The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power

by John Michael Greer

Explores the role of magic and the occult in the rise of the ultra-conservative right

• Details the magical war that took place behind the scenes of the 2016 election

• Examines in detail the failed magical actions of Trump’s opponents, with insights on political magic from Dion Fortune’s war letters

• Reveals the influence of a number of occult forces from Julius Evola to chaos magick to show how the political and magical landscape of American society has permanently changed since the 2016 election

Magic and politics seem like unlikely bedfellows, but in The King in Orange , author John Michael Greer goes beyond superficial memes and extreme partisanship to reveal the unmentionable realities that spawned the unexpected presidential victory of an elderly real-estate mogul turned reality-TV star and which continue to drive the deepening divide that is now the defining characteristic of American society.

Greer convincingly shows how two competing schools of magic were led to contend for the presidency in 2016 and details the magical war that took place behind the scenes of the campaign. Through the influence of a number of occult forces, from Julius Evola to chaos magicians as well as the cult of positive thinking, Greer shows that the main contenders in this magical war were the status quo magical state--as defined by the late scholar Ioan Couliano--which has repurposed the “manipulative magic” techniques of the Renaissance magi into the subliminal techniques of modern advertising, and an older, deeper, and less reasonable form of magic--the “magic of the excluded”--which was employed by chaos magicians and alt-right internet wizards, whose desires coalesced in the form of a frog avatar that led the assault against the world we knew.

Examining in detail the magical actions of Trump’s opponents, with insights on political magic from occultist Dion Fortune’s war letters, the author discusses how the magic of the privileged has functioned to keep the comfortable classes from being able to respond effectively to the populist challenge and how and why the “Magic Resistance,” which tried to turn magic against Trump, has failed.

Showing how the political and magical landscape of American society has permanently changed since the 2016 election cycle, Greer reveals that understanding the coming of the King in Orange will be a crucial step in making sense of the world for a long time to come.

Genres: Occult, Politics, Nonfiction, History

208 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2021

About the author

John Michael Greer is an author of over thirty books and the blogger behind The Archdruid Report. He served as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. His work addresses a range of subjects, including climate change, peak oil, the future of industrial society, and the occult. He also writes science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book for free.

I feel like John Michael Greer thought up a good idea for a book title and worked backwards from there, just not with great results.

This is a book that claims to “explore the role of magic and the occult in the rise of the ultra-conservative right” but does absolutely nothing of the sort. Most of the first half is taken up with conservative ramblings that amount to very little, while the second half is a mix of vaguely interesting history coupled with “old man yells at cloud” style rants. He even finds time to take shots at modern art, music and technology for some reason.

Ultimately Greer provides absolutely no evidence at all to back up his claim that magic played a central role during the Trump years, unless you seriously count Pepe the frog memes as magical.

I don’t want to give the book 1 star, as there genuinely were the odd bits of interesting facts buried in there somewhere, mostly in the more historical chapters of the book. But ultimately this book was less magical exploration, more conservative rant.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Inner Traditions for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The King in Orange’ by John Michael Greer in exchange for an honest review. Its subtitle is ‘The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power’. Greer’s focus is on the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the claims that alt-right members of an online forum influenced the outcome through the use of magically charged internet memes.

I had a mixed reaction to this book. I thought that in his opening Greer did well in explaining to his readers the nature of magic, drawing upon Dion Fortune’s definition. However, I found that the book was heavily influenced by Greer’s conservative political worldview. He almost seems to paint Trump as a working class hero, who had at heart the needs of those Greer terms the waged class and seems to wilfully ignore so much. It became rather mind-boggling.

So there are plenty of partisan rants and Greer was clearly grumbling about the outcome of the 2020 election and buying into the allegations of voter fraud.

Like the author I have been a practicing magician for most of my life, therefore while our attitudes about politics might differ we share an understanding of what magic is and a common language. Also, for well over half a century I have enjoyed the tales of H.P. Lovecraft and his fellow writers of eldritch horror, including Robert W. Chambers, whose ‘The King in Yellow’ inspired Greer’s title and themes within the book.

I think that before reading that I had expected a book that was less pro-Trump and that examined a wider range of occult responses to the 2016 election and presidency. Still, there were a number of aspects within that I felt went beyond admiration for King Orange; including Greer’s division of American society into four classes: investment, salaried, waged, and welfare, and how politicians and the media interacts with or ignores them. His projections for the future were a bit ‘out there’ but still made for interesting reading.

He also cited Vine Deloria Jr.’s ‘God is Red’, a work that highlighted the “profound spiritual importance of place” in Native American traditions and how this lack of connection between people and the land can result in a sense of wider alienation. The importance of the natural world and the land has been another theme that has long interested me.

Greer did at times demonstrate a wry sense of humour that caught me off guard. I had a laugh out loud moment at his Notes that reflected the ever popular “do the research” statement. His wide knowledge of and appreciation for science fiction and horror also stood out and I am planning to look into his Lovecraft-inspired fiction in the near future.

Overall, despite Greer’s obvious political bias there was interesting, thought-provoking material within. Also, the cover art was very striking.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Beverly Garside · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating analysis of the economic roots of the MAGA movement. Of particular note: the long-standing taboo on mentioning the economic disenfranchisement of the working classes ("wage earners") that started with the "Reagan Revolution" and trickle-down economics. That said, Greer falls into the same black and white moral stereotypes that he criticizes. The white-collared ("salaried class") is painted with black, privileged, liberal-elite oblivion, while wage-earning whites backing Trump are painted with white, innocent victimhood that perfectly justified their support of him.
I beg to differ.
While educated, salaried people do indeed have our flaws, as does the Left in general, there can simply be no comparison with MAGA. I need not enumerate the depths and darkness of their depravity. They came to a fork in the road and chose the dark path over the lighter one. We could have been on the same side against the real enemy (Wall Street Capital) that is using and manipulating us both. They could have joined with us and the rest of the (non-white) working class in the fight. Instead, they chose lies, conspiracy theories, and spewing hot bile in everyone else's direction. Now, having cut off their nose despite their face, they have no allies and have made in all of us an enemy whose power and rage they have not yet fully discovered.
Greer makes some insightful observations about magic, morality, and politics. It's a shame he chose to defend the black side against the lighter shades of grey.

[Rebecca Elson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 04/21/2021.

Early on, author John Michael Greer makes sure you know that he speaks about magic following the definition provided by Dion Fortune, “Magic is the art and science causing changes in consciousness in accordance with will.” Knowing this makes it easier to see the intersection of magical influence and politics, the subject of Greer’s latest book, “The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power.” I feel like these days we’re all armchair politic pundits, I know I am. However, it takes a certain amount confidence to write a book on the divisive topic of politics and up the ante by adding magic to the mix. Since schools of magical thought are always known for being an eternal spring of agreeability (yes, sarcasm).

Greer does an excellent job explaining the primary division amongst Americans as being investment class, salary class, wage class, and welfare class. Your experience of America is greatly based on where you fall in these categories, with the investment and salary classes being catered to and the wage class and welfare class being left to fend for themselves. It is a more refined version of the “problems with the vanishing middle class” concern that politicians bandy about and that many Americans are actually experiencing. Everyone gets an opinion on why Trump won in 2016, and Greer’s is that the wage class was motivated by promises of bringing jobs back to the United States. A new generation Jim Carville’s, “It’s the economy stupid.” “The King in Orange” spends a great deal of time exploring Greer’s thoughts on the mundane reason for the Trump victory, which also include bring soldiers home and the wage class’s struggle with Obamacare.

Things get more interesting when Greer starts tracking the chaos magic of the 4Chans, and the reactionary workings of the magical resistance. “The King in Orange” does an excellent job comparing and contrasting not only the philosophies of these groups, but also their operational practices. There is much to be learned about magic, just from the author’s observations and explanations.

“The King in Orange” is a thought provoking look at the 2016 election through the prism of Greer’s political opinions and magical experience. Whether you agree 100% with his findings, you will still find yourself with much to consider.

[Marco · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book attempts to connect recent American political upheavals with hidden magical forces but ultimately collapses under its own weight. While promising a unique exploration, Greer instead delivers a conspiratorial narrative infused with clear partisan bias and questionable occult assertions.

Greer's political arguments reduce complex issues to simplistic class conflicts, dismissing substantial evidence about racial and social factors shaping modern politics. His portrayal of Trump as a misunderstood populist hero, opposed by "elite" conspiracies, veers into unsupported claims, even hinting at election fraud narratives that lack credibility. This overtly one-sided analysis fails to convincingly address counter-evidence or the complexities of populist politics.

On the occult front, Greer leaps from metaphorical interpretations of magic to literal claims that "meme magic" significantly influenced election outcomes. Assertions that internet trolls effectively conducted successful magical rituals lack any solid evidence or even plausible explanation. Equally unconvincing is his critique of anti-Trump magical efforts, attributing their failure to flawed occult methods rather than acknowledging a simpler reality—that such magical practices have negligible real-world impact.

The book’s structure further undermines Greer’s thesis, drifting into tangential rants and speculative far-future prophecies disconnected from contemporary events. His use of occult references feels forced and misleading rather than insightful, confusing metaphor with genuine occult causation.

Ultimately, The King in Orange reads more like a partisan rant wrapped in mystical jargon rather than a rigorous exploration of political or occult dynamics. Readers seeking meaningful analysis or credible occult perspectives on modern politics will likely find Greer’s arguments hollow and his evidence lacking.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from NetGalley.com. In terms of stars, I use the standard 1 star for hating a book, 2 for not liking a book, 3 stars meaning it was okay, 4 stars for liking a book, and 5 stars for loving a book. This was rated at a 3-star level, because it was okay, but it wasn’t great. I felt that it really lacked a complete discussion of what was magical or occult in the election process; I felt like the author did more tying in of a bunch of loose strings from completely separate spheres to make a figurative puff. It had parts of the book that were interesting, but without too much to connect the different topics brought up in the book. There were a lot of new words I had never used before and it read as quite intellectual, but if someone asked, I couldn’t really give a central idea that carried through logically through the entire narrative.

[Nicole Diamond]

Garbage - don’t waste your time or money

[Korrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of the other books I've read by Greer are better, but this isn't a bad book. I disagree with several of his conclusions here (especially the effects of the protest vote on the 2016 election and his assertion that low-income people were better off before Obamacare), but the way he makes his arguments is still interesting.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and very off beat read on the reasons that Trump successfully motivated half a country to vote for him.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this book in the lead-up to the 2024 election, and decided to read it after Donald Trump got re-elected after four years out of office, three dozen felony convictions, two assassination attempts, and probably a partridge in a pear tree somewhere in there. Given how improbable all that seemed, I said to hell with it, let's see how Greer pins it all on magic. If nothing else, I expected it to be a grimly humorous look at opposing sides in the shadows of American politics, calling upon the crystal pyramids of Atlantis and the Feng Shui of numerology while overhead the fifth house of Mars had a Cadillac in Escalade, or whatever.

What I wasn't expecting was one of the most cogent looks at the state of American politics I've seen in print. At least, for the bulk of its page count; Greer's framing convention around excerpts from The King in Yellow is a bit eye-rolly at times, and I feel it was just there to draw on the popularity of the extended Cthulhu Mythos.

Magic, by Greer's definition, is generating changes in consciousness through exertion of will. Advertising, for example, is by that definition, a form of magic: making you hungry for a Big Mac, or interested in a movie. But there are subtler approaches that can reach further into the fabric of society at large, and it really feels like more of a psychological, social engineering type of thing, than the burning incense and chanting incantations that I was expecting. Some may balk at calling such things "magic," but semantics aside, Greer's analysis of why the 2016, and by extension the 2024 election (this book was published in 2021), turned out the way they did seems largely sound.

At play is a complex soup of values vs. interests, manufactured outrage and ignored concerns among the social strata of the country, and false dichotomies that have been projected for a very long time. Eventually, something had to give, and whether or not you want to call the elements that led to that point "magic" as Greer does, there is an awful lot of thought-provoking material here, about anger, obliviousness, and various classes of society with prolonged, unmet needs.

It does ignore the fact that the person so many people turned to, to overturn the status quo is outright lying to them most of the time, and likely won't actually improve things (see the recent grocery price 180 Trump did), but maybe those who can't stand business as usual just don't care. I feel that more could have been said about what such a scorched earth mentality signifies and portends, but as a whole, what's here paints a stark and unflinching picture of what's wrong with politics, and where it's led us in the US over the past half-century or so.

And if I can walk away with something worthwhile from a book written by someone who proclaims magic is a real thing, maybe I can understand a little of how someone else can look at a pathological liar and a felon, and come away with the thought that he's somehow a better alternative than business as usual--if business as usual hasn't done anything but grind you down year after year. Maybe.

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to like here. I generally take a lot away from JMG's books, and this book is not an exception. I have no problem going a long with many of his main points. The 2016 election was a lot about class, sure. That Hillary wasn't exciting enough candidate, yes. That Trump wasn't Hitler. Fine.

Was Trump some trickster god? An extrusion or egregore of the land of America itself? This reminds me of my conversations with Christian friends, and I'd point out how terrible and un Christian the man was and I'd get 'God works in mysterious ways.' He's doing gods work though he's an unworthy vessel. Yeah. As we learned 'work' isn't really Trump's strong suit.

The actual policies that JMG pointed out that people voted for on the Trump side were ones I generally agree with, but even when he tried to do them, he did them so poorly. Like you hire a bull to put up displays in your china shop and then just ignore the broken china.

He seems no different than the mainstream republicans or democrats who say stuff but never do anything. Though that's down to dysfunctional senate rules the electoral college and jerrymandering and the gridlock it's created. Trump did as little as any of them and hasn't left us better off. He wasn't a trickster god, or a God puppet, he was just another huckster con man. Most of the terrible stuff we said he'd do...he did.

And please, quit telling me he represents a majority. He won a slim majority of a handful of counties in the upper midwest that tipped the electoral college to his side while LOSING the popular vote. The Democrats have won, in the sense of a majority of voters, every election since Bush. H. Clinton won the popular vote. Gore won the popular vote. That isn't a majority of anything.

And if you're going to suggest that the voting itself is rigged, you need to prove that. Which no one has. Trump's folks had plenty of chances to do that in republican states before republican judges and they had nothing. So don't have a chapter called 'notes' telling me to google it. Cite your sources.

So worthwhile? Yes. It got me out of my comfort zone for sure, it was an interesting look into some of the crevices of the election and the historical forces that pushed that outcome. But I remain unconvinced about a lot of the suppositions made. And it will make me read other JMG books with a much more skeptical eye, because in so many of the places this story crosses my own experience and knowledge, he gets it wrong.

[Dameon Launert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greer defines magic as "a change in consciousness according to will”. Even as an atheist, rationalist, and skeptic, I can accept this definition and how he applies it throughout the book.

He covers such topics as the transactional analysis Rescue Game, identity politics, Oppression Olympics, virtue signaling to demonstarte acceptability to aristocracy, hate as a taboo natural emotion, the internet chans, kek wars, and the magic of excluded versus the magic of excluders. I also appreciate how he incorporated some of Spengler's ideas.

John Michael Greer remains one of my favorite authors, especially regarding social critique and framing the tides of history so that the reader can understand currents.

I do have two criticisms of this book, though. First, he differentiated the Investor, salary, wage, and welfare classes, but focused primarily on the salary and wage classes. The latter, when it lost its jobs and was oversold managerial prospects with college debt, transformed into the basement brigade.

So far so good, but I couldn't help thinking that Greer was letting the investor class off the hook. I understand they were not the focus of this particular telling of events, but I wish he had included more to say about their role.

Secondly, he wrote late in the book about how revolution against overt privilege often ends up becoming the new covert privilege. Does Greer understand that that's what LGBTQ and Zionism has accomplished? These two groups plaid the victim card to escape notice as they seized political power.

Early in the book, Greer cites a drag queen event as evidence that his town isn't so regressive after all, apparently unaware that drag is to woman as blackface is to African Americans. Further, he advocated for gay rights several times throughout the book without acknowledging what that entails: an attack on heterosexual social norms, replaced by a queered version. I'm sorry, John, but most humans are heterosexual. There is even a biological basis. The majority should not be forced to appease the minority. Quite simply, I do not want to be forced to see two men kissing or holding hands.

These two criticisms do not detract much from my overall rating: five stars.

[J.R. Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Michael Greer is very well read. His mind makes connections from disparate fields to offer creative explanations and deep understanding. But this book’s main thesis comes off as forced. He doesn’t provide a compelling explanation of the phenomena in question, citing auspicious patterns appearing in 4chan post ID numbers, the coincidence that the internet-speak word “kek” is similar to the name of Egyptian frog god Kek, and that Hillary Clinton collapsed on the same day she criticized Pepe the Frog as a symbol of hate.

Greer spends far too much of the book arguing that Trump’s stated policies are clearly in the economic and community interest of blue collar voters. It almost seems like he’s trying to convince himself, particularly since he’s a staunch environmentalist, and not a climate denier.

Greer may be right about the reasons for Trump’s appeal, but for someone who talks a lot about the dangers of psychological repression, he never once mentions that Trump, even to his greatest devotee, has behaved like a self-interested charlatan with zero reciprocity for the sacrifices his base and subordinates make for him. Trump may herald the age of Caesarism, but “Orange Julius” is no Julius Caesar.

[Rafael Aracil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second book by John Michael Greer and I am really fond of his writing style. His reasoning is clear, and the text is very well structured and developed. You can tell it is well-researched (although there are no footnotes or notes whatsoever: "Open your browser and do your own research!") and that the author has an almost encyclopedic knowledge.

The first section offers the author's take on the Trump phenomenon framed into a class war rather than a left, right, progressive, conservative, etc. one. You can agree or not, but it does make sense.
The second part is where the magic comes into place. The definition of magic that he employs is the one by Dion Fortune: Magic is the art and science of causing changes in consciousness in accordance with will., and that, in a sense is what an electoral campaign is all about. I like how he considers different kinds of magic: the need of the unfavored for things to change and the will of the establishment to maintain the status quo.
The third part is probably more abstract as it verses about the future and the change of era or paradigm that is taking place. For me, it was very interesting as it was the first time I came across these theories.
A good book all around, well worth a reread and some thinking.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The sections were split up really well and the writing captured my attention the whole time. A perfect combination of a bit of believable mystery & magic, and the players on the chessboard were well described. The author understands the long game well, and it was really refreshing to hear someone describe the true reasons that the 2016 election went the way it did, among other large-scale impacts in the west (with some great inclusion of content from ‘Decline of the West’ as well).
Whether we are truly in ‘post-Trump America’ currently, or whether the Trump phenomenon is still very alive but temporarily… quiet… is debatable.
The chapter ‘The Orange Sign’ does a brief dip into the supernatural around the digital environment and meme wars that I found very interesting, and have never seen it written anywhere but on internet boards.
Great book, this one will stay on my shelf.

[Jessica Kurnas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The King in Orange: The Magical and Occult Roots of Political Power by John Michael Greer is a solid read that is relevant to our times in 2025 with the re-election of a certain someone in the states. Whereas I don't agree with all things the author is shelling out such as there being a magical something going on, I agreed with his other points in regards to the certain someone. There is nothing supernatural going on here and if you are looking for that kind of magic within this writing, you will walk away disappointed.

Still some interesting thoughts and points in this book and I think it is worth a read if you are wondering how this could happen a second time when clearly it didn't work the first time.

[Menahem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I was expecting, but what I got was a rant about Trump, mixed with occult 101.
I strongly suggest one watches "Feels Good Man" - a documentary about Pepe The Frog, instead.
The author is known for other, more significant-sounding books, maybe I will give them a try or maybe this cast a shadow that is not easily redeemable.
Two stars for wasting my time and unclear marketing.

[Paul Doke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly don't know what to say about this one... author seems to genuinely dislike both major parties, espouses views that would be both sides depending on the subject and mostly just wants to talk about the powerful magick forces that keep things in check. Genuinely quite interesting, but not the political pov I expected to read.

[Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and helped gained perspective on current events and happenings. Lots of big words and not an easy read - thought the author made it unnecessarily challenging to follow at times. Don't feel like the "magic" aspect is explained or examined very well. Overall an interesting read.

[Nancy McQueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read so far this year!

[r · Rating 4 out of 5]

JMG continues to cut through the bullshit like few others can. Don’t worry about all the normies giving this poor ratings.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the read.

The book gives the best explanation I have heard as to why Trump came to power. I highly recommend it!!

[Andrew Ceyton · Rating 2 out of 5]

The guy's a crank.

[Eric Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant analysis that helps us better understand class and culture as it pertains to magic: "the art and science of causing changes in the consciousness in accordance with will."