Dispatches From Dandyland and Elsewhere (Patreon)

On April 23, 2022, I once again ventured to Somerset, KY. Fans of Hellier and Penny Royal are well aware of this location by now, but for the uninitiated: it's like a southern, real-life version of Twin Peaks. This is especially true of the eccentric cast of characters that inhabit Somerset and the surrounding Pulaski County. Case in point is local artist and treasure Daniel Dutton. 

Long time listeners of The Farm will no doubt recall Dan from the epic conversation we had concerning Child Ballads back in 2020. Those of you who missed out are directed to the archives so as to get a taste of Dan's wide-ranging interests. A true Renaissance man, besides being an artist, Dan is also a musician, esotericist, and a natural born storyteller. 

Dan resides at Dandyland, lands that have belonged to family since the nineteenth century. It is here his studio is housed and where he holds court. And it was here I ventured to for Aunt Lou's Goblin Market this spring. 

Aunt Lou was the "wise woman" in Dan's childhood from which his interests in all things magical derive. Of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, Aunt Lou practiced her own brand of folk magic that Dan was immersed in as a lad. Aunt Lou shed her mortal coil long ago, but her legacy clearly still lives on at Dandyland. 

The festivities brought together a remarkable cross section of artists, researchers and all-around weirdos. I leave it up to the reader to decide which category I inhabit. Besides yours truly, other Farm denizens were present. Inevitably, Nathan Paul Isacc of Penny Royal was there.  He was joined by fellow Penny Royal member and International Paranormal Museum and Research Center founder Kyle Kadel. Darin West, the other member of Penny Royal, even dropped by for a spell. 

Eris dictates than whenever I encounter a member of Penny Royal, Jason Andrews of the Paranormal Patio must also be present. Fortunately, Jason was in attendance, sparing us any loose Golden Apples. Folklorist and recent guest Delaney Bowers was even present. Needless to say, if one goes in for weird, otherworldly, metaphysically-inclined conversations, this was the place to be. 

I engaged in quite a few of them with Daniel Dutton late into Saturday and continuing early Sunday morning. Dan regaled me with tales of the Kentucky gentry's Derby balls, Noh theater, and his experience with a possessed synthesizer, among many other topics.  But at the forefront of our discussions was his opera, The Faun. If you've been following Penny Royal, you've aware of Dan's opera. If not, I suspect you will soon be hearing about here or any number of other locations. Dan and I worked up quite a show on the morning of April 24th that will explore many of these topics and a whole lot more. Keep an eye out for it around these parts in the coming weeks. 

After departing Dandyland, I dropped by Herrington Lake on my way out of Kentucky. Herrington Lake plays into the mythos surrounding the Bate Cabal, a Cincinatti-based magical order nominally associated with Kenneth Grant during the 1970s. It was during that decade the group performed a series of rituals in the "Cincinatti vortex" for the purposes of creating a portal into our world from which the Lovecraftian "Old Ones" could enter. Or something along those lines. 

The vortex was not limited to Ohio, but stretched all the way down to Kentucky's Pulaski County. Reportedly, Herrington Lake was a location the group found to be especially fertile. I had hoped to experience a bit of the weird, but as you can see from the pictures, Herrington Lake is mostly a marina now. There may be a few more isolated pockets where that old black magic resides, but I didn't have time to go looking for them. 

On my way north, I fittingly ventured into the Midwest's "Little Egypt" region. It wasn't a planned journey, but most apt, given the specter Michael A. Hoffman and William Grimstead cast over occulted America. Like many of you, I first became aware of "mystical toponomy" and magical place names from these dubious sources. Little Egypt in particular was a concept I was totally unfamiliar with prior to reading Secret Societies and Psychological Warfare.

In all likelihood, Hoffman, Grimstead, and the semi-mythological figure of James Shelby Downard all learned their shtick from Grant and his American followers. Hoffman in particular is most fortunate Grant's books are both little read and have been out of print for extended periods of time. Otherwise, many of his concepts would not seem especially novel. We'll never know the extent to which Hoffman and Grimstead drew upon Grant and the American groups centered around his system for their concept of "twilight language," but the word "substantial" is not strong enough in this case.

I had meant to grab some pictures of my trek through Little Egypt, but a combination of bad weather and heavy traffic made that a lost cause. But this was only day two of my journey and there were more adventures on the horizon. Stay tuned.