Opuscula Magica

;(

P USCULA

AGICA

Volume I I

Essays: Wite cra and Crooked Path Sorcery

An rew D Chumbley With illustrations by the Author

Opuscula Magica

Table of Contents

Published By THREE HANDS PRESS, 2,0II

An Imprint of Xoanon Publishing, LLC Series Editor: Daniel A. Schulke Essays, Preface and Art © copyright Andrew D. Chumbley I992,-2,003. © Copyright Elizabeth Spedding 2.0II, Foreword and Notes to Texts

© Copyright 2.0II Daniel A. Schulke, All Rights Reserved.

Foreword to Volume 11 Preface Magick is Not For All

"The Sabbatic Cultus: An Interview With Andrew D. Chumbley" © Copyright I996 Robert Fitzgerald and Andrew D. Chumbley.

The Crooked Path Part s

A ll Rights Reserved. No part of t h i s publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the copyright holders.

The Crooked Path Part 2

Xoanon Limited and Three Hands Press thank

I'7 2I

The Sabazian Torch Gnosis For the Flesh Eternal

the following for their kind assistance in the preparation of this volume:

Elizabeth S pedding Robert Fitzgerald Clive Harper Michael Howard Gavin Sem pie Barry William Hale Michael Staley James Dunk

A Scattering of Dust From the W 1ng of the M ot h

63

The Cult of the Divine Artist

73

A History of Teachings of the Crooked Path

8z

Seven Shades of Solitude q ultus Sabbati Dream, Provenance, and Magistq 97

Three Hands Press Igg?o San Pablo Avenue Box Ggzg Richmond Vista, CA 948o6

'I'hc Sabbatic Cultus: At> lntcrvicw with Andrew D. Chumbley

IOI

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Notes on lfi» 'I'cxts; Volume 2 Bust Jacket Besign by l~ob Eames Lettcrprcss wnp» printed by 1>cpendable I.et tcrpress, .'i:»~ I:ranrisco, (:aliforl~ia I'il)c i)in Ail>g lay I't'l l u>g('ll I'list)kl>u>t)cry, I'It'rkt'lt'y, (',:>lllornl;1

zz8

Forewor Opuscula Magica It,he first volume of c ol l e cted essays of A ndrew Chumbley, took as its theme 'W i t c h c r aft and t h e Sabbatic Tradition'. As a magical dominion, this latter term denotes a. vibrant strand of Trachtional Witchcraft emergent from the present-day magical order Cultus Sabbati, of which Chumbley served as Magister from z99z until his death in zoo4. These articles served as an exegetic periphery to his seminal magical text As oetia: A Grimoire of the Sabbatic Craft o anon I 2 , 2 0 0 2 . I o n st t e rr v a x n co n c e r n s a r e p ractices of Trachtional W i t c h c r aft o p e r a t ive w i t h i n the C ultus, from the si m pl e spell- craft of th e K n o t t e d C o r d c harm — originating i n E n g l i s h f o l k - s o r c ery — to m o r e advanced rites of sexual vision-induction. Im p o r t a n t ly, the w orks identify th e D r e a m a n d D r e a m - s o r c ery as a k e y f eature distinguishing the Sabbatic A r c a num f r o m other forms of Witchcraft. The present collection continues Chumbley's exposition of the Craft of the W i t c h es' Sabbath, but in addition treats Crooked Path Sorcery, one of its central boches of lore and practice. A concealed by-way of magic, the Crooked Path is l inked in parti cula.r to Br i t ish cu n n i n g - c r aft, C h u m b l e y ' s first, and on-going, contact of ini t i a tic power. Manifesting

through the dual-presence of healing and harming, cursing and blessing, it wends these extremities to reveal the 'darkly illuminant' road which lies between and beyond. As a sorcerous metaphysic it is adumbrated in the magical

principles of Opposition and Inversion found in Chumbley's Qutub (i99)), but reached the height of mystical articulation in the ophiolatrous rites of his Dragon Book of -Essex 'Rather.

1. ' I 'l>~ ri 1 «8 () I 1 I 1« Irtfgo' I l1 t«iok lili~zti~»i t~l tl1«gi i»>tiit«1~ ~i l>«~liilt tl l~y Xiii»~~» I ii»iI«il i» II>c»«» l»t»r«,

Foreword

ForeMtord

than the mere exposition of such as an occult manifesto, the Draconian rites are the Crooked Path in its actuated form,

limiting the us e o f p l a n t s t o h e a l i n g m e c hcinal simplicia, t raditional oral teachings emphasise the role of h e rb s as

b ecome vital through the m a n i f est ingenium of th e l i v i n g body of its Ini t i a tes. Aside from the Dr a gon B-ookitself, the

specified conveyors of magical virtue. Thus Poison and its manifold concerns are a part of this — from the destruction

genesis of the rites of Crooked Path Sorcery are spoken of, i n part, in the essay included herein "A H i s t ory of C r o o k e d

of life, to cursing or the causing of ill n ess, to the mystical T ransmutation of Venom u nt o N e c ta r — for il l u m i n a t i o n ,

Path Teachings".'

healing, pleasure, or indeed any purpose the practitioner may require.4

IO

I t is t e m p t i n g t o c o n s i der C r o o ked P ath S o r c ery a ' philosophy of w i t c h c r af t'; ho w ever due t o it s s e r p e n t i n e nature, ethos is far closer to the mark. This relates to the fact that Traditional Wi t ch craft, at its root, is not a religion, it is f irst and f o r e m ost a b o d y o f p r a c t i c es, i n f o r me d b y a n i ndwelling genius. Born of t h e n a t u r a l c o i t io n o f powers which Wise-Craft fosters, the Crooked Path may be seen as a perpetual dance between th e s t a t i on s of H o l i n e s s an d H eresy, Tradition an d the D e v i ation of th e P a th. Each momentary stance must be held in equipoise, the practitioner fully aware of the summit o f ' i t s p o t e n t i als, as well as their weaknesses, ultimately knowing that mediative integration

will render all duality false and illusory. In witch-lore, this identification of severance and bifurcation with the Crooked Road is embodied in num e r ous forms, one of which is th e

Arthana, or double-edged blade. Qf'it, Chumbley writes: To contemplate the double edge of -the Arthana's blade is to mindfully approach the realisation of the crooked Path's essential nature For it re.veals the Path of Sudden Change, the transmutative power which may liberate or destroy; and which,

like the knife, may cut through the bonds of fateful imprisonment or sever the veryflow of life Mirroring the f'ateful division of th e k n i f e's edge is the historical exemplar of wort bane,a cor-pus ofherblore haunting a number of T r a d i t i o na l W i t c h c r af t l i n e a ges. In stead of z. See also my article 'The Ophidian Sabbat', Starfire, Voi. 2 No. 4, mort g. Dragon Book fr: seox -(i s~) I'll':ts I 'lilt c ()llccl'(lcd, I w o u l d

M;ty I ()()(~e.v.

MAGICK IS NOT FOR ALL

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

I8

consider myself to practice the Tr ad i t i o nal Sorcery of' the W itch's Sabbat. Some may th in k t h a t s uch a cl aim i s t o o outlandish or obscure to prove or disprove. The term 'Traditional' is normally confined to some sense of historical continuity with a specific emphasis upon an oral or theophanic teaching which is passed on from person to erson over successive generations. This is a useful deftnttton •

•

w hen a. plied t o t h e n a t i v e p r a c t i ces of M a g i c k w i t h i n r imitive societies where, f'o r instance, each generatton a s i ts s i r i t ua l g u i d e o r S h a m a n . B u t w h e n a pp l i e d t o Trachtional European Witchcraft it has numerous problems in attaining credible authent i c i ty. T h ere have been many c laims by modern w i t c hes to ' T r a d i t i o n al' or H e reditary' authenticity but there is no definit ive or concrete evidence t o build a.n acceptable historical picture of th e t r a d i t i o n a Witch Cult — or so most historians say. The r o b l e m i s t ha t w e c a n not p e n e t r ate the hi st o r ical veneer of the Inquisition and the Malleus Maleficarum; our view oint is constantly clouded by the Christo-mythologized h istor o f t h e w o r l d . B u t w e c a n n o t s i m p l y d i s c ar d t h e ossibility of the Witch- Cult's traditional continuity because it is nigh impossible to prove. To m mind t h ere is enough evidence for us to believe 'as i f th e

W i t c h - C u l t h a s a l w a y s e x i s t ed . F i r s t ly, t h er e a .

c ontinuous s t r ea m o f m a g i cal s y m b olism t h r o u ghout European history, obviously varying from regton to r e gton and from period t o p e r i o d b u t n o n e t h e l ess possessing a de ree of consistency for us to believe in the existence of a

magical tradition. Secondly, this may be backed up y t e archaeolo ical evidence for the co n t i n u ous use of magical charms for many hundreds of years e.g., witch bottles, wax or c ia eff i ies, W i t c h's L a d d ers of k n o t s , he x m a rk s o n buildin s etc. This at least seems to infer the existence of a. ma. ico-ritualistic trachtion of beliefs at a. 'folk' level if'not at

the level of an organized cult.

None can deny that the idea of an ancient and secret cult surviving throughout the m i l l e n ni a is a fascination and is something in which we would like to believe; we may chsmiss i t as an o t he r s y m p t o m o f t h e m od e r n p e n c h a n t f o r conspiratorial theories or perhaps see it as an intuitive hunch. Regardless, many believe 'as if it were the Truth. I would go further and suggest that it is this very 'as if belief which has existed for mil l e n n ia; do no t m o s t s o c i eties possess their devils, sorcerers etc., and it is this very belief in such things which has reified itself in the reality of W i t c h c r aft T o d ay. W hether or no t t h e C u l t h a s a l w ay s ex i sted is p e r h a p s itnmaterial. Yet the belief in its antiquity is an integral and 1)ecessary facet of our present magick. I have en count ered W i t c h c r af t

p r a c t i ce s o f b o t h a

traditional and a hereditary nature but cannot conclusively prove this using acceptable historical evidence, and so my < xperience is only strictly valid wit hin th e fi eld of my o w n I i Ic and within the lives of those who might trust my word. S o for the sake of giving some authenticity to m y o w n ( I;lims of Traditional Wit chcraft I m ust of fer an alternative (IcIlnition of 'Traditi on'. W i t h ou t d o ub t t h er e is historical ( vidence for cont i n u ous m a gical fol k b e l i efs t h r o u g h o u t I',Ilropcan History and there is an as if belief in the existence () I Witches and Sorcerers etc., but f' or myself the tradition of I ll< Witc h - C ul t i s not s i m ply on e of o r al, t h e ophanic, ';lppare's concept of the Neither-N e i t her is the Key to an un­ i lcrstanding of th e ' I n b e t w e e n n ess concepts' wi t hi n t h e c iitttext of'the Sabbatic Mysteries. By the Neither - N e i t h e r t ltc Sorcerer avails himself of the Kia — the Power)Ka of I, an A lislute of Perfect M u t a b i l it y w h i c h s u r ges f o rt h f r o m l~~ twixt every 'This' and 'T h a t'. It i s a m e ans whereby the >~~rccrcr steps beyond and between the 'Points' of the Sum­ !»cr and the Summoned, and becomes entirely an Immi­ itetc l»igI>t bc cast forth into that Void of Wh ite Darkness lay tltc stiddcit 'bra;tki»g' or punctuation of th e I n v o c atory l(ltythi»:tit J:ttt;tiit tIttt recreate his own P s yche. Bu t u se d s o l ely w i t h i n the ( >tteiric Realms this technique of th e C r o o ke d P ath m a y s «dttce the unwary sorcerer into the m ir e of hi s ow n self ­ it»portance. He may believe himself able to shape his Waking l,it~ in the same manner as his Dreams. ' t 'h is is not untrue, but it is a dangerously effective illusion! 'li~ become burdened with Self-importance is of no value tvictiotc it ts jttst another weight to be carried 0 I' t)t t t tJ.

THE CROOKED PATH PART II

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

Great Minds contain no opinions, merely Ideas .

29

THE HONOUR OF A SORCERER — TO KEEP SILENT

AUSTIN SPARE

(I would also refer the reader to the Teachings of Huang Po i n regards t o d e m o n s t r a t i on s o f P o w e r a s m e r e s e l f ­

The World is well lostfor love, I>ut Honour is lost well for nothing WILLIAM SH AKE SPEARE

aggrandizement.) 'I he concept of 'Honour' is something close to the heart of Realize yourself to be as unimportant as a mere mote of dust, but even then you may transmit such Power 'as if' you were the Very Hub of the U n i v erse. This is one of the aims of the technique which I h ave expounded; it will p r o v ide a rigorous yet pleasurable internal discipline, but in or der to

>»any a mage with whom I am acquainted. It is the value of' (»>e's word, not only in the view of o n e's peers but also of (>ne's Gods.

For every Word he speaks A man will pay in kind verse 6$

avoid its pitfalls one must practise a reciprocal technique in

one's Waking Life. A t a certain level any Sorcerer of worth will d ep art fr o m t he wel l - w or n p a t h s t r o d d e n b y h i s B r o t h e r s a nd C ompanions of A r t e : h e w i l l b e g i n t o d e v e l o p h i s o w n 'system' and operate as an autonomous and unique centre of Magical Power. It is at this point that he has become the very embodiment of the Tradition. Yet given the unique character o f each Sorcerer it is consequently rather d i f f i c u lt , if n o t presumptive, to expound a specific set of guidelines regarding

Cattle die; Kinsmen die; you likewise must die But the Voice of Honour never dies or imv o a s earne

a oo name.

verse 7$, HAVAMAL

When serving or working with a specific god, spirit or loa, ;»>(I when one is bound in any way thereto by an Oath, it is (>I' t' he utmost importance that one fulfils that Oath. It is of

any form of 'Behavioral Sorcery'. Nonetheless we may enter into a discussion of certain inferential principles from which

» (> (tse claiming that the O at h w a s o nl y v a li d w i t h i n t h e I>;»",>digm of'your Belief and that now that you have gained y(>(>r desired result, by a mere paradigm-shift, you may escape

each practitioner may select whatever might be of utility. This is preferable to any attempt at defining a set of rules by which

(>I';> broken and lazy Will. If used in regards to personally­

a Sorcerer should conduct himself.

( >'(;> t (. J obsessional elementals, such a side-step will leave the

> I >( (>bligations of this Magical Oath. This is a demonstration

(>l>s( ssio»,>l entity silently gestating in your Psyche, awaiting ;»>y (>pp(>rtt>»ity for a sudden emergence as an unexpected ;>(( i(I(»t, disc;>sc, neurosis etc. And if on e e x p e cts such a (lisI>l;>y (>I Jisl>o»o>>r to work with entities such as those of I ('t >'() V()(>(I()(), I()r »>st;»>cc, tl'>et> the answer >s quite simple: Ik:> I.(>(t lh;>k:»;»d cdc at>d a host of others don t believe i» y(>t>r p;»".>(Iig»>sl 'I'I>(y»>l>y ~>(I»»>'(' l\ c»»»ing nature, but a ((»»»>(»> (I>('>t, I tl>i»k»(>tl

30

THE CROOKED PATH PART II

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

P rimarily, the concept of a S o r c erer's H o n ou r m u s t b e e xamined by e ach f o r D arkness of th eir ow n

t h e m s e l v es, in t h e L i g h t o r t h e N a t u r e . B e y on d t h e H o n o u r w e

t o turn a r o u n d an d l a ugh a t y o u r s elf an d y ou r s e l f ­ i mportance, yet not diminish the sanctity of your Arte wi t h common buff'oonery.

the H o n our we a f f o r d

If you cannot overcome yourself, then all battles are lost.

To whom is the Trespass but the Se pl

ave ou con ront e o r on z o n a n c r o s s e t e ss ut still have that drink problem? Have you sought to confront the Very Devil Himself but remain intimidated by mere men

e xhibit tow a rd s o t h er s t h e r e i s ourselves.

ALE I STER CROWLEY

THE COURAGE OF A SORCERER — TO DARE

and their weaknesses~) THE PATH OF A SORCERER — TO WILL

The true mettle of the Sorcerer lies in his ability to become his own Self-Overcomer. By his intelligence to examine and

' 1 he Will of th e S o r c erer is it s ow n d i r e c t i on . I t m a y b e

observe himself and his position in the Wo r lds of Gods and M en. And having come t o s uc h a r e a l i z at ion o f h i s o w n powers — his talents, flaws, manners, habits etc.— to set

d ifferent techniques but i t i s e s s entially a Po wer t h a t i s i ttstinctively grasped - used without de l i b eration but w i t h

about the task of sorting the wheat from the chaff. This does not mean some self-congratulatory analysis of your finer qualities and an accompanying blindness to your glaring weaknesses, nor does it mean that you just sit there and tacitly accept this as another concept to be assimilated as an 'intention', never to be realised as a practice. What it does mean, however, is a challenge to achieve Personal Power and Technical Excellence in your Arte. Treat it as a Method of'Self'-Love and Self-War. Strive to conquer your own limits. Do you possess a sense of something uniquely 'I" beyond

sensed, manipulated and applied through a myriad of

Itttcnt. It is the f u n d a m e ntal dr i v ing f o rce of a M a g i c i an . I ) csire is its motivation and Belief endows it with a mediating s tructure necessary for its f u n c t i on . T h e s e t h re e p o w e r s It;trncssed in unison are the condu its of t h ese inscrutable tiirccs we refer to as 'Magical Currents'. '1'hc nature of these 'currents' may best be grasped through ; t tttystical cipher of symbols and cr y p t o gr ams, but on a n itttttttivc level it is something one may just 'understand' and ; tblc to ar t i c u l ate. W h e n you c o n v erse with c e r t ain itt Jividuals there is a certain ambience emanating from and t ltn)ttgh them. T h i s is th e ' C u r r e nt' t hey t r a n smit. I

and yet innermost to th e C i r c l e o f y o u r P e r s onal Power' ? Grasp this and remain aloof though seemingly lost amid the

( ~~ t' s() t t:tl 1 y judge a tree by the fruit it bears. This is a fair way

round of Life; this is the Nobility of the True Sorcerer. The essence of this nobility is to look upon oneself with an Open

Itl;tllI l«srI llg. 1)0 they bear the hallmarks of Creativity and I t tspir;tt i~~»r Such people are unafraid of the modern pseudo­

Eye, to be able to walk the full circle of one's possibilities and yet be able to relinquish attachment to all that lies within its

Illt~•ll«ct lllll tcl1dcncy to be embarrassed by 'really believing'

a rena. Flexibility is an import ant aspect of this path — th e ability to change and accept change, to use the forces of'the

l tttt'l«i1 tlt«t»sclv«s headfirst into d e eply em o t ive an d i >list,~sit~tt;tI st:tt«s ; t » J l t a v c c o m p l c t cl y ' e n s o r celled'

World which act upon you to work for you. Then to bc able

tlt«»ts«lv«s wit lti» tlt«('.ts«itt~itts «ttclt;»ttntcnt of Self-Love.

t i > r«cognize Those through whom the C urrent is

it t t lt it tgs:tb~>v«, b«1ow and beyond the mundane. They have

32

THE CROOKED PATH PART II

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

You may grapple with sorcery by Theory alone —it will be a lovely defeat .

Even when we may, as Illuminated occultists, perceive that 'Belief in Itself is the significant 'Object' and the 'subject' of our belief is arbitrary and may be transmuted according to our desires, we may avoid the reduction of magick to a. mere

psycho-dramatic juggling of man-made archetypes by seeking t hose 'entities' of B e l ief w h i c h ar e C o n s t an t d e s p it e t h e metamorphic nature of our believing. Such Constants I be­ l ieve may reveal the Quintessential Principles of Our Ar t e ­

ALEI STER CROWLEY

T o Know, To Will, To Dare, To keep Silent th e s ear e t h e F our Powers of t h e S p h i n x a n d a r e i n t h e m s e l ve s t h e r hythmic det er m i n a nts of ' a S o r c e r e r's Po w er, th e v e r y percutience of the Current which he is able to transmit.

principles mediated by word and glyph by which we may infer

R eturning to th e i n i t i a l o b j e c t ive of t h i s a r t i cl e I w i l l , h aving thus e x p o u n ded a f e w b a s i c i d e a s r e g a r d in g a

and transmit Our G n o sis, rather than attempt to systemize and categorize it through a. process of de-mystification.

S orcerer's demeanour, seek to ex e m p l if y a r e c i p r o c atin g t echnique of the Crooked Path, to balance that of Dr e am ­

Like a trusting child hurl yourse flinto the arms of Mystery

control which I have already given.

Sheis your Mother

It was the straying that found the path direct AUSTIN SPARE

THE GNOSIS OF SORCERY — TO KNOW

The Gnosis of a Sorcerer is the Realization of Him self as an A vatar of th e M a g i ca l C u r r e n t — it is the I l l u minative Revelation of the Interconnectedness between every facet of t he Whole N a t ur e an d o f h i s o w n a f f i n i t i e s w i t h i n t h a t matrix. It is his own 'Knowledge', the Sum Body of the Power to which he has made himself available and is able to transmit f rom the h i g h est m y s t i cal st ate t o earthbound state of being.

t h e l o w e s t an d m o s t

On the level of book learning and knowledge we may study for decades but this may provide nothing beyond the skills which are specific to t hi s s e lf-same field of p h y sical development — unless we have grasped the subtle essence of the Gnosis, the Grimoire of which we, as Magicians, are the Living Truth, the Very Flesh of Magick. Yet this being so, we

may by study and the discipline required therefore, refine and develop our work to greater degrees of understanding. This is perhaps vital for us in o r der to av oid generalizations of technique and for us to re alize the extremely specif>c and subtle nuances of the Arte Magical.

If'one uses a simple device such as a mantra or gesture as a c«c in one's dreams for the 'off - b eat' act then it is equally siinple to use the same device in a mirrored fashion to cue a I < ciprocal act in one s waking sphere. This is one's 'point' of I l>betweenness: a simple device upon which to pi vot o ne' s I r;>nsilient metamorphoses of emotion and behaviour. Such ;I I> axis, created by repetition amidst an obsessive atmosphere, sl>I>uld be the mediator of the 'I ' — t h e A b s o l ut e of o ne' s

l f>I1ess. > l tion and th us c r e a te an a s s ociation b e t w e en h i g h l y cl»~>tive states and the sound/movement. One may employ i)>;>1>tl;>s~ cstu.res or s eci ic sensations. e n

at an

esi r e

i i>s»;I > I in wall>l>cctiI> or l»cans of accessing the required emotive state. I'I) I' I I>c c()l»pctcl>t So>ccrcr It is wise to practise this for its I>wl> s;>l:>>I;>il> a flexibility of >cmperament and in order II> Jc>cl'I» ll>c flic pcl I f>l>cl'y of (.~l>c s cf>>otive potential. The KI y is >I> il>llgc I>l>cscll;>bsI>liltcfy il> oi>c's moods but at the

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

T HE SABAZIA N T O R C H same time remain aloof, detached and above all 'untouched' by the shifts in emotion. Those able to differentiate between s pecific integers of e m o t i o n a n d w o r k o u t t h e p e r s o n a l

n a recent advertisement for specialist books available from the Atlantis Bookshop the newly published work

associations between these Ap o t h e oses of Sensation and specific mnemonics such as colours, sounds, smells etc., will

The Witches Sabbathby Austin Osman Spare was described by its pubhsher Fulgur as a 'Go d dess inspired account of

eventually be able to establish the emotive analogue of what is known as 'The Alphabet of Desire'. One may then employ

W iccan worship'. Th e p o p u l i s t t e r m i n o l og y o f m o d e r n o ccultism may have led to t h i s d e s cri p t io n r a i s ing a f e w

G estures or W o r d s t o l i n k t h e s e ' n o d es' o r I n t e g e r s o f S ensation — t hi s i s th e c o r o l l ar y o f t h e M a g i c a l C i r c l e ,

eyebrows a.mongst both the would-be protagonists of the Zos Kia Cultus a.nd the i n i t i a tes of G a r d n e r i a n ( A l e x andrian

remote but forever close at hand. T hat wh ic h y o u p r e s e n t l y a r e n o t — th i s i s yo u r 'Otherness'. The impressions we create by our behaviour in

Wicca. But to those initiates and good journeymen of' the Crooked Path familiar with, or part of, witchcraft traditions pre-dating the initiatory lineages of Gardner and Sanders,

other peoples' awareness are part of this Otherness: they are outside of our Self. Thus by allowing oneself to express the

such a description evoked a true smile of cunning! It i s refr eshing to s e e a s t e p t o w a r d s t h e l i n g u i s t i c

emotive types of One's apotheoses of sensation we may cast the Circle of Our Em o t i ons around the still, calm centre of 'I'. We emanate a. 'Body' of Otherness in which other people

rectification of'the terms bandied about in occultism with an ; tpparent ease irrespective of t h ei r e x act and m e a n i n g f u l

will invest their belief because they must 'believe' something a bout 11s 1n order f'o r us to exist in t h ei r m e m o r y . T h e s e memories of us are the Atavisms of Our Otherness, projected ' shabtis' and mi m e ti c b o d ie s b e aring f o rt h our Sp ells of

usage by those to whom such terms are truly relevant, i.e. p ractising ini t i a tes of t h e S a b b a ti c M y s t e r i es. ( S uch a s 'Wiccan', pronounced 'witchan' from the Anglo-Saxon weica, p ronounced 'witcha', meaning 'wise', thus 'Wiccan' = 'W i s e (')ne'. Wicca = masculine. Wicce = feminine. Verb -to practise

Desire.

Wicca = to 'wiccian'. The word also has a sense in which it

By sheer cunning one's Body of O t h e r n ess may become like a many-faceted entity having both cacodaemonic and

t »cans 'to bend or to t w i s t', hence 'The Ol d an d C r o o k e d I'ath.'

a ga.thodaemonic f u n c t i on s w i t h i n t h e s p h e r e o f o n e 's interactions with Men, Spirits and Gods.

The reclamation of ou r m a g i ca l l a n g u age is a. serious t t t> Jertaking and is a. rightful part of our spiritual and cultural

But Beware — The True Circle of Arte must be a. Perfect S phere upon every l e vel an d strata of B e in g an d m u s t

i tiltcritance: it is n e ver an a t t e m p t t o d i c t ate to anyone wltcthcr or not they may rightfully call themselves a witch,

encompass every nuance of one's entity. This is a task beyond the ken of most mere mortals and may be the Making or the

lit t t rather to show the value of these descriptions as 'Words tert»s as sorcery' and 'witchcraft' do overlap and co­

A Man in seeking overmuch for the Path tvill missit even though it lay at hisfeet

< xist, bttt ttther import ant chstincti ons li e i n

the area of cultic

i >rg tttisation and the fund am ental pr em ises of int ent an d i i>8 ividtial ity. Even when the pagan faiths were those held by

t I i«i»:tjority of people in Britain it does not necessarily follow lli;tt tlat«rit«s practised by the present day Wiccan or »I lt«rwis«;tt-« tltc self-same rites practised by the orthodox l ~ri«stltttoire

Arte, some coming together periodically to practise the Mys­ teries, but others remaining separate, only joining the other initiates in the regional coven when really necessary. The na­ ture of the coven's rites often are a combination of traditional

formulae with a working procedure/symbology dictated by the predilections of'the male/female leader of the group. Because of the tendency of each initiate to specialise in his o r her ow n areas of th e A r t e , s uch a s w o r t c u nning, mediumship or enchantment ( t h ese specializations varying immensely from one village to the next, let alone from on e c ounty to ano t h er) i t i s c h f f i c ul t t o p r e s en t a p i c t u r e o f organization. To do so would be a superimposition of wishful t hinking on t h e p ar t o f o c c u l t i sts with a p e n c h ant f o r r omanticising about the past. In fact it is di f f i c ult to m a k e a ccurate statements about th e ol d w i t c h cult since many t eachings are p assed o n b y w o r d o f m ou t h a n d e a c h successive generation of initiates adds a little to the myth and manifests a little of the Sabbat's Grand Dream.

Two examples of the o u te r e x p r ession of th e S a bbatic c urrent are presently i n t h e p u b l i c d o m a i n : n a m el y t h e

of Sabbatic Craft It shou.ld also be said that there is a conscious intent to re-emphasise the techniques of Dream Reification, together with the re aff i r m a t ion of th e v i t a l a n cestral and phidian mysteries within the cultus. Spare's book details the basic ritual procedures and litanies as used in his own resume ~ >f a tradition passed to hi m v i a p s y c hi c i n d u c t io n a n d ii>spiration ofhis "witch-m o t h er", Mrs Paterson. Because of it»mense creativity and psychic aptitude Spare acted as a true n posoire and oracle for this current. His book bears a strong distinction to alm ost every other account of th e Sabbatic M ysteries; these other accounts being fo r t h e m o s t p a r t t «llcctivc solely of the outer aspects of the cult. ' I'I> is particular work of Zos exemplifies another important ;tsl>cct f thc witch cult. This is its emphasis upon individual visi~>t>:tt>J t»ost importantly the necessity upon the part of t l>c itt Jividtt:tl it>iti ttc to attain a point of direct and personal ct>itt:tet witl> thc i t t i t i a t i t>g it>tclligcnccs of' th e m a g i c al cttt'rcttt. It> Spinttt;tlist ter»tittt>l~>gy thcsc arc so-called spirit

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

guides', being the ancestral and discarnate familiars of the practitioner. Critics of my own book and that of Spare have o ften remarked u p o n i t s s u b j e c t i v it y a n d t h u s l i m i t e d r elevance to others. They are m i s sing the p o i nt . A n y o n e initiated into a genuine tradition w il l r e alise that although the path of the in i t i ate is un d e r p i n ned by cert ain guichng principles or 'universals of sorcery', it is nonetheless true that h is or her p r o g r ess will b e d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e p o w e r o f personal vision. Each candidate must walk the pa.th alone, until, his eyes being opened by the initiatory illumin ation of the Mysteries, will see about him his own subtle compatriots, a host of attendants each bearing an arcane truth of the Way.

THE SABAZIAN TORCH

perhaps pertinent to point out that such techniques as trance mediumship originate in primal shamanism, but in the West are often c l a s s i f ie d a s Sp i r i t u a l i sm . D e v o i d o f th e romanticism imbued by a tribal ethnicity such methods are often looked upon as absurd by some ceremonial magicians although it is the practical effectiveness of any method that validates it. To the initiates of the Sabbatic Tradition, the Sabbat is thus the very Sigil of Magick itself. By its corpora of rituals, contemplations and practices within the earthly cycle of the temporal compass, the cult r e i f ies and o b t a ins a state of circumincession with the eternal Cycle of Arte, patterned in

I n much the same manner as the inner point of c o n t a ct b etween the e n t i t y Sh aitan-Aiwaz and C r o w l ey, Spare

the symbol of the Ouroboros. They step into the atemporal

a chieved an inner contact wit h a g u i d in g sp i rit of t h e o l d S abbatic Mysteries; and it m i g h t e v e n b e s ai d t h a t s u c h

most is called 'Myth'. Each manifests the Grand Dr eaming of Spirit in t h e V e s sel of i n c h v i d ual m o r ta l p e r c i p i e n ce,

praeterhuman intelligences are yet the ministers or mediators between humankind and the Gods of an anterior worship to

transmitting the lightning-bolt of arcane illumination unto the Now of the Present Flesh.

t hat of the w o r s hip of c lay g ods by h u m a ns. For as bo t h C rowley and G r an t h av e s t a t ed, th e t r u e an d h o n o u r e d

It is from such a point of contact with 'Ot h e r n e ss' of the Fternal, an interpenetration of the mu n d ane and temporal

t raditions of magick have their or i g ins in and b e y ond t h e depths of Sumerian antiquity. I would like to profer an analogous point in regard to the

v essel of the magus with th e a n c i en t an d t r a n s m u n d a n e powers of wi t c h do m an d m a g i s t e ry, that c r e a tes such a

z ones of boundless power, participating in t hat w h ic h f o r

origins of the Sabbatic Tradition, since the word 'Sabbat' is

f ountainhead of w i s d o m w i t h i n t h e i n i t i a t e .T h i s i s a c haracteristic of th e I n n e r M y s t e r ies of M a g i ck , bu t o n e

itself Sumerian in its root fo rm: Sabat tumean-ing 'The Day of the Heart's Rest' (A lso Persian Azzabbat = the forceful

which is somewhat difficult to reaffirm with the intellective processes of rationality. We m u st r e m e m b er t h a t we a r e

o ccassion . st u o i t s c o n t e x t u r e e v i n c e in t e r e i i o n s o f Ancient Sumer / A k k a d s h ow s t ha t th e w o r d ' S a b b at'

Healing with the visionary experiences of the sum Body of I t> itiates, the inchviduals unto whom the custodianship of our

denoted a. lunar rite of magical worship completely in accord although of certain obvious differences due to its time and place in history, with the inner Mysteries of the cultus today.

( i ~>osis is entrusted for its inevitable inheritance by the future

T he methods wh er eby th e ' i n n e r p o i n t o f c o n t a c t ' i s o btained are n u m e r o u s . I n C r o w l e y's case it w a s v i a

people of witch blood. This is a key point in the Traditional Witch-Cult, and is perhaps the reason for its immense veil ~il secrecy and reservation to all but the very few. Many may

ceremonial magick and with Spare the means was that of an

p r;>ctise the o u te r r i t es, but fe w m a y p e n e t r ate t h e i r t~;>cl>i>>gs, let:>1onc refine and advance those teachings in

aesthetically-channeled mode of trance-mediumship. It is

'icee i'i rst Vision was given and unto whom the gift of magical sp~ eel> was bestowed. The descent of the Stellar Serpent into

M;>I> i» the Redeeming Fall of Lucifer (Lumiel) into the W~irld ~if Matter (Adam). This downward or reificatory I ui>si»tssioi> of divine pneuma sacrifices the nature ofbo t h A l>gal:>t>d M~~rtal Man, but t h r o ugh D e at h i t b e g ets t h e l.ivii>g li>it i;>tv: tl>e M:>n of [.ight. Arising from this mystical ag;>p:>e ~il l.~iv«;>i>d l>cath, tIic lt>itiatic Entity possesses the l>ll'//Nlcllll('// ()l Adl'll1) ')lid tile SlclelY'll (enosis of Ll let fcr. The

OPUSCULA MAGICA Ig

GNOSIS FOR THE FLESH ETERNAL

powers of the First Ini t i ate were thus made manifest upon E arth. Through the W or d t h e r e of, the Logos of the Fir st ­

t he sacrificial m u r d e r w h i c h t h e ad e p t c o m m i t s i n overthrowing his own dualistic or unillum i ned nature. The

born, the Divine V i s ion of Sel f - R e alisation was cast forth throughout Time: the Gnosis passed on from soul unto soul, f rom min d u n t o m i n d , t h r o ugh th e s a cred me dium o f

r everence in Sabbatic Rites for the 'First Murderer of M a n ' i s thus a n e n c r y p t e d d e v o t i o n t o t he Pa t h o f Sel f ' ­

language (the Sacred Alphabet), and so the Arcana of Eternity are perceived in th e M o m e n t b y U s , th e P r e sent Inheritors of Witchblood.

th.e.y .tthe Fallen Angels] taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them

acquainted with plants ....A...nd Azazel taught men to make swords and knives, and taught them to know the metals of the earth and the art of working them T HE BOOI(. OF ENOCH, CH. LX I X .

According to Sabbatic Craft Tradition, the 'First-born' of Magick is named 'Cain', He who received the Sign of Exile, the Mark of the Beast, upon his brow. Cain is considered to b e the child born of the un ion b e t w ixt L i l it h an d Samael ­ between the Man and Woman of Light — They in whom the Serpent first indwelt. In t hi s i n t e r p r etation Adam and Eve are perceived as the Man and Woman of Profane and Mortal Nature, whereas Samael and Lilith are the self-same entities, b ut infused wit h t h e i n i t i a t i c s p ar k o r n u m e n o f d i v i n e o phidian pow er. N u m e r o u s i m p l i c i t s o f st ellar lore ar e c oncealed in the salvific deed of the Heavenly or No r t h e r n S erpent's descent. These form a f o cus of d e v o t ion i n t h e D raconick My steries of th e S a b bat as celebrated by t h e Synomosia Dracotaos, an Albionic Cultus of Cr o o ked Path Sorcery. I n a fu r t he r e mbodiment o f

d e v e l o p m en t o f o u r m y t h , C a i n i s t h e the I l l u m i ned O ne, th e I n i t i ated Self,

whereas his brother, Abel, is th e P r o f a n er, the I n f ' idc1 or Uninitiate. The biblical account of Cain's frat(-icidc dcnotcs

Transcendence. Cain is customarily called 'the Master of Horsemen'. The 'horse' in this context may be i n t e r p r e ted as the body of mortal flesh, the steed of Matter wh ich the spirit 'r i d es' in the possession-trances that arise from the rites and praxes of inagical arte. The charm below is a cipher of Cain's spiritual horsemanship. 'Here's to the Horse with the four white feet, with the chesnut tail and mane;

a spot on his breast and a star on his brow, and his Master's name was cain A TOAST OF THE HORSEMAN S WORD SOCIETY

Man is the Horse, the four white feet are his palms and s(iles, the chestnut tail and mane are the 'reddened hair' of i lie head and the genitals, the spot on the breast is the heart the place of oath-taking, and the star on the brow is the s(i called 'Witches' Mark'. A s the Ho r s eman's Lo rd , C ai n i s

id entified with t h e

Itl;icl «r Sct-an, within w ho m t h e P e acock-fire, the 5('v('Il t()llgllcd 1.1ght is concealed. Within Sabbatic Tradition ' ili( M ; ii i i ( i I < i ;icl('v(ll,;is M;il'Iitzll;tel, 5;l I(i;1('I, ()i lis Apelhjuj.

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

As 'Death' or Thanatos, the Great Opposer is summoned as the Sovereign Witch-father of the Sabbat and is evoked as a deified form of th e f i rs t i n i t i a te. C ain as W i t c h f a t her i s p aradoxically his own Sire, and thus — as the C o n s ort o f Lilith — is both Child and Lover. His role as Transgressor is thus extended to embrace the prototypal murderer to that of t he first in cest. T hi s s i g n i f ie s th e T r a n s gressive Way o f M ystical Return, the Path wh ich le ads us back to the R e d Earth or Womb of Our O r i g in . To enter this Path, one seeks n ot by the fo r w a rds embr ace of L i fe , but by a b a c k w a r d s embr'ace — an en-trance into Death.

GNOSIS FOR THE FLESH ETERNAL

consciousness or more often the State of Hy p n agogia. The Fourth Road is the Trance State Itself: the State of Silent Knowing or Gnosis. The Sabbatic Tea.ching is that where the Four Roads meet the Power of'Death resides. As the God of' t he Cross'd-Roads he l e ad s t h e A s p i r a n t t h r o u g h t h e P sychostasis of the In i t i a t ory O r d e a ls, thus granting hi m communion with the 'L i v ing An d th e D ea d of Al l B l e ssed And Wise'. In summary, the instantaneity of Self-illumin ation is the immediate result of contact with the innermost sanctum of

The god-form of C ain as th e Sk ull-masked God is

our own being. By entering the cross-roads of our aware­ n esses we enter the gnostic states of the Lord and La dy ­

perceived as the very 'entity' of our own death. Our shadow is seen to mark the place of our final return to the dust, and

the Initiatic Conclaves of Cain-Mahazhael and Liliya. Whilst these Mysteries are transmitted through contemporary lin­

i s thus ritually en t r eated as the G a t e way to th e a t a v i st i c l ineage of the Liv ing T r achtion, as the Way of th e S p i r i t ­

eages of Traditional Wi t c h craft, they may also be cognized by any Receptive Mind as Immediate Realisations of Magical

p rocession which l e ad s b e t w ix t

Heredity. Herein is the arcanum: the unveiling of the eternal spirit-procession t h e c o n t i n u ity of all past and future tran­ sitions of entity through which the Inchvisible 'I' will pass

the F i r st-born and t h e

Last-dead of all Witchblood. The open'd grave becomes the birth-road for the Returning Ones of Eld. As the present children of these Mysteries we may enter into communication with the souls or atavisms of our magical heredity through the gateway of our own bo d i es. This may best be described in terms which are at once both mystical and practical. For present purposes a swift gloss must suffice... In the present-day recensions of the Elder Cr aft, we are taught that Liliya or Lil i th, the Primal Go d dess who is Life Itself, must be called upon at the Pl ace where three roads meet. These three roads are the three states of awareness­

is attained by going-f o rth to th e Sabbat, the Mystical Rite at the 'Cross-roads' or Transvocatory Point between all Space and Time. At this Point lies our Eternal Ancestry: the Grave is the Womb of the Quin tessence Azoth.

'The Great Sorcerer draws Power fromhis owe Death Now!'. F or the sake of our p r e sent co n t ext i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o demonstrate the parallel between the Sabbatic Tri-unity of

Liliya, Mahazhael a.nd Cain, and the Thelemic Triad of

Waking, Dreaming and Sleeping. The Goddess is the

Babalon the Scarlet Woman, Therion the Gr eat Beast, and

Continuity of Awareness — the 'cross-roads' state in which

their union in the Bastard-child. The interpretation of Cain as thc bastard progeny hinges upon his being the fruit of no

the Adept abides after the accomplishment of contemplative, ritual and votive disciplines. Beyond the Meeting-place of. the three roads there is the F ourth R o ad .

Thts ts e n t ered t h r ough any S t ate o f.

'Inbetwccnncss', such as a i it ually i n d uced hiatus of

's;>i>ctioi>cd' or worldly marital union. Born of all Nature, he i » tlic s i i i g l c ~ ) f l 'spring o f ' t h c G r e a t M o th e r ' s v a s t c~iliciIpiscc1icc wit li:>II l'.iiity f o r sh c r i d cth the Th ousand­

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

$0

GNOSIS FOR THE FLESH ETERNAL

limbed Beast of all Existence and from that divine whoredom

c omplete body o f

the Heart-union is enfleshed as Cain. The magical practitioner is then to be self-realised as a. unique child of Life and Death. One may visualise oneself as

c ompromising the germination of p e r s onal insight. ( T h i s manner of Teaching is alcin to the Sufic technique known as t he 'scatter' m e t h o d ) . O nce th e a r c anum i s r e a lised

the Silent Self-speaking Child, perfect in ipseity upon the

autonomously by the inchvidual, the function of a group circle

Fire-petalled Lotus that grows from the grave of one's self­

will be evident as a. means to refine the awareness of the

conquered mortahty. One is thus Seth IIa -kh-arad, the prodigal Babalon, Scarlet 'Flow-er' of all W o m a n h o od; the Sole Son

Quintessence. By going forth through the Gateway of the Cross'd-Roads t he aspirant meets face-to-face the Catena of the M i g h t y

(Sun) of Heaven arisen from the Grave of Conquered

Dead, not only those of his own metempsychotic lineage, but

N atures — f r o m

a ll Kindred of Our A rt e t o w h ic h he is bound by t h e

child uniting all Holiness and all Heresy; the self-born of

t h e B l a c k - o f - m a n y - c o l o ur sE a r t h o f

m a g i ca l d i s c i p l i nes an d l o r e w i t h o u t

A ncient Kh em . B e t w ee n th e N u i t a . n d t h e H a d i t o f a l l E xtremities, one is both th e P at h an d t h e T r a v e l l er. T h e a wakening of oneself to the i n ne r ar canum of T h e l em a i s

Covenant of descent from the First Initiate. He enters the Circle of the Living and the Dead to dance in co-eval rings of moments, days and epochs, hand-in-hand

truly the opening of the Visionary Eye; it is not the clinging t o any creed, but it is the creedless living of Gnosis! If t h i s

with Gods, Beasts, Men and things of Spirit and Flesh as yet

secret can be grasped then the Vision will transmit. Returning to the matter of the Sabbatic Teachings, I have attempted to outline, albeit in a. very basic manner, the crux

of' a Body of Lore, whose elegant simplicity and yet highly

unnamed. This Vision is that of th e G r ea t Sabba t t he Prototype or 'Form' of Magical Quintessence from which all 1»agical rites and practices take their patt ern. It has been called 'The Communion of the Saints', 'The Sabbath of the Witches', in antiquity 'The Sabaziorum', and in the times of

intricate nuances cannot be given a just expression by words alone. But nonetheless this outline will suff'ice to impart to

A ncient Babylon 'Sa-bat'. To som e t hi s V i s i o n i s f u l l

the reader a sense of the ap p r o ach to th e Q u i n t e s sential Current which the Sabbatic Craft Trachtion may grant th e

c;1rousing and singing to feasts of delightful superabundance. Yet to others it is an infernal pilgrimage, traversing gulfs of

Aspirant. In essence it focuses upon the individual as a. centre of power and emphasizes vi a the stress upon an individual's

p;>in upon ladders of k n i v es, j o st l ing w i t h c o n c u p i s cent I IIIrdcs of half-f o r med Satyri an d S u c cubi u nt o t h e o f t ' ­ l~lIIodied altar, where the Anus of the Goat is kissed as though

s ta.te s o consciousness — t e

vita im o I ' t ance o o ne' s

personal magical vision of the World. This approach assumes form in group practice as well as in the solitary observance o f the Tr ad i t i on . R a t h e r t h a n p r i m a ri l y a t t e m p t i n g t o

of'

glorious imagery, where angelic nymphs will lead them

it werc the tender lips of a Proserpinian Virgin. 'I'lIc unity of t h ese disparate representations lies in an I I I I agni area of Sabbatic Lore — the Teachings regarding the

e xternalize th e Q u i n t e s s ence vi a a u n i t y o f d i ff e r e n t initiatory streams — by bringing together individuals skilled

I I;IIIci;>1>d the L'ye. These are magico-aesthetic for m u l ae i ~ I I I@I'IIIg 11po» the I n n a t e P u r i t y o f Per c e p t i o n . T o

in such to facilitate a 'working group' — it s pr ime objective i s to allow the indivi dual aspirant to di scover the U n it y o f

. Ii cIII»plIsl1:> realIsation o f

M agical Power W i t h i n ,

I III' sellsIII'y Il'IIIlsIIIlssIIIII 11( II11.' (. 111111tcssellfIal Cuf f e rI t v 1 a

w h i l s t e n g a ging hi m o r l ~e I II I a

t h i s o r i g i nal b a sis of o u r

l11 111 p( iIIII, I»:111y III:Igic:Il teel>I11ques have been evolved for

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

Art — whether that be pictorial, musical, sculptural, terpsi­ chorean or martial. Many of these techniques involve the transgressive ethos w hich marries the innate purity of i n t ent w it h th e o u t w a r d 'blasphemy' of action. The Forbidden is used as the tool for perceptual rectification and the re-alignment of the senses to their 'Virgin' condition. Such methods are fundamentally akin to the Panchamakara teachings of the Vama Marg and t he One- L i f e / S h o r t - P ath t e a c h i ngs o f the B o n -po a n d Tantric Mystics of Tibet and Nepal. T he Full Embrace of A b o m i n a t io n i s e n d u re d t o g a i n i ntercourse with T r u e

B e a u t y a n d U n d e r s t a n d i ng . T h i s

alchemy of aethesis is glyphed in the myths of the Sabbat by the transmogrification of the Osculum Ivfaee —the Forbidden K iss — into th e ' S a cri f i ci al' H e i r o s G a mo s o f t h e Virgo S abbati. Similarly, th e t r a n s f o r m a t io n o f the M e dusine Witch- Queen into the flowering visage of an Aphrodite. (It is of note in comparison to the O n e - L i f e / Sh o r t - Path t hat there is an i d e n t i t y w i t h t h e ' F o u r t h R o a d ' o f t h e

GNOS IS FOR THE FI.ESH ETERNAL

'Black Eagle', as well as the metempsychotic inductions of'the S abbatic Lor e f a c i l i t a te d b y h i s p r a c t i c e o f ' A t a v i s t i c R esurgence. It was through the personage of Zos that th e S abbatic Current c o n j o i ne d w i t h the O p h i dick Nu m en transmitted through the O . T .O. Th e symbiosis of the tw o s treams is attained par excellence via the Zos Ki a C u l t u s , which may be seen as both an 'atavism' of'the Sabbatic Cult today and as the 'Portal' for the insurgent vitality wh ich is presently revivifying the Circle of Arti st -i n i t i ates. It is perhaps pertinent at this juncture to state my own role in these matters as a whole and to comment, as much as is permitted with out b r e aching the law of' secrecy, upon the present form of the Cultus Sahhati Contrary to the views of'some historians, anthropologists ;>nd occultists, there are traditions of magic, witchcraf't and s orcerous practices in B r i t a i n a n d E u r o p e w h i c h h a v e continued from ancient times, through the medieval period ;>nd into our own modern times. The substrata of folk magic, ~i(ttimes fused with and inseparable from the High M a gical

Sabbatic Teachings and the half-coil of the Kundalini or Fire­

fr;editions, has maintained a continuity t h r o ugh centu r ies, ;> I though it must needs be said that each generation interprets

snake, which is in total three-and-a-half coils. The identity b etween the 'Short P a th ' — the H a l f - coil or I n t e r stitial

:>i>d applies the Mysteries differently. 'I'he tradition to w h ich I b e l o n g i s t ha t o f t h e S a bbatic

Route — and the 'Fourth R o ad' is explicit upon a. study of common techniques and aims within both the practical and

(: r;1 ft or Cultus Sabhati,which, after discarding nominalisations, ii>;>y be understood as a magical tradition p r e served by a

the mystical fields of Wytcha and Tantra).

ij ii'act lineage of Outer Initiations. In basic terms, the Cultus

With regard to the magico-aestheticism of Sabbatic Lore, we have a direct cultic precursor in Zos vel Thanatos (Austin

i;ii> bc said to transmit the teachings and practices of English ('.iii>i>ii>g-craft or rural folk magic, but as generations have i 'I>;>i>ged their character, so our t r a d i t ion ha s ch anged it s

Osman Spare), whose own artistic and magical work greatly refined this specific area of the Tradition. He was himself an

lid~ ~ Jcs ol practice, presently evolving to what may be under­ sl iii>3;>s "I'n1>sccndcntal Sorcery': a unity of practical spell­

Initiate of the Sabbatic My st eries — in th e O u t e r v ia. the s piritus lineage of Old Ms. Paterson and the Salem Wi t c h ­

si'1 I t;> t> J g~>~est ic inysticism. The essence or 'Current' of the (',tel(its is i>:>tive t~> l)ritaiii, although it is m y t h o p o e t ically

c ult, and u po n t h e I n n e r v i a t h e p s y c h i c a ll y i n d u c t i v e initiations caused by traff'ick with in t r u sive familiars' such as

,~ iiJ t() h» ii>(~~re>>cd by tl>e sell- sainc cf()l ills tl'Ie 1IllleI saIlc t ll m o f

the

OPUscULA MAGIcA I I

O.T.O. (hence the etymology of Sabbat = Sa Bat,the Lunar festival of In a n n a). O t h e r m y t h o p o e ti c d e r i v ations could p lace the impetus elsewhere, even unto th e v er y G at e o f Eden. But in truth, the power of the Cu l tus is derived from the land whereon its circle is cast, wheresoever that may be. Within our present time the Cultus is assimilating the web of currents transmitted from the many occult power-zones upon and beyond the Mundane Sphere, not by outer union, but by direct apprehension of the Qui n t essence. T he Lineage o f O u ter I n i t i a t ions, (which has been u nbroken since before the i n a u guration of t h e T h e l e m i c

Era), is preserved by a. means simply called the 'Passing-On or Passing-Over of Power'. It is usually a gesture of contact between the Initiate and the Initiato r a c c o m p a n i ed by the r eception o f t h e P a s s - w o r d ,a n d a l s o t h e W o r d s o f B enediction: "May the Bl essing Be". It is of n ot e t hat t h i s blessing and gesture are identical to that preserved in certain Sufic and Dhu'lqarneni Cir cles, the words being translated

directly as 'Mubarak Bashad' " M a y th e Blessing Be". A c ognate means of thi s ' Passing-On ' w i l l b e f o u n d i n t h e tradition of 'The Ho r se-W h i sperers', a secret society closely l inked to c e r t ai n f o r m s o f the Ol d C r aft — h e nce th e relevance of the 'Master of H o r s emen' or Cain as the First Initiate. Certain forms of Craft Freemasonry, contemporary Voudon, vastly ancient Bon-po, as well as the aforementioned S ufic and Equine-t o tem sects et al, preserve an ini t i a t o r y g esture to impart the power of th eir curr ent from I n i t i a t o r to Initiate. Within th e Sabbatic Craft this is only bestowed

Q j L

when the aspirant has fulfilled a preparatory period of nine months and a novitiate period of'one year and a day, during w hich they are taught an d t r a i ne d i n the manner of th e tradition. There are other means of this 'Passing-On', such a s the purely metempsychotic, which p r eserves the I n n e r C atena of W'itchblood. T h er e is also the Er o t o - i n d u c t i v e means, which is only used once by an init i ator in his or her

E1R LI 6

GNOSIS FOR THE FLESH ETERNAL

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

l ifetime in o r de r t o

p a s s on n o t o n l y t h e ' P o w e r ' o f t h e

Tradition, but also a certain secret authority. According to custom the worthy In i t i ate must be of the opposite gender, t hus ensuring the alt ern ation o f m a s c u l ine and f e m i n i n e

emphasis in the t eachings, and also engendering the 'Children of the Elder Gods' — those sired in the precincts of the Sabbatic Conclaves. It is also important to point out another aspect of my own w ork, because it bears upon the r e l evance of the Zo s I G a Cultus and the work of future adepts within these Mysteries.

Initiates, the Gateway through which the Mighty Dead of Witchblood will once more go forth in Shadow and in Light upon the Earth'. The physical book is only a visible means to read from and thereby gain access, through the subtleties of symbolic inference and psychic perichoresis, to the Great U nwritten Gri m o i r e of M a g ic k — t h a t w h i c h i s th e ' T r u e Form' of the Aloe tia 'A.sPresent Magister of the Cultus Sab­ bati, I have initiated this Work in accordance with both the

principle of preserving the integral Body of the Teachings a nd the ethos of t h ei r p e r p e t ual r e f i n e m e nt. T h i s i s n o t

not only to preserve the lineage and its lore, but also to refine,

straightforward, nor is it a light responsibility; one must en­ sure that whatever one adds or subtracts does not diminish,

expand and subhmate it in accordance with personal vision

imbalance or confhct with the Harmonyof the Totality. This

This is the matter of the individual Initiate's responsibility,

and predilection. Zos, in his formulations within The Witches' Sabbathand in his Grimoire of Zos,transmuted the Sabbatic

concerns all who are at present conjoined in similar endeav­

L ore as a nat u ral c o n s equence of h i s

p ress my blessings, gratitude and encouragement to th o se

own a r t i s t ry, but

ours within the field of the Arcane; with all due honour I ex­

n onetheless he did not detract from its Corpus of W i s d o m . What his words do not i m p ar t hi s p i c t u res most assuredly

True Companions of the Way. The Principal Methodology of the Sabbatic Arcana is

d o. Likewise in my own r e c ension of th e T r a d i t ion w i t h i n

Sorcery, and therefore it is necessary for me to define what is meant by 'Sorcery' in this context. Its meaning as employed

At,'oetia, A Grimoire of the Sal»batic Craft(From Asoth, Zoa, Aroa,et al; hence Quintessence, Lif'e and Death, and cognate ideas} I have redefined the Body of Sabbatic Lore and have sought to reconstruct the entire framework of the Tradition in ac­ cordance with its present aim of reifying the Qui n t essential Current of all Magick. Certainly the work reflects my personal vision, but the 'Lore' encoded therein is a direct 're-enflesh­ ing' of the Tradition as a. Whole, drawing in strands of sym­

i n the C u l tu s S a bb ati i s i n a g r e e m en t w i t h i t s c o r r e c t definition via the roots of etymology: ensorcel/ensorcellment = encircle, meaning 'to bewitch' or 'to bind by w i t c h c raf't'. Hence this implies the method of encircling' or b i n d i ng' as a . means of control and infl u e nce wi t hi n th e m a n i p u l a t i v e procedures of' Magickal Power. It is usual for occultists to

bolism and technique from many paths to express their align­

maintain a. simple error of technicality to strengthen their practical ineptitude. In th e use of ' S orcery' as a name for

m ent withi n t h e Q u i n t e s s e n t i a l - A z o e ti c C u r r e n t . T h u s having focused the Gnosis of the High Sabbat upon the Inner

s pecific magical pr o cedures th e e r ro r o f t e r m i n o l o gical Inaccuracy is most common. The term is usually restricted to

as a repository for the Unifying Current - the Magick of All

t l>osc operations which rely upon the use of material bases, i>r «rc located strictIy upon a fixed level of magical processes.

A eons — the task is now to reciprocate this upon the O u t e r . The Mystical G r i m o ir e Az o etia i s the Tellu r ic I o i nt o f Ingress for the reification of the Q u i n t essential (.;urrtl»t. It

is the 'Living Truth of Artc, the Very I Iesh of th«Sabbat's

i.«: th« I,ssilyit>g tl>« ".i~)r««r«r':>s;> I'ractitioner of 'lhlack Magick'. I'i)rtl1ll'1t«ly t l1«s««l'n»1's ill'« IMII tl lltlls.

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

GNOSIS FOR THE FLESH ETERNAL

Sorcery embodies the technique of 'Binding' as the means

Upon the Intellectual Plane it acts via. the 'eidos' of the Gods

of controlling Magical Forces, and hence may best be defined via a definition of' that technique:

and Powers as 'cogent principles of philosophical enquiry'­

The act of Binding is the deliberate limitation of a Force or State of Entity by Will, Desire and Belief, i n order to g ive t ha t F o rc e o r S t at e of E n t i t y a specific Form or Icon, and hence give its Power a focus and an intensity imminent to self-realisation. T his definit io n i s n o t r e s t ri c t e d t o a n y o n e l e v e l . I t functions from the H i g h est to th e L o w est Strata. of Being. Upon the Transcendental and Mystical Plane it is operative

via the 'Forms' of the Elder Gods and through the Abstract Magical Principles that are embodied in the Sacred Alphabet.

the 'Ideas' which specific god-forms represent. Similarly it may be applied upon the Emotional level via the sensory corollaries of the Sacred Letters; upon the psycho-sexual level via the use of specific eroto-cognitive and orgiastic formulae; upon the mundane level via the ritual iconography and the u se of fetishistic bases to e a rt h o r

m a n i fest the Power

Invoked; and upo n t h e a t a v i s ti c l e vel vi a t h e a n c e s tral, totemic and elemental powers communicated with and used by the Practitioner as delegatory extensions of his present ent1ty. This only glosses over the Practice of Sorcery, but it clearly

e xemplifies its r e l e v ance t o th e A d e p t . A s d e f i n e d 111 ref'erence to the Azoetic Current, Magick is the Force Itself,

the Transmutability of the Quintessence (Azoth) of All Nature; and Sorcery is the Method par excellence of the Arte Magical used to control that Force. Its advantage is primarily its technical precision in working with the extremely specific n uances of the M a g i cal C u r r e nt , w h i l s t m a i n t a i n in g t h e S anctity of M y s t ery vi a t h ei r u n d e r s t a n d ing and c o n t r o l through the cryptogrammatical meta-language of the Sacred Alphabet. The ramifications of the system are complex and

intricate, but it exists as an holistic 'entity'. Its understanchng should be undertaken not solely upon an intellectual or rational plane, but rather by 'feeling' an intuitive knowledge :lnd by virtue of sudden realization: a. deep and tacit gnosis l »arried to the lightning-swift illum i n ati on . ' I'hc notable distinction i n t h e S o r c ery o f t h e A z o e t i c t ',(Irrcnt is that it is 'the Sorcery of the Crooked Path'. It is l()yal solely to the deviation of the unique intent; it defines, I'( I il) cs and achicvcs its secrct ends, and in doing so confronts

«

© «~ +

«

lllc linlits of Nature's own horixon. By the transilient dance ( ) I I llc Adept lr()nl thc ()id 1'Icsll to thc Ne w - - f ' rom A b e l ll Ill() t.(llll

ll c p c l ' pclll(lily I'cl Clcs I ll(lt wl) lcll llc Is riot: tile

60

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

Body of Otherness. He is thus not only the Gateway for the R eturning D ea d b u t t h e G a t e w a y f o r T h o s e w h o a r e 'Beyond' and 'Between' the borderlines of Possibility. I n consequence of t h es e a r c ana I give the fo llowing magical formulae, which I hope will serve as a precis of these ideas, and that if used as daily objects of contemplation may transmit and enflesh the Quintessential Current to the 'Pure

GNOSIS FOR THE FLESH ETERNAL

THE EXVOCATION

I: O' Thou Colossus of Phantasie, who art the Mote and the Mot ion of All C r e ation, the Ephemeral Masquerader of Chaos. Ever-changing are thy Names;

of Hand and Eye'. Of these formulae, The Soliloquy of Alogos should be used

All Names but no Name will suffice to call Thee.

upon waking and The Exvocation upon retiring. This order s hould be reversed at the Full Moon and the New M o o n .

Thy Kingdom is the Horizon that encircleth me. By mine Inscrutable Sorceries,

THE SOLILOQUY OF ALOGOS

I: O' Thou Sole Arcanum - Panphage, Pangenetor, Panfornicatrix, who art the Wanderer within the Labyrinth of every Possibitity.

Thou art Here, this Very Moment: Transvoked. That the Circle lieth empty. In this Void enflesh anew the Alogos of I.

A Cipher of Cryptograms concealeth the Metatheses of thy Name Grant us the Flesh: Protosarkia.

Thou hast no kingdom beyond Transciency, who art exiled amid perpetual metamorphoses By this Sorcery of Will, Desire and Betief:

Thou art Here, this Very Moment: Enmsehed From this Form give forth the Necroloque: the Death Speech -of Atavism Grant us the Immediacy of Our Futurities:

Transference between all Otherness Lead us to meet the Ever coming C-haos

with a tranquil embrace and ennoble us with thy So/itude Spare us no Sensation: That we may attain Gnosis within Ekstasis

For Thine is this Illumination: the Living Truth of/: NOW

Incarnation to That which hath yet no nature. I.ead us not. For we are the Path Itself The Sole Prae-determinant of That which shall Be: NOW.

6z

A SCATTER IN G O F F ROM THE W I N G

DUST

OF THE M O T H

The Sabbat of the Witches exists in Dream, in the mystical reality born of M a n k i n d' s ancient physical heritage; it is a d imension separate and i n a ccessible to th e

c o m p an y o f

common folk. The world-field of the Sabbat is reached solely by those who dare to sip f ro m th e G r aa l of th e S e r p ent' s v enom. From d a r k est b an e c o m e s g o l de n b e n i s on : t h e

blessing of Sight, the journey of the Eye into the Forbidden Realm. The heart of the Sabbat lies within the Isle of Faerie, veiled in the mirage-mist of phantasies — a kingdom far out to sea, from whose shore whispers are caught, heard by spirits a nd then ca r r ied d o w n w i n d in t ime on th e b r eath of countless lips. Among the whispers I have heard: 'The Sabbat is a reality in the Flesh'. The 'flesh' of' the Sabbat permeates the Earth beyond a hymen-veil of impenetrable fire: it is a subtle entity sensed in sudden omen, in the visions caught by the dreamer's eye, in the augur of beast-track and bird-flight, in the rapture of f ascination, in the unaccountable leaping of spirit t h r o u gh the fissure of twilight... in the sudden turning of Chance that opens a book before your eyes with the greeting glance of i»ystery. The carnal menstruum of Faerie lies forever outside of'the commonplace and it is therefore forever unreal in the eyes of the worldly, and yet it is thus, in Sacred Unreality or 1) ivine Absence, eternally sacrosanct and beyond profanation ii> the Otherness of the spectral realm of shadow. I t>the market-place where all men may walk, the shadow­

w~~rld is talked of'in words double of meaning. Silence and s~'crccy scen> to gttard the lips against their vain out-pouring, ; tttd yct it i s ; t

S t : t t c o l ( : o t s s ciousness that is th e V e r y

Arc;ti>tlitt, 'I'hc Secrct c:tidal>ot bc divttlgcd save by its own hatt(':tits,;titd silcttcc is its gti:trdi:»t.

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

D UST FROM THE W I N G O F TH E M O T H

Books a.nd essays by academics and occultists endeavour to make comment, debating upon the historical veracity of

a nd symbol- ar e t r a n s i e nt , t h e y s e r v e t h e i n i t i a t e a s 'vehicles'for the coherent di r e c t ing of e n e r getic activiti es

t he Witch-cult, or s e eking t o p r e s ent a m a g i c o - r e l i giou s version of Sabbatic lore; there are few who distinguish the

involving Belief, Desire, and Will. The vehicle of Intent may b e aligned to the b e n e fit o f a s o c ial c o n t ext — the w i t c h

s ymbol from th e s y m b o l i zed o r w h o d i s c er n s u f f i c i e n t l y between the footprints of the dead left behind in hi storical

serving the community — or it may be wrought according to principles of reversal and be fashioned so as to oppose the

fragmenta and the living foot which has passed by and moved onward. All too often a shell remains, whilst the life which

p erceptual limit at i ons created by a c u l t u ral b o u n d ar y o f values. Temporally the processes utilized in the cult are often

once occupied it has evolved. The witness seeks to guess at t hat which made the historical imprint of the 'wit ch' wi t h i n

undertaken in silent knowing, seemingly but reflections of external and circumstantial imposition, but at certain times

the context of society, and yet that which is sought is, by its very nature, non-societal in its central field of operation. This

the cult or the individual becomes fully self'-conscious of the a-temporal and temporal realities of the Cultus. That which

i s not to say that th e w i t ch , sp i r i t - m e d iu m o r s o r c e rer i s w ithout social f u n c t i on , bu t i t is to say that the social, economic and religious functions are an external aspect. This

o nce was held to be secret emerges when needful into t h e Outer, for within the Circle new knowledge arises and must

d oes not demean the r ol e o f t h e

' w i t c h ' a s th e m e d i a t o r

b etween th e w o r l d s , a s h e a l e r a n d so o t h s a y er , b u t contextualizes the 'witch' in a manner which takes into full c onsideration th e i n n e r o r i n i t i a t o r y u n d e r s t a n d in g i n conjunction with the external and socially functional aspects. It is always possible to analyse the societal contexts in which a type of the witch-cult or practice appears; however this is peripheral and circumstantial to the inmost and a-temporal n ature of the ini t i at ory body. The reality of the D r e a m i n g C ultus will rem ain h i d d en , h i d de n save to th e D r e a m e r ­ initiates who 'go forth by night and make manifest by day'. D iscussions withi n th e p u b li c d o m ai n r e g arding t h e initiatory activity of the Cul tus are undertaken solely when it is deemed functional or advantageous to purpose. It may s erve well for comment to be m ade in ju x t aposition to t h e e volving perspectives of academia, or i n r e s p o nse to t h e changing environments of social and religious needs, but it is in response to the ebb and flow of the Magical Current that the outer activities of the Cultus are aligned. For!» n>ust. f!t function. The masks of externality -the religious for!», i>a!»e

b e nurtured a r i g ht . Grain m ust b e s o wn , t e n d ed, and h arvested; all things according to their season. During th e present phase of the Sabbatic Tradition, the Cultus Sabbati a Body of Initiates — is creating a focal cohesion between comparative lineal streams of initiation in the Old Craft; this process is one of self-realisation and manifestation for Those who walk the twilight path between the worlds. T he Dream of th e S abbat, the V i s io n i m p a r te d t o t h e Artists of the Divine, is reified according to the motivation o f Magical Power. The f u n c t io n o f the Cult or B ody of Dreamers is to manifest the revelation of the night-journey within the praxes of sorcery and thereby establish a path of transmission for energetic knowledge to the Physical. The path creates the way toward liberty from circumstance. The phrase 'to go forth by night', frequently occurs in the folklore

surrounding the witch: the night-flying hag upon the besom, the strega or night-owl, the meteoric streak of witch-fire, the omen-bearing mare of sleep, are amongst the most common c )r associated in>ages. To go forth by n i g ht ' i s an i n i t i a t i c p l!rase ol !»any iiitcrp r c t at i ons and may be found in b o t h il! ICI(.'1!t Qlld

p! c s el lt cl lty re c c l l s t o ns o f

!"t t u a l . T h e

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

D UST FROM THE W I N G O F TH E M O T H

following example, 'The Chant of Going Forth by Night', 1s

Lord of Animals. The Wild H unt is a symbol cast forth from

a charm belonging to ce r t ain co v i nes of t r a d i t i o nal C r a f t operatives in Essex; it is taken from an unpublished grimoire

a. deep strata within the current of th e Sabbatic My steries and may perhaps be viewed as the shamanic precursor of the

entitledThe Book of Effigies: O' Fair bio-od'd Children of Elphame, O'Dark bio-od'd Kin of the Snake, Yethat are wed in the Battle ofNight In Midnight's Field 'neath Calling Moon; Ye Leapers o' er the Turnstile, Ye Keepers of Meadow and Gate; We turn thrice about this Place in your honour; We dance with the Hidden Folk of the Grain We here do meet for the harvest to fight, 'ere back to our dust we go once again

O'Dark blood-'d Children of Elphame, O'Fair blood-'d Kin of the Snake, Yethat are masked in skin veil an-d birth cloak-, Ye that go forth 'pon Embertide Night; Come ye hither and take ye our hand, with horse sweat -and leaf bane,­

With toad hove an-d Wolf grain AO Hele and Hail and Blessed Be! The Night is the domain beyond the gate of the twilight. It i s, t h e r e f o r e , t h e ' s t a t e ' w h i c h l i e s b e t w e e n t h e inbetweenness of the Dawn or D u sk . Generally the phrase r efers to the sloughing of the wak ing f or m an d th e sp i r i t ­ t ravel undertaken in the dr e am ing f o rm . Th e ' N i g h t ' m a y f unction as the gl yph o f a n a n i m a l f o r m i n t o w h i c h t h c

6y

l ater cultic m a n i f e stations i n v o l v in g t h e t h e m e o f t h e 'night'as the arena for a secret battle or conclave of magical activity. In a temporal sense one may posit a progression of 'types' of night-journey, an evolution from the solitary spirit­ dream, through the variations of the Wild Hunt to the forms of the S pirit-battle for the crops, leading to a spectacle of the Sabbatic orgia. In opposition to the view which describes a t emporal evolution based upon the religious and folkl o r i c p atterns underlying the Sabbat, one may, from an ini t i a t i c s tandpoint, describe the d i f f e rin g m a n i f e s t at i ons of t h e night-journey as variations emanating from a single energetic core of knowledge. The initiate may experience various forms of'the night-journey, for the cbffering manifestations express the strata of a single mystery which may be partaken of a­ t emporally. Within th e pr esent phase of the Tradition t h e v ehicle of thi s sp ecific m y s t ery has been n a me d b y o n e initiate 'The Spirit-Hunt Covenant'. This naming is assumed a s a nominative mask of an in i t i a ti c st ream of k n o w l e d ge allied to the Body of the Cultus Sabbati. The night-journey may be an indivi dual undertaking or may, given the ap p r o p r i ate c o n t e xt, b e c ome a c o l l e c t iv e activity. (The reader is referred to anth r o p o l ogical studies

regarding the Benandantiof Friuli, Italy [Ginzburg] and the Dona de lafueraof Sicily [Heningsen] as relevant examples of' c ults of nig h t - t r a vellers.) W i t h i n

th e E s sex Cr aft m a n y

initiates undertake solitary practices involving dream-control a nd thereby 'going forth by n i g ht ' t o th e Sabbat or A s t r a l

initiate 'goes forth' in order to tr averse the land or air. Thc

Conclave; the solitary experiences are then commingled to F orm a collective m yt h r e i f i e d t h r o u g h ri t u a l p r a c t i c e s

European folk-motif of the Great Wild I-Iunt is perhaps thc most apposite collective image: a cavalcade offends, beasts,

i i>volvii>g scvcral initiates. In this instance the lone spirit ­ drca»s FLli>cti~)t>s syi»biotically with th e c o l l ective activity

and spirits lead by thc (>ace» oF thc I'airics c I l~iri>cd

lllyl.l lie "lily lwll his l lic ( >i"c'll Wild I Il.»lt.

68

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

In order to accentuate the idea of a. single knowledge with various manifest and temporal forms, yet with an a-temporal core, an example may be given. I was personally told by a f 'ellow Crafter of t h e p r a c t i c e u sed b y B u c k i n g h a m shir e

69

D UST FROM THE W I N G O F TH E M O T H

E lements within f o l k l o ri c r e p r e sentations of W i t c h e s , W itch-cults and t h ei r a c t i v i t i es, reflect an d e n c r yp t t h e initiatory reality of the Sabbatic Tradition. The matter of the

distinguishing birth-trait such as being born beneath a special

witches only three initiatic generations back. He said that the

'planet', or with the caul or the blood-red naevus, recalls the

witch, alone or in the company of fellows, would sit astride a

forked stick or horse-headed stave and 'go forth by night

anthropogenetic stigmata borne by the kindred of the Sabbat: the Mark of Cain. The caul and the stain of blood are signs

amongst the fields, richng through thick and thin in order to make the land fertile'. This practice was undertaken by the

which put the individual outside of the normative birth-state of the community; they place the individual in the Otherness

W eican at Lammas or as soon as the f i rst f i el d ha d b e e n h arvested; one could then 'r i de' t h r o ugh th e ' t h i ck ' of t h e

beyond the ordinary world. It is thus that one is 'marked' as s pecial or different, and thus as something ambiguous of

uncut sheaves and the 'thin' of the stubble. The steps of the 'ride' were danced into the land in order to dispel or appease

possible supernatural b e n evolency o r m a l i g n a n cy. Such c haracteristic signs of s e p arateness may be s een as t h e

the old, the powers of decay, a.nd thereby to usher in the new, the powers of increase. If a dream should chctate an alteration

underlying physiognomical truth from whence the belief in

of the practice, then the dream would be the motivation for t he evolution of c u s to m an d pr axis. An A f r i can parallel w orthy of consideration is the Kapsiki belief in th e s p i r i t ­ walkers' of Kelengu;these are people whose shadow leaves the b ody at night in o r de r t o g o f o r t h i n s p i r i t - b a t t l e fo r t h e welf'are of the crops. The 'spirit-walkers' bear close similarity to the Benendanti Both .groups are formed of individuals born with a distinctive trait such as a caul, they leave their bodies at night in shadow or animal form, and then go forth to act for the fertility of the land. The KelenguBenan,dantiand Weican o ccur wit hi n c u l t u r a l ' l o c a t i on s w i d e l y s e p a r a te d g e o ­ graphically, and yet, as examples of night-travellers, share the same strata of:spiritual activity. The individual of either group 'goes forth by night' in order to fight for the harvest and the

the so-called 'Devil's Mark' arose within the diabolic form of

the Sabbat. To the initia.te the Sigillum Diaboliis both literally 'the Devil's Pinch' and yet is also the intangible sign worn upon the brow; it is th e M ar k o f C a i n , th e i n v i s i ble mark w hich distinguishes the true-born of' the Craft blo o d - l i n es from the Profane.

Folklore has preserved the shell, the living reality has survived and evolved. Wit hin several British recensions of Sabbatic Lore there is a myth which has been passed down both orally and in wri t ten form w h ich recall the descent of' Witch-blood from Preexistence to the Present-day through the transmission of the Primordial Creative Fire. There are variant forms of the myth known to me from sources in East

Anglia, South Wales, and Cheshire, all of which are from

benevolent power of nature. This is a complex matter and

operative lineages of Craft practice. The myt hic construct serves to encode certain core teachings regarding the nature

distinctions may be drawn between the cited examples, but my reference is made solely for inferential purpose relating

of the lineal. descent and the raising of magical power.

to the a-temporal core of 'Sabbatic' activity.

It is

dressed in the language of'a. daemonological gnosis fused t~igcther through practical application and bearing the signs w liich tt. II , A)r tl)c S;)bbat is tlute:>rclsetypal rite of'magick. Within

practical knowledge: I'orce to 1'~~ri».

its siiht le gv~~i>i@try t l>~' steps I> imp~) l> the path of nature

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

are glyphed, encoded in a. primal script of rite, symbol, and gesture. Through ritual we reflect our understanding of the

T HE CUL T O F T H E

DIVINE ARTIST

world and seek to portray its patterns as though we were the

Gods speaking in soliloquy. The pantheon of the chvine and the infernal reside within the house of the body. The forces of Star, Moon, and Season are masked, clothed in a similitude

The Cult of theZos and the Kia exists between the images which are presented here to define it, for it is through the gateway of imaginal interaction that the numinous reality of the Divine Artist cometh forth!

to our mortal f o rm s and are n a med ' L or d an d L a d y', and through the very forces of nature the Lord and Lady speak. Perchance the mask and the masked are both part of the same veil woven by the mind. That which is behind the veil is the m ystery at th e h e ar t o f

Worship.

t h e S a b b at:the R it e o f E l d e s t

T he M a g i cal C u r r e n t i s t h e vi t al en er g e t i c continuum which motivates the activities of initiated sta.tes of entity within the universe. Its manifestation in the World is determined by the forms through which it is transmitted. The vehicles of transmission are manifold and are specialized to fulfil the requirements of Time, Place and Purpose. Such vehicles are both visible and invisible upon the Earth; some are perceived as bodies of in i t i a t es, either as i nchvidual avatars or c o l l e c t i v ely a.s M a gical O r d e r s o r Schools of Thought, and others as ranges of consciousness — zones of specialized perceptual activity. The latter exist as a ggregates of imaginal, astral and c o g n i t iv e e n t i t i es; th e nature of this form of tr ansmission may transcend, and yet p ermeate through, th e l i m i nal b o u n d aries of t e m p o r al structures. There are forms which partake of both the subtle and the gross, having their existence as Dreaming Entities, as noumenal matrices beyond the common scope of linear cognition and which, as Pure Idea, transgress the limitations o f the Mind to p e n e t r ate the atavistic strata of M a t te r t o achieve expression through the Living Flesh. The Divine Art ist is the possessor of this sagacity of the

carnal; his is the mind traversed by the lightning-bolt of inspiration; from his gestures the World of Man is illumined

the u>stai»cd fire ofheaven translated to the parchment of I|.'allty. I his Is tile llvatal 0( the itos and the Kia, the Genius

~>l the I I:ilia a»d !lie I:ye!

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

T HF CULT OF THE D I V I N E A R T I S T

Where the veils of temporality are parted, blown asunder by the zephyr's kiss, there lies the World- f i eld, set at the heart of' the summer-land, the domain where the ancient folk of

Elphame hold covine. ' Pon embertide ni ght ' n e ath a m o o n - b l ack sun, in t h e ragged ring of the Serpent-path. Like moths we are f'orever drawn back to the Secret Fire of Eld, to leap in the flame of our own self-recreation, to once more reclaim our memories from the dust....once more the Sabbat-tide is come! H ere the course of witchblood flow s

a r i v e r - w r e ath of

scarlet to encircle the Isle of the Blest; here the step of' the wise doth noctivagant turn — to t r ace its crooked dance to the primal musick of Pan. Here Nature fornicates a.nd takes its own pleasure 'twixt G ods, Men, B e a sts an d S p i ri t s : O n e B o d y ' m i d s t t h e c ornucopia of ' i n t e r n e c in e v e n e rie . H e r e F l e s h i s t h e transgressor: the maker and breaker of its own law. The Body extends to embrace all others. T his is th e m e e t i n g - p l ace o f

the A r t i sts D i v i ne, th e

Conclave that is met beyond the pillars of the twin twilight,­ in a time that is not a time...in a place that is not a place. In

the Night of the Mighty Dead we gather, shedchng the skin of our mortal circumstance, flying forth cross the borders of kingdom and age to the Sabbat of the Dreamer. By many names you may call us, in many books you may read of us, from many mouths hear tell of us... in the myths of days past, in tales of were-and-faerie-folk, in half'-caught

Wherever the fulguralis strikes, the omen-bearing lightning bolt,— there too is the Divine Artist! T he spectra. of h i s e x p r e s sio n t h e sco p e o f al l c onsciousness; the nature of h i s e x p r e ssion — t h e v i t a l energetic fleshing of magical aesthesis, such is his form cast through eternity: One Body divided between the pantheon incarnate of Man! Such is the Gnosis of the Divine Arti st . The temporal manifestation of this Gnosis utilising the name of the Zos Kia Cultus seeks to attain an hypostasis of the Magical Current, a vehicle specialized for the reification of the Inherent Dr eam. Its votaries meet alone... in a great company of spirits; its rites are held within secret conclaves that are states of the heart and mind, sometimes amid the thrall of the Astral, sometimes amid the circles of the Adept, and ofttimes unbeknown to all...in solitude.

The Current of the Zos and the Kia was transmitted through the work of'Zos vel Thanatos, the artist known in the world of men as Austin Osman Spare (r886 - r 9 g 6). Its jnceptjon partakes of the work of an on-going initiatic lineage, of which Spare was an adept; this being known as the Tradition of the S abbatjc Mysteries. Having no name, but that which Ti m e , !'~ace and Purpose require, the Sabbatic Tradition has passed (n)m hand-to-hand, mind-to- m i nd, throughout and beyond i»ortal reckoning of Time. ! t was from his initiatrix, the Witch-m other Paterson, that

glimpses at the crossing of Dawn and Du sk. Here a hand is stretched to you from th e C i r c l e - d a nce of the D e a t h l ess...

~ i~s v< ~ '1 ha»atos was inducted into the Craft of the W i s e ,

hear this voice that speaks to you from mystery!

;>I) J thefts placed his mark within the book of its ancestral vent;ility. ! Iir«ugh his unique slll as an artist he evolved hjs rsl»l'I (>( 5;>bb;>tie ls (~f' it's tc;>cl>i(>gs; t'hose who have worked 'The Call t() Axr:t t.((()iial' will bc i(i a p()sitio(i to:tsccrtain thc veracity

tl>c

Crooked Path'. This Quadriga (a circle of f(iur «dcpts) was

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

A HISTORY OF CROOKED PATH TEACH I N G S

of this statement. Furthermore, the Crooked Path is to serve

by the knowledge and initiatory background of individual

with both left and right hands, to know the Ways of Healing and Hurting, Blight and Blessing — and to be poised in

brethren. Nonetheless, to assist others to gain some glimmer of the actual ethos of the Crooked Path, it may be useful to

equilibrity betwixt with one-p o i n t edness of Intent. The interplay of m a g i cal cu r r e nt s assists the m a n i f e st

direct the reader to some historical parallels, bearing in mind in each case that cultural meanings will vary widely from our

c ontext for t r a n s m i s sion o f

own discourse, even if the affinities of ethos seem apparent. One exemplary corollary may be found in the instructions of

the C r o o ked Path t h r o ugh

various methods, each suited to context and character. The C ultus Sabbati, which is , i n e s s ence, an ou ter v ei l f o r a

the Bon Zijid

(videNorbu, I99), Drung, Deu and Bon, pp.

witchcraft tradition that has no fixed name, serves to ensorcel and focalise many Sabbatic and fo l k - m a g ical streams in a.

2o4-6) concerning 'contradiction in terms of behaviour and

coherent harmony. Adjunctive to this pr i m ary context, our l inks with Tan t r ic, Su f ic, Vo u d on , G n o s t ic, and W e s t e r n M agical Li n e ages an d orders pe rm its an o v e r arching

example: dwelling in fierce places conflicts with behaviour,

viewpoint, with an eye to the "patternings" evidenced in the congruencies between diverse practitioners and circles. This

behaviour, but if they serve to consolidate the teaching they correspond with the sense.

provides a direct capacity to turn circles within circles, and t hus empower the Greater Engine of the Cu r r e n t's W il l i n

A nother corollary ma y b e found in v a r iousforms of V oudon p r a x is , t h i s i s p ar ti c u l a r l y n o t a b l e i n t h e

manifestation, reification, and importantly, rarefaction of the Vehicle to higher modes of consciousness.

methodologies o f s p i r i t - c o n g r e ss, a n c estral r e v e r e n ce, geoglyphic tracery, and so forth. Indeed, it must be noted that

In the activation of this programme of work t h ere is the n ecessity for the l i nk s i n t h e m a g i cal ch ain t o b e f o r g e d

another of the founding initiates of The Column was himself a student of an Haitian bokor, and it is thereby that a very

through Ini t i a t io n an d f o r m a l

Without these, there is no "achkhari" as maybe seen in circles

specific current of inspiration and knowledge came to merge w ithin the i n i t ial w or k o f t h e C r o o k e d P a th . I t c o ul d b e

which function well, but mistake "realisations" of one plane f or "init i a t i o ns" t h a t t r a n s f or m a t e v e r y l e v e l . T h i s i s ,

perceived that the no t io n o f ' s e r v ing w it h b o t h h a n ds' as found in Voudon plays a specific role in the Cr o o ked Path

however, a vastly complex and subtle matter: as we rightly

ethos. This is notable for its direct analogue in the cunning­ craft ambidexterity toward both healing magic and cursing.

t r a n s m i s sion of t e a c h i n gs.

k now, some adhikaris need o nl y " i n n er " a c t i v a t i on . O n e might even say that an adept should aspire to Mastery via the Lonely Road, as well as the Crooked Path.

coherency in terms of sense' (spyod lam 'gal shing don la 'brel). For b ut if it s e rves to r e d uce everything i nt o o n e' s p o we r i t c orresponds with the sense. Wrathful actions conflict wi t h

In purely initiatic and textual terms relating to the work of The Column, some additional historical clarity is required.

If one were to seek for some historical corollaries to the p resent lore of th e C r o o k e d P a th , on e w o ul d d o w e l l t o

I t was the intent of Th e C o l u m n o f t h e C r o o k e d P ath t o incarnate a grimoire of Crooked Path Sorcery and eventually

r emember that t hi s i s no t t h e s a m e a s asking about t h e actualities of inspiration upon the C o l u mn . Th e an swer to

to publish it. The work of marufesting the praxes took several years and an it»i»easurable amount of'effort on the part of

that latter enquiry is primarily direct spirit-congress, oneiric revelation, and vision, all of which is»cccssarily co»ip~ntndcd

tl>e (.:olili»i>'s bretl>rcii; to then' the Scribe gives manifold

s;>liitatis. Ii»plated tlute textual corpus of

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

The Draconiatt Grimoire and a private edition was published internally within the Cultus. Since that time the practices of t he Crooked Path have begun their t r a n smission into t h e outer court of the Cultus and thus into the Companie of the S erpent-cross and K u - S ebittu. A t p r e s en t t h e f o r m a l initiatory transmission of this lore is wholly contained within these circles of practiti o n ers. (W h er e some have claimed otherwise, they are wholly mistaken) . Within these initiatory parameters the ritual, oral and textual transmissions of the Crooked Path are ongoing and diverse in form. Even when the Draconian Grim o ire is eventually published, the inner

?»»

transmissions of the rites will be maintained, juxtaposing the b roader literary and individualistic manifestations with th e maintenance of inner magical continuity. For those readers of'this comment outside these initiatic p arameters I can only re quest patience; the book w il l s e e daylight in its own season. In the meantime, I have sought to

4;». ~(?:,~ ? » .

provide some basic glimpses into this body of lore via articles and the w o r k Qu t u b F o r. a n y o n e r e q u i r i n g a g e n u i n e

.'4 /

introduction I recommend working the Rite of the Opposer,

'The Call to Azra-Lumial', 'The Call to Mahazhael', or 'The Call to Liliya Devala'; all of which are now published. As time p asses, there w i l l

no

d o u bt

?

b e fu r th e r p r ep a r a t o r y

manifestations. Readers of Qutub or The Cauldronjournal will

be aware of the practices thus far published by myself'and

Q,©~g$~ Q

+

?-% o :,'. , , ' "','.„; " ,.: . ?

~ '

'.. »,*. ~~

Z

(

''I

o ther Cultus i n i t i a t es. T h ose wh o w i s h t o a s c e r t ain t h e n ature of' this Path in t r u t h a r e a d v i sed to e n g age in i t s pra.ctice; the published rites will avail the receptive individual with a gateway for congressus with the patron spirits of the Path themselves. Having spent a decade reifying these Mysteries personally and with the invaluable assistance of certain most fine adepts,

I hope the readers will understand my desire to clarify the P ath's provenance and draw some l i nes of ' d c h n i t i o n . A n i nitiatory pat h m u s t b e

r e s p e c ted an d w h e r e I s e c t h e

/

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

S EVEN SHADES OF SO L I T U D E integrity of the Crooked Path upheld, I rejoice and will lend as much support as I can. Y et wheresoever I s e e i t s i n t e g r i t y a b u se d I l a y a n irrevocable Curse of Hell-thorn and Harrow: the Blackthorn o f Sabatraxas to your heart, even unto the ruin of k it h a n d kin. The very nature of the Path demands this stance uniting

A brief disquisition concerning the Subtil Degrees of the Lonely Road, set forth in accordance tvith the Gnosis of the S abhatick Craft Tradition olitude is a Muse to Those whom it loves. It is a masked wanderer that meets the Mage as the oldest of friends,

both Benison and Malison. In the N ame of the I n t e r cessor

as the most worthy of enemies, as the most constant yet elusive lover, as the wisest and most cunning teacher, as

of the Crooked Path, it is so! T he manifest wor k w h i c h I

angelic solace or as hellish torment, as a prayerful eirenicon f inally answer'd, as a battle-field f ro m w h i c h t h e r e i s n o

h a v e o v e r s een in t h e l a s t

decade will, I hope, be greatly expanded in the forthcoming years. For ten years I have ostensibly been the sole voice of communication to emerge from w i t hi n th e cl osed circle of t he Cultus. T h i s h a s h a d i t s b l e s s i ngs an d c u r s es, b u t fortunately this situation is now changing. In this last year, the Cultus issued the work Ars Philtronby Daniel A. Schulke. T his is the fi rst v o l um e i n a n i m p o r t a n t s e r ies of w o r k s

escape. Its mask is all that we make it, for Solitude elects its friends by a divination of mi r r o rs: it determines the nature o f its m o r ta l r e l a t i on s a c c orchng t o i t s o w n M y s t e r y ' s r eflection in e ac h an d ev ery soul. Th e on e wh o d a r e s surrender unto the sky-spacious abyss of the Isolate shall find his self more in his own self-losing, for the vast profundities of the soul shall be surrender'd unto him. Yet he who fears

t he merely q u ie t

and d ar k b y w ays of t h e s o u l ' s

relating to the Mysteries of the Verdelet or Green Magister of the Sabbatic Trachtion. Other works by other brethren are

u naccompanied wandering, does he not make himself th e

also in preparation: I, for one, eagerly await the fruit ion of their work in published form. I w o ul d earnestly entreat my

e voker of his own d e m o ns? If we ar e to o p l a g ued by t h e ghosts of our own making, how may we seek the good counsel

f ellow students of t h e P a t h t o a p p r e c i at e th e g r a d u a l l y u nfolchng vision w h i c h w e are at t empting to m a n i f est.

of the spirits and gods which partake, in equal measure to ourselves, in the All-O n eliness of Existence>

Patience, attention to the spirits, steadfastness of will, and heart-felt application of praxis are called for. Those who know me, heart unto heart, in rite, by missive,

article or book, will hopefully comprehend the scope, depth, and value which the Teachings of the Sabbatic Craft hold for

Like a child, first gazing into a looking-glass, perplexed at the mimicking twin who dances and gestures — and 'lives' on the other side, we often mistake the reflections of our own s piritual cond i t io n f o r a t r u t h f u l u n d e r s t a n d in g o f a n external world a r o un d us , m i s u n d e r standing th e l e ssons

me; to all who can meet with me in this spirit-comm u n ion I d edicate all such lab o urs. I e n t r e a t s uc h c o m p a t r i ot s t o remember that the Warding of the Ci r cle is a task we share

which the masquerade of Solitude bri ngs before us. How often we make masks and costumes for our gods in our own likenesses; how often we paint the hosts of heaven with our

and that it is a duty which requires our constant vigilance.

own shadow-play, joining star unto star, belief unto belief, in configurations born wh o lly of ou r ow n a f f i n i t i es. I n d e ed, there are veils upon veils which reveal to us our own arcana,

but which i f

f a l s ely taken as a final comprehension of

'tntth' cNitlgl> tlute i»axe of mirror'd altars.

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

90

Transgressing all well-kept borders of history and culture, the Way of the Sorcerer, the so-called 'Faith of Cain', is that which heeds the spirits beneath the heels of the Wanderer;

it is the Way of Knowledge which comprehends the living zodiac of Desire, the 'how' of' Believing, and the t o ols by

which such Knowledge can be wilfully applied: the Sigil and Stave, the Will and the Word of Magical Power. For those of this Faith, the so-called Wytcha and Curren, it is the Circle

~c 'I'I> i rtdc is thc I lcrmitage of the J < rl> yl»al>, 'I'i>i. i. tl>, l i t 3 I n w h o a b a n d ons all t w:>rd pl>yNi;»>y, < s< wi»g;>ssci;>t I with all

I) The First Solitude is thc I-Igc of Co>lvoc'>llo». I'I >s sol>«>dc of t]>c pl.;>ctltl vestigial knyths which relate the oneiric location of' witch knot titigs, fairic convocations, and the

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

n octurnal flight of the W il d H u n t . M e r g in g w it h C h r i s t i a n theological conceptions the background of folk belief assisted

DREAM, PROVENANCE AND M A G I S T RY

99

generation, the simple t e achings of r u ral m a g i c i ans have

in the formation of the stereotypical witch ritual we know as The Mitches' Sabbath . From an e s o t e r ic p e r s p e c tive it i s

grown, coalescing with their longevity to establish traditions with rites of initiation and fo r mal in d u c t i on. Readers here are well-advised that the Cultus Sabbati is a closed circle and

c onsidered t ha t t h e S a b b a t h i s t h e a s t r a l o r d r ea m convocation of magical ritualists' souls, animal selves, and a

according to long-standing custom, those who ask for entry are refused. Initiation is by invitation only. Where the spirits

vast array of spirits, faeries and otherworldly beings. It is c onsidered that the t rue l o c ation of th e S abbath is at t h e

so will it, a path shall be found. The circle of the Cultus Sabbati holds dear the spells and

Crossroads of waking, sleeping and mundane dreaming, that i s, in the state of'True Dreamin g t he r e a l m i nw h i c h t h e

customs which generations past have bequeathed. The use of psalms, biblical divination, oral customs of ritual praxis have

Lady Moon, the nocturnal sun, illumines a world beyond the reach of the uninitiated.

r emained with us, merging amidst a greater body of l o r e , some old, some new y e t a l l c o n s t ant in vi v i f i cation from

The teachings of the cunning-folk have come and gone for the most part from modern European culture, but here and

the timeless wellspring of dream. For as time passes, the circle hearkens to the spirits patron to it s her i t age, a.nd through

t here fragments of l o r e h a v e b e e n p a s sed d ow n t o t h e present-day. In instances where the custodians of lore and ritual have been ardent students of th e m a g ical artes, the

dream and spirit- m e d i u m ship th e c i r cle fleshes itself and moves forward. The authenticity of our work d oes not rest

f ragments have co alesced to e s t a b l ish s t r e am s o f s e l f ­ conscious tradition. W h er e tw o o r m o r e o f t h e se streams

1n ant1qu1ty, 1t 1s act1ve through present and on-go1rlg v1s1oil.

Traditional Sabbatic Craft often employs demonological

conjoin a. river is born, and thus it is t hat th e p r e sent-day Cultus of the so-called 'Sabbatic Tradition' emerges.

names and imagery as part of a. cipher to convey a gnosis of Luciferian self-liberation. Similarly, and as aforesaid, rituals may utilise Christian forms and terms, both as a part of long­

Cultus Sabbati is a body of magical initiates who practise both solitary and collective rituals, whose lineal tradition/ s

standing custom and as part of a sorcerous intent to willfully re-orientate cultural accumulated 'belief' to magical purposes.

descend, in both oral and textual forms, from surviving 19th c entury cunning- f olk an d r i t u a l m a gi c p r a c t i ce. It i s n o t

The positive and negative aspects of this arcanum are dealt

claimed that we practice the very same rites, spells and so

Iconostasis of Belief' and readers are directed there for more detailed understanding. One must be wise to discern the use

forth of the I6/zpth century cunning-folk, for it is the very

with in my book Asoetia (Xoanon, I992) under the name 'The

nature of these things to change their form and manner. One must remember that rituals are ensouled with practise, that

of veil upon veil: the use of demonological terms should not

spirits as well as men and women pass on and teach the Arte Magical. As the generations pass, some lore remains constant, some does not i t c h a n g es, evolves and adapts according to

I)) agic' or such like; neither should our positive use of Judaeo­ t'.I) ri Ji»» (.;urrcnt in general? A( ',. '( ',1»cct>of>. As sotr>cot>e ot>ce said: You can sl>;»< tl>( I;>tl>, h(>t »otyour seeps. Thc Cultus has affiliatory

> I;»i », I iI, t ;

» >b r

I- t r a d i t i o > , I i h n a i n t ai n a

«)>»I);»:>I)I< ii»(;>I:»>tiqt»ty, b(>t I a>» u»able t»'> '(' () I;»>y s(>( I» 'cl'>f >()»sl»p '>t' p> csc» t. As ts made by s ome critics between my ar t an d t h a t o f t h e l a t e A u s t i n («sman Spare. One might perceive a similarity of ambience c («pl»(I>l»> ( t» lc»t I ' » » » > v oivccl w>t'I> ;»»»»I)y8(('»'('s »>

( I I>g> (>pl>tc (>I't'w()>'Ic c()» t>»»ccI w>tll»» »y scco»CI book, Qgtul).

l> v c>'y

p()t c » t

» >< » » ' >('>' l»>(I w > t l >

I> w»>gs,bl>t t I>c co»>p(» ">so>1 c«L>ld >>ot bc cxtet>ded to the

IO4

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

Within Qutub the aesthetic influence stems predominantly from the Ku fi c st yle of' Islamic calligraphy, incorporating s ome of th e t a l i s m a ni c r e p r e sentational st y les o f Sufic e sotericism. I would certainly admit t o a d ebt of h o no r t o both the pictorial and the literary style of Zos vel Thanatos;

I owe a debt of honor to all whom I consider to be my spiritual ancestors. One should be respectful of the Mighty Dead; one should not forget the Blessed and the Wise that h ave preceded you, lest they forget you! In r e v i ews of m y

work I have read of comparisons with Crowley, Grant, Spare, etc; this tells me everything about the infl u e n ces upon the r eviewers and the extent of th eir reading; it tells very littl e by way of an accurate appraisal of my work within the entire field of world esotericism. Any com p arison tells me about t he Comparer. A u s ti n S p a r e' s ow n i n v o l v e m en t i n t h e

S abbatic Tradition will inevitably have drawn him in t o similar fields of sorcerous praxis as myself, and it is certain t hat the current o f m a g i cal aesthesis as it is t r a n s m i t t e d within the context of the Sabbatic Mysteries will manifest in s imilar w ay s t h r o ugh c h f f e r ent a r t i s t - m e diums. T h i s similarity occurs because of the spirit- f a m i l i ars possessing, obsessing or over-shadowing the artists being the same or of the same ilk.

RF. Are you at hberty to divulge in ri cher detail Mr s. P aterson's South W a les W i t c h - C u l t , i . e., it s p r e sent d a y location, lineage and practices. What connection, if any, does

this lineage have with self-same depictions within the works of Arthur Machen and the Celtic Witch Tradition in general> AC. With r e g ard t o

t h e c h a r a c ter o f M r s . P a t e r son, her

identity, role and relationship to Spare, there is much to tell, b ut it is not my place to divulge this information. As to th c l ineage of her w i t c h - c u lt , on e c o ul d say t hat i t

has been

passed down via its Grand Familiar, Black L'aglc, to worthy

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

recipients, but once again I cannot speak of this. Others will do so in their own time. Much work has been undertaken in this area and one may say with certainty that the Current of the Zos Kia is flourishing within its chosen initiates. There is much which others may choose to reveal, both regarding

THE SABBATIC CULTUS

IO7

AC. How does one gauge the extent of an in fl u e n ce? To a.nswer your question exactly I would have to say, 'None'. I

find nothing within the philosophy of Thelema which is not already present within the innate metaphysics of mine own magical praxes, if not all magical practices. Will is vital. To

t he lineage and practices of th e " Z o s - K i a", and t h e unglimpsed majority of Spare's artwork and literary output.

use Will in one's magical praxes denotes an understanding of magick's methodology, it does not comport any connection

The latter revelation will break a number of pre-conceptions

to the theophanic transmissions of the Master Th e r ion or

which surround AOS and will hopefully shatter the masks assumed in the Zos Kia. Cultus myth os, thus permi t t in g a

freedom of belief which will allow the Zos Kia Current s trange new f l esh i n

w h ich t o m a n i f e st!Th e f o r e m o st

exposition of Austin Spare's aesthetic, hterary and magical

work is enshrined within the recently published book, Zos Kia by Gavin W. Semple, published by Fulgur, zppp. This is

any other Mage. If'however by 'philosophy of Thelema' you m ean the magical ph i l o sophy o r doctrine of M a g ick as expounded by Crowley in his various works, then I would say that there is a degree of'influence upon the techni ques of ceremonialism which I have used, but I would say that there are other influences which are more evident. It is however important to understand and give due credit to the fact that

RF. Discuss the concept you call 'Magical Aesthesis'.

the work of Crowley has permitted us all a greater freedom upon the Path; he and certain others of his era opened gateways through which knowledge became accessible. The

AC. "Magical Aesthesis" denotes the states of perception

greatest influence upon me is the current of magick itself and i f that cu r r e nt , b y i t s v e r y n a t u r e , c a r r ies w it h i t s u c h

essential reading for the cognoscenti in these matters.

u tilised within th e p r a c t i ces of so r cery ranging f ro m t h e V irgin State t o t h e s p e c i al i zed t r a n c e - states wi t hi n t h e assumption of god-forms as the vehicular modes of traffick w ith t r a n s m u n d ane e n t i t i e s . M a g i c a l A e s t h e sis m e a n s m agical percepti on . T h e V i r g i n S ta t e r e f ' e r s t o t h e unconditioned perception of the wo r ld, unaltered by social a nd cultural i n fl u e n c es ; i t i s t h e st a t e o f l i b e r t y i n consciousness attained through pu r i f i c at ion of th e senses. The formulae of A e s t h e sis as f o un d i n Az o e t iar e f er t o g radations of perceptual states or means of m a n i p u l a t i n g states via contemplative and ritual praxes.

knowledge as is transmitted by such entities as Aiwass, then one must admit to a fusion of their influence with one's own i nnate magical know l edge. I h a v e s t u d ie d t h e works of Crowley and have integrated much of what I have found to resonate with my personal inclinations. An emphasis upon t he Will c a u ses one t o c o n s i de r it s r o l e . T h e V o i c e o f

Zarathustra has found its echoes in many places; the knell of the Great Noontide has resounded within me! Others could c all me a T h e l e m i t e an d t h e y w o u l d d o n o w r o n g . . . t o paraphrase. I would not choose to do so since it would limit

the parameters by which an aspirant might perceive my own worl< and it would also encourage preconceptions in regard

RF. How much of an in fl uence has the philosophy of Thelema had upon your particular magickal praxis'?

t ;i pars()leal assess'»e~~t of Th e r i o n's w o r k . I seek to tr>iiscci>J;>II wl>() I>:>vs g~iiie beh~re;! will Iiot merely repeat

T If so, would you then accordingly consider that RF. Would you say that the concepts of' the Grand Famulus z oetictermino o an t e r e or e r e r ese n t t e s a m e

an%r similar ideas (definitions)?

Black Eagle and the Emissary Nyarlathotep are one and the same? AC. 'The Elder Gods' is a phrase used for a long time within

A C. One should be careful to show d i s cernment in t h e s e matters and to distinguish between the types or forms of the Familiar or Servitor Spirit. Th ere are several distinct forms of this energetic manifestation: the Ancestral Familiar; the

Servitor evoked by a single adept; the automata. projected and personified by an individual and/or a group; an intrusive spirit evoked from outside of the individual(group; a catalytic e ntity who s e r ves solely t o e n e r g iz e th e w o r k i n g s o f a . m agician, but i s i n i t s e l f s e e m i n g l y u n a l t e re d b y s u c h i nteraction; the entity w h ic h is b o un d t o l o c a l ity of p l a c e a n%r t i m e , and so on. As to th e d i s t i n c t ion b e t w een th e G rand. Familiar and t h e E g r e g o r e ... The latter is , t o m y understanding, a synergetic nexus created by the collective i ntent of a. group of m a g i c i ans; it i s g i ven f or m through visualization or any other unified perceptual attitude adopted by the collective. It may or may not be a distinct autonomous being in itself. With out the collective mind to support it, it may decay or just cease to function. The Gr and Familiar as summoned within the Aloe'tiais the sovereign tutelary spirit w hich serves the Races of W i t c h b l o od . On e i n i t i a t e w i l l perceive it differently from another; its forms are many and d iverse, its tot al ity e m b r a ces all o f th e v a r i ous types of manifestation which are possible for such a state of being. The Familiar is the entity, or entities, which tend the field of t he sorcerer's otherness, that is, they arc c x i s t cnt as t h e extension of thc Sorccrcr's «warciicss bcyotid thc vchiclc of

tlute Acsli.

the rites and spells of Traditional Wi t ch craft; it denotes the Gods which existed prior to the god- forms fashioned b man. T he phrase can be found in exta.nt ritual texts belongin t o i nitiates of t h e C u l t u s S a b b at i a n d o t h e r b r a n c h e s o f T raditional C r a ft , A c o n n e ction m ade by th e o u t s i der between the use of the phrase in question and the concept as ound within the works of' H. P. Lovecraft is indigenous to their perception alone; if that connection is useful in workin with the concept then that is of some benefit. However, one m ust question w h e t h e r o r n o t s u c h a n i de n t i f i c ation reaffirms conceptual presumptions and what the nature of such pre-experiential concepts denotes about the perceiver. If the reader is inclined to know, if that may be done, what

the phrase 'The Elder Gods' signifies, then I would advise them to work with such modes of sorcery which will facilitate direct experience. As to the question of whether or not Black E agle can b e i d e n t i f i e d w i t h t h e L ov e c r a f t i a n e n t i t y N yarlathotep, my r e s p o nse is t h e same as before. Th e identification is yours and its usefulness is relevant solely to *

your perception. If you were to work with the entity known as Black Eagle you would not ask such questions; you may not be able to phrase a question about it.

(>k (>1 I ll(' I i('113 w('I'(' balll, "If ()Il(.' I IIllc ol 'lI)otl)cI",

THE SABSATIC CULTUS

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

w ritten by indiv i d u als and could at the t im e of w r i t i n g b e called 'personal'. One might consider that their context was

number of ways throughout Qutub within the course of the e vocatory poem, the c o m m e n t ar y an d a n n o t a t i o ns. T h e

different and that a known religious construct supported any

teachings of the Crooked Path will be made fully explicit in

personal religious writings. However, if' the reader is a sorcerer of some skill they might f'ind that the framework which supports the Azoetic Grimoire and its spells is one

further publications.

w hich transcends the o u te r f o r m of an y si ngle magico­ r cligious system. Those who w ish t o u t i l i z e th e f o r m u l a e within the book should read them directly from the text and

visualize the imagery described therein. They should adapt I l>cm according to their own needs and in the light of th ei r ()wl> place upon the path. This approach should be evident I();>i>yone possessed of an inkling of in i t i a t i ve; the book is

Some might draw parallels between the Eastern Teachings of the One Life(Short Path, the Path of' Blame as practiced by the Mullamatiyah Sufis, and those of the Crooked Path. There is sufficient material for the present within Qutub for t hose receptive unto its Essence. The definit i ons of te r m s within this book are fo r it s c o n t ex t an d fo r i t s p u r p o s es; b eyond the pages of books the C r o o ke d P ath is a r e al i t y w hich transcends the divisions of the Left and Right H a n d Path dichotomy.

writ tcii so as to remain closed to the profane.

II I '. I I;>vc you had any congress with the entity known as Lam

R F. Could you expound upon 'the double-form of th e O pposer'. Would you equate this being wit h t h a t o f

()I' A I>l >li>l>trah?

Baphomet~

A( ,'. Y(s! I l>ave done some workin this areaand have drawn

AC. The O p p o se r i s

i >iy ()wii c()I>ctusions from that w o rk . H o w e v er , I h av e n o t

personifies the essential ethos of the Crooked Path and is the t otem of t h e s o r c e r o u s m e n t a l i ty . I t s d o u b l e - f ' or m i s

I i;i(I;> s(1 I I icic»t answer from anyone else working in this area .is I() I l>c i>at»re of the entity in question. Is it an intrusive or ; I(I I ()1>()1»()lis entity; i s i t a g od - f o r m a s s u m e d b y a n i i>l( lligciicc; is it a g o d - f o r m a s s u med by a m a g i c ian f o r ( '()111111(ll> I l>g with transmundane e n t i t i es~ A s t h e oracle

s;iyclI> 'Il is all in the Egg'; As I reply, 'The Egg is the food of I li(,) ii;il I)riel could you describe what is meant in your book < >utub1)y 'll>( I'oli>t al>d t'hc Crooic I ' ( )ii>t i s

' ( . > n c = po i n t c d » css t h r o u g h ou t a l l

< '.()1>s(.i()(isi>css'; ii ch to

( sist( I>( is J( I'ii>c(I by ii>I(. rci>c(. al>d ii»plic:>tio» iii a

t h e g o d - f ' or m o f t r a n s g r e ssion; it

perceived in contemplating the two sides of a knife edge or the bifurcation of the serpent's tongue. One may discuss the

double-form in dualistic positive/negative terms or in male) f emale polarized terms. In th e f o r m e r m o d e th e p o s i t i v e form is the attitude adopted by the sorcerer in order to be at one with a given environm ent of b e l i ef, that is, to use the surroundings, irrespective of their nature, as the vehicle for one's path. The negative form is the conscious inversion of

thc forms of belief which are imposed upon oneself from ()utsidc and the use of their inverse forms as the vehicle of o i>c's path. Thc kcy is alternation between the two f o r m s ; >cc()rg t() tl>c iiccds o f >h c s o r c e r er. I n s i m p l e a n d i ll(lstrat.ivc tcri»s: tl>c p()sitivc >pplication of thc o p p o s e r.

ZI6

OPUSCULA MAGICA I I

I I I E i)ABBATIC CU L T U S

II7

f orm al l ow s o n e t o m o ve u n s e e n w i t h i n a n y g iv e n environment of belief and to utilize it without incongruency,

is a Living and Vital Reality. Khidir is the Ini t i ator of many invisible silsilah — initiatic chains of succession; he is the

e ither within on e's own i n t e r nal belief structure or in t h e

M aster of the O r d e r w h o s e co n claves are opened wi t h i n

system within which one is moving. The negative application

dreaming.

liberates one from the imposition of belief-forms upon one' s p erceptual purity by th e d e l i b e r ate over - t u r n in g of t h o s e

RF. Lastly, what are you currently working on? Any purely

imposed f'orms; the inverse belief'-forms being taken as the e xpressions of one's own int ent. An u n d e r standing of t h i s

illustrated books/texts in the near future~

s ecret reveals one reason why the Sabbatic I n i t i at e co u l d utilize the demonic symbology imposed upon the strata of folk-magic during the Inquisition; it also reveals why such an

AC. I shall be working on the text of Az oetiain order for a revised edition to be published in a couple of years. The first e dition has completely sold out. As to new material I am

initiate could go to a Ch r i s t ian church w i t h ou t o f f e nce to

working on a number of projects at the present time, but I

himself or any others. One should bear in mind that the two forms or modes of'praxis are means to the realization of the

never speak of these in detail before they are complete. The nature of such works will tend towards demonstrating clear

O pposer as the F o rce w h ic h t r a n s g resses all N a t u re. I n

and practical applications of the Quintessential Current and

male(female terms the double form of th e O p p o ser is

further the exposition of the Crooked Path Gnosis. Beyond this ... I am silent!

Shaitan and Lilith, the Father-form of the Transgressor and t he Witch-m o t her of th e S e r p e n t's K in . T h ese typ ify t h e b ifurcation of th e O p h i d i a n C u r r e n t , th e Re d an d B l a c k Snake. Remember, the Crooked Path eternally transgresses! I t may cut th e f e e t o f th e u n w ary who seek to w alk i t . B aphomet is a s y m b o l o r

t o t e m o f a s p e c i f i cb o d y o f

k nowledge, that kn owledge being a form of g n o sis transmitted via the Templars. It is Abufihimat, the Blackened Head of Wisdom. It has a compable, but culturally specific, nature to that expressed in the forms of'the Opposer. RF. Would you equate 'Khichr, the Green One' within w ith Gustav M e y r i n k' s ' C h i d he r G r e en ' ( t h e

Qutub

Wandering

Jew) within The Green Face~ AC. Yes! S alaam alakum! T he S p i r i t o f

Khidir wanders

t hrough the book and the reader. Beware! Do not m i s t ake t his as figurative or symbolic, the spirit of the Verdant O n e

NoTES

Notes on the Texts, Volume II Preface O ne of two very d i f f 'erent in t r o d u c t i ons w r i t te n i n z 9 9 6 ,

following submission of proposals for an essay-collection to three publishers in England. The first of th ese, revised two years later but not published, was used in Opuscula MagicaVol. I (20? o). This second, shorter introduction did not advance

beyond a preliminary draft, and is published here for the first time. It echoes certain concerns and language expressed in 'The Sabazian Torch'.

Magick Is Not For A11 Chaos International No. r2, r992

Qn the surface, 'Magick' is a rejoinder to the increasingly­ s ocial popular occultism of the late I9 8o s and early I9 9 o s , a dvocating a return of the Ar t M a g i cal to it s ro ots of co n ­ cealment. Importantly it co n f r o nt s the Ne w Ag e f allacy of

The Crooked Path Part r Chaos International No. rg, Summer I992 The dissemination of African sorcery into European, British, and European-American wit chcraft practice is historically

complex, but the parallels of magical stance and methodology a re notable. In particular, the intersection of Voudon w i t h the Witch-Cult is a matter also given some discussion in 'A H istory of C r o o ke d P ath T e a chings'. At th e t i m e o f the essay's composition, Andrew was involved with aspects of Petro Voudon, Tantrik pr axis, and their i n t e grative cross­ potentiations with Traditional Witchcraft rites. For example, the 'Horse' in the Sabbatic Mysteries is allied with Cain, and

by extension the sorcerer himself, who steps into his shadow. Similarly, the concept of 'White Darkness' mentioned herein is also discussed in greater detail in the soon to be released Dragon Book -of Essex,particularly in the 'Rite of the Mystery of the White Sun'.

occultism as egalitarian, and stands as an implicit reminder

The Crooked Path Part 2,

that those who promote this view have no problem excluding those whose views they find offensive. B eyond this, it s h i e r a r ch y o f c o n c e r n s i n c l u d e s t h e

Chaos International No. z4, Winter? 992,

h istorical persistence o f the w i t c h - cult, as w ell as i t s exclusionary nature — both of r e l a t ion to m a g i cal secrecy. H ere Belief a s a s u p r eme i n t e ger o f e n c h a n tment i s underscored, not only in its active form within the magician's circle, but as a passive or latent power beyond it. T he essay is printed here as published, without f u r t h e r

II9

The essay concerns applications of the Four Powers of the

Sphinx, or, as Andrew expressed their unified form, 'To Dare to Know the Will of Silence.' The essay provides a rare glimpse of the author as magical teacher — at once severe and c ompassionate. Qf particular note in his exposition of t h e powers is the equation of K e e p ing Sil ent w it h Honour, a v irtue integral to the tr ad i t i o nal wi t c h - c ult and one of t e n

neglected in both the theory and practice of Magick. The

a uthorial revision. Together with hi s I 9 9 o e s say "A Sh o r t Critique and Commentary Upon M a g i c", first published in

essay concludes with an exposition on the nature of the 'Body

Skoob Occult Review, it is a. germinal portrait of the Art i st and Scribe, revealing the passion, erudition and talent for magical

Sorcery.

explication that would see their flowering in a few short years.

o( Otherness' a concept lying at the heart of Crooked Path

OPUSCULA MAGICA II

I20

The Sabazian Torch The Occult Observer,Vol. II No. 4, z993

cosmogony and the Sabbatic Mysterium. Whilst some of that material remains, the essay it ultimately became is one of the

The Cauldron,No. 73, August z994

clearest examples of an Exordium of Sabbatic Gnosis. Due to editorial conflicts regarding the content of the journal, the

The essay was completed in late October z992,. The present form is from a handwritten revision of z996, and represents a 2)o-word expansion over the originally published form.

article was not published in Waratahand languished for some years. In late zoo3 Andrew made several additional revisions to the piece in preparation for the art i cle's inclusion in an essay compendium from Th ree Hands Press.

Gnosis For the Flesh Eternal A Scattering of Dust &om the Wings of the Moth Originally titled 'Wisdom for the New Flesh', the article was

Chaos International No. z9, Autumn z99g

was first published in the Typhonian journal Starfire (Vol. I

Talking Stick issue XX, Winter z99$

N o. g, D e c e m be r

z 9 9 4 ) , a n d m o r e r e c e n t l y i n t h at

publication's anthology Ecpyrosis(2oz 0-zozz). Of the genesis of this article, editor Michael Staley writes:

A ndrew was enaged in the wr i t in g of ' M o t h ' i n t h e w e e k s immediately following Midsummer z995. It emphasises not

Andrew wrote this article in the early to mi-d i-ggos, at the time when

o»y the oneiric substratum of the wit ches' night-feast, but u ses dreamlike language and metaphor to c o n vey it . I t i s

an affiliation was being proposedbetweenthe Typhonian O T O. an.d Cultus Sabbati Whi.lst the formalisation of this affiliation was in

notable for its openness of' presentation of otherwise 'veiled' lore.

progress, Andrew and I met from time to time, and I suggested that

he write an article for the forthcoming issue ofStarfire on the Sabbatic tradition which powered Cultus Sabbati 'Wisdo.m for the

'The Cult of the Divine Artist

New Flesh'was the result There .were many good articlesin thatissue

Starfire,Vol. II, No, z (z996) Widdershins, A Volatile Journal of MagicNo. 6, z997

and Andrew'sis one ofthem His pe.nchant for ornamental language and archaic punctuation was never particularly to my taste, but it was the substance of the article which shone through, no matter the expressionin which it was couched Andrew .also provided two superb pieces ofartwork togo with the article, and they are amongst the best artwork we have published inStarfire.

The Cauldron No. 77 August z99g

Unifying diverse strands of M a g ical Aesthesis, the article provides a vivified and original anaglyph of the vectors of the Sabbatic Current and Zos Kia Cultus. Following its inaugur publication in Th e C auldron,it t h en a p p e a r ed in St a r fire Michael Staley writes:

In November z998 Andrew revised and retitled the article,

with an additional z,poo words added for Waratah,journal of the Australian O.T.O. This expansion and added cohesion was done at the en couragement of R o b er t F i t z g e r ald, in o rder t o em p h a s i s e r e s o n a n ce s b e t w e e n T h e l e m i c

At the time that this articlewaswritten, the affiliation between Cultus Sabbati and the Typhonian O T O had .b.een .reified, and several initiates from both Orders were working together This wa.s

to lead to theformatfon ofa common lodge,later named'Ku Sebittu' A~drew wts by now taking a keen tnt