author, artist, philosopher, teacher, historian, spiritual guide
By Danny Siepman, Religie & Mystiek, Holland (2002-2003)
 |
| Stephen B. Cox at Dartmoor |
Stephen B. Cox was born and brought up in Gloucestershire, in the West Country of England in the United Kingdom. It was here where as a child in a rural environment he discovered his life long passion for Nature, for heritage, for history and for the ancient sites and traditions of his beloved homeland, England, and also for what he now also refers to as Albion: the mystical inheritance he joyously promotes combining spirituality, land, tradition, folk, Old Religion and the numinous qualities of place and acausality.
His awakening into this life-long devotion started early, though it was not until later on into manhood that he recognised it for what it truly was: wyrd, destiny and a magickal calling to aid the cultural and spiritual imperative. Even from the age of 5 he was already collecting a listing of castles he was visiting and making his first steps into an empathy with prehistoric sites. His simple, disciplined yet healthy and loving upbringing, together with the long childhood walks with his parents, and heroic, traditional and and adventurous games with neighbourhood friends in the farms, meadows and woods of the Cotswold hills of Gloucestershire and the also of the Somerset coast gave him the foundation for his intense love of landscape and Nature. This led him in time to a firm conviction born of experience, practice and historical perspective that if homo sapiens is to survive and evolve and in time become "god-like" then he must strive to now make himself a true husbandmann of his planet and a steadfast guardian and defender and friend of all creatures, animals, flora and fauna.
Mother Nature and wondrouis diversity of landscapes of regions of what her calls "Starship Earth" might be said to be be his first and primal teacher: and those few people who had an influence on him as a boy and youth have likewise had a deep love and dynamic relationship with Her.
Some of his strongest and most affectionate memories are the family holidays to distant parts of Gloucestershire- especially at Easter and Christmas- and to Cornwall some years during the annual summer break for 2 weeks.
His father was a lorry driver and for many years an official reprenstative for the Transport and General Workers Union. During the school holidays therefore he would travel widely and quickly became aware of and loved the variety of landscape, of local architecture and building materials, and of local dialect he saw and heard from county to county.
This unity in diversity in harmony with land and with tradition of his native country was to make a lasting impression, and taught him a fundamental lesson regarding not only the health and success of any community and nation- but of the landscape itself. That Nature has implanted into our breast a sacred connection towards the landscape of our birth and infant nurture.
Education
He was born and brought up in a simple working class family of stable values among a strong and caring local community of neighbourly mutual support. Even now he stays regularly with his family there, and enjoys being among his neighbours in his native hills who show him such respect and affection.
Walking or bicycle was the only means of transport for shopping or visiting family and friends-supplemented ocassionally by a bus or by the train (which in those days still passed through his home village at the bottom of the country lane of twelve council houses, one of which was the family home) and went to the great elegeant city of Roman Bath with all its splendours and beauties. Not many miles away either was the city of Bristol: a great sweafaring city, rich in the traditions and legends of smugglers, and adventurers and discoverers. The old city centre was being rebuilt then after the bombing by the Luftwaffe during World War II. His maternal grand-mother died as a result of one such air raid.
Aside from the great buildings, churches and monuments of these cities though he loved to wander down the old narrow cobbled streets lined with fechwerk buildings. And at Bristol were the docks and mystic ships and cargoes from distant lands whilst the Avon Gorge- with its awesome suspension bridge (the 1st. in the world) at Clifton built by a man who became for Stephen a hero- Isambard Kingdom Brunel- was the legends of two twin local giants: Gorum and Grendal.
So horizons featured in his life and imagination: the horizon of the sea and the horizon of the Cotswold hills.
He was educated in a small local (traditional Church of England school) village school to age 11 up the hill east from his home, where (in those days) traditional folk song and folk dance were also taught. Then local secondary modern school right at the very top of the hill to the west. From here in his classroom he could watch the mist clear of a morning and see his beloved valley and surrounding hills slowly appear as if by magic. Then finally he went on to the local Grammar school at age 16 before going on to University at age 18. He was inspired by certain of his teachers in those days, especially history and art. He had been snared by both of these subjects, history especially until age 16 or so. Art at that time of his life (16-18) however won. He nearly went to Cheltenham College of Art (though received offers from several other art schools) but its Principal, Professor Dent, urged him to go to Reading University art school.
He is an experienced and state qualified (PGCE) British teacher (Post Graduate Certificate in Education, (passed with Merit).
He was student representative of the National Union of Teachers when he was a postgraduate student in teacher training.
He took his B.A. (Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours) at the University of Reading between 1968-1972, majoring in Fine Art (with History of Art and Architecture) with European history as a subsidiary in the first year. The English painter Claude Rogers was the Professor of Art at that time. One of the other lecturers here was Sir Terry Frost.
In 1973, he was awarded a British Council Post Graduate Exchange Research Scholarship- travelling to Romania for a year where he was at the Institutul de Arte Plastice 'N. Grigorescu' in Bucharest, and visited all over the country, incl. Wallachia and Transylvania. This was during the time of the infamous Ceausescu Communist regime of the Cold War. Here he also met and grew to understand, apprceiate and be friends with students from countries of the entire Eastern Bloc as well as from Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Asia. His experience of Romania also awakened the final touches of a deep cultural and spiritual insight into the integrity, diversity and importance of what is called European civilisation. His experience of that country and of a very wide variety of its people and visitors and neighbours and its traumas in the twentieth century and under the regime at the time also taught him the immense dangers that war, totalitarianism, consumerism and intolerance presented for the reflowering, survival and evolution of essential European values and heritage, of which he is a loyal and dedicated advocate.
It also greatly strengthened his love of Nature: the landscape, mountain, forest, river and ancient villages of the Carpathian Mountains of Transilvania touching him deeply. The richness and vitality of traditional folk arts and crafts and folk song and dance which he experienced during his travels in Romania resonated with him also. The importance of culture and spirituality untainted by the dogma and destructiveness of politics also became clearer to him. That when man worked simply, honestly and lovingly with the land, he was seldom (if ever at all) driven against his neighbour.
Teacher
In the following years he taught art and design and art history in several sectors of British education including; Comprehensive Schools; Grammar Schools; Technical Colleges; British Public (private that is) Schools; and also a private tutor, and as a Director for various English language summer schools.
He also arranged visiting parties of teachers and student groups to his art studio.
Broad experience of running summer schools for other organisations brought him into contact with a wide variety of students from many countries worldwide and he also designed excursion itineraries for groups of foreign teachers and business people. He has taught students and teachers from: the USA, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Estonia, Romania, Hungary.
He believes passionately in the role and value of education and cultural interaction in society and that this should be based on enabling respect for Nature and heritage and fulfilling the innate creative impulses and potential of the student and personal responbsibility.
He beieves that learning should be fun and journey of discovery and adventure, and that people acquire knowledge, skills, self-discipline and responsibility best in this way. His teaching extols this method to bring out the very best in his students.
In recent years he has been involved in teaching and promulgating outdoor education for people age 16-30 via unique projects to offer character building, personal skills & aptitudes & team and leadership skills and self discipline together with a powerful interaction with tradition and Nature via his expeditions and "cultural boot camps" to Dartmoor.
He also founded (with two fellow artists)The Wessex Artists Union in 1978 (part of the Artists Union of Great Britain) and for some years was its General Secretary; set up an Artists Apprenticeship Scheme for unemployed young people during the years of British recession; and pioneered the bringing of professional artists into state schools. He also established the system of art exhibitons at The Hexagon, Reading's major entertainments complex.
He now teaches individuals and small groups all year round for the "House Carlship Scheme"; additional to the Dartmoor educational group expeditions ("The Dartmoor Experience") and cultural/sport 'boot camps'; and runs teaching courses for "The Albion Pilgrimage" international summer school. He also runs correspondence courses for members and students of Spartans, OJB and Heritage School.
Artist
From the age of 17 onwards his art was already deeply imbued with the power of Nature, the heritage of trees, and spirit of place and numinosity of certain landscapes. Joy, wonder and celebration were never far from his approach to Nature in his art at this time. The magickal insight or revelation of the given moment of a particular view or perspective, or hidden aspect or corner of the rural vista combined with a haunting timelessless. His landscape paintings were like a series of secret gardens intuitively discovered. His paintings expressed a sculptural timelessness and person-like quality to the trees in particular - sculpturally defined like ancient creatures, waiting in the landacape for humans to once again know their language and bring them to life. Yet to him they were friends, and hauntingly sang to him. His teenage poetry expressed this aspect. Weekly (and daily during school & colleges holidays) he would spend upwards of 7 hours a day walking his native South Cotswold hills sketching the landscape and writing poetry. Looking back on those times now he can more readily appreciate the Celtic presentiment of spirit of place and of nymphs and anthropomorphic awareness.
The final period at University (Reading University School of Art) saw a gradual return of this monumentality combined with a deep fascination for the rhythms and interwining of order and disorder: the theme of thesis- antithesis-synthesis more and more entered his work and philosophical approach to life.
He spent many years as a professional painter and sculptor holding one-man exhibitions of his work in museums, theatres, art galleries, arts centres etc all across Britain (and sometimes abroad). And he created study placements for young unemployed people. He always tried to interact dynamically and sympathetically with local people visiting his exhibitions and was also willing to take student parties around. He was also involved in the promotion of the arts in local government and in the health and theatre and business sectors, and founded and helped run artists groups.
In this period (1972-1992) he also spent time travelling to and researching particular landscapes (Snowdonia, Dorset, the Somerset coast, Shropshire) and prehistoric sites, and would often camp out nearby to develop a deeper understanding of and respect for them. Of particular interest at this time was the Avebury Cylce of prehistoric monuments (commencing circa 3,500 bce) in Wiltshire, England: West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury Hill, The Sanctuary, Windmill Hill, The Ridgeway, and Avebury Henge. And then began writing about them and their religious and ethical and spiritual significance for living today.
Between 1983 and 1992 he worked full time from a large art studio he created and established and rented from a 12,000 acre traditional English farming estate in the Thames Valley. His art in the last years to 1992 was intensely concerned with prehistoric sites, the cycles of the ancient and modern farming year and the rhythm of life, and various aspects of the Quarternary (the Four Seasons and the Four Elements) and Alchemy.
It was in 1992 that he also started what was to become a regular series (approx. 2 or 3 a year) of expeditions to Dartmoor. In the 12 years prior to that he had explored the south coast of England ("Hardy Country") from Studland Bay to Lyme Regis in intimate detail.
The landscape also returned to his art in three very unusual and distinctive ways:
- miniature paintings (3cms x 1.5 cms) set within a larger canvas of seasonal oriented mosaic;
- small and large sculptures built almost like totemistic temples using the raw materials of the land (tree trunks, stone) and the farming year (feedstuffs, harvest, dung, straw etc); some being room size;
- and large (3m x2m x 0.5 m) wall hanging 3-d paintings like temple doorways.
He finally had to postpone his art in favour of
his dedication to heritage (e.g, OJB/Arktion/Heritage Foundation etc). He says,
that perhaps he would one day like to return to it in his retirement
("whatever that means for a man like me!") when suitable succesors
have been found for the organisation.
Freemason
The concept of rites of passage had for many years interested him, as had the various mystery schools of the past. He began to recognise the urgency of the need in modern life for ethical associations for men and women (separately like the old Pagan intitiation schools) where high virtues and values of living and self development were held in high regard.
Thus it was no surprise that on the Summer Solstice of 1991 he was initiated into British Freemasonry in his Mother Lodge within the Masonic Province of Berkshire in the United Grand Lodge of England. Since then he has worked his way through the various officerships of the lodge to rise to have the honour to become the Worshipful Master of his Lodge in 1999-2000 (which is always a one year appointment in any lodge). In year 2000-2001 he served his Lodge as the Immediate Past Master. And then in 2001-2002, and again in 2002-2003 and for the 3rd., year 2003-2004 was appointed its Assistant Director of Ceremomies (a monthly duty), and its Preceptor of the Class of Instruction (a twice monthly duty).
He has written and delivered to the Class a number of unique lecture papers on the symbolism, mysteries, history and spiritual philosophy of different aspects of the three degrees of Craft Masonry with regards to the Emulation Ritual.
He has also written a book of guidance for Stewards and newly raised Master Masons.
He offers private tuition and meetings for officers of the Lodge to assist them in their progress and for newly made Masons and Stewards.
Copyright Director
For some years he was a Director on the Council of Management of the Design & Artists Copyright Society (DACS) also being its media officer for a while and writing articles for law magazines and artists' publications on artists rights, and contributed to a Parliamentary lobby on behalf of DACS concerned with including essential clauses, to protect artists, into the Copyright Act in the UK at that time. He is still an artist member of DACS
Author
He was obliged to postpone his art since 1992 in favour of his charitable spiritual- educational projects and the European Spiritual Heritage Foundation. But for the last few years he has taught privately and also written a large number (over 70) of books on mythology, magick, folklore, history, philosophy, heritage, the occult, education, and ancient religions, and spiritual skills. And he also writes and designs & teaches programmes and courses (and offers workshops) on wellness, self-help, and physique development, spirituality in daily life, body training, meditation etc.
His books are not only factual regarding unusual aspects of ancient lore, history and Pagan heritage, but also convey a range of moral, spiritual and ethical values and proposals and arguments for the way we treat ourselves, each others and the planet and what our duty and our potential is as humans. All of his work in this category is borne of personal experience and practical research.
His many works include:
'The Arts of Homoeostasis';
'The Spirituality of Breathing';
'Autonomis- Self Overcoming';
'Western Martial Arts';
'The English Long-Bow';
'Monastic Planetary Spheres';
'Blood: a Vampyric Bibliography';
'Freyrs Oceanic Western Kingdom';
'The Four Great Celtic Festivals';
'The Third Reich Runic Revival';
'Pontifex Maximus';
'Book of the Housecarls';
'The Temple of Life';
'Wayland Wonder Smith of the Gods;
'Ancient Greek Sports and Body Training';
'Spartanus';
'Pan-European Spiritual Calendar';
'The Lost Sign of Freemasonry'.
He has also written many small booklets and guides to ancient sites, and a wide range of courses on sports/magick & body training; as well as magickal & pagan skills & living. For the organisation he has devised unique range of rituals and spiritual skills.
He has been running expeditions, field trips, boot camps and summer camps to Dartmoor National Park for 11 years. And also runs research excursions for teachers and students to ancient sites all over England.
Poetry
He started writing poetry at the age of 16, and gave recitations in folk clubs and at college between the age of 16 and 19. He also wrote poems as songs for a folk band and a folk duo he was singer for, and again performed these in folk clubs and blues clubs around the West Country.
His earlier prolific output of poetry was influenced and inspired by both the landscape, the idealisation/ numinosity of place, and also dealt with the human condition concerning time/memory. The natural element continued in the following years but his poetry lapsed from 1975 until around 1991. It has continued steadily ever since.
Now he writes poetry in celebration of selected beloved landscapes of the British Isles (especially of Dartmoor and Dorset and Gloucestershire in England, and Cork and Kerry in Ireland) and the sanctity of unspoilt places, numinous sites, and the Old Relgion. The themes are set within a Celtic and Teutonic "spirit of place", the eternity and magnificence of natural forces, and the nostalgia of mans brief passage across the aeon moulded landscape, and an abiding sense of reverence. It also speaks of celebration, fraternity, empathy between man and nature, and ritual and initiation in sacred spaces.
His poetry now also appears in every issue of the Baelder journal under one of his pen names "Stiofain Rua". This this was a name given him by some Irish and American members whilst they were camping together in the grounds of the ruined Castle Freke along the West Cork coast in 1996- one of many expeditions he has made to Ireland.
A books of poems dedicated to Erda, The Dark Goddess is due to be published in 2004.
Dartmoor
One of his greatest passions in life has been the Dartmoor National Park- called "England's last great wilderness", it comprises 380 sq.miles of unspoilt, protected and wild landscape. He first came here as a boy, and then again on the Ten Tors Expedition at age 15 and again briefly age 19.
Since 1992 he has been coming here regularly approximately three times a year for a few days. This "land of spirit" holds a deep fascination for him and has indeed become his spiritual home and he has been mounting expeditions here for over 10 years. It combines for him all that he requires of a landscape: sanctity, magnificence, wildness, variety, danger, wildlife, rich habitats, unique geology. Additional to being the richest area in Europe for ancient and prehistoricc sites, it has a wealth of traditions and heritage, and endless fund of legends, mysteries, and folklore. It also has what might be descirbed as a micro climate and changes dramatically season by season and day by day. It is a dream-time world of its own like another planet unhurried and largely untouched the mindless mundanity of so much soullessnes in the world today and combines moorland, rolling farmland, heaths, forest, lake, bog, ancient woodlands, deep river valleys, high rocky ridges and tors: a landscape of perpetual drama and unrivalled beauty. Here man is not master but guest. Mankind has been been driven off the Moor many times and has never conquered it. The army (who use parts of it for training) remarks respectfully that if a soldier can survive on Dartmoor he can survive anywhere.
He has become familiar with the landscape in all seasons and has hiked it in all weathers, both alone and with parties of students and members and volunteers. He has also slept out on the Moor in all seasons, researched several of its prehistoric sites, and arranged role play/activity projects for groups of members. He has devised a unique series of long hikes and explorations all over the Moor, additional to archaeological researches, cultural visits and ancient sites veneration.
His latest addition to the activities he offers there is a series of shamanic initiations and explorations.
His collection of poems about Dartmoor (see above) will commence sequential publication in the highly acclaimed Dutch magazine 'Religie & Mystiek' this year.
He also offers story telling to his students and parties of visitors about the mysteries, legends, and folklore and myths and traditions of the Moor.
He feels very much at home here and has made friends. The locals in the Inn, which he calls his second home since he uses it so often as a retreat for his writing and research and small student groups, regard him almost as part of the place.
Over the years he had donated a sizeable Special Collection of books on Dartmoor to The (Arktion) European Library.
Philosopher
As already indicated his upbringing laid the foundations for his intuitive companionship with Nature, his belief in native folk values and heritage as an expression of divine essence of Erda (Mother Earth) herself, and the Old Religion: the old pagan religions of the various families of man he also regards as organic and essential elements in the fabric of 'Starship Earth'.
He has striven to offer an all embracing Bifrost vision of life and cosmology which builds upon the past and looks to the future "in the spirit of what was, what could have been and shall be". For this reason he encourages others to attune their life with his triune ethos of what he coined 'SPAH'- spirituality, physique and heritage- all three also being interwoven with the divine diversity of Nature herself. Like Pindar, the ancient the Greek poet, he regards the human body as a "temple" which if honed and cherished (as we should unto Gaia herself) can resonate like heavenly spheres with Nature and with the stars.
His sense of history teaches him that mankind must free himself from the shackles of messianism/dualism and the sickness of good v.evil so that we might all take responsibility and reach out to that sublime vibrant potential of daily uplifting. The term "self overcoming" is one of his catchphrases- in the spiritual sense akin to Nietzsche's concept that man is something which must be overcome. And in the ancient Egyptian and Greek spirit he sees the daily work/duty each man as what he has calls "homoeostisation" : to resonate each part of one's life, and body and spirit to the highest level of attainment and harmony. The search for self-excellence, honour and integrity is one of his methods of teaching his students and proteges.
He also regards it a sacred duty to help defend and protect other species (animals etc) and their right to a place on this Earth. He enables his own garden to be a sanctuary for whatever creatures wish to feed or visit there. As well as laying aside wild spaces for the Elven and other folk.
On the broader cosmological level he sees the Universe and all matter in a state of striving to natural manifestation, a broader and deeper and more epochal understanding of the concept of "destiny". This was partly awakened by his reading as a teenager of the natural science works of Teilhard de Chardin and his concept of "the cerebralisation" of the Solar System: that (similar to modern Gaia believers) that the Universe is bound up in an innate principle of complexification of matter to move (unless caulked) towards the highest state of which it is capable, and the Nietszchean concept that man is something which must be "overcome" or transcended to a higher state.
Taking this towards his own pan-galactic and cultural principle in 1993 he created what his "Aeonic Model of The Destiny of the West': which outlined a pan-aeonic natural process of sentient and cultural development (from the time Neandertalensis and Cro Magnon) through the sucessive stages which (could) in time leads to the peaceful colonisation of the stars and the emergence of a new species "Homo Cosmica" following the emergence of what he has termed "Homo Europaeus", and likwise the successful developement of the other families of man. This he believes is what Nature had in store in its "natural unfolding".
To this end he sees totalitarianism, war, consumerism and materialism as the arch enemies of planetary healing and human evolution. He also has a healthy distrust of politics of left and right (both of which which he regards as another form of messianism), demagogues and the crassitude of fundamentalism. Despite the lies and banal attempts of occassional political fanatics, terrorists and extremists to malign and coerce him, he has refused to submit to the dogmas and threats of left or right wing politics.
He has not been influenced by fad or fashion and is steadfast and loyal- so that even whilst his views may be moderated by cognisance of facts and discoveries he may not have previously appreciated. He also regards with total disdain those (in any quarter) who duck and weave and exploit and manipulate native tradition or religion or genuine concerns for pragmatic political or even nefarious purposes (especially those who claim a 'higher purpose' for their deceits and inconsistencies and political schemes). This he knows to be another form of the messianic infection which has so ennervated mankind and all races.
Natural spiritual life
He urges and teaches the manifesting in daily life of the "inner man", making the spiritual essence concrete, and bringing forth the "atman" or god-hood.
He has developed a strict spiritual daily routine to his own life which commences at 6 am daily with prayers and communion with Nature and ends at 11 pm with prayers and Nature communion once more. This includes a 24 hour period of total silence each month for the 'Monastic Planetary Spheres' he created, strict observation of the 8 major festivals of the year, some of the Moons and all the essential deities of his native pantheons. His organises his own domestic rhythms to the seasons.
He has tried to gear his life to the rhythms of Nature and of the seasons and insists on reduction of all electrical and other power and heating (he refuses to have any heating except in the coldest 3 months of the year and then only 1 fire/radiator for about 2 hours a night). He insists on taking cold showers daily no matter the weather or season and enjoys growing as much as possible of his own food and makes his own wine and beer and herbal tea.
He has rejected the personal and materalistic life in favour of an empathic and vitalising one. He sleeps on a camp bed which is cleared away each morning after his 'Amun Sun Vow Zarathustrian' invokations at 6am outdoors. And during his summer months (mid-March to early November) he rises first of all at 4 am each day to listen to the dawn chorus of birds (especially the blackbird which he is fond of) in his garden before returning to bed to bed for another 2 hours.
His vegetarianism (aside from the selfish consideraton of personal health and well being) is part of his philosophy to bring greater respect to life and a place for other creatures on this planent. He is constantly refining his own garden to attract more wildlife. This includes a wide variety of bird species, and field mice, hedgehog and toads.
His garden reflects this honour and empathy- wild life visitors to the garden are given precedence over human whims, small wild place have been created, no pecticides or artificial fertilisers are used, and feeding and eating areas established. Additionally there is an Elf Altar in a small herb garden, a meditation area, and a Celtic-cross Temple garden, and Fire Platform. On a flag pole beside the green house the flag of each nation of Pan-Europa is raised on each national day.
His hobbies/pastimes are: gardening; hiking; camping; ancient site research; writng poetry; Gaia spirituality; walking; Nature watch; wildlife; home wine & beer making; books; body training/workouts; music; folk singing, legends & folklore, and throwing an ocassional dinner party. He is a strong advocate of local community values and rights. He also founded the local Neighbourhood Watch in 2001to reduce crime in the neghbourhood and with his neighbours has been active in fighting against loutish behaviour/rowdyism as well as inconsiderate planning applications.
He is not only founder of Heritage/Arktion books but also of: the Order of the Jarls of Baelder (1990); the European Library (1993); The European Cultural Centre (1995) and The European Heritage School (2001). He was one of the very first in the world to bring native tribal values back to magick and esoterica as part of what he calls: "the ecological expression of the cultural and spiritual dynamic". He works at these projects in a small dedicated series of teams of close knit bands of officers/friends in England, Norway, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and Australia and the USA. He also has officers, students, and members in other levels in Spain, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Canada, Poland.
In his life so far he has also been: a factory worker, student, post-graduate research scholar, arts promoter, decorator, designer, gardener, civil servant, teacher, author, photographer, historian, union organiser, painter and sculptor, poet. He now dedicates his life to voluntary work and to Nature and the manifesting of spirituality in daily life via native heritage and the encouraging of others. He offer placements for individuals and small groups to derive benefit from and make use of what he has discovered in life.
Interviews and Public Lecture
Though he seldom gives interviews about his own life and views, he has appeared on and been interviewed on several public and commercial radio and also a television programme about his work and projects, and also given some interviews for various small magazines.
His work has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. He gave an extensive interview in 2003 to the leading Dutch magazine 'Religie & Mystiek'.
Recently he has been engaged in a series of public lecture tours to Belgium and the Netherlands (December 2002, and March 2003). Then in April 2003 he was one of the main guest speakers at the Elf Fantasy Fair at Utrecht, Netherlands.
Freemason
The concept of rites of passage had for many years interested him, as had the various mystery schools of the past. He began to recognise the urgency of the need in modern life for ethical associations for men and women (separately like the old Pagan intitiation schools) where high virtues and values of living and self development were held in high regard.
Thus it was no surprise that on the Summer Solstice of 1991 he was initiated into British Freemasonry in his Mother Lodge within the Masonic Province of Berkshire in the United Grand Lodge of England. Since then he has worked his way through the various officerships of the lodge to rise to have the honour to become the Worshipful Master of his Lodge in 1999-2000 (which is always a one year appointment in any lodge). In year 2000-2001 he served his Lodge as the Immediate Past Master. And then in 2001-2002, and again in 2002-2003 and for the 3rd., year 2003-2004 was appointed its Assistant Director of Ceremomies (a monthly duty), and its Preceptor of the Class of Instruction (a twice monthly duty).
He has written and delivered to the Class a number of unique lecture papers on the symbolism, mysteries, history and spiritual philosophy of different aspects of the three degrees of Craft Masonry with regards to the Emulation Ritual.
He has also written a book of guidance for Stewards and newly raised Master Masons.
He offers private tuition and meetings for officers of the Lodge to assist them in their progress and for newly made Masons and Stewards.
Copyright Director
For some years he was a Director on the Council of Management of the Design & Artists Copyright Society (DACS) also being its media officer for a while and writing articles for law magazines and artists' publications on artists rights, and contributed to a Parliamentary lobby on behalf of DACS concerned with including essential clauses, to protect artists, into the Copyright Act in the UK at that time. He is still an artist member of DACS
Author
He was obliged to postpone his art since 1992 in favour of his charitable spiritual- educational projects and the European Spiritual Heritage Foundation. But for the last few years he has taught privately and also written a large number (over 70) of books on mythology, magick, folklore, history, philosophy, heritage, the occult, education, and ancient religions, and spiritual skills. And he also writes and designs & teaches programmes and courses (and offers workshops) on wellness, self-help, and physique development, spirituality in daily life, body training, meditation etc.
His books are not only factual regarding unusual aspects of ancient lore, history and Pagan heritage, but also convey a range of moral, spiritual and ethical values and proposals and arguments for the way we treat ourselves, each others and the planet and what our duty and our potential is as humans. All of his work in this category is borne of personal experience and practical research.
His many works include:
'The Arts of Homoeostasis';
'The Spirituality of Breathing';
'Autonomis- Self Overcoming';
'Western Martial Arts';
'The English Long-Bow';
'Monastic Planetary Spheres';
'Blood: a Vampyric Bibliography';
'Freyrs Oceanic Western Kingdom';
'The Four Great Celtic Festivals';
'The Third Reich Runic Revival';
'Pontifex Maximus';
'Book of the Housecarls';
'The Temple of Life';
'Wayland Wonder Smith of the Gods;
'Ancient Greek Sports and Body Training';
'Spartanus';
'Pan-European Spiritual Calendar';
'The Lost Sign of Freemasonry'.
He has also written many small booklets and guides to ancient sites, and a wide range of courses on sports/magick & body training; as well as magickal & pagan skills & living. For the organisation he has devised unique range of rituals and spiritual skills.
He has been running expeditions, field trips, boot camps and summer camps to Dartmoor National Park for 11 years. And also runs research excursions for teachers and students to ancient sites all over England.
Poetry
He started writing poetry at the age of 16, and gave recitations in folk clubs and at college between the age of 16 and 19. He also wrote poems as songs for a folk band and a folk duo he was singer for, and again performed these in folk clubs and blues clubs around the West Country.
His earlier prolific output of poetry was influenced and inspired by both the landscape, the idealisation/ numinosity of place, and also dealt with the human condition concerning time/memory. The natural element continued in the following years but his poetry lapsed from 1975 until around 1991. It has continued steadily ever since.
Now he writes poetry in celebration of selected beloved landscapes of the British Isles (especially of Dartmoor and Dorset and Gloucestershire in England, and Cork and Kerry in Ireland) and the sanctity of unspoilt places, numinous sites, and the Old Relgion. The themes are set within a Celtic and Teutonic "spirit of place", the eternity and magnificence of natural forces, and the nostalgia of mans brief passage across the aeon moulded landscape, and an abiding sense of reverence. It also speaks of celebration, fraternity, empathy between man and nature, and ritual and initiation in sacred spaces.
His poetry now also appears in every issue of the Baelder journal under one of his pen names "Stiofain Rua". This this was a name given him by some Irish and American members whilst they were camping together in the grounds of the ruined Castle Freke along the West Cork coast in 1996- one of many expeditions he has made to Ireland.
A books of poems dedicated to Erda, The Dark Goddess is due to be published in 2004.
Dartmoor
One of his greatest passions in life has been the Dartmoor National Park- called "England's last great wilderness", it comprises 380 sq.miles of unspoilt, protected and wild landscape. He first came here as a boy, and then again on the Ten Tors Expedition at age 15 and again briefly age 19.
Since 1992 he has been coming here regularly approximately three times a year for a few days. This "land of spirit" holds a deep fascination for him and has indeed become his spiritual home and he has been mounting expeditions here for over 10 years. It combines for him all that he requires of a landscape: sanctity, magnificence, wildness, variety, danger, wildlife, rich habitats, unique geology. Additional to being the richest area in Europe for ancient and prehistoricc sites, it has a wealth of traditions and heritage, and endless fund of legends, mysteries, and folklore. It also has what might be descirbed as a micro climate and changes dramatically season by season and day by day. It is a dream-time world of its own like another planet unhurried and largely untouched the mindless mundanity of so much soullessnes in the world today and combines moorland, rolling farmland, heaths, forest, lake, bog, ancient woodlands, deep river valleys, high rocky ridges and tors: a landscape of perpetual drama and unrivalled beauty. Here man is not master but guest. Mankind has been been driven off the Moor many times and has never conquered it. The army (who use parts of it for training) remarks respectfully that if a soldier can survive on Dartmoor he can survive anywhere.
He has become familiar with the landscape in all seasons and has hiked it in all weathers, both alone and with parties of students and members and volunteers. He has also slept out on the Moor in all seasons, researched several of its prehistoric sites, and arranged role play/activity projects for groups of members. He has devised a unique series of long hikes and explorations all over the Moor, additional to archaeological researches, cultural visits and ancient sites veneration.
His latest addition to the activities he offers there is a series of shamanic initiations and explorations.
His collection of poems about Dartmoor (see above) will commence sequential publication in the highly acclaimed Dutch magazine 'Religie & Mystiek' this year.
He also offers story telling to his students and parties of visitors about the mysteries, legends, and folklore and myths and traditions of the Moor.
He feels very much at home here and has made friends. The locals in the Inn, which he calls his second home since he uses it so often as a retreat for his writing and research and small student groups, regard him almost as part of the place.
Over the years he had donated a sizeable Special Collection of books on Dartmoor to The (Arktion) European Library.
Philosopher
As already indicated his upbringing laid the foundations for his intuitive companionship with Nature, his belief in native folk values and heritage as an expression of divine essence of Erda (Mother Earth) herself, and the Old Religion: the old pagan religions of the various families of man he also regards as organic and essential elements in the fabric of 'Starship Earth'.
He has striven to offer an all embracing Bifrost vision of life and cosmology which builds upon the past and looks to the future "in the spirit of what was, what could have been and shall be". For this reason he encourages others to attune their life with his triune ethos of what he coined 'SPAH'- spirituality, physique and heritage- all three also being interwoven with the divine diversity of Nature herself. Like Pindar, the ancient the Greek poet, he regards the human body as a "temple" which if honed and cherished (as we should unto Gaia herself) can resonate like heavenly spheres with Nature and with the stars.
His sense of history teaches him that mankind must free himself from the shackles of messianism/dualism and the sickness of good v.evil so that we might all take responsibility and reach out to that sublime vibrant potential of daily uplifting. The term "self overcoming" is one of his catchphrases- in the spiritual sense akin to Nietzsche's concept that man is something which must be overcome. And in the ancient Egyptian and Greek spirit he sees the daily work/duty each man as what he has calls "homoeostisation" : to resonate each part of one's life, and body and spirit to the highest level of attainment and harmony. The search for self-excellence, honour and integrity is one of his methods of teaching his students and proteges.
He also regards it a sacred duty to help defend and protect other species (animals etc) and their right to a place on this Earth. He enables his own garden to be a sanctuary for whatever creatures wish to feed or visit there. As well as laying aside wild spaces for the Elven and other folk.
On the broader cosmological level he sees the Universe and all matter in a state of striving to natural manifestation, a broader and deeper and more epochal understanding of the concept of "destiny". This was partly awakened by his reading as a teenager of the natural science works of Teilhard de Chardin and his concept of "the cerebralisation" of the Solar System: that (similar to modern Gaia believers) that the Universe is bound up in an innate principle of complexification of matter to move (unless caulked) towards the highest state of which it is capable, and the Nietszchean concept that man is something which must be "overcome" or transcended to a higher state.
Taking this towards his own pan-galactic and cultural principle in 1993 he created what his "Aeonic Model of The Destiny of the West': which outlined a pan-aeonic natural process of sentient and cultural development (from the time Neandertalensis and Cro Magnon) through the sucessive stages which (could) in time leads to the peaceful colonisation of the stars and the emergence of a new species "Homo Cosmica" following the emergence of what he has termed "Homo Europaeus", and likwise the successful developement of the other families of man. This he believes is what Nature had in store in its "natural unfolding".
To this end he sees totalitarianism, war, consumerism and materialism as the arch enemies of planetary healing and human evolution. He also has a healthy distrust of politics of left and right (both of which which he regards as another form of messianism), demagogues and the crassitude of fundamentalism. Despite the lies and banal attempts of occassional political fanatics, terrorists and extremists to malign and coerce him, he has refused to submit to the dogmas and threats of left or right wing politics.
He has not been influenced by fad or fashion and is steadfast and loyal- so that even whilst his views may be moderated by cognisance of facts and discoveries he may not have previously appreciated. He also regards with total disdain those (in any quarter) who duck and weave and exploit and manipulate native tradition or religion or genuine concerns for pragmatic political or even nefarious purposes (especially those who claim a 'higher purpose' for their deceits and inconsistencies and political schemes). This he knows to be another form of the messianic infection which has so ennervated mankind and all races.
Natural spiritual life
He urges and teaches the manifesting in daily life of the "inner man", making the spiritual essence concrete, and bringing forth the "atman" or god-hood.
He has developed a strict spiritual daily routine to his own life which commences at 6 am daily with prayers and communion with Nature and ends at 11 pm with prayers and Nature communion once more. This includes a 24 hour period of total silence each month for the 'Monastic Planetary Spheres' he created, strict observation of the 8 major festivals of the year, some of the Moons and all the essential deities of his native pantheons. His organises his own domestic rhythms to the seasons.
He has tried to gear his life to the rhythms of Nature and of the seasons and insists on reduction of all electrical and other power and heating (he refuses to have any heating except in the coldest 3 months of the year and then only 1 fire/radiator for about 2 hours a night). He insists on taking cold showers daily no matter the weather or season and enjoys growing as much as possible of his own food and makes his own wine and beer and herbal tea.
He has rejected the personal and materalistic life in favour of an empathic and vitalising one. He sleeps on a camp bed which is cleared away each morning after his 'Amun Sun Vow Zarathustrian' invokations at 6am outdoors. And during his summer months (mid-March to early November) he rises first of all at 4 am each day to listen to the dawn chorus of birds (especially the blackbird which he is fond of) in his garden before returning to bed to bed for another 2 hours.
His vegetarianism (aside from the selfish consideraton of personal health and well being) is part of his philosophy to bring greater respect to life and a place for other creatures on this planent. He is constantly refining his own garden to attract more wildlife. This includes a wide variety of bird species, and field mice, hedgehog and toads.
His garden reflects this honour and empathy- wild life visitors to the garden are given precedence over human whims, small wild place have been created, no pecticides or artificial fertilisers are used, and feeding and eating areas established. Additionally there is an Elf Altar in a small herb garden, a meditation area, and a Celtic-cross Temple garden, and Fire Platform. On a flag pole beside the green house the flag of each nation of Pan-Europa is raised on each national day.
His hobbies/pastimes are: gardening; hiking; camping; ancient site research; writng poetry; Gaia spirituality; walking; Nature watch; wildlife; home wine & beer making; books; body training/workouts; music; folk singing, legends & folklore, and throwing an ocassional dinner party. He is a strong advocate of local community values and rights. He also founded the local Neighbourhood Watch in 2001to reduce crime in the neghbourhood and with his neighbours has been active in fighting against loutish behaviour/rowdyism as well as inconsiderate planning applications.
He is not only founder of Heritage/Arktion books but also of: the Order of the Jarls of Baelder (1990); the European Library (1993); The European Cultural Centre (1995) and The European Heritage School (2001). He was one of the very first in the world to bring native tribal values back to magick and esoterica as part of what he calls: "the ecological expression of the cultural and spiritual dynamic". He works at these projects in a small dedicated series of teams of close knit bands of officers/friends in England, Norway, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and Australia and the USA. He also has officers, students, and members in other levels in Spain, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Canada, Poland.
In his life so far he has also been: a factory worker, student, post-graduate research scholar, arts promoter, decorator, designer, gardener, civil servant, teacher, author, photographer, historian, union organiser, painter and sculptor, poet. He now dedicates his life to voluntary work and to Nature and the manifesting of spirituality in daily life via native heritage and the encouraging of others. He offer placements for individuals and small groups to derive benefit from and make use of what he has discovered in life.
Interviews and Public Lecture
Though he seldom gives interviews about his own life and views, he has appeared on and been interviewed on several public and commercial radio and also a television programme about his work and projects, and also given some interviews for various small magazines.
His work has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. He gave an extensive interview in 2003 to the leading Dutch magazine 'Religie & Mystiek'.
Recently he has been engaged in a series of public lecture tours to Belgium and the Netherlands (December 2002, and March 2003). Then in April 2003 he was one of the main guest speakers at the Elf Fantasy Fair at Utrecht, Netherlands.
* Ragnarök Runa comment: This presentation
appeared on the Arktion/OJB website http://www.arktion.org, and can be seen as a compliment to
the interview done with Stephen Cox
Arktion/OJB founded a library called The
European Library, which could still be of great interest. Arktion presented the
library in these sections:
The European Library
D2c=Archaeology;
G1=Art;
D12=WW1;
E8=Anthropology;
Sp.1b- Stephen B. Cox works;
J11b:Gardenerian;
D11b:Carolingians;
C17= Fabulous creatures;
J19d=Tarot;
L2b=Euro cities;
I5=Asatru groups;
C18=Finno-Ugric Mythology;
U4b= Finn-Ugric practices;
F4 Folklore & Music;
F5=Symbolism;
F3b=Finno-Ugric;
G1b=organic houses;
H1e=spiritual philosophy;
F1b=Changelings;
F1c=Sacrifice;
U3b=Celtic sites;
B1b7=Occult Groups;
B1b8-Symbolism/Glifs;
Bib9=Myths;
B1b10-History;
B1b11=Geometry;
U1d2= Pyramids;
U1d3=Stonehenge;
J31=Tibet;
J19b=Face/Palmsitry etc;
C16-LittleFolk.
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