PARIS - 1995
Betrayed by her childhood faith, a young woman turns to Magick to regain control over her life. She soon discovers the power she seeks to wield will demand she gives up everything she ever was…and everything she could have been.
I am that woman.
INITIATION
Empire Vertigo is a true story. It follows my life journey and spiritual path through Witchcraft, Chaos Magick, Daemonolatry and High Magick from 1995 to the present day as I face self-deception, survive transformation, reclaim lost power and achieve liberation.
The story explores the beliefs we inherit, the realities we construct and the familiar patterns we cling to.
In Empire Vertigo, Magick is the tool that reveals reality.
The story draws from more than two decades of occult practice, study and direct experimentation within Western occultism. More than practical knowledge is shared through my story — the reality of deep inner work, the cost of searching for answers beyond society’s accepted boundaries, the need to develop discernment, separate belief from fact, and take responsibility for ourselves.
Empire Vertigo explores power: how we lose it, how we reclaim it, and why we are so often afraid of it.
Occultism has repeatedly been portrayed through grim austerity or exaggerated caricature — as something fantastical, disturbing or terrifying, governed by mysterious forces and unknowable consequences.
The project moves beyond medieval clichés and obscure superstition, approaching esotericism as a practice requiring discipline, resilience and emotional mastery. You see what happens and the reality of life as a practicing Magickian — what works, what fails, what seduces, what breaks and what transforms you.
The project becomes a window into the unseen: an entertaining, cinematic companion to your own exploration of power, self and what constitutes reality.
THE MAGICIAN
My name is Adelaide Filippe. I am a magician.
My study of occult knowledge began in 2002 and has followed an odd path. While parts of that journey were occasionally shared with peers, for most of my life it remained a private, solitary practice — one that demanded a strange kind of double life.
Like many people raised within Western Christianity, I emerged from my religious upbringing lost, resentful and carrying unanswered questions about existence and the human condition.
I started Magick because of a deeper call. I took Magick seriously because my life was in free fall.
I learned through relentless questioning, exploration and experimentation. Knowledge was harder to access then, and my craft evolved according to what I could find, test and understand at each stage of the journey. I have never had a human master. Spirits have been my guides from the beginning, my initiators and my teachers. I started with traditional Witchcraft before quickly embracing Chaos Magick for more than a decade. In 2018, I entered modern Daemonolatry, allowing my practice to evolve towards the Great Work and the transformative alchemy of High Magick.
Alongside that path, I built a career as a senior concept designer and visual development consultant, with more than 15 years of experience across film and television. My work has contributed to award-winning productions for studios including Lucasfilm, Disney, Marvel, DC and Universal, with selected credits including Star Wars: Andor, Poor Things, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Star Trek: Discovery, Justice League and 007: Spectre.
Today, I bring those two worlds together in Empire Vertigo — decades of occult practice and a career spent turning complex ideas into unforgettable entertainment.
GOD DOESN’T MAKE DEALS.
Created by Adelaide Filippe
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