Jack Parsons: Brilliant Scientist or Dangerous Occultist?

Jack Parsons: Brilliant Scientist or Dangerous Occultist?

From Divergent Files Podcast by Divergent Files Podcast

March 21, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

This episode explores the life of Jack Parsons, a pivotal figure in rocket science who was also involved in occult practices.

Jack Parsons helped ignite the American rocket age. He helped build the foundations of JPL and Aerojet . He pushed propulsion science forward. He helped drag humanity toward the stars. Then, in 1946, he and L. Ron Hubbard locked themselves inside one of the strangest ritual experiments in modern American history: the Babalon Working . In this episode of Divergent Files , we follow the real paper trail behind Jack Parsons : rocket engineer, occult practitioner, student of Aleister Crowley , federal person of interest, and one of the most unsettling forgotten architects of the modern world. Using journals, letters, biographies, FBI files, and historical records, we investigate the overlap between rocket science , Thelema , occult ritual , Cold War secrecy , and the violent 1952 explosion that ended Parsons’ life. This is not about proving the supernatural. It’s about confronting a historical fact most people were never taught: One of the men who helped launch the space age also believed ritual could change reality. And if that sounds absurd… …history gets worse. Divergent Files explores hidden history, scientific anomalies, declassified records, and the moments where belief, power…

People in this episode

Host: Divergent Files Podcast

Topics covered

  • rocket science
  • occult practices
  • Cold War
  • history
  • Thelema
  • Jack Parsons

Keywords

  • Jack Parsons
  • rocket engineer
  • occultist
  • Babalon Working
  • Thelema
  • history
  • Cold War
  • explosion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: JPL, Aerojet

Places: America

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