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SOCIETY OF THE HORSEMAN’S WORD

Various

1st 2009 184pp Society of Esoteric Endeavour hardback in dustwrapper. Frontis. & illustrations.

This clandestine esoteric society flourished amongst ploughmen in Scotland from the end of the 18th Century until the early 20th. Its members were believed to have supernatural control over horses, and also women and were also associated with witchcraft. This book takes the reader on a journey into the mysteries of the brotherhood. We learn from the disapproving pen of the one Scottish ploughman who left a substantial written record that his work mates drank hard, played hard and chased women. A ranting, hostile exposure is reproduced which is actually really instructive, providing what appears to be a 17th Century version of the ritual, very different from the full version. Then follows some surprisingly informative newspaper accounts written by members, an early (ranting but useful) exposure, an eyewitness account, relevant folksongs sung by the ploughmen and then the ceremony and lore of the Society.

The ceremony, which has never been previously published, is a surprise, as are the teachings of the Society. The ritual shows a transformation of freemasonry to the nature of ploughing with horses. The legend of Solomon's temple is replaced with references to Hercules and other figures from Greek mythology as well as Gabriel, Lucifer and Old Nick, the classical references sometimes being very well informed. Also incorporated are folk traditions about the domestication of horses.  It could be an extreme experience, being very rough, physically arduous and potentially very scary, involving an encounter with the Devil and mock execution. In the earliest form of the ritual Adam, after the fall, is given as the originator of ploughing, an important gives Cain and in the secret rituals and teachings it is Tubal Cain who, it is said, was the first horseman though he, we are told, was instructed by a woman! An appendix explores the nature and significance of Tubal Cain and his relevance to ploughmen, finding expressions of rebellion against the status quo. Whilst one comes to understand why the horseman's word was associated with control of horses and power over women, true mysteries emerge. £25.00

 

MARSH WIZARDS, WITCHES AND CUNNING MEN

A Study of Cunning Murrell, George Pickingill and Witchcraft in 19th Century Essex

Arthur Morrison & Eric Maple,

2008 97pp Caduceus Books Trade paperback. Grey Card covers. Illustrated.

Essex edition limited to 37 numbered copies. NB. This paperback edition was originally intended for distribution in the county of Essex

This work collects together five substantial articles describing folk magic in East Anglia:-

Arthur Morrison, A Wizard of Yesterday

Eric Maple, Cunning Murrrell, Witches of Canewdon, Witchcraft and Magic in the Rochford Hundred, Witches of Dengie

Arthur Morrison wrote a novel about Cunning Murrrell published in 1900 which is generally regarded as entirely fictional. This factual article about Murrell is very well informed. The author stayed in the area and was able to talk to many who knew Murrell well, including his son and the blacksmith who made some of his magical regalia. Also he was able to examine his correspondence, some of his magical regalia, and his manuscripts including his "Book of Conjurations" which, tragically, has since been lost. He quotes some text and reproduces one page from the manuscript. This shows two talismans and this publication magnifies this glimpse into a Cunning Murrell's magical art by making the front and back cover of the book into the obverse and reverse of one of the talismans that is intended for protection from mischief, evil and danger. The instruction is that the talisman should be engraved upon pure gold and so first a layer of genuine 22 carat gold is pressed into the covers. The design of the talisman is impressed into the gold and emphasised by laying black pigment on top of the gold. This process requires the book be blocked by hand a total of five times instead of the usual once. A brief afterword describes the symbolism of the sigils and locates them in history of published magical works. It becomes clear that whilst Murrell was certainly practising folk magic this aspect of his practice referenced learned occult traditions. Indeed we learn that the vicar of Hadleigh had long theological discussions with Murrell and said he was either a very good, or a very evil man, but he could never decide which!

Cumming Murrell was certainly an ambiguous character, feared as well as respected. An herbalist and an astrologer (and perhaps a smuggler and an abortionist) he was widely known as a practicing magician and was called upon when people felt themselves attacked by witchcraft, though many disapprovingly termed his spells "witchcrafts"!

The world first heard of George Pickingill in 1962 with the publication of Dark World of the Witches by Eric Maple. From about 1974 a series of letters attributed to Lugh (later identified as Bob Liddell) appeared in pagan journals. Building upon the brief description in the Dark World, these suggested that Pickingill had headed nine covens of witches and been in contact with Aleister Crowley and that Gerald Gardner and Lugh's sources had been initiated by witches who continued the tradition after Pickingill's death in 1909.

In fact Eric Maple wrote far more about George Pickingill and witchcraft in Essex than appeared in the populist book, the articles reproduced here from a scholarly journal give a very different from that painted by Lugh / Liddell but one that is, in a very different way, every bit as startling.  We learn that Pickingill too was a local man of influence who was widely known as a practising magician and fully embraced that role. Whereas Murrell was quite bookish who charged for his services Pickingill was a (possibly illiterate) farm labourer who, ironically, was paid not to do magic which sometimes smacked of industrial sabotage! It was said he could make horses and threshing machines stop by staring at them and they would only restart when the farmer paid him to move on! Maple notes too that Pickingill was consulted by other farm labourers when in dispute with their employer. In contrast to Murrell, who aimed to torture witches into submission by means of his iron bottles, Pickingill's relationship with the witches was more ambiguous. He claimed to command them and be able to defend people from them but one senses that there was something of a protection racket in his modus operandi.

His village had remarkable witchlore curiously relating to the church tower, as if the shadow it cast manifested in the black magic of the witches in the village. Given that Pickingill died in 1909 it is extraordinary that witch beliefs survived so long and there was such a late flowering of the office of Cunning Man. We learn from Maple the reasons for this relating to the great isolation of the Marshes and its comparatively lawless nature. If, for instance, you had something stolen a trip to the local Cunning Man was more likely to be effective than recourse to the police whose authority was limited. The witch lore that survived had its own regional nature. There was a great deal of emphasis upon white mice as imps, indeed Maple spoke to people who had seen such familiars with their own eyes. There is considerable lore concerning the fate of these familiars as a witch approaches death.

We are indebted to Morrison and Maple for recording the reality of folk-magic in 19th Century Essex just before the World War I and modern communications changed so much. Whilst magic and witch belief had its own special nature in this region its survival into a period where sympathetic researchers could make records throws light upon traditions elsewhere. £25.00

 

THE MAGIC SEAL OF JOHN DEE - THE SIGILLUM DEI AEMETH

Colin D. Campbell.

1st 2009 Teitan Press hardback. Bound in black cloth with gilt sigils stamped on the front & rear covers, blind rules, and gilt title etc. on the spine. Colour frontis. and one colour plate, various b&w illustrations and tables in text.

Edition limited to 777 copies. The Magic Seal of John Dee comprises a detailed examination of the history and structure of the Sigillum Dei Aemeth of the Elizabethan scholar and Magus, Dr. John Dee, as well as a study of its use in the practice of ritual magic. The appendixes include a new transcription and translation of Dee's Liber Mysteriorum Secundus, and an important new translation of the section of the famous grimoire, The Sworn Book of Honorius, that gives details of what is clearly a precursor of the Sigillum Dei. From the standpoint of a practicing magician, the work has two clear aims: "to demonstrate the importance of the pattern established by Dee's Sigillum Dei as opposed to its implementation, and to bring the Sigillum Dei out of the limited confines of the Enochian temple and into its role as a powerful magickal system in its own right. The recognition of the patterns established in the construction of the Sigillum Dei allow us to view the seal in a new light, not as a static framework decided once and for all hundreds of years ago in the study of a Rennaissance magician, but as one that can be reconstituted in the light of modern interpretation. Furthermore, the seal is, in essence, a system of evocation - the very same method of communication used by Dee & Kelley in its reception. This book explains the nature and method of this approach and how the practicing magician is able to use the Sigillum Dei in the manner in which it was intended, as a powerful system of planetary magick. £34.50

 

THE CLAVIS OR KEY TO THE MAGIC OF SOLOMON

From an Original Talismanic Grimoire in Full Color by Ebenezer Sibley and Frederick Hockley

1st 2009 456pp Ibis Press hardback in dustwrapper. Illus. plus fold-out.

The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon is one of several notebooks from the estate of Ebenezer Sibley, transcribed under the direction of Frederic Hockley (1808-1885). Sibley was a prominent physician and an influential author, who complemented his scientific studies with writings on the “deeper truths” including magic, astrology, alchemy, and hypnotherapy. Both Sibley and Hockley were major inspirations in the occult revival of the past two centuries, influencing A.E. Waite, S.L. Mathers, Aleister Crowley, as well as the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucian, and Masonic movements. This collection reflects Sibley’s teachings on the practical use of celestial influences and harmonies. The Clavis contains clear and systematic instructions for constructing magical tools and pentacles for many practical purposes. It includes eight separate magical texts: The Mysterious Ring, Experiments of the Spirits, Birto, Vassago, Agares, Bealpharos, The Wheel of Wisdom, and the Complete Book of Magic Science. The manuscript reproduced here is the most accurate and complete known, very beautifully and carefully written complete with extraordinary hand-colored seals and colored handwritten text. £59.99

 

ARBATEL - THE MAGIC OF THE ANCIENTS

Joseph Peterson (ed)

2009 128pp Ibis Press hardback in dustwrapper

In many ways, ARBATEL is unique among texts on magic. Unlike the vast majority of writings, it is clear, concise and elegantly written. The practical instructions are straightforward and undemanding. When it first appeared in 1575, it attracted the attention of people with a surprisingly broad range of agendas, including some of the finest minds of the time. Often quoted and reprinted, both praised and condemned, its impact on western esoteric philosophy has been called "overwhelming." ARBATEL's magic is full of wonder and free from the sinister elements usually associated with texts on the subject. But it is about more than magic; filled with gnomic wisdom, it urges us to help our neighbours, be positive and grateful and use time wisely. Above all, it teaches us to pay attention, looking for the wondrous and miraculous. In fact, to the author, this virtually defines the magus. This translation, the first English version published since 1655, illuminates many obscure points in the text. Peterson's introduction concisely documents the provenance of the text, explains the magical techniques employed and its influence on esoteric literature, including the grimoires and the Theosophical movement. The book, also, utilises important new research by Carlos Gilly, Antoine Favre, and others. First English translation published since in 1655. £24.99

 

THORN IN THE FLESH – A GRIM-MEMOIRE

Rosaleen Norton

With an Introduction by Keith Richmond

1st 2009 128pp Teitan Press hardback in dustwrapper. Frontispiece & 8pp color & b/w illus.

Edition limited to 880 numbered copies. Rosaleen Norton, the so-called "Witch of Kings Cross," was a natural rebel whose bohemian lifestyle, outspoken occultism, and unusual and often sexually-charged artwork attracted widespread condemnation from the conservative establishment in twentieth century Australia. She suffered frequent arrests, her art exhibitions were raided, a book of her art banned in both Australia and the USA, and in one notorious case, her paintings were burned at the censor's order. She died in relative obscurity in 1979, yet left the world a rich and unusual artistic legacy. Some of this was hidden away in two battered metal trunks which contained fragments of her unfinished autobiography, Thorn in the Flesh, various occult writings, letters, drawings, poems, photographs, small paintings, and scrapbooks. It was Norton's wish that one day a selection would be made from this material, and it would be published.

This book is that selection. It comprises poetry (often humorous), reminiscences, and various occult jottings, with reproductions of two stunning photographs of Norton, as well as some half-a-dozen examples of her art (mainly in colour). Most of this material has never been publicly seen before.  Although by definition fragmentary, the texts combine to give a very personal introduction to the magical world of this truly remarkable woman. The book includes an Introduction by Keith Richmond, who has previously edited a collection of Norton's short stories: Three Macabre Stories, and played a key role in organizing the "Occult Visions of Rosaleen Norton" retrospective of her art that was held in Sydney in 2000. £32.99

 

THE PROGRADIOR CORRESPONDENCE

Letters by Aleister Crowley, Frank Bennett, C. S. Jones, & Others.

Edited and with an Introduction by Keith Richmond

1st 2009 148pp Teitan Press hardback in dustwrapper.

Edition of 666 numbered copies. The Progradior Correspondence comprises the text of ninety letters and other documents that were exchanged between "Frater Progradior" (that is Aleister Crowley’s Lancashire-born follower Frank Bennett), and members of "the Beast's" inner circle, including Crowley himself, Charles Stansfeld Jones, Leilah Waddell, Leah Hirsig and others.

The correspondence began in 1910 when Bennett wrote to Crowley seeking his advice on the performance of "The Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage." It continued through the years of The Equinox, through Crowley’s residence in the United States during the First World War, and on past the heydays of the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalu in the early 1920s. The exchange finally drew to a close in 1926, by which time Crowley had dropped or otherwise lost contact with most of his associates of the preceding decade and a half.

A third of the letters were written by Aleister Crowley. Like the rest of the correspondence, these focus largely on the efforts that he and his followers were making to promote his occult fraternities, the A.'. A.'. and the O.T.O. As such they offer valuable first-hand accounts of the development of Crowley’s creed of Thelema during this important period. The letters are highly revealing on a personal level as well, and provide considerable insight into Crowley’s character and the influence that he had on the people around him. In broader terms they give a fascinating impression of the lives and activities of all those involved.

The Progradior Correspondence is edited by Frank Bennett’s biographer, Keith Richmond, who has also contributed a short Introduction and added footnotes to elucidate some of the more obscure names, words and passages in the letters. £29.99

 

ALEISTER CROWLEY AND THE AEON OF HORUS

Paul Weston

1st 2009 384pp Avalonian Aeon trade paperback.

An Aeon of Horus primer, from the Nazis to the atom bomb, LSD and UFOlogy. An historical investigation, taking in Aleister Crowley, the Babalon working, Abraxas, the Mothman, the occult 60s, Process Church of Final Judgement, the Necronomicon and extraterrestrial gnosis. A highly recommended read! £13.99

 

Also available from the same author:

 

MYSTERIUM ARTORIUS

Paul Weston

1st 2009 127pp Avalonian Aeon trade paperback.

Arthurian Grail Glastonbury studies. An historical and cultural esoteric extravaganza evoking Arthur and the Grail through the magic of the landscape and the sensibilites of artists and mystics from the ancient to the modern world. £9.99

 

THE EQUINOX VOL VII NO 10

The British Journal of Thelema

2009 82pp A4 journal. Illus. in col. Throughout.

Includes; THE GOETIA by Rufus Opus A Brief Look at what Goetia is, and isn't, FOOD FOR THOUGHT by Omi Toñí, Oní Yemayá The Personal Experience and Practice of Palo in the Americas, LITURGICAL APPROACHES TO INVOCATION & EVOCATION PART II by Jake Stratton-Kent, PYRAMIDOS REQUIEM by Jake Stratton-Kent, THE OPENING OF THE MOUTH by Mister Quick An Adaptation of the Egyptian Opening of the Mouth Ceremony. THE APPRENTICE MAGICIAN by Rufus Opus Conjuring Goetic Spirits, MODERN GRIMOIRE MAGICK by Aaron Leitch Folk Magick and the Solomonic Path, THAT DEATH MAY DIE IN US by Layo Lehmann

Alchemical Wines for use as Ritual Libations, WORKING WITH PAPAVER CHTHONIOS by Harold A Roth The roles of Papaver somniferum in Traditional and Modern Magick, SPIRIT HOUSES IN THAILAND by Alex Dally MacFarlane A Photo-essay Documenting a Variety of Spirit Houses, plus Reviews, Letters etc. £11.00

 

ARS SALOMONIS - Being of that Hidden Arte of King Solomon

G.StM. Nottingham

Although the Key of Solomon is a work that is often referred to in occult circles, until now there has been no clear explanation of how to work with the talismanic figures in the Key. Something which this work now addresses.  With clearly explained instructions and infomation on how to work with and activate the planetary seals and their spirits, the author for the first time in print gives the sigils of the spirits that are associated with the planetary seals which will assist in the working of this magical system. Clear instructions are given for the empowering of the planetary seals via ritual magic.  With the detailed use of evocation and also the little known  Kabbalistic Middle Pillar the early student of our arte will find this work to be useful in the practice and understanding of this our arte. Work with The Planetary Talismans, The sigils of the individual spirits associated with the planetary seals this is the first time in print that they are given. How to consecrate and empower the planetary seals, of evocations and the rites thereof. £12.00