Official (Journal of) Thelemic Studies Community

Naturalistic Occultism
by IAO131


Naturalistic Occultism is an attempt to treat the phenomena of occultism with an eye of naturalism (i.e. not supernatural), science (i.e. based on empirical evidence), and pragmatism (i.e. what works is provisionally 'true'). It is largely a continuation of the ideal of Scientific Illuminism as expressed by Aleister Crowley in his motto "The Method of Science, the Aim of Religion." This book seeks to separate the gold of occultism from the dross of superstition and dogma.


IAO131 creator & editor of the Journal of Thelemic Studies (ThelemicStudies.com) and author of many articles on the subjects of Thelema, Occultism, Philosophy, and Psychology at his blog: http://iao131.livejournal.com.


Available now from Lulu for $9.95
(http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/naturalistic-occultism/6474618)


Table of Contents
Introduction
0. Preface
1. What is Magick?
2. On Subjectivity and Objectivity
3. A Note About Free Will, Determinism, and Pragmatism

Naturalistic Occultism
0. A Naturalistic, Scientific Approach to Magick
1. As Above, So Below – As Within, So Without
2. The Planets, the Zodiac, and other Symbol Schemes
3. Divination: Tarot, I Ching, and Animal Entrails
4. Gematria: Finding Patterns in Numbers
5. Why Magick Seems to Work
6. Psychotherapy and Initiation
7. The Neurology of the Astral Plane, the Astral Body, and Astral Projection
8. Astral Workings & Scrying: The Interpretation of Ambiguous Stimuli
9. Invocation and the Willed Activation of Latent Parts of the Psyche
10. On the Mystic Attainment
11. Conclusion

Appendices
APPENDIX I: “Astral projection” or Out-of-Body Experiences
APPENDIX II: Un-differentiated Consciousness or Mystic Union
APPENDIX III: Recommendations for Further Reading


Preview and order the book now!

source: http://www.thelemicstudies.com/?q=node/124

* New issue of Agapé now out - A new issue of the official newsletter of the Ordo Templi Orientis, Agapé 10.4, has been released. Click here to read Agapé 10.4.

* Reason.com article on Aleister Crowley - Reason.com has a new article out called "The Magick of DARE" in celebration of the anniversary of the First Day of the Reception of Liber AL (April 8). The short article mentions Crowley, Thelema, DARE, drugs, and more. Click here to read the Reason.com article.

* New book on the Gnostic Mass - LAShTAL.com reports that James and Nancy Wasserman have released a new book about the Gnostic Mass, the central ritual of the O.T.O., called To Perfect This Feast. "Drawing on nearly half a century of regular performance of the Gnostic Mass—and the countless classes and training sessions they have conducted during their O.T.O. careers—James and Nancy Wasserman (Bishops Tahuti and Mara) offer a coherent look at the ritual described by Aleister Crowley as “the central ritual of [the O.T.O.’s] public and private celebration. With no attempt to “improve” upon the teachings of the Master, they elucidate a method of performing the Mass whose entire rationale is a strict adherence to the instructions given in Liber XV. The authors have striven to understand the meaning of Crowley’s text—penned in the white-hot fury of his 1913 inspiration—and extract the relevant spiritual teachings embedded within this elegant ritual. A series of insights, beginning in December of 2005 e.v., revealed solutions to long-hidden performance mysteries. The authors were encouraged to share these with a broader audience. If you are interested in Aleister Crowley and the Gnostic Mass, this book will teach you how to perform it in a manner that conforms to his instructions." Click here to read the LAShTAL article about this book, and Click here for information on purchasing the book from its publisher.

* International Thelemic Symposium 2009 - LAShTAL.com reports, "...The Golden Dawn Occult Society's International Thelemic Symposium 2009 is booked for Saturday 26th of September 2009. Speakers and ritual workshops to still be finalised. Tickets should go on sale around the end of March, early April. This year it will be held in the Holywell Music Room, right in the heart of the Hermetic Architecture of the original Oxford University campus, in Oxford city centre. The venue for the social afterwards is to be confirmed but the earlier part of the conference should run from 11:00am till early evening. Much more information to come on this. Please check http://www.dowhatthouwilt.com/symposium at regular intervals." Click here for the original LAShTAL article, and click here for more information on the Symposium

*Boleskine for sale! - The Herald reports that the land once owned by Aleister Crowley on Boleskine Bay is on sale. This is the plot of land where Crowley performed his Abramelin Operation. The article is absolutely filled with the normal sensationalism and misrepresentation but the information is still interesting: "A plot of land once owned by the self proclaimed "most wicked man in the world" has been put up for sale sparking interest from disciples of the dark arts, rock fans and property developers." Click here for the original article.

source: http://www.thelemicstudies.com/?q=node/124

Journal of Thelemic Studies Vol.2 No.2

Spring 2009, C.E.

64 pg.

Print: Color - $23.99 B&W - $7.77

PDF: Free! [download] [mirror 1]

Table of Contents

Introduction by the Editor

Thelemic Atheism and the Revaluation of Virtues by Los

"The Magus Revealed" by Hettie Rowley

One Becomes Many: On the Manifestation of the Divine by Isaac Aurelian

"Trinity 93" by Frater A.

Thelema in the Classroom by Soror L.V.X.N.O.X.

"The Gateway of Aquarius" by Hettie Rowley

Thelemic Crime & Punishment by Krymetrion

"The Master Therion 666" by Hettie Rowley

Click HERE to read the Journal of Thelemic Studies in PDF form for free!

Click HERE to order the Journal of Thelemic Studies in print form

source: http://thelemicstudies.com/?q=node/111


* Registration open for NOTOCON VII - "The initiates of the Pacific Northwest O.T.O bodies are proud to invite you to join us for NOTOCON VII. The conference, themed "Unity Uttermost Showed," is revealing itself to be most excellent. We have a really great lineup of speakers and several participatory rituals, and a venue that promises to be able to hold this, the largest O.T.O. party. Don’t miss out on the action…register soon. You may register by proceeding to http://vii.notocon.org/registration/. The cost of the conference is $225.00. Payment may be made via paypal, or by mailing in a check. Registration is not confirmed until payment is received." NOTOCON VII will take place August 7-9, 2009; for more information on this event, visit NOTOCON VII's webpage here.

* Thelemic Symposium 2009 announced - The "Thelemic Symposium is a panel discussion and question/answer session engaging the considerable experience and knowledge of three long-time Thelemites. We are proud to present this, the seventh annual Symposium, featuring panelists Eliza McBryde, Michael Kolson, and Dathan Biberstein." It will occur on March 28-29, 2009 at Sekhet-Maat Lodge in Portland, OR. For more information on Thelemic Symposium 2009, visit the Symposium's homepage.

* "Chemical Wedding" becomes "Crowley" in America - LAShTAL.com reports that "the American release of Julian Doyle's Chemical Wedding will be under the title Crowley..." Click here for the new movie poster, and ShockTillYouDrop.com for more information on "Crowley"

* "The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley" now available for pre-order - Weiser has announced that "The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley" by Richard Kaczynski, PhD. will be released on April 1, 2009 and is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com. The "Concise Guide" will be 128 pages of "Crowley’s teachings in his own words. A carefully chosen series of his instructions for concentration, meditation, magick, invocation, even sex magick are included. Crowley’s descriptions of the teaching Orders A:.A:. and OTO are presented, along with the Creed of EGC. In addition, a suggested reading list of Crowley’s “top-eleven” most important books is enhanced by an extensive bibliography for further in-depth research. This is the first and only introductory book that does not pretend to “improve” upon the Master’s writings, but attempts to showcase them into a coherent introduction to his spiritual system. " Click here for more information on & to pre-order the Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley.

source: http://thelemicstudies.com/?q=node/102

HeruTV's series 'Thelema Talk' showcases the wide range and variety of opinions & thoughts in the community of modern Thelema.

Tannhaus answers the questions 'What is Thelema to you?', 'What is Will?', and 'What is Love?', 'What is the Holy Guardian Angel?', 'What are some important practices for Thelemites?', and 'Where would you like to see Thelema go in the future?' in this episode of Thelema Talk. (HeruTV can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/HeruTV)



Tannhaus is known as Gnostic Bishop Tau Sciam and is the author of the video series 'A Thelemite Speaks' which can be found at his own YouTube video channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/tannhaus

NOTE: The views represented are of the interviewee only and do not represent HeruTV's or Thelemic Studies' views nor do they represent the views of all Thelemites.

source: http://thelemicstudies.com/?q=node/97


In Search of the Great Beast 666 is a documentary directed by Robert Garofalo, with narration by Joss Ackland ('Watership Down,' 'Lethal Weapon 2,' 'The Hunt for Red October') and music by Rick Wakeman (from the band 'Yes'). It was released in 2007 through Classic Home Entertainment. While the production value of the documentary is relatively high, it is riddled with bias and inaccuracies.

The documentary focuses primarily on the "wickedness" of Aleister Crowley and the many misfortunes that befell him while giving little or no attention to his many literary and other accomplishments. For example, around three times as much time is spent focusing on the death of Raoul Loveday at the Abbey of Thelema than the reception of the Book of the Law, which was the centerpiece of Crowley's life and his title of being prophet of Thelema. Nearly every scene mentions Crowley's "sodomy," "debauchery," and "satanic" dealings. The director seems to have an uncanny obsession with Crowley's performance of "sexual magick." The music is almost entirely sinister when mentioning Crowley's magical training and rituals and the images shown are almost always shown with an overly of sepia-colored wrinkles and cracks. The intent to portray Crowley in a "wicked" and "depraved" light is quite apparent.

Many parts of the documentary include dramatic reenactments from the characters of Crowley's life which lead to some quite liberal interpretations of history. The mere choice of adjectives to describe Crowley's rituals and actions - often "blasphemous," "evil," and "satanic" - lead one to wonder whether what belief-system the director himself adheres to... Further, many parts are simply chronologically or entirely inaccurate. The only references to Thelema as a philosophy are select, inaccurate quotations from the Book of the Law. Many pronunciations of words are botched (Goetia is pronounced as "Go-eh-tee-uh" by the actor portraying Allan Bennet and the Gnostic Mass is pronounced "Guh-nos-tic" by the narrator, calling into question the level of research they put into Crowley's life) which is wholly embarrassing. The director even entertains conspiracy theories about Crowley's supposed connection to George HW and W Bush. There is no attempt to explain Thelema's tenets in the least, no mention of the large majority of Crowley's literary output (the only books mentioned are the Book of the Law, the Equinox, and Magick in Theory and Practice along with oddly selective bits from his poetry), no focus on his creation of a new Tarot, and no mention of his influence on culture in general.

While it is said that any press is good press one can't help but feel that this documentary is one episode in the long tradition of the media in attempting portray Crowley as "The Wickedest Man in the World."

Rating: 2/5 - as mentioned above, the production value is relatively good, but the bias, the inaccuracies, and the liberal interpretations of history through dramatic reenactments are either the product of extremely poor research or, more likely, an inherent bias in the director to see everything Crowley does as "evil" and "blasphemous."

Journal of Thelemic Studies Vol.2 No.1

Autumn 2008, C.E.

50 pg.

Print: Color - $20.50 B&W - $7.77

PDF: Free! [download] [mirror 1]

Table of Contents

Introduction by the Editor

An Essay upon the Unity of all Thelemites by Frater Oz

"Lotus" by Jesse Lindsay

Equilibrium: The Basis of the Work by Jason Augustus Newcomb

The Will is Supra-Rational by IAO131

"Beastly Haunting" by Jay W. Plogger

The Significance of the Occult in the Modern Era by Augustus Sol Invictus

"Alchemical Reaction" by Jesse Lindsay

Kenneth Grant, Crowley, and Dr. Black: Magick, Smoke, and Mirrors by Dr. Dave Evans

The Writings of V. by Frater Victus

Click HERE to read the Journal of Thelemic Studies in PDF form for free!

Click HERE to order the Journal of Thelemic Studies in print form

A YouTube series called 'Thelema Talk' on Thelemic Studies' official video channel, HeruTV, has been launched with its first episode. HeruTV's series 'Thelema Talk' showcases the wide range and variety of opinions & thoughts in the community of modern Thelema. The views represented are of the interviewee only and do not represent HeruTV's or Thelemic Studies' views nor do they represent the views of all Thelemites. The first episode is an interview with Frater Oz, a member of the Dallas-based Bubastis Oasis of the O.T.O.


Part 1: Frater Oz answers the questions 'What is Thelema to you?', 'What is Will?', and 'What is Love?' in this part of this Thelema Talk.




Part 2: Frater Oz answers the questions 'What is the Holy Guardian Angel?', 'What are some important practices for Thelemites?', and 'Where would you like to see Thelema go in the future?' in this part of this Thelema Talk.




Enjoy!

* NOTOCON VII announced - NOTOCON VII, the seventh convening of the National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference, has been announced. It will take place August 7-9, 2009 and its theme will be "Unity Uttermost Showed." For more information, visit NOTOCON VII's webpage here.

* Public Lecture: Initiation - The Technology of Transformation - Dr. David Shoemaker, Prolocutor of the Temple of the Silver Star, will discuss the principles of magical ritual and initiation, in the context of the work of Aleister Crowley and Carl Jung. This event is open to the public. This lecture is on Sunday, September 7, 2008. The event will take place at 12 noon at Mission Masonic Center, 2668 Mission Street, 2nd floor (Enter from Bartlett Street), San Francisco, California. The cost of admission is $11 tax-deductible donation. Please call 916-273-5631 for more information and directions. Visit www.cotnorcal.org for more information about the Temple of the Silver Star. The Temple of the Silver Star is the initiatory branch of the College of Thelema of Northern California, a California non-profit religious and educational corporation, formed under warrant from Soror Meral (Phyllis Seckler). The Temple offers a complete course of training in the Thelemic mystery traditions, including Qabalah, Tarot, ceremonial magick, and meditation. Click here for more information on this event and the College of Thelema of Northern California.

* "In Search of the Great Beast 666" audio book - LAShTAL.com reports that the Classic Media Group has announced an audio book version of their popular "In Search of the Great Beast 666." "Last year Rick Wakeman recorded his score for the Aleister Crowley Film, produced by Classic, the production company also behind the release of the recent YES – Director’s Cut (DVD). So, not only is it possible to hear Rick Wakeman’s wonderful score on the DVD, we have now, by popular demand, made it possible so you can now download the movie as an AUDIO BOOK from I-Tunes and other audio download outlets on the web. Rick recorded the film score in the most amazing fashion, using initially the Grand Piano on Classic T Stage at Shepperton Film Studios. Wakeman literally watched the film on the big screen in a candle lit soundstage and he played what he felt." Click here for the full article at LAShTAL.com along with links to download the audio book version of "In Search of the Great Beast 666."

* "Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666" documentary available - A Canadian documentary about Crowley, unrelated to the above-mentioned "In Search of the Great Beast" is now available. LAShTAL.com reports, "Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666 a film by Donna Zuckerbrot is now available on DVD from Reel Time Images This documentary aired on VisionTV and Space in Canada as part of the Enigma series and will be broadcast on HDNet in the US in the Fall. This is an introduction to Aleister Crowley for a general audience. Lon Milo DuQuette helps illuminate some of the basic ideas of ceremonial magick as well as sharing how his life has been transformed by Aleister Crowley's influence. Interviews with Richard Kaczynski and Marco Pasi give us further insight into Crowley's work and the basics of Thelemic magick. While Crowley is undoubtedly a complex figure with complex beliefs, this film attempts to understand him on his own terms and transmit the essential ideas in a clear and accessible manner.Click here for more information about ordering this documentary.

source: http://www.thelemicstudies.com/?q=node/68

source: LAShTAL.com and OTO International News

Ordo Templi Orientis is reporting two landmark legal cases that they have won recently. The first is the trademark battle over the use of "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."

The second case involves O.T.O.'s successful filed suit against NBC Vivendi Universal for the use of an image from the Thoth Tarot in the promotion of the Woody Allen movie "Scoop." "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."

Click here for the full article as reported on LAShTAL.com