Holy Blasphemy

Prophets, Shadow Guides, and the Occult Logic of the Deuteragonist

Mark Howard — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:38:34 +0000

Most “chosen one” stories are secretly unbearable. Not because destiny is a bad idea. Destiny is catnip. Prophecy, hidden power, ancient bloodlines, ominous dreams, sacred wounds, weird symbols in the sky: I am extremely vulnerable to all of it. The problem is that writers keep treating the chosen one as if raw importance is enough. Continue Reading

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Typos, Heresy, and the AI Sermon: Why Perfect Grammar Can Still Sound Dead

Mark Howard — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 13:38:21 +0000

Every generation invents a new way to panic about language. Once upon a time it was scribes hunched over parchment, trying not to disgrace God by dropping a line, mangling a word, or copying the wrong sentence twice. A typo was not just embarrassing. It could feel sinful. If you were copying scripture, law, or Continue Reading

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Where do vampires come from? Lord Byron and the Birth of Vampire Mythology

Mark Howard — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 13:06:34 +0000

Something rather incredible happens if you look at the so called “Satanic” school of literature. A small handful of creative writers, with beliefs that flew in the face of their contemporary victorian society, got together and wrote horror stories. Thus we have the birth of, for instance, the well known Frankenstein story. A link you’re Continue Reading

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10 Morning Prayers (and 1 Night Prayers) That Even Skeptics Can Use to Start and End the Day Right

Mark Howard — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:46:34 +0000

Let’s face it: morning prayers can feel like a relic of a bygone era, conjuring images of monks in cold abbeys or your grandmother kneeling by her bed. But there’s something undeniably comforting about starting (or ending) your day with a moment of quiet reflection—even if you’re not fully convinced a higher power is listening. Continue Reading

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Got Inspired to Create a “Chat with God” and “Chat with Satan” Chatbot—Here’s Why It’s Both Awesome and Terrifying

Mark Howard — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 22:40:50 +0000

I’ve been binge-watching Evil, the show that dives into demonic possessions, miracles, and the razor-thin line between science and the supernatural. At some point, the characters ran into a chatbot that was dispensing spiritual advice, and I thought: This is either the best or worst idea ever. Naturally, I decided to mock up some images Continue Reading

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Spiritual But Not Religious: Defining the New Cultural Majority

Mark Howard — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 09:38:27 +0000

When I was 14, my parents were going to a weird Christian spiritual center that was new age and modern. I was raised episcopalian but by moderate hippies; this church was pretty cool until the woman priest leader and some pals embezzled money and it got shut down. Around the same time though, I was Continue Reading

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Tarot Beyond Fortune-Telling: A Look at Archetypes and Self-Reflection

Mark Howard — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 09:38:04 +0000

Let me start with a confession: I used to think tarot cards were nothing more than a party trick. You know, the kind of thing someone would whip out at a sleepover, reading ominous warnings of “a tall, dark stranger” or promising a lottery win. It wasn’t until I sat down for a serious reading—one Continue Reading

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Astrology in the Internet Age: Meme Culture Meets Zodiac Signs

Mark Howard — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 09:37:39 +0000

Astrology has always had a strange pull on me. I remember the guilty thrill of flipping to the horoscope section in a glossy magazine as a teenager, scanning for some cosmic reassurance about my crush or my future. It felt silly, but it also felt… comforting. Fast forward to today, and astrology isn’t just lingering Continue Reading

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The Canton Spirituals & Gospel Heritage: Bridging Faith and Culture

Mark Howard — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 09:37:17 +0000

When I think of gospel music, I think of Sundays. Not just any Sunday, but the kind where the air is heavy with heat, people are packed into pews, and a choir is belting out a song that feels like it’s pulling something deep out of your chest. Gospel isn’t just music—it’s emotion, history, and Continue Reading

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Agnostic Spirituality: Embracing Wonder Without Certainty

Mark Howard — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 09:36:52 +0000

There’s a certain freedom in saying, “I don’t know.” Not as an excuse, not as a way to dodge responsibility, but as a genuine acknowledgment of the vast mystery of existence. It’s the kind of freedom I think a lot of us—myself included—find in agnosticism. We’re not claiming to have all the answers. We’re not Continue Reading

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