Forbidden Knowledge — Side Notes
Every era decides there are things people shouldn’t know—and then spends the rest of its time obsessing over them. Forbidden knowledge isn’t always dangerous because it works; sometimes it’s dangerous because it challenges authority, threatens identity, or refuses to behave once released. What gets censored, hidden, or whispered about tells you far more about power than it does about truth.
The Side Notes in this section examine that tension without breathless theatrics. These pieces explore banned texts, secretive groups, suppressed ideas, and experiments conducted at the edge of belief and credibility. Some were silenced for good reason. Others were buried because they asked the wrong questions at the wrong time. All of them reveal how curiosity becomes transgressive the moment it stops being convenient.
This is not an invitation to recklessness. It’s a record of where curiosity collided with control—and what survived the impact.
Featured Side Notes
You can also find these articles—and many more—within the main Grimoire Blog.
Ancient Apocalypse & Atlantis: Why Graham Hancock’s Theories Still Haunt Netflix — Graham Hancock’s Ancient Apocalypse lingers like a phantom in the streaming void. From Ice Age cataclysms to Atlantis reborn, the series grips millions with whispers of forbidden history. But what lies beneath the ruins—truth or tantalizing myth? We unravel the evidence, the allure, and why Netflix can’t quit this story.
Aradia and the Witch’s Gospel: The Text That Reawakened Magical Identity — Discover Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, a poetic and revolutionary text that inspires modern witches with ritual guidance, magical empowerment, and ancestral lineage. Explore how Aradia continues to shape Wiccan identity, practice, and creative spiritual expression.
Clocks Under the Sea: The Antikythera Mechanism’s Renaissance in Pop Culture — Beneath the waves, an ancient bronze device predicted the movements of stars and eclipses. The Antikythera Mechanism, lost for centuries, now captivates modern audiences, from YouTube explainer videos to pop-science fascination, bridging the gap between antiquity and today’s digital wonder.
Digital Familiars: AI, Apps, and the Witch’s New Companion — In 2025, witches are embracing a new kind of familiar—AI apps, tarot bots, and notifications that feel alive. Digital companions guide, reflect, and whisper through circuits, blending magic and technology in uncanny, intimate ways.
Mu, Lemuria & the Global Conspiracy: Reddit’s Resurfacing Legends — Lost continents rise again—on Reddit. Mu and Lemuria, fabled lands of wisdom and power, are reborn in threads linking energy-grids, pyramids, and conspiracies. Why do these legends still haunt the digital age, and what do they reveal about our hunger for secrets? Step into the labyrinth of myths, memes, and modern mystery.
Mystery Batteries & Electric Past: Baghdad’s Ancient Energy — Beneath the sands of ancient Mesopotamia lies a curious artifact: the Baghdad Battery. Was it an ancient electric cell, a ritual object, or a forgotten medical tool? Its secrets spark debates across archaeology, pop culture, and forums, bridging ancient ingenuity with modern fascination.
Summoning Spirits: Exploring the Art and Risks of Evocation — Evocation, the art of summoning spirits, blends ritual, divination, and ancient tradition. From protective symbols to Ouija boards, practitioners seek guidance, insight, or contact with the unseen, balancing curiosity with caution in a dance with the mysterious forces that linger just beyond perception.
The Ever-Changing Face of American Conspiracy Thinking: From Epstein to QAnon — In America’s shadowed corners, whispers outweigh facts. From Epstein whispers to QAnon currents, conspiracy thinking evolves—shaping politics, culture, and belief. Explore how these ever-mutating narratives feed fear, mistrust, and the human craving for hidden truths.
Tulpas: Echoes of Thought and Shadows of Mind — Step into the shadowy corners of the mind, where tulpas—sentient thought-forms—linger. From Tibetan mysticism to digital-age companions, explore their history, psychology, and the haunting power of creation itself.
Forbidden knowledge rarely stays forbidden forever. It leaks, mutates, rebrands, and resurfaces—often stripped of context or inflated beyond recognition. The danger isn’t always the information itself, but what happens when it’s removed from grounding, ethics, and accountability.
The Side Notes don’t promise hidden truths or secret power. They examine why certain ideas were restricted, who benefited from that restriction, and what happens when suppressed knowledge re-enters public imagination. Some entries will demystify. Others may complicate narratives you’ve heard repeated as fact.
Curiosity is not a sin—but it does carry responsibility. Read carefully. Question motives. And remember: what’s labeled “forbidden” often says more about fear than it does about wisdom.
* * *
✦ Comment below—we love hearing how others walk these paths
✦ Follow us on Instagram for new articles and archive updates
✦ Support the work on Ko-fi to keep the lamps lit
✦ Visit Patreon for exclusive content and deeper dives
