Thelemic Centennial Conference
Conway Hall, London April 10, 2004 e.v.
 

Conway Hall is adjacent to Red Lion Square (an iron-fenced park in
bloom), near the British Museum. The building was built in 1929 by the
Ethical Society, a group who promoted free speech by presenting lectures
by controversial and forward-thinking people.

Our hosts, Michael Staley and Carolyn Wise, had hired a cab to transport
us and refreshment supplies to the Hall early Sunday morning. When Mick
had invited me to speak at the conference, he not only paid for my plane
fare and half of Lyrus', but he also offered us the hospitality of his
and Carolyn's flat.

After the material (slightly damp from the mist and drizzle) was carried
into the Hall, we explored a bit while Caroline and Mick saw to the
arrangements. The lecture hall opened into the large lobby on the right.
There was a second-floor gallery on three walls, providing a good view
of the stage, and rows of chairs set up on the ground floor.

In the rear of the hall, long tables were set up with merchandise from
Starfire Publishing, the sponsor of the Conference, along with items
from Mandrake of Oxford, Atlantis Books and Fulgur Books. The food was
prepared in a kitchen that had vending counters in the lobby.

The doors opened at 9:30, and the Conference began at 10:00 with Jean
Williams reading the first chapter of the Book of the Law. Mick
delivered the opening address. The theme of the Conference was "Thelema
Beyond Crowley". Caroline read a statement from Kenneth Grant about the
yugas, then Mick spoke of "removing the trappings of Crowley" from
Thelema.

I took this to mean that new material based, at least in part, on
Crowley's work, was needed for the new millennia. Science and culture
have changed in the past century, and Magick needs not only to keep pace
with these changes, but also to lead the way in shaping developments
through compassion and power. What we shape astrally manifests
physically, if all be done well.

There has developed a 'cult of personality' around Crowley among some
Thelemites, a preservationist stance that gets in the way of innovative
thinking.

From a few online reviews of the conference, some of those attending
didn't seem to understand the point of the theme. Or perhaps there were
a number of interpretations of the word "beyond". I heard comments about
"removing Crowley from Thelema", "Crowley as a male chauvinist pig
according to feminists" and other cries of the confused. All remained
polite, however, and no punches were thrown.

The next presentation was by Christina Harrington and her assistants, a
reading with drumbeats on ÒThe Will To Power And The Aristocracy Of
DionysusÓ. It was hard for me to stay focussed and awake during the
length of the reading. There was a short break, and then the lectures
continued.

The first speaker after the break was Leonard Snell, who spoke on the
human-cosmic connection and about the mathematics of Liber Al. I was
impressed enough to buy one of his books from the vendors, which he
kindly signed.

I spoke after Mr. Snell on the topic "The Evolution of Maat Magick".

Lunch break followed, with some attendees eating from the in-house
concession stand while others made for a nearby pub.

The second part of the symposium opened with a reading of the second
chapter of the Book of the Law. Unfortunately I missed the lectures by
Martin Starr and Andrew Collins since I'd become deeply involved in
personal conversations in the lobby. There were several of them that
seemed necessary to complete at the time they occurred, and so I'd
caught only parts of some of the lectures.

Mogg Morgan of Mandrake of Oxford then shared the stage with Mary
Hedger, author of several novels. Mogg talked about Sex Magick
intelligently and openly, after which Mary read passages from her latest
book. She spoke of Kenneth Grant most ungallantly and with little
connection to the theme of the conference.

Carl Anderson's presentation on Thelema and Politics was well thought-
out and interesting, examining what a Thelemic society might be.

There was a question and answer panel session with lively audience
participation as the final presentation. The conference ended with a
reading of the third chapter of the Book of the Law.

The rest was dinner and clean-up and being the last four people to leave
the building.

I've read a number of critical reviews since then, but I thought it was
a good conference and a general meeting of Thelemites.

Will there be further Thelemic Conferences? There are a number of areas
that could be improved upon, but I thought it was a good first effort. I
think it would be interesting if the sponsors were to invite some of the
critics to join in the organizing and presentation of their own ideas
next time.

Nema