****** The electronic Newsletter of Ouroboros Camp O.T.O. ******
Editor : Soror Nuntias
Ouroboros News is published in cooperation with Modem Magick BBS
& Ouroboros Camp, O.T.O. Copyright 1991 @ Ouroboros Camp. All
rights reserved. Please feel free to pass this Newsletter to
other BBS's.
The contents of the articles contained here are not always the
opinion of the editor or anyone affiliated with Ouroboros Camp,
Modem Magick or the O.T.O. No one agrees all the time!
You are encouraged to submit articles, letters, opinions, etc..
to FidoNet Node 1:202/311
An IIIxxi e.n. July 5, 1991 e.v.
Sol in Cancer
Luna in Aries
We have three very interesting articles lined up for this issue
of the OCN, so let's get on with it!
* * * * * * * * * * *
WHAT IS MAGICK?
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Perhaps the easiest way to answer the question above is by
asking: "what ISN'T Magick?". The following is a VERY
incomplete explanation of the many facets of the wonderfully
complex concept which was the prototype for science and the
forerunner of astronomy.
Aleister Crowley has written such a thorough essay on this
subject that I find myself incapable of adding anything which
does not echo his definition. Read the introduction of his
opus "MAGICK IN THEORY AND PRACTICE".
One must keep in mind that Magick demands repetitious study. It
is foolish to assume you have understood something unless you
have read it several times and have been able to achieve the
same results every time. One must approach Magick the same way
a scientist attacks his experiments in the laboratory; by
keeping notes. KEEP A DIARY!
Ask anybody what Magick is and the first answer you will get
will have to do with either the superstitious mumblings of the
Fanatical Fundamentalist or the ridiculing rhetoric of the
Senseless Skeptic. This Skeptic fellow has got one up on our
Fundamentalist friend in that he can still control some of the
activity in his brain. There is hope for this one.
Aleister Crowley defines Magick as "The Science and Art of
causing change to occur in conformity with Will".
Ambrose Bierce defines Magic as "An art of converting
superstition into coin".
Notice the difference in the spelling.
To distinguish illusionary Magic from real Magick, Crowley
chose the Elizabethan variation by using the K at the end of
the name. This changes the numerical value of the word and
should be studied.
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 2 8 Jul 1991
Magick is the method by which all things (be it conscious or
not) exist and live their lives. Magick will not transform one
into something which they are incapable of being. Magick will,
however, allow you to recognize who and what you are so that
your full potential may be realized.
So much beauty and mystery is found in the surviving literature
of those who practiced the Art that many artists are
instinctively drawn to Magick by verse and song. Ceremonial
Magick is the physical expression of the great struggle of
evolution put into mystical dance, it is the essence of what we
have been, what we are now, and the attempt to assist Nature,
Our Great Mother, in what we are to become by self-discovery
and by assisting in our further development.
In order to understand how Magick works, a few things must be
said about the mind. The brain doesn't just store memory; it
is also capable of behaving as a receiver. It registers memory
and then executes the appropriate response.
Thought & information is maintained within our cells. The DNA
of which we are composed carries within it not only genetic
information, but specific experiences, thoughts, and patterns
of personality from our parents. This is often what a person
experiences in "past life" episodes. Energy (memory) is
released by the cell and the brain picks up and processes the
genetic information retained within the cell. The brain does
all this in its efforts to answer those haunting questions:
Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?
Each cell is a separate, living, conscious, life form. Just as
we are. The problem is that we are not, as a rule, consciously
capable of releasing the data within these cells.
For the most part we are created, and shaped according to other
people's fancies. It begins very early in childhood when
parents, (being ignorant of their own wills) impose certain
things on the child which may be at odds with, could be in
alliance with, or may not have anything to do with the child's
True Self. As a result people live their lives to please those
around them instead of recognizing who they truly are. The
longer we are forced to do this, the deeper we hide ourselves,
the harder it is for us to find who we truly are.
There are two manuscripts which intermingled, have become the
source of knowledge for the modern-day Magician.
The first is called "The Book of Solomon". It is believed to
have been written between 100 and 400 A.D. It is based on the
myths found in the Old Testament, the Talmud, and the Koran
revolving around Solomon the King; the author of Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs and Wisdom.
With the assistance of Demons subdued by a ring given to him by
the angel Raphael, Solomon built a Temple dedicated to the
evocation, prosecution, classification and identification of
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 3 8 Jul 1991
malignant spirits. This manuscript includes information as to
what names were used to call them and constrain them, as well as
an elaborate hierarchy based on their power and abilities. He
forced demon after demon to concede their name, power, and the
name of the angel who could be called to control them. This
work has been looked upon as the greatest contribution to
Ceremonial Magick by those who practice it, as it is a very
complete genealogical tree drawing from Persian, Greek, Jewish,
and Christian mythology.
The second is a series of elusive writings received during
several crystal gazing sessions by two Elizabethan magicians
named John Dee and Edward Kelley, from 1582 to 1587. Dr Dee
anticipated that one could better communicate with the angels
of God if he could speak in their tongue. He thus hired the
assistance of Edward Kelley, a medium, to communicate with the
angels who would eventually divulge the language of the angels
called: Enochian. This strange speech was believed to be the
language which Adam used to communicate to the angels before
the Great Fall.
With the help of several angels Dee and Kelley were able to
compose four elemental tablets containing a hierarchy of
specialized angels which could be summoned to the service of the
magician. The names written on these tablets were believed to
be so powerful that they were given to Kelley in reverse, for
it was believed that the angels could be accidentally invoked
by concentrating on the strange characters which composed their
names. Even today experienced magicians heed to this warning,
and dabblers are discouraged from the use of Enochian Magick
for their own safety.
There appears to be a tradition of burning one's works at the
time of one's death. Both Solomon and Dee are rumored to have
burnt their memoirs. If this is in fact true, then one would
think that what we possess of these great men and women is very
little in comparison with what must have perished by fire. For
one reason or another; on April 10 1586, Dr. Dee burnt all of
his works. However, concurrent to the chronicles left behind;
on April 30th, while strolling through a garden in the castle
of Trebona, Dee found the books he had deliberately burnt on
the 10th.
Magick is ancient psychoanalysis. It is often used as a means
to free the Real Self from the self which has been created by
others. The Magician takes a hidden and sometimes hideous part
of consciousness (as in Goetic work, the evocation of Demons)
and externalizes it to better deal with it. Through Magick we
make the necessary adjustments to achieve a healthy and well
balanced individual.
Magick is the way by which one can come to consciousness of the
activity and Infinite Wisdom within us all. And by doing so
Magick will have helped us to see ourselves as we truly are so
that we may plot our course accordingly.
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 4 8 Jul 1991
As soon as we recognize the Deity within we will find that we
have been in control the whole time but have not responded well
because of our lack of Understanding. It is like driving with
a blindfold.
The strength of your Will is measured by your ability to respond
(rather than react) to your environment. When you embrace Life,
and when you can willingly experience it as it is, then you
will have embraced with Nuit.
Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Subphylum Mandibulata, Class
Insecta. Members of this most ancient and primitive race have
always been familiar to us; as competitors, combatants,
curiosities, and occasionally, co-conspirators. From the Luna
Moth to the Cockroach, we regard them with a mixture of repulsion
and fascination. The repulsion is perhaps a result of our often
competitive roles, the fascination a result of their strange
beauty; but in addition, there seems to be something familiar
about them. Perhaps they stir ancient memories, causing them to
rise from genetic history into our subconscious minds; or perhaps
we project our own deep reflections upon them like Rorschach Blots
-- but then who designed the "random" swirls of the Rorschach Blot
if not She who designed us?
Each species of insect belongs to an Order. There is the Order of
the Straight Wings (Orthoptera) which plagued Egypt, the Order of
the Sheathed Wings (Coleoptera) ruled by Khephra, the Order of the
Dual Wings (Diptera) ruled by Beelzebub, the Order of the Wedded
Wings (Hymenoptera) with its complex hierarchies, the Order of the
Scaled Wings (Lepidoptera) ruled by Chuang Tzu, and many others,
each with its own regalia, rites, and modes of recognition.
Like us, insects undergo embryonic as well as post-embryonic
development. Unlike most of us, the post-embryonic development of
most insects involves rather drastic changes in appearance and
occurs in distinct stages. This post-embryonic development is
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 5 8 Jul 1991
known as metamorphosis. There are several types of insect
metamorphosis, we will focus on "complete" metamorphosis, the
system promulgated by the Order of the Scaled Wings (butterflies
and moths) and certain others. In complete metamorphosis, the
insect undergoes 4 stages: Egg, Larva, Pupa and Adult. We will
begin our examination with the Larval stage.
The Larva
Larva is a Latin word meaning "ghost". The Larval or Instar stage
may be regarded as the "student", "neophyte" or "Man of Earth"
grade. The task of the Larva is to get bigger; to consume enough
nourishment to progress to the next stage, or to serve as a juicy
morsel for a predator. The Larva is usually blind, has very
restricted mobility, and is unconcerned with anything it is not
directly touching.
The Pupa
Pupa is a Latin word meaning "doll" or "puppet". The task of the
Pupa is to refrain from activity (enter into a Magical Retirement)
while Transformation takes place. The Pupal stage corresponds to
the "portal" or "K.E.W.", the bridge between the Man of Earth and
the Lover.
The Transformation to Adult, or Imago, which takes place within
the Pupal case occurs as follows. The Instar contains seed cells
within its body, called Imaginal Buds. During the Pupation
period, the imaginal buds secrete chemicals which lyse or destroy
the surrounding cells. Meanwhile, the buds themselves grow and
divide to replace the destroyed cells. Eventually, all the cells
of the Instar are destroyed and replaced by cells of the Imago.
This process, the Instar transforming itself into the Imago, is
referred to as Imagination.
The Adult
The Adult insect or Imago, corresponding to the Adept or Grade of
Lover, emerges from the Pupal case (pastos or tomb), expands its
wings by pumping fluid into them, and flies away to find a mate or
engage in other social activities. In addition to the power of
flight, the Imago has other "miraculous" abilities, in part due to
its well developed sensory organs. Bees can see ultraviolet
light, ants can communicate complex messages via the sense of
smell, and the males of some species of moths can sense a female
over a mile away. As most of us know, many insects also have the
power of invisibility; most insects are quite familiar with the
virtues of herbs and plants, and some insects are definitely
capable of causing illness in our neighbor's cattle. It is
alleged that some insects can predict the weather, but it is not
known whether they can predict the future.
Through the process of sexual reproduction, the Imago may achieve
"genetic samadhi" by unifying its genetic will with a separate
genetic will, and then dying. Both are simultaneously preserved
and destroyed through the formula of Tetragrammaton. That is,
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 6 8 Jul 1991
genetic will "I" unites with genetic will "H". The Union of
genetic wills "V" results in the genetic will "H2", which is
neither "I" nor "H" but contains both in their entirety.
The Egg
The apparent loss of the individuality through combination and
death is analogous to crossing the Abyss (Note - Da'ath =
Knowledge = Gnosis = Union). The individual is dead and gone, yet
there is that which remains - in combined form as the Child; which
is in this case the egg.
The Imago (Lover) is therefore concerned with the evolution of the
species by its choice whether or not to reproduce, whereas the
Instar (Man of Earth) is concerned with its own personal
evolution. What is the formula of the Lover? Union. Love (13 )
is Union (13).
The egg in this system therefore corresponds to the grade of
Hermit, the Master, the dweller in the City of the Pyramids (have
you ever seen a cluster of moth or ladybug eggs?) withdrawn from
society, consciousness and duality. The task of the Master in
the City of the Pyramids (Binah), is to wait for the refining
fire to burn it into a white ash or pure will (Chokhmah),
which is further reduced to a grain of dust (Kether) which is
carried either into nothingness (the dissolution, Nirvana) or into
the Kingdom (as a Boddhisattva). The egg either dies or hatches.
If it hatches a new cycle begins, and the Great Spinner of the Web
of the Universe will smile and ask,
"Whom have you there?"
A FEW SPECULATIONS
REGARDING GESTURES
IN THE RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Here at Ouroboros Camp, no two magicians do the Lesser
Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) in quite the same fashion. Some
of this difference results from the brush strokes of personal
style, while others revolve around a minor outlook difference
in the approach to the magical universe.
Vibration can vary between one set of vocal chords and
another: the good crystal get's shaken or it seems that the
scene has been shifted to a synagog. This is also affected by
past magical or dramatic training, a heavy grounding in verbal
poetics, singing lessons, all of these, none of these, or the
sundry permutations born of their combinations.
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 7 8 Jul 1991
There is one point, though, that separates magicians as
they draw their pentagrams and invoke or banish in the quarter:
The use of a stabbing gesture, or the Sign of Horus to charge
the pentagrams.
This difference of approach is partly due to tradition.
Yet, at a basic level, sits a fundamental difference in viewing
the relation of the magician and the universe.
Alpha). Tradition.
In thelemic orbits, it is customary to utilize the Sign of
the Enterer when charging the pentagrams in the LBRP. This
practice originates in Liber XXV, THE STAR RUBY, first
introduced in THE BOOK OF LIES as an updated and "Thelemic"
LBRP.
The LBRP, as taught to Crowley by the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn, involved a bit of Dagger and Air play, and a
stabbing motion with the dagger into the heart of the pentagram
at the vibration of the God name.
Why a break in tradition? The clues to this can be found
in LIber AL I, 37 & 49 (A tip from your friendly, neighborhood
center of pestilence).
This break in tradition, though, conceals two slightly
different view points: 1. As a above, so below; 2. There is
no god but man.
Beta). As above, so below.
The magical outlook imbedded in the use of a stabbing
gesture in the LBRP is pure, uncut hermeticism. It is a
function of the Hermetic dictum: As above, so below; in less
poetic, yet equally mystical terms, the macrocosm is in the
microcosm and the microcosm is in the macrocosm.
Yet what does this mean for the magician in the temple,
preparing to charge a circle? Simply that there are certain
shared characteristics between the magician and the external
universe, various innate structures that can be utilized for
the accomplishment of various ends. The objective reality of
gods, demons, jazz musicians, and insurance agents will not be
worried about at this point. Nor should one worry, as Crowley
pointed out in the beginning of Liber O "By doing certain things
certain results follow; students are most earnestly warned
against attributing objective reality or philosophical validity
to any of them."
Gamma). There is no god but man.
Crowley spent a few years traveling in India, Nepal, China,
and sundry other points commonly referred to as "The East"
during the latter days of the British Empire. Like Richard
Burton before him, Crowley was quite able to mix with the
OURNEWS 1-02 Page 8 8 Jul 1991
natives where ever he went, and where Burton made inroads to
Islam that no infidel had dared before, Crowley similarly
charmed his way into Hindu temples. No where in his CONFESSIONS
does he state that he received initiation from any Tantric
Orders while in India, yet he does drop mild hints, and mentions
making a sacrifice to Kali.
From these adventures, Crowley brought back a working
knowledge of Yoga, Chakras, and Eastern Mysticism. He also
brought back the central modus of both Hinduism and Buddhism:
All existence is illusion.
The use of the Sign of the Enterer expresses this view of
the universe. Energy is being focused at the Ajna chakra, and
hurled into the pentagram during the vibration of the god name.
With practice, and a constant use of yoga, the energy of all
the lower chakras could probably be focused this way, and hurled
from Ajna into the pentagrams, or whatever eidolon the magician
might create.
By doing this, the magician is tapping into the locally
available energy of the chakras. Instead of tapping into a
static and pre-existing holographic matrix of form and energy,
the magician has opened a valve here, spun a wheel there, and
powered up with the one local utilities.
It is up to the individual magician as to which methods to
use, which way to see the world.
Modem Magick hosts several on-line real-time conferences a week.
Load up your favorite terminal program, set your parameters to
8/N/1 and dial (619) 447-5010.
Spring Conference schedule.........
Monday There is a Wicca discussion group in the Crystal
Cauldron Conf room....at 7:30. Sunshine is our
moderator.
Tuesday Thelemic discussion group... 2nd Aethyr Conference
room, located in the Ouroboros Sig. 8:00
Thursday Thelemic bumping in the 2nd Aethyr at 7:00
Sunday An open free for all chit-chat. No moderator,
8:00 in the Oasis. BYOL.
All times are Pacific.
Anyone who would like to host a conference or has suggestions for
new conferences, is encouraged to submit ideas to FidoNet Node
1:202/311
------------------------------
THE BBS LIST
These boards are members of 93Net. All of them are operational
24 hours. Entries marked with a '*' are boards that are
reachable via PC Pursuit.
* BaphoNet Brooklyn, NY 1-718-499-9277
* HaditNet Memphis TN 1-901-373-4188
* Modem Magick El Cajon, CA 1-619-447-5010
Nu Net Victoria, BC 1-604-383-9376
* Tahuti Net Eagle Rock, CA 1-213-258-5724
* ThelemaNet San Francisco, CA 1-415-751-9308
Tower of BABALON Lansing, MI 1-517-487-9393
Note that the number for Tower of BABALON has changed. Hawkwind
will be down for the summer because of the heat in the valley
where it originates. Happy modeming!
=================================================================
WORD SCRAMBLE PUZZLE
=================================================================
Theme: Egyptian
Unscramble the words below and enter your answers in the spaces
provided, the answer to this issues puzzle will be published in
the next issue of the Ouroboros Camp Newsletter.
Things have been fairly quite around the Campsite the last few
months. Frater YV and Soror Helena visited us last weekend
and did a great ritual workshop with us. If we are lucky and
they have time and if Gruff gets our Mass temple together,
(that is alot of if's!) we may be having Mass here once a
month! We are definitely looking forward to it!
Guess that is about it for another Newsletter, hope you
enjoyed it, if you have any suggestions, articles, letters, etc
that you would like to see posted in the OCN, feel free to
either send them to Fido node 1:202/311 or write to...
Ouroboros Camp, O.T.O.
PO Box 12706
El Cajon, CA. 92020
