At its biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference (NOTOCON), U.S. Grand Lodge just launched Neither East Nor West, the fourth volume in its ongoing series of NOTOCON proceedings books. This title contains a selection of papers that were presented at its 2013 conference in Sacramento, CA. Attendees at this year’s conference—held in Austin, TX, on August 14–16, 2015 EV—were the first to snag copies of this new book, but copies are now available worldwide, either direct, through Amazon, or through most other book retailers.
The papers in this volume explore a diverse array of esoteric traditions ranging from courtesanship to Kabbalah; from I Ching to Islam; and from vinification to Voodoo. They explore the roots of Western ritual magic in the grimoire tradition, from manuscripts such as the Goetia and The Offices of Spirits; and discuss how encounters between Afro-diasporic religions and Western ceremonial magic have spawned unique permutations on the Tarot. Other highlights include inspirational words from our always funny yet profound Deputy Grand Master Lon Milo DuQuette; and Saturday evening’s keynote address by the U.S. National Grand Master Sabazius. Together these papers represent some of the best modern practical and scholarly work available on Ordo Templi Orientis, Thelema, and the magick of Aleister Crowley.
The contents for this volume are as follows:
- NOTOCON IX Program
- Neither East nor West: Opening Remarks for NOTOCON by Lon Milo DuQuette
- The Sharia of the Great Beast by T. Polyphilus
- Orishas on the Tree of Life: An Exploration of Creolization between Afro-Diasporic Religions and Twentieth-Century Occultism by R. Christopher Feldman (“Christeos Pir”)
- Diabolism! A Short History of Goetia by Colin Campbell
- Wine, Women, and Song: How the Troubadours Enlightened Western Civilization (Notes from the Wine Tasting) by Hunahpu and Ixel Balamke
- Neither East nor West: Address by the National Grand Master General by Sabazius X°
- Aleister Crowley, the I Ching, and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life by James Strain
- The Offices of Spirits by Colin Campbell
- Courtesanship and the Magical Arts: A Study in Contrast of Erotic Magical Practices by R. Christopher Feldman (“Christeos Pir”)
- Aleister Crowley Is a Tough Act To Follow by Lon Milo DuQuette
The first NOTOCON conference took place in 1997 EV in Akron, Ohio, and has since been held on alternate years in different cities around the United States. Neither East nor West is the fourth collection of papers from the national conference to be made available, following the inaugural volume Beauty & Strength for the 2007 EV conference. Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal order of men and women devoted to the pursuit of individual liberty, the study of magick, and the promulgation of the Law of Thelema. Founded in the early twentieth century, it has been shaped by such leading lights as Carl Kellner, Theodor Reuss, Aleister Crowley, Karl Germer and Grady Louis McMurtry.
Other volumes in the series include Beauty & Strength (NOTOCON VI in Salem, MA, 2007), Unity Uttermost Showed! (NOTOCON VII in Seattle, WA, 2009), and Manifest Thy Glory (NOTOCON VIII in Detroit, MI, 2011).
Details: paperback, 6×9, 131 pages.
