The Temple of Set II

by Michael A Aquino

  of Nosferatu. A member of the English Department at the University of Kentucky, Waller extracts psychological

  details from these films with an intricacy most casual viewers might consciously miss - but which might very well

  affect their attitude towards the films nonetheless.”

  8M. American Vampires: Fans, Victims, Practitioners by Norine Dresser. NY: W.W. Norton & Co. (ISBN

  0-393-02678-7), 1989. (TOS-3) (VAM-3). MA: “Dresser is a teacher of folklore at the California State University,

  Los Angeles and is a research associate of the Center for the Study of Comparative Folklore at the University of

  California, Los Angeles. This book is a light and lively study of the vampire theme as present in American society

  today [to include the Temple of Set’s Order of the Vampyre]. An added feature are the names and addresses of as

  many vampire-related societies as the author (ahem) dug up ...”

  8N. Lady of the Beasts by Buffie Johnson. NY: HarperCollins, 1988. (TOS-3) DW: “A study of the relationship

  between the divine and the savage feminine beast/godforms. Useful for beginning lycanthropes and the Arkte

  Element.”

  * * *

  F8A. An American Werewolf in London. 1981. MA: “What would it really be like to (a) encounter a werewolf

  and/or (b) become one? Watch this film to find out. Then sniff out its sequel, AAWI Paris.”

  F8B. Dracula. 1931. Bela Lugosi, Edward Van Sloan, Dwight Frye. MA: “Tod Browning’s classic translation of

  the stage play Dracula to the screen. Needs no introduction for vampires and vampire-fans.”

  F8C. The Wolf Man. Universal, 1941. Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya. MA:

  “The first and best of the Universal ‘wolfman’ films, in which Lon Chaney Jr. made this role as much his as Lugosi

  did that of Dracula.”

  F8D. Nosferatu, Phantom of the Night. Fox. Isabell Adjani, Klaus Kinski. Director: Werner Herzog. Music:

  Popol Vuh. MA: “There are scores, perhaps now hundreds of Dracula-theme movies in existence. This remake of the

  original Murnau Nosferatu is recommended not because Kinski makes a shudderingly-ugly Dracula, but because

  the film so eerily illustrates the not-living/not-dead phantom realm of the classical vampire, and the ‘atmosphere’

  which accompanies him. See #8L for a strong discussion of the symbolism in the two Nosferatu films. When

  originally tested in the United States, this French/German film had English voice-overs. When finally released, it

  was in German with English subtitles, which prevents the audience from being absorbed into its scenes. Too bad!

  There are ‘French’ and ‘German’ editions of the soundtrack album by Popol Vuh.”

  - 200 -

  F8E. Blood for Dracula. Andy Warhol/Paul Morrissey. Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro. MA: “If you think you’ve

  seen all the Dracula variations there are to see, try this one: This Dracula (Kier) can only drink the blood of virgins.

  A frantic comedy ensues in his desperate quest to find one. The high point is reached when the sullen Dallesandro, a

  staple in Warhol/Morrissey films, seduces the only virgin daughter in the Italian family being stalked by the count.

  When caught in the act by the girl’s understandably indignant mother, Dallesandro retorts, ‘I’m saving her from a

  vampire’ - probably the most unusual excuse yet offered. Very explicitly sexual, very gory, and very funny.”

  F8F. Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Columbia, 1992. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Gary Oldman, Winona

  Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves. MA: “The most magnificent Dracula ever filmed. Winner of 3 Academy

  awards. Stunning costumes by Eiko Ishioka. A romantic epic of titanic scope and sensitivity - only incidentally a

  ‘horror movie’. Watch for effects such as the semi-independent movements of Dracula’s shadow in his castle - a

  charming variation on the legend that vampires cast no shadow.”

  F8G. Shadow of the Vampire. Universal, 2001. MA: “Willem Dafoe steals this show as Max Schreck in this

  film about the making of the original Murnau Nosferatu - the twist being that Schreck is really a vampire. Dafoe -

  who received an Oscar nomination for this role - intimidates his fellow castmembers, and Murnau (John Malkovich)

  as least as much as the audience. Watch for Udo Kier as the director’s long-suffering associate.”

  F8H. [John Carpenter’s] Vampires. Columbia Pictures, 1998. MA: “‘When I find the bastard, I’m going to

  shove a stake up his ass,’ growls vampire-hunter James Woods, and that pretty much sets the tone for this brutal,

  hardboiled, vampires-vs.-humans yarn set in the modern American west. As is often Carpenter’s whim, he does the

  soundtrack with his own band, the Texas Toad Lickers: a sledgehammer of a score that is well-worth picking up as a

  CD on its own.”

  - 201 -

  Category 9: The Æon of Horus

  Das Äon von Horus

  as of February 26, 2003

  In 1904 CE the British magician Aleister Crowley - the self-acknowledged Beast 666 - proclaimed

  the Æon of Horus, an initiatory climate characterized by actualization of the most refined sense of the

  human Will towards conscious unification with the Universe. This was a major advance in the

  coherence and evolution of occultism, comprising the most sophisticated basis for initiation until 1966

  CE and the advent of the Æon of Set.

  In his writings, Crowley sought to integrate what had previously been a haphazard collection of

  medieval superstition and ancient paganism into a legitimate magical philosophy. He was more or less

  successful, but his works are so complex - requiring for their understanding an extensive background in

  philosophy, occultism, comparative religious mythology, and world cultural history - that it remains

  open to question how many [if any] of his present-day disciples can be said to truly possess and apply

  the extremely rigorous magical skills he sought to codify and communicate. That there are numerous

  “Aleister Crowley fan clubs” is undeniable. Whether any of them would have gained his personal

  endorsement as a legitimate embodiment of the Silver Star (A.'.A.'.) or Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) as

  he originally conceived them to be is an issue that cannot be resolved by argument, decree, or civil law -

  but only by the test of time. At this time there is no legitimate A.'.A.'. in evidence. There are only two

  O.T.O. organizations with meaningful claims to legitimacy: The California-incorporated/New York-

  headquartered O.T.O. (the “McMurtry” or “Caliphate” O.T.O. - which is recognized as the O.T.O. under

  U.S. law) and the “Metzger” O.T.O. in Switzerland. The Temple of Set recognizes and enjoys cordial

  relations with the U.S. O.T.O.; we have had no contact with the Swiss organization. We do not recognize

  the credentials of any group claiming to be the A.'.A.'..

  The Book of Coming Forth by Night establishes the Temple of Set’s interest in and responsibility

  to the Crowley legacy. Because of the continuing and highly-emotional controversies over Crowley

  organizations, concepts, and successors, we have thought it best to allow water to seek its own level over

  a period of time, concentrating our Crowley-related efforts towards meaningful and serious discussion

  and application of Æon of Horus principles as they may complement and enhance those of the Æon of

  Set. The books cited below represent only part of the entire corpus of Crowley literature. While the

  Temple’s archives include virtually the “complete Crowley”, many books by/about him
contain

  overlapping/ reprinted material ... and/or confuse more than they clarify. Some Crowley-related books -

  most conspicuously those by Kenneth Grant and Marcelo Motta - contain severe distortions of

  Crowley’s original concepts and are not recommended accordingly. If you want to go Crowley-hunting,

  the books listed in this category ought to be the most informative and rewarding.

  9A. The Great Beast by John Symonds. London: Macdonald, 1971 [Weiser paperback edition available].

  [Deutschland: Das Tier 666, Sphinx Verlag, CH-Basel, 1983] (TOS-3) (LVT-1) MA: “This remains the most

  comprehensive and objective biography of Crowley. The 1971 Second Edition is expanded and updated from the

  original 1951 First Edition. #9A has been criticized for describing certain episodes of Crowley’s life in a scornful and

  condescending light, but it would be more accurate to say that a description of his behavior without attention to his

  magical motives for such behavior is misleading. #9B and #9C in particular reveal these motives. So complex

  were Crowley’s life and works, however, that any attempt to understand other works in this category without first

  having digested #9A will result in confusion.” J. Lewis VI°: “The Work of the Magus of the Æon of HarWer is one of

  the invaluable legacies passed down to Setians, who have the benefit of historical perspective. Understanding the

  Word Thelema is an essential step along the path of Initiation.”

  9B. The Eye in the Triangle by Francis I. Regardie. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1970. (TOS-3) MA:

  “Regardie worked with Crowley for many years as his personal secretary. Although the two became estranged in

  1937, Regardie went on to edit and publish a number of Crowley’s major works, including #9D, #9F, #9H, and #9I.

  More than any direct testimony could establish, Regardie’s sensitivity and skill at such editing established him as

  the single most reliable authority on Crowley. #9B is more of a portrait than a biography, although it was written in

  part as a protest against the bias Regardie felt to be present in #9A. [While Regardie did not recognize the Church of

  Satan, he did enjoy pleasant and cooperative relations with the Temple of Set and myself from 1975 to his death in

  1985. It was he, incidentally, who put the Temple in touch with the California O.T.O.]”

  9C. The Confessions of Aleister Crowley by Aleister Crowley (Ed. Symonds & Grant). NY: Hill & Wang, 1969.

  [Deutschland: Confessions - Die Bekenntnisse des Aleister Crowley (2 Bände), Johanna Bohmeier Verlag, Bergen

  an d. Dumme, 1986] (TOS-4) (LVT-4) MA: “Crowley’s autobiography - elegantly written, with a treasure-house of

  his magical philosophy to be found along the way. While it adds the missing motives to most of the unflattering

  - 202 -

  episodes cited in #9A, #9C probably ignores or minimizes events that Crowley disliked recalling. All things

  considered, the picture of the Beast that emerges from this work is that of a far more sensitive and principled

  individual than his media reputation suggests. One suspects that Crowley indeed suffered from the Curse of a Magus

  (not to be understood, much less Understood), and that those who could not u/Understand him lashed out at him to

  allay their own feelings of frustration and inferiority.” J. Lewis VI°: “This fascinating and oversized book is one of

  the best portraying the Task and the Curse of the Magus. DCLXVI reached for the eternal; #9A and Liber Legis tend

  to question whether he truly attained it. Read and draw your own conclusions.”

  9D. Magick Without Tears by Aleister Crowley (Ed. Regardie). St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1973.

  [Deutschland: Magie mit/ohne Tränen. Kersken-Canbaz, 2 volumes, ISBNs: 3-89423-076-2 & 3-89423-077-0.]

  (TOS-3) (LVT-4) MA: “This is an extensive ‘interview’ with Crowley in the form of a series of his letters [answering

  those of a new student]. Most aspects of his magical philosophy are covered, and the absence of magical jargon

  makes the book relatively easy to understand. Since this exchange of letters took place rather late in Crowley’s

  magical career, his discussion of many of his more controversial ideas shows a more reflective approach than in

  earlier works.” J. Lewis VI°: “#9D is not a book to be taken down for an evening of easy reading. It calls for an

  attentive examination, which will show Crowley’s exceptional insights.”

  9E. Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on the Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley (Ed. Symonds &

  Grant). Montreal: 93 Publishing, 1974. [Deutschland: Liber Al vel Legis mit Kommentaren. Kersken-Canbaz, ISBN:

  3-89423-001-0.] (TOS-4) MA: “In 1912 and again in 1920 Crowley wrote two extended commentaries on the Book

  of the Law, the magical Working through which the Æon of Horus was announced and defined. These

  commentaries are consolidated in this beautifully printed book. Its only shortcoming consists of an introduction and

  footnotes by Kenneth Grant, who attempts therein to twist the Book of the Law and Crowley’s commentaries into

  supports for his own theories and pretensions. The same Crowley commentaries appear in The Law is For All,

  published by Llewellyn in 1975. In this volume their layout is somewhat confusing, but there is the advantage of an

  excellent introduction and annotation by Regardie. A third volume containing the Crowley commentaries - The

  Commentaries of AL, published by Weiser - has been butchered so badly by ‘editor’ Motta as to be virtually useless.

  [See also the section on the Book of the Law, containing the complete text and my own commentaries to same, in

  The Book of Coming Forth by Night: Analysis & Commentary, in the Ruby Tablet of Set.]”

  9F. The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O. by Francis King (Ed.). London: C.W. Daniel Company, 1973. (TOS-4) MA:

  “Distributed in the U.S. by Weiser, this is both a capsule history of the original German and later Crowley versions

  of the Ordo Templi Orientis, and the texts of its rituals from 0° to IX° as written and/or revised by Crowley. Also

  included are several essays of secret ‘instructions’ to the IX° by Crowley. This volume is valuable for the insight it

  provides into the innermost initiatory doctrines of the original Crowley O.T.O. It also provides a good introduction

  to the older German O.T.O., which is the parent organization of virtually all Illuminati/Rosicrucian societies

  presently in existence [such as San Jose’s AMORC, whose founder, H. Spencer Lewis, received its charter from the

  O.T.O.’s Theodor Reuss in 1915]. Present-day Illuminated Rosicrucians will probably be disappointed to discover

  that the enthusiastic sex-magic of the original O.T.O. Illuminatus IX° has been abandoned in favor of more

  spiritually uplifting meditation with the ‘Cosmic Masters’. For more information on the original German O.T.O., see

  ‘German Occult Groups’ in #4E.”

  9G. The Equinox (Volume I, #1-10) by Aleister Crowley. NY: Samuel Weiser, 1972 (reprinted). [Deutschland:

  Der Equinox Band I. Kersken-Canbaz, ISBN: 3-89423-078-9.] (TOS-4) MA: “This series of books was intended by

  Crowley as a loosely-organized [not topical or alphabetical] encyclopædia of the A.'.A.'. magical system. Most of

  Volume I is exclusively A.'.A.'., but as Crowley lost confidence in the ability of students to master the A.'.A.'.’s

  difficult curriculum - and as he became enthused over the sex-magic/Masonic atmosphere of the O.T.O. - the O.T.O.

  began to appear as well. Weiser’s 1972 reprint is out-of-print, but a 1994 reprint has since appeared from the same

  publisher. Since most of #9G
’s essential contents may be found in #9H and other extracted books [there are quite a

  few Crowley collections which are just selected extracts from #9G], acquisition of #9G is generally necessary only to

  the advanced student of Crowley. Nevertheless it remains unique among magical source publications for its size,

  scope, and sophistication. A single volume followed the original ten - the so-called ‘Blue Equinox’ (Volume III, #1)

  [there was no Volume II]. [Deutschland: Der Blue Equinox. Kersken-Canbaz, ISBN: 3-89423-097-5.] Weiser

  reprinted it separately from Volume I, but it is also now out-of-print and sells used for +/-$50. Among other things

  it contains the blueprint for the O.T.O. organization as Crowley planned to restructure it. [Note: In recent years

  Marcelo Motta, an O.T.O./ A.'.A.'. pretender, published a series of books purporting to be the ‘ Equinox, Volume V’ -

  with bindings, layout, and typeface in imitation of the actual Equinox. Setians are cautioned against this

  misrepresentation. [See also #9P.]”

  9H. Gems from the Equinox by Aleister Crowley. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1974 [reprinted 1982 by the

  Israel Regardie Foundation]. (TOS-4) (LVT-4) MA: “This is a single-volume condensation of the best material from

  #9G (Volume I, #1-10 & Volume III, #1). The contents are selected, introduced, and edited by Regardie. For all but

  the most detailed research, this volume is a quite adequate - and better organized - substitute for #9G. Regardie’s

  - 203 -

  purpose was to consolidate ‘all the magical writings’ and eliminate the literary/poetic/dramatic ones, as well as

  those by contributors other than Crowley himself. So, from a purely organizational/ magical/initiatory standpoint,

  #9H is the ‘meat’ of #9G. 1,134 pages in length, and about $25.” J. Lewis VI°: “Gems is a reference volume deserving

  a place in anyone’s magical library. It does not have the OL’s ‘1’ rating, but is worth tracking down for the wealth of

  ritual, magical rules, and approaches to life it contains.” DW: “Much of the material in #9H can be found in on-line

  archives maintained by the O.T.O. on the Internet.”

  9I. The Magical Record of the Beast 666 by Aleister Crowley. Montreal: 93 Publishing, 1972. (TOS-4) MA: