The Temple of Set II
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book to discuss the original Council of Nine (the Nine Unknown). If there is a defect to the book, it lies in its
emphasis of fanciful, rhetorical questions and in the lack of adequate footnotes in some of the most intriguing
chapters. This is an excellent book to recommend to a friend who thinks you’re crazy for being interested in the
occult. [See also #17B and #22B.]” JL: “MA’s comment on the book says it all.” DW: “This book represents French
Romanticism at its height with a little Gurdjieff thrown in. It inspired a huge occult revival in France. It has a
twofold Solve effect: It makes the reader ‘wake up’ a bit and realize the effect of the suprarational in history. Its
enthusiastic reception in English-speaking countries facilitated the translation of related French authors such as de
Lafforest (#6O) and Charroux. This contributed to the rise of movements in those countries such as ‘New Wave’
science fiction and the Church of Satan. This book is not as unique in the 1990s as in the 1960s, in part because of its
own success in encouraging more sophisticated and current imitators and successors. Fun for inspiration, but take
with many grains of salt.”
4C. The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish. NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1968. [Deutschland: Schwarze Magie.
G.B. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt, 1969.] (COS-3) (TOS-3) AL: “Good basic primer on the subject.” MA: “Still the most
lucid introductory book on the subject of ‘general occultism’. Chapters on numerology, Cabalism, alchemy,
astrology, ritual magic, Black Magic, and Devil worship. Very dispassionate, with esoteric doubletalk kept to a
minimum. If you’re relatively ‘new to occultism’ and would like to survey the subject from a non-Temple of Set-
particular point of perspective, try this book. Conspicuous defects include an excessive emphasis on the Hebrew
Cabala and on similarly superstitious techniques such as astrology, numerology, and alchemy.”
4D. Occultism, Witchcraft, and Cultural Fashions by Mircea Eliade. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1976. [Deutschland: Das Okkulte und die moderne Welt. O. Müller Verlag, A-Salzburg, 1978.] (TOS-3) MA: “This is
a critical analysis of the current appeal of occultism, with case studies taken from the 1960s. Inclusive and generally
well-argued, though the cited source material indicates Eliade’s unfamiliarity with in-depth documents and
doctrines in the murky forest of occultism. He is a distinguished Professor of History of Religions at the University
of Chicago and has penned many works of repute in the field.” DW: “I think this is Eliade’s least interesting book.
His others have my universal recommendation.”
4E. Encyclopedia of the Unexplained by Richard Cavendish (Ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill, 1974. (TOS-3) MA: “This
is a very readable encyclopædia which emphasizes 20th-century occultism rather than the more historical material
treated by #3I. Contributing editors and authors include such recognized authorities as Professor J.B. Rhine and
Ellic Howe (#10F, #14W). Rhine’s introductory essay ‘How to Cope with a Mystery’ is excellent. 304 pages,
profusely illustrated.”
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4F. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology by Leslie A. Shepard (Ed.). NY: Avon Books #48835,
1980 (two volumes). (TOS-3) MA: “Basis for this large paperback set is #3I and its Fodor companion, which
Shepard has updated with more recent material. A pretty good effort and worth the $20 pricetag.”
4G. A Fascinating History of Witchcraft, Magic, & Occultism by W.B. Crow. North Hollywood: Wilshire Book
Co., 1970. (COS-3) AL: “Has much new material of interest to Satanic scholars.”
4H. The Occult Sourcebook by Nevill Drury and Gregory Tillett. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1978.
(TOS-3) MA: “A single-volume survey of contemporary occultism [as of the mid-1970s] by Drury (one of Australia’s
most intellectual occult students) and Tillett (an anthropologist specializing in contemporary occultism). Stronger
on British and Australian movements than on American ones. 45 chapters on various topics, each containing
organizational and personal references and suggested books for further study. Sample chapter titles: Traditional
Witchcraft, Modern Satanism, Shamanistic Magic, Eastern Mysticism, I Ching, Ritual Consciousness, ESP, The
Tattvas, etc. At the end of the book is a ‘Who’s Who in the Occult’ section. An updated edition is expected in the near
future. [See also #4L.]”
4I. Haunted Houses by Richard Winer and Nancy Osborn. NY: Bantam #23755, 1979.
4J. More Haunted Houses by Richard Winer and Nancy Osborn Ishmael. NY: Bantam #24008, 1981.
(TOS-3) MA: “Two entertaining paperbacks containing a vast assortment of haunted houses, graveyards,
battlefields, ships, railroads, theaters, prisons, hotels, entire cities, and even an elevator for good measure. Both
books are indexed and include bibliographical lists of books and periodicals for avid spook-hunters [and spooks].
#4J contains a June XV interview with Anton LaVey concerning Jayne Mansfield and her ‘Pink Palace’.”
4K. The Haight-Ashbury: A History by Charles Perry. NY: Random House (Vintage Books #394-74144-7),
1984. (TOS-3) MA: “There are many different kinds of ‘occultism’, including some that don’t think of themselves,
and aren’t usually described by others in that context. The ‘Hippie experience’ was one such. At the time (ca.
1966-69) it was fragmentary, unprogrammed, and generally difficult for either insiders or outsiders to understand.
It was far more than simply a drug-orgy, and - though Anton LaVey would probably be loath to admit it - its values
were very much those of the Age of Satan and its Word (Indulgence). Finally there is a book which pulls it all
together into a coherent (as much as possible) whole, showing how so many trends of the post-World War II era
lead slowly but inevitably into this particular ‘critical mass’, and how so many of the values in the subsequent
decades have been charted along certain courses because of that same ‘critical mass’. Included is an account of the
9/21/67 ‘Satanic mass’ conducted by Ken Anger at the Straight Theatre, including the showing of the original
version of Lucifer Rising, reportedly pilfered that evening by Bobby Beausoliel. See also Tom Wolfe, The Electric
Kool-Aid Acid Test (NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1968), which focuses in on the LBM influence of Ken Kesey and
his Merry Pranksters. See also #19X.”
4L. The Occult Experience by Nevill Drury. Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1990 (ISBN
0-89529-414-1). (TOS-3) MA: “This is the book version of the made-for-television film of the same name (#F4A).
Drury (author of #4H) was technical consultant to the film, which includes episodes on a variety of occult and quasi-
occult groups in Australia, Britain, and the United States. Interviewed/discussed are: [USA]: Selena Fox, Z
Budapest, Starhawk, Dr. Gordon Melton (Institute for the Study of American Religion), Dr. Michael & Lilith Aquino,
Michael Bertiaux, Dr. Michael Harner (today a shaman but an ex-6114-ite - see #6M), Dr. Charles Tart, Dr. Joan
Halifax; [UK]: Fellowship of Isis, Janet & Stewart Ferrar, Alex Saunders; [Australia]: Temple of the Mother, Coven
of Lothlorien; [Switzerland]: H.R. Giger. The Temple of Set’s discussion accounts for 16 of the book’s 150 pages.
Also included are names & addresses for all groups/individuals discussed [TOS address outdated], as well as a
bibliography. An eight-page black/white photo section is included. Note: This book was a
lso published by Robert
Hale Ltd in London, England in 1987, and by Fontana Publishers in Sydney, Australia in 1985. The Australian
edition has the photo-section in color.”
4M. The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. New York: Dell Publishing Company,
1975 (ISBN: 0-440-53981-1). (TOS-4) MA: “This volume combines the three original paperback novels The Eye in
the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, and Leviathan which comprise the Illuminatus! trilogy. Alternately referred to as
‘the longest shaggy dog story in literary history’ and ‘a fairy tale for paranoids’, this is a rambling journey through
almost every zany occult movement and conspiracy theory in contemporary society. I assume the Temple of Set was
spared only because the book was published the same year we were founded. I don’t know what happened to Shea,
but Wilson went on to publish some ‘non-fictional’ works in the same vein which, because they lacked the unself-
conscious style of Illuminatus! , fell right into the category of publications so successfully lampooned by
Illuminatus! . Truth, however, remains stranger than fiction, and within the pages of Illuminatus! you will actually
find many gems of, er, occult wisdom. This is perhaps a counterweight to Morning of the Magicians: a good book to
give to someone who’s too obsessed with the occult!”
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4N. The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols by Angeles Arrien. Sonoma,
California: Arcus Publishing Company, 1987 (ISBN 0-916955-02-8). (TOS-4) R. Menschel IV°: “An excellent
companion to Aleister Crowley’s Book of Thoth text and deck (#9L), this book discusses each card’s symbolism and
application intelligently from a modern perspective. Much easier to read than Crowley’s text, though lacking in
some correspondences, this book also introduces some new applications not mentioned in Crowley’s work.”
4O. The Gurdjieff Work by Kathleen Riordan Speeth. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1989 (2nd
edition/reprint of 1976 edition). (TOS-2) DW: “This is perhaps the only book on Gurdjieff that tells you what to do
rather than relating a history of the movement. If you are really interested in these techniques, you might look for
local Gurdjieff/Ouspensky centers; initiation works better when practiced rather than merely read about. But, as
always, observe the graduates of the school before investing your time, efforts, and funds. The best history of the
Gurdjieff movemement is James Webb’s The Harmonious Circle.”
4P. Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England by T.M. Luhrmann.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989. (TOS-4) MA: “This is an extremely sophisticated study of the neo-
pagan/Wiccan phenomenon by a cultural anthropologist, who went to the extent of joining several covens and
participating personally in their ritual activities. Although it is clear that Luhrmann retained an ‘academic
detachment’ from the cultures she was investigating, her analysis is remarkable for being empathetic and non-
critical; she seeks to understand and to explain, not to condemn or ridicule. Although Wicca is on an entirely
different level from that of the Black Arts, Luhrmann’s observations and conclusions are nonetheless most valuable
in helping the aspiring Black Magician to see ways in which the Black Art and Science can be used for social/cultural
needs common to humans generally. Probably the most insightful study of Wicca yet published.”
4Q. Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches: The Riddle of Culture by Marvin Harris. NY: Random House 1974,
Vintage Books 1978 (paperback). (TOS-3) Patty Hardy IV°: “This is a functional analysis of food taboos, infanticide,
ritualized warfare, messianic cults, and witchcraft crazes. More than an anthropological study of bad craziness, it
will alert the Initiate to delusional elements in modern life. Writes Harris: ‘Ignorance, fear, and conflict are the basic
elements of everyday consciousness. From these elements, art and politics fashion the collective dreamwork whose
function it is to prevent people from understanding what their social life is all about.’ Harris taught anthropology at
Columbia University and held the Chair of the Department of Anthropology from 1963 to 1966.”
4R. Aghora: At the Left Hand of God (1986) and Kundalini: Aghora II (1993) by Robert E. Svoboda.
Albuquerque, New Mexico: Brotherhood of Life. (TOS-2) DW: “Readable introductions to the current practices of a
branch of the Hindu Left-Hand Path. The Aghorist breaks with the world with beef-eating and seeking that which
society deems impure, meets the gods on their own level, and practices those purifying virtues which makes the
psyche self-aware by not uniting with the laws of the cosmos but escaping them by becoming larger than them. A
good cross-read to #3Z. [Write to the Brotherhood of Life, 110 Dartmouth SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA for
information on these & other publications.]”
* * *
F4A. The Occult Experience. (LVT-2) MA: “This is the videocassette version of #4L.” JL: “This is the famous
one we saw at the first Las Vegas Conclave. It is also the one with the ‘If the Devil lives anywhere, it could be in San
Francisco’ comment. Michael and Lilith Aquino are interviewed, clips of Anton LaVey from Satanis are shown, and
from there the film goes downhill. As a study in comparative religion, it is worth adding to one’s personal video
library.”
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Category 5: Atlantis
as of February 26, 2003
Since it is now established fact that mankind has possessed high intelligence for quite some time
prior to the recorded beginnings of Egypt, the question of what was happening during the previous
95,000 years - approximately the length of time we’ve possessed our expanded cranial capacity -
remains unresolved. Did our ancestors content themselves with swinging from trees and eating
bananas ... and suddenly decide to civilize themselves a mere 5,000 years ago? Or were other things
taking place?
5A. Atlantis, the Antediluvian World by Ignatius Donnelly, 1882; revised/edited by Egerton Sykes, 1949. NY:
Gramercy, 1949. [Deutschland: Atlantis, die vorsintflutliche Welt. ?, Esslingen a.N., 1911.] (TOS-3) MA: “This is the
classic analysis of Atlantis. Written to the scientific standards of Donnelly’s time, it fell victim to a priori disbelief
and was dealt a near-death blow by being embraced by the occult faddists of that day. Nevertheless the book
remains a sound archæological study, though dated in some areas which will be readily apparent to modern readers.
Some of the more startling points made by this book are cited at the beginning of George Pal’s sci-fi/fantasy (?) film
Atlantis, the Lost Continent (#F-5A).”
5B. The Mystery of Atlantis by Charles Berlitz.NY: Leisure Books #272DK, 1969. [Deutschland: Das Atlantis-
Rätsel. Zsolnay Verlag, Hamburg, 1976.] (TOS-3) MA: “This book summarizes the current case both for and against
Atlantis. Berlitz comments extensively and authoritatively on Donnelly, particularly with regard to the language
question. [Berlitz, son of ‘the’ Berlitz, speaks thirty languages himself.] The tone of the book is conservative and
scientific. Ultimately, however, Berlitz can add little in the way of new data; he merely critiques #5A.”
5C. Atlantis Rising by Brad Steiger. NY: Dell Books #1182, 1973. (TOS-3) MA: “A speculative work on
Atlantis, with some interesting new data. The case studies are well presented,
although the book suffers from
Steiger’s sensationalistic writing-style.”
5D. Atlantis: The New Evidence by Martin Ebon. NY: Signet #W-7371, 1977. (TOS-3) MA: “In most regards
this book is neither as scholarly nor as thorough as the other books in this category. It does include, however, a very
intriguing account of the archæological efforts of Heinrich and Paul Schliemann concerning Atlantis. A lot of time is
wasted on snipe-hunt theories about Atlantis actually being Crete or Santorini, presuming that Plato (who traveled
about the Mediterranean Sea) was too stupid to know the difference between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
Ocean.”
5E. Timæus and Critias by Plato. Baltimore: Penguin Books #L261, 1971. [Deutschland: Platon-Hauptwerke
(u.a. Texte). Alfred Kröner Verlag, Stuttgart, 1973.] (TOS-4) MA: “These are the two Platonic dialogues concerned,
among other things, with Atlantis. They are also included in #12C, but this edition has the added attraction of some
very good footnotes to the mathematical intricacies of the dialogues. The book’s drawback is a Santorini-oriented
appendix on Atlantis by the edition’s translator, Desmond Lee of University College, Cambridge.”
5F. The Secret of Atlantis by Otto Muck. NY: Pocket Books, 1978. [Deutschland: Atlantis-gefunden. Victoria
Verlag, Stuttgart, 1954.] (TOS-3) MA: “A tightly argued, carefully documented case for the historical accuracy of
Plato’s accounts. Muck, a German scientist who contributed to the invention of the schnorkel and V1/V2 rockets of
World War II, concludes: ‘The Mayan temple records and modern methods of historical dating agree. They prove
that Plato’s account is true. The statements that have been looked on with such skepticism are correct.’ Introduction
by Peter Tompkins, author of #1F, who dispenses firmly with the Santorini theory.”
5G. Ancient Man: A Handbook of Puzzling Artifacts by William R. Corliss. Glen Arm, Maryland: The
Sourcebook Project, 1978. (TOS-3) MA: “In his preface Corliss states: ‘The primary objective of this handbook is to
provide libraries and individuals with a wide selection of reliable descriptions of unusual artifacts of ancient man.