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Aleister Crowley MI5
Richard C McNeff
(Occult Fiction)
Aleister Crowley MI5
Richard McNeff
ISBN: 978-1-914153-02-0
£15.00+p&p / US $22.00+p&p
Click HERE for UK edition
Click HERE for USA & Elsewhere
Click HERE for the Kindle edition
An unsettling encounter with Aleister Crowley in a Soho pub launches Dylan Thomas on an adventure whose first stop is the opening of the Surrealist Exhibition on June 11, 1936. With the Welsh poet is his first editor Victor Neuburg, the Beast’s lapsed apprentice. In the bohemian fleshpots of Fitzrovia and Soho they connect with such luminaries of the period as Nina Hamnett, Augustus John, Tom Driberg, King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, as well as Crowley himself. Neuburg confronts the terrifying magick of his youth and something even more menacing — a Crowley orchestrated MI5 plot to avert the abdication. Aleister Crowley MI5 is an exhilarating work of fiction with highly researched fact at its core.
Richard McNeff on Aleister Crowley MI5 from ‘LASHTAL’
From the reviews:
‘McNeff’s book is so different from anything you usually find on a bookshelf that it should perhaps be a compulsory purchase.’— Independent on Sunday
‘Probably the finest modern novel featuring Aleister Crowley.’— Lashtal
‘Aleister Crowley as himself in all his occult and charismatic glory – a manipulative, overbearing, bizarre yet compelling character. Fiction could hardly have invented him: he is a gift of a character to any novelist & Richard McNeff has accepted him, unwrapped the parcel and given him his head.’ — Martin Booth, author of A Magick Life
‘A swaggering romp of a novel. Plot by Buchan; characters by Beardsley; setting Art Deco — difficult to better that.’ — Wormwood
‘A very clever idea, fleshed out with wit and style and an excellent sense of the times.’ — Silverstar
‘Full of fascinating nuggets…..Neuburg’s crisis of identity with AC is very well observed.’ — Snoo Wilson:
Richard C McNeff’s early acquaintance with John Symonds, Crowley’s literary executor and biographer, sparked an interest that developed into the 1977 cult short story ‘Sybarite among the Shadows’. This grew into Aleister Crowley MI5. He is also the author of With Barry Flanagan: Travels through Time and Spain (the Lilliput Press), a memoir which grew out of his experience of curating shows for the sculptor, the Brexit satire, The Dream of Boris, and has written for the Guardian, Fortean Times, and Boulevard Magenta. He lived and worked in Barcelona, the Basque Country, Ibiza and Baku. His current home is in London where he was born.
Ithell Colquhoun
Featured
pioneer surrealist artist, occultist, writer and poet
(reprinted)
Eric Ratcliffe
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Ithell Colquhoun / UK / £30
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Ithell Colquhoun / USA / US$40
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Ithell Colquhoun
pioneer surrealist artist, occultist, writer & poet
Eric Ratcliffe
Format: Softcover/312pp/90 illustrations (25 colour).
ISBN: ISBN 978-1869928-98-8
£30/US$40
Subjects: Art/Art History/Surrealism/Occult/Magick/Biography.
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The skills of Ithell Colquhoun in her main practice, that of artist and pioneer in this country of surrealistic art, have been long recognised. Additionally, other interests – alchemy, Earth-magic, active occultism, poetry, druidism, the pre-Christian pagan calendar, the history and membership of the Golden Dawn – and writing of and involvement in these interests by book publication and in a widely scattered field of correspondence, have created a miscellany of truly gargantuan proportion.
Eric Ratcliffe considered it was time to get together some of these pieces, to add something of what is known of Colquhoun’s early life and family history and to take the opportunity of listing a comprehensive calendar of her work and exhibitions. The result is neither strictly biographical nor a treatise on any one subject, but it is a first gathering of the roots, passions and multi-directions of this artist. It is a patchwork containing many launch-pads for exploration of the magical and mythical atmosphere which this artist existed in and created. Here therefore is a contribution towards solving a jigsaw and a wind-catch of the minor cyclones of lthell’s dedicatory interests, also serving as a record of her accomplishments in the art field.
REVIEWS
‘The subtitle of this book is: ‘Pioneer Surrealist, Artist, Occultist, Writer and Poet’, this multifaceted description captures the essence of who and what Ithell Colquhoun was about. Her connection to Cornwall is through the book The Living Stones, published in 1957, which was an early contribution to discovering the power of the Cornish landscape, prehistory and tradition and folklore. Even today, it continues to inspire people with its love for the ancient land of Cornwall…Ratcliffe’s biography made me want to go back and re-read The Living Stones, and no better thing could be said of a book such as this.’- Cheryl Straffon, Editor in Meyn Mamvro – Ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall – www.meynmamvro.co.uk
‘The author gives an excellent account of Colquhoun’s artistic career, explaining why she has been so overlooked (she stuck to her principles against the authoritarian demands of the British surrealist clique and consequently was expelled). Ratcliffe places proper emphasis upon the artist’s magical activities. She was a member of the OTO, Order of the Pyramid and Sphinx, Order of Holy Wisdom, Ancient Celtic Church and the Druid Order.
Despite having had the good fortune to read many of Colquhoun’s magical papers I learnt a great deal from this very well informed work. There is excellent bibliographical information including listings of unpublished typescripts and also as comprehensive as possible listing of her paintings and drawings.’
Ithell Colquhoun by Eric Ratcliffe, Mandrake of Oxford.
Reviewed by Ben Fernee @ Caduceus Books
‘Ithell Colquhoun was a pioneer surrealist artist, poet, writer, pantheist and occultist. Descended from Devonian ancestry, she was of Anglo-Indian birth and received her education in England at the Cheltenham Ladies College and later at the Slade School of Art in London.
After the war she moved to Cornwall where she spent the rest of her life. While at the Slade she became involved in Theosophical circles and then attempted, without success, to join Moina Mathers’ Alpha and Omega Lodge of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Dion Fortune’s Fraternity of the Inner Light.
However during the 1950s she belonged to various occult groups including Kenneth Grant’s Typhonian OTO and Nu-Isis Temple, Dr WB Crow’s Order of the Holy Wisdom and Order of the Keltic Cross, Tamara Bourkhoun’s Order of the Pyramid and the Sphinx, as well as the Druid Order, the Cornish and Breton Gorsedd, the Ancient Celtic Church, Co-Freemasonry and the Fellowship of Isis.
This biography is profusely illustrated with many of Colquhoun’s paintings and also includes some of her writings and poetry. It is a fascinating study of a unique multi-talented woman who during her creative life contributed a great deal to both the artistic and occult fields. Recommended.’
Ithell Colquhoun, by Eric Ratcliffe.
Reviewed by Mike Howard in The Cauldron, issue 129, August 2008
Crowley
Featured
A Beginners Guide
John S. Moore & John Patrick Higgins
Crowley a beginners guide UK / £15.00
Crowley a beginners guide USA / US $22.00
Crowley, A Beginners Guide
John S. Moore & John Patrick Higgins
Format: Softcover/b/w Illustrated/154pp
ISBN: 978-1-906958-69-5
£15.00 /US $22.00
Subjects: Aleister Crowley/Thelema/Magick/Occult/Biography.
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“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
Nearly seventy years after his death Aleister Crowley, the notorious Beast 666, is only just beginning to attract serious academic attention. Even so we would not expect to find him on any mainstream university courses; he is still too much associated with occultism. So, Crowley – A Beginners Guide is not your standard beginner’s guide.
“Let my servants be few & secret: they shall rule the many & the known.”
Readers may be surprised at the richness and complexity of his thought, as well as the extent of his influence. He needs background to be understood. Giving this opens fresh perspectives on much recent intellectual history.
Crowley – A Beginners Guide presents his main ideas in a straightforward and accessible format, with drawings and diagrams to place them in their historical context. It relates him to contemporary movements in art and scholarship. It describes his relationship to modernism and postmodernism, and his role in the counterculture of the sixties, as well as his continuing influence today. Interspersed are entertaining stories of his life and reputation.
Brilliantly illustrated by John Higgins, Crowley – A Beginners Guide, is a highly accessible guide to this fascinating, complex and controversial figure. It neither promotes nor condemns him, presenting hostile as well as favourable views of his character and achievement.
John S Moore is a freelance writer and independent scholar living in London. He is the author of Aleister Crowley: A Modern Master (Mandrake of Oxford, 2009) and Nietzsche – An Interpretation, (AuthorsOnline Ltd, 2011) and has written on Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein and Edward Bulwer-Lytton among others. More information at www.johnsmoore.co.uk
John Patrick Higgins is a writer and illustrator. He is the author of The Narwhal and Other Stories www.amazon.co.uk/Narwhal-other-stories-Patrick-Higgins ebook/dp/B007N6KJW8
He writes art criticism for various magazines and is Creative Director of Shot Glass Theatre Company www.culturenorthernireland.org/reviews/performing-arts/shot-glass. See also www.facebook.com
He lives in Belfast, which he continues to find extraordinary.
Read a review of Crowley A Beginners Guide from Magonia Review of Books pelicanist.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/crowley-for-beginners.html
THE ODIN BROTHERHOOD
Featured
6th Edition
Enlarged with 50 pages of new material
Mark L. Mirabello
(Non-Fiction) (Odinism) (Secret Societies)
The Odin Brotherhood
Mark L. Mirabello
6th Edition enlarged with 50 pages of new material.
Format: Softcover/180 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-906958-63-3 (was 9781869928711)
£15.00 /US $24.00
Subjects: Odinism/Northern Tradition/Secret Societies/Non-Fiction Account
Click HERE for The Odin Brotherhood / UK
Click HERE for The Odin Brotherhood /USA
Click here for Kindle UK Edition
Click here for Kindle USA Edition
‘When the world is pregnant with lies, a secret long hidden will be revealed.’- An Odinist Prophecy
Just like the Cannibal Within, a chance encounter, although this time in the famous Atlantis Bookshop, blossomed into a dialogue between the author and the anonymous adept of Odin. Called an “occult religion” for adepts, a “creed of iron” for warriors, and a “secret society” for higher men and women who value “knowledge, freedom and power,” the Odin Brotherhood honors the gods and goddesses of the Norse pantheon.
This non-fiction book details the legends, the rituals, and the Mysteries of an ancient and enigmatic movement.
Contents
Introduction
Introduction to the Mandrake Edition
The Dialogue
Odinism and the Mysteries of the Past
The Odin Brotherhood Today and the Heroic Ideal
On Polytheism and the Nature of the Gods
The Eddaic Verses and the Three Ages of Man
Why Venerate the Odinist Gods?
The Contacts between Men and Gods
The God Odin and His Mysteries
The Goddess Frigg and the Rite of Marriage
The God Thor, the Nemesis of Titans
The Goddess Sif, the Mischief of Loki, and the Skill of the Rock Dwarfs
The God Heimdall and “The-Sojourn-of-the-Brave”
The God Bragi, the Holy Words, and the Seasonal Rites
The Fair Goddess Idun and Her Enchanted Fruit
Brave Tyr, the Warrior God
The God Njord, Magic, and the Vanir Gods
The God Frey and the Elves
The Goddess Freyja, the Lovely Patroness of Birth
The God Balder and the Adventure of Death
The Goddess Nanna and the Odinist Death Rite
The Legend of “The-Mountain-of-Promise”
Destiny, Ragnarok, and the Mysteries of the Future
Epilogue –
Eddaic Sources
Works on Modern Odinism
Reviews of Earlier Editions of
The Odin Brotherhood
Three New Chapters:
Supplement
Odin Lives Interview
Secret Societies: A Brief Essay
War, Odin, and Valhalla
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Reviewed by Tyler Ferguson
in Dagobert’s Revenge
‘Odinism is an ancient religion that acknowledges the gods by fostering thought, courage, honor, light and beauty. Older than history, Odinism is all that was called wisdom when the world was new and fresh.’
‘So begins The Odin Brotherhood: A Non-Fiction Account of Contact with a Pagan Secret Society by Dr. Mark L. Mirabello. This slender work about the origins and meaning of the Odin Brotherhood and Odinism as a religion was originally published in 1992, and a revised and expanded fifth edition of the book will be published by Mandrake of Oxford in England.
For many, the gods honored by The Odin Brotherhood are the gods of our ancestors. Gods long believed forgotten. But the Brotherhood, a secret society for all “extraordinary mortals who embrace the principles of Odinism” which claims to be 5 centuries old, has preserved the ancient traditions.
The Brotherhood was formed during the height of persecution at the hands of Christianity. “Purified by violence, Odinism became a religion for the highest form of Hero.” From those persecuted heroes, the Odin Brotherhood was born.
To the Odinist, supreme courage is “the one against the all” and no one fits that definition better than those who honored the old gods despite the wrath of the Church.
The Brotherhood’s violent beginnings are remembered in a legend telling of a corrupt Christian priest who arranged the execution of a young widow who was found honoring the old gods. Three children were forced to watch as the priest incited a mob to murder the women for her pagan ways. Later, these three children–two boys and one girl– through ritual made contact with the murdered woman. The children were given three directives in a “necromantic” communication from a woman shrouded in white linen, and these three directives would be the foundation for what would become the Odin Brotherhood. The book states that since that time “The Brotherhood bears the teeth marks of Christianity, but it has survived.”
The book continues by explaining the relationship the Odinist has with the gods. The Brotherhood explains in wonderful detail the characteristics and names of several of the major gods that they honor. In these explanations the reader will find the essence of the Brotherhood, and their ceremonies of initiation, birth, marriage and death, honor system, ideals of morality, systems for daily life and an understanding of the Odinist’s afterlife.
Ragnarok, the Odinist apocalypse, is also graphically explained–again providing crucial insight into the understanding of the Brotherhood’s relationship with the gods. A crucial understanding of the gods of Odinism is the understanding that they are flawed. The reader will come to appreciate this significant detail and the importance of such ironies.
The body of the text ends with the end of Ragnarok. The gods have perished and the world destroyed but all is not over. For the Odinist believes in “The-Law-of-the-Endless-Circle”-that “nothing dies forever”-and that all things will occur again and again. And with this belief come the understanding of the final statement of the book and the first utterance after Ragnarok “Hail to the gods that are dead! They are the future race of Lords!”
The author in a somewhat unorthodox style presents clear details of the Brotherhood that may otherwise be hard to gain in the pages of an elaborate work. From the Brotherhood comes the explanation of Odinism as a religion, the details of ritual and ceremony and even the graphic telling of events believed yet to come. The reader will find this work accessible in its simplicity, yet busting with critical information regarding a society that few realize exists. I highly recommend this book for the student of the Occult.
I wish to end this review with a few quotes from the book:
“Odinism is a creed of Iron”
“When the gods made man, they made a weapon”
“Beware of gods that cannot laugh”
“Before he dies – before he penetrates the mystery of the outer blackness – every Odininst must pass on the wisdom of his secret”
To the astute reader of Dr. Mirabello’s works– at least the two reviewed for Dagobert’s Revenge— one will find additional insight into the mystery of The Cannibal Within in the pages of this earlier work.’
‘. . .will fascinate students of Norse religion and medieval secret societies’
– The Cauldron
The Odin Brotherhood Website
www.odinbrotherhood.com
Magick Books
Jennifer Layman
Protection for your Occult Books
Mandrake of Oxford boasts an impressive range of books about the occult, from texts about divination to works about magick. It is ideal for those who wish to pick up a title that would be difficult to find elsewhere. The occult is a topic that has fascinated mankind for centuries. Witchcraft, spells and the supernatural have been a source of interest since the dawn of humanity. As well as being interesting, these books can sometimes go up in value to the point where they sell for substantial sums of money, with books exchanging hands at auctions for up to twenty thousand pounds. Their value is not just financial though; many believe that books about the occult are powerful items that should be handled with care. A vast number of different traditions in which magic and witchcraft are important preach that the written word possesses a great amount of power and some hold the view that once owned by somebody, a spiritually charged book develops a connection to its owner. With that in mind, it is important to ensure that these books don’t fall into the wrong hands or get damaged or destroyed, as if you believe in their power then you won’t want to lose an item that you are connected to in this manner and if you merely see them as being fascinating to read then you won’t want to part with an essential item in your collection.
Remain Moisture, Dust and Insect Free
If you value your books then you can protect these prized possessions by keeping them in a dry environment away from dust and insects and purchasing contents insurance in case they are stolen or damaged through no fault or your own. People who collect occult books in the hope that they will one day go up in value should be aware of the fact that the condition of a book can make the difference between it being worth a small fortune and being worth next to nothing. However books do not need to be hundreds of years old in order to be worth considerably more than they were when they were written; some titles that were written within the last thirty years have more than tripled in value simply due to the fact that small numbers of them were produced and they are highly sought after.
Spiritual Cleansing
Those of you that believe that books contain spiritual as well as physical value will wish to care for the powers that are contained within them. If you have bought a book of spells then there are purification routines that should be adhered to when using items in rituals and books are no exception. These routines will vary dependent upon the tradition behind the spells, for example practitioners of Wicca believe in using certain herbs for cleansing purposes, whereas those who participate in ancient Egyptian practices have a series of complex rituals connected to cleansing. Many believe that failing to perform the correct cleansing routines can potentially lead to an item being contaminated with negative spiritual energy.
Binding Spell
If the book that you wish to protect is not a book of spells then you might wish to cast a binding spell on it in order to ensure that the power that is possessed within its pages is solely yours to harness. Place a candle, an incense stick, a rock and a cup containing water in a circle formation and sit behind it with the book in your hands. Free your mind of thought and try your hardest to spiritually connect with the book. Next extend the circle of objects so that you can fit within it and sit in it holding the book. Speak out loud the sentence, ‘You are bound to me. We now work as one’. Once you have completed these steps, the spell will be complete.
Pride of Place on your Bookshelf
Words are regarded as having special spiritual significance in a plethora of different traditions ranging from mainstream religions to ancient witchcraft. Perhaps this is for good reason. Whether you believe in the occult or just find it an interesting topic to research, taking the correct care of your books can ensure that they will be there for you to enjoy for years to come. It will mean that they can remain in a readable state and continue to take pride of place on your bookshelf.
Books of The Beast
Timothy d’Arch Smith
The Books of The Beast
Timothy d’Arch Smith
Format: Softcover
ISBN 9781869928179
£15.00 / US$22.00
Subjects: Aleister Crowley/Crowleyiana/Publishing History/Antiquarian Books/Occult.
Click HERE for Kindle USA edition
Click HERE for Kindle UK edition
Timothy d’Arch Smith’s The Books of the Beast is a compelling collection of essays that delves into the intricate world of occult literature, with a particular focus on Aleister Crowley and his contemporaries. Originally published in 1987 and later expanded in a 2010 edition, this work offers both bibliographic detail and cultural insight.
Overview
D’Arch Smith, an esteemed bibliographer and antiquarian bookseller, explores the symbolic significance Crowley attributed to every aspect of his publications—from colour and paper type to pricing. The book serves as an authoritative guide to Crowley’s magical first editions, providing context and commentary that illuminate their esoteric meanings.
Contents
Beyond Crowley, the essays examine figures such as:
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Montague Summers: A Roman Catholic priest and demonologist, whose private indulgences contrasted with his public condemnations of the occult.
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Ralph Chubb: A poet and artist who attempted to establish a new religion centred around a boy-god, reflecting his controversial personal beliefs.
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Florence Farr: A prominent member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, known for her associations with literary figures like W.B. Yeats and George Bernard Shaw.
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R.A. Caton: Publisher of the Fortune Press, noted for his interest in homoerotic literature.
The book also discusses the British Library’s Private Case collection and includes an autobiographical epilogue detailing d’Arch Smith’s experiences in the London occult scene of the 1950s and 1960s, featuring encounters with individuals like Michael Houghton of the Atlantis Bookshop, biographer Jean Overton Fuller, and musician Jimmy Page.
Tone and Style
The essays are noted for their scholarly rigour combined with a gentle humour, making complex and potentially controversial topics accessible and engaging. D’Arch Smith’s firsthand experiences and extensive research provide a unique perspective on the interplay between literature, sexuality, and the occult.
Editions and Availability
The 2010 edition, published by Mandrake, includes an additional chapter on Crowley and is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. For those interested in the intersections of esoterica, literature, and cultural history, this book offers a rich and nuanced exploration.
REVIEWS
”…one could hardly wish for a more stimulating guide…’‘ –The London Magazine
”One of the more immediately striking things about the book is its gentle humour.”– Time Out
The Books of The Beast. Timothy d’Arch Smith. (Mandrake).
The author of this collection of studies of twentieth-century occultists is a well-known antiquarian bookseller, bibliographer and reviewer with a life-long interest in esoterica and erotica. This collection has a bibliography of Crowley that gives the book its title and biographies of the Roman Catholic priest, playwright, schoolmaster, collector of homoerotic pornography, demonologist and closet Satanist, Montague Summers, the eccentric R.A. Caton, who shared Summer’s interest in young boys and was briefly his publisher, Ralph Chubb, writer, artist and pederast who tried to create a new religion based on the worship of a boy-god, and pioneering female occultist Florence Farr of The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn. There is also an account of Crowley’s disguised appearance as a character in Anthony Powell’s famous novel A Dance to the Music of Time (1951), one of many he made in fictional works, and a description of the private collection of erotica in the British Library. The book concludes with a fascinating autobiographical epilogue on the author’s adventures in the London occult scene of the 1950s and 1960s. These feature Michael Houghton from the Atlantis Bookshop (compared by the author to Grumpy in Walt Disney’s Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs because of his stature and demeanour!), Crowley’s forgotten biographer and cricket fan Charles Richard Cammel, who died during a Test Match at the Oval (what a way to go!), the writer and biographer Jean Overton Fuller, the Beatles (who attended a witchcraft exhibition organised by the author), and Crowley follower Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Highly recommended.
The Cauldron # 136, May 2010.