"A lively new book." -The Guardian
"Spine-chilling exposé." -The Daily Mail
• Draws on firsthand accounts from Elvis's wife, Priscilla, his friends and family, the Memphis Mafia, and his spiritual advisors
• Looks at key teachers who influenced him, including Yogananda, H. P. Blavatsky, and Manly P. Hall
• Examines Elvis's efforts as a natural healer, the significance of his UFO encounters, and his telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveling abilities
Elvis Presley, the most successful solo artist in history and an emblematic cultural figure of the Western world, has been widely perceived as a conservative Southern Christian. However, the truth about the man has been missed.
Writer and researcher Miguel Conner reveals how Elvis was a profound mystic, occultist, and shaman. Beginning with the unusual circumstances of his birth-and his stillborn twin brother-Conner traces the diverse thread of mysticism that runs through Elvis Presley's life, drawing on firsthand accounts from the people closest to him, including his wife, Priscilla, the Memphis Mafia, and his spiritual advisors. He shows how Elvis studied seminal 19th- and 20th-century occultists, including H. P. Blavatsky, Manly P. Hall, G. I. Gurdjieff, and P. D. Ouspensky, and was a devotee of Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda. Conner argues that Elvis was well-versed in the esoteric practices of sex magic, meditation, astrology, and numerology and had a deep familiarity with Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Theosophy, and Eastern traditions. He also reveals how Elvis was a natural healer, telekinetic, psychic, and astral traveler who had significant mystical experiences and UFO encounters.
Looking at the conspiratorial and paranormal aspects of Elvis's life, the author explores the "Elvis visitations" that have occurred since the King's death and the general high weirdness of his life. As Conner convincingly argues, Elvis was not just a one-of-a-kind rock-and-roller. He was the greatest magician America ever produced. Miguel Conner is a writer, voiceover artist, and host of the popular podcast Aeon Byte Gnostic Radio. His books include Voices of Gnosticism, Stargazer, Heretic, and The Executioner's Daughter. He lives in northern Illinois. 1
A Quick History of Elvis Presley
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that' ll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Alannah Myles, "Black Velvet"
THIS CHAPTER MUST BE DONE. I know that for many readers who are fans, having to go through the history of Elvis is like the obligatory viewing of the alley death of Thomas and Martha Wayne in a Batman flick, or yet another childhood bio of Clark Kent in a Superman narration. We get it-do we have to do it again?
This biography is micro, breaking down the life stages of the ever-reinventing King of Rock 'n' Roll. It will work as a reference once we go down the rabbit hole that is the magical side of his life.
CHILD ELVIS
Elvis Aron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. He was the only living child of Vernon and Gladys Presley. His twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was born thirty-five minutes earlier but was stillborn. The Presley family was poor, and Vernon worked odd jobs to support his family, from sharecropping to running moonshine. Gladys took small jobs when she was able.
Elvis was extremely close to his parents, especially his mother. The family attended the Assembly of God Church, where he found his initial musical inspiration. Elvis was shy and introverted as a young boy. His passion was music, reflected in often singing at school or church.
The Presleys continued to live in poverty during that time, with Vernon even spending time away in jail for altering a check from an employer. In 1948, when Elvis was thirteen, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis was exposed to the sounds of blues, country, a
