Introduction
First, let me be clear. I’m no expert on philosophy and spiritual matters. I’m just keen to learn more. Sometimes, I refer to myself as an occult seeker. Here, I’m using the term occult in its original meaning, which refers to a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices that fall outside the standard definition of science and religion. I’m not applying the common Hammer Horror trope, which more often than not refers to black magic, the dark arts and Satanism.
Occult practices may result in the emergence of phenomena for which only hidden or secret dynamics, such as magic and mysticism, can explain the cause. Without a solid scientific causal basis to explain the phenomenon, it will often be peremptorily dismissed as hokum. But is this fair? Examples of such phenomena include ghosts and NDEs. These have acquired mainstream status.
My Occult Trinity
So, here are three occultists who have sparked my interest, and whom I wish to explore further. I will not pretend I have absorbed everything they’ve set down in writing. I will not add to the numerous falsehoods (perpetuated by scammers and charlatans) that already litter the magic realm. Even if you own a strong religious faith and/or a deep conviction in scientific fundamentals, you may still want to dive into the works by these famous occultists.
Let’s see what we can learn together. We don’t want to muddy the waters, but neither do we want to dismiss out of hand all the many examples of emergent phenomena purportedly experienced by others. With so many anecdotes recorded from multitudinous sources, it seems impossible for them all to be false? As always, I welcome your comments.
While I include some bare biographical details of each occultist, I don’t want this blog to just read like another Wiki page. The emphasis here is on how I’ve interacted with the subject and what I’ve learned from their writings. Quotes, where given, are included for educational purposes under the Fair Use doctrine.
I will update this blog from time to time to reflect any additional knowledge and understanding that I may acquire. I will also probably create a Part 2 with more mystics, occultists, and witches. (JK 06/03/26)
Ramsey Dukes (Lionel Snell)
This English dude is eighty years old. He describes himself as a writer and a magician. Lionel Snell is his real name; Ramsey Dukes, his most famous pen name.
Thus far, I’ve read two of his occult books, S.S.O.T.B.M.E. and Thundersqueak. Both I found very enlightening. In the former, Ramsey introduces his four-way magic compass, each quadrant populated by one of the four categories: Art, Magic, Religion and Science. These are then subdivided further by Intuition and Sensation.
Ramsey’s magic compass offers a unique perspective on the fundamental cultures that define our society, and it really changed how I regarded the relationship between them. It dawned on me that I had been schooled into accepting at face value the dogmas of Science. (Less so Religion, as Christianity has never held a great pull on me, although I respect them all.)
Ramsey advises us not to get too bogged down in the dogmatic principles of Science and Religion. He encourages us instead to approach mystical phenomena with an open mind. He cautions against dismissing these ideas simply due to the lack of a causal effect.
Mr Snell writes with great sagacity and humour, and I really enjoy his voice. I aim to read more of his work. I do have a copy of his ‘How To See Fairies,’ a six-week course on discovering your innate clairvoyant powers! This much intrigues me, and an ongoing blog (or even a vlog, if I feel brave) on my personal experiences with this course might one day be on the cards.
Visit Ramsey Duke’s website
Austin Osman Spare
Also an English dude, but one who departed this Earth in 1956, aged 70. As well as an occultist, he was an artist who specialised in surrealist, often sexual imagery. Spare was also influenced by Symbolism and Art Nouveau. For me, his name came up recently while listening to the audiobook version of Condensed Chaos, authored by Phil Hines. As he’s also a person of interest to Lionel Snell, I took this as a sign to research him more thoroughly.
Spare lived a life of poverty. His art was just too surreal for most tastes, though he was often described as the new Aubrey Beardsley, and his works made a comeback during the 1970s.
The followers of chaos magic are drawn to him by his occult theories on sigils, and they have adapted these for their own benefit.
The Book of Pleasure
While writing this short section on Spare’s life, I bought and read one of his works, The Book of Pleasure, self-published in 1913. I can’t, to be honest, say that I understood every word. It’s a challenging read — so be warned! However, I have highlighted a couple of paragraphs that interested me. Also, despite the difficulty I had in understanding his prose, I intend to read more of Spare’s work.
Spare-Speak
My interpretation of the quote below was that by denying belief in a conscious manner, belief may yet still arise. Unconvinced by my explanation, I decided to ask Gemini! The friendly AI bot seemed to sympathise with my confusion, referring to Spare’s prose as ‘dense and highly idiosyncratic.’ It offered to interpret the so-called ‘Spare-speak’ in more modern terms.
So belief becomes true and vital by striving against it in consciousness and by giving it form. Not by the striving of faith. Belief exhausts itself by confession and non-resistance, i.e., consciousness. Believe not to believe, and in degree you will obtain its existence.
A condensed version of Gemini’s translation follows:
Spare is telling you that the more you “try” to believe, the more you fail. To truly manifest a belief, you must give it a “form” (like a sigil), then stop caring about it (“believe not to believe”). Only when the conscious mind stops “striving” can the belief actually take root and become “true and vital.”
So, I was maybe partly right, but needed to develop my ideas more fully. I do find Spare’s concept of sigilisation fascinating and intend to explore that further in time.
I think I get this second paragraph. It’s a little more straightforward:
Know the sub-consciousness to be an epitome of all experience and wisdom, past incarnations as men, animals, birds, vegetable life, etc., etc., everything that exists, has and ever will exist.
We are reborn in many forms. Time and time again.
Here’s a good blog on Austin Osman Spare from Fulgur Press.
Aleister Crowley
Often dubbed the ‘wickedest man in the world’, Aleister Crowley is probably one of the most famous English occultists of all time. Crowley was born in 1875 into a wealthy, strict Christian family, and the money left him by his father funded many of his earlier travels around the world. This allowed him to dedicate his life to the great pursuit of occult Magick. He died in 1947 from pneumonia, possibly caused by an infection acquired from losing his teeth six months prior. Despite his ‘silver spoon’ upbringing, he died in poverty but remains a major cultural icon to this day.
The Occult Religion of Thelema
Crowley was a prolific writer when he wasn’t dabbling in drugs or climbing mountains. He founded the occult religion of Thelema, which takes as its guiding work, The Book of the Law. Its central maxim is “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
Credit: Thierry Ehrmann (Abode of Chaos)
I’ve not read this book, which was allegedly dictated to Crowley by a divine entity in Egypt. Probably, like many of his works, it’s hard to follow, containing abstruse symbolism and mystic codes. The one book of his I have read thus far is one of several to be published posthumously, and the one recommended most as an introduction to Crowley, Magick: Without Tears. It follows the format of letters written to his students.
At first, I struggled with this almost as badly as Stone’s The Book of Pleasure. Crowley’s prose is rambling and often quite pompous. Still, the book includes many great little nuggets in there that offer valuable insight into Crowley’s personality, and I recommend giving Magick a read. It’s been suggested that the letters don’t need to be read in order, but picked randomly one at a time. I may venture into some of his other works, and if I do, I’ll include my thoughts on them in this ongoing blog. For the time being, here are some quotes from Magick I found interesting, and which I’m posting under Fair Use for educational purposes:
Occult Quotes from Magick: Without Tears
- Every man should make Magick the keynote of his life. He should learn its laws and live by them.
Crowley dedicated his life to Magick. It kept him poor but satisfied.
- The Universe is a mathematical expression.
Apparently, 0=2
- The Magical side. Sex is, directly or indirectly, the most powerful weapon in the armoury of the Magician; and precisely because there is no moral guide, it is indescribably dangerous.
Crowley understood the power of sexual magic. He had many lovers and was bisexual. None of this made him very popular with the other members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and he didn’t progress far, even feuding with the great Irish poet W.B. Yeats.
- That tiger across the paddy-field looks hungry. There are several ways of dealing with the situation. One can run away, or climb a tree, or shoot him, or (in your case) cow him by the Power of the Human Eye; but the way of the Tao is to take no particular notice.
I just loved this passage.
- The Smoking Dog Each act of man is the twist and double of an hare. Love and Death are the greyhounds that course him.
And this one.
Aleister Crowley. Magick: Without Tears. Cerchio della luna. Kindle Edition.
So, brief exposes of three famous occult thinkers. Check them out. Their writings might lead you down the forest path towards more great practitioners of Magick.