~ July 24th - 31st 2009 ~
Friday July 31st 2009 – 10:10am Mary writes - "93 Jer. I liked your p.s. to the 9:30am posting. You used that analogy on your blog before. I have always argued in favour of a seed growing into a new Tree. I still don't see why it can't. Care to write more on this subject? Love. 93s Mary" ..... Reply: Its actually quite simple. Each sphere on the Tree is actually a delicate chakra; a psychic zone which can easily be damaged if misused or improperly activated and once damaged, a chakra cannot be repaired. No Trantric book worth its weight in salt will ever tell you otherwise. The fall of a fruit is simply a metaphor for the damage done which is now irreversible; hence a fruit never reattaches itself to the Tree. The bottom line is that you cannot simply grow new chakras. If you think you can, please let me know how.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9:30am Mike wants to to know if I can elaborate on yesterday's 5:06pm posting about the circle and the square. Ok, everyone knows A.'.A.'. magickal degrees have a circle and square along with two numbers. The magickal axiom for this is as follows - "One you control, while the other controls you." ... The square always refers to the sphere in which a person inhabits on the Tree of Life. A square is four-fold; elemental. It implies what sphere or type of energy on the Tree of Life a magician is experiencing which 'control' is required (i.e. control always occurs not in the sphere but on Malkuth, or in their body; hence the 'square') and control must always go hand in hand with "thought and action" ... study the creed of the Knights. The circle, on the other hand, implies where control is possible. The number next to the circle informs us where and more important, how we must allow our spirit to 'control' us. We must study this sphere and figure out its spiritual nature; not in order to accomplish the 'sphere' itself because this is not possible due to the fact that you don't reside there, but rather to set your vehicle or Temple (i.e. Body) up to receive its blessings; or energy. To do this you must have the square or a particular type of energy 100% in control; failure to create an adequate Temple means fail to obtain the Above.Too many magicians think that just because they're smart it means that they must be spiritually attaining. Bullshit! You cannot lie, dance, mutate and twist the Laws of Nature to fit your proclivities and sexual antics or 'wants' on Malkuth and then claim anything other than what it is - wants, not True Will. In horizontal groups there is no law beyond do what ever you want and hence the Fraternity tries to curb this behavior by Bylaws, Rules and Regulations but in vertical groups, spirituality is mandatory and the Oaths are not uttered to groups but to Self. And more often than not students forget that the goal of the A.'.A.'. is the Great Work or uniting their Macrocosm and Microcosm; circle, squared. If you fail to grow spiritually; Nature will always right the wrong because man doesn't belong eating the Fruit from the Tree of Life. And magickally, "By their actions you'll know them" - which informs us exactly, despite often denials, where a magician really resides. If a magickal blow-out does occur, let's say in Hod (3=8) in the Lower Ruach, where the magician often struggles to control his ego or persona as the world sees it; he has only two choices. He can either dig in his feet creating a pit of Because ... or he or she can turn around on the path and carefully re-exame the two spheres below (Yesod and Malkuth) in order to rework the problems. There is no sin in fixing problems ... but there is only sin in creating restrictions in order to prove you have no problems. Sadly, regardless where a magician resides the 'energy' blow-out often occurs in their sphere of Yesod which is seat of their libido and then a defensive ego kicks in as the magician tries to justify their words and actions in the pit of Because on Malkuth. Had the magician accomplished these sphere they'd know EXACTLY how to respond to their teachers 'chastising' ... but again, by their actions, you'll know them.The bottom line is simple; the higher up on the Sacred Mountain (i.e. Tree) that you go, the harder it is to re-examine the path that you've traveled due to all the twists and turns and often the Fall is harder to fix ... a magician should be thankful if failure occurs at the base of the Sacred Mountain as there is not much to reflect upon and it teaches him or her what to look out for it the future. p.s. Phyllis Seckler use to say how a fruit that falls off the Tree of Life never reattaches itself but some modern magicians like to argue that the fruit contains a seed that will grow into a new Tree. They argue this to imply that there is always hope, but moreso they argue it to justify that they can do whatever they want and still achieve. .... To this argument I must add, yes, hope is always possible, in the next incarnation. Then the seed will grow into a new Tree of Life! Not in this incarnation. You get only ONE body, i.e. Tree in this life; don't mess it up.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:50am For the history buffs: Today is the official day that we honor the trickster god Loki and his consort Sigyn. ……… also, Ignatius of Loyala, born in the Loyala family castle in Guipúzcoa, Spain, the youngest of 13 children, died on this date in 1556. He was the founder of an order called The Society of Jesus, or Jesuit Order. He was canonized in 1622; declared by Pope Pius XI to be the patron of spiritual exercises and retreats.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday July 30th 2009 – 6:14pm Yes, I said no more posting on the 'Word' but Ricky did send one that has info worth noting. He writes - "Dear Jerry 93! The blog of late has been intriguing the Hell out of me! But for all the great guesses and such on the "Word" I am drawn to IT. ... If we look at De Natura Deorum we are afforded a Clue. Search and SEE! ALL is a manifestation or related to the Phallus. ... IT is the manifested and secret phallus or Will. ... In KAPHALE 31 of the Book of Lies this is explained as the Ultimate Reality. It would seem that what the Bishop is striving to achieve is bringing the Universal Will through himself by his Will or we might say bringing the Secret Will through the Manifested Will. 93 93/93 Ricky ." ....... Reply: Well done, I liked your ideas and the chapter titled The Garotte definitely holds secrets to IT. This chapter is one of my favorite and perhaps someday we should spend a week discussing it ... but, for now, the Mystery as to the Word summing up VIIth Degree Chastity remains unsolved. :(
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5:15pm Two more emails have come in about what the single 'Word' might be, according to Grady, summing up VIIth Degree Chastity. I'd post them and then address them but I'm out of beer ... excuse me while I go to the store ... but before I go, you should all stop sending me emails as there is no way I'm going to reveal the Word anyway. End of Subject! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5:06pm I want to address a recent problem with advice that I think all my students might benefit from. First, and foremost, every act is a magickally act and you cannot separate your Malkuthian actions from A.’.A.’. studies and work. Due to the Oaths that you swore in regards to the Great Work ... or uniting the Macrocosm and Microcosm as one, everything that you do is A.’.A.’. .... You cannot claim the right to the branches (spirituality) of the Tree if you’re not 100% in control of the square on Malkuth; verticality of the circle (spirituality) will shut down and fail. The bottom line is that acting irresponsibly on Malkuth and then claiming you are a magician simply because you might 'intellectually' grasp some of the theories, is plain stupid. I can program a computer with knowledge, I can't program a computer to act in a spiritual manner. The A.'.A.'. is a spiritual fraternity ... you must learn to live the Laws. Do what thou want is not one of them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:45pm Robert writes - "As far as the "Word"... there are many words that reveal many aspects of chastity or the VII mysteries but the only word I can think of that sums it all up is Dhyana..." ..... Reply: There is only ONE. .... as to your assumption, no. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:10pm Andy writes - "Jerry 93! On reading the Tao Te Ching and possibly reading too much into your replies to Jerri and Jay I think you've been hinting that the word Grady taught you to understand the VII was: TAO. In your replies to Jerri and Jay I noticed you underlined both "Not" and "Way" which are both often used as attempts to translate Tao into English. No other single word in the Tao seems to sum up the rest so succinctly. It almost seems too simple but you said it was. The Taoists do practice non-ejaculation, cultivate a state of "pure will unassuaged of purpose", and seek to balance the Yin and Yang currents within themselves, all of which which we've been covering in this discussion. Maybe It's right, maybe it's wrong. Its hard to worry about the out-come (lust of result) when you're contemplating the Tao. 93, 93/93 -Andy."
Reply : psssssssssssssssssss ... Ah, the sound of Jerry openning a beer.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:20pm I took a walk to the Post Office to check my box and low and behold I found a package waiting for me! It contained Richard T. Cole’s A Post Card From Hell, Revised Materials Towards a Cartoon History of the Life, Loves & Legacy of Aleister Crowley [Orange Box Books 2009]. I know everyone will cherish this particular book if they're getting a copy and I truly doubt, if you've got it in your library, that you'll ever sell it some day. As a collector, this, in itself, says a lot about a book. Its a gem, a beautifully done hardback in full color from beginning to end. Had me in stitches. Damn fine job, bravo! ... I should also point out that The Holy Toast made it into the book on pg.71 and I made it, photograph and all holding the sacred relic, into the appendix pg.98! I love it. ... With the above I also received a copy of From Crowley With Love, 666, The F.B.I. Files by Richard T. Cole. Brilliant! ... I am humbled (and smiling) .... (ok, and drooling) .... (ok, ok and I wet my pants after seeing a few of the pages in A Post Card From Hell). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:55am I was in stiches, Dave from Florida writes - Jerry, 93 I was looking at the blog and trying to not think to hard about the "word" when I went down a Richard T Cole road/thread and found my self staring at this web site. http://www.tobew.com/SR/ ... I noticed you have a room right next to Koenig.. So should I halt my plans for the AA real-estate company in California? Hope you are well and thanks for tipping over a few beers for me on my Lesser Feast. I think I actually felt he buzz from Orlando. All the best 93 93/93 David." .......... Reply: I like Richard but I fear I'm stuck here in California. :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:00am Xris writes - "93 Jerry; The first word that came to mind for this and has seem to stuck is; “Devotion”, the root of which is ‘Vow’ (Vau?), as to be dedicated by a vow, loyalty, fealty. Vow is ‘to solemly promise, pledge, dedicate’. This is our magickal oath that binds us the act of perpetual devotion. This fits well with the actions taken according to De Natura Deorum. It also made me think of the word as “Vigilance” which is from ‘vigil’ and ‘to be watchful and awake.’ Chastity is from ‘caste; to be separate, pure and cut off from’ which recalls the Hebrew word ‘Cheth=Fence’, used to separate one from the other. It is our magickal circle that binds us to the Work, the circle we can never leave due to this oath. And Cheth is The Chariot, the Cup of Babalon, the Grail, the sublime object of our devotion.
Like in Steeped Horsehair, this devotion must proceed from the heart, one cant intellectually create and think it up, but be lost in The Charioting when our Self pours through us and sets us in motion.
-Xris."Reply: I need a beer. Another email packed with great thoughts but still missing the point ... I think we should drop this subject. I don't think anyone is going to get IT.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:35am Frater Orpheus sent in a brilliant piece on the path of The Hierophant or vau. It is a gem worth studying ... enjoy:Jerry,Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the LawConcerning Caviar and more… As JC has already pointed out this Chapter is related to the path of Vav or the Hierophant; the first line of Caviar reads, “The Word was uttered”… this being the Word of a Magus and in a way this chapter details the complete passage of that WORD. The BULL of the Hierophant being the Life or Will of that Word…
Vav means nail or hook, something that joins two things together and actually serves as a conjunction in the Hebrew language. Simply put, Vav represents “Union” or Yoga. This path is ruled by Venus and Exalted in the Moon and is closely allied to Yesod or the sub-consciousness. Once again, from the highest to the lowest, the Moon represents that connection between God and Man. In the sense of Knowledge & Conversation this path is attributed to “inner hearing”… as MAN is united to the WORD via hearing…for him “that have ears to hear it”! This “inner hearing” is achieved inwardly and in SILENCE and this is a clue to CHASTITY.
The images of the Hierophant card clearly depict a Union between the Hexagram and the Pentagram representing that union between the micro and macrocosmic or Us and the Gods. That pure descent of Spirit found in Aleph, or the Ox we discussed in the “Sabbath of the Goat”, is here represented by the BULL of the Hierophant. This BULL which is Taurus , represents Earth in its strongest and most balanced form “Joined” with the Macrocosmic point of “conception“. This is the point where the personal consciousness is linked with the Universal Consciousness. Case explains this Path as “the mingling of the universal conscious Energy with the imaginative generative powers of the unconsciousness”.
This path is found atop the right hand Pillar of Babalon and may therefore be Understood as an inward and even vertical pull. So why is this path important to VII° Magick???… Well consider your Bull’s disposition in relation to your Chesed or the Sphere where the VII° and the Adeptus Exemptus meet. Where the Bishop is but a Vehicle for the current which will manifest in the Host or the Body… Yet this Spirit will not inhabit an ill prepared Temple… the strict observance of its’ preparation is an aspect of Chastity. This Path of the Hierophant is also referred to as the “Paradise prepared for the Righteous” a title of Jupiter.
This path lies between Chokmah (9 = 2) and Chesed (7 = 4) joining the Spheres attributed to the Minerval and the VII°. The Magick formula of them both is the same, but after a different manner. In other words the first Word is as the last Word, ON. So that’s “ON - Hierophant - ON“… These are the poles of Wisdom and Mercy which are also Father and Son… and what unites Father and Son but the Seed and Word (and this thru the Mother). This Path mediates the Word from one level to another. This Trump has also been called the “Magus of the Eternal”… the Eternal being that which is in Kether and brought into Manifestation thru the Utterance of the Word in Chokmah which the Bishop in Chesed is the Vehicle of. This Path has its parallels to that of Cheth as they are both links between the Spirit and the Ruach. In the same manner that the opposing forces of the Chariot compliment or balance those of the (O/ayin) Devil Path so may it be said of that relationship between the Hierophant and the (N/nun) Death path and both are utilized in the formula of ON. In a nut shell the Magus Utters the Word, the Minerval is the Word and the VII° realizes the Word.
This Path is attributed to the astrological sign of Taurus, the Bull which is ruled by Venus. She is depicted on the Hierophant card as the Maiden who stands before him, bearing the Sword. She is representative of the Priestess and the Scarlet Woman and is the matrix in which the “jewel of the Spirit is set“. By definition this Hierophant is the revealer of sacred things and holds the “Key” to the True Spirit within the Solar word and the Lunar currents in the Body.
Consider the Minerval in which the Ajna, (the Seed) and the Muladhara, (the doorway between the Subconscious and the body), are both activated (9 = 2). This connection between the Bull, or fixed Earth, and the WORD most beautifully illustrates the relationship between Chokmah and Yesod in light of the fact that our bodies link to the elemental tides via a 4-fold doorway found in Yesod. This “doorway” must be kept pure and balanced so that the “guidance” or the “message” of the Angel may descend thru the Lunar waters unhindered… for him “that have ears to hear it”. Does not 2=9 and 9=2 automatically imply a Link between the Micro and Macrocosmic and vice-versa? The significance of this UNION between Chokmah and Yesod is depicted in the Hierophant by his Aureole of the Dove and Serpent affixed with Nine Nails symbolic of Yesod.
In the Hebrew scriptures VAV appears exactly 9 times in Exodus as a ‘Hook“. These are the 50 Copper Hooks used in the construction of the Tabernacle or that Earthly dwelling place of God. Or consider the 3 nails (-6-6-6-) used to affix the Serpent (Jesus) upon the Cross of Matter or that the Dove is an ancient symbol of the Holy Spirit which descended upon Jesus when rising from the sacred waters of his Baptism. Every where is this VAV used to represent that Union between the Macro and Microcosmic. Now let us consider this from the actual point of view of the Bishop or from Chesed 7 = 4... An Adeptus Exemptus must have complete Mastery of what we call the 4 Powers of the Sphinx (See The Glow Worm Epistle). In the II° the Magician is lectured upon conquering these same 4 Powers in Life. According to Crowley the Sphinx is a symbol of the “Coition” between Babalon and the Beast. The “Nature” of Babalon is that of the “Man and the Bull” and the Beast that of the “Lion and the Dragon”, but in their “Office“ these are reversed. These four represent Light, Life, Liberty and Love. Recall that in the Lust Card Babalon is depicted astride the Beast and this path of the Lion or Teth is that which “bindeth the two highest Faculties of thy Mind.” Crowley gives us these clues in relation to these 4 powers when he writes that by Ghana Yoga Man cometh to Knowledge, by Karma Yoga the “Bull to Will”, by Raja Yoga the Lion is brought to his Light and to make perfect the Dragon which is Love we have Bhakta and Hatha Yoga. Yet these may never be truly accomplished separately. Chastity requires the proper state of Soul, Mind and Body. These Yoga practices lead to Dhyana or meditation then to Dharana or the focusing of thought, and then ultimately to Samadhi….or that Great Union accomplished in SILENCE. This Silence being the “Dragon of thine Unconscious Nature…” and in this Way is Silence the Way of the TAO and “this Dragon is called thy Silence, because in the Hour of his Operation that within thee which saith “I” is abolished in its Conjunction with the Beloved.”
Lao-Tzu informs us that the TAO is to great to be described and if we did it could not be the ultimate TAO. The complete measure of everything in Heaven and Earth began from this nameless TAO; That is the entire Tree is bound by the balanced forces of the Yin and Yang. Every Sphere has both Circle and Square and these two in proper portion or equation and the Magician can not escape this reality. Tao is Truth and the Way of the Truth and the “True Nature of Things”. This process may also be understood thru the formula of BAPHOMET or the “measure between Heaven and Earth” where the “Eight in Nothing meet.” and who is the product of the Coition of the Beast and Babalon mentioned above. You might say that in order to master the Sphinx one must become the Sphinx and BAPHOMET or Baphe - Metis is Greek for the absorption into Wisdom. The Bishop, whose name is now affixed with Tau, sits in Chesed ready to swear the OATH. AC wrote that once across the Abyss the return of the current causes him “to appear in the Heaven over Jupiter as a morning or as an evening star.” In this it would seem that here is an absolute connection vital for the Bishop to Grasp between Minerval/9 = 2 and Bishop/7 = 4 (and conversely 4 = 7 and 2 = 9) as The HEIROPHANT is the path that Unites them. Consider that the Paths that directly unite these Spheres are Hierophant - Wheel - Emperor or V- K - Tz. These three paths = 116 or the “Heavens of Jupiter” and the “Dove”… In my own madness I see these paths as in part the connection between my subconscious below and my Angel above, that direct inward pull towards Verticality between Us and the Gods. That Vision of meeting God face to face. This Bishop in JUPITER/Chesed is in the perfect position to receive the word from above and place it in His Venus below.
As straight forward as these Epistles on CHASTITY have been thus far it is not as simple as it may at first appear. Only a few seeds of thoughts have been planted. Consider this just knowing everything there is to know about every aspect of Pranayama does not make you a Master of Pranayama and just because you practice Pranayama does not mean you will achieve Samyama. So what to do???…I will leave you for now with this quote, “ The Intellectual without Virility (The Bull) is a Dreamer of Follies, and the laborious Giant without Courage (The Lion) is a Slave.”
Love is the law, love under willFrater OrpheusReply - Under any other circumstances I'd simply say brilliant; which it is. It's good to know that my students are paying attention in my classes and listened to my rants. However, The Hierophantic path, in this case, is not related to what I was referring to by the 'Word'. Like Jerri, you missed the point to IT being a single 'Word' which according to Grady sums up Chastity and what he said is as 'simple as it appears.' And, for the record ... it is just ONE word and doesn't require paragraphs upon paragraphs to elaborate upon. [although once known, you could]. And again, I reiterate, you'll know IT when you grasp the secrets behind Chastity and all discussions up to this point are mere intellectual approaches. You and Jerri are both thinking too hard. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:15am For the history buffs: On this date in 1390 the trial of Marion la Droituriere began. She was accused of hiring Margot de la Barre to make her ex-lover impotent. ……… and it was on this date in 1925, Dr William Wynn Westcott, who was a dedicated physician and Coroner for North East London, died in Durban, Republic of South Africa of Bright’s disease. He was the author of several medical texts, an active Freemason, and is best remembered for having created the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (HOGD) with Samuel Liddel Mathers and Dr. William Woodman, sometime before February 12, 1888. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday July 29th 2009 – 2:30pm Jerri, under the subject "Subject: ice cream :) .... replied to my comment in the 10:40am posting - "93 Jerry, Yes, smoke coming out of my ears indeed!!! I decided to cure it with ice cream for lunch :) Much better now. Well, I suppose I will ask my Daemon for help with the Word. I always ask Him for help when I am confused or conflicted, and he ALWAYS answers me (in the most strange and fascinating of ways...). Hope you are having a good day, Jer (as you laugh and laugh...I can see the sagely gleaming in your eyes right now...) and are feeling good physically. Love you much, and thank you always! 93 93/93 Jerri.".......... Reply: :)-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2:25pm Evelyn writes - "93 Dear Jerry, I've just received my copy of Richard T. Cole's splendid new book "A Postcard From Hell" and Supplement "From Crowley with Love". I think he's done a admirable job with both books. There are many familiar illustrations etc., but also some new material - to me at least. I've only skimmed through "A Postcard From Hell" and whilst there are many great illustrations within, I thought it was important to point out that the Holy Toast makes an appearance no less than four times (see pages 71, 72, 98 and 99). It's great to see you holding the Toast on page 98 - we now have a hardcopy for all to see and not just the cyber version you posted on the Blogeria. best wishes, Evelyn." ..... Reply: I'm drooling, can't wait to get a copy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:40am Jerri replied, under the email subject "One more try", to the 6:25am posting - "93 Babalon's bottom Jerry, Grr...what's the damned word??!!! Ugh...I feel like I'm close...what is it, what is it? It's driving me nutty...its got to be something as equally simple...Hmm...death? Pan?? What?!?!? Pan seems a little closer...the all begetter, the all devourer...thereby All in One (or none)??? Pan too exists on all planes. Life and Death-brother and sister...but, perhaps the answer is in the child (as it symbolizes the union of the two opposites)? "The ever-rejoicing Heir of Space and Eternity, whose name is MAN??" (Little Essays Toward Truth) Aleph, Mem, Nun??? The Fool, The Hanged Man and Death? ...closer or way off my rocker? 93 93/93 Jerri." ....... Reply: You're actually way off, I mean WAY off ... but I like your rant. I can picture you sitting at your desk, fuming with smoke coming out of your ears, biting your lip, breaking pencils as you try to ponder this problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:25am Jerri sent an email with the subject titled “The word is Agape” regarding a posting from July 24th (in particular the 7:30am and the 11:58am posting) about the 'word' which according to Grady sums up the work of VIIth Degree 'Chastity' in a nutshell. Although she is wrong in her assumption, her email is worth posting. She writes, “93 Jerry, Ok, it does seem too obvious. It can't be right...Agape. That really does seem to be the key of the VII. It certainly exists on every plane....Love and Will and little love and little will. It hit me...I've thrown up my hands to Love. It wins. I give up. And, then I thought about that, and I thought about that..."There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse." AL I:41. ... There is no bond that can unite the divided??? This is not mere implication of humanly love...It is fact. It is glue. Will and Love are the only unifying agents that exist on all planes...in the VII I seek to unify the Microcosm and the Macrocosm...through Love and Will. That's really in many ways what we seem to have been talking about... I don't know what else to say!? Seems too simple... 93 93/93 Jerri.” ..... Reply: I like it but..... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:20am July 29th is the celebration of Saint Martha & the Dragon. Martha was the sister of Mary Magdalene and Lazarus. Remember, in John’s gospel he writes, “Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus.” Yet after the crucifixion, according to some legends, Martha, her brother, sister, and others were set adrift, from what is now Israel, without a rudder, sail or food. However, they inevitably survived and landed safely in Marseilles, France. They then traveled inland to Aix where Martha’s preaching converted many a heathen to Christianity. When Martha arrived in Nerluc, near Saintes Marie de la Mer, she found a town plagued for over twenty years by a hideous beast-like dragon which the townsfolk called the Tarasque. Martha listens to their stories about this beast and then sets out, bear-footed, to search for the creature. When she finds it, she makes the sign of a cross which, according to legend, stops the dragon as if it were pierced by a sword, while sprinkling Holy Water upon it to quench his ‘fire’ breathing antics and make him submissive. She then uses his sharp tooth to cut off her own braids which she then uses as a bridle to lead him back in town, tame as a lamb. However, the townspeople went berserk upon seeing the dragon and they kills the Tarasque with a shower of stones and, although Martha weeps, she forgives the people’s action because she understands their long-time suffering. Legends describes the dragon as being enormous with a body like an ox but with six short bear-like legs with enormous claws. On his body he has two shields like those of a turtle but covered with curved spikes, and the rest of his body is covered with closely overlapping scales that formed his armor. His tail is long and curved like a scorpion. His head is that of a lion, yet with a horse’s ears, but his face, with eyebrows and mustache, is that of a sad and bitter old man. The Tarasque was described as being an evil fire-breathing beast. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:15am For the history buffs: On this date in 1566 Agnes Waterhouse was hanged. She and her daughter Elizabeth, were two of the Chelmsford Witches tried in the first major trial after the institution of the Elizabethan statute against Witchcraft in 1563. Agnes was originally accused of bewitching a child and of other wicked deeds but in her confession, obtained through torture, she told tales of worshipping Satan, who appeared to her in the form of a spotted cat, and later as a toad. Satan taught her and her daughter how to do many evil deeds from murder to bewitchment. Agnes also claimed that they both fed their own blood to the cat after pricking herself. This was proved by the shape of certain blemishes on both of their bodies. In the end, Agnes was hanged on this date and Elizabeth, seemingly acquitted now, was hanged thirteen years later in a second trial. …....…. Also, Pascal Beverly Randolph, the 19th Century Adept and author of The Magia Sexualis, shot himself in head and died on this date in 1875 in Toledo Ohio. He is credited with being the first overt spokesman in the west of sexual ‘gnosis’ which he claimed had been hidden for centuries in layers of religious symbolism. He is said to be the founder of The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor (c.1881) which is also known as the Brotherhood of Eulis. After his death he was succeeded by a Mr. Freeman B Dowd on April 15, 1907, who was succeeded by Dr. Edward H. Brown, who in turn was succeeded by R. Swinburne Clymer. ….....…. And it was on July 29, 1924 that Elizabeth Virginia Short was born to Cleo and Phoebe Short in Hyde Park, Massachusetts. During the Depression the family fell on hard times and Cleo simply abandoned his wife and five daughters by faking his suicide. His empty car was discovered near a bridge and the authorities believed that he had jumped into the river below. Years later, when he resurfaced in California, Elizabeth, who always wanted to be an actress, came out and briefly stayed with him. Her claim to fame came on January 15, 1947 when a passerby spotted a nude body in a vacant lot near Hollywood. The dead woman seemed posed, lying on her back with her arms raised over her shoulders, her legs spread eagled. She had been cut in half at the waist. Her face and body had been slashed viciously. Rope marks on her ankles, wrists and neck suggested a very nasty scene before she died. After she was identified as Elizabeth Short the press dubbed her The Black Dahlia because of her black hair and black attire. Her murder still haunts the Los Angeles Police Department since the heinous crime was first committed back in 1947. …......…. And finally, Stanton T. Friedman was born on this date in New Jersey in 1934. He worked fourteen years as a nuclear physicist with highly classified, eventually cancelled projects as nuclear aircraft, fission and fusion rockets, and nuclear power plants for space. He has always been interested in Flying Saucers and since 1967 he has lectured on the topic “Flying Saucers ARE Real” at more than 600 colleges and over 100 professional groups in 50 states, 9 Provinces, England, Italy, Turkey, Germany, Holland, France, Finland, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Korea, Mexico and Israel. He has published more than 70 papers on UFOs besides his dozens of conventional articles, and appeared on hundreds of radio and TV shows. He wrote the book The Quest for Truth about UFOs (2003). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday July 28th 2009 – 6:10am A great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to Dave Solina in Florida. Ben & I will throw down a few beers for you in your honor tonight; wish you were here to join in. Have a great day!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:00am For the history buffs: Nuit Ma Ahathoor Hecate Sappho Jezebel Lilith was born on this date in 1904 to Aleister Crowley and his wife Rose. Sadly she would not live long and she died shortly afterwards. Duncombe Jewell remarked later that she had died of “acute nomenclature.”------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday July 27th 2009 – 2:50pm I have added onto the CONTENTS PAGE a link to an on-line article posted on Gordon's Blog, which is 'A shared on-line journal where Gordon can post diary entries about his personal experiences and hobbies.' The article is titled - "Dr Grady McMurtry - What are his qualifications and scientific expertise?" and is dated Tuesday, December 16, 2008. It has a great picture of Grady Louis McMurtry's son Shannon and it discusses indepth his Christian organization called Creation Worldview Ministries based in Orlando Florida. ... For those who are interested Grady S McMurtry wrote a book titled Creation: Our World View [Christian Life Publications 1997]. If anyone has a copy and would like to donate it to our library here in Berleley, it would be greatly appreciated.
4:50pm Dave from Florida sent a reply to this post - "I will bring it with me for your library. All the best, I think I will have to wear heavy rubber gloves when picking it up." .... Reply: Wow! Thanks!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:25pm Weiser Antiquarian Books Catalog # 60. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and its Successor Groups is now on-line. This is Part One; it begins with some anonymously executed Tattwa cards, runs through related works by Allan Bennett, J. W. Brodie-Innes, Percy W. Bullock, Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero, Aleister Crowley, Isabelle de Steiger, Florence Farr, R.W. Felkin, R. A. Gilbert, Ellic Howe, Steffi Grant, Darcy Kuntz, and many others, finishing with two important G.D. related works by Arthur Machen (in collaboration with A.E. Waite). ... click HERE to view it and drool.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:15am Roberta DiFronzo surfaces, she was the love of my life who helped me establish the OTO in Connecticut back in the 70s. We took Minerval together. She write, in regards to my birthday on the 14th - "Dear Jerry. Sorry this is so late. I had a dead modem & it took a while to get it replaced. I hope that you are well, that your birthday was a happy one & that you survived the festivities that ensued. Take care & let me know how you're doing sometime. Hi to Luis, too. Love, Bert." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:40am I think some of my students are getting too serious, they need to focus on taking THE ENGLIGHTMENT QUIZ posted on this website again and en-lighten up!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:33am I wrote an email to one of my students this morning, in part it read - "I just wanted to point out one particular thing that you wrote - “I can not deny karma nor the hand of destiny in other words everything happens for a reason ...” For starters, I am not a Christian and I’ve always been abhorred by their view that God directs our life in order to teach us, so that “everything happens for a reason.” ... Be careful of your choice of words. Magick and astrology clearly informs us that our travels once in this body are not carved in stone; nor are they relegated by God, Fate or the stars. We have ‘Free Will’ and if you fail to understand this principle then magick will make little sense. In other words, it was you who picked whether or not to follow the Laws of the Want or the Will. No God stood over you saying, let me fuck up his life so that he can learn a lesson. Remember our talks about the paradox of Fate or destiny. On the one hand our life is said to be predetermined by the type of experience (True Will) we desired and if we follow this, we become a Star in the body of Nuit. On the other hand, by our own feeble actions, we can clearly influence our incarnation in a mundane manner by going out of orbit to wallow in Earthly pleasures. And with that in mind, you can curse yourself for all eternity for the blunders you invoked through free choice by doing stupid things ... but they didn’t happen for a reason. This archaic Christian ethics ‘unconsciously’ allows you to put the blame of certain action ‘elsewhere’ ... How I see it; if you stick your hand in a fire you can not say that it happened for a reason. This would imply that you’re a pawn being guided by a higher power in order for you to learn what its like to get burned. The harder fact to face is that for a fleeting moment, you were stupid on Malkuth. Accept that fact and don’t do it again and position your Star back in a stable spot." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5:45am For the history buffs: Dr. William Moriarty, the real figure on whom Dion Fortune based her character called Dr. Taverner in her book titled The Secrets of Dr. Taverner, was born in Dublin, Ireland on this date in 1873. Contrary to popular opinion, Dr. Taverner was not based upon Aleister Crowley. It has been written that “Moriarty was not an MD. He was not even a PhD. He just fibbed a little.” …...…… And Robert ‘Bobby’ Kenneth Beausoleil, aka Cupid, Jasper, Cherub, Robert Lee Hardy and Jason Lee Daniels, killed Gary Hinman on this date in California in 1969. Beausoleil was part of Charles Manson’s Family. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to death but it was commuted to Life when California briefly outlawed the death penalty in 1972. In the sixties he had briefly been the lover of the underground film producer Kenneth Anger and had even supplied him with the soundtrack for his film Lucifer Rising. Beausoleil also acted in the original film version of Lucifer Rising which later mysteriously disappeared. He played the part of Lucifer. After their falling out, Kenneth Anger began referring to him as ‘The Toad.’ …...…… also, on July 27, 1979 the movie The Amityville Horror opened in theaters. It is tenuously based on a true story about a large haunted house on the coast of Long Island in which George and Kathy Lutz and their three children move into. They are unaware that all the strange happenings might be caused by the fact that a murder took place in the house several years back. The Lutz family inevitably turns to their family priest Father Delaney who performs an exorcism but the evil spirit in the house causes him to become blind and makes him very ill. George and Kathy with the help of another priest Father Bolen, and a police detective, face the fears of the house, but are yet unaware that the spirit is planning to possess George and then kill the children. …...…… And finally, on July 27, 2003 Helen Parsons Smith, the ex-wife of both Wilfred T. Smith and Jack Parsons of Agape Lodge O.T.O. fame, died at the age of 93 in California. Her body was cremated and her ashes scattered over Lake Tahoe.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday July 26th 2009 – 6:00am For the history buffs: George Bernard Shaw was born on this date at 3 Upper Synge Street in Dublin Ireland in 1856. He was a noted Irish dramatist, literary critic, a socialist spokesman, and a leading figure in the 20th century theater. He was a man of whom Aleister Crowley wrote, “... was engaged in public exhibitions of rapier play; his subtlety made his colleagues doubt his sincerity.” …...…… also, Carl Jung was born on this date in Kesswil, a Swiss hamlet near the falls of the Rhine in 1875. His grandfather, a Rosicrucian freethinker was reputed to have been an illegitimate son of Goethe. He was one of the great explorers on our “inner space” and, besides a strong background in Freudian theory, he had an apparently inexhaustible knowledge of mythology, religion, and philosophy in general. Jung was especially knowledgeable in the symbolism of complex mystical traditions such as Gnosticism, Alchemy, Kabala, and similar traditions in Hinduism and Buddhism, all of which he brought into his theories about human archetypes. …....…… and Aldous Huxley was born on this date in Surrey, England in 1894. He was a novelist best known for his books titled The Devils of Loudun (1952), The Doors of Perception (1954) and Heaven and Hell (1956). Numerous historians and biographers of this gentleman have always stated that there is absolutely no proof to even support any allegations that Aleister Crowley ever met Huxley and, least of all, that Huxley would become fascinated with altered states of consciousness after dropping mescaline given to him by the Great Beast. But let’s reflect upon some of the facts. We know that Aldous Huxley was visiting Berlin while Aleister Crowley was living in the city. This fact is mentioned in one of Huxley’s biographies where it states that “Aldous had gone on to Berlin and Paris, accompanying his friend Sullivan on a ‘tour of great men’ ... a most entertaining piece of sightseeing.” This was in late September, early October of 1930. It appears that Huxley was traveling with his dear friend John William Navin Sullivan (1886-1937) who at the time was on ‘a tour of great men’ - interviewing as many eminent scientists as he could find for an upcoming book. We also know, Sullivan was a friend of Aleister Crowley’s. In fact, in Crowley’s unpublished diaries on October 2nd 1930 he mentions that he received a “letter from Sullivan - who arrives tonight with Aldous Huxley” According to other diary entries he had “dinner & Mikado &c with Sullivan & Huxley,” and again on another day, “Spent evening with Huxley & Sullivan at Muenchner Hofbraeu one of those large mediocre places which delight the grossness of Sullivan ... Huxley improves on acquaintance. We left him, very tired, at 1 A.M. Sunday.” So we can put to rest some of the stories by saying that Aleister Crowley definitely did meet Aldous Huxley. Although there is no indication in Crowley’s diaries as to what they discussed, it is highly unlikely that magick, drugs or Liber AL vel Legis were not mentioned, these being Crowley’s favorite topics of discussion. As far as Huxley being introduced to mescaline, although Crowley’s diaries do not specifically mention Anhalonium lewinii (peyote cactus), this was his drug of choice during that period of his life, and it is safe to assume that he shared with his friends. There is story worth mentioning. Aldous Huxley died on November 22nd 1963, shortly after his wife Laura gave him LSD for the ‘passage.’ ……....… and finally, on this date in 1943 Michael Phillip Jagger was born on this date in Dartford, Kent, England. He dropped out of London’s School of Economics to be a rock star and he formed The Rolling Stones which began recording in 1963. The band struck stardom in 1965 with their international hit (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. During the late 60’s Mick Jagger became associated with the underground film producer, and avid Crowleyite, Ken Anger and he did the music for Anger’s 1969 film version of Invocation of My Demon Brother.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday July 25th 2009 – 2:00pm I got a great email from Evelyn today; she writes - "93 Dear Jerry, I've been extremely busy of late but am taking a quick breather to send belated birthday wishes and get well wishes. Making jokes and commentaries on various teachings as well as juggling all points of view, is a good sign that you are OK. ... Speaking of different points of view, my seven year old wanted me to pass on his perspective on your blog page. He was looking over my shoulder recently and saw Luna's little Pomba Gira picture. After studying it for a while, I heard him say "Hhmmm, nice boobies". Then, he looked at the cartoon of the little demon jumping up and down on the flames. He wanted you to know that it made no sense to him. After all, he said, how could a fire demon be troubled by fire and flames? Well, there you are - I said I would pass it on. Best wishes Evelyn."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:05am John sent an email regarding my 8:35am posting, in it he writes - " ... you mentioned earlier today that "the only way we can see if a person has reached their level of incompetence is when they create a major fuck-up. But will they recognize it, that is the story." What do you mean? Do we all have to go through these sort of issues or 'fuck-ups' as you called it in order to achieve. I am just curious." ..... Reply: Yes and no. It all depends upon how hard you struggle to be 'right' when and if 'Malkuthian' issues arise; which implies a defensive ego. I know of absolutely no Adept; from Crowley, to Grady and even myself which hasn't had numerous rough spots in their incarnation. Remember, an Adept's True Will is the reason why they incarnated; each being different depending upon the experience that they desire. Be that as it may, when we step outside our required 'experience' (True Will) we become at odds with our self and the world around us; usually the outcome is catastrophic and always over mundane bullshit. A good Adept residing within Tiphereth or Above realizes when this is happening and quickly -"Rights the Wrong" and re-centers themselves. Students, on the other hand, rely on their Teachers being able to recognize their folly and wheel them back it. But if the student's ego or lower Ruach is too 'defensive' which implies that it is 'not under control' ... a Teacher must make the harsh decision to step back and let the fruit fall where it may ... and then hope that before disaster strikes, the student will recognize their folly.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:30am Dennis Currin-Duvaul, the Treasurer of Coph Nia Oasis, OTO up in Eugene, Oregon, the group which produces one of the better OTO newsletters titled Coph Nia Wand, sent me an email. He writes, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Greetings Jerry, As always, I have been enjoying your Blog. Attached are three Grady articles for your website. These were used in the Coph Nia Wand. They are: A Brief Synopsis of the Contents of the Thirty Aires or Aethyrs (with graphic)
On "It's A Heavy Metal Universe Charlie Brown!"
The Magical Diaries - review by Hymenaeus Alpha
These have been edited to make them readable. No major changes, just mainly fixing run on sentences and spelling out abbreviated words. If you're a Grady purist, you may want to take a look at them and see what you want to change back. I hope these help.Future articles will also find their way to you as well. With Love and LaughterLove is the law, love under will.Reply: I cannot thank you enough. I know your Oasis Master and I have had issues over the years, as brothers fight ye, but the one thing we have always had in common is our deepest respect and love from Grady Louis McMurtry. It's great to see your publication [http://www.cophnia-oto.org/] adding so much Grady into it. I've truly enjoy reading it and I'd tell you guys to keep up the good work but I have no doubt that you will.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:15am Here is an excerpt from another email - "You cannot be a weekend magician in the A.’.A.’.. On the horizontal plane, in groups like OTO, you can ‘do whatever you want’ all week long but in vertical schools, where spiritual development is a daily struggle, you must be on your guard twenty-four-seven. This is why Crowley developed the scientific approach. To help magicians analyze their actions and to see if any given experience was in accord with their True Will rather than just be a jaunt into mundane stupidity." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:35am Here are some excerpts of an email that I mailed to a student regarding 'squabbles' in their area. There are lessons here for all 'vertical' magicians to learn. I wrote - "... as far as wanting to make “peace between all parties”, I couldn’t give a rats ass. As brothers fight ye and be done with it. My concern is to put people back into their orbits and if you guys never talk to each other again, so what, that may well be the desired experience needed in each of your incarnations so I’m not going to second guess your True Will. All I want to do is give you guys a reality check. This is your first ‘bump’ in the road, or dare we say a magickal lesson. Remember, and never forget, within any vertical school when someone is climbing the Tree of Life, Nature is constantly trying to “Right this Wrong”. Nature does this under the premise that you don’t belong in the branches, you’re a ground dweller. How it achieves its goal is by turning your focus from spiritual heights toward Earth by using all types of Malkuthian or mundane issues which are external to Self ... If a magician doesn’t learn how to recognize when a Kundry has attached itself to your Life then they stand a good chance of doing irreparable damage to their psyche. Hence the magickal term “He’s fallen by the wayside.” ... There is never a ‘coincidence’ in magick. To us, these are sign posts. Miss them and you’ll go off down a wrong path.Anyway, the first stage in recognizing this Kundry-like folly in a magician is often seen by him or her throwing oneself into the Pit of Because. This defensive, often blind psycho-babble will make excuse after excuse as to why such an such an ‘external’ object or person is either OK in their eyes or the real ‘wrong’ in a particular issue surrounding their life. The obvious being that their defense is often lop-sided, more often than not, in their favor. The higher up the Tree you go you must start the practice of trying to see both sides of every issue; it is part of the nature of the ‘circle squared’ and magickal failure can often be traced to this formula. Oddly, the only way we can see if a person has reached their level of incompetence is when they create a major fuck-up. But will they recognize it, that is the story. I appreciate you not wanting ‘to bother me with any of this any more than I absolutely have to be” but the key to always remember is that it’s not my concern of pettiness on Earth ... I am more concerned with Grady’s lineage above all else. Pettiness is, as pettiness does but long after such phantoms have faded I hope that our lineage is still offering sound advice at the climbing the Tree. If you learn lessons from this mess ... at least you’re moving forward.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:45am In a second email about my health Frater Shiva writes - "Jerry 93, As a physician (licensed in Oriental Medicine), I have been following your comments on arteries and diet. My primary medical problem is also my arteries (and indirectly my heart), so I've studied a lot about this condition.Yes, diet is important (the "American diet" helps to support atherosclerosis) and the evil results (blocked arteries) can be somewhat controlled by medication, but once that stuff is "in place" in the arterial walls - only surgery can remove it.But the bottom line is: It's not so much the diet that causes it as it is the GENES. Otherwise, why would some people eat greasy pizza or Mongolian pork all their lives, yet die from cancer of the skin? Why do you and I fight arterial plaque ["Plak" in Cantonese] while our friends suffer from cancer [my mother], sev! ere crippling arthritis [many people}, connective tissue breakdown [Frater Taurus], myocardial degeneration [Crowley], or Insanity [Mild Air Movement] - etc - ?We are all pre-disposed to suffer from some particular thing, often (but not always) similar to our parents' or other relatives' weaknesses.You are right to not worry too much about the diet. Just take the medications to prevent further buildup and undergo the surgeries for that which has already built up. Nurses and physicians have confided to me that the medications (statins, etc) DO prevent further buildup, but NOTHING seems to reduce it once it's embedded (except knives). Reply: Thanks so much for the health advice. It makes sense. My father passed away of a heart attack a few days after his fiftieth birthday, many male members in my family have all died young of heart attacks. Jokingly, in my family we call this 'the' disease of the 'Corneliuses' ... of course, this is also compounded by our workaholic stressful lifestyle. I cannot think of that many Corneliuses who know how to slow down. ... I do take lots of daily meds, and since being on them, I have been feeling much better. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:20am Frater Shiva, the author of Inside The Solar Lodge, Outside The Law (The Teitan Press 2007) writes - "Jerry 93, Your post of yesterday (July 24) dealing with Chinese Air Movements (Breezes) is common in the field of Oriental Medicine. I just had a long exchange of emails with some practitioner who published an article in which he got all confounded about spellings and sources. Here's the basic problem:(1) There are at least 500 dialects of spoken Chinese (some say up to 1000). All these varieties use the same written characters, but they pronounce them differently. They can read each other's works, but they (often) cannot understand them when spoken. Attempts to Anglicize (put into English) this mess results in spellings like "Tai Chi" vs "taiji."
(2) The two main dialects are Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin is the (mandarin's) dialect of the g! overnment in the north (Beijing - used to be Peking). Cantonese is from the southern city of Canton. Cantonese uses a lot of hard consonants and sounds like cats fighting and trashcan lids being rattled. Mandarin is softer and smoother.
(3) Crowley used Cantonese-derived spelling. Thus he wrote the "Yi King," while most other authors refer to the "I Ching."
(4) Mr. Breeze is showing his dislike for harsh Cantonese spellings, but he is substituting the old Mandarin translations (called "Wade-Giles" or "Wejiao" - the names of two guys who tried). But then this conflicts with the modern "Pinyin" spelling system of the communist government who invented a new way to do it that is unbelievably stupid (wherein "Chi" becomes "Qi" and everyone wonders what in the world that means and how to pronounce it).
(5) Changing Crowley's spelling is also similarly retarded (unless it's done in obvious fun as I have been known to do). Either footnotes should be used (as you suggested), or in-line editor's brackets: So if I refer to "Chi Kung" [Qi Gong] people will know there's a variation.
(6) I understand that a few other ancient texts have been fiddled with (like the one called "The Bible") and I'll bet that Crowley's works (and yours and mine) will be unintelligible in the distant future (if they survive).
Reply: Thanks for explaining this to me. It clears up alot and I know quite a few of my students will benefit from your posting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6:00am For the history buffs: On this date in 1928 Moina, the wife of Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers, died at the age of sixty-three at Saint Mary’s Hospital in London. Her body was cremated. After her death all the magickal furniture of Moina’s Golden Dawn Temple, as well as her writings and private papers, were burned per the orders that she received from the Secret Chiefs. It an odd twisted way it was fulfilling her magickal motto of Vestigia Nulla Retrorsun which means “I leave no trace behind.” ……. And on this date in Elizabeth, Illinois in 1929, a “huge gorilla” was seen by many witnesses wandering in woods near town. Others determined it was a Bigfoot.Friday ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 24th 2009 – 4:25am Jay, one of our more lovable Scorpios, sat in my apartment today with his girlfriend and Ben while we discussed today's blog; especially the 7:30am and the 11:58am posting about the 'word' ... He now writes - "The word that comes to my mind is "attentiveness." I'm not claiming that's the word that Grady spoke to you, but I do think it indicates something essential about Chastity. I might illustrate my point with a personal anecdote. The other day I was hanging out with some friends in the Mission district when I could feel my kundalini rising; at the same time I saw a graphic, a modern stylization of the caduceus. But it wasn't until later in the day that it occurred to me "hey, when and where did I see that caduceus?" I hadn't been attentive enough. I should have noted the time and place, should have looked more closely into the modernized graphic, but it slipped through my mind. There are signs and indications in everything. The dewdrops raineth supreme, but it takes attentiveness to properly collect them." ...... Reply: Well, for starters "attentiveness" is NOT the word but interesting in that it means paying attention. Normally I would not post an email with a personal interpretation of the 'word' but I am amused. I thought part of our previous conversation today dealt with 'NOT' openly being able to talk about IT because of the areas of the Ruach to which it is attached. Maybe you dozed off during that part of the talk? Let me to quote today's earlier posting - "The bottom line; if you know the 'answer' to my previous postings, that is all that is required. End of subject." I can only smile ... attentiveness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4:15pm Paul Hohlt writes - "93 Jerry, I'm sorry to hear that you have to go back to the hospital, do you know when? Keep your spirits up, you are loved by many. I just finished The Yogi and the Commisar. The eponymous chapters are spectacular and the descriptions of the horizontal and vertical perspectives right on. Even the other chapters regarding the evolution of propaganda were interesting and informative. The only other book of Koestler's I've read was Scum of the Earth about the tragic suicide of Walter Benjamin. ... I hope you are feeling better, I'll give you a breather tonight and call Elton and Vicky to let them know you won't be having a get together. I'll call you next week and bring you some cash. Do you want a copy of Yokai Attack! Japanese Monster Survival Guide? Also, big Hare Krsna Ratha Yatra festival at Golden Gate Park tomorrow. Love and Good Energy to you, paul 93 93/93." ......... Reply: No idea about anything 'hospitalish' as yet, I'll keep everyone posted. ...Glad you like Koestler's book; it realy affected both Jane Wolfe and Grady; it should be standard reading. ... yes, I'd love a copy of Yokai Attack. That would be great, thanks! ... have fun in SF if you go!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4:00pm Marlene writes - "I saw your post on the doctors... I hope you are doing 'well enough'... If you need anything that your 'regulars' cannot do, feel free to ask me - I will help if I can.." ..... Reply: Health wise, thanks for the offer. I have a good support team around me, except those trying to get me to eat more healthy; I wish they'd give up on this. If I'm going to die I want it to be with fork full of greasy Korean barbecued pork in one hand and a cold beer in the other! ...... and Marlene would later reply - "As for your diet... you don't have to tell me, just remind the naggers that is it more important how you live ;>" ... Reply: "I agree. Did I mention I put a lot of salt on my Korean barbecued pork?" ...... and she quickly fired back with a short, brief comment - "you're still the ONLY person I know who puts salt on pizza!" ... I laughed, damn she knows me too well! I replied - "And my arteries thank me for it!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:15pm To Joan - "... about seven inches" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:10pm To Mary, who asks why I cannot address questions straightforward and stop citing other "mystical statements and sources." ... Wise man say, you cannot simply tell an ass the Truth about nourishment but dangle a carrot in front of his nose and hopefully the ass will get up and move; if not, it starves. Problem solved in either case.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:58am Regarding my 7:30am posting; it was a rhetorical statement and I have no intention of answering it directly; the four of you who sent in assumptions are far off in left-field. Totally wrong. So wrong that I will neither post nor address them; they only open up cans of worms not reflective of the subject. The bottom line; if you know the 'answer' to my previous postings, that is all that is required. End of subject.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10:40am Sandy from Indiana writes "My footnote in Crowley's Tao te Ching is different than what you quote. It has “Brahmacharya – Chastity in the secret Parsifal-O.T.O. sense. See also the Ch'ing-ching Ching." Reply: Ouch, you hit a sore spot with me. This is why I adamantly tell my students to avoid using Bill Breeze's editions of Crowley's books. Breeze believes Crowley's title of the King Kang King is incorrect for 'Chinese' and he takes it upon himself to correct the error. I can only say bravo, scholar are needed in this world and I applaud him for his effort ... but, on the other hand, a true scholar would never, I repeat never, change another author's words; like substituting Ch'ing ching Ching everywhere where Crowley uses King Kang King. For example; Breeze quotes Crowley's Confessions in the Editor's Foreword (pg.x) where Crowley himself discusses the King Kang King and Breeze decides to adjust his quote taken from the Confessions to reflect his view that the correct title should be Ch'ing-ching Ching. A true scholar would 'footnote', not change the original. Breeze does this often in what he publishes of Crowley's ... and this makes it impossible to use his editions of Crowley's works as a true source material; unless the words can be verified elsewhere. In other words; there will always be this fear that what you might quote purporting to be our prophet may in fact be different than the original and you'll turn out looking like an idiot. Sandy, even the title and author of the book that you're citing which is called the Tao Te Ching by Ko Hsuan is faulty. Breeze changed the original typed manuscript which reads The Tao Teh King by Ko Yuen. I am not going to get into a debate whether or not Breeze is correct with why he thinks these should be changed; I'm just a purest. For instance; I believe he should have left Crowley's footnote in the Tao Teh King alone and not rewritten it. It's like saying that you think Shakespeare's choice of certain Old English words are incorrect and you decided to change them in your new edition ro reflect what you think they should have been. Incorrect or not, leave the masters alone! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9:35am Mike asks for 'hints' as to the 'word' mentioned in my 7:30am posting. Ah, wise grasshopper not to use the "please tell me the word upfront" approach ... Consider this quote from the Tao Teh King, Chapter XLV - “Exercise moderateth cold; stillness heat. To be pure and to keep silence, is the True Law of all that are beneath Heaven.” ... Aleister Crowley then has a footnote to this sentence which reads “Brahmacharya – Chastity in the secret Parsifal-O.T.O. sense. See also the King Kang King, Liber XXI” ... and what is Brahmacharya you might ask? Brahmacharya in a male implies one who observes non-ejaculation unless intentionally procreating; whereas Bramcharini, its opposite, or female counterpart is where the woman observes sexual abstinence when ‘fertile’ unless intentionally procreating. It is the Malkuthian Law. And before anyone writes me and asks, yes, obviously by Crowley's own life-style and admission, he did not practice this form of yoga. He found a way around it; hence Eighth Degree O.T.O. but for all you beginners, VIIth is a required foundation stone; without it, Eighth Degree is impossible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:40pm Thanks Mary for inquiring about my health. I’m not doing as well as I hoped [see my 12:30pm post of the 22nd] but without surgery the old ticker will not miraculously get better by itself, it’s slowly getting worse and I knew this would be the case. The main thing for me is to eat healthy, do slight exercises like walking and try to remain stress free. Well, one out of three ain’t bad, no? Anyway, no, I have no idea when I’ll be going into the hospital for more tests. I’ll keep you all posted when I hear stuff.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:30am Mike asks - " ... and with this, do you think I got the idea behind 'magickal chastity' ? ....... Reply: No. So far; everyone on this blog has listed the intellectual/emotional obvious but the final clue which makes Crowley's sex magick work has yet to be grasped or revealed by anyone. Without this final clue, all is in vain. I've been waiting for 'someone' to drop the bomb on it but no one to date has mentioned what the ten Sephiroth have in common; everyone is talking about chastity from the point-of-view of this sphere or that sphere, as if dewdrops works out of one sphere and negates all the others... Grady told me that one word sums up 'chastity.' When he told me, I wrote the word in huge letters in the back of one of my books. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:20am For the history buffs: Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, the 18th Baron Dunsany, whose family seat is in County Meath, northwest of Dublin was born on this date in London in 1978. Dunsany was one of the harbingers of modern fantasy and, in the words of the ardent admirer H.P. Lovecraft, “To the truly imaginative he is a talisman and a key unlocking rich storehouses of dream.” …….... And it was on this date in 1955 that the world’s most secret Air Force Base known as Area 51, aka Dreamland, which is part of the Nellis Air Force Range and Nuclear Test Site just northwest of Las Vegas, was supposedly established. At first it was a test site for U-2 spy planes and later for the investigation of the technology obtained from crashed UFOs since the Roswell incident. To this day this remote and mysterious dry lake bed is still reporting sightings of UFO’s in and around what has become known as Area 51. …........…. And finally, on July 24, 1995, Marjorie Cameron, aka Candida or Candy, who was an accomplished painter, poet, feminist, actress and occultist, died in California. She was the wife of Jack Parsons, the famed rocket scientist and Agape Lodge Master of the Ordo Templi Orientis. She also played the pivotal roll of the Scarlet Woman in Kenneth Anger’s classic film The Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome and was featured in two films by Curtis Harrington; The Wormwood Star and in Nite Tide. She also appeared in John Chamberlain’s Thumbsuck. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY
TO THE NEXT DATES STORED IN THE ARCHIVE
"There were plants, And birds, And rocks And things”
-America's Horse With No Name
Love is the law, love under will. – AL I:57
RETURN TO:
