it has been shown that much of the work of Trithemius, Agrippa’s mentor and the progenitor of European ceremonial magick, was actually veiled cryptography, a brutal and embarrassing truth that much of the occult and neopagan revival, which ultimately stems from Trithemius, has never assessed.
Jason Louv, The Angelic Reformation: John Dee, Enochian Magick & the Occult Roots of Empire
Bkwyrm reviews The Sun At Night [Amazon, Bookshop] by Roger Williamson in the Bkwyrm’s Occult Book Reviews archive.
Neat book. I tend to be very critical of occult fiction, since most of it is rewarmed crap. This work is definitely original. It does tend to remind the reader at times of Dion Fortune’s The Sea Priestess, but in a good way. This is an “occult morality tale”, about a young man, magickal orders, self-deception, love, and books. It’s not long, about 100 pages, and is the perfect length to read on a train or plane trip. Highly recommended.
The Magick of Thelema: A Handbook of the Rituals of Aleister Crowley by Lon Milo DuQuette, with foreword by Hymenaeus Beta, since re-published as The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema, the 1993 paperback from Samuel Weiser, is part of the collection at the Reading Room.
“Magick has been called the ‘Yoga of the West,’ and never before has interest in the subject been greater. Today on cannot embark upon even the most superficial study of the subject without encountering the works and personality of Aleister Crowley (1875–1947). His impact upon Western spiritual tradition is incalculable, yet beginning students frequently find it difficult, if not impossible, to grasp the post-graduate level of Crowley’s writings. Now Crowley scholar Lon Milo DuQuette shares the insights of over twenty years of research and practice in what can be described as a ‘Crowley primer.’
Using simple, straightforward language (uncharacteristic in books of this nature), DuQuette traces the evolution of modern Ceremonial Magick and painlessly discusses the foundations and intricacies of Crowley’s thought. He then challenges the reader to put this knowledge into practice by offering initiated commentaries upon Crowley’s most popular and celebrated rituals.
The Magick of Thelema is without question the most unintimidating, amusing and user-friendly guide to the works of Aleister Crowley ever written. It is truly A Handbook of the Rituals of Aleister Crowley and as such is an indispensable addition to every magickal library.”
The Hermetic Library Reading Room is an imaginary and speculative future reification of the library in the physical world, a place to experience a cabinet of curiosities offering a confabulation of curation, context and community that engages, archives and encourages a living Western Esoteric Tradition. If you would like to contribute to the Hermetic Library Reading Room, consider supporting the library or contact the librarian.
Pearls of Wisdom: Gems from the Journal Black Pearl by James A Eshelman, from College of Thelema, is due to be released in August, 2013, and may be of interest.
“‘Seek the New in the Old ~ Seek the Old in the New.’ That was the motto of Black Pearl, College of Thelema’s biannual journal published 1997–2002. Author James A. Eshelman contributed 100 articles during one of the most prolific periods of his career. This anthology gathers over 40 essays, many of them substantially updated and expanded, and some of them never previously published.
Pearls of Wisdom ‘seeks the new in the old’ through a magnificent cache of wisdom teachings from one of Thelema’s most insightful, creative teachers.
This is the ‘director’s cut’ of Black Pearl – and more!
An Introduction to Thelema — the ground shifting world-view of Aleister Crowley – explains Thelema’s core principles of Will, Love, and Star, then expands on the nature of True Will and Love Under Will; Thelema’s pantheon of gods; and the New Era of Aspiration now opening before us. The rest of the book is organized in 7 parts:
It’s in the Basics ♦ Magick ♦ Qabalah ♦ Thelema
Sexual Mysteries ♦ Holy Guardian Angel ♦ The PathFor example, one section (‘Magick’) explores a dozen topics of ceremonial magick, including traditional and newer forms of the pentagram and hexagram rituals, Sun adorations, new adaptations of classic initiation rites, the ancient art of evocation, and a new ritual for becoming a purer reflection of your deepest spiritual ideal.
Chapter 32, The Magical Record of Brother Proserpinus, is a modern tale of a brother of A∴A∴ who undertook the Great Work and succeeded. Four times the size of excerpts published in Black Pearl, this is the centerpiece of the book.” [via]
You may be interested in “Babalon, Enochian Magick, and Music with Lon Milo DuQuette in Sacramento!” an event being presented by The College of Thelema of Northern California and the Temple of the Silver Star which will be a day with a couple lectures and a musical performance by Lon Milo DuQuette on Sun, Jun 30th in Sacramento, CA.
“Sunday, June 30, 2013
at the Soror Meral Building
Sacramento, CaliforniaSchedule of Events:
1pm Lecture: Babalon and the Abyss: the Ultimate Attainment
Explore the mysteries of the crossing of the ‘Abyss’; and learn about the nature of Babalon, the Thelemic archetype of the all-encompassing goddess.
3pm Lecture: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Enochian Magick
Learn the basic theory as well as the practical tools necessary to begin work with this powerful system of ceremonial magick.
5pm Musical performance by Lon Milo DuQuette
6pm Reception. Lon will be available to sign his books, so bring your copies! A limited number of Lon’s books and related titles will also be available for purchase.
Lon’s lectures and performances are both thought-provoking and tremendously entertaining. It’s quite unusual to learn so much and have so much fun on the same occasion. Don’t miss this opportunity to see Lon in person!” [via]
Ritual film:Vibrations on the analogue from doomtube on Vimeo.
This video was featured recently in a late night aside, but doomtube added it, and in better HD quality this time as well, to the Hermetic Library video pool. So, here it is again.
“‘There is an overarching theme of decay, physically, in that the digital video is often degraded by computer compression and Analogue recording.’
My films explore having the ‘broken’ thought patterns of the mental health condition termed Schizoaffective Disorder, which I was diagnosed with in 2002. No explicit references are made to this condition within the films, but the sense of unease (and unreality) which the condition brings about is examined. Through the breakdown and disintegration of the images and the erratic illogical narrative of the films, the condition is studied from a personal point of view.
‘We fear the dark because anything could be hiding in it’
This film draws on Esoteric, Occult and Mystic ceremonial Magick practices. Thelemic Rituals are evoked in a garish fractured pulsating explosion of sputum in which the viewers take part.
The film is a Hymn to Pan.” [via]
The Hermetic Library video pool is a scavenger hunt for video from a living Western Esoteric Tradition. If you would like to submit your work for consideration, head over to the Hermetic Library video pool or contact the librarian.
ritual film: Vibrations On The Analogue is a Phil Beeken film from doomtube [also]
“‘There is an overarching theme of decay, physically, in that the digital video is often degraded by computer compression and Analogue recording.’
My films explore having the ‘broken’ thought patterns of the mental health condition termed Schizoaffective Disorder, which I was diagnosed with in 2002. No explicit references are made to this condition within the films, but the sense of unease (and unreality) which the condition brings about is examined. Through the breakdown and disintegration of the images and the erratic illogical narrative of the films, the condition is studied from a personal point of view.
‘We fear the dark because anything could be hiding in it’
This film draws on Esoteric, Occult and Mystic ceremonial Magick practices. Thelemic Rituals are evoked in a garish fractured pulsating explosion of sputum in which the viewers take part.
The film is a Hymn to Pan.” [via]