2. OCCULT: The Double Life of Rocketeer Jack Parsons Pt 2

Pasadena, CA | In Part 1, we introduced you to Jack Parsons, pioneering rocket scientist by day, occultist by night. This week, we will detail the downright bizarre rituals he engages in as his occult obsession drives him to near madness.  From getting caught up in a destructive love triangle with the founder of Scientology to losing his hard earned professional credibility, Jack’s life could not be filled with more drama.  Even the abrupt and tragic end to his life will leave us asking the question - would a rocket scientist really do that?

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🐇 Go ahead, down the rabbit hole you go… Here’s the complete list of sources for this episode:
Britannica. (2025, July 29). Aleister Crowley: British occultist. In Encyclopedia Britannica.
-Cantrell, L. (2020, May 3). The tragic true story of Peg Entwistle, the actress who jumped to her death from the Hollywood sign. Town & Country.
-Carter, J., & Wilson, R. A. (2005). Sex and rockets: The occult world of Jack Parsons. Feral House.
-Chapman, J. (2022, June 17). A look back at Jack Parsons on the 70th anniversary of his explosive death: Part 1 of a 3-part series on Jack Parsons. Pasadena Now.
-Chapman, J. (2022, June 25). How Jack Parsons and the Suicide Squad created a ‘new paradigm in rocketry’. Pasadena Now.
-Chapman, J. (2022, July 2). Exploring the occult world of Jack Parsons. Pasadena Now.
-Crowley, A. (1987). The book of the law. Weiser Books.
-Jacobson, M. M. (2016, September 22). 6 Dark places Aleister Crowley performed his particular brand of magick. Atlas Obscura.
-Knowledge at Wharton Staff. (n.d.). MacDonald’s book and the secret history of the space race [Audio podcast episode]. In Knowledge at Wharton. Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
-Palmer, D. A. (2016, December 15). Yes, Pasadena has a ‘Millionaire’s Row’ filled with stately homes from a bygone era. Pasadena Star-News.
-Pendle, G. (2006). Strange angel: The otherworldly life of rocket scientist John Whiteside Parsons. Mariner Books.
-Pendle, G. (2015, January 2). The occult rocket scientist who conjured spirits with L. Ron Hubbard. Vice.
-Polcyn, G., & Richardson, V. (Hosts). (2022, May 31). Jack Parsons (Ordo Templi Orientis Pt. 2) [Audio podcast episode]. In Cults. Parcast.
-Rasmussen, C. (2000, March 19). Life as a Satanist propelled rocketeer. Los Angeles Times.
-Tedeschi, D. (2019, October). Was the FBI right to hound one of America’s foremost rocket pioneers? Smithsonian Magazine.
-Vincent, A. (2017, February 17). Sex, rocket science, and Satanism: Meet NASA’s real hidden figures. The Telegraph.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)