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POPULAR OCCULTURE
Reviews & Etc.

Editor's note: This will be a regular feature in Silver Star Journal. Any and all readers are encouraged to submit reviews that they feel pertain to the magickal community. We also actively seek publications of all kinds for review in this space. Send submissions (or requests for a snailmail address for review books and mags) to:  aion@psychicsophia.com
In this Issue we have reviews & an author interview:

Reviews by Shade Oroboros

  Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult by Richard B. Spence, Feral House 2008, illustrated, extensively footnoted, and indexed.

     There have been many biographies of Crowley, but this one explores some new, important, and often highly classified aspects. It is quite well accepted that he (like so many other occultists and freemasons of his time) was fairly deeply involved with various wartime intelligence agencies. If even half of this book is right, he was not knee-deep, not hip-deep, but actually up to his eyebrows in espionage. The author focuses almost entirely on this part of his life, which really illuminates many other parts. It appears more than likely that Crowley was recruited while still in Cambridge and quite possibly assigned to spy on the Golden Dawn, which was (among many other things) a hotbed of Masonic intrigue and various Irish, Indian and Spanish revolutionary sympathizers. He was apparently also instrumental in breaking up a Spanish gun-smuggling operation run in part by Macgregor Mathers, and through both World Wars (although most active in the first) he remained an asset of British Naval Intelligence. Most of his biographers have questioned his very suspicious role in pumping out rabidly pro-German propaganda during his New York period during WWI, an activity that typically led others to serve serious prison time for treason. It now seems clear that he really was an agent provocateur, deeply embedded into German plots including the infamous sinking of the Lusitania, an action vital in bringing then-neutral America into the war. In fact, a great deal can be explained by this very secretive part of his life: the seemingly random travels as early as his adventures in Sweden and Russia, the use of fanciful aliases and disguises, the occasional rewritings of his life story, many oblique and explicit references in his Confessions (some of which were apparently edited out of the Symonds/Grant edition), the often hazy sources of his shaky finances, some missing periods in his magical diaries, his long obsession with achieving invisibility, and the suitability of the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily as a prime location for monitoring naval shipping in the Mediterranean and French activities in Tunisia, until Mussolini expelled him as a British spy. All this is quite scrupulously documented, although much is admittedly just well informed conjecture, as the various agencies involved can still “neither confirm nor deny”. And part of his appeal for American agencies seems to have been his expertise in exotic drugs, which may have laid the foundation for the CIA LSD experiments decades later…
    There are also multiple connections to many others linked to espionage including his brother-in-law Gerald Kelly, his literary executor Gerald Yorke, and authors including Somerset Maugham (who wrote a novel based on Crowley), Sax Rohmer and Ian Fleming (respectively the creators of Fu Manchu and James Bond). Crowley moved freely through many literary, radical, Masonic and avant-garde circles and maintained a wide range of acquaintances, a surprising number of whom (including some of his lovers) turn out to have their own connections to intelligence agencies. Even his relationship with OTO founder Karl Kellner, himself a spy for the Prussian political police, can be read as an ‘in’ to the circles of German intelligence. His later disciple Karl Germer also worked for German military intelligence during WWI, although he was held in a Nazi internment camp for six months during WWII. That Crowley spent much of his life as a double agent (and was still allowed to quietly retire in England) casts a strange light on a personality even more complex than we clearly knew… and reading this book, it almost seems that everyone he knew was spying on everyone else. A fascinating account by a historian of espionage, with no particular interest in magick, although the subject inevitably comes up. Apparently, Crowley really did affect world events!

The Heretic’s Guide to Thelema by Gerald Del Campo, Megalithica Books 2008, 438 pages, illustrated, bibliography.

    This substantial volume collects three separate books from an important Thelemic author. The first is the classic New Aeon Magick, a straight-forward introduction to the essential practices of the system of Thelema as laid out by Crowley. The author states that he was trying to write a book that could some day explain Magick to his children, which seems to have been a very useful approach; this really is a decent attempt at laying out the essential concepts, correspondences and cosmology for the beginner in a somewhat less long-winded manner than the Master Therion himself. (That is certainly not intended as a criticism of Uncle AL, who truly devoted much of his life to expressing himself clearly, yet so strangely remained remarkably misunderstood. Concisely explaining the vast and complex system of Crowley is not a simple task; about the only previous attempts are Lon Milo DuQuette’s The Magick of Thelema, which is a collection of all the major rituals with useful and informative explanations and advice, and Abrahadabra by Rodney Orpheus.)
    The second is a treatise on New Aeon English Qabala that I have previously reviewed in Silver Star, so I will repeat myself: There have been a number of attempts to discover “the order & value of the English Alphabet” as prophesied in the Book of the Law, and usually I can’t even begin to follow them. This is one of the most coherent and well documented, from a known Thelemic scholar, and may indeed be of use for those who tend to obsess about such things. There is a full account of its origins, some new methods of developing sigils and magical squares, and a numerical dictionary of words drawn from the Class A Holy Books.
    The third is seeing print for the first time, and is called The Ethics of Thelema, a bold choice of subject. It collects a wide range of thoughtful essays ranging through love, justice, religion, politics and government, illuminated by anecdotes of his personal life and considered from a magical perspective informed by the Book of the Law. All in all, some serious food for thought!

Howlings, Scarlet Imprint 2008, 209 pages, illustrated.

    A beautifully produced collection of 14 essays on matters most sinister by an excellent all-star group of magical scholars from Scarlet Imprint Press, which has recently begun producing high quality limited edition grimoires. The first section covers some modern workings with the traditional demons of the Goetia, including personal experiences, historical details, the psychotropic uses of various incenses, sexual and gender issues, and the burning questions of how to interact with such entities: if you were a spirit, how well would you respond to being bossed around with threats by petty humans in the traditional Solomonic fashion? And if that seems rude, what are the alternatives? Another section covers the Cells of the Qlipoth as discussed in Crowley’s Liber 231, and includes some striking color prints of trumps from Stafford Stone’s Nightside Tarot. There are further articles on magical squares, the works of Michael Bertiaux and Andrew Chumbley, and the history and essence of the Grimoire concept. Hot stuff!

The Red Goddess by Peter Grey, Scarlet Imprint 2008, 209 pages, illustrated.

    A wide-ranging survey of the origins and aspects of the goddess now called Babalon, in both her ancient and modern forms and manifestations. First delving into the ancient aspects and various forms of the Goddess in the Near East (including the Gnostic sects and the lurid ruminations of the biblical Book of Revelations, which drive people insane up to the present day), the author proceeds to the Enochian workings of Dr. John Dee and inevitably to the substantial contribution of Aleister Crowley and his disciple Jack Parsons. He then discusses a range of related modern aspects such as the very nature of beauty and the power of glamour, the magical use of mirrors, pornography and prostitution, sexual chemistry and entheogens, and the extremes of S&M/B&D.
Perhaps all of this can best be summed up in the universal symbol of the Rose, and the many and changing faces of Love Herself.
    This is quite well written, with considerable wit and style, scholarship and insight; lively and clever prose is always a great pleasure. While this particular universe may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or Chalice of Ecstasy) but for Thelemites there is a great deal to consider. The book itself is a talismanic work, printed in red and black ink, emblazoned with the seven-pointed star that is the seal of the A.’.A.’. and emitting quite a powerful vibration…

The Key of the Abyss: Jack Parsons, the Babalon Working and the Black Pilgrimage Decoded by Anthony Testa, Lulu 2006, 357 pages, illustrated, bibliography, index.

    Yet another fine Big Book of Babalon, focused largely upon the history and implications of the magical workings of Jack Parsons, but with a great deal of supporting material from Dee and Crowley and some careful consideration of the thought of Grant, Achad, Tyson, Greenfield and Koenig. This is a substantial and serious study of certain aspects the recent history and core revelations of Thelema, and includes concordances of a New Aeon English Qabala for Crowley’s Liber AL and Parson’s Liber 49, as well as some very interesting personal essays by the author.

Another Mirror At the End of the Road, #1, 18 pages.

    A newly launched journal of Thelemic history, with great potential. The first issue consists of just two long pieces: an interview with Frater Shiva on the infamous Solar Lodge, and a thought-provoking article by Peter Koenig on the connections between the German order Fraternitas Saturni and the Ordo Templi Orientis. Contact Agape1963@aol.com for further details.

Manifesting Prosperity: A Wealth Magic Workbook edited by Taylor Ellwood, Megalithica Books 2008, 179 pages.

    A strong collection of 19 diverse essays delivering heaps of sage advice, ranging from down-to-earth investment plans to personal forms of creative sorcery. The possible attitudes toward wealth are explored in various paradigms, including those of Wicca, Haitian Vodou, ancient Greek commerce, and rituals to the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. Some of the most piercing analysis is reserved for the all-too-common Poor Pagan (or Welfare OTO) syndrome, with its bizarre notion, largely left over from the hippy generation, that poverty is spiritual and money somehow corrupts. Personally I always considered that keeping the shepards rich and the flock fleeced was some sort of Christian scam… and the very notion that magic should never be used for anything useful seems, well, bizarre…
    The anthology form often seems exceptionally well suited to exploring various magical themes, as the ongoing evolution and diversity of the arcane community produces many more interesting models and voices and experiences all the time. A couple of quick thoughts on money magic: I may have somehow missed it being mentioned here, but the Pantacle of earth is in some sense also a coin. While the dollar bill is indeed a very complex talisman, and spells for wealth can take many forms, one of the more solid suggestions I recall Crowley making on the subject was to use actual coins, preferably real silver or gold. He said the gnomes responded better to metals, and I assume that includes the gnomes of Zurich…

Multi-Media Magic: Further Explorations of Identity and Pop Culture in Magical Practice by Taylor Ellwood, Megalithica Books 2008, 251 pages, bibliography, index.

    A much more developed semi-sequel to Pop Culture Magic, from a frequent contributor to this journal, the prolific Taylor Ellwood. I am feeling rather strange about reviewing this book, because I don’t really think I have come anywhere near absorbing it. In general, and because I love this sort of stuff, I actually do read all the tomes I review here cover-to-cover, with the exception of a few vast encyclopedias; and I have gone through this one as well. The first few chapters are fairly heavy, summarizing a fair amount of hard-core academic thought on issues of linguistics, semiotics, anthropology, psychology, sociology and such. There is some excellent discussion on the evolving definitions of magic, and also their limitations; the academics often do not come off very well. My own degree was in anthropology, and I took a lot of psychology, so in general jargon does not intimidate me, although it may take me awhile longer to process. The later chapters are quite diverse, covering issues of evocation and entity, culture and identity, and the multi-media barrage that forms and reforms the manufactured collective realities we now inhabit. Our future is not like our past, and the images and memes that bombard us are in many ways more myriad and intense than those once experienced by our ancestors. But we can still use them, as the spirits of our times. Taylor is looking in many ways at how we might magically interact with the ‘gods’ and ‘demons’ of the modern world, with its corporate totems, neo-tribal entities, and new modes of experience and media interaction. A lot to think about, including some good points about how clothing defines identity and the concept of banishing by detachment, which I think I was already doing.
    As he has hit his stride with books like Space/Time Magic and the encyclopedic Inner Alchemy (see previous issues) I have become ever more impressed with Taylor’s explorations. Mages must form their own realities, on their own terms. A lot of mine has been drawn from books, where some parts resonate for me, while others definitely do not. What I am drawn to, I test through experience. I hope Taylor will take it as a compliment if I say a fair amount of his thought works for my synthesis. Some of this I am still processing. I may even have to read it again.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Alchemy by Dennis William Hauck, Alpha Books 2008, 311 pages, illustrated, bibliography, index.

    It seems strange to review a book called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to” virtually anything, but in fact this ubiquitous series delivers one of my favorite things: concentrated information. The volumes on Angels and Taoism have reasonably impressed me, and I really appreciated the one on Voodoo (colloquial spelling of Vodou aside). What makes them work is A) they are written by people who really know what they are talking about, and B) they use a format which genuinely and clearly summarizes an entire field of endeavor and guides you to the next step.
    Here we have a thoughtful and concise survey of the entire field: the mythical and actual history, personalities, principles, symbolism, operations, practice, and psychology, from ancient times to modern science, from Taoist internal meditations to Jung’s analysis of dreams, from the craft of the brewer and blacksmith to evolving modern medicine, revealing how the alchemical types resurface in social and work situations, how our understanding of the metals and the planets has evolved, and how the cutting edge of physics now manifests aspects of the original alchemical model of the universe. This is a vast subject that can seem labyrinthine and confusing to almost anyone, here dissected and laid out with great clarity. I especially like the detailed explanation of the surreal complexity of the secret language of alchemical art, and the clever suggestion that the dark matter of the universe is the prima materia of the philosopher’s famous stone…

The Way of the Crucible by Robert Bartlett, Spagyricus 2008, 332 pages, illustrated.

    If you want to actually live the Life Alchemic by practicing the art of transformation, another of the best places to start is with the works of Robert Bartlett. A very substantial sequel to his excellent Real Alchemy, this is definitely the advanced version, a Mountain of Initiation and information, bringing in countless aspects of the sacred science including Indian alchemy and Ayurvedic medicine, qabala and astrology, inner energy workings and maintenance of health. This extremely usable and practical volume proceeds from previous workings with herbs and plants to the more complex and advanced operations utilizing minerals and metals. This is hands-on esoteric Al-chemistry taught by a genuine master, a virtual encyclopedia full of essential detail and actual laboratory techniques, some of which can be dangerous to the careless or uninformed. Mr. Bartlett has many years of experience, and I consider him one of the best teachers working today. Very highly recommended!

Meta-Magick: the Book of Atem: Achieving new states of consciousness through NLP, neuroscience and ritual by Phillip H.
Farber, WeiserBooks 2008, 171 pages.

    A book based upon an entity and how to interact with various entities, both human and otherwise. A transformative series of concepts and models, exercises and explorations of the Self, employing techniques including autohypnosis, visualization and intentionality. A wide-ranging synthesis of cutting-edge and therapeutic thought, much influenced by NLP, which seems to have been adopted by so many occultists. Magick happens if you do the work, or play the game. I have been playing this one, and I have been rather impressed by the results. It has brought a lot to the surface, and we are our memories and thoughts and dreams, so consciousness is well worth expanding. I will continue… there is something here.

Sekhem Heka: A Natural Healing and Self-Development System by Storm Constantine, Megalithica Books 2008, 236 pages, illustrated, bibliography.

    This is another book that I am actually merging with my personal practice. A very interesting new system of both healing and self-integration, based upon the Reiki and Seichim systems of energy- and body-work, activated by the pantheon of ancient Egypt, and delineating a series of exercises, symbols, mudras and visualizations structured around various deities and the seven chakras of the human body. Sekhem refers to the lion-goddess Sekhmet, and Heka is the god of magic; and the energies of the goddesses and gods flow to transform the blockages of the psyche and release the powers of the mind and soul. There really seems to be a genuinely deep-rooted magick here, and these are a few of my favorite gods… the author is well known for her many works of fantasy, but has also produced some excellent writing in more esoteric fields.

Ecstasia: An Introduction to Transcendental Music and Dance by Julia R. Zay, Megalithica Books 2008, 201 pages, illustrated, bibliography.

    I really like this book. It is a bright and brave rediscovery of traditional forms of sacred dance and trance music, drawing upon Greek and other mythologies from all around the Mediterranean world. All too many modern magical groups tend to live entirely in their heads, ignoring their bodies, and indulging in staid and static rituals. The true mysteries are physical and ecstatic, carrying us out of ourselves and into the presence of the gods. Perhaps mostly unconsciously, this power resurges in underground rave culture. Here, the essential concepts are explored, the behavior of the brain in various levels of trance is discussed, and a detailed guide to forming groups leads into the essential practice of many forms of dance. This may seem largely a Women’s Mystery, but we certainly need to revitalize ourselves in any way possible…

Magickal Progressions by Moonsilvered, Megalithica Books 2008, 159 pages, bibliography.

    A very thoughtful system of balanced development, uncommon in that it covers work in five areas: the emotional, magical, mental, physical and spiritual states. The key word is balance: most people follow their whims or obsessions and wind up missing some important part of themselves, and this is never healthy. Drawn largely from the Wiccan paradigm yet eclectic (in a good way!), the author clearly has years of experience in working on herself and training with others. Magic should always include common sense, and this book collects countless good thoughts, useful starting places, helpful hints, and sage advice on neglected areas. I’m not saying that I agree with everything here, since no two people’s worlds perfectly overlap and my own is pretty strange; but there is a lot to consider here. Also has quite a bit of good herb-lore and health advice.

The Magian Tarock: The Key Linking the Mithraic, Greek, Roman, Hebrew and Runic Traditions with that of the Tarot by Stephen E. Flowers, Ph.D. Runa-Raven Press 2006, 115 pages, illustrated, bibliography.

    This important book is exactly what it says it is. In a sequel to the excellent Hermetic Magic, the author examines the modern history of the esoteric tarot and the question of whether the system has genuinely ancient roots. Egypt is generally (and without very much evidence) cited as the birthplace of the tarot, but the vivid and initiatory paintings of the ancient temples may provide a template for the forms of a symbolism that spread throughout the cultures of the Mediterranean world. Dr. Flowers emphasizes the important point that if we are trying to genuinely revive magic we should be reading the works of historians and archeologists rather than the new age trifles that flood the malls. Reexamining the work of the scholar Sigurd Agrell, he explores the notion that the system of tarot trumps may indeed have evolved from the Mystery religions of the late pagan world; specifically through the medium of the Persian and Roman cult of Mithras, although there were many other forms and deities and they had a definite tendency for their members to overlap. Since literacy was uncommon, a series of coded images would make excellent tools for teaching as well as divination, and he surveys the oldest surviving examples of the deck in terms of Zoroastrian, Orphic and Mithraic symbolism, following Agrell’s systematic analysis of their sequence as linked to the alphabetic mysteries of the Greeks and Romans (we should note that the notion of the tarot as expressing the Hebrew Qabala only appears with Papus and Eliphas Levi in the late 17th/early 18th century). While perhaps not always a perfect fit, it is still a highly suggestive and indeed compelling theory, and this notion of Indo-Iranian roots may account for the other traditional linkage of the tarot to the Gypsies. There is a great deal more to all this than I can summarize here, but I found this a very exiting as well as rational progression, and Dr. Flowers (who is perhaps better known for his Runic works as Edred Thorsson, or his other association with the Temple of Set) remains one of the most compelling voices in 21st century occultism, and touches in passing upon many other aspects of magick. Two appendixes discuss the related and strange Greek divinatory device known as the Pergamon Disk, and the possible links to the northern Runic traditions: many Germanic warriors also served in the Roman legions and became initiates of Mithras as well, perhaps inspiring some elements in the later cult of Odin.

The Quest for the Shaman: Shapeshifters, Sorcerers and Spirit-Healers of Ancient Europe by Miranda & Stephen Aldhouse-Green, Thames & Hudson 2005, 240 pages, illustrated, bibliography, index.

    An excellent and up to date academic survey of the evidence for shamanic practice, a journey through human evolution, from the Paleolithic to the Mesolithic to the Neolithic, through the ages Bronze and Iron, to ‘Monsters, Gender-Benders and Ritualists in the Roman Empire and Beyond’ and finishing with the mythic and magical literature of the early Celts. While mostly focused upon ancient Europe, it draws upon influences and parallels from around the world. Shamanism is the root and wellspring of all magic, and this is both a survey of all the evidence we have now found and a concise summary of what we have learned from it. Full of strange and suggestive details, and a beautifully illustrated book of art.

Behind The Crystal Ball: Magic, Science and the Occult from Antiquity Through the New Age by Anthony Aveni, Times Books/Random House 1996, 406 pages, illustrated, bibliography, index.

   A thoughtful and even-handed survey of the evolution of magic and of how we think about magic, quite engagingly written for the general reader by a professor of anthropology and astronomy (a double threat!). Ranging throughout mostly western and largely modern history, full of unusual personalities and odd events, it seems to be one of the few such studies that really covers the more popular manifestations of the last couple of centuries, such as the massive phenomenon of spiritualism, phrenology (which was apparently huge, who knew?), the impact of Theosophy on the New Age, channeling, UFOs, NDEs, and some of the most recent progressive thought in both science and popular culture. While very clearly on the side of science, as an anthropologist the author is not unsympathetic to the ways that different times and other cultures have thought about the universe and the nature of ‘reality’. The various ways in which people think are generally quite logical in terms of the social, physical and conceptual environment in which they are raised; and in his discussion of how current physics may or may not support a parapsychological universe he quotes one scientist who admits that “particle physics has turned into a nightmare” and also gives the telling diagnosis that many scientists faced with quantum theory may be suffering from “Cartesian anxiety syndrome”… which is no excuse for mere superstition. Repeatable magick eventually becomes science.

The Civilization of Ancient Egypt by Paul Johnson, Harper Collins 1998, 255 pages, illustrated, bibliography, index.

   This is one of the best general surveys of Egypt I have found, from pre-history up through the periods of Classical and Coptic Christian times, covering geography, government, religion, magic, medicine, writing, art, architecture and daily life. Egypt was not the first civilization but it was the arguably first true nation-state, remarkably stable for the most part, and still able to recover its cultural achievements after the chaos and collapse of several Intermediate Periods. A huge influence on the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean worlds, and ultimately the source of our own systems of writing and magick and a substantial portion of what we laughingly call ‘civilization’; Egypt continues to form our thoughts and dreams and magic. The author insightfully interweaves a flowing account of thousands of years of history with various aspects of the culture, and is especially good on the artistic accomplishments and the ways in which (as far as we can tell) the ancient Egyptians may have actually thought. As with so many books on this subject, there are magnificent illustrations.

Cthulhu Cult: the accursed writings of that dreaded cult and its ungodly practices whereby the Old Ones may be stirred… by Venger Satanis, Lulu 2007, 166 pages, illustrated.

    Hey, the High Priest of Cthulhu has a cult! And a book! And a website (www.CultofCthulhu.net)! And an interesting synthesis of Lovecraft, Satanism, a bit of Chaos Magic and Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way… shake well before using. He introduces most of the standard Mythos entities, including some from the brilliant fiction of Thomas Ligotti, who is indeed important, and then explains his (in some ways quite reasonable) system and its take upon the tension between illusion and reality, including concepts, rites, revelations, dark art, manifesto, applications for membership and where to send the money. This is all very enthusiastic, though perhaps ultimately a little thin. Admittedly, I like mages who create their own synthesis, form opinions, make a statement, oppose animal sacrifice but support human sacrifice and polygamy… sell real estate in Wisconsin, have a sense of humor about the apocalypse… but be aware that he assumes that only the humans who can mutate into otherworldly forms will survive.

The Necronomicon: Everything You Never Wanted To Know by John Fitzgerald, Creatspace 2008, 181 pages, illustrated, bibliography.

    Okay, this is pretty much a compilation of material off the internet… but it is a pretty substantial and fairly useful one, collecting tons of lurid texts, quotations from rare books, histories, FAQs and Anti-FAQs, controversies, bibliographies, and a survey of all the various versions of the infamous Necronomicon: the book which will someday replace the Gideon Bible in every hotel room in America. It’s also a usable composite grimoire, and I’ll bet someone is out there using it. If I didn’t have bigger worries in an election year, I might be nervous…

The Grimoire of the Necronomicon by Donald Tyson, Llewellyn 2008, 216 pages, illustrated.

    Ohmigawd, another freakin’ Necronomicon! Mr. Tyson, now at four Lovecraftian tomes and a Cthulhoid tarot deck, is rapidly becoming a franchise; I hope he is having fun. This one has just come out and I confess that I have only skimmed it, but I felt I should acknowledge its existence… or perhaps not. Mr. Tyson is a prolific and often very good magical writer, and this is certainly a well-designed and workable system, but choosing one of the Great Old Ones (no matter how sanitized) as a spiritual mentor for your personal development just seems, well, kind of creepy… and then forming them into a pantheon of seven planetary spirits dedicated to your spiritual and material welfare seems kind of… ridiculous? The Great Old Ones (preferred acronym: GOO) do not exist to be tidied up… they eat people… and hasn’t Mr. Tyson espoused the theory that the Enochian angels were deluding Dee and Crowley into unleashing the Apocalypse? Somehow all this seems, well, a little bit worse… maybe the kids should not try this at home.
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Why Harry Potter Sucks Ass

by Nicholas Flamel

The central theme is revenge. This is not a healthy thing to encourage in children. This is why “Revenge of the Jedi” was changed to “Return of the Jedi” because according to George Lucas Jedi do not want revenge. Jedi are the good guys and revenge is a bad trait. The Sith want revenge because it is a bad guy trait.

Harry Potter contains a lot of playing tricks on friends. This also is unhealthy to encourage children to do.

Harry Potter does not get children to read more. They were reading just fine before and they were and are reading other things just fine with out any Harry Potter. Now there’s all the Harry Potter movies which represent the antithesis of reading.

Harry Potter is just another thing considered evil by some Christians and others. Some children are not allowed to associate with other children who like Harry Potter or who play Harry Potter related games or with Harry Potter toys. This makes them feel isolated and it creates segregation of groups of children (and parents).

The books do not portray witchcraft or magick or other such practices or religions accurately. They insult, belittle, and misrepresent practices and beliefs which have struggled much persecution and the books have not helped them to gain any credibility, acceptability or tolerance. When serious practitioners or researchers now try to continue their work they are met with more laughs coupled with “that sounds like some Harry Potter stuff.”

Many Neo-Pagans are fans of the Harry Potter series. They pretend to validate their being entertained by “kid’s books” because they think it puts Paganism in the mainstream. They do not realize that Harry Potter is a satire and parody of witchcraft. Americans forget about the differences between American and British humour. Harry Potter was written for a British audience and there is plenty lost in the translation; just check the originals.

Sometimes the same Pagans who like Harry Potter also hated The Craft. Pagan activists wouldn’t shut up about how inaccurate The Craft was but they seem totally fine with influencing a generation of children who will grow up laughing at Paganism.

Harry Potter has also caused a bit of a problem in some Pagan and occult circles. Many have deflected away from writing chants or charms in spell work in Latin because it sounds too Hogwartsian. Even sturdy minded ceremonialists are reminded of zapping wands causing spells to go unexpectedly whimsically wrong

Tim Hunter was the original Harry Potter. He is a far better magician of much more believable magick. The Tim Hunter stories are way better. Harry Potter’s magick is absurd. In one of the books time travel is introduced yet it is never used to prevent people from dying.

They are mind control devices. Many people act violently defensive of the books. If anyone hates me after reading this article (which means you’ve proven me right) then by all means write to me care of the publishers. Please use e-mail so we do not suffer a global deforestation problem.


Lon Milo DuQuette: Author Interview
© Cheryl Lynne Bradley 2008




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Biographical Information: (From Writers Network)

Born 1948 in Long Beach California, and raised in Columbus Nebraska -- 1960s radical Peace activist and Epic Records song-writer and recording artist turned author,
Holy-Man, Humorist Wizard.

Author of 14 critically acclaimed books (translated into 10 languages) on Magick and the Occult, Lon Milo DuQuette is one of the most respected and entertaining
writers and lecturers in the field of Western Hermeticism.

Since 1975 he as been a National and International governing officer of Ordo Templi Orientis, one of the most influential magical societies of the 20th Century. He is an internationally recognized authority on Tarot, Qabalah, and Western Ceremonial magick. Although he takes these subjects very seriously, he tries not to take himself too seriously. This rare combination of scholarship and humor has earned him in the last 20 years a unique and respected position in American spiritual and esoteric literature.

He is a prolific writer and his published works have been hailed by experts and novices alike for bringing and clarity to these most misunderstood subjects. One of his most popular works is the story of his own life as a practicing ceremonial magician, My Life with the Spirits. Futurist and best-selling author Robert Anton Wilson calls it "the best all-around introduction to Western Occultism -- sane, sensible, down-to-earth and wonderfully witty." My Life with the Spirits" and is currently the required text for two classes at DePaul University, Chicago.

Besides his own books (see below) his articles and essays appear in FATE MAGAZINE and numerous other magazines, journals and anthologies including "Rebels and Devils" alongside the works of William S. Burroughs, Robert Anton Wilson, Timothy Leary and Israel Regardie.

He has taught at the Omega Institute of Holistic Studies and is a faculty member of the Maybe Logic Academy. In 2008 his life was the subject of a television documentary on Canada's Vision Network (Enigma series).

DuQuette's wit and quirky writing style has been compared to that of Mark Twain and Robert Benchley, is reflected in his presentations and seminars before live audiences who describe the experience as a curious combination of mesmerizing information, laughter and terror.

He lives in Costa Mesa California with Constance, his wife of 40 years.

His books are available at his website, http://lonmiloduquette.com, or through Amazon.com.


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Cheryl: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Lon:    Without hesitation, the late Christopher S. Hyatt (Dr. Alan Miller). For two years he was literally my writing mentor. We co-authored four titles back in 90 & 91. It’s not that I am so enthralled with his books (I have to confess that I’ve read very few of them). But he taught me the discipline of writing and he was a masterful teacher. He died recently. He was absolutely brilliant and one of the most generous people I’ve ever met – generous with his time, his money, and most importantly, himself. I’ll miss him very much.

Other writers who inspire me are Mark Twain, Aleister Crowley, Robert Anton Wilson, Colleen McCullough, and Umberto Eco.

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Cheryl: What book are you reading now?

Lon:    “Lamb” by Christopher Moore. What a hoot!

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Cheryl: What are your current projects?

Lon:    I’m currently teaching an e-course, “Initiation – The Western Magical Tradition” at MAYBE LOGIC ACADEMY. It’s an on-line school founded by Robert Anton Wilson (His self-directed classes are still running). Other faculty members include Antero Alli, Peter Carroll, Starhawk, Jonathan Landaw, Annie Hill, Phil Farber, Patricia Monaghan…believe me, I’m the biggest putz on the faculty! The class is a 6 week version of a 3 day course I taught at the Omega Institute of Holistic studies a few years ago.

In October I will again give my 8 week class on Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. I did it last year and hope to have as much fun.

I’ve just finished a new book for Weiser Books, titled, ENOCHIAN VISION MAGICK – An Introduction and Practical Guide to the Magick of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley. I’ve been working one this for three years and it goes to the printer next Monday (April 6th). Hopefully we’ll see it out in June.

On the Tarot front, U.S. Games Systems has recently returned the rights to my TAROT OF CEREMONIAL MAGICK and I’m excited to announce that I’ve found another publisher and it will be out again repackaged (I think, in a lacquered box) with a new booklet.


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Cheryl: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Lon:    Here’s the blurb from the publisher.

ENOCHIAN VISION MAGICK
A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION AND GUIDE
By
Lon Milo DuQuette
Having mastered the arts and sciences of his age, Elizabethan magus, Dr. John Dee (1527–1608), resolved that worldly knowledge could no longer provide him the wisdom he desired. As did so many other learned men of the day he turned his attention to magick. In 1582 he and his clairvoyant partner Edward Kelley made magical contact with a number of spiritual entities who identified themselves as angels – the same that communicated with the Adam, Enoch and the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Over the next three years they revealed to Dee and Kelley three distinct magical systems of vision magick. The third and last of these incorporated a series of ‘calls’ to be recited in an angelic language in order to raise the consciousness of the magician to a level where angelic contact is possible. Today, largely through the efforts and innovations of the 19th century adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the 20th century practices of Aleister Crowley, a powerful and elegant variation of this third system is used by practitioners all over the world who call the practice “Enochian Magick.”

Even though the Enochian Magick of the Golden Dawn and Crowley works admirably right out of the box, it bears little resemblance to the vision magick originally performed by Dee and Kelley. As a matter of fact, modern Enochian magick ignores almost completely the elements and magical instruments Dee and Kelley received during the first two years of their angelic communications; aspects of the system that modern magician Lon Milo DuQuette believes are necessary to adequately prepared the magician to perform this powerful magical system. In “Enochian Vision Magick” he introduces Enochian magick from the beginning, and offers to the expert and novice alike the opportunity not to only see the ‘big picture’ of the full system, but also the practical means by which he or she can become attuned in the same step-by-step manner that first prepared Dee and Kelley. There has never been a book on Enochian magick like this one.


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Cheryl: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Lon:    Ordo Templi Orientis


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Cheryl: What does your family think of your writing?

Lon: My father died before I started writing, and even though I showed my mother every book I ever wrote she never really seemed to understand that I actually wrote the books. One day, after showing her my latest, she said, “You wrote this? Why? Did you get any money for it?” My wife, Constance had enough! “He writes lots of books.” She said. “He’s writing all the time! People all over the world buy them! They’re in lots of other languages! He’s famous!”

My mother looked at her and said, “Famous? I’VE never heard of him!”


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Cheryl: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Lon:    When I’m really pushing I get up between 3:00 and 4:00 AM and write in the cool quiet of the wee hours and take a break around 10:00 or 11:00. Then I have breakfast with Constance in the back yard (even in winter. We only eat breakfast inside if it’s raining). I run errands in the early afternoon and try to take a nap around 3:00 or 4:00 PM. We usually eat an early dinner and I pretend to write a little until around 11:00 PM. I’m usually asleep by midnight, then up at 3:00 AM. The afternoon nap is the key to this crazy schedule.


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Cheryl: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Lon:    Every time I sit down to work, I read the whole piece from the beginning. Naturally, this is very tedious and time-consuming but it allows me to wrap my mind around the whole thing and helps me establish a rhythm and keeps me perpetually striving to say things better and clearer.


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Cheryl: Do you have a specific writing style?

Lon:    I don’t think so.


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Cheryl: When did you write your first book and how old were you?

Lon:    I co-authored four titles with Christopher Hyatt in 1990 and 1991. My first stand-alone book was The Magick of Thelema in 1993, I was 45.


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Cheryl: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Lon:    As a kid I thought it would be cool to be a writer and wear a corduroy jacket and a black turtleneck sweater and smoke a pipe, but I had absolutely no interest in actually writing anything. I became interested in magick and mysticism in my late teens and completely stopped thinking about what I wanted to be or do when I grew up beyond gaining enlightenment and probing the mysteries of the universe (I think some very life-changing psychedelic experiences had something to do with that.) Finally, around 1988 I get a call from Christopher Hyatt, Ph.D. asking me to help to write chapter in his book about Western Tantra. It never occurred to me I was qualified to do such a thing and I told him so. He reminded me that I had been studying and teaching this kind of stuff for 20 years and that sometimes a person just wakes up one morning to the realization that most people that know more than you about a subject are dead.

I wrote that chapter for him and went on to co-author four more books with him. I woke up one morning and I was a writer.


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Cheryl: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Lon:    Play my guitar, watch films, have afternoon martinis, eat good food, nap.


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Cheryl: Who designed the covers?

Lon:    That’s something the publisher usually handles. They ask me to be polite, but I always figure they know best. (Sometimes they really do!)


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Cheryl: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Lon: The first sentence.

Here’s what I wrote at the beginning of my new book.’

SOMETHING SECRET
Excerpt from Prologue to a Prologue
From: Enochian Vision Magick
By Lon Milo DuQuette
Weiser Books, 2008. All Rights Reserved
There is indeed something secret about a beginning, secret and invisible like the soul of infinite potential that broods in the heart of every living seed. My tongue is tied. I stare at the blank screen of my monitor. I don’t know how to start.

For the writer it is the most difficult moment; a million things to say, but where to begin? My eyes search the walls and ceiling of my little office and fall upon the mask of the Hindu god Ganesha. His bright, pleasant face reminds me of the opening scene of Jean-Claude Carrière’s play, The Mahabharata where Vyasa, the author of the epic poem is faced with his own writer’s block as he strives to begin his monumental story. Unable to read or write himself, Vyasa is blessed by the arrival of Ganesha, the beloved elephant-headed god, who offers to serve as Vyasa’s scribe and take down his story from dictation. He also gives Vyasa some advice about how to start.

“How about beginning with yourself?”

And so, in pale imitation of the poet Vyasa, I will heed the wise counsel of my elephant-headed Lord, the remover of obstacles. I shall begin this work of magick by telling you something about myself. Don’t worry. I won’t tell you much. Just enough to get us started.


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Cheryl: What do you see as the influences on your writing?

Lon:    The absurdity and entertainment value of objective reality.


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Cheryl: What books have most influenced your life most?

Lon:    Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahansa Yogananda, and The Science of Breath, by Yogi Ramacharaka. More than anything else these works instilled in me the ideal that a true spiritual life does not exclude the possibility of having fun. One can be a Holy person while still being a bit naughty.


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Cheryl: How has your environment/upbringing coloured your writing?

Lon:    I was raised in Nebraska. I hated it. It made me lazy. I wanted to be lazy because a person can’t be lazy and be a hard-working Nebraskan at the same time, and the last thing in the world I wanted to be was a hard-working Nebraskan. It’s not that most Nebraskans aren’t dear souls and wonderful people, but that harsh environment seems to suck all the interestingness right out of them. They don’t mind learning things, just as long as they don’t have to have experiences. A decent experience might make them interesting and draw attention to themselves so that their neighbors might accuse them of trying to “be somebody.” The worst thing a Nebraskan can say about another Nebraskan is that he or she “…. Is “trying to BE somebody.”

So I’m lazy. When I want to say something I do it the lazy way...in as few words as possible…so simple even a Nebraskan could understand.


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Cheryl: Do you see writing as a career?

Lon:    Of course. It’s what I do for a living. I’m a full-time Lon.


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Cheryl: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Lon:    Hell yes! Writers never finish a work, we just abandon it. After three years of writing Enochian Vision Magick I had only begun to say what needed to be said. But none of us will ever live long enough to say everything he or she truly needs to say. I consider myself lucky to be lazy enough to recognize when it’s time to abandon what I have and get the damned thing published.


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Cheryl: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Lon:    I’m comfortable writing anything. I love to write. But for pure writing enjoyment and relaxation I prefer writing fiction. I had so much fun writing “Accidental Christ.” For me, when I write fiction the pressure is off. I don’t have to be an expert on anything. I don’t have to stop every 30 seconds to insert footnotes or worry if my Hebrew or Greek is correct, or organizing my bibliography and reference, or if I’m contradicting myself from a book I wrote 15 years ago.


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Cheryl: Is there a message in your novel/book that you want readers to grasp?

Lon:    I’d prefer the reader finds his or her own message.


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Cheryl: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Lon:    I start to build characters based on people I know or with whom I’m familiar, but they soon assume a life of their own. Events in my life? Sure.


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Cheryl: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Lon:    I’m sure I learn something from every book I write, but unfortunately I forget it.


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Cheryl: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Lon:    Write every day, even if it’s no good. Think of it as getting the no good stuff out of you. You can always throw it away later. Be as unpretentious as possible.


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Cheryl: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Lon:    Like yourself.

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Cheryl: Tell us your latest news.

Lon: I bought myself a new guitar, a Larrivee OM03. The first guitar I’ve purchased since 1965. My old song-writing and recording partner, Charley Harris and I are recording a new CD (Charley D. & Milo – 40 Years 40 Nights. (See…I have a life too!)