Date: Sat Jan 12 17:52:06 EST 1985 From: "New Age Moderator" Subject: New Age Digest # 4 New Age Digest #4 Moderator: Tim.Maroney@CMU-CS-K.ARPA (uucp: seismo!cmu-cs-k!tim) Sat Jan 12 17:52:08 EST 1985 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This time: NY New Age Resources Dream-inspired Tarot Deck Introductory Aleister Crowley Bibliography Masonry in the Netherlands Member Bio ---------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!ihuxf!pjs1@seismo.ARPA Date: 9 Jan 85 12:20:32 CST (Wed) Subject: Slightly Homesick New Yorker, has some tips I would like to recommend two institutions in New York City that should be of considerable interest to readers of this mailing list who live in N.Y., Conn., or N. J. 1) WBAI FM This "listener supported" FM station ( I forget the exact frequency -- some where around 96 ) has the most eclectic and wide ranging programming of any station I have ever heard. It's basic bent is "Progressive", which can mean ( depending on the particular show-- each host has very wide latitude on what to broadcast) anything from "Trotskyite" 6PM news to Neo-pagan to an all day broeadcast of readings from Joyce's "Ulysses". They specialize in providing time for the more contriversial or less accepted beliefs in our society. Don't judge this station based on just one listening, each show stands alone, the station does not have a consistent "sound", and many of the hosts are real ASS HOLES, while others are wonderful. I especially recommend the morning drive time programming on Monday, Thursday, Wednesday, and Friday ( in that order). Its transmitter is powerful, 50000 watts from the Empire State Building, so you don't have to be in the City to hear it. 2) The "New York Open" Center This organization on Spring Street in Soho, uses its four story building (If you haven't been to New York, you don't realize that owning that much space is like saying they own the entire State of Montana), for classes, lectures, workshops and performances in a wide range of new age areas. The quality of the environment and of presentations are in my experience very high. (Many other such centers I have done stuff at seem to be primarily places for singles to meet, not that you couldn't do that here, its just their purpose seems different and slightly clearer). I have recently moved to Chicago, and when I know the city better I will post similar listings. Perhaps other correspondents would like to post useful info about their areas of the country. Peter Silverman ihnp4!ihuxf!pjs1 AT&T Bell Labs at Indian Hill STRANGE BUT FALSE: Ruppert Murdoch (publisher of the N.Y. Post, Chicago Sun Times, and the weekly Star) is actually a Space Alien! (rather then an Austr-alien) By publishing disinformation about his "people" he hides their real (and of course very sinester) work :-) ---------------------------------------- From: ihnp4!utzoo!laura@seismo.ARPA Date: 9 Jan 85 16:19:19 CST (Wed) Subject: Hello Tim! Please post this to NA digest. thanks, laura I have had a rather wonderful recurring dream this past week. The dream features a rather unusual set of Tarot cards. The backs of them are medium blue (somewhere between sky and royal blue) and centred on them is a golden dragon bursting from an egg (whose colour I forget, perhaps green, red or black). The figures were not drawn with the stark, angular, medieval look that I have found in all Tarot packs I have ever examined, but rather were rounded and warm looking. And the whole thing was chock full of eastern/Tantric symbolism. One suit was either a suit of lotus flowers or wands which were either budding lotus flowers or covered, ivy like with flowers. [I will watch for it tonight to see again...] At any rate, here is my problem. I now want a deck like this. Ideally I should make them myself, but I think that it will only take me 10,000 years to develop enough artistic talent. (Maybe I could digitise them on my work station :-) ). The question is: Does anybody know anyone who makes Tarot decks? Thanks very much, Laura Creighton {decvax!ihnp4}!utzoo!laura [Fortunately, not all decks have that awkward angular style. Tarot decks in a variety of styles have are available. I find the medieval decks very ugly, myself. Your idea sounds good! Have you seen the Thoth Tarot, designed by Crowley, painted by Lady Frieda Harris? It is surrealistic, very rounded, and chock-full of lively symbols, though not explicitly Tantric ones. -- Tim] ---------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 10 Jan 85 23:48:33 pst From: dual!joshua!josh@Berkeley Subject: Stuff, and the NAD Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. A Short, Annotated Bibliography of some of the more accessible works of Aleister Crowley The purpose of this list is to answer the question, "How can I get familiar with the works of Crowley?" Crowley's works present a particular problem for the first-time reader. Crowley never really ever managed to bring any of his work down to the level of the `common man', though he tried. Crowley had a classical education, and so he expected that his readers would be, like him, firmly grounded in Greek and Latin. He also assumes that the reader is familiar with the literature that Crowley was educated with (Egyptian mythology, Greek gods, that sort of thing.) This does not make Crowley's work inpenetrable; however, it is wise to have a few reference books handy. More subtle, however, is Crowley's sense of humor. He often sets up logical traps for the unwise; he makes statements that are baldfaced lies for the purpose of making the reader think (or disposing of the reader who is unable to). For example, in his book "Magick" (also titled "Magick in Theory and Practice"), there is a chapter entitled "Of the Bloody Sacrifice: and Matters Cognate". The following lines are interesting: "For the highest spiritual working one must accordingly choose a victim which contains the highest and purest force. A male child of perfect innocence and high intelligence is the most satisfactory and suitable victim." Yikes, that sounds scary. Then there is the footnote: "It appears from the Magickal Records of Frater Perdurabo [Crowley--ed.] that He made this particular sacrifice on the average of about 150 times a year between 1912 e.v. and 1928 e.v." Obviously something is skewed here. No way he sacrificed 150 humans a year; Gilles de Rais may have, but that was when nobility could get away with anything. I am not going to ruin the joke by explaining it; it is rather more interesting to figure out on your own. Suffice it to say that neither quote is really a lie; just some games with words and their effects. Crowley was a remarkably prolific writer. I will limit this list to five books, all quite available (by mail if not at your local store.) 1. "The Book of Lies" (Weiser, paperback) A strange little book. Very strange. Contains over a hundred one-page chapters, each with a commentary. The topics range from Mastery: GOLD BRICKS Teach us Your secret, Master! yap my Yahoos. Then for the hardness of their hearts, and for the softness of their Heads, I taught them Magick. But...alas! Teach us your real secret, Master! how to become invisible, how to acquire love, and oh! beyond all, how to make gold. But how much gold will you give me for the Secret of Infinite Riches? Then said the foremost and most foolish: Master, it is nothing; but here is an hundred thousand pounds. This did I deign to accept, and whispered in his ear this secret: A SUCKER IS BORN EVERY MINUTE. to Yoga: KING'S COLLEGE CHAPEL For mind and body alike there is no purgative like Pranayama, no purgative like Pranayama. For mind, for body, for mind and body alike-- alike!--there is, there is, there is no purgative, no purgative like Pranayama--Pranayama!--Pranayama! yea, for mind and body alike there is no purgative, no purgative, no purgative (for mind and body alike!) no purgative, purgative, purgative like Pranayama, no purgative for mind and body alike, like Pranayama, like Pranayama, like Prana--Prana--Prana--Prana-- Pranayama!--Pranayama! AMEN. to one that ends: The more necessary anything appears in my mind, the more certain it is that I only assert a limitation. I slept with Faith, and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with Doubt, and found her a virgin in the morning. This is one of my favorite books. 2. "The Book of Thoth" (Weiser) This was the last significant work Crowley published (he died in 1947). An exposition of the Tarot, especially as appearing in the deck he created with Lady Frieda Harris (known as the Thoth Deck). Crowley continues the Golden Dawn system that links together the Tarot and the Qabala (though he makes some minor changes that some will find jarring). This book is one of the best Tarot books I have ever read; for people with a background in Tarot, this would be a good place to get acquainted with Crowley. 3. "Magick without Tears" (-) I'm not going to list a publisher for this. There are two editions out, one edited by Israel Regardie, the other edited and commented by Marcello Motta. The Motta edition is an interesting work, in that more than 50% of the text is his own commentary, lots of it attacks, smears, and innuendoes on various people involved with the O.T.O. over the years. Motta believes himself to be the head of the O.T.O., and he and his five followers have involved Weiser and the O.T.O. under Grady McMurtry (the organization of which Tim and I are members) in a very expensive series of lawsuits. There will be more information on this when the thing gets to court in late February. The Regardie edition is clean, however. At any rate, MWT is designed as a series of letters to a neophyte, and is quite informational. Few traps than in any of his other works. [Note from Tim: I got my copy of this from a second-hand bookstore (for five bucks -- obviously the guy had no idea how hard to get it was). It has recently come back into print from a publisher named Falcon Press, in a reasonably-priced paperback.] 4. "Collected Works of Aleister Crowley" (Yogi Publication Society, Des Plaines, Ill.) This is a three volume set of poetry, essentially all of Crowley's poetical output up until 1905. Crowley is not well known as a poet; his infamy as the Great Beast 666 tended to overwhelm any critical reception his poetry might have received. I like his stuff; it is complex and interesting (and occasionally has some god-awful rhymes.) Read for literary value; then study for magickal intent. 5. "ThELEMA" (title in Greek, alt. title "The Holy Books of Thelema") (Weiser) A collection of some of the important "Holy Books" Crowley wrote or received. The most important work herein is "Liber AL", otherwise known as "The Book of the Law". Some items are rituals; others could be thought of as inspirational works. Also included is an introduction by Caliph Hymenaeus Alpha (Grady McMurtry), and some interesting translations of a certain Egyptian funerary stele. Originally, I had intended this to be ten books; I think these five suffice for a start. Love is the law, love under will. Joshua Gordon, M:.M:. (O.T.O.) {ihnp4,ucbvax,cbosgd,decwrl,amd,fortune,zehntel}!dual!joshua!josh ---------------------------------------- From: mcvax!vu44!botter!klipper!biep@seismo.ARPA Date: Fri, 14 Dec 84 10:11:47 -0100 Subject: European Masonic Groups [This is reposted with permission from my personal correspondence. I had asked Biep about whether he knew of overt government persecution of Masonic, Wiccan, and other "occult" groups in Europe. I had heard that there were several countries in which such groups were forbidden. -- Tim] Here in the Neth., no such groups are forbidden, as long as they don't abuse laws (there was a group, the "satans church", actually being a sex club, exploiting thai girls, and a group that wanted to kill babies to the honor of God, and those groups are forbidden). Here in Amsterdam, there are miriads of groups and sects, all trying to convert people. I don't know whether with "masonic" you mean what is called here "vrij- metselaars", in french "franc-ma,cons", those people always talking in analogies from the world of architecture, but supposing you mean them: Here they are considered a respectable, however eccentric group. We have never had things like the infamous loge P2 in Italy, and here they still have the image of people setting forth the traditions of the old medieval Cathedral builders. Of course, there are many people saying they are stupid, or childish, but except the communists, and some radical socialists, no- body wants to forbid them. During WWII, they have formed a considerable part of the internal resistance: since they were secret already, they didn't have to set up an organisation. They have never talked about it afterwards, however, preferring their secrecy over public honor. They get radio time, as being a religious/philosophical group. (N.B.: I have nothing to do with them or with any of them (as far as I know... they are secret)) Biep. --------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 11 Jan 85 18:02:12 CST From: Ken Montgomery Subject: Biographical data Name: Ken Montgomery Age: 24 Occupations: Computer programmer (usually 1/2 time, but in a job title that normally requires a degree) C.S. student (Only ~20 hrs. to go!) Religion: varies from agnosticism to animism, depending on what mood I'm in, etc. (ergo my subscription to this mailing list...) On the subject of religion, I'm what a friend of mine calls a "cultural Christian" (as is she); that is, I'm not a believer but I still have a lot of the conditioning which is perpetrated on people who grow up in a "Christian" environment. Anyone have any ideas about how to get rid of some of this nonsense? Ken Montgomery ...!{ihnp4,allegra,seismo!ut-sally}!ut-ngp!kjm kjm@ut-ngp.ARPA ------------------------ End of New Age Digest #4 ------------------------