Why I had never heard of Paschal Beverly Randolph (1825-1875) before this week seems crazy to me: he is one of the most fascinating people in American history. So that you, dear readers, also cease to abide in similar ignorance, might I introduce this man?.
Randolph was descended on his father’s side from the white Virginia colonial settler William Randolph, and his mother had been an African American slave who died when her son was only seven. Abandoned by his father, Randolph grew up in the slums of New York, but showed an aptitude for resourcefulness — he became a self-taught author of many books and pamphlets, and travelled extensively in the Middle East and Europe before returning to his home country.
Randolph became a leading abolitionist and advocate for woman’s rights. He also became one of the foremost Spiritualists in America and founded the first Rosicrucian order in the United States (A settlement of Rosicrucians has a building dedicated to him in Bucks County, Pennsylvania). Speaking of the rights of people of color in 1864, Randolph delivered the following powerful statement:.
“We are here to ring the bells at the door of the world; proclaiming to the nations, to the white man in his palace, the slave in his hut, kings on their thrones, and to the whole broad universe that we are coming up”.
Amidst all this leadership, Randolph was also a groundbreaker in American history for his promotion of sex magic. No you did not read that wrong. He got really into Spiritualism and esoteric knowledge and became well known as a medical healer of sexual problems. But he also published books about using sex for magical purposes — to gain love or luck or insight or material fortune. He had a whole idea about how males and females completed each other like an electromagnetic currant (electomagnatism was very popular in his day), and how mutual orgasm would bring about super powerful forces.
In all of his passions, Randolph looked forward to “an age of gold in which peace on earth would prevail, and all men on earth could meet . . . Without distinction of color, sex, or money”.
So — now you know about Paschal Beverly Randolph.
