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Also take a look at www.ombos.co.uk for much
Egyptian and Sethian material.
Book Reviews & Announcements
-
Review of the Year
-
2011 - Quite A Year -
a snapshot of the pagan conference "season"
My impression
is that this was one of the busiest years for a while in terms of Pagan happenings,
lectures and conferences; so much so i attended far more than I'd intended
but fewer that I could have done. My conference season began at Pendle Witch
Camp on the Yorkshire/Lancashire border. There are probably dozens of such
camps up and down the country throughout the year - combining conference,
festival and carry on camping. For £35 you can party the whole solstice
weekend with numbers limited to 500 you don't feel clostrophobic or lonely.
I got invited back to speak despite my dismal performace in 2009 - well it
was Sunday and by then folk were a bit tired and emotional as they say. This
year the speakers had a much brighter maquee which brought out the best in
the assorted team of chaotists, witches and New Edgers. I notice my name is
on the website for 2012 - probably a mistake but if it ain't deleted by next
year I might just sneak in. My talk 'Blood Sacrifice' went down well although
some stayed away thinking it was going to be a bit too OTT - in fact it was
more of a debate about the options inspired by the diversity of essays in
Charlotte Rodger's slim but powerful tome The Bloody Sacrifice. I
spent a very pleasant evening with Jo Birocco of Chaos Magazine and
Tanya Ahsan of Kindred Spirit.
* * *
By the
time I recovered from that it was time to bowl down to my old stamping ground
in Brighton for the Scarlet Imprint's "Summer of Love". I'm not
sure its quite the evocation of the 60s I was expecting but even so there
is a lot of love between the people who have constituted what is tantamount
to a new school of magick - whether its Nicholaj Frisvolds global witchcraft,
Jake Stratton Kent's Grimoire or the hosts thoughtful and provocative inspiration
on Lucifer and / Buto dance.
My old pal Andy was there who together with his partner Sarah, gave Rum and
Candles for everyone - that set the tone really - genuine happiness, a real
fizz in the air to at least be together and have new ideas and inspiration
to share.
* * *
The waves
of the UK occult rush are lapping on the shores at the other side of the pond,
giving the lie to the idea that we are one culture divided by a common language".
Many folk from UK spoke at the 3rd Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle - I'd
kind of love to be there but some of out new titles had to be diplomat for
Mandrake - and people liked them - specially the new biog of Marjorie Cameron.
* * *
October
1st was one of the hotest October days since records began. I hit the road
to drive 100 miles to Bournemouth - "get my kicks on thee A303"
) Conference of Magic - another small but select gathering of kindred sprits
- a week later I was biting my nails en route to the Pagan Federation 40 years
celebration at the iconic The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore,
London. For some reason they'd asked me to represent the Golden Dawn current
in the workshops - and only a couple of diehards walked out of my presentation
on the Khemetic Golden Dawn. It helped having the ever adept Rufus Harrington
(speaking on Hermetic Magick) as warm up. My impression was that the workshop
stream was very interesting. I had a drink with Maxine Sanders and her friend
David Conway whose autobiography Magick Without Mirrors [Logios]
was launched at the Atlantis bookshop the night before.
Finally
then Day of the Dead in Glastonbury on Saturday, October 29 · in the
shadow of the Tor. The organisers Jamie Alexander and his partner Jack moved
to Glasto four years ago and ran the Occult Consultancy initially from the
Witchcraft Limited. They opened the St Martha Botanica in November of last
year. They soon branched out into occultural gatherings - normally a bit thin
on the ground in the Glastonbury New Age milieu: hence the Occult Conference
in the spring or Day of the Dead in the Fall. This is another intimate gathering,
about 60 folk, many becoming familiar faces from the left field circuit -
I sat on a coffin at the back of the room to listen to Josephine's McCarthy's
talk on exorcism - Glastonbury is the land of Idiots - big laugh - we all
know what she means - even so, she continues - 90% of what one hears may be
carp - the trick is knowing which is which (she didn't say that exactly but
it was that kind of thing). I'd not heard Josephine speak but like everyone
in the room it was impressive stuff from a direction many of us take for granted
or ignore.
Well
it's late November and there are still loads of things happening - and already
the blessed facilitators are planning for 2012
Dark Tantra Tarot
by Mark & Ruth Ramsden
£20 inc p&p
The Oswald
Wirth Tarot also only has 22 trumps and there are some readers who only
use the major sequence. Even though I personally prefer the whole deck, the
Dark Tantra Tarot won me over. The artwork by Ruth Ramsden is excellent.
This fine monochrome deck is printed on good quality card stock, with a nice
matt finish on the illustrated side, and deep black glossy backs like an obsidian
scrying mirror or patent black leather boots. or stilettos.
An elegant black velveteen pouch is included to carry the cards, and a concise
instructions sheet. As you might expect, the theme of this deck is Fetish,
and thus would suit the seeker of the unusual. It's also full of good looking
people.
The first
card (The Fool) is renamed The Seeker, he is an ithyphallic, masked fool breaking
his shackles. Next, the Dark Magus, shows a Crowleyesque hermaphrodite magician.
Sorceress replaces the High Priestess. The Mother replaces the Empress; she
is shown squeezing voluminous breasts. Ba'al replaces the Emperor. No V is
The Teacher and replaces the Hierophant and shows someone getting spanked.
Pet Mistress replaces the Chariot, horse replaced by "subs" complete
with feather up their bum. Self Love replaces The Hermit. Discipline shows
a Dominatrix with whip and kinky boots replaces Justice. Suspended in black
rubber suit and gas mask replaces Hanged Man. Divine Androgyne replaces Death.
Serenity replaces Temperance. A Baphomet-like "Bitch Rascal" replaces
The Devil. Chaos replaces the Tower. Sacred Blood (Menstruation) replaces
the Star. Majesty replaces the Sun. Eternal Goddess replaces Judgement. There
are four court cards, all Mistresses, of Yoni, Lingams, Rumps and Wands (as
in whips).
Traditionally
magicians carried the pack with them to communicate across the language barrier.
So to explore your inner and outer boundaries this would be a good one to
have about you for self-exploration and also to speak to the deeper side of
those you meet. To throw off the shackles imposed upon you by a restricted
upbringing or for deep work on your self. The Dark Tantra Tarot fits
snuggly in its sleek sheath, and you can proudly take it along with you and
slip it in your tights high black leather boots, your handbag, your black
leather jacket, or the back pocket of your black leather pants, and give some
readings at these connoisseurs of the unusual gatherings, such as, the Planet
Sex Ball, Torture Garden, or Erotica.
A reading
with the Dark Tantra Tarot, drew the Seeker & The Moon, Majesty,
Eternal Goddess & Multiverse. This deck is a tool for exploring and unblocking
the repressive dross accumulated in those hidden, unchartered territories
of the subconscious, as attemped by methods such as Freudian psychoanalysis.
It will give you a feeling of confidence and understanding, the rewards, goodness
and joy of the universe. Be the master of your own beat, danse to your own
tune. Catharsis, don’t be repressed or miserable but explore your sexuality
as an intelligent and intellectual enquiry leading to liberation. [La Belle
Dame Sans Merci]
http://www.darktantratarot.moonfruit.com/
THE WATKINS REVIEW
Contemporary Spirituality, Perennial Wisdom, Self
Development, Eastern Philosophy, Western Mysticism.
£3.50
/ The Watkins Review is available at Watkins Books, WH Smith, Newsagents,
UK and USA.
Watkins Books
Ltd
19 Cecil Court
London
WC2N 4EZ
www.watkinsbooks.com
Yes, it is a
bookshop magazine with a mix of new age, occult and spirituality, and no,
it's not The Cauldron, but it is of interest with the latest news
from the book trade, and a good read with articles on varied topics, ancient
and contemporary. The Watkins Review contents are 100 pages featuring
authors interviews, articles, reviews, news, graphic novel serials, and an
astrological column by astrologer Demian Allan. The current issue include
writings on Austin Osman Spare by Phil Baker, The Life of Aleister Crowley
by Richard Kaczynski, and Theosophy: On Spiritual Individuality by John Gordon.
Check out The Watkins Review for the full contents.
Craft of the Untamed:
An inspired vision of Traditional Witchcraft
By Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
Special isbn 978-1-906958-39-8
The Craft of the Untamed sets out to present the main pillars
of traditional witchcraft. Its premise is that a proper tradition is defined
as a timeless unity. Outwardly the tradition bears a great diversity across
different lands and spirit. Traditional witchcraft is found in various sodalities
and groups across the world. Even so it is possible to discern several harmonious,
shared themes. These themes are the land, the crossroads, death, night and
the mountain of Venus. It is witchcraft where a human and angelic blood mingles
to form a special pedigree that has shaped the archetypical image of the witch.
Traditional witchcraft
is largely a peasant craft. These “black arts” are works of the
earth and the black soil with all its mystery of death, growth and change.
This book aims to present the craft free for needless obscuration. I have
endeavored to reveal the richness of the tradition as it flows down through
time and geographical space.
The reader will
come to appreciate and understand the wise arts both infernal and celestial;
the powers wielded by the denizens of the night will be accessible; and you
will come to value them for their beauty and power.
Contents: Foreword
by Shani Oates/Introduction//At the Crossroads of the Worlds/Solomonic Magick//The
Blood of the Living Bones/Within the Mountain of Dame Venus/The Vinculum of
Eros/The Art of Timeless Tradition/Within the Veil of Night/Against the Current
Nicholaj's interesting
blog currently has a fine interview with Shani Oates
http://www.starrycave.com/2011/11/star-crossed-witches-in-garden-of-circe.html?spref=fb
Secrets of Asgard
by Vincent Ongkowidjojo
Preface by Freya
Aswynn; Intro by David Beth
isbn 978-1-906958-31-2, £12.99/$23 circa 280pp, ills.
.jpg)
A very long time ago Odin unlocked the secrets of the Runes.
In two parts, Secrets of Asgard discusses their theoretical and a
practical aspects. Part one focusses centres on the meaning of the individual
runes and the myths, esplaining the Aettir alongside Northern mythology. It
describes each of the gods as well as the Nine Worlds etc. The second part
centres on the application of the system, namely magic and divinatio and includes
rituals and exercises.
A thesis
of practical rune magic is developed which is based on the Havamal 144 stanza.
The analysis concludes that the Runes were traditionally regarded as actual
spirits. The stanza explains how to make your own set as well as other talismanic
objects. The practice of galdr-singing is discussed in more depth to complement
the Havamal 144 techniques. Then, a discourse is given on the most common
Ancient Germanic magical formulae. They complement the practical work on talismanic
objects.
A separate
chapter is given on divinatory practices. Useful information on dreamwork
is added and numerous other exercises used to make contact with the subconscious
mind through auto-suggestion, and many other useul;ful ritual techniques and
practices.
The Woman Magician
by Brandy Williams
Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN 978-0-7387-2724-0
Reviewed
by Josephine McCarthy
I was intrigued
by this book, both the title and the claims outlined on the cover, for example
‘Always the Muse, never the Magician – Until Now’, and the
claim that this ground breaking book shatters outdated notions of the Western
Mystery Tradition.... that it would ‘empower’ the woman magician.
I was curious as to where she had acquired these notions.
The book itself
is well presented, well written and is most certainly not a new age book,
thankfully. But it is also not a book about women magicians and their work,
or women in the world of magic, rather it is a heavily agenda driven book
on gender politics and pulls that thread of politics into the magical arena.
The long list of powerful and famous female occultists over the last 100 years
up to present day and the smorgasbord of powerful goddesses are deftly sidestepped
and barely mentioned if at all. Instead, women are presented as always being
the assistant, never the holder of power. While this may quite possibly be
the author’s own personal experience, it is not the experience of the
majority of women occultists and has not been for a very long time. Yes there
are pockets of such behaviour, as in all areas of life, but it is not the
overall trend in magic. The more I read, the more I became mystified as to
why she was coming to such conclusions, and why she omitted the vast body
of work by occultists such as Fortune, Lumley Brown, Hartley, Ashcroft-Nowicki,
and the latest generation of real groundbreaking female occultists who are
just too numerous to mention.
One of the possible
reasons reared its head the further I got into the book. The section that
deals with qabbala and the tree of life showed a distinct and very obvious
lack of magical knowledge and instead relied heavily on a more exoteric psychological
approach to magic. From the beginning of the book, the writer reaches for
spiritual and mystical understanding of herself as a woman in relation to
the religious structures that run through the Western Mystery Tradition. Such
an exercise is doomed to failure as she quite rightly points out that the
WMT from an exoteric point of view leans heavily towards a male dominated
structure. However, in the WMT, once an initiate learns the skills that bridge
them into the esoteric world of magic, such structures fall away and reveal
a much more powerful structure that is not based on identity, belief, and
agendas. Behind that structure is a deep well of magical mystery in which
women have a strong and rightful place as adepts, hierophants and mystics.
The final telling
came towards the end of the book which deals more with ritual and magical
expression. The magic is basic to say the least and is once more approached
in a psychological ‘feel good’ format that may help women who
are distressed, damaged or just plain lost in terms of their gender. But as
a magical structure it is sadly lacking in all respects.
The book is
filled with tables, references and the obligatory pictures on ‘how to
make a robe’ that so often litter Lewellyn books, but I will say that
the tables and references are intelligent and well researched.
This book is
interesting in that it charts the search of a woman at odds with her gender
in a world that is not all female, where not everything is ‘fair’
and ‘balanced’. It gives insight into such struggles but does
not come to any real conclusion. I would certainly challenge the notion that
this book is ‘groundbreaking’ in any respect; rather it is a reiteration
of the work of Starhawk from the perspective of a woman who is trying to practice
magic.
This writer
has a good voice and writes well... but I think this book will only appeal
to the ‘Starhawk reclaiming collective’ crowd and women with similar
issues with their gender. The message of the book is that women are disabled
in their magic, and need to band together away from men to succeed. I would
disagree heavily with that and say that women just need to learn their magic,
do their work and the respect comes based upon that work from all genders.
As a female occultist I have worked in the UK and USA for 20 years, and never
once came up against any gender issue in magic. Why? Because I did not expect
to.
Dr Dee,
an English Opera
Reviewed by Melissa Montgomery
"Dr Dee,
an English Opera" was commissioned by the Manchester International Festival,
London 2012 Festival, and the English National Opera. The premiere was at
the Manchester Palace Theatre on 1st July 2011. Co created by star director
Rufus Norris and indie icon Damon Albarn it employed performers from the English
National Opera, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, multi award winning set
and costume designers, and used its own historical music consultant. It will
be staged next June at the London Coliseum as part of the 2012 Festival for
the Cultural Olympiad.
Originally a
collaboration between mythic comic creator Alan Moore and Damon Albarn, Moore
pulled out when he felt he was doing all the work with no input from anyone
else. His partially written script is published this summer in Strange Attractor
Journal (4), I have not seen this, but according to others who have, it has
the same materialist focus as Albarn's. If true this is disappointing, as
Moore has a reputation as a master of mythology and magic, which is something
this production is sorely missing.
Premiering just
short of 484 years after the birth of Queen Elizabeth's astrologer the opera
illustrates the enduring fascination of Dr Dee, whose story reputedly influenced
Shakespeare and Spencer, and whose system of Enochian/Angelic magic was a
formative influence in the magical revival and modern Paganism. So this show
should have been a highlight of my year, yet it turned out to be one of its
worst cultural disappointments. It may appeal to opera lovers, Blur fans and
Guardian readers (Guardian was a media partner), but it needs a warning for
any serious magician, biographer, historian or culture vulture, as we have
heard unanimous reports of disappointment from all quarters of the magical
community, with non magical reviewers concurring with our own conclusions.
Everything technical
was perfect, creating focus, awe, illusion and emotion. To see the magic of
the stage focus on esoteric imagery was a wonder, with the magical sigils
of Dee's system projected vividly onto huge gauzy veils that gave the impression
of them appearing in thin air. Everything was brilliantly choreographed; sylph
like spirits flew to the classical perfection of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Some scenes are spectacles in their own right, and even the simple scenes
are exquisite, we are drawn back in time through dream like sequences, magical
books unfold across the stage, and the vignettes of years passing in Dee's
household are breathtaking in their simplicity, execution and beauty.
At the interval
our group agreed it was great show, but disagreed whether the fabulous set
piece we'd just seen was meant to be necromancy or scrying, and at the end
of the show we were still not sure, and I think the producers were never quite
sure either. Although twenty years worth of Dee's diaries are lost, there
is a wealth of material to draw upon that was not used at all. We did not
hear any angelic calls in English, nor Enochian, nor see the famed watchtowers
of the system represented with their serried ranks of angels. We seemed to
be meant to conclude that Dee and Kelley were involved in something unspecified,
unearthly, and unrewarding. No indication was given that they might be recipients/creators
of a system of magic so complex and intriguing that it endures today, with
a reputation as the powerful systems of Western Esotericism.
When the angels/spirits
were apparently invoked one ghost like figure gave a wordless shrieking that
was interpreted in sub titles on a back screen. Maybe they were consciously
protecting us, or the actors, from the legendary powers of Enochia, but the
shrieking was ludicrously far from the majesty of the Enochian language which
would have been amazing to hear on such a stage. Maybe we were subjected to
it to emphasize why a scryer was needed to interpret the angels, but even
then there was little sense of what Dee and Kelley were trying to achieve,
or did achieve. And therein lies the nub of our dissatisfaction; the whole
show is written and performed with a very muggle view of magic.
The muggle view
of magic in many films, plays etc is that it happens spontaneously, or from
people fiddling naughtily with forbidden books, and thence causes a lot of
trouble, without ever bothering about its logic, coherence or belief systems.
This story is based on the materialist biography of Dee by Benjamin Woolley
(2001, mentioned in the programme), and is a simple Faustian morality play.
There was no
indication that Dee was an Elizabethan celebrity as the Einstein/Hawkins of
his day, or that Kelley was sought as an alchemists by the crowned heads of
Europe, later with massive wealth in the court of Emperor Rudolf of Bohemia.
Dee is shown as a mathematician with a fascination with astrology and magic
which leads to his destruction. He is pressurised by the politicians of Elizabeth
I to provide astrological guidance for the Queen. He calls in the scryer Kelley,
to help, Kelley collaborates with him but fancies his wife, Jane. Kelley ignores
the angel's true words, lies to Dee, and says the angels are telling him he
must have Jane, to which Dee reluctantly acquiesces against Jane's wishes.
Due to this all round betrayal both magicians lose the connection to the angelic
realm and separate, Dee loses the love of his wife, then falls to ruination
and death. This reading of the eventful and amazing lives of Dee and Kelley
gives inordinate centrality to the wife swap, like a dot to dot three act
Hollywood melodrama wherein Dee seeks forbidden knowledge and pacts with the
devil/Kelley, Kelley takes his due with high drama, Dee loses all and dies.
The worst annoyance
is Kelley. The producers sought worldwide for the right actor, then finally
imported one from Munich who looks like the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley,
acts like Simon Callow in The Chemical Wedding, and sings like Buster Blood
Vessel after castration. He is revolting in the role. Historical biography
is deliberately twisted to make the story as simple as it can be, to give
the Faustian element a more graphic punch. At the time of the wife swap Dee
was in his fifties, while Kelley was in his thirties, here we have a luscious
young Jane, a charismatic virile Dee and this revolting old Kelley with his
hooded eyes, large belly and bald head, rolling up his sleeves and lasciviously
licking his hands and forearms as he prepares to take the unwilling Jane with
graphic brutality. In Dee's dairies we know there was a wife swap, but that
both wives were involved, and Jane stayed with Dee until her death much later.
Also it is intriguing that after the brief wife swap episode Kelley reported
information from the angels causing the Enochian tables to be rearranged,
and the system made a lot more sense. Whether Kelley was holding out from
Dee and gave the info he needed after having his way with his wife is one
thing, but it certainly had the desired effect, and Dee remained working with
system with other scryers until his own death years later.
It is not all
bad, it is made clear that Kelley finds the work daunting and that Dee pushes
him, It is even inferred that perhaps Kelley organised the wife swap as he
was jealous of and harassed by Dee, which is also possible, but I still don't
know why Crowley? Was it a clever reference to Crowley's claim he was a reincarnation
of Kelley? Why did they not find someone who actually looked a bit like Kelly,
and could sing? Was that after 400 years it doesn't matter what they look
and sound like, especially if it helps the storyline?
Another "Why"
was why was Damon Albarn in it playing a busker? He perched on a ledge in
a sort to celestial realm with musicians playing renaissance and African instruments,
looking incongruous in his leather jacket and jeans amongst all the fabulous
costumes, but his droning acoustic music sounded worse than he looked. He
was up against the crème de la crème of British Opera combined
with the philharmonic orchestra, and his presence was detraction and a distraction.
So was the three way split in the stage that left Albarn on view at all times.
I thought this was to represent the three world philosophy but apparently
its meant to represent Heaven, Hell and Earth, and involved Queen Elizabeth
being suspended somewhere in the middle (tipareth perhaps?) for an inordinate
amount of time. The skeletal actress who played her also played the spirit/angel
perhaps indicating that Elizabeth was the spirit of the age, or Dee's inspiration,
or something, but it was never clear, and one gave up guessing as the disappointment
began to bite.
At the end Damon
came outside and patiently stood while he was photographed and mauled by fans,
and didn't leave till he had signed all the programmes he was proffered. He
was very polite and pleasant and we warmed to him. He seem to be very genuinely
immersed in the project, and must be acknowledged for his creative genius
in pulling together such of a dramatic mix of creative medias that will take
pride of place in next year's Olympic celebrations, and for bringing Elizabethan
magic to the world stage.
As we walked
away into the evening sunlight we felt conned but contented, with a familiar
sense of déjà vu over the Art's treatment of magic in general,
that we had not expected from the hype for this production. We had paid high
ticket prices to watch a one dimensional Christian morality play. "Dr
Dee" stereotypes magic as necromancy/bad for you - done by immoral frauds
to credulous people. It treats magic with as much superficiality as the traditional
fairy at a pantomime. Dee and Kelleys' amazing stories were hardly told, we
had not seen a scrap of ritual, nor heard even a pip of Enochian: but we had
all had been spellbound by the magnificence of the opera.
Lectures, Conferences
& Exhibitions
Saturday,
March 17, 2012
OCCULT
CONFERENCE
Saturday,
17th March, 2012
2:00pm until 8:00pm
Venue:
The George and Pilgrim Hotel,
1 Glastonbury High Street,
Glastonbury, Somerset, UK.
The 2012 Occult Conference will take place on Saturday 17th of March.
We've taken over the George and Pilgrim pub one of this countries most
historic Inns.
This
conference will be like NOTHING we've ever done before. We'll obviously
have a great line up of speakers, special guests, we're also planning
to have a workshop and a brilliant market place offering beautiful wares
and goods!
Contraband
will be available at the Bar, which serves a huge array of spirits and
real ales! The food here is also fantastic. Stall holders and speakers
to follow!
We
look forward to seeing you there. Due to fire regulations when tickets
go up on sale there will ONLY be 60 available.
Confirmed
Speakers
Judika
Illes
- http://www.judikailles.com/
Josephine McCarthy - http://www.theinnerlibrary.org/about.html
David Rankine - http://ritualmagick.co.uk/
Confirmed Stalls
Hadean
Press - http://www.hadeanpress.com/
Midian Books - http://www.midianbooks.co.uk/
Avalonia Books - http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/
Scarlet Imprint - http://www.scarletimprint.com/
Simon Bastian - Tarot reader extraordinaire
Organisers & Venues
Locations Details :
Bath
Omphalos
Bath
Omphalos
Omphalos
Magickal Moot is an independent group open to people from all magickal
paths.
Meetings
are on the second Sunday of each month, at
St James Wine Vaults, St James Square, Bath BA1 2TW.
Check
our postings regularly for updates, as there is often a guest speaker
(when a donation of £5.00 will be asked for to cover expenses).
Suggestions for discussion topics are welcomed - prior knowledge of
a topic is not essential as we can all learn from each other.
The
Huntsman serves food, the upstairs room is large and atmospheric, and
the whole place oozes with history.
The
Huntsman Inn
1, Terrace Walk, Bath, Somerset, BA1 1LJ
The
Huntsman Inn weblink is
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/84/8480/Huntsman_Inn/Bath
Bath
omphalos website: http://www.omphalos.org.uk/
The
Secret Chiefs London
THE
SECRET CHIEFS
Meet
on Alternate Mondays,
Upstairs at the Devereux Public House,
20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street,
The Strand,
London WC2R 3JJ
8p.m. / talk starts 8.30p.m. /Admission £2 / All are welcome.
(nearest tube Temple, on Victoria Embankment).
(Talking Stick began at The Plough on 14th February 1990,
moving through the years to The Marquis Cornwallis, The Dog & Trumpet,
the Black Horse to the Princess Louise, there becoming Secret Chiefs
on 15th March 2000. Now at the Devereux).
Check out dates and speakers programme on The
Secret Chiefs' website http://secretchiefslondon.wordpress.com
MWNN
THE
MOOT WITH NO NAME
Wednesdays,
7.30 for 8pm. Upstairs, Devereux pub near Temple tube station. £2.
(Unless otherwise stated.) F indicates an illustrated talk.
Directions:
Opposite the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand (near Aldwych) is
a Tudor-style pub, the George. The Devereux is down the alley next to
this. See
map at http://tinyurl.com/cp7u2
Check
out Moot With No Name website for speakers
http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/page2.htm
Treadwells
Bookshop
Treadwells
Bookshop
33 Store Street,
Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7BS, UK
Full
descriptions of all events are to be found now on Treadwells website
www.treadwells-london.com
London
Earth Mysteries Circle
London
Earth Mysteries Circle
7.00pm
Tuesdays (2nd & 4th in month)
Admission: £4.00
Venue:
The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Nearest
tube: Baker Street.
For details and programme check London Earth Mysteries Circle website
www.londonearth.com
Groups
& Meetups
'Oxford
Talking Stick
Pub Moot'
Meets
every Thursday at The Angel & Greyhound Pub (St Clements st) Oxford.
There is now a regular blog with summaries of past discussion and news
of next session.
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Review of the Year
2011 - Quite A Year -
a snapshot of the pagan conference "season"
My impression
is that this was one of the busiest years for a while in terms of Pagan happenings,
lectures and conferences; so much so i attended far more than I'd intended
but fewer that I could have done. My conference season began at Pendle Witch
Camp on the Yorkshire/Lancashire border. There are probably dozens of such
camps up and down the country throughout the year - combining conference,
festival and carry on camping. For £35 you can party the whole solstice
weekend with numbers limited to 500 you don't feel clostrophobic or lonely.
I got invited back to speak despite my dismal performace in 2009 - well it
was Sunday and by then folk were a bit tired and emotional as they say. This
year the speakers had a much brighter maquee which brought out the best in
the assorted team of chaotists, witches and New Edgers. I notice my name is
on the website for 2012 - probably a mistake but if it ain't deleted by next
year I might just sneak in. My talk 'Blood Sacrifice' went down well although
some stayed away thinking it was going to be a bit too OTT - in fact it was
more of a debate about the options inspired by the diversity of essays in
Charlotte Rodger's slim but powerful tome The Bloody Sacrifice. I
spent a very pleasant evening with Jo Birocco of Chaos Magazine and
Tanya Ahsan of Kindred Spirit.
* * *
By the
time I recovered from that it was time to bowl down to my old stamping ground
in Brighton for the Scarlet Imprint's "Summer of Love". I'm not
sure its quite the evocation of the 60s I was expecting but even so there
is a lot of love between the people who have constituted what is tantamount
to a new school of magick - whether its Nicholaj Frisvolds global witchcraft,
Jake Stratton Kent's Grimoire or the hosts thoughtful and provocative inspiration
on Lucifer and / Buto dance.
My old pal Andy was there who together with his partner Sarah, gave Rum and
Candles for everyone - that set the tone really - genuine happiness, a real
fizz in the air to at least be together and have new ideas and inspiration
to share.
* * *
The waves
of the UK occult rush are lapping on the shores at the other side of the pond,
giving the lie to the idea that we are one culture divided by a common language".
Many folk from UK spoke at the 3rd Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle - I'd
kind of love to be there but some of out new titles had to be diplomat for
Mandrake - and people liked them - specially the new biog of Marjorie Cameron.
* * *
October
1st was one of the hotest October days since records began. I hit the road
to drive 100 miles to Bournemouth - "get my kicks on thee A303"
) Conference of Magic - another small but select gathering of kindred sprits
- a week later I was biting my nails en route to the Pagan Federation 40 years
celebration at the iconic The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore,
London. For some reason they'd asked me to represent the Golden Dawn current
in the workshops - and only a couple of diehards walked out of my presentation
on the Khemetic Golden Dawn. It helped having the ever adept Rufus Harrington
(speaking on Hermetic Magick) as warm up. My impression was that the workshop
stream was very interesting. I had a drink with Maxine Sanders and her friend
David Conway whose autobiography Magick Without Mirrors [Logios]
was launched at the Atlantis bookshop the night before.
Finally
then Day of the Dead in Glastonbury on Saturday, October 29 · in the
shadow of the Tor. The organisers Jamie Alexander and his partner Jack moved
to Glasto four years ago and ran the Occult Consultancy initially from the
Witchcraft Limited. They opened the St Martha Botanica in November of last
year. They soon branched out into occultural gatherings - normally a bit thin
on the ground in the Glastonbury New Age milieu: hence the Occult Conference
in the spring or Day of the Dead in the Fall. This is another intimate gathering,
about 60 folk, many becoming familiar faces from the left field circuit -
I sat on a coffin at the back of the room to listen to Josephine's McCarthy's
talk on exorcism - Glastonbury is the land of Idiots - big laugh - we all
know what she means - even so, she continues - 90% of what one hears may be
carp - the trick is knowing which is which (she didn't say that exactly but
it was that kind of thing). I'd not heard Josephine speak but like everyone
in the room it was impressive stuff from a direction many of us take for granted
or ignore.
Well
it's late November and there are still loads of things happening - and already
the blessed facilitators are planning for 2012
Dark Tantra Tarot
by Mark & Ruth Ramsden
£20 inc p&p
The Oswald
Wirth Tarot also only has 22 trumps and there are some readers who only
use the major sequence. Even though I personally prefer the whole deck, the
Dark Tantra Tarot won me over. The artwork by Ruth Ramsden is excellent.
This fine monochrome deck is printed on good quality card stock, with a nice
matt finish on the illustrated side, and deep black glossy backs like an obsidian
scrying mirror or patent black leather boots. or stilettos.
An elegant black velveteen pouch is included to carry the cards, and a concise
instructions sheet. As you might expect, the theme of this deck is Fetish,
and thus would suit the seeker of the unusual. It's also full of good looking
people.
The first
card (The Fool) is renamed The Seeker, he is an ithyphallic, masked fool breaking
his shackles. Next, the Dark Magus, shows a Crowleyesque hermaphrodite magician.
Sorceress replaces the High Priestess. The Mother replaces the Empress; she
is shown squeezing voluminous breasts. Ba'al replaces the Emperor. No V is
The Teacher and replaces the Hierophant and shows someone getting spanked.
Pet Mistress replaces the Chariot, horse replaced by "subs" complete
with feather up their bum. Self Love replaces The Hermit. Discipline shows
a Dominatrix with whip and kinky boots replaces Justice. Suspended in black
rubber suit and gas mask replaces Hanged Man. Divine Androgyne replaces Death.
Serenity replaces Temperance. A Baphomet-like "Bitch Rascal" replaces
The Devil. Chaos replaces the Tower. Sacred Blood (Menstruation) replaces
the Star. Majesty replaces the Sun. Eternal Goddess replaces Judgement. There
are four court cards, all Mistresses, of Yoni, Lingams, Rumps and Wands (as
in whips).
Traditionally
magicians carried the pack with them to communicate across the language barrier.
So to explore your inner and outer boundaries this would be a good one to
have about you for self-exploration and also to speak to the deeper side of
those you meet. To throw off the shackles imposed upon you by a restricted
upbringing or for deep work on your self. The Dark Tantra Tarot fits
snuggly in its sleek sheath, and you can proudly take it along with you and
slip it in your tights high black leather boots, your handbag, your black
leather jacket, or the back pocket of your black leather pants, and give some
readings at these connoisseurs of the unusual gatherings, such as, the Planet
Sex Ball, Torture Garden, or Erotica.
A reading
with the Dark Tantra Tarot, drew the Seeker & The Moon, Majesty,
Eternal Goddess & Multiverse. This deck is a tool for exploring and unblocking
the repressive dross accumulated in those hidden, unchartered territories
of the subconscious, as attemped by methods such as Freudian psychoanalysis.
It will give you a feeling of confidence and understanding, the rewards, goodness
and joy of the universe. Be the master of your own beat, danse to your own
tune. Catharsis, don’t be repressed or miserable but explore your sexuality
as an intelligent and intellectual enquiry leading to liberation. [La Belle
Dame Sans Merci]
http://www.darktantratarot.moonfruit.com/
THE WATKINS REVIEW
Contemporary Spirituality, Perennial Wisdom, Self
Development, Eastern Philosophy, Western Mysticism.
£3.50
/ The Watkins Review is available at Watkins Books, WH Smith, Newsagents,
UK and USA.
Watkins Books
Ltd
19 Cecil Court
London
WC2N 4EZ
www.watkinsbooks.com
Yes, it is a
bookshop magazine with a mix of new age, occult and spirituality, and no,
it's not The Cauldron, but it is of interest with the latest news
from the book trade, and a good read with articles on varied topics, ancient
and contemporary. The Watkins Review contents are 100 pages featuring
authors interviews, articles, reviews, news, graphic novel serials, and an
astrological column by astrologer Demian Allan. The current issue include
writings on Austin Osman Spare by Phil Baker, The Life of Aleister Crowley
by Richard Kaczynski, and Theosophy: On Spiritual Individuality by John Gordon.
Check out The Watkins Review for the full contents.
Craft of the Untamed:
An inspired vision of Traditional Witchcraft
By Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
Special isbn 978-1-906958-39-8
The Craft of the Untamed sets out to present the main pillars
of traditional witchcraft. Its premise is that a proper tradition is defined
as a timeless unity. Outwardly the tradition bears a great diversity across
different lands and spirit. Traditional witchcraft is found in various sodalities
and groups across the world. Even so it is possible to discern several harmonious,
shared themes. These themes are the land, the crossroads, death, night and
the mountain of Venus. It is witchcraft where a human and angelic blood mingles
to form a special pedigree that has shaped the archetypical image of the witch.
Traditional witchcraft
is largely a peasant craft. These “black arts” are works of the
earth and the black soil with all its mystery of death, growth and change.
This book aims to present the craft free for needless obscuration. I have
endeavored to reveal the richness of the tradition as it flows down through
time and geographical space.
The reader will
come to appreciate and understand the wise arts both infernal and celestial;
the powers wielded by the denizens of the night will be accessible; and you
will come to value them for their beauty and power.
Contents: Foreword
by Shani Oates/Introduction//At the Crossroads of the Worlds/Solomonic Magick//The
Blood of the Living Bones/Within the Mountain of Dame Venus/The Vinculum of
Eros/The Art of Timeless Tradition/Within the Veil of Night/Against the Current
Nicholaj's interesting
blog currently has a fine interview with Shani Oates
http://www.starrycave.com/2011/11/star-crossed-witches-in-garden-of-circe.html?spref=fb
Secrets of Asgard
by Vincent Ongkowidjojo
Preface by Freya
Aswynn; Intro by David Beth
isbn 978-1-906958-31-2, £12.99/$23 circa 280pp, ills.
A very long time ago Odin unlocked the secrets of the Runes.
In two parts, Secrets of Asgard discusses their theoretical and a
practical aspects. Part one focusses centres on the meaning of the individual
runes and the myths, esplaining the Aettir alongside Northern mythology. It
describes each of the gods as well as the Nine Worlds etc. The second part
centres on the application of the system, namely magic and divinatio and includes
rituals and exercises.
A thesis
of practical rune magic is developed which is based on the Havamal 144 stanza.
The analysis concludes that the Runes were traditionally regarded as actual
spirits. The stanza explains how to make your own set as well as other talismanic
objects. The practice of galdr-singing is discussed in more depth to complement
the Havamal 144 techniques. Then, a discourse is given on the most common
Ancient Germanic magical formulae. They complement the practical work on talismanic
objects.
A separate
chapter is given on divinatory practices. Useful information on dreamwork
is added and numerous other exercises used to make contact with the subconscious
mind through auto-suggestion, and many other useul;ful ritual techniques and
practices.
The Woman Magician
by Brandy Williams
Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN 978-0-7387-2724-0
Reviewed
by Josephine McCarthy
I was intrigued
by this book, both the title and the claims outlined on the cover, for example
‘Always the Muse, never the Magician – Until Now’, and the
claim that this ground breaking book shatters outdated notions of the Western
Mystery Tradition.... that it would ‘empower’ the woman magician.
I was curious as to where she had acquired these notions.
The book itself
is well presented, well written and is most certainly not a new age book,
thankfully. But it is also not a book about women magicians and their work,
or women in the world of magic, rather it is a heavily agenda driven book
on gender politics and pulls that thread of politics into the magical arena.
The long list of powerful and famous female occultists over the last 100 years
up to present day and the smorgasbord of powerful goddesses are deftly sidestepped
and barely mentioned if at all. Instead, women are presented as always being
the assistant, never the holder of power. While this may quite possibly be
the author’s own personal experience, it is not the experience of the
majority of women occultists and has not been for a very long time. Yes there
are pockets of such behaviour, as in all areas of life, but it is not the
overall trend in magic. The more I read, the more I became mystified as to
why she was coming to such conclusions, and why she omitted the vast body
of work by occultists such as Fortune, Lumley Brown, Hartley, Ashcroft-Nowicki,
and the latest generation of real groundbreaking female occultists who are
just too numerous to mention.
One of the possible
reasons reared its head the further I got into the book. The section that
deals with qabbala and the tree of life showed a distinct and very obvious
lack of magical knowledge and instead relied heavily on a more exoteric psychological
approach to magic. From the beginning of the book, the writer reaches for
spiritual and mystical understanding of herself as a woman in relation to
the religious structures that run through the Western Mystery Tradition. Such
an exercise is doomed to failure as she quite rightly points out that the
WMT from an exoteric point of view leans heavily towards a male dominated
structure. However, in the WMT, once an initiate learns the skills that bridge
them into the esoteric world of magic, such structures fall away and reveal
a much more powerful structure that is not based on identity, belief, and
agendas. Behind that structure is a deep well of magical mystery in which
women have a strong and rightful place as adepts, hierophants and mystics.
The final telling
came towards the end of the book which deals more with ritual and magical
expression. The magic is basic to say the least and is once more approached
in a psychological ‘feel good’ format that may help women who
are distressed, damaged or just plain lost in terms of their gender. But as
a magical structure it is sadly lacking in all respects.
The book is
filled with tables, references and the obligatory pictures on ‘how to
make a robe’ that so often litter Lewellyn books, but I will say that
the tables and references are intelligent and well researched.
This book is
interesting in that it charts the search of a woman at odds with her gender
in a world that is not all female, where not everything is ‘fair’
and ‘balanced’. It gives insight into such struggles but does
not come to any real conclusion. I would certainly challenge the notion that
this book is ‘groundbreaking’ in any respect; rather it is a reiteration
of the work of Starhawk from the perspective of a woman who is trying to practice
magic.
This writer
has a good voice and writes well... but I think this book will only appeal
to the ‘Starhawk reclaiming collective’ crowd and women with similar
issues with their gender. The message of the book is that women are disabled
in their magic, and need to band together away from men to succeed. I would
disagree heavily with that and say that women just need to learn their magic,
do their work and the respect comes based upon that work from all genders.
As a female occultist I have worked in the UK and USA for 20 years, and never
once came up against any gender issue in magic. Why? Because I did not expect
to.
Dr Dee,
an English Opera
Reviewed by Melissa Montgomery
"Dr Dee,
an English Opera" was commissioned by the Manchester International Festival,
London 2012 Festival, and the English National Opera. The premiere was at
the Manchester Palace Theatre on 1st July 2011. Co created by star director
Rufus Norris and indie icon Damon Albarn it employed performers from the English
National Opera, and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, multi award winning set
and costume designers, and used its own historical music consultant. It will
be staged next June at the London Coliseum as part of the 2012 Festival for
the Cultural Olympiad.
Originally a
collaboration between mythic comic creator Alan Moore and Damon Albarn, Moore
pulled out when he felt he was doing all the work with no input from anyone
else. His partially written script is published this summer in Strange Attractor
Journal (4), I have not seen this, but according to others who have, it has
the same materialist focus as Albarn's. If true this is disappointing, as
Moore has a reputation as a master of mythology and magic, which is something
this production is sorely missing.
Premiering just
short of 484 years after the birth of Queen Elizabeth's astrologer the opera
illustrates the enduring fascination of Dr Dee, whose story reputedly influenced
Shakespeare and Spencer, and whose system of Enochian/Angelic magic was a
formative influence in the magical revival and modern Paganism. So this show
should have been a highlight of my year, yet it turned out to be one of its
worst cultural disappointments. It may appeal to opera lovers, Blur fans and
Guardian readers (Guardian was a media partner), but it needs a warning for
any serious magician, biographer, historian or culture vulture, as we have
heard unanimous reports of disappointment from all quarters of the magical
community, with non magical reviewers concurring with our own conclusions.
Everything technical
was perfect, creating focus, awe, illusion and emotion. To see the magic of
the stage focus on esoteric imagery was a wonder, with the magical sigils
of Dee's system projected vividly onto huge gauzy veils that gave the impression
of them appearing in thin air. Everything was brilliantly choreographed; sylph
like spirits flew to the classical perfection of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.
Some scenes are spectacles in their own right, and even the simple scenes
are exquisite, we are drawn back in time through dream like sequences, magical
books unfold across the stage, and the vignettes of years passing in Dee's
household are breathtaking in their simplicity, execution and beauty.
At the interval
our group agreed it was great show, but disagreed whether the fabulous set
piece we'd just seen was meant to be necromancy or scrying, and at the end
of the show we were still not sure, and I think the producers were never quite
sure either. Although twenty years worth of Dee's diaries are lost, there
is a wealth of material to draw upon that was not used at all. We did not
hear any angelic calls in English, nor Enochian, nor see the famed watchtowers
of the system represented with their serried ranks of angels. We seemed to
be meant to conclude that Dee and Kelley were involved in something unspecified,
unearthly, and unrewarding. No indication was given that they might be recipients/creators
of a system of magic so complex and intriguing that it endures today, with
a reputation as the powerful systems of Western Esotericism.
When the angels/spirits
were apparently invoked one ghost like figure gave a wordless shrieking that
was interpreted in sub titles on a back screen. Maybe they were consciously
protecting us, or the actors, from the legendary powers of Enochia, but the
shrieking was ludicrously far from the majesty of the Enochian language which
would have been amazing to hear on such a stage. Maybe we were subjected to
it to emphasize why a scryer was needed to interpret the angels, but even
then there was little sense of what Dee and Kelley were trying to achieve,
or did achieve. And therein lies the nub of our dissatisfaction; the whole
show is written and performed with a very muggle view of magic.
The muggle view
of magic in many films, plays etc is that it happens spontaneously, or from
people fiddling naughtily with forbidden books, and thence causes a lot of
trouble, without ever bothering about its logic, coherence or belief systems.
This story is based on the materialist biography of Dee by Benjamin Woolley
(2001, mentioned in the programme), and is a simple Faustian morality play.
There was no
indication that Dee was an Elizabethan celebrity as the Einstein/Hawkins of
his day, or that Kelley was sought as an alchemists by the crowned heads of
Europe, later with massive wealth in the court of Emperor Rudolf of Bohemia.
Dee is shown as a mathematician with a fascination with astrology and magic
which leads to his destruction. He is pressurised by the politicians of Elizabeth
I to provide astrological guidance for the Queen. He calls in the scryer Kelley,
to help, Kelley collaborates with him but fancies his wife, Jane. Kelley ignores
the angel's true words, lies to Dee, and says the angels are telling him he
must have Jane, to which Dee reluctantly acquiesces against Jane's wishes.
Due to this all round betrayal both magicians lose the connection to the angelic
realm and separate, Dee loses the love of his wife, then falls to ruination
and death. This reading of the eventful and amazing lives of Dee and Kelley
gives inordinate centrality to the wife swap, like a dot to dot three act
Hollywood melodrama wherein Dee seeks forbidden knowledge and pacts with the
devil/Kelley, Kelley takes his due with high drama, Dee loses all and dies.
The worst annoyance
is Kelley. The producers sought worldwide for the right actor, then finally
imported one from Munich who looks like the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley,
acts like Simon Callow in The Chemical Wedding, and sings like Buster Blood
Vessel after castration. He is revolting in the role. Historical biography
is deliberately twisted to make the story as simple as it can be, to give
the Faustian element a more graphic punch. At the time of the wife swap Dee
was in his fifties, while Kelley was in his thirties, here we have a luscious
young Jane, a charismatic virile Dee and this revolting old Kelley with his
hooded eyes, large belly and bald head, rolling up his sleeves and lasciviously
licking his hands and forearms as he prepares to take the unwilling Jane with
graphic brutality. In Dee's dairies we know there was a wife swap, but that
both wives were involved, and Jane stayed with Dee until her death much later.
Also it is intriguing that after the brief wife swap episode Kelley reported
information from the angels causing the Enochian tables to be rearranged,
and the system made a lot more sense. Whether Kelley was holding out from
Dee and gave the info he needed after having his way with his wife is one
thing, but it certainly had the desired effect, and Dee remained working with
system with other scryers until his own death years later.
It is not all
bad, it is made clear that Kelley finds the work daunting and that Dee pushes
him, It is even inferred that perhaps Kelley organised the wife swap as he
was jealous of and harassed by Dee, which is also possible, but I still don't
know why Crowley? Was it a clever reference to Crowley's claim he was a reincarnation
of Kelley? Why did they not find someone who actually looked a bit like Kelly,
and could sing? Was that after 400 years it doesn't matter what they look
and sound like, especially if it helps the storyline?
Another "Why"
was why was Damon Albarn in it playing a busker? He perched on a ledge in
a sort to celestial realm with musicians playing renaissance and African instruments,
looking incongruous in his leather jacket and jeans amongst all the fabulous
costumes, but his droning acoustic music sounded worse than he looked. He
was up against the crème de la crème of British Opera combined
with the philharmonic orchestra, and his presence was detraction and a distraction.
So was the three way split in the stage that left Albarn on view at all times.
I thought this was to represent the three world philosophy but apparently
its meant to represent Heaven, Hell and Earth, and involved Queen Elizabeth
being suspended somewhere in the middle (tipareth perhaps?) for an inordinate
amount of time. The skeletal actress who played her also played the spirit/angel
perhaps indicating that Elizabeth was the spirit of the age, or Dee's inspiration,
or something, but it was never clear, and one gave up guessing as the disappointment
began to bite.
At the end Damon
came outside and patiently stood while he was photographed and mauled by fans,
and didn't leave till he had signed all the programmes he was proffered. He
was very polite and pleasant and we warmed to him. He seem to be very genuinely
immersed in the project, and must be acknowledged for his creative genius
in pulling together such of a dramatic mix of creative medias that will take
pride of place in next year's Olympic celebrations, and for bringing Elizabethan
magic to the world stage.
As we walked
away into the evening sunlight we felt conned but contented, with a familiar
sense of déjà vu over the Art's treatment of magic in general,
that we had not expected from the hype for this production. We had paid high
ticket prices to watch a one dimensional Christian morality play. "Dr
Dee" stereotypes magic as necromancy/bad for you - done by immoral frauds
to credulous people. It treats magic with as much superficiality as the traditional
fairy at a pantomime. Dee and Kelleys' amazing stories were hardly told, we
had not seen a scrap of ritual, nor heard even a pip of Enochian: but we had
all had been spellbound by the magnificence of the opera.
Lectures, Conferences
& Exhibitions
Saturday,
March 17, 2012
OCCULT
CONFERENCE
Saturday,
17th March, 2012
2:00pm until 8:00pm
Venue:
The George and Pilgrim Hotel,
1 Glastonbury High Street,
Glastonbury, Somerset, UK.
The 2012 Occult Conference will take place on Saturday 17th of March.
We've taken over the George and Pilgrim pub one of this countries most
historic Inns.
This
conference will be like NOTHING we've ever done before. We'll obviously
have a great line up of speakers, special guests, we're also planning
to have a workshop and a brilliant market place offering beautiful wares
and goods!
Contraband
will be available at the Bar, which serves a huge array of spirits and
real ales! The food here is also fantastic. Stall holders and speakers
to follow!
We
look forward to seeing you there. Due to fire regulations when tickets
go up on sale there will ONLY be 60 available.
Confirmed
Speakers
Judika
Illes
- http://www.judikailles.com/
Josephine McCarthy - http://www.theinnerlibrary.org/about.html
David Rankine - http://ritualmagick.co.uk/
Confirmed Stalls
Hadean
Press - http://www.hadeanpress.com/
Midian Books - http://www.midianbooks.co.uk/
Avalonia Books - http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/
Scarlet Imprint - http://www.scarletimprint.com/
Simon Bastian - Tarot reader extraordinaire
Organisers & Venues
Locations Details :
Bath
Omphalos
Bath
Omphalos
Omphalos
Magickal Moot is an independent group open to people from all magickal
paths.
Meetings
are on the second Sunday of each month, at
St James Wine Vaults, St James Square, Bath BA1 2TW.
Check
our postings regularly for updates, as there is often a guest speaker
(when a donation of £5.00 will be asked for to cover expenses).
Suggestions for discussion topics are welcomed - prior knowledge of
a topic is not essential as we can all learn from each other.
The
Huntsman serves food, the upstairs room is large and atmospheric, and
the whole place oozes with history.
The
Huntsman Inn
1, Terrace Walk, Bath, Somerset, BA1 1LJ
The
Huntsman Inn weblink is
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/84/8480/Huntsman_Inn/Bath
Bath
omphalos website: http://www.omphalos.org.uk/
The
Secret Chiefs London
THE
SECRET CHIEFS
Meet
on Alternate Mondays,
Upstairs at the Devereux Public House,
20 Devereux Court, off Essex Street,
The Strand,
London WC2R 3JJ
8p.m. / talk starts 8.30p.m. /Admission £2 / All are welcome.
(nearest tube Temple, on Victoria Embankment).
(Talking Stick began at The Plough on 14th February 1990,
moving through the years to The Marquis Cornwallis, The Dog & Trumpet,
the Black Horse to the Princess Louise, there becoming Secret Chiefs
on 15th March 2000. Now at the Devereux).
Check out dates and speakers programme on The
Secret Chiefs' website http://secretchiefslondon.wordpress.com
MWNN
THE
MOOT WITH NO NAME
Wednesdays,
7.30 for 8pm. Upstairs, Devereux pub near Temple tube station. £2.
(Unless otherwise stated.) F indicates an illustrated talk.
Directions:
Opposite the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand (near Aldwych) is
a Tudor-style pub, the George. The Devereux is down the alley next to
this. See
map at http://tinyurl.com/cp7u2
Check
out Moot With No Name website for speakers
http://www.theatlantisbookshopevents.com/page2.htm
Treadwells
Bookshop
Treadwells
Bookshop
33 Store Street,
Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 7BS, UK
Full
descriptions of all events are to be found now on Treadwells website
www.treadwells-london.com
London
Earth Mysteries Circle
London
Earth Mysteries Circle
7.00pm
Tuesdays (2nd & 4th in month)
Admission: £4.00
Venue:
The Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Nearest
tube: Baker Street.
For details and programme check London Earth Mysteries Circle website
www.londonearth.com
Groups
& Meetups
'Oxford
Talking Stick
Pub Moot'
Meets
every Thursday at The Angel & Greyhound Pub (St Clements st) Oxford.
There is now a regular blog with summaries of past discussion and news
of next session.
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I got invited back to speak despite my dismal performace in 2009 - well it was Sunday and by then folk were a bit tired and emotional as they say. This year the speakers had a much brighter maquee which brought out the best in the assorted team of chaotists, witches and New Edgers. I notice my name is on the website for 2012 - probably a mistake but if it ain't deleted by next year I might just sneak in. My talk 'Blood Sacrifice' went down well although some stayed away thinking it was going to be a bit too OTT - in fact it was more of a debate about the options inspired by the diversity of essays in Charlotte Rodger's slim but powerful tome The Bloody Sacrifice. I spent a very pleasant evening with Jo Birocco of Chaos Magazine and Tanya Ahsan of Kindred Spirit.
My old pal Andy was there who together with his partner Sarah, gave Rum and Candles for everyone - that set the tone really - genuine happiness, a real fizz in the air to at least be together and have new ideas and inspiration to share.
by Mark & Ruth Ramsden
http://www.darktantratarot.moonfruit.com/
Contemporary Spirituality, Perennial Wisdom, Self Development, Eastern Philosophy, Western Mysticism.
£3.50 / The Watkins Review is available at Watkins Books, WH Smith, Newsagents, UK and USA.
19 Cecil Court
London
WC2N 4EZ
www.watkinsbooks.com
An inspired vision of Traditional Witchcraft
By Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
The Craft of the Untamed sets out to present the main pillars of traditional witchcraft. Its premise is that a proper tradition is defined as a timeless unity. Outwardly the tradition bears a great diversity across different lands and spirit. Traditional witchcraft is found in various sodalities and groups across the world. Even so it is possible to discern several harmonious, shared themes. These themes are the land, the crossroads, death, night and the mountain of Venus. It is witchcraft where a human and angelic blood mingles to form a special pedigree that has shaped the archetypical image of the witch.
by Vincent Ongkowidjojo
isbn 978-1-906958-31-2, £12.99/$23 circa 280pp, ills.
A very long time ago Odin unlocked the secrets of the Runes. In two parts, Secrets of Asgard discusses their theoretical and a practical aspects. Part one focusses centres on the meaning of the individual runes and the myths, esplaining the Aettir alongside Northern mythology. It describes each of the gods as well as the Nine Worlds etc. The second part centres on the application of the system, namely magic and divinatio and includes rituals and exercises.
by Brandy Williams
Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN 978-0-7387-2724-0
an English Opera
Lectures, Conferences & Exhibitions
Saturday, |
OCCULT CONFERENCESaturday,
17th March, 2012
|
Bath Omphalos |
Bath Omphalos Omphalos Magickal Moot is an independent group open to people from all magickal paths. Meetings
are on the second Sunday of each month, at Check our postings regularly for updates, as there is often a guest speaker (when a donation of £5.00 will be asked for to cover expenses). Suggestions for discussion topics are welcomed - prior knowledge of a topic is not essential as we can all learn from each other. The Huntsman serves food, the upstairs room is large and atmospheric, and the whole place oozes with history. The
Huntsman Inn The
Huntsman Inn weblink is Bath omphalos website: http://www.omphalos.org.uk/
|
The |
THE SECRET CHIEFS Meet
on Alternate Mondays,
|
| MWNN |
THE MOOT WITH NO NAME Wednesdays, 7.30 for 8pm. Upstairs, Devereux pub near Temple tube station. £2. (Unless otherwise stated.) F indicates an illustrated talk. Directions:
Opposite the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand (near Aldwych) is
a Tudor-style pub, the George. The Devereux is down the alley next to
this. See
map at http://tinyurl.com/cp7u2 |
Treadwells Bookshop |
Treadwells
Bookshop Full
descriptions of all events are to be found now on Treadwells website
|
London
Earth Mysteries Circle |
London Earth Mysteries Circle 7.00pm
Tuesdays (2nd & 4th in month) Venue:
|
|
|
'Oxford
Talking Stick |
Meets
every Thursday at The Angel & Greyhound Pub (St Clements st) Oxford. |
To subscribe send email to: Mandrake-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mandrake To email the list owner mandrake-owner@yahoogroups.com
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