Articles

In the stillness of the night, as I gaze up at the stars above, I cannot help but contemplate the mysteries of the universe. Is it possible that our existence is merely a figment of a higher being’s imagination, our lives but mere dreams in the mind of a …

Spirit Conjuring and the Legendary Witches

It is a long tradition in the annals and legends of witchcraft that witches performed magic through the agency of demons, fairies and lesser spirits, such as elementals, fetches (created spirits), nature spirits…

Over the centuries a lot of books have been written stating that loyal readers and followers of the text will be gifted with magical powers. In some cases these books are meant to invoke demons or angels. In other cases they promise to allow the reader en…

The organization of the Golden Dawn and the contents of both its rituals and teachings connect it to the wider phenomena of western esotericism. It was not an isolated organization created in a vacuum but part of a larger tradition of esotericism in Europ…

Western esoteric thought has its origins in the Late Antique period in the Eastern Mediterranean. This was an area of the world where east met west. Consequently, that was also a place where the religions and intellectual traditions of Babylon, Persia, Eg…

“A Gnostic Catechism? What a preposterous idea and a contradiction in terms to boot!” Such and similar objections are likely to be forthcoming in response to the present effort. The word “catechism” readily conjures up visions of dogmatic belief, enshrine…

You may have heard the phrase “Grimoire Tradition” spoken of or tossed around on the internet. It does not refer to any specific structured tradition, but instead refers to the long and ancient tradition of translating magic into the written word. Grimoir…

In this exploration of grimoires, books of magical knowledge, Professor Davies covers an eye-wateringly wide range of material, from clay tablets in ancient Babylonia to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (below). He makes the bold claim that to know the history of…

Introduction to the Greater Key of Solomon & the Pentacles of Solomon

The figure of King Solomon and his wisdom and power exerted an almost hypnotic influence over magicians and esotericists since ancient times. Solomon’s wisdom was seen as extending…

What follows is the beginning of a work in progress; any and all questions, suggestions and corrections are

heartily encouraged. It is dedicated to my Sisters and Brothers in the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light.

Prolegomena

The student of Enochian magick…

You may drive out Nature with a pitchfork, yet she still will hurry back.”—Horace

For those of us watching a country race toward madness, this insight of the Roman poet is a last ray of hope. Whether it’s progressives ignoring the natural laws of economi…

The last few years have brought to the fore a considerable number of organizations bearing the name “Gnostic”. The principal reason for this was the discovery in 1945 and the publication in fully translated form in 1977 of the Nag Hammadi Library of Copti…

Perhaps one of the most compelling rituals that I have ever studied or attempted to perform is known as the Bornless Rite, which I have called the Bornless One Invocation rite. It’s part of the extended Golden Dawn lore, but has little or no documentation…

Over the centuries many books have been written claiming that loyal readers and followers of the text will be bestowed with magical powers. In some cases these books are intended to invoke demons or angels. In other cases they promise to allow the reader …

I have recently wrote an article stating my opinion that Alex Sanders was a modern day Pagan Magus. I demonstrated, by carefully examining an old documentary, that he was clearly engaged in an experimental approach to witchcraft and magick. He was employi…

I am reading Jake Stratton-Kent’s book “True Grimoire”, which is an operant version of the Grimoirum Verum. I am also carefully looking over and reading Joseph Peterson’s book “Grimorium Verum” at the same time. My purpose in this dual read is to answer f…

Matrix of Possibilities

There are many ways to perform the operation of theurgy and the evocation of spirits. Most of those who practice this kind of magickal operation work through one or more of the many available grimoires. However, there are other wa…

In 2001 as Australians celebrated the centenary of federation, no attention was paid to the role of mystic thinkers and esoteric ideas in Australian history. The vast majority of Australians know nothing of the “inner side” of their country’s political, c…

The view that the category “ gnosticism” is an academic construct whose use creates more heuristic problems than it solves has been steadily gaining support over the last twenty years or so. Ioan Culianu called the term a “sick sign” which can signify alm…

The Sassanian Dynasty ruled over Iran for more than four centuries (226-642 A.D.) to all outward appearance with great splendour and glory. Yet when the Sassanian Empire came to grips with the desert Arabs, inspired with the new Gospel of Islam, the whole…