abstract principles about it. You’ve got the real thing which is much more complex and beautiful than any system of belief could ever be.

I understand religions as our attempt to give form to the divine, because we suck at contemplating raw infinity. Religions, in some sense, are nets which we cast in the hopes of catching god. But it’s like trying to catch the sea with a net. It’s much more likely that we’ll just get ourselves tangled up, and god will slip through. I think god wants us to follow and imitate him as he playfully escapes our nets and challenges us to reach new levels of understanding and love.

To me, religions are better used as search engines. They can help us articulate the questions which will lead us towards our goal of following god. And we will find that through this on-going process, this quest, all that is not essential in us and our beliefs and which can’t stand up to scrutiny is washed away, leaving us in a very unique and exciting relationship with the divine and with ourselves.

Are you a practicing pagan, wiccan or ‘magickian’?

When you investigate the occultural realms, people tend to assume you’re automatically a neo-pagan, wiccan, satanist, or something else. But none of those really adequately describe my own spiritual path, and I tend to shy away from labels as a rule. I reserver the right to change what I’m into at a moment’s notice. An author I like very much, Alan Moore, once compared religions to languages. No one ever says that French isn’t a real language or that truth can’t be expressed in Russian or Japanese. I’m more interested in the ‘linguistics’ of these various religious and spiritual traditions, and in the wonderful poetic expressions of truth, beauty and love that are created by them.

I do believe that stories are ‘magical’ things by which we all live and share our experiences and dreams with one another. Whether they are religious or from pop culture or our own lives, I think the acts of creating, telling and hearing stories are some of the most magical, mystical and wonderful and powerful sacraments that humans can ever share.

How dare you criticize my faith?

Faith, for me, is the record of the private quest towards intimacy with the divine. It is a combination of an outrageous adventure story and a passionate romance. No one has ever said that it is an easy or simple thing to achieve or to maintain. And no one is responsible for your faith but you and god.

If I say something you’re uncomfortable with, or that challenges your faith, then these are twists and turns in your adventure which were bound to happen with or without me. My goal is not to make any one upset. My goal is invite people to become even more adventurous and romantic in their quest towards understanding god and themselves. My own quest happens to be recorded publicly on my website. I find great value in sharing it openly with others, but it is my personal journey, and I alone am responsible for that journey. You are free to disagree with it, but it’s not my responsibility to be the custodian of your faith for you.

Are you aware that you’re going to hell?

I’m absolutely dumb-founded by people who call themselves Christians but who go out of their way to be spiteful and mean-spirited. If you can show me how that is part of Christ’s message of love and forgiveness, I will eat my hat. And when I poop it out, I will eat the poop.

But seriously, I don’t appreciate people brandishing mumbo-jumbo threats at me when they don’t even know me, and all they’ve done is read one post on my site without even understanding it or it’s context.

If you’ve got a gripe with something I said, tell me specifically. If you’re just confused, then ask me for clarification. Don’t just sit there and have a knee-jerk reaction against me because I’m saying something you’ve never heard before, or because I’m trying to look for new ways to look at things that are already familiar.

Furthermore, I think it’s absurd for people to pass judgement on one another. If you are a Christian, it is the height of arrogance to claim to know the mind of God, and to understand the mysteries of His will. There’s no way for you to perceive how he is working in the hearts of other people, or his designs for eternity.

I don’t agree with or like what you said about something. What can we do about it?

First of all, if you’re going to write me about something specific that I said, make sure you tell me what it is. Most of the letters I get like this, people say, ‘I can’t believe you said that!’ And then they don’t tell me what it is I said. In these cases I just press “delete” and go on with my life.

If it’s something that I just straight out fucked up on or was really incorrect about, I really want to know so I can take care of it or correct it as necessary. If it’s just you disagreeing with me, then that’s cool too. If you want me to clarify my position or why I said something in particular, I’m always open to doing that. I’m not really concerned with trying to convince anybody of anything, but I really enjoy having open dialogues with people, especially when we’re coming from really different perspectives. I find that the best path through disagreement is learning - so if you’re interested in engaging me in this way, let’s give it a whirl and see where we get.

I would like to criticize you in an unconstructive manner; is that okay?

Yeah, if you feel like you have to, go for it man. Everybody is entitled to their opinions. And I like to hear what you’re thinking or feeling even if it’s not especially positive. Just don’t be surprised if my response reflects your negative intentions or attitude. I’m just a person like anybody else, and I get as pissed off as you do when people act like assholes. Of course, if there’s a way you can say what you need to say to me without being a total piece of shit, then by all means do it. Take a minute to cool off, and think of what would be the most useful way to get your point across. Life’s too short to be a jerk for no reason.

How old are you? Where do you live? Can I talk to you on the phone about something?

I am committed to documenting my own quest for understanding publicly on my website, but I do prefer to keep private particular details about my personal life. In other words, I’m not interested in acquiring any stalkers at this time.

In general I prefer to communicate with people via email, since my communications may frequently involve web links, quotes or other resources for further research. Email also gives me a chance to respond at my own pace, gather useful references, and have a record of what we talked about.

If you have a business opportunity which may require timely phone communication, send a description and your contact info (phone and email) and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Are you available for lectures or workshops?

I would love to get into working with groups of people in a teaching or lecturing capacity. I used to teach professionally and have some great experience in this area. I always thought interacting with people in that way was really fun. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn yourself, I think. And that’s my approach to teaching: to be a model student and a guide, rather than the person with all the answers or the final authority on something.

If that approach sounds exciting to you and your group, and you have a specific opportunity in mind, let’s talk about it and try to develop your idea.

Will you write an article for my publication?

More than likely I will. I’m happy to contribute to all kinds of different projects that people are working on. Payment is negotiable and may not be necessary, depending on what you’ve got in mind. I try to stay as flexible as possible when it comes to collaboration. Let me know what your idea is.

Can I commission you for a piece of artwork?

One of my dreams since I was a kid was to do illustration professionally, especially of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. I absolutely love doing it, and am always interested in the opportunity to do work like this for people. If you want to see samples of my original artwork, check out my art gallery here.

As far as professional credits, I’ve had work appear in Spectrum 8, a nationally-acclaimed science-fiction/fantasy annual publication for illustrators. I’ve also done a lot of work for friends on things like album covers and tattoos. I’m extremely flexible on cost, especially if I personally believe in the project. So, contact me, let me know what you have in mind, and we’ll see if we can work something out.

Can I send you a press release about my occult / paranormal movie, book, album, website, etc?

Absolutely. I’m always interested in finding out about new people, projects and ideas. I will do my absolute best to find out more about you and your work, and pass that information along to other people who might be interested.

However, it’s very unlikely that I will post an unedited copy of your entire press release. I just think that’s tacky and impersonal. Similarly, please take the time to read my website. I’m not just going to post things indiscriminately. If you can personalize your letter to me and to my tastes, you’re much more likely to receive a favorable response.

It’s also important to remember that this is a personal website, and as such, I reserve the right to review your work accordingly. If I don’t like it, then I don’t like it. It’s nothing personal. It’s unlikely I’m going to straight out trash you though, especially if you took the time to check out my work.

I am also open to working out advertising deals with companies that can afford to do so.

I love your work! Is there something I can do to support what you’re doing?

Wow! That’s awesome. It makes me really happy to hear that. The best thing you can do is just drop me a nice little note of support. I appreciate that stuff so much, and I love to hear from people who have the same passion for this stuff as me. I also always love to get notes about cool new ideas or resources that I may not have heard about before - or even just good stories about strange paranormal experiences you’ve had. Connecting me to a cool new idea is one of the best gifts you can give me, especially because that’s the kind of thing I can give back to other people in some form.

For the more industrious, you could always send me a copy of something cool you’re working on creatively - whether it’s related to the occult or not. On a more technical note, I’m also trying to cover the operating costs of hosting this site with ads, so please check those out. Or if you want to send me donations directly, you can do so through PayPal.

I have a job which I think you’d be perfect for based on what I know about your work. How can I contact you about a professional opportunity?

Great! I’m currently seeking employment in the fields of advertising, publishing and/or media production. To find out more about my qualifications and what I’m looking for, please visit the professional section of my site.

pop occulture, tim boucher