Explosive Facts About Jack Parsons, The Occult Rocketman
Jack Parsons was a legendary explosives-obsessed rocket engineer with an interest in the occult. He helped to put a man on the moon—and summon a demoness.
1. He Was The Occult Oppenheimer
Jack Parsons was the American rocket engineer who dabbled as much in chemistry as he did in blood magic. His work in rocketry shaped the early years of space exploration but it was his devotion to Thelema and the dark arts that defined his life. He could have been an occult Oppenheimer—if it hadn’t all blown up in his face.
2. His Parents Were Oddballs
John Whiteside Parsons was born to parents Ruth Virginia Whiteside and Marvel H. Parsons on October 2, 1914. His suburban Los Angeles, California upbringing was anything but normal. Parsons’ parents were in a “dark whirlwind romance” of “new-age spiritualism” by the time he was born. Their lifestyle certainly left an impression.
3. He Couldn’t See His Father
Shortly after his birth, Parsons’ mother made a devastating discovery. Her husband, as it turns out, had been carrying on an affair with a well-known, shall we say, scarlet woman (remember that term). Enraged, Ruth publicly humiliated her husband, filed for divorce, and drove him out of town. What’s more, is that she forbade any contact between Parsons and his father.
He would follow in his father’s footsteps anyway.
4. He Was Super Rich
Following his parents’ divorce, life actually improved for Parsons—at least, at first. His uber-wealthy grandparents moved to Los Angeles to help take care of him.
The family then moved together to a sprawling mansion on Orange Grove Avenue, Pasadena’s “Millionaire’s Mile”. However, his pampered lifestyle didn’t last long.
5. He Was A Loner
Apparently, Parsons’ mother managed to isolate the young boy too well. He grew up very much as a loner. The only company that he seemed to find was between the pages of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories or the works of Jules Verne. The fantastic stories fuelled his desire for escapism—and ignited his lifelong interest in rocketry.
