~ June 15th - 30th, 2008 ~

(the latest entries are always added to the top)

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

Monday June 30th 2008 - 4:10pm OK, it’s a bit late, I know but here is my history section for today: On this date in 1908 an unidentified object appeared above Western China, with a deafening supersonic roar that terrified everyone as it headed due north. When it fell out of the sky, at 7:17am near the Stony Tunguska River in Siberia near Kansk, it leveled miles of forests, but left no crater. It was so powerful that the seismographs throughout the world registered what looked like an earthquake. It would be the largest recorded explosion until the H-Bomb was invented. To this day theorists are still pondering what caused the explosion; meteorite, comet, anti-matter, mini-black hole or alien spaceship? It remains a mystery. ……. And finally, on June 30, 1925 Frederick Leigh Gardner the man whom Aleister Crowley had decided was responsible for evoking Typon-Set against him, died.

6:00am ?     11:34am !     12:43pm Aughhhhhh?!?!

Sunday June 29th 2008 - 5:35am Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa! I know I have lots of emails and letters to answer; I am not ignoring you all. I’ve been working on a serious dead-line these last few weeks with a magickal affirmation and a lot of my life has been on hold. I promise to get to you all within the next few days. Thanks for you patience. ... I will post the 'for the history buffs' etc and other things later today. For now, I must get back to work.

Saturday June 28th 2008 – 6:45am For the history buffs: On this date in 1752 Karl von Eckartshausen was born in Haimhausen, a town near Munich, as the illegitimate child of the Count of Haimhausen and Maria Anna Eckart. At the age of seven Eckartshausen began experiencing strange dreams of a prophetic and mystical nature, as well as having ‘visions.’ He wrote the classic on every occult reading list: The Cloud upon the Sanctuary (1802). ……. And Albert Karl Theodor Reuss was born on this date in Augsburg, Germany in 1855. He was the son of an innkeeper who became trained as a professional Opera singer. He met Richard Wagner and, in 1882, he sang in the first performance of Wagner’s Parsifal in Bayreuth. Later, in London, he sang in music halls under the name of Charles Theodore. Sadly, with the loss of his voice, he was forced to give up his singing career. He then became a  druggist, a journalist and possibly even a spy for the Prussian Police. He claimed to have used a charter supplied to him by John Yarker to establish a “Masonic Academy” which became known as the Ordo Templi Orientis or O.T.O. It was his ambition to revive the Order of the Illuminati in Munich and Berlin. Reuss was Aleister Crowley‘s predecessor as the Head of the OTO. He died on October 28, 1923.  …… and to continue with birthdays, Stewert Farrar was born on this date in Highams Park, Essex in 1916. He was the author of such book as What Witches Do (1971), Eight Sabbats For Witches (1971) and The Witches' Way (1986) He died on February 7, 2000. …..….. and it would be negligent if I didn’t mention that on this date in 1940 that the ‘sleeping prophet’ Edgar Cayce predicted that Atlantis would rise from the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Bimini in the late 1960s  .....…… and on June 28, 1944 Aleister Crowley had one of the most important visions of his life, one that would inevitably affect the future of Thelema. He wrote in his diary that about 1:48 a.m. he saw an “Apparition of Fra H.A. In oval of dim light. Dark Blue clothes, standing at attention. Greeting returned, before I finished mine.” There is no immediate indication in his diaries at the moment of Crowley attempting to figure out what this meant but, shortly after this vision, he begins looking toward Grady as a possible O.H.O. or successor to the O.T.O. leadership in the future. Crowley also began thinking more about “777” as his spiritual heir. He would spend the next few months trying to figure out Grady’s future and in this time he would inevitably develop the Caliph theory. He would later send Grady a letter dated August 22nd 1944, considered one of the most significant letters in modern Thelemic history because, as Grady stated, this was “the 1st of the Caliphate letters.” In time it leads to Grady being appointed the Thelemic Caliph. …...….. ah, June 28th seems like a busy day, no? …….. for the UFO buffs; on June 28, 1952 just after midnight, Truman Bethurum of Prescott, Arizona was peaceably asleep in his truck. Within minutes he found himself abruptly awakened by strange visitors; short little spacemen in coveralls. He claimed that he was then escorted out of his truck and taken aboard a UFO where he met a beautiful female captain name Aura Rhanes, who said she was from a planet called Clarion. After his visit he wrote a note which he put in his pocket and which was later printed in LIFE magazine in 1957:  “To whom it may concern. If I am found dead it will be because my heart has stopped from the terrible excitement induced by seeing and going aboard a flying Saucer.” …….. and finally, I should mention that on June 28, 1975 Rod Serling, known primarily for his role as the host of television’s The Twilight Zone, died.

Friday June 27th 2008 – 6:40am For the history buffs: Greta Mary Sequeira was born on this date in 1907 to an English doctor of Portuguese descent. She enjoyed the London scene and could often be found at the Cafe Royal in the company of artists. It is believed by some that it was here, in 1936, that she first became acquainted with Aleister Crowley, and, “He soon became her close friend and confidant, openly declaring his love for her.” Crowley was madly in love with this woman. He even followed her across England hoping to make her his new lover, but she declined. Instead, she married Paul Valentine. Although Greta remained Crowley’s friend until his death, she never became one of his Scarlet Women. She did, however, introduce her best friend, Freida (Bloxam) Harris, the wife of Sir Percy Harris the Chief Whip in the Liberal Party, to Aleister Crowley. It would be at Greta’s house that Crowley and Frieda would develop some of the earliest designs for The Book of Thoth, his essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, which would be published in 1944. Greta Mary Sequeira died in 1998 at the age of 91. Her obituary referred to her as “one of the last survivors of the circle around Aleister Crowley, the black magician and self-styled wickedest man alive.” …..….. and how can I not mention that Marcelo Ramos Motta was born on this date in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1931. As a young man he attended a University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and, in the mid-50s began corresponding with Karl Germer, the head of Aleister Crowley’s Ordo Templi Orientis. Germer died in 1962 and there are those who believe that he became Karl Germer’s heir. Yes, it is true, Motta was Karl Germer’s personal student and for awhile was venerated by Germer simply because he had recently helped him publish Crowley’s Liber Aleph. However, Motta had a falling out with Germer shortly afterwards. It began when Motta started writing crazed letters of abuse. Germer summed them up best in one of his replies dated December 23rd 1961 when he wrote, “You blithering, miserable IDIOT! I have seen and had observed several similar cases of Demonitis but yours beats all records in our files.” Even a few months before his death, in June of 1962, Germer was still telling Motta that his actions are “contaminated by the demonic forces that have got hold of you.” In the summer of 1976 established his AA branch in Tennessee to began a corporation known as Society Ordo Templi Orientis, more commonly known as SOTO. On August 28, 1987 Motta died of “myocardial infarction and pulmonary edema.”  Although we’d like to say he died on this date, the official statement says that “sometime between the morning of August 26 and the morning of August 28, 1987ev” he died. In the end, this Brazilian has a way of obscuring the facts, even his own death! …...… and finally, Scott Cunningham, who was a Wiccan and a popular author of more than thirty books, was born on this date in Royal Oak, Michigan in 1956. His first glimpse into the craft came when his mother purchased and gave him the book The Supernatural by Douglas Hill and Pat Williams in 1971. Some of his more popular books were Magical Herbalism (1982), Earth Power (1983), Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (1985), The Magical Household (1987), Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic (1987), The Truth about Witchcraft (1988) and Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (1988). On March 28, 1993 he died at the age of 37 of Lymphoma, a form of cancer, along with Cryptococcal Meningitis, complication from AIDS.

Thursday June 26th 2008 – 4:10am My dear friend Ricardo Flores sent me this joke yesterday. I love it. ... Question: Did you hear the one about the agnostic dyslexic insomniac? Answer: He used to stay up all night wondering if there really is a Dog.

4:00am For the history buffs: Many people are totally unaware that the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about the Pied Pier who lured 130 children out of Hamelin actually happened and had occurred on this date in 1284. Modern historians believe this tale was simply folklore surrounding an early psychopath and a pederast who was involved in some sort of mass child killing and rather than facing the phantoms of such a horrendous act, myths began to evolve. ……… On this date in 1750 Tobias Gill, a Negro drummer who was said to be stationed with the Fourth Hussars in the village of Blythburgh, in Suffolk, England, got  extremely drunk and was ejected from the White Hart Inn. He wandered onto Blythburgh Common where he met a pretty Walberswick girl named Ann Blakemore. In his drunken state he raped and killed the young girl with his scarf. The very next morning, three farm labourers who were walking across the commons found him in a drunken sleep passed out next to the cold, lifeless body of Ann Blakemore. He was tried for her murder, found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged near the very scene of this crime on 14th September. His body hung on the gibbet for over two weeks as a warning to others before it was taken down and interred by his comrades in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church. The ghost of ‘Black Toby,’ as he has come to be known, has been seen many times over years, always in June, in the area now known as Toby’s Walk. ……. On this date in 1904 the European actor Laszlo Loewenstein was born in Austria. When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, he left Paris and, eventually moved to Hollywood where he became known as Peter Lorre. He appeared is such movies as The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Casablanca (1942). On an odd note; Ian Fleming’s first James Bond book named Casino Royale was made into a movie in 1967 the evil villain known as Le Chiffre, who was based on Aleister Crowley, was played by Orson Welles. What few know is that Casino Royale originally made its debut in 1954 on US Television. The person who played James Bond’s villain, Le Chiffre, was none other than Peter Lorre. …….. and finally, Colin Wilson was born on this date in 1931 in Leicester, England, into a working class family. He has written dozens of books and hundreds of articles on a diversity of subjects ranging from philosophy, crime, literary criticism, fiction, and the occult. One of his most famous books is The Outsider (1956) although he has also written a biography on Aleister Crowley called The Nature of the Beast (1987).

Wednesday June 25th 2008 – 12:00pm I want to announce an important New title from The Teitan Press: Three Essays on Freedom by John W. Parsons. First Printing - Edition Limited to 418 numbered copies. Hardcover, small octavo. Quality black cloth binding, with a silver gilt title etc. to the spine.  88pp. Black and white frontispiece portrait photograph of Parsons. Sewn, printed on library-quality paper. Striking black and white dustjacket featuring a seldom seen photograph of Parsons on the front. Price: $45.00. ...In addition to being a loyal devotee of Crowley's creed of Thelema, a pioneering rocket scientist, and enthusiastic bohemian, Jack Parsons was also a staunch libertarian. He vehemently opposed racism, the suppression of women, religious intolerance, sexual repression and anything else that diminished the rights of the individual.  This book comprises three essays by Parsons: the never-before published "Freedom is a Lonely Star," his better known work "Freedom is a Two-Edged Sword" (previously published only in softcover) and a short piece entitled "Doing Your Will" (previously published only in a limited-circulation journal). The two "Freedom" essays were written in the early days of the Cold War and McCarthyism, and display Parson's utter contempt for the politicians and their cronies who used "national security" as a justification for the widespread destruction of civil liberties, and his despair at the quiescent citizens who were persuaded to sacrifice their hard won freedoms for the illusion of safety. Parsons' essays are, however, not simply a critique of the times: they also allowed him to explore at some length his own ideas of what an ideal society should be like. This is particularly evident in "Doing Your Will," a piece that he originally wrote as a lecture for Agapé Lodge.  Not surprisingly the vision he presented is heavily colored by Thelemic principles, and draws deeply from the text of Liber Oz, the short, poetic statement of human rights and responsibilities that Crowley had promulgated a few years earlier.  Three Essays on Freedom not only delivers a blistering attack on authoritarianism, but also offers a well thought out vision of a society in which each was free "to do his or her will," in accordance with the higher ideals of Crowley's Thelema. The essays have been edited by Hymenaeus Beta, current Frater Superior of the O.T.O., who has also provided a thoughtful Foreword. ... Order directly at: http://www.weiserantiquarian.com

5:35am Here is a great quote by Aleister Crowley on himself - "Believe me, there are times when the life of a Holy Man is not a happy one."

5:20am For the history buffs: On this date in 1903 Eric Arthur Blair was born to a British bureaucrat in Motihari, Bengal, India. He would become more famously known by his pen name of George Orwell, the author of the 1945 biting satire on Communist ideology titled Animal Farm. It is a classic volume on the dangers of totalitarianism and the death of freedom through thought control. Orwell issued many warnings about the risks of misusing language for personal gain, like “If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” …… The movie The Omen opened in theaters on this date in 1976. It begins with the ambassador Robert Thorn of the United States being approached by a priest in a Rome hospital who tells him that his child was born dead. However, the priest informs him of a ‘replacement’ and Thorn accepts the offer, agreeing not to tell his wife. Soon after Thorn is appointed as US ambassador to England. A series of strange deaths begin to surround the child Damien as it grows up. Another priest comes to Thorn, telling him the child is the anti-Christ, a son of Satan.

Tuesday June 24th 2008 – 1:50pm On the 19th I sent Marilyn an email in response to her asking how I was doing health-wise. I wrote - "Mentally, I’m 100% alert, focused and have all my faculties or as many as have survived a long and tumultuous life (hee hee). Anyway, they almost rushed to the hospital yesterday [while I was at my doctors!] but after hours at the clinic from 9:30 until almost noon, I am now stable and home. I’m also on new meds which is no biggy because the old ones I had to pay for while the new ones I get for free through the clinc.  I still cannot walk too far. On a good day I can saunter maybe four even six blocks with a cane with no issues but if its hot, humid, I cannot breathe, my heart pumps harder and I have to stop and take at least three or four or five minute breaks in the same span. I’ve always been so active my whole life that I’m finding this new behavior very annoying. I’ve also had three major fainting spells where I have passed out since January which has the doctors really worried [once in public, twice in my apartment]. I get dizzy quite often now … if I move even slightly fast, or stand up quickly but when I feel this coming on I simply sit down and relax and I feel OK after about five or ten minutes. All in all, the old ticker is slowly going south of the border but I plan to be around awhile longer so don’t fret. I’m a positive old fool; I take everything in stride and I live, as I always have, one day to the next. I have gotten no word from the State as to whether or not they have approved or denied my medical application so that I can get the heart surgery. All I get when I enquire is someone telling me that the system is backlogged and they’ll get to me when get to me. Great. ... Again, thanks for being concerned, but don’t worry. I'm stubborn and I’m not going down without a fight. Much love 93 93/93 Jerry." .... Today, she sent me a reply - “Hi Jerry,  I am sorry to hear that your health is still a struggle.  It is shocking how long the California is letting this drag on with such a serious problem.  Maybe not so surprising though.  I have a friend here in similar circumstances - and her situation has deteriorated continually for well over a year now - with ongoing frustration over bureaucratic redtape and foul ups.  Unfortunately, her finances have fallen apart along with her health - as is common - and I fear that she may not recover soon - despite the friends and family helping her.  It is sad how difficult it is to get assistance when there is genuine need.  I am glad that you keep your sense of humor and determination - those are  most important.  I enjoyed your story about "answering" your remote control.  I think we have all done something similar once or twice! :)  Take care - and stay in touch.  M.”  ....... Note: see my blog entry of Thursday June 19th 2008 6:10am for the 'answering my remote control' story.

1:40pm Robert Flores responded to Jay's 7:15am posting. He writes, "Love the blog and I think the new Epistles are excellent and will answer many questions for those aspiring to join the Man of Earth. ... And last in response/addition to Jay's comment about the 3 stages of our A.'.A.'. matching the mother letters... I too have noticed a connection albeit loose. A couple weeks back in my Journal I noted that the three 'steps' we take when climbing the Tree are all on the center pillar and in many ways mirror the three Horizontal paths.  In other words the Man of earth must accomplish 10/9 before moving into the Lovers Grade which in a way means activates Peh or moves into balancing the lower self. Then the Lover must balance the complete Ruach which means he accomplishes Teth and the the Hermit Crosses the Abyss and pierces Daleth.  These three Horizontal paths/stages of course add to 93 and in many ways mirror the traditional veils which also divide these stages.  So how does all this relate to what Jay said...well traditionally or in Sepher Sephiroth these same three paths are attributed to Aleph, Mem and Shin.  I also found these same attributes in a few other sources.  There is a certain harmony and how these could be seen to operate within our A.'.A.'. structure;  Jay just got it backwards as to my reasoning. Shin can be seen as the Pillar of Fire which the man of earth must use in order to control or chase away the shadows of the Earth. Mem can represent the subconscious the Lover must control in order to balance the Ruach and Aleph the pure descent from Spirit above.  Mem and Aleph can also be flipped in that Aleph can represent the complete/balanced Ruach and Mem the spiritual waters that descend from the Neschamah above. These then completely agree with the pattern of Man of Earth, Lover and Hermit. Still I agree with you that in many ways these 'views' are very subjective and may actually confuse the issue rather than clarify it and that is why I have just kept it personal... a sign of my own madness, however in light of Jay's comment maybe he or others might find some of these comments beneficial? I leave it to you now." ......... Reply: Ah, if the whole world were only so mad.

11:35pm I would like to point out that Parsival Krumm-Heller died peacefully on Tuesday June 17th 2008 in Sydney, Australia, after an ongoing illness. He was the son of Arnoldo Krumm-Heller, Frater Huiracocha (1876-1949) the founder of the F.R.A. or Fraternitas Rosicruciana Antiqua and a friend of Aleister Crowley.

11:20pm Many people read Liber AL vel Legis, The Book of the Law, from cover to cover but rarely do they look at the over-all structure which flows from one section to the other, nor research other sources. That is what my lecture on Saturday June 21st 2008 at our 'OPEN HOUSE' was all about; this three fold system and its correlations, focusing primarily on the man of earth. These notes were not meant to, nor do they, spell out everything to the reader as much as they were simply reflective of tidbits of thought that I wanted to discuss in the hopes that my ramblings might inspire those who came to my lecture. Some of my students, however, wanted these notes to be posted and I have agreed and after days of reformatting I have posted my private notes titled AN EPISTLE ON THE THREE-FOLD STRUCTURE OF THE A.'.A.'. and the man of Earth [in general]. Click HERE & enjoy.

7:15am Jay also asks, “I know that the Man of Earth is pretty much free to work and study as he/she wilt, but I was wondering if you personally think it would be pertinent for a MOE to work Liber Nu.” ….. Reply: In regards to the beginning stage of our spiritual development, in CORNELIA No.8 ‘In Quest of The Holy Guardian Angel’ I wrote, “In Aleister Crowley’s system he refers to this point as Hadit, the Earth God who rules the first chapter of Liber AL vel Legis. Crowley devised a great book for obtaining this state “of the Infinite Without”, or the realization of the infinite possibilities of the Universe beyond Self. It is called Liber NV, svb figvra XI, which clearly describes the requirements of the first Two Moons in a Thelemic sense. In this practice the Aspirant is to assume the role of Hadit - the man of Earth.” … In other words; yes, I would recommend all students, both male and female, to do Liber NU.

6:50am Jay asks, “It occurs to me that the mother letters could be applied rather nicely to the three-fold scheme you laid out the other night, with Mem as the Man of Earth, Aleph as the Lover, and Shin as the Hermit. What do you think?” ….. Reply: Interesting concept but I would not place the A.'.A.'. grades solely as the 'three Qabalistic mothers’ because it would exclude earth, or Than; which is out foundation stone. Actually the three grades follow the Tattwic tides out of the Sun; the first, heaviest or closest to Malkuth being earth, then just above water, then fire and finally the lightest or loftiest being air. To understand the dual nature of Fire & Water in one grade I'd suggest reading Crowley's The Book of Lies Chapter 69; of the Red (descending) Triangle (fire) of grace and the Blue (ascending) Triangle (Water) of Prayer. Always remember; the Lover grade mimics the card of The Lovers and is ruled by the zodiac sign of Gemini, or the twins. Zain–7. This implies the two-fold nature behind many aspects of this grade.

AIR - Intimates the grade known as the Hermit. This grade is reflective of

the card also known as The Hermit. Yod-10. Here, the ordeals are not

written (I:34). ... Air-ALEPH

FIRE - This stage refers to The Lovers. The Higher Self.  Fire is the second

half of the equation that is half concealed (I:34); partly because it comes

from areas of our genius which only we ‘see.’ ... Fire-SHIN

WATER - This stage also refers to The Lovers. The Lower Self. Water is

the first half of the equation that is half-known (I:34); or their 'personality’

which everyone sees. ... Water-MEM

EARTH - This stage represents the man of Earth in general, wherein the

Law is for all (I:34). This stage is reflective of the Thoth cards of The Fool

and The World; the Alpha (1) and the Omega (400). ... Earth THAN.

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6:35am Maybe it's just a coincidence that so many UFO experts ‘died’ on the exact day that the UFO craze began and the term ‘Flying Saucers’ was coined ... is someone being punished?  Besides being into UFO, I wonder, what do they all have in common and better yet, who is next?

A UFO CONSPIRACY, DO YOU SEE IT?

June 24, 1947  While returning home from a business trip Kenneth Arnold made a detour into the Yakima, Washington searching for the wreckage of a lost C-46 airplane for which a $5,000 reward had been offered. At around 3:00pm in the afternoon he was flying near Mount Rainier when a bright flash of light caught his eye. As he turned he saw a procession of nine very strange objects flying from north to south in front of his plane. They were flat discs, like pie tins, very shiny, and they moved erratically, as Arnold later note; like a “saucer would if you skipped it across water.” Arnold estimated their size at about two-thirds that of a DC-4, and he calculated their speed at over 1500 mph by timing their travel between two mountain peaks of known distance. It was because of Arnold’s descriptions of the object that the term ‘Flying Saucers’ was born. Besides Arnold’s, there were as many as eighteen other sightings of unusual flying objects in the Pacific Northwest on the same day.

June 24, 1964   On this date the UFO expert Frank Scully died. He wrote some of the first significant books about UFOs, such as Behind the Flying Saucers. In his early career he was openly ‘ridiculed’ for advocating that the Air Force had a campaign to conceal the truth about UFOs from the public; an idea which is now openly accepted.

June 24, 1967   Frank Edwards died on this date. It was the 20th anniversary of the Kenneth Arnold’s UFO sighting and the ‘Congress of Scientific UFOlogists’ convention was being held in New York City at the Commodore Hotel. During the gathering Jim Moseley, the chairman, stood up and made this startling announcement. He said, “Your attention please,” as a silence fell over the assembly. “We just heard some shocking news. Frank Edwards, the noted broadcaster and champion of flying saucers, died of a heart attack today. He was 59 years old.” Edwards had written  such classics as Flying Saucers Serious Business (1966), Flying Saucers Here and Now (1967). Although many other readers may remember him for Stranger Than Science (1959) and Strangest of All (1956).

June 24, 1967   Arthur Bryant, who claimed to have met three Venusians, including the apparent ‘reincarnation’ of George Adamski, the most famous contactee in UFOdom and Richard Church, the young chairman-elect of the UFOlogy group called CIGIUFO, both died on this date and year.

June 24, 1967  Richard Church the young chairman-elect of the UFOlogy group called CIGIUFO died on this date.

June 24, 1969 Willie Ley, the well-known writer on rockets and astronautics, died on this date. Although he wasn’t directly involved in UFOlogy he did write an rather amusing book about space travel and Flying Saucers.

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6:10am For the history buffs: Ambrose Bierce was born on this date in Meigs County, Ohio in 1842.  After serving in the Civil War, he moved to San Francisco where, in 1906, he published The Cynic’s Word Book. It was filled with ironic and sardonic definitions but it would not sell well, or become his most famous work, until it was retiled: The Devil’s Dictionary. In this book, when contemplating Love, he wrote that it is “temporary insanity curable by marriage.” In 1913, at the age of seventy-one, Bierce traveled to the revolution-torn Mexico to fight alongside the bandit Pancho Villa, where he disappeared. The popular theory is that Bierce argued with Villa over military strategy and that he was subsequently shot, however, he probably perished in the battle of Ojinaga on January 11, 1914. ….... and Janet Owen was born on this date in Clapham a district of London, England in 1950. She first became involved in witchcraft after visiting Alex Sanders, the “enfant terrible” of witchcraft and the King of Witches as he liked to be called. Alex Sanders initiated Janet into his coven during February 1970. She later married Steward Farrar and became more commonly known as Janet Farrar. Together, her and her husband, wrote such books as Eight Sabbats for Witches (1981), The Witch’s Way (1984), The Witches Bible Complete (1984), The Witches’ Goddess (1987), The Witches’ God (1989), Spells and How They Work (1990), (with Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone) The Pagan Path (1995) and The Healing Craft (1998). ……. And finally I’d like to point out that on June 24, 1985 the O.T.O. issued a special bulletin detailing Grady McMurtry’s present ‘health situation’ in order to prepare the masses of the possibility of his death. He would die less that a month later.

Monday June 23rd 2008 - 3:00pm I have added a new article onto our website titled AN EPISTLE ON ENOCHIAN MAGICK. This article has been edited from

RED FLAME, A Thelemic Research Journal Issue No.8 The Magickal Essence

of Aleister Crowley [1999]. You can find it listed on the Contents page.

7:30am I was just sent this by a friend of something he said was posted on the Internet of June 19th. I thought I would pass the info along. For more info visit LaShtAl.com and click HERE.

Splinter OTO Groups

Can No Longer Call Themselves “OTO”

“The Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), an esoteric fraternal order which is perhaps best known for its associations with former leader and primary ritualist/liturgist Aleister Crowley, has recently achieved two major legal victories. The more important of the two regards trademark control over the terms “OTO” and “O.T.O.” in the UK.

“I am happy to report that OTO has prevailed against Starfire Publishing Ltd.’s opposition to our trademarks for “OTO” and “O.T.O.” in the United Kingdom. In her decision of June 8, Anna Carbone, the Appointed Person hearing OTO’s appeal, found in favor of OTO, overturning a previous decision in favor of Starfire. OTO’s registrations of the marks “OTO” and “O.T.O.” are now proceeding normally in the UK, joining our previous registrations of “Ordo Templi Orientis” and the OTO Lamen. Under UK law, there can be no further appeal of a decision by an Appointed Person, in either the Trademark Registry or High Court.” - Frater Hymenaeus Beta

What does this decision mean? Joined with the international order’s trademark control in the United States (and the rest of the world), it means that a variety of splinter groups using the term “OTO” (or variations thereof) must now cease or risk legal action. The OTO’s official press release specifically names British occultist Kenneth Grant’s “Typhonian” Ordo Templi Orientis in its warning to groups started by expelled or resigned members.”

"This litigation was not one we initiated -- these were proceedings brought against us by Starfire acting on behalf of Kenneth Grant's spurious OTO organization, with support from organizations led or founded by other expelled or resigned OTO members, such as Albion OTO and OTO Foundation. These groups would be well advised to find another name. We were merely filing a routine maintenance trademark. Now, having provoked us, they can reasonably expect enforcement proceedings from us if they do not stop appropriating our name, initials and lamen."- Frater Hymenaeus Beta

Since judges have ruled that "OTO" is the name of a private organization, and not a descriptive term for a religion, these groups will have to follow in the footsteps of other fraternal organizations and pick news names.

The second decision (actually a settlement), this time in America, also reinforced the main OTO body's control over its assets and intellectual property. Specifically, the images of Crowley's Thoth tarot deck.

"OTO filed suit in US Federal Court in Southern California against Focus Features, NBC Universal and Vivendi for copyright infringement in connection with the appropriation of images from the Thoth Tarot cards to promote the Woody Allen film "Scoop," where they were used on the poster, DVD packaging and in the press kits. The case has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. Under the terms of the agreement, the details of the settlement are confidential. This was a significant legal case, since OTO took on the world's largest media conglomerate, represented by the best law firm in Hollywood. We have long taken on corporations many times our size before, e.g. Simon and Schuster, Doubleday and Harper and Row, but NBC Universal Vivendi is many, many times larger and more powerful than all these combined." - Frater Hymenaeus Beta

These cases reinforce the fact that O.T.O. Worldwide is not only in complete control of its name and image, but it has also proved that it has the muscle and will to defend its claims. It would be virtually impossible at this point for another organization to legally claim rights to the "OTO" name or legacy. So would-be "true" OTO orders beware, a lawyer might soon be giving you a visit.

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5:45am My Aleister Crowley thought to begin the week, he writes to Frater Achad (Charles Stansfeld Jones 1886-1950) - "You of course know well that the arbitrary assuption of 8=3 by virtue of the special regulation which permits it, is no way absolves the M. T.  (Magister Templi) from his task in fulfilling the conditions in the intermediate Grades." ..... This being something that all fool hardy children should realize who think that they can skip all A.'.A.'. Degrees by taking the Oath of the Abyss and then claim a glorious spiritual heights. Your success in crossing the desert of sand depends upon the fulfillment of the below, even after the oath is sworn or so Crowley warns Frater Achad.  If you fail here, you can become a Black Brother.

5:40am For the history buffs: James Wasserman was born on this date in Newark, New Jersey in 1948. He, along with two other Mottaites; Daniel Gunther and Richard Gernon, ‘fled’ their master Marcelo Motta and took initiation into Aleister Crowley’s Ordo Templi Orientis under Grady Louis McMurtry on July 27, 1976. All three were later expelled by Motta from the A.'.A.'.. As for Wasserman, he later became Lodge Master of Tahuti Lodge OTO in New York. He also began Studio 31 Inc in 1977 which is a graphic design firm in the publishing and advertising arts. He has written numerous book such as Aleister Crowley and the Practice of the Magical Diary, Art and Symbols of the Occult, The Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven and The Slaves Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty. ……. And it was on June 23, 1981 that The Temple Ov Psychick Youth (TOPY) was founded by the acid house pioneer of the rock band Throbbing Gristle, Genesis P-Orridge. The Temple is said to be dedicated to the manifestation of magickal concepts lacking mysticism or the worshipping of gods while focusing on the psychic and magickal aspects of the human brain which is linked with “guiltless sexuality.”

Sunday June 22nd 2008 – 3:10pm Jay, who attended yesterday's Open House writes, "It was a truly successful night, good company, and great lecture. I really appreciate all of your nuggets of wisdom and insight." 

3:00pm Ricardo replied to my Birthday wishes of this morning by writing, "Thank you for the wishes and the reading!  Very apropos, by the way, the balance between motion and rest, stress and silence. Notice too that not only the book was published in June 22nd, but it was published exactly 69 years ago. Ah… one of my favorite parts of being crabby!"

11:45am John sent a long, tome-ish kind of email on astrology; most of which I simply informed him to google search in order to find the answers but when he asked, "What is an aspect?" I could not help but reply - "It's a tiny little thing on your butt."

8:00am I want to thank everyone who attended yesterday’s lecture here at the ‘Open House’ on ‘The man of Earth grade’ for making it a great success. It was a packed crowd. After briefly chatting for awhile we settled in and I talked for almost two hours. Yes, Jerry can babble and babble on and on if given half a chance on magickal topics and everyone let me! Afterwards there were great questions and comments. Then, with hunger and thirst settling in, we all headed off to 'Raleigh’s Bar & Grill' for supper and beer where we stayed for about three hours chatting about everything under the Sun and below, sharing stories and views; and not to give up on our magickal discussions, a bunch of us headed back to my place for more talks for a few more hours. It was a long, very long but pleasurable day. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I did.  Thanks to you all.

7:15am I’d like send a great big Happy Birthday out to my dear friend and fellow Crab, Ricardo Flores. Since you were born on the same day that Aleister Crowley published the Khing Kang King [June 22, 1939] … I closed my eyes, opened the book and put my finger on a page and on that note; consider this:

PURE MOTION MAKETH REST

AS SILENCE MAKETH STRESS.

IF MAN WERE STILL, THEN HEAVEN SHOULD THRILL

WITH EARTH TO NOTHINGNESS

7:00am For the history buffs: Henry Rider Haggard born on this date in West Bradenham Hall, Norfolk, England in 1856. He was a prolific writer, who published extremely colorful novels set in unknown regions and lost kingdoms throughout the darkest corners of the world. Haggard’s best-known work is the romantic adventure tale known as King Solomon’s Mines (1885). My favorite is his book simply titled SHE (1886). …… and it was on this date in 1996, at night, near Belmopan, Belize, that several youngsters, including a nine-year old named Tyrel Haylock, were outside their home talking and playing when Tyrel spotted a strange creature about 150 feet away, crouching down, like it was squatting on the ground beside a coconut tree. He immediately pointed it out to the others who froze as the creature slowly walked towards a small house next to the sheep pen, where the feed was stored. The kids later described the creature as being about the size of a goat, with large wings on its back, small arms, and a tail. It sort of jumped, or hopped, as it walked and it made a strange petite sound. As the creature got closer to the sheep pen the kids ran to get their father, who came out running with a light and a machete. Although the father searched, he did not find the creature.

Saturday June 21st 2008 – 7:00am Dave from Florida writes, "Hey Jerry, 93! I am really sad that I will not be at the open house today. I feel like this lecture will be really good for me. Anyway someone can publish notes?? Gems From Jerry :) All the best, I hope its a great success.... I sort of survived the retrograde but I have a feeling there is still something lurking. 93 93/93 David.” ..... I replied: Glad to hear you survive ‘Mercury Retrograde’ but like all transitions, the affect can last a few days or up to a week afterwards or until the full ‘good-bye’ mode kicks in; depending upon a person’s chart. Besides, always keep in the back of your mind – “there’s always something lurking somewhere!”  I've been married twice and you're married, so you must understand that by now!

5:55am Today we have a scheduled Open Housesat 3:00pm at my apartment. The talk with be on The man of Earth Grade of the A.'.A.'. on the Qabalistic Tree of Life; it’s obligations and symbology. Bring questions! Around six or six-thirty or so we’ll all go out to supper at a local restaurant and everyone is welcomed to tag along, or they can head home.

5:45am For the history buffs: On this date in 1916 Charles Stansfeld Jones, aka Frater Achad, took the Oath of the Abyss and entered the City of the Pyramids which is the abode of NEMO (No Man), becoming a Master of The Temple 8=3 in the AA. ……. And the US Army Lieutenant Colonel Michael Aquino, founder of The Temple of Set, supposedly summoned the Prince of Darkness himself on this date in 1975. ……. And to continue with today’s ‘flavor’ lets mention that it was on June 21st 1996 near Flexeiras, Litoral Norte, Brazil that a 64 year old man named Cesar Miglioranza was driving back from work when he noticed a strong light in a nearby field. Stopping his car to investigate, he got out and as he approached the area he saw a large UFO on the ground. He then claimed that all of a sudden he felt paralyzed and was unable to move. As he watched he realized that next to the UFO were two short beings with large heads and helmets, long arms and wearing silvery tight fitting suits. They seemed to be collecting samples from the ground. After a few moments they conversed among themselves in an unknown language then boarded the object, which quickly took off at high speed. Cesar was unable to move for about another five minutes but also reported feeling very tired and sleepy for two to three more days.

Friday June 20th 2008 – 10:45am HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!!!!! The sun will enter the sign of Cancer around five tonight here on the west coast. The Moon however, although in Capricorn now, will be 'void of course' [V/C] around noon here on the West Coast. This means that the moon will have finished up its last major aspect in Capricorn but has yet to move into the next. This 'void of course' period could last for a few minutes up to several hours. As for now, the Moon won't move into Aquarius until early tomorrow morning [around 2:33am] here on the West Coast. Astrologers will tell you that the V/C is not a favorable period to do anything serious. My suggestion; twiddle your thumbs, look busy and smile alot until tomorrow. Tell the your sweetheart that you love her cooking even if its burnt.

5:50am I want to remind my local California students who attend my Open House every Friday night that there is NO scheduled gathering tonight. We will be meeting tomorrow around 3:00.

5:40am A bit of NEWS of something that occurred on June 10th in the state of Connecticut, where I'm from. The article reads - "Authorities in Connecticut are wondering who stuffed a raw roasting chicken with a pipe bomb" ... and it then mentions how Simsbury police Capt. Matthew Catania says the bomb was large enough to harm a person if it went off and the "road was closed while the Hartford Police Department's bomb squad came and blew up the chicken." 

5:30am For the history buffs: On this date in 1584 the magician John Dee writes in his private diary that Edward Kelly, skrying into the crystal, saw “four very fair castles, standing in the four parts of the world: out of which he heard the sound of a Trumpeter. Then seemed out of every Castle a cloath to be thrown on the ground, of more than the breadth of a Table-cloath. Out of that in the East, the cloath seemed to be red, which was cast. Out of that in the South, the cloath seemed white. Out of that in the West, the cloath seemed green, with knops on it. Out of that in the North, spread, or thrown out from the gate under foot, the cloath seemed to be very black.” Of these four castles, they are also referred to as four houses and “Watchtowers.” The importance of this vision is the use of the term Watchtower which not only implies a place where angelic sentinels are stationed to stand guard and protect God’s Kingdom from the profane, but also they act as Hidden Gates which allow entities to descend and guide humanity when summoned appropriately. It is important to mention this vision because anyone who has studied one of the numerous modern books on Enochian magick will realize the elemental colors have changed. They are not what are found in Dee’s original manuscripts. ……. And Albert Gallatin Mackey, one of the greatest writers in Freemasonry who complied A Lexicon of Freemasonry in 1845, died on this date in 1881. ……. And the UFO expert Donald E. Keyhoe was born on this date in Ottumwa, Iowa in 1897. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in the Class of 1920 and was commission of a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. His article Flying Saucers Are Real in the January 1950 issue of True became one of the most widely read and discussed articles in publishing history, and caused a sensation. The article was later expanded into a paperback book by the same title, Flying Saucers are Real (1950) and it reached an even wider audience. This was followed by the major hardcover books Flying Saucers From Outer Space (1953), Flying Saucer Conspiracy (1955), and Flying Saucers: Top Secret (1960). He also published other articles such as What Radar tells about Flying Saucers and I Know the Secrets of the Flying Saucers. In January 1957 Keyhoe had become Director of the newly formed National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) in Washington, D.C., which under his leadership gave serious publicity to the UFO mystery through the 1960s and encouraged Congressional hearings. In 1966, he was already convinced that the control of gravity was the explanation for the ‘impossible’ maneuvers made by UFOs, and he publicly demanded an end to the Government’s policy on UFO secrecy in order that all scientists world-wide could openly work on the subject without the fear of ridicule. His last book Aliens From Space was published in 1973. By this time Keyhoe had become convinced that the Central Intelligence Agency was the principal agency behind the cover-up. He spent his later retirement years at ‘Bluemont’ in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley outside of Luray, Virginia, with his wife Helen Gardner Keyhoe, a native of Page County, Virginia. Mrs. Keyhoe was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a prize-winning rose grower. He died on November 29, 1988 at the age of 91. ….... and it was on June 20, 1923 that Norman Mudd, Frater Omnia Pro Veritate, followed Aleister Crowley to Tunis, after the Abbey of Thelema had closed. However, Crowley would inevitably leave both him and Leah Hirsig penniless and desperate, so desperate that Leah would have to work as a common prostitute in Paris to survive. Mudd would later commit suicide.

Thursday June 19th 2008 – 8:50am Bryan Olson writes, regarding my earlier post of today - “The last time I saw someone talking to the television was when I was working with people with mental health issues in an institution.  She swore up and down Art Linkletter was telling her all about my evil plans. Thanks for a good laugh to start the day and Mercury direct!” ……. Reply:  I’ll ask Art later whether or not this is true or if she way lying to you.

8:40am Ed Wormuth writes, “93, Jerry, Happy to read in your blog that Mercury is out of retrograde at 7:30.  Yes, I did survive, but it wasn't pretty! 93 93/93, Ed P.S. checked out the Weiser list of Crowley stuff--wish I had the resources, sniff sniff.” …. Reply: Me too! Triple sniff sniff! But I fear my book buying days are slowly coming to an end but with a library like mine, I’ve got enough to keep me busy!

6:10am A blurb from Jerry’s diary of yesterday: After having a rough night and long morning at the doctor’s office with multiple tests etc on my old ticker, I decided to take a nap. After about an hour I was woken by the phone ringing. I was so tired, so disoriented, like I’ve never been before at being abruptly woken. Half a sleep, eyes closed, I reached over to my desk and quickly grabbed the phone and tried answering it. After pushing button upon button, repeating hello hello, I could still hear someone leaving a message on my answering machine. That is when I opened my eyes and realized that I had grabbed the TV remote and was trying to answer it. I just shook my head, got up and quietly said to myself, “Damn. I wonder what I’m watching?”

6:07am Weiser Antiquarian Books just released two new on-line catalogs of rare Crowleyanity: Catalog Thirty Eight: Aleister Crowley. Click HERE. ... and Catalog Thirty Nine: Marcelo Ramos Motta: A Miscellany of Used and Rare Books. Click HERE.

5:44am My friend David J. Hohl in San Francisco, the Director at Hohlographic Productions, LLC, writes, “Fangoria, the #1 horror site in the world has an exclusive trailer for my feature, In Search of Lovecraft.  Please take a look! Pass it on to others you think will find interest!” ... If you want to watch the clip then click HERE. … [For further info see my blog entry of June 4th 6:30pm]

5:32am Mercury finally goes direct today 7:30am! The Gods are merciful, I have survived! Have you?

5:11am For the history buffs: J. C. Brown, age of 79, vanished on this date in 1934. He had organized a group of over eighty people interested in accompanying him, at his own expense, back to Mt. Shasta to explore the ancient tunnels that he had found back in 1904. He claimed that they were filled with giant skeletons and artifacts which he believed were relics of the ancient Lemurians. The group was supposedly to leave on June 19th at 1:00pm but, as the day dawned clear and beautiful, their leader never appeared. Brown was never seen again and what happened to him is a mystery to this day.  ……. And it was on June 19, 1947 that Aleister Crowley, aware that his impending death might be near, wrote out his Last Will and Testament. ……. And finally, the classic Cold War-era monster film titled Them! opened on this date in theaters in 1954. The plot is simple; nuclear tests in the New Mexico desert result in the growth of gigantic mutant ants which menace cities in the American south-west and eat people. A team scientist race to find a way to control them before the ants can establish more nests and hatch more queens.

Wednesday June 18th 2008 – 5:25am For the history buffs: Phyllis Evelina Seckler (nee’ Pratt), aka Soror Meral, was born on this date in Edmonton, Canada in 1917. She was one of the most remarkable women in the history of Thelema, known as Soror Meral. She took Minerval Degree into Aleister Crowley’s Ordo Templi Orientis at Agape Lodge back on August 26th in 1939. She joined the AA on June 3rd 1940. By the late-sixties Crowley’s organization seemed destined for obscurity but, out of the ashes, arose Phyllis Seckler and Grady McMurtry. Together, these two people became the primary figures responsible for bringing the Order from its near death to the world wide organization that it is today. It is safe to say that without Soror Meral the OTO would probably have died. For this we all owe her our deepest gratitude. She would publish In The Continuum, a magazine which first rolled off the press in March of 1973. In 1979 Soror Meral was Chartered to run her own OTO Lodge, known as 418 Lodge. Besides founding the well-known College of Thelema, as well as the Temple of Thelema, she remained editor and publisher of the serial magazine known as In The Continuum until her death. Soror Meral had spent most of her lifetime in the service of both the AA and OTO - bringing the knowledge of the Thelema to the forefront of occult studies. She died, or celebrated her Greater Feast on May 31, 2004  in Oroville, California. She would have been 91 today had she lived.

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