~ SEPTEMBER 1st-15th, 2007 ~

(the latest entries are always added to the top)

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. - AL I:40

Thursday September 20th 2007 – I’d like to remind my readers that tomorrow is my movie night at my apartment. I will be showing Alexadro Jordorowski’s EL TOPO (1970)! His biography refers to him as a “philosopher, scholar in comparative religion, playwright, director, producer, composer, actor, mime, comic book writer, tarot card reader and historian, and psychotherapist.” He was born in Chile on February 7th 1929. El Topo is a Mexican allegorical, cult western movie bathed in bizarre characters and occurrences, maimed and dwarf performers, all with a heavy dose of Christian symbolism and Eastern philosophy. The film is about the eponymous character - a violent, black-clad gunfighter and his quest for enlightenment. The movie takes place in two parts; the first half begins with El Topo, accompanied by his naked seven year old son, being told that he must bury his first toy and a picture of his mother in the sand. During their journey they find a lifeless town with all the inhabitants killed and mutilated, which includes the farm animals. El Topo sets out to avenge the inhabitants. He fights many people from a blind man with a voice of a woman, dressed in only a thong and guarded by a man with no legs riding a man with no arms, to a gunslinger who is some sort of a traveling gypsy accompanied by his mother and a lion to a gun fighting ‘Rabbit Master’ who lives at a bunny ranch. Inevitably El Topo meets up with the ‘gun master’ who is a man who wears only a small loin cloth with ghost gray hair down to his waist. Finally, ridden with the guilt for having killed all the ‘masters’, El Topo destroys his gun and revisits the places where he killed them all. At the rabbit master's grave it turns into flames, the gypsy master and his mother are entombed with a large toothpick pyramid around them, and the blind master's grave is covered with honey combs, while his two servants' grave have become a shrubs. Are you confused yet?  Well, at this point an unidentified woman approaches and shoots El Topo multiple times, giving him a series of gunshot wounds on his hands and feet, much like the wounds of Christ. Of course this is only an overview and a fraction of what has been going on! Even more bizarre is that this is just the FIRST HALF of the movie, which ends with the gunslinger being taken away by a band of strange, deformed people! You’ll have to come over tomorrow night to learn how the movie ends! ..... bring beer, wine and popcorn.

Saturday September 15th 2007 – 7:45am CROWLEYMAS is coming! It's only four weeks away! I've posted an ad to the right.  If you want to attend, send me an email!

Friday September 14th 2007 – 4:15pm Jay asks, after a long discourse of Angels & Demons: “Have you ever heard of the Feast of Epinany and the demons?” .... Answer: Yes, I’ve written about it before. It is Feast of Epiphany that is held every January 6th, or on the Twelfth Day of Christmas. The Greek word ‘Epiphany’ implies the manifestation of something spiritual or divine. In the Christian sense, the 12th Day is when Christ was shown to the world by the Three Wise Men. Oddly, throughout Europe, the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany are often considered ‘evil’ or a ‘witching time’ and the Twelfth Night is when all the ‘evil’ is finally expelled. In Greek tradition it is believed that when Christ was born, so too were the demons known as Kallikantzaroi. They are the souls of ‘unbaptised babies’ who manifest to torment people. In fact, it was believed that children born at Christmas most likely would become a Kallikantzaroi in the flesh as a punishment for their mothers’ sin in bearing them at a time sacred to the Mother of God. In Macedonia the Kallikantzaroi were believed to be real people whose Holy Guardian Angel underwent an evil transformation. Other legends say that during the Twelfth Day of Christmas these mischievous creatures ride around on chickens, they steal infants and they are said to wear wooden or iron boots with which they kick people, while in other areas it was believed that these imps aren’t shod at all but hooved. Of all the beliefs which are consistent in most countries the most humorist is the idea that Kallikantzaroi enjoys urinating in your groceries. Some legends even claim that they take the form of wolves or monkeys. The Kallikantzaroi cannot come into a house uninvited; a black cross or X painted on your door keeps them out and in the mean time they normally hover around lakes and crossroads. However, they are good at imitating the voices of a loved one in order to trick a person into opening their door or window. On the Twelfth Night is the Greek feast known as Kalanda when all Kallikantzaroi are expelled in a ceremonial blessing of the waters by the local priest which, it is believed, will settle these nasty little creatures until the next year.

3:30pm I received this question: “Do you think a person who either quits or was expelled from the AA can ever rejoin?” ..... Answer: Good question. Liber LXI vel Cavsae clearly states, “Listen, we pray you, with attention: for once only does the Great Order knock at any one door.” Many interpret this to say that the answer to your question is “No.”  Phyllis Seckler also had the belief that fruit that falls off a tree can never reattach itself. It all seems rather harsh to me ... I see the curse of the fallen: ‘From Malkuth you’ll raise no Higher’ implying a solidification of a person into this sphere which I’d like to point out is still the Neophyte Degree (1=10) in the AA. But instead of climbing the Tree again these individual needs to have a serious commitment to take under control ‘horizontal movement.’ The problem is that usually when a person falls it is due to ego and the chances of said individual facing their phantoms is often all but impossible. Usually, they exacerbate the problem by always blaming others for their failures rather than taking a serious hard look at themselves.

10:30am I received this comment in an email the other day: “I have heard a lot about you (don't worry, all good :-) and have enjoyed reading your blog and other miscellaneous material you have written. I feel a bit as if I know you, and would very much appreciate hearing your thoughts on sidereal vs tropical astrology. I really don't know much about astrology and would like to learn more..I have heard many arguments as to the validity of both systems, and while logically, the sidereal argument (dealing with the planets actual/present location in the heavens) makes some sense, I haven't found it to be as accurate (in relation to myself, at least) as the tropical system...but it must have SOME merit? Your elucidation would be very helpful.” ..... Answer: For starters, I firmly believe in reincarnation and as you know your chart is divided into twelve houses which represent different aspects of your incarnation and the type of experiences which you selected in order to learn specific lessons. However, there are many house systems to choose from; most people use the Placidus system (based on Placidus de Tito, a 17th century mathematician) simply because it is ‘popular’ and has been in the forefront since the astrological craze of about a hundred years ago. I enjoy Koch (Dr Walter Koch 1895-1970) which I find more accurate for a ‘birth place’ starting point as well as a personal magickal interpretation of an incarnation. Anyway, your question was in regards to my beliefs on sidereal over tropical astrology. As you may be aware, tropical astrology works around an imaginary point in space that the Earth comes to every spring known as the Vernal Equinox of March 21st. Sidereal is a system based on the rotation of our planet in regards to the heavens and one sidereal day implies the time it takes for a specific star to pass directly above a given observation point from whence it started. To me, both systems are fine and the reason I feel so is because like any form of divination whether it be one of the many astrological systems, or Tarot Card methods, I-Ching or a multitude of other modus operandi of interpreting our lives; each is merely a symbiotic tool that we and our Holy Guardian Angel slowly groom in order to communicate 'mysteries.' Remember, our Angel is ‘beyond’ this plane and it communicates not through language but archetypically through symbols. This means that all forms of divination where subjective interpretation devoid of too much mundane interpretation is involved are perfect. There are no exceptions in magick. However, if we jump around and constantly experiment or seek the 'most correct method', like in astrology, we tend to lose the gift of communication which is something that is obtained ‘over time.’ Most astrologers, regardless of the system that they use, will tell you that constantly doing charts and interpreting them inevitably brings about a 'knack' which is an ability to read into things not readily available to others. As an example from an astrological point of view: this tells us that the system that an astrologer uses is NOT as important as the astrologer's ability to interpret what his Angel is saying about himself or his clients. ... I once watched Grady McMurtry pick up a penny when he and I were walking around New Haven Connecticut sight-seeing. He smiled and said “Heads” When I asked, “What?”, he said that it meant his personal question was “Yes.” I didn’t ask of the question that he was referring but it seems that finding a penny was one of his ways of getting an answer.  Simple?  Perhaps ... but in magick, success if your proof.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Margaret walked over and picked up the phone.

Her friend Sherry, sitting at the kitchen table chuckled, “Oh

Margaret, you’re not still using that old dial up wall phone

are you? When are you going to get one of those modern

push button phones?

Margaret, putting her hand over the phone, turned and replied,

“Does it mean the person calling will say something

different?”

Wednesday September 12, 2007 – 7:03pm Here is a great quote by Confucius that I found worthy of repeating. It's a great Thelemic lesson - "To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice."

4:00pm The NEWS said we had a 2.7 magnitude earthquake just now on the Hayward Fault near Berkeley, they made a big deal out of it but I didn’t even feel it. I was too busy eating my Steve's Korean rice & spicy barbecue pork! Yum yum!

8:12am Over the weekend I received a lengthy email, wherein was this question, “I was a student of Ebony Apnu but I never met him, what were your views on him?” ..... Answer: Yes, I knew Ebony. He was brilliant with great possibilities but toward the end of his life, his rage toward Bill Breeze and myself often blinded him. Being Thelema Lodge Master back then he continual put me between a rock and a hard place with either wanting me to defend the antics of the Bay Area, or the OTO, which kept us from becoming friends. Bill Breeze and I use to talk constantly about Ebony’s attacks and about a few other bitter Fifth Degrees here in the Bay Area. Bill’s way to get a Fifth Degree to tow-the-line was to offer them Sixth Degree, the Knights Templar Degree and indirectly forcing them to defend ‘HIM’ by Sacred Oath despite the fact that they often opposed his antics. Watching Ebony in the last few years of his life trying to turn around his behavior to appease the OTO was sad. I had more respect for him when he was a rebel, or dare I say Thelemite. Sorry, I don’t know Ebony’s astrological chart, I would love to have a copy so if any of my readers have one kicking around, please, can I have a copy? Anyway, I have often wondered if he had a 10th House Saturn. It would explain his quick rise to fame, then accomplishing nothing of any worth, followed by years of rapid decline into nothingness because he defended that which his True Will had always told him to do otherwise. Phyllis Seckler use to love ranting about 10th House Saturn’s! ... Be that as it may, Ebony wasn’t a bad guy, just occasional misguided by hate.

7:50am J. Edward Cornelius on ‘Magical Mottos’ : Yesterday, at 9:00am, I wrote about Live Journals and people’s use of aliases of “Frater This and Soror That.” Since then I’ve got quite a few brief emails asking my opinion on the subject of mottos. One person even quoted our AA website which states, “ ... any email received from someone who does not use their full real name and or signs it with a motto, or by some other such alias, will be ignored.” ... So what are my views? ... For starters, magicians believe that the average person walks around the earth oblivious of their True Will and most, admittedly, fail in their incarnation to achieve it. Magicians, on the other hand, understand that each one of us picked our present incarnation. The ‘name’ that we were given at birth by others, like many factors of childhood, magickally and numerological helps us ‘unconsciously’ to move toward the path that we’ve chosen. However, as a magician I am attempting to unravel my Soul like layers of an onion and in the process of Self Discovery I am ‘consciously’ assuming ‘new’ incarnations’ per each movement into a different sphere on the Tree of Life. In the process I am very carefully picking a ‘magickal name’ to best represent my ambitions on a multiple levels in order to move into and accomplish the sphere. In this way I am taking control over each and every new life [in this body]. ..... So, how do I see the use of Frater & Soror in recent years? For starters, they sure as Hell are not being used either properly or magickally! More often than not 'children' of all ages pick names reflecting something cool while other dwarf-like creatures, who hate being ‘known’ in sunlight, wear these names as a cloak of silence to hide their identity in order to throw their two-cents into a subject or jab at others. They find security playing at anonymity. ..... But like most things magickally it all can be summed up by horizontal or vertical movement. As Above, So Below; horizontal or ‘mundane’ movement goes no higher than Malkuth or Earth while vertical movement climbs the Tree of Life. Since the AA is a magickal school attempting to teach vertical movement, the casual use ‘publicly’ of Frater This or Soror is not tolerated ... we believe strongly in the magickal Law of “Don’t Cross the planes.” Although there are exceptions to all rules; if you are functioning in an earthly manner, use your real name.

Tuesday September 11th 2007 – 3:30pm Sorry Frank, regardless what you heard at NOTOCON, Marlene Cornelius was expelled from the AA. She did not resign. We received her ‘resignation’ letter days after a 43pg document was already signed listing multiple charges filed against her by both myself and her superior in the Order stemming from years of problems. We officially posted her ‘resignation’ on our website last November out of deep respect and courtesy because we felt that the truth was no one’s business regarding the deeds of which she is accused and of her magickal and spiritual failures. However, we have seen no gratitude over these last ten months for our silence and only repeated mundane attacks against me; so the AA has unanimously decided to no longer cover for her - she was expelled - any and all students accepted by her after October 2006 will be considered fraudulent.

9:45am J. Edward Cornelius on politics: “I've yet to find anyone, Democrat or Republican whom I like; it's why I haven't voted in almost thirty-five years! I have always felt like I was in the Pit between a swinging Pendulum wondering which side do I want to get cut by first; the right or left?”

9:25am A friend wrote, “The OTO doesn't appeal to me for various reasons. And while I love the writings of Crowley and accept Liber AL, I do not feel that it is necessary for me to join the OTO in order to be a Thelemite. There probably is great benefit to the initiations they offer, but I find the present leadership uninspiring and at times downright distasteful. Nor am I involved with any A.:A.: lineage.” ..... I replied, “This is probably what has made you strong! Too often people get involved in Aleister Crowley’s writings or Thelema and get so disgusted after joining the ‘new’ OTO that they give it ‘all’ up for good!  What the Christians don’t realize, the dark secret of secrets that we hope they'll never find out, is that the Ordo Templi Orientis itself does more damage to Crowley’s Thelema than any attacks they could ever possible do!”

9:00am I wrote to a friend, “I have avoided getting a LiveJournal for some of the reasons that you mentioned. It is “rife with OTO drama.” I find that many lower degrees use the LJ to babble out views which are neither Thelemic or any worth; many LJs are the medium of the new generation of a ‘fast-food’ mentality who hides behind ‘aliases’ called Frater This and Soror That. ... A few years back out of curiosity I got hooked on some of the LJs but inevitably I started asking myself, “Who are these idiots?” And more important, “Why am I wasting my time reading it?” I avoid LJs now like the plague and thus I’m not sure I’d agree that they’re ‘entertaining” although, I agree many people do like “reading people's opinions on the various issues.” ... I personally enjoy the concept of a blog, or on-line diary, rather than Live or instantaneous’ Journal. Most emails I answer off-line for a number of reasons. First, they may be personal, others are stupid and admittedly, many I feel are simply of little worth to my general readers. I also want time to muddle over answers and carefully word things pertinent to the comments or questions. If I feel that what is being asked or answered might be of interests to others, I’ll then post it on my blog.

Saturday September 8th 2007 – 10:05am Yes Mike I agree, the OTO tends to forget that Liber OZ is so important that in the Second Degree they had you sign it in triplicate while standing before Saladin. One copy was then kept within the Order as an affirmation of what you promised to live by [sorry if I’m cynical] and the other two copies you were told to affix publicly on buildings representing “civil and religious authority." Have you ever read Arthur Koestler’s The Yogi and the Commissar (1945)? Crowley made Grady hunt down a copy, as did Grady with me and I tell all my students – READ IT!

9:25am Mike writes, "I'm an OTO initiate, I agree with your remarks about gossip but don't you think 'horizontal functioning groups" like the OTO believe in the same thing?" ..... Answer: In theory, yes but when I was a member of OTO (27 years) I watch dozens of cases where people had allegations of 'gossip & slandering' brought against them by another fellow brother or sister even though what was being said was rooted in the truth which the 'accuser' simply didn't want to become common knowledge. I can say with all honesty, horizontal fraternities tend to use the allegation of ‘slander’ as a crutch to 'silence' facts from being spread. The ‘key phrase’ of a horizontal fraternity is: “Everything is Perfect and go after those who say otherwise!”  In many horizonal fraternities Liber OZ is not considered your Holy Banner.

8:00am Last night’s talk at my house produced interesting topics from Enochian Magick to basic mundane issues. One such topic dealt with badmouthing and gossiping and since it is something that we all do, I thought I’d share my views on the subject with my readers. On the back of every Probationer’s Oath is found the statement, “Mystery is the Enemy of Truth.” I believe strongly in this pronouncement, always have but I’m amazed at how many people who have taken AA Oaths simply ignore it. Grady McMurtry always used ‘gossip’ as the number one example of the violation of this AA principle while pointing out that it is human nature to talk about others, we all do it and if someone says they don’t, he would be suspicious of them. I agree. Within AA, or more properly vertical schools, there should be nothing that you say or write which you do not stand behind 100%. If you can talk about someone be prepared to tell that person to their face the same thing and if you write anything, write with the assumption that everyone can read it and if you write about someone have no fear in sending them a copy. Those who want to hide in the shadows to relay stories behind a person’s back or in private emails or deny what they’ve said if caught only proves that they’re functioning horizontally and no higher. - Malkuth is the plane of Mystery. - The lesson is; take responsibility for your actions regardless whether you are right or wrong. If it turns out you’re wrong, eat crow! We all make mistakes, no one is perfect. I have eaten crow many times over the years and I’d suggest marinating the little bugger first, adding a mild barbecue sauce with a pinch of salt and then slow cooking it in the backyard grill. ... Anyway, within Thelema everyone has the undisputed right to ‘write as ye will’ and if, as an example, you honestly believe that such and such a person is being an ‘asshole’ or a ‘bitch’ then don’t be afraid to say such simply because you might offend the person’s sensitivity but accept the fact that obviously they’re going to disagree with you because how can they be an ‘asshole’ or a ‘bitch’ if they’re right and you're wrong? Still, on the other hand, if a person doesn’t like being called an ‘asshole’ or a ‘bitch’ then perhaps they might ‘reflect’ upon why they’re being called such rather than attacking the messenger? Ah, but the Catch 22!  Self Reflection is the First Step off Malkuth. When Ego screams “I am always right” and anything said about me is an outright lie, how can they reflect on the possibility that there are two sides to a coin? ... More often that not such individuals are really upset because the tip of their iceberg [solidified unconscious baggage] has come above the water-line and it is easier to attack the person screaming "Look out for the iceberg!" than admitting your ship [i.e. reality] is heading toward it! ..... Personally, I’ve been called more names than I can shake a stick at, I have been trashed by people who don’t even know me, gossiped about behind my back and I am always a target of lies. How do I take it all? It depends, sometimes I come out swinging while other times I open a beer and have a good laugh. I know that I cannot please everyone and long ago I got over the fact that I might not be 'loved' and besides, some of what they say about me is actually true!

Friday September 7th 2007 – 10:05am I received this comment a little while ago: “At NOTOCON I got the impression that you and Keith Schurholz are 'bitter enemies', I thought you were both friends, what gives?” ..... Answer: Ah, the gossip circles. For the record, I am not at war with Keith and, believe it or not, I still consider him a friend. We’ve had our difficulties as does everyone; wives and husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends, friends and families included; I guess we’re both waiting for the other to make the first move at reconciliation of a stupid misunderstanding.

8:00am ... & the OTO never ceases to amuse me ... click HERE for deatils.

Thursday September 6th 2007 – 7:45pm A student writes, “... is the act of tackling the First gift of the Gods meant to solve the elusive nature of the path indicated by the interplay of the energies represented by the Fool and the Universe?” .... Answer: In a way, yes. The First Gift was choosing your ‘incarnation’ but most people walk blindly through this ordeal and never give it a second glance. The magician attempts to consciously understand the interplay between 1=10 which deals primarily on Malkuth; the sphere. Always remember the old axiom; “A path is worthless that leads nowhere.”  It’s nice to study the Tarot but each path details the type of current originating between two spheres. Study the spheres! They are your Chakras! And remember, all of the obligations of the moE attempt to put the magician in control of this sphere and the best way to do this is to intellectually have you face your phantoms and vanquish them in regards to why you picked the First Gift, or incarnation.

7:35pm A student writes, “You relate Atu's of The Fool and The Universe as being symbolically reflective of the work presented to the moE. While I understand the practices of the first two moons and the obligations of the moE to provide the momentum represented in the Fool's journey I find as I meditate on ATU XXI that its simplicity currently eludes me. [Gee, I wonder why? :-/ ]. Any recommendations?  ..... Answer: The interplay of these forces in the moE reflect the Alpha & Omega; the beginning and end and vice versa. They are currents coming from and feeding Kether & Malkuth. 1=10.  One is the seed or ‘The Fool’ which is found un-manifested in All things; it lies above the Abyss. ... Malkuth 10, or The World XXI lies below the Abyss and represents the Seed manifesting. See my Tarot card of The World. Instead of painting the Earth, which is symbolic of manifestation and limitations on this plane, I use the head of a penis with the Seed (semen) shooting forth to represent elemental creation of possibilities. ... On another level, remember the ‘circle squared’ at all times. One you control, while the other controls you. If while in Malkuth the magician puts his faith in Kether the Godhead, then to fulfill it he must ‘control’ Malkuth. The World card not only implies the type of energy manifesting downward from the branches of the Tree but it also represents the methods toward Universal Freedom off Malkuth

Wednesday September 5th 2007 – 4:15pm I received this question from a student: “How would you say astrology relates to the nature of the daimon? Is its elemental nature more related to Sun, Moon, or rising sign?” ..... Answer: Your astrology chart is a map of the vehicle that you’ve chosen for your incarnation in which you and the daimon have a symbiotic relationship. Like the Tree of Life itself, no one piece of your chart should be more important to you or your daimon than another. I know Astrology is not one of your favorite subjects but consider this correlation with the Qabalistic Tree of Life; your Sun Sign represents Tiphereth and it reveals your Ego and potential within your incarnation, i.e. the center of your Universe. Your Moon Sign refers to Yesed and it reveals all things within. Your Ascendant or Rising Sign is Malkuth and is said to be the ‘mask’ that you wear while roaming the Earth and it details how you deal with day-to-day issues and people. All three relate to your vehicle in which both you and the daimon function so how can we say that any one aspect of it relates more to the daimon than another? ..... You also wrote, “I have pet peeves about astrology mainly due to my contact with astronomy though philosophy of science. Once I started including galaxies, drift and other astronomical data into my view and sense of the universe astrology just didn't seem to make the same sense it used to. Personality theories that take into account motivation like the Enneagram, which is spiritually based, reflect more of my ‘style.’ Qabalistically of course elements can still be assigned to primary motivations.  Guess it's essentially the same stuff in different clothing. The divinatory tool is simply that method which best allows you to commune with your daimon through the archetypal language.” ..... Answer: More often than not you seem to be caught up into a pit of Because that keeps your Wheels spinning. Yes, it is true As Above So Below; that everything that is outside is within and vice versa and with that in mind you’ll go mad trying to correlate it all. This was never more apparent than with the magicians and Qabalistis in the old Aeon who had to categorize everything into nice neat packages. It is also true that the Universe is vast but why abandon astrology simply because you are now befuddled by how it all fits together? That is like saying that while studying the influence of friends, family and job or of other things closet to you that you discover China, Tibet and other countries far away and being unable to figure out their affect upon yourself, you abandon your quest to understand your surroundings. This is the root of much of your problems. Stop thinking about the entire Universe and about those things unrelated to your backyard and focus on what is important! In other words; lighten up, start with the first step and stop trying to fit the immensity of the Universe into a nice package. Until you learn to stop the world and smell the roses around you, I fear we will be asking and answering the same questions over and over again.

4:00pm Here is a great quote from Aleister Crowley's unpublished diaries:  "... shaved head: barber terrified as usual." (Feb. 20th 1943)

12:10pm Here is an exact copy of a NEWS item from Sept.4th which amuses me. – “KATHMANDU: Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said on Tuesday. Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem. The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft on Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said. "The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju KC, a senior airline official ...”    

10:30am One of my student’s wrote an interesting email, wherein he writes, “Your recent response to Andy allied with your last email to me in regard launching desire through the daimon and now I am provoked to ask some questions.” He then asks: “I wrote to you sometime back about dryness. You mention the act of banishing often as its cure. The first two moons coupled with the background concentration of the moE obligations; they are elaborations of the banishing process no? ...... Answer: In theory yes. If a dryness or state of stagnation is occurring within the mind then one of the first things I always recommend, as did Grady, is to banish often but you must do it correctly. You’re not banishing a room or a space but the Akashic current surrounding your body and cleansing it of negative baggage. That is your focus when doing the ritual. Also, too many magicians think that all they have to do is ‘banish’ and things will be set aright. Although they are correct to a degree, if you do not reformulate your Akasha into a proper vehicle the problem will simply return. In theory, merely ‘thinking’ sets the water in motion around your body. This is why it is important to focus on the First Gift that was given to you by the Gods; i.e. or your childhood, or background and also working on the obligations of the MOE helps in solidifying a proper ‘direction’ in which to clothe your Akasha and in which your daimon can function in order to better assist you.

Tuesday September 4th 2007 – 9:25am My dear friend Mick sent me this quote in his email this morning. It brought back memories and smiles - "I must be simple indeed! How did I fail for a moment to understand that Brocken-Spectres must be shadows cast by some Star, a Sun, upon sun-lifted vapours - that all these diverse shapes of madness are but distortions of one form upon the mountain crest, a solitary shadow - the shadow of a Man!" It is from my favorite Aleister Crowley book, The Heart of the Master. I named my original OTO Lodge back in the late 70s after Brocken Mountain.

7:55am Peter Koenig asks, “Once you told me that you had been visited by Kenneth Anger. When and why was that?” ..... Answer: It occurred during the OTO lawsuit out here in California in 1992. I was chatting with Bill Breeze on the phone, he was coming up from Los Angeles to Berkeley and we were making arrangements for a lawyer’s meeting to discuss our final strategy so that we all could be very clear on our goals. During his visit I held a nice feast for Bill, who was traveling with his friend Kenneth Anger. The dinner occurred at my apartment on 66th Street on the evening of May 19th. It was an enjoyable evening.

Monday September 3rd 2007 – 9:45am Peter Koenig whose O.T.O. Phenomenon website is a treasure trove of information, [http://www.cyberlink.ch/~koenig] sent this email after receiving the latest issues of CORNELIA. He writes, "Hi Jerry, 93! Again another bunch of Collector Items! I mostly love the autobiographical details and wished that more such intense and detailed accounts of Thelemic life and lifestyles were extant. Please do not stop writing and do not die before the last drop of the lemon is squeezed out: be it digitally on my screen or in print or in the circle of your beloved ones. there shall be no sound heard but this thy lion-roar of rapture. Peter 93 93/93." ... From one historian to another, thank you for the kind words.

9:00am I'm starting to add many new items from my Private Library into my For Sale Catalogue and will be updating it, hopefully, on a DAILY BASIS! Check it out from time to time ...

7:45am Today is my friend Robert Flores’ birthday. He was born right here in California in 1969. Can everyone say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ... While thinking about this I began wondering, "What I was doing around September of 1969?" Oh ya, I had just gone to something called Woodstock the month before and now I was entering my senior year in High School in New Haven, Connecticut. I skipped a lot that year. Too much sex, drugs and rock n' roll; these were my crazed LSD and pot years! I remember when the truant officer, Mr.DePalma, signed my yearbook at the end of the semester he addressed his comment to ‘the Hunter.’ Its funny to read now. Anyway, this was due to my favorite outfit, which I often wore while sitting in his office. Let me describe it and you’ll understand the term ‘Hunter.’ My outfit consisted of my favorite long fringed brown leather coat with numerous hippie type pins and patches. I also wore fringed knee high leather moccasins along with a brown Australian bush hat; it too with pins stuck to its side. On my hip-hugging dungarees I hand sowed yellow strips down the sides to look like old western cavalry pants. I also always wore my favorite bright pink Benjamin Franklin sunglasses. And I had long shoulder length hair. I was quite a sight in my senior year! Now-a-days it's rather tame but in hindsight, I can understand why my dear mother always refused to be seen with me in public. Check out this picture of me in 1970; click HERE.

Sunday September 2nd 2007 – 5:00pm Here are some great links from my friend LUNA out in Hayward. I thought I'd share them with my readers, ENJOY!

http://occidentationroomloquai101.blogspot.com/

http://www.pictdom.org/WhatIs.html

7:30am My friend Andy from Sacramento writes, “In looking at your tarot I've noticed a recurrent standard on the anatomy that is very distinct. I was wondering what ratios you used and what kind of symbolism if any you were trying to convey or were informed by. Your post about the winged red disk and how the daimon is actually travelling the astral for us made your paintings and "astral travel" in general click for me. I've had difficulty always feeling like I wasn't really "out", more sending a sphere of vision or imaginary self out and stopping in frustration over it, for years. Now it seems easy as hell. Thanks on all counts.” ..... Answer: I have it written down somewhere, but if I remember correctly I carefully distinguished in my notes between male & female figures when their ‘head’, a term which rules the Hebrew letter Resh, appeared as being different than when only a body part appeared. ..... In reference to my blog entry of August 30th: most people travel in the astral all the time and if you told them that using their imagination (Ghimel) is the key they’ll argue otherwise. The average person simply believes that imagination is an internal process of our mind that we all use to energize external influences in order to make sense out of our experiences of a particular type of knowledge that appeals to us. Sadly, such people more often than not are making ‘phantoms of their imagination’ and are projecting their wish fulfillments of a failed or boring life rather than carefully plotting a course out into the waters. They often supply merely the drool for a psychologist’s playground! Magicians know that imagination starts the second you focus ‘within.’ If you are thinking of outward stimulants in your life (consciously or unconsciously) then you’re splashing in the waters near your shore. You are a magician; here is an experiment; go to the nearest body of water and throw a rock and watch which ways the ripples flow ... do they always head toward shore?  The rock is symbolic of your imagination.

6:50am Kath sent a quick blurb to my last email. She writes, "But shouldn't the Neophyte at least be able to bring me up to his level, regardless if he's begun climbing the mountain?" ..... Answer: Great question. In theory this sounds logical and by old AA school thought, it should be enough. But when Crowley was establishing the Order most of the people joining had little if no magickal knowledge or training and were not as well read as today's students. We have a wealth of info at our finger tips and people today are often starting out 'too smart' for their own good and many are even intellectually beyond their Neophyte. This often frustrates the Neophyte and rather than admitting such, they ignore their students. Ah, do you see the Catch 22? ... Personally, I like it when a student is smarter than me, it saves me the trouble. It allows me to focus on more important matters; like pointing out, "Don't trip on that rock!"

6:15am Kath writes, “Me and my boyfriend always argue over the correct spiritual approach and magick. He’s not a joiner but I want a guru or teacher who can walk me up the 'mountain' and he cites my failure in the other AA branch as proof why we need to work alone. But they failed me, not the other way around. I joined and they abandoned me. They never answered my mail” ..... Answer: Magick is a science. The reason most AA branches fail is that they assume that their methods, which were established almost a hundred years ago, are sufficient. Their world is flat. All I see is dogma, bleating heart teachers who have failed at the simplest of tasks and who stagnate; unable to teach, they ignore their students. Their personal reality is more important to them than the future of the Aeon. They forget that the AA is dedicated to the service of humanity; every drop of blood must be poured into She who lasts for an Eternity rather than fleeting moments in an incarnation that are but shadows. This is one of the reasons why the old Qabalistic Tree of Life structure is doomed for failure; Neophytes (in Malkuth) have yet to rise up high enough on the Tree to realize the seriousness of the Oaths that they have taken to the Aeon and are more preoccupied with horizontal behavior. What can such a person teach who has yet to start climbing the mountain (vertical movement)? ... For the record, I hate the term guru and even the word 'teacher' annoys me. I am merely someone who has walked farther up the path than you and who can enlighten you of the sights that I have seen. However, when the day comes that you are standing where I am now standing, you’ll realize that what you see is different than what I see and the exact foot steps that I took to get here are impossible for you to duplicate.

Saturday September 1st 2007 – 6:00pm The NEWS reported that Phylis Canion found the body of a Chupacabra, or "goat sucker" near her home in Cuero, Texas on Friday. She found the animal dead and what tipped her off to the possibility that this was no ugly coyote, but perhaps the vampire-like beast, is that many of her dead chickens weren't even eaten or carried off but were simply drained of all their blood. When discussing the body of the Chupacabra she simply said, "It is one ugly creature." She's keeping it in her freezer. It is a mammal, wolf-like with big ears, large fanged teeth and grayish-blue, mostly hairless skin. Pictures of it were shown & yes, it's UGLY!

Why did the Chupacabra cross the street?

Answer: because there were chickens on the other side.

5:00pm John from New York writes, “I am not sure that I want to continue socializing with these guys in my area. They call themselves magicians but they think its OK to smoke cigarette or other stuff while setting up the initiation Temple or Gnostic Mass Temple, which needs to come up and down weekly. They also don’t banish. What are your thoughts on this as far as an affect on me?”  ..... Answer: RUN AWAY! A flag should go up immediately that these are NO magicians, despite their claims. No TRUE magician would ever burn anything in a Temple that does not directly have purpose to the rituals being planned. SMELL is the most powerful of our senses magickally and it is one in which a magician must be very careful when using. Remember, all smoke whether it is frankincense, myrrh or cigarettes, pot etc is an incense and airing out a room after setting it up as a Temple does not make it pure, especially if no one is Banishing. Read Crowley’s 777 under Col. XLII ‘Perfumes’ and you’ll realize tobacco is incense under rule of Geburah, or Mars. How does this type of energy fit into the Gnostic Mass or even an initiation chamber? Remember, to set up a Temple implies that you are a Mason, one who knows how to create a Sacred Space wherein the Spirit of the ritual will dwell and if such a person starts off, long before the rite, creating an atmosphere/space where they smoke cigarettes, get drunk or etc then what does it say in regards to what they’re setting up to be drawn down upon the candidates? Consider this quote: “Anyone can set up a pretty room but rare is the person who can take an empty room and make it sacred.”  ... Anyway, what you need to realize is that these people are unconsciously doing you irreparable damage and, whether they believe it or not, they're causing a magickal affect. The bottom line ... do you want to trust your magickal psyche to such individuals who have yet to learn how to use a Square and Compass?  

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