Continuing the exploration of September 1930, Lisbon: Aleister Crowley’s lost diary of his Portuguese trip, we read: “Wed[nesday] [September] 3 [1930]. Moved to Hotel de Paris Estoril 17 m[etres] on sea. A perfect plage: French, but dignified. The climate seems… Continue Reading
In September 1930, Lisbon: Aleister Crowley’s lost diary of his Portuguese trip, we read: “Tues[day] 2. 3.45. Pessoa met us: a very nice man. Hotel de l’Europe. Lisbon, to judge by the noise, is a Greater London. Like a boiler… Continue Reading
The Magical Record of the Beast 666: The Diaries of Aleister Crowley, 1914-1920 documents some of the prophet’s work with sexual operations in magick. However, like any good magical diary, the book also includes some of the food consumed during… Continue Reading
Today, May 8, is the Feast of Dame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, best known for her co-founding the Theosophical Society in 1875. Her work and her philosophy were building blocks of western occultism today. According to Thelemapedia, “Aleister Crowley recognized Blavatsky as a… Continue Reading
Tomorrow, May 8, is the Feast of St. Paul Gaugin. The Invisible Basilica tells us, “The life of Paul Gauguin provides us with an example of a man who flouted convention and abandoned material success in order to pursue his… Continue Reading
James Branch Cabell (pronounced like “rabble”) was born April 14, 1879 in Richmond, Virginia. His was an affluent and well-connected Virginia family. He was named for his maternal grandfather, Lieutenant Colonel James R. Branch, of the Army of the Confederate… Continue Reading
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, the fifth of May. This holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). It’s a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, and chances are that… Continue Reading
Noted in the Thelemic Seasonal Calendar as the Feast of Cattle, Little and Big, the first of May is also called Beltane or May Day. All three feasts celebrate life bursting forth in the Spring, some with religious observation, some… Continue Reading
Today is the greater feast of Sir Wilfred T. Smith, the founder and first Body Master of Agape Lodge in Pasadena, California. Because of its proximity to Hollywood, Pasadena is featured in many movies and TV series, sometimes as itself… Continue Reading
Tomorrow, April 25, is the Feast of St. Manes, “Also known as Mani or Manichaeus; Persian philosopher and religious teacher, founder of the Gnostic religion of Manichaeism (see Chapter 201 of Liber Aleph).” You can read more about Manichaeism in… Continue Reading