154-685: Kenneth Grant (23 May 1924 – 15 January 2011) was an English ceremonial magician , novelist, and advocate of the Thelemic religion . A poet, novelist, and writer, he founded his own Thelemic organisation, the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis —later renamed the Typhonian Order—with his wife Steffi Grant. Born in Ilford , Essex , Grant developed an interest in occultism and Eastern religions during his teenage years. After service with
308-551: A " Cake of Light " (a type of bread that serves as the host) to Ra (i.e. the Sun) and infusing a second Cake with the adept's own blood (either real or symbolic, in a gesture reflecting the myth of the Pelican cutting its own breast to feed its young) and then consuming it with the words, "There is no grace: there is no guilt: This is the Law: Do what thou wilt!" The other ritual, The Gnostic Mass,
462-436: A Grant bibliography was published by Academia Esoterica Press. This was followed by a second, updated edition in 2015, which contained a full biography of Grant's work: Ceremonial magician Ceremonial magic (also known as magick , ritual magic , high magic or learned magic ) encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic . The works included are characterized by ceremony and numerous requisite accessories to aid
616-553: A Typhonian O.T.O. member. In the early 1970s he established his own Thelemic organisation, the Typhonian O.T.O., which produced its first official announcement in 1973. Although adopting the O.T.O. degree system used by Crowley, Grant removed the rituals of initiation designed to allow a member to enter a higher degree; instead he personally promoted them through the degrees according to what he believed were their own personal spiritual development. In 1972, Frederick Muller Limited published
770-401: A book, such as Liber Legis or the I Ching ), Thoth Tarot (a deck of 78 cards, each with symbolic meaning, usually laid out in a meaningful pattern), and geomancy (a method of making random marks on paper or in earth that results in a combination of sixteen patterns). It is an accepted truism within magic that divination is imperfect. As Crowley writes, "In estimating the ultimate value of
924-491: A building-block of an ethical theory. The third common theme of karma theories is the concept of reincarnation or the cycle of rebirths ( saṃsāra ). Rebirth is a fundamental concept of Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism, and Sikhism. Rebirth, or saṃsāra , is the concept that all life forms go through a cycle of reincarnation, that is, a series of births and rebirths. The rebirths and consequent life may be in different realm, condition, or form. The karma theories suggest that
1078-559: A catalogue for the artist's exhibition held at Temple Bar in London in 1949. Grant had continued studying Crowley's work, and a year after Crowley's death was acknowledged as a Ninth Degree member of O.T.O. by Karl Germer , Crowley's successor as Head of O.T.O. Grant then successfully applied to Germer for a charter to operate the first three O.T.O. degrees and run his own lodge, which was granted in March 1951. As this would mean that his lodge would be
1232-601: A dark, dense realm that he variously called 'Universe B' and 'the Tunnels of Set', conceived as a 'dark side' of the Qabalistic Tree of Life . Grant made connections between this realm and the extramundane deities of H. P. Lovecraft 's horror fiction. The book proved controversial among occultists and Thelemites, and starkly divided opinion. The sequel appeared in 1980 as Outside the Circles of Time , and introduced Grant's thoughts on
1386-558: A divinatory judgment, one must allow for more than the numerous sources of error inherent in the process itself. The judgment can do no more than the facts presented to it warrant. It is naturally impossible in most cases to make sure that some important factor has not been omitted [...] One must not assume that the oracle is omniscient." The term originates in 16th-century Renaissance magic , referring to practices described in various Medieval and Renaissance grimoires and in collections such as that of Johannes Hartlieb . Georg Pictor uses
1540-487: A few schools in Hinduism such as Charvakas (or Lokayata) abandoned the theory of 'karma and rebirth' altogether. Schools of Buddhism consider karma-rebirth cycle as integral to their theories of soteriology . The Vedic Sanskrit word [[[:wikt:कर्मन्#Sanskrit|kárman-]]] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script (pos 9) ( help ) ( nominative kárma ) means 'work' or 'deed', often used in
1694-446: A lodge, although he was made uneasy by Grant's magical seal of "Aossic" for reasons that have never been ascertained, and their correspondence soon petered out. Grant began restructuring the system of O.T.O. by augmenting its grading structure with that of Crowley's other occult order, the A∴A∴ . This attempt failed, as Grant's attentions were increasingly drawn into his founding and running of
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#17330861578261848-574: A man himself sows, so he himself reaps; no man inherits the good or evil act of another man. The fruit is of the same quality as the action. The 6th chapter of the Anushasana Parva (the Teaching Book), the 13th book of the Mahabharata , opens with Yudhishthira asking Bhishma : "Is the course of a person's life already destined, or can human effort shape one's life?" The future, replies Bhishma,
2002-403: A man of bad acts, bad; he becomes pure by pure deeds, bad by bad deeds; And here they say that a person consists of desires, and as is his desire, so is his will; and as is his will, so is his deed; and whatever deed he does, that he will reap. The theory of karma as causation holds that: (1) executed actions of an individual affects the individual and the life he or she lives, and (2)
2156-541: A microcosm. You in voke a God into the Circle. You e voke a Spirit into the Triangle. Generally, evocation is used for two main purposes: to gather information and to obtain the services or obedience of a spirit or demon. Crowley believed that the most effective form of evocation was found in the grimoire on Goetia (see below), which instructs the magician in how to safely summon forth and command 72 infernal spirits. However, it
2310-556: A number of Grant's earlier books, and in 1992 published the sixth volume in the Typhonian Trilogies, Hecate's Fountain , in which Grant provided many anecdotes about working in the New Isis Lodge and focused on describing accidents and fatalities that he believed were caused by magic. The seventh volume of the Typhonian Trilogies, Outer Gateways , followed in 1994, discussing Grant's ideas of older Typhonian traditions from across
2464-418: A period of illness. He was survived by his wife. In his body of work, Grant has created an unlikely mélange comprised of thematic threads that include both Eastern and Western esoteric traditions, in addition to consistent references to artistic and literary works infused with the aroma of the mysterious, fantastic, and uncanny, with a dominant place assigned to the fictional output of H. P. Lovecraft and
2618-416: A present for his twenty-fifth birthday. She subsequently introduced her husband to Spare. At the time, Spare had fallen into poverty, living in obscurity in a South London flat. Although making some money as an artist and art tutor, he was largely financially supported by his friend Frank Letchford, whom he affectionately referred to as his "son". There was some animosity between Letchford and Grant, although it
2772-490: A principle of psychology and habit. Karma seeds habits ( vāsanā ), and habits create the nature of man. Karma also seeds self perception , and perception influences how one experiences life-events. Both habits and self perception affect the course of one's life. Breaking bad habits is not easy: it requires conscious karmic effort. Thus, psyche and habit, according to Potter and Coward, link karma to causality in ancient Indian literature. The idea of karma may be compared to
2926-511: A publisher linked to the Skoob Books bookstore in Bloomsbury , central London which had begun to develop a line of esoteric titles under the leadership of Caroline Wise and Chris Johnson. In 1991, Skoob Books published Grant's Remembering Aleister Crowley , a volume containing his memoirs of Crowley alongside reproductions of diary entries, photographs, and letters. From 1989 to 1994, Skoob reissued
3080-445: A rare collector's item in later years. Grant had begun work on the book many years before and had agreed for 500 copies to be published by Trigram Press Ltd in 1967, although at the last minute the project was cancelled. He had also authored new introductions for re-releases of two of Spare's works, a 1973 publication of The Anathema of Zos and a 1975 release of The Book of Pleasure . The works of Kenneth Grant are fashioned out of
3234-537: A term adopted from Sanskrit . He thought that because women possess kalas , they have oracular and visionary powers. The magical uses of female genital secretions are a recurring theme in Grant's writings. He believed that the XI° degree O.T.O. ritual, which Crowley argued necessitated anal sex , should instead involve vaginal sex with a menstruating woman. He was critical of Crowley's use of anal sex in rituals, stating his view that
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#17330861578263388-427: Is (1) the executed action as a consequence of that activity, as well as (2) the intention of the actor behind an executed action or a planned action (described by some scholars as metaphysical residue left in the actor). A good action creates good karma, as does good intent. A bad action creates bad karma, as does bad intent. Difficulty in arriving at a definition of karma arises because of the diversity of views among
3542-625: Is a fact, while reincarnation is a hypothesis; and Creel (1986) suggests that karma is a basic concept, rebirth is a derivative concept. The theory of 'karma and rebirth' raises numerous questions – such as how, when, and why did the cycle start in the first place, what is the relative Karmic merit of one karma versus another and why, and what evidence is there that rebirth actually happens, among others. Various schools of Hinduism realized these difficulties, debated their own formulations – some reaching what they considered as internally consistent theories – while other schools modified and de-emphasized it;
3696-459: Is a tool used to categorize and organize various mystical concepts. At its most simple level, it is composed of ten spheres, or emanations, called sephiroth (sing. "sephira") which are connected by twenty two paths. The sephiroth are represented by the planets and the paths by the characters of the Hebrew alphabet , which are subdivided by the four classical elements , the seven classical planets, and
3850-459: Is a very popular public ritual (although it can be practiced privately) that involves a team of participants, including a Priest and Priestess. This ritual is an enactment of the mystical journey that culminates with the Mystic Marriage and the consumption of a Cake of Light and a goblet of wine (a process termed "communication"). Afterwards, each Communicant declares, "There is no part of me that
4004-491: Is a word that is believed to have specific supernatural effects. They are words whose meaning illustrates principles and degrees of understanding that are often difficult to relay using other forms of speech or writing. It is a concise means to communicate very abstract information through the medium of a word or phrase. These words often have no intrinsic meaning in and of themselves. However, when deconstructed, each individual letter may refer to some universal concept found in
4158-427: Is absolutely necessary that all experiments should be recorded in detail during, or immediately after, their performance ... The more scientific the record is, the better. Yet the emotions should be noted, as being some of the conditions. Let then the record be written with sincerity and care; thus with practice it will be found more and more to approximate to the ideal." Other items he suggests for inclusion include
4312-484: Is always impure. But this process, being long and wearisome, is not altogether advisable in actual working. It is usually sufficient to perform a general banishing, and to rely upon the aid of the guardians invoked. [...] "The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" is the best to use. He further states: Those who regard this ritual as a mere devise to invoke or banish spirits, are unworthy to possess it. Properly understood, it
4466-573: Is an Early Modern English spelling for magic , used in works such as the 1651 translation of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa 's De Occulta Philosophia , Three Books of Occult Philosophy, or Of Magick . Aleister Crowley chose the spelling to differentiate his practices and rituals from stage magic (which may be more appropriately termed "illusion") and the term has since been re-popularised by those who have adopted elements of his teachings. Crowley defined Magick as "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will." The Tree of Life
4620-518: Is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions , the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect , often descriptively called the principle of karma , wherein individuals' intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect): Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths , while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and worse rebirths. In some scriptures, however, there
4774-513: Is an archaic spelling of 'magic' used during the Renaissance , which was revived by Aleister Crowley to differentiate occult magic from stage magic . He defined it as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will", including ordinary acts of will as well as ritual magic. Crowley wrote that "it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object
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4928-460: Is apparent that Spare preferred the former, having known him for 12 years longer, and placing him first in his will. Grant desired a closer relationship, and in 1954 began signing his letters to Spare "thy son." Letchford claimed that Spare often told the Grants "white lies ... to boost a flagging ego." Grant's first published work represented a brief "appreciation" of Spare's work that was included in
5082-537: Is both a function of current human effort derived from free will and past human actions that set the circumstances. Over and over again, the chapters of Mahabharata recite the key postulates of karma theory. That is: intent and action (karma) has consequences; karma lingers and doesn't disappear; and, all positive or negative experiences in life require effort and intent. For example: Happiness comes due to good actions, suffering results from evil actions, by actions, all things are obtained, by inaction, nothing whatsoever
5236-540: Is by no means that which he in his normal state of consciousness calls I. Just as the poet, the lover, the artist, is carried out of himself in a creative frenzy, so must it be for the Magician. Crowley ( Magick, Book 4 ) discusses three main categories of invocation, although "in the great essentials these three methods are one. In each case the magician identifies himself with the Deity invoked." Another invocatory technique that
5390-401: Is capable by nature". John Symonds and Kenneth Grant attach a deeper occult significance to this preference. Crowley saw magic as the essential method for a person to reach true understanding of the self and to act according to one's true will , which he saw as the reconciliation "between freewill and destiny." Crowley describes this process in his Magick, Book 4 . The term magick
5544-409: Is commonly used. This was a basic aspect of magical training for Crowley, who described it in "Liber O." According to that text, vibration involves a physical set of steps, starting in a standing position, breathing in through the nose while imagining the name of the god entering with the breath, imagining that breath travelling through the entire body, stepping forward with the left foot while throwing
5698-494: Is enjoyed. If one's action bore no fruit, then everything would be of no avail, if the world worked from fate alone, it would be neutralized. Over time, various schools of Hinduism developed many different definitions of karma, some making karma appear quite deterministic, while others make room for free will and moral agency. Among the six most studied schools of Hinduism, the theory of karma evolved in different ways, as their respective scholars reasoned and attempted to address
5852-620: Is equally possible to evoke angelic beings, gods, and other intelligences related to planets, elements, and the Zodiac. Unlike with invocation, which involves a calling in, evocation involves a calling forth, most commonly into what is called the "triangle of art." The word eucharist originally comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. However, within magic, it takes on a special meaning—the transmutation of ordinary things (usually food and drink) into divine sacraments, which are then consumed. The object
6006-485: Is its principle of causality . This relationship between karma and causality is a central motif in all schools of Hindu , Buddhist , and Jain thought. One of the earliest associations of karma to causality occurs in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad verses 4.4.5–6: Now as a man is like this or like that, according as he acts and according as he behaves, so will he be; a man of good acts will become good,
6160-470: Is more interested in predicting future events. Rather, divination tends to be more about discovering information about the nature and condition of things that can help the magician gain insight and to make better decisions. There are literally hundreds of different divinatory techniques in the world. However, Western occult practice mostly includes the use of astrology (calculating the influence of heavenly bodies), bibliomancy (reading random passages from
6314-578: Is no link between rebirth and karma. Karma is often misunderstood as fate, destiny, or predetermination. The concept of karma is closely associated with the idea of rebirth in many schools of Indian religions (particularly in Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism , and Sikhism ), as well as Taoism . In these schools, karma in the present affects one's future in the current life as well as the nature and quality of future lives—one's saṃsāra . This concept has also been adopted in Western popular culture, in which
Kenneth Grant - Misplaced Pages Continue
6468-461: Is not always associated with religious ceremonies; its predominant association with ritual in the Brāhmaṇa texts is likely a reflection of their ritualistic nature. In the same vein, sukṛta (and subsequently, puṇya) denotes any form of "merit," whether it be ethical or ritualistic. In contrast, terms such as pāpa and duṣkṛta consistently represent morally wrong actions. The earliest clear discussion of
6622-435: Is not of the gods!" The art of divination is generally employed for the purpose of obtaining information that can guide the adept in his Great Work . The underlying theory states that there exists intelligences (either outside of or inside the mind of the diviner) that can offer accurate information within certain limits using a language of symbols. Normally, divination within magic is not the same as fortune telling , which
6776-405: Is not strictly deterministic, but incorporated circumstantial factors such as other Niyamas . It is not a rigid and mechanical process, but a flexible, fluid and dynamic process. There is no set linear relationship between a particular action and its results. The karmic effect of a deed is not determined solely by the deed itself, but also by the nature of the person who commits the deed, and by
6930-409: Is one of the four incomprehensible subjects (or acinteyya ), subjects that are beyond all conceptualization, and cannot be understood with logical thought or reason. Nichiren Buddhism teaches that transformation and change through faith and practice changes adverse karma—negative causes made in the past that result in negative results in the present and future—to positive causes for benefits in
7084-525: Is originally European—and many Europeans throughout history, particularly ceremonial magicians and cunning folk , have used grimoires—the historian Owen Davies noted that similar books can be found all around the world, ranging from Jamaica to Sumatra . He also noted that in this sense, the world's first grimoires were created in Europe and the Ancient Near East . A magical formula or 'word of power'
7238-413: Is so because the ancient scholars of India linked intent and actual action to the merit, reward, demerit, and punishment. A theory without ethical premise would be a pure causal relation ; the merit or reward or demerit or punishment would be same regardless of the actor's intention. In ethics, one's intentions, attitudes, and desires matter in the evaluation of one's action. Where the outcome is unintended,
7392-656: Is the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the Wise. Purification is similar in theme to banishing, but is a more rigorous process of preparing the self and her temple for serious spiritual work. Crowley mentions that ancient magicians would purify themselves through arduous programs, such as through special diets, fasting, sexual abstinence, keeping the body meticulously tidy, and undergoing a complicated series of prayers . He goes on to say that purification no longer requires such activity, since
7546-458: Is the eternal greatness of the Brahmin. He does not increase by kárman, nor does he become less. His ātman knows the path. Knowing him (the ātman) one is not polluted by evil karman. The Vedic words for "action" and "merit" in pre-Upaniṣadic texts carry moral significance and are not solely linked to ritual practices. The word karman simply means "action," which can be either positive or negative, and
7700-488: Is the visible or invisible effect that is typically immediate or within the current life. In contrast, a samskara ( Sanskrit : संस्कार ) is an invisible effect, produced inside the actor because of the karma, transforming the agent and affecting his or her ability to be happy or unhappy in their current and future lives. The theory of karma is often presented in the context of samskaras . Karl Potter and Harold Coward suggest that karmic principle can also be understood as
7854-447: Is the wearing of a crown, robe, and lamen . The crown affirms his divinity, the robe symbolizes silence, and the lamen declare his work. The book of conjurations is his magical record, his karma . In the East is the magic fire in which all burns up at last. According to Crowley, there is a single definition of the purpose for ritual magic: to achieve Union with God through "the uniting of
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#17330861578268008-445: Is thereby explained by reference to actions in his present or in previous lifetimes. Karma is not itself ' reward and punishment ', but the law that produces consequence. Wilhelm Halbfass notes that good karma is considered as dharma and leads to punya ('merit'), while bad karma is considered adharma and leads to pāp ('demerit, sin'). Reichenbach (1988) suggests that the theories of karma are an ethical theory . This
8162-476: Is to infuse the food and drink with certain properties, usually embodied by various deities, so that the adept takes in those properties upon consumption. Crowley describes the process of the regular practice of eucharistic ritual: The magician becomes filled with God, fed upon God, intoxicated with God. Little by little his body will become purified by the internal lustration of God; day by day his mortal frame, shedding its earthly elements, will become in very truth
8316-534: The augoeides , a Greek term for the body of light, and connected it with 'the Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel ' associated with each human being. He stressed that the body of light must be built up though the use of imagination, and that it must then be animated, exercised, and disciplined. According to Asprem (2017): The practice of creating a "body of light” in imagination builds on
8470-464: The Bible ) have been believed to have supernatural properties intrinsically. The only contents found in a grimoire would be information on spells, rituals, the preparation of magical tools, and lists of ingredients and their magical correspondences . In this manner, while all books on magic could be thought of as grimoires, not all magical books should be thought of as grimoires. While the term grimoire
8624-570: The British Army during the Second World War , he returned to Britain and became the personal secretary of Aleister Crowley , the ceremonial magician who had founded Thelema in 1904. Crowley instructed Grant in his esoteric practices and initiated him into his own occult order, Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.). When Crowley died in 1947, Grant was seen as his heir apparent in Great Britain, and
8778-716: The Hindu tantra , incorporating ideas from it into the Thelemic practices of sex magic . On Germer's death in 1969, Grant proclaimed himself Outer Head of O.T.O. This title was disputed by the American Grady McMurtry , who took control of O.T.O. Grant's Order became known as the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis, operating from his home in Golders Green , north London. In 1959 he began publishing on occultism and wrote
8932-467: The Theosophical Society had done following the death of Blavatsky. Grant's Lodge continued to operate until 1962. According to Grant, the group consisted of about thirty members and met every seventh Friday at the lodge's premises, which for a while were in the basement of Curwen's furrier's store at Melcombe Street, near to Baker Street in central London. During the period in which he worked with
9086-538: The classical elements (air, earth, fire, and water), the planets, the signs of the Zodiac , and adjacent spaces in the astral world. There are many banishing rituals, but most are some variation on two of the most common—"The Star Ruby" and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram . Crowley describes banishing in his Magick, Book 4 (ch.13): [...] in the banishing ritual of the pentagram we not only command
9240-422: The karma-theory or the law of karma . In the context of theory, karma is complex and difficult to define. Different schools of Indology derive different definitions for the concept from ancient Indian texts; their definition is some combination of (1) causality that may be ethical or non-ethical; (2) ethicization, i.e., good or bad actions have consequences; and (3) rebirth. Other Indologists include in
9394-514: The left-hand path . Influenced by Maharshi, Grant adopted the Advaitan worldview that only "the Self", or atman , really exists, with the wider universe being an illusory projection. He believed that by mastering magic, one masters this illusory universe, gaining personal liberation and recognising that only the Self really exists. Doing so, according to Grant, leads to the discovery of one's True Will ,
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#17330861578269548-437: The schools of Hinduism ; some, for example, consider karma and rebirth linked and simultaneously essential, some consider karma but not rebirth to be essential, and a few discuss and conclude karma and rebirth to be flawed fiction. Buddhism and Jainism have their own karma precepts. Thus, karma has not one, but multiple definitions and different meanings. It is a concept whose meaning, importance, and scope varies between
9702-515: The "sodomitical formula" was "a perversion of magical practice". These views have brought accusations of homophobia from later occultists such as Phil Hine . Grant was a reclusive figure. Unlike various contemporaries in the occult scene, he did not lecture publicly. Janine Chapman, an esotericist who met Grant during the 1970s, described him as "an attractive, well-mannered, well-dressed man in his forties, intelligent, cultivated, and friendly." The historian of religion Dave Evans noted that Grant
9856-529: The Bell Inn in Buckinghamshire . After several further meetings and an exchange of letters, Grant agreed to work for Crowley as his secretary and personal assistant. Now living in relative poverty, Crowley was unable to pay Grant for his services in money, instead paying him in magical instruction. In March 1945, Grant moved into a lodge cottage in the grounds of Netherwood, a Sussex boarding house where Crowley
10010-512: The Buddhist path, as exemplified in the Noble Eightfold Path , shows us the way out of samsara . The cycle of rebirth is determined by karma, literally 'action'. Karmaphala (wherein phala means 'fruit, result') refers to the 'effect' or 'result' of karma. The similar term karmavipaka (wherein vipāka means 'ripening') refers to the 'maturation, ripening' of karma. In
10164-400: The Buddhist tradition, karma refers to actions driven by intention ( cetanā ), a deed done deliberately through body, speech or mind, which leads to future consequences. The Nibbedhika Sutta , Anguttara Nikaya 6.63: Intention ( cetana ) I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect. How these intentional actions lead to rebirth, and how
10318-536: The Hindu goddess Kali and the Thelemic goddess Nuit . Grant's views on sex magic drew heavily on the importance of sexual dimorphism among humans and the subsequent differentiation of gender roles. Grant taught that the true secret of sex magic were bodily secretions, the most important of which was a woman's menstrual blood . In this he differed from Crowley, who viewed semen as the most important genital secretion. Grant referred to female sexual secretions as kalas ,
10472-487: The Law . Germer however deemed it "blasphemy" that Grant had identified a single planet with Nuit; on 20 July 1955, Germer issued a "Note of Expulsion" expelling Grant from O.T.O. Grant however ignored Germer's letter of expulsion, continuing to operate the New Isis Lodge under the claim that he had powers from the "Inner Plane". Upon learning of Grant's expulsion, Smith feared that O.T.O. would split up into warring factions much as
10626-580: The Light: A Nightside Narrative , which involved a character also named "Kenneth Grant". He asserted that the work was "quasi-autobiographical", but never specified which parts were based on his life and which were fictional. In 1998, Starfire published a book co-written by Grant and his wife Steffi, titled Zos Speaks! Encounters with Austin Osman Spare , in which they included 7 years' worth of diary entries, letters, and photographs pertaining to their relationship with
10780-576: The Microcosm with the Macrocosm." Since this process is so arduous, it is also acceptable to use magic to develop the self (i.e. one's body of light ) or to create ideal circumstances for the Work (e.g. having access to a place in which to do ritual undisturbed). There are many kinds of magic, but the categories of ritual that are recommended by Crowley include: In magical rituals, a vocal technique called vibration
10934-473: The New Isis Lodge. The lodge became operational in April 1955 when Grant issued a manifesto announcing his discovery of an extraterrestrial "Sirius/Set current" upon which the lodge was to be based. In this manifesto, Grant claimed that a new energy was emanating down from Earth from another planet which he identified with Nuit , a goddess who appears in the first chapter of Crowley's Thelemic holy text, The Book of
11088-555: The O.T.O.'s sex magic teachings needed to be refashioned along tantric principles from Indian religion, in doing so relying heavily on Curwen's ideas about tantra. After Spare's death, Grant began to focus more on his own writing career. From 1959 to 1963, Grant privately published the Carfax Monographs , a series of short articles on magic published in ten instalments, each at a limited print run of 100. Nine of these volumes included original artworks produced by Steffi, reflecting
11242-492: The Shadow , which brought the first Typhonian Trilogy to an end with a discussion of the left-hand path in magic, making reference to both Crowley and Spare's work, as well as to Voodoo and Tantra. That same year, Grant also published Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare , a collection of his late friend's images based on 20 years of research. The volume did not sell well, with much of the stock being remaindered, although became
11396-553: The Temple of the Holy Ghost. Day by day matter is replaced by Spirit, the human by the divine; ultimately the change will be complete; God manifest in flesh will be his name. There are several eucharistic rituals within the magical canon. Two of the most well known are The Mass of the Phoenix and The Gnostic Mass . The first is a ritual designed for the individual, which involves sacrificing
11550-444: The Typhonian O.T.O. as "a schoolboy gone berserk on brimstone aftershave." In 2003, the historian of Western esotericism Henrik Bogdan expressed the view that Grant was "perhaps (the) most original and prolific English author of the post-modern occultist genre." Djurdjevic stated that Grant's engagement with Indian spiritual traditions was "both substantial and innovative" as well as controversial, while adding that Grant's emphasis on
11704-743: The Typhonian Tradition in Magic . Here, he asserted that Grant's importance was in attempting to create "a more global character for Thelema" by introducing ideas and concepts borrowed from the Hindu tantra , Yazidism , and Afro-Caribbean syncretic religions . Grant published his work over a period of five decades, providing both a synthesis of Crowley and Spare's work and new, often idiosyncratic interpretations of them. Evans described Grant as having "an often confusing, oblique, and sanity-challenging writing style" that blends fictional stories with accounts of real-life people. In 2003, Bogdan's first edition of
11858-538: The Typhonian Trilogies as well as various novels and books of poetry, much of which propagated the work of Crowley and Spare. Grant's writings and teachings have proved a significant influence over other currents of occultism, including chaos magic , the Temple of Set , and the Dragon Rouge . They also attracted academic interest within the study of Western esotericism , particularly from Henrik Bogdan and Dave Evans. Grant
12012-491: The Typhonian or Draconian tradition of magic, and wrote that Thelema was only a recent manifestation of this wider tradition. In his books, he portrayed the Typhonian tradition as the world's oldest spiritual tradition, suggesting that it had ancient roots in Africa. In Central Africa during prehistory , he believed there had been a primordial serpent cult devoted to the worship of a goddess known as Ta-Urt or Typhon, from which
12166-411: The Typhonian tradition stems. This was an idea he had adopted from Gerald Massey 's 1881 publication A Book of Beginnings , a work promoting ideas which had never been accepted among scholars of religion. According to Grant, Typhonianism was typified by its worship of female deities and its use of sex as a method of spiritual achievement. He wrote that this tradition spread throughout the world, forming
12320-608: The USA, there must be a trained man to take care of the English O.T.O." However, they also argued, with Grant trying to convince Crowley to relocate to London. On one occasion Crowley shouted at him: "You are the most consummate BORE that the world has yet known. And this at 20!" Grant's family disliked that he was working for no wage, and pressured him to resign, which he did in June 1945, leaving Netherwood. Crowley wrote to Grant's father, stating that he
12474-480: The Universe, and not from himself." The purpose of banishing rituals is to eliminate forces that might interfere with a magical operation, and they are often performed at the beginning of an important event or ceremony (although they can be performed for their own sake as well). The area of effect can be a magic circle or a room. The general theory of magic proposes that there are various forces which are represented by
12628-471: The appropriate forces. Let it be well remembered that each object is bound by the Oaths of its original consecration as such. Thus, if a pantacle has been made sacred to Venus, it cannot be used in an operation of Mars. Invocation is the bringing in or identifying with a particular deity or spirit. Crowley wrote of two keys to success in this arena: to "inflame thyself in praying" and to "invoke often". For Crowley,
12782-548: The artist. The following year, the next volume in the Typhonian Trilogies, Beyond the Mauve Zone was published, explaining Grant's ideas on a realm known as the Mauve Zone that he claimed to have explored. A book containing two novellas, Snakewand and the Darker Strain , was published in 2000, while the final volume of the Typhonian Trilogies, The Ninth Arch , was published in 2003. It offered further Qabalistic interpretations of
12936-477: The automatic background of all your thinking. You must keep on hanging everything that comes your way upon its proper bough. Similar to yoga, learning the Tree of Life is not so much magic as it is a way to map out one's spiritual universe. As such, the adept may use the Tree to determine a destination for astral travel, to choose which gods to invoke for what purposes, et cetera. It also plays an important role in modeling
13090-494: The basis of the ancient Egyptian religion , as well as the Hindu and Buddhist tantra and forms of Western esotericism . He added that for millennia, the Typhonian tradition has been opposed by the "Osirians" or "Solarites", practitioners of a patriarchal and solar religions , who have portrayed the Typhonians as evil, corrupt, and debauched. The religious studies scholar Gordan Djurdjevic noted that Grant's Typhonian history
13244-536: The body forward with arms outstretched, visualizing the name rushing out when spoken, ending in an upright stance, with the right forefinger placed upon the lips. According to Crowley in "Liber O", success in this technique is signaled by physical exhaustion and "though only by the student himself is it perceived, when he hears the name of the God vehemently roared forth, as if by the concourse of ten thousand thunders; and it should appear to him as if that Great Voice proceeded from
13398-449: The body-image system, potentially working with alterations across all of its three modalities (perceptual, conceptual, and affective): an idealized body is produced (body-image model), new conceptual structures are attached to it (e.g., the doctrine of multiple, separable bodies), while emotional attachments of awe, dignity, and fear responses are cultivated through the performance of astral rituals and protections from "astral dangers" through
13552-403: The central focus of Thelema. Grant further claimed that the realm of the Self was known as "the Mauve Zone", and that it could be reached while in a state of deep sleep, where it has the symbolic appearance of a swamp. He also believed that the reality of consciousness, which he deemed the only true reality, was formless and thus presented as a void, although he also taught that it was symbolised by
13706-561: The circumstances in which it is committed. Karmaphala is not a "judgement" enforced by a God, Deity or other supernatural being that controls the affairs of the Cosmos. Rather, karmaphala is the outcome of a natural process of cause and effect. Within Buddhism, the real importance of the doctrine of karma and its fruits lies in the recognition of the urgency to put a stop to the whole process. The Acintita Sutta warns that "the results of karma"
13860-502: The coming years he edited – often with Symonds – a range of Crowley writings for republication, resulting in the release of The Magical Record of the Beast 666 (1972), Diary of a Drug Fiend (1972), Moonchild (1972), Magick (1973), Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on The Book of the Law (1974) and The Complete Astrological Writings (1974). The release of these publications has been described as being "instrumental in
14014-639: The context of Srauta rituals. In the Rigveda , the word occurs some 40 times. In Satapatha Brahmana 1.7.1.5, sacrifice is declared as the "greatest" of works; Satapatha Brahmana 10.1.4.1 associates the potential of becoming immortal ( amara ) with the karma of the agnicayana sacrifice. In the early Vedic literature, the concept of karma is also present beyond the realm of rituals or sacrifices. The Vedic language includes terms for sins and vices such as āgas, agha, enas, pāpa/pāpman, duṣkṛta, as well as for virtues and merit like sukṛta and puṇya, along with
14168-399: The cycle reach the realm of gods, those who do not continue in the cycle. The concept has been intensely debated in ancient literature of India; with different schools of Indian religions considering the relevance of rebirth as either essential, or secondary, or unnecessary fiction. Hiriyanna (1949) suggests rebirth to be a necessary corollary of karma; Yamunacharya (1966) asserts that karma
14322-481: The definition that which explains the present circumstances of an individual with reference to his or her actions in the past. These actions may be those in a person's current life, or, in some schools of Indian traditions, possibly actions from their past lives; furthermore, the consequences may result in the current life, or a person's future lives. The law of karma operates independent of any deity or any process of divine judgment. A common theme to theories of karma
14476-560: The demons to depart, but invoke the Archangels and their hosts to act as guardians of the Circle during our pre-occupation with the ceremony proper. In more elaborate ceremonies it is usual to banish everything by name. Each element, each planet, and each sign, perhaps even the Sephiroth themselves; all are removed, including the very one which we wished to invoke, for that forces as existing in Nature
14630-419: The early developments in each tradition incorporated different novel ideas. For example, Buddhists allowed karma transfer from one person to another and sraddha rites, but had difficulty defending the rationale. In contrast, Hindu schools and Jainism would not allow the possibility of karma transfer. The concept of karma in Hinduism developed and evolved over centuries. The earliest Upanishads began with
14784-487: The events that happen after a person's actions may be considered natural consequences of those actions. The term karma ( Sanskrit : कर्म ; Pali : kamma ) refers to both the executed 'deed, work, action, act' and the 'object, intent'. Wilhelm Halbfass (2000) explains karma ( karman ) by contrasting it with the Sanskrit word kriya : whereas kriya is the activity along with the steps and effort in action, karma
14938-513: The first book in Grant's "Typhonian Trilogies" series, The Magical Revival , in which he discussed various events within the history of Western esotericism while also encouraging future interest in the subject. He followed this with a sequel published in 1973, Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God , in which he examined Crowley's sex magical practices and the Tantra. This was followed in 1975 by Cults of
15092-485: The former died in December 1947. Grant attended Crowley's funeral at a Brighton crematorium, while accompanied by his new wife, Steffi. Steffi Grant introduced herself to the occult artist Austin Osman Spare in 1949, having learned about him while she was modelling for Herbert Budd , a tutor at St. Martin's School of Art who had studied alongside Spare. Steffi purchased two of Spare's artworks, which she gave to Kenneth as
15246-441: The future. In Jainism , karma conveys a totally different meaning from that commonly understood in Hindu philosophy and western civilization. Jain philosophy is one of the oldest Indian philosophy that completely separates body (matter) from the soul (pure consciousness). In Jainism, karma is referred to as karmic dirt, as it consists of very subtle particles of matter that pervade the entire universe. Karmas are attracted to
15400-579: The greatest effort to expand and build upon Crowley's work rather than confine himself to the letter of the law. During the 1970s, he was only one of a handful of people editing material by Crowley and Austin Spare, and he was practically alone in offering new contributions to the literature of magick. While his system differs considerably from Crowley's, he gets high marks for originality. In 1969, Grant co-edited The Confessions of Aleister Crowley for publication with Crowley's literary executor John Symonds . Over
15554-481: The idea of rebirth is to be reconciled with the doctrines of impermanence and no-self , is a matter of philosophical inquiry in the Buddhist traditions, for which several solutions have been proposed. In early Buddhism, no explicit theory of rebirth and karma is worked out, and "the karma doctrine may have been incidental to early Buddhist soteriology." In early Buddhism, rebirth is ascribed to craving or ignorance. Unlike that of Jains, Buddha's teaching of karma
15708-440: The ideas may have developed in the " shramana " traditions that preceded Buddhism and Jainism . Others state that some of the complex ideas of the ancient emerging theory of karma flowed from Vedic thinkers to Buddhist and Jain thinkers. The mutual influences between the traditions is unclear, and likely co-developed. Many philosophical debates surrounding the concept are shared by the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions, and
15862-536: The importance of female sexual fluids helped contribute to the "transformation of the hegemonic masculinity" in Western occultism. Although membership of Grant's own occult groups remained small, his Typhonian Thelemic system represented a significant influence over various other occult groups and currents. They included chaos magic , as well as the Temple of Set , the Dragon Rouge , and Andrew D. Chumbley 's Cultus Sabbati. The anthropologist Justin Woodman noted that Grant
16016-516: The increasing collaboration between husband and wife which would be reflected in many of Grant's subsequent publications. The Carfax Monographs would eventually be assembled together and re-released as Hidden Lore in 1989. In 1966 he also privately published a small book of his poems, Black to Black and Other Poems . During the 1950s and 1960s Grant also authored a number of novellas, although these would only be published by Starfire Publishing between 1997 and 2012. Of all OHO contenders, [Grant] made
16170-638: The individual. Another causality characteristic, shared by karmic theories, is that like deeds lead to like effects . Thus, good karma produces good effect on the actor, while bad karma produces bad effect. This effect may be material, moral, or emotional – that is, one's karma affects both one's happiness and unhappiness. The effect of karma need not be immediate; the effect of karma can be later in one's current life, and in some schools it extends to future lives. The consequence or effects of one's karma can be described in two forms: phala and samskara . A phala ( lit. ' fruit' or 'result ' )
16324-423: The intentions of an individual affects the individual and the life he or she lives. Disinterested actions, or unintentional actions do not have the same positive or negative karmic effect, as interested and intentional actions. In Buddhism, for example, actions that are performed, or arise, or originate without any bad intent, such as covetousness, are considered non-existent in karmic impact or neutral in influence to
16478-420: The internal inconsistencies, implications and issues of the karma doctrine. According to Professor Wilhelm Halbfass , The above schools illustrate the diversity of views, but are not exhaustive. Each school has sub-schools in Hinduism, such as that of non-dualism and dualism under Vedanta. Furthermore, there are other schools of Indian philosophy, such as Charvaka (or Lokayata; the materialists ), that denied
16632-528: The karma doctrine is in the Upanishads . The doctrine occurs here in the context of a discussion of the fate of the individual after death. For example, causality and ethicization is stated in Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.2.13: Truly, one becomes good through good deeds , and evil through evil deeds . Some authors state that the samsara (transmigration) and karma doctrine may be non-Vedic, and
16786-515: The lodge he claimed to have received two important texts from preternatural sources, the Wisdom of S'lba and OKBISh or The Book of the Spider . From 1953 to 1961 Grant immersed himself in the study of Hinduism , becoming a follower of the Hindu guru Ramana Maharshi . He was also interested in the work of another Hindu teacher, Lord Kusuma Haranath , and was credited with encouraging and helping to create
16940-417: The magician can employ is called the assumption of godforms — where with "concentrated imagination of oneself in the symbolic shape of any God, one should be able to identify oneself with the idea which [the god] represents." A general method involves positioning the body in a position that is typical for a given god, imagining that the image of the god is coinciding with or enveloping the body, accompanied by
17094-464: The magician can purify the self via willed intention. Specifically, the magician labors to purify the mind and body of all influences which may interfere with the Great Work: The point is to seize every occasion of bringing every available force to bear upon the objective of the assault. It does not matter what the force is (by any standard of judgment) so long as it plays its proper part in securing
17248-444: The magician, they may then utilize the formula to maximum effect. A magical record is a journal or other source of documentation containing magical events, experiences, ideas, and any other information that the magician may see fit to add. There can be many purposes for such a record, such as recording evidence to verify the effectiveness of specific procedures (per the scientific method that Aleister Crowley claimed should be applied to
17402-536: The midst of the Second World War , Grant volunteered to join the British Army , later commenting that he hoped to be posted to British India , where he could find a spiritual guru to study under. He was never posted abroad, and was ejected from the army aged 20 due to an unspecified medical condition. Grant was fascinated by the work of the occultist Aleister Crowley , having read a number of his books. Eager to meet Crowley, Grant unsuccessfully wrote to Crowley's publishers, asking them to give him his address; however,
17556-407: The moral responsibility for it is less on the actor, even though causal responsibility may be the same regardless. A karma theory considers not only the action, but also the actor's intentions, attitude, and desires before and during the action. The karma concept thus encourages each person to seek and live a moral life, as well as avoid an immoral life. The meaning and significance of karma is thus as
17710-681: The neutral term karman. Whatever good deed man does that is inside the Vedi; and whatever evil he does that is outside the Vedi. The verse refers to the evaluation of virtuous and sinful actions in the afterlife. Regardless of their application in rituals (whether within or outside the Vedi), the concepts of good and evil here broadly represent merits and sins. What evil is done here by man, that it (i.e. speech = Brahman ) makes manifest. Although he thinks that he does it secretly, as it were, still it makes it manifest. Verily, therefore one should not commit evil. This
17864-473: The notion of a person's 'character', as both are an assessment of the person and determined by that person's habitual thinking and acting. The second theme common to karma theories is ethicization. This begins with the premise that every action has a consequence, which will come to fruition in either this life or a future life; thus, morally good acts will have positive consequences, whereas bad acts will produce negative results. An individual's present situation
18018-628: The only chartered O.T.O. body in England at the time, Grant believed that it meant that he was now head of O.T.O. in Britain. Germer put Grant in contact with Wilfred Talbot Smith , an English Thelemite based in California who had founded the Agape Lodge, knowing that Smith was the only man who had practical knowledge of O.T.O. degree work. Smith was eager to help, and wrote at length on his experiences in founding
18172-524: The perennial philosophy promoted by the Traditionalist School of Western esotericists. However, Grant differed from Traditionalists like René Guénon and Ananda Coomaraswamy in his positive assessment of Western occultism. Moreover, Grant's appreciation of Asian spiritual traditions has much in common with Theosophy , although Grant differed from the Theosophical movement with his valorisation of
18326-497: The physical and mental condition of the experimenter, the time and place, and environmental conditions, including the weather. The practice of ceremonial magic often requires tools made or consecrated specifically for this use, called magical weapons, which are required for a particular ritual or series of rituals. They may be a symbolic representation of psychological elements of the magician or of metaphysical concepts. In Magick (Book 4) , Part II (Magick) , Aleister Crowley lists
18480-406: The practice of "vibration" of the appropriate god-name(s). There is a distinct difference between invocation and evocation, as Crowley explains: To "invoke" is to "call in", just as to "evoke" is to "call forth". This is the essential difference between the two branches of Magick. In invocation, the macrocosm floods the consciousness. In evocation, the magician, having become the macrocosm, creates
18634-461: The practice of magic) or to ensure that data may propagate beyond the lifetime of the magician. Benefits of this process vary, but usually include future analysis and further education by the individual and/or associates with whom the magician feels comfortable in revealing such intrinsically private information. Crowley was highly insistent upon the importance of this practice. As he writes in Liber E, "It
18788-513: The practitioner. It can be seen as an extension of ritual magic, and in most cases synonymous with it. Popularized by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn , it draws on such schools of philosophical and occult thought as Hermetic Qabalah , Enochian magic , Thelema , and the magic of various grimoires . Ceremonial magic is part of Hermeticism and Western esotericism . The synonym magick
18942-424: The publisher had moved address themselves, meaning that they never received his letter. He also requested that Michael Houghton, proprietor of Central London's esoteric bookstore Atlantis Bookshop , introduce him to Crowley. Houghton refused, privately remarking that Grant was "mentally unstable." Grant later stated his opinion that Houghton had refused because he did not wish to "incur evil karma " from introducing
19096-410: The questions about how and why man is born, and what happens after death. As answers to the latter, the early theories in these ancient Sanskrit documents include pancagni vidya (the five fire doctrine), pitryana (the cyclic path of fathers), and devayana (the cycle-transcending, path of the gods). Those who perform superficial rituals and seek material gain, claimed these ancient scholars, travel
19250-410: The realm, condition, and form depends on the quality and quantity of karma. In schools that believe in rebirth, every living being's soul transmigrates (recycles) after death, carrying the seeds of Karmic impulses from life just completed, into another life and lifetime of karmas. This cycle continues indefinitely, except for those who consciously break this cycle by reaching moksha . Those who break
19404-417: The relevance of Ufology and insectoid symbolism for occultism. This would prove to be the final Grant volume published by Muller, who would merge with Blond and Briggs in 1984, while the publishing rights to his works reverted to him the following year. His next book would not appear for another eleven years after Outside the Circles of Time . In 1989, Grant began his relationship with Skoob Books Limited,
19558-505: The revival of interest in Crowley". At this point, Grant began describing himself as O.H.O. (Outer Head of the Order) of O.T.O., claiming that he deserved this title not by direct succession from Crowley but because he displayed the inspiration and innovation that Germer lacked. A document purportedly by Crowley naming Grant as his successor was subsequently exposed as a hoax created by Robert Taylor,
19712-421: The same operation. It is the assumption of the frame of mind suitable to that one thought." Consecration is an equally important magical operation. It is essentially the dedication, usually of a ritual instrument or space, to a specific purpose. In Magick, Book 4 (ch.13), Crowley writes: The ritual here in question should summarize the situation, and devote the particular arrangement to its purpose by invoking
19866-518: The simulation of symbols and magical weapons. A grimoire is a textbook of magic , typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets , how to perform magical spells , charms and divination , and how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels , spirits , deities , and demons . In many cases, the books themselves are believed to be imbued with magical powers, although in many cultures, other sacred texts that are not grimoires (such as
20020-402: The single most important invocation, or any act of magic for that matter, was the invocation of one's Holy Guardian Angel , or "secret self", which allows the adept to know his or her true will . Crowley describes the experience of invocation: The mind must be exalted until it loses consciousness of self. The Magician must be carried forward blindly by a force which, though in him and of him,
20174-797: The spiritual journey, where the adept begins in Malkuth , which is the every-day material world of phenomena, with the ultimate goal being at Kether , the sphere of Unity with the All. The body of light, sometimes called the 'astral body' or the 'subtle body,' is a "quasi material" aspect of the human body, being neither solely physical nor solely spiritual, posited by a number of philosophers, and elaborated on according to various esoteric , occult , and mystical teachings. Other terms used for this body include body of glory, spirit-body, radiant body, luciform body, augoeides ('radiant'), astroeides ('starry' or 'sidereal body'), and celestial body. Crowley referred to
20328-469: The stuff of dreams. The neat and orderly appearance on the shelves of the Typhonian Trilogies gives no hint of the eldritch worlds they contain. One opens each volume with a sense of wonder, and one finishes them with the material for nightmares and visions of worlds yet unborn. In 1977, Grant began the second Typhonian Trilogy with Nightside of Eden , in which he discussed some of his own personal magical ideas, outlining magical formulae with which to explore
20482-468: The success of the general purpose [...] We must constantly examine ourselves, and assure ourselves that every action is really subservient to the One Purpose Crowley recommended symbolically ritual practices, such as bathing and robing before a main ceremony: "The bath signifies the removal of all things extraneous or antagonistic to the one thought. The putting on of the robe is the positive side of
20636-458: The system in which the formula appears. Additionally, in grouping certain letters together one is able to display meaningful sequences that are considered to be of value to the spiritual system that utilizes them (e.g., spiritual hierarchies, historiographic data, psychological stages, etc.) A formula's potency is understood and made usable by the magician only through prolonged meditation on its levels of meaning. Once these have been interiorized by
20790-471: The term synonymously with goetia . James Sanford in his 1569 translation of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa 's 1526 De incertitudine et vanitate scientiarum has "The partes of ceremoniall Magicke be Geocie, and Theurgie". For Agrippa, ceremonial magic was in opposition to natural magic . While he had his misgivings about natural magic, which included astrology , alchemy , and also what we would today consider fields of natural science , such as botany , he
20944-451: The theory of karma-rebirth, as well as the existence of God; to this non-Vedic school, the properties of things come from the nature of things. Causality emerges from the interaction, actions, and nature of things and people, making determinative principles such as karma or God unnecessary. Karma and karmaphala are fundamental concepts in Buddhism, which explain how our intentional actions keep us tied to rebirth in samsara , whereas
21098-554: The three-volume Lord Haranath: A Biography by Akella Ramakrishna Sastri . He also authored articles on Advaita Vedanta and other Hindu topics for Indian journals like the Bombay -based The Call Divine , as well as for Richard Cavendish 's Man, Myth & Magic . Many of these articles would be collected into a single anthology and published as At the Feet of the Guru in 2005. Grant believed that
21252-514: The tools required as a magic circle drawn on the ground and inscribed with the names of god, an altar, a wand, cup, sword, and pentacle, to represent his true will , his understanding , his reason, and the lower parts of his being respectively. On the altar, too, is a phial of oil to represent his aspiration, and for consecrating items to his intent. The magician is surrounded by a scourge, dagger, and chain intended to keep his intent pure. An oil lamp, book of conjurations and bell are required, as
21406-531: The twelve signs of the Zodiac . Within the western magical tradition, the Tree is used as a kind of conceptual filing cabinet. Each sephira and path is assigned various ideas, such as gods, cards of the Tarot, astrological planets and signs, elements, etc. Crowley considered a deep understanding of the Tree of Life to be essential to the magician: The Tree of Life has got to be learnt by heart; you must know it backwards, forwards, sideways, and upside down; it must become
21560-457: The various traditions that originated in India, and various schools in each of these traditions. Wendy O'Flaherty claims that, furthermore, there is an ongoing debate regarding whether karma is a theory, a model, a paradigm, a metaphor, or a metaphysical stance. Karma also refers to a conceptual principle that originated in India, often descriptively called the principle of karma , and sometimes
21714-791: The visionary creations of Austin O. Spare . Grant drew eclectically on a range of sources in devising his teachings. Although based in Thelema, Grant's Typhonian tradition has been described as "a bricolage of occultism, Neo-Vedanta, Hindu tantra, Western sexual magic, Surrealism, ufology and Lovecraftian gnosis". According to Djurdjevic, Grant's writing style is notorious for being opaque with "verbal and conceptual labyrinths". The historian of religion Manon Hedenborg White noted that "Grant's writings do not lend themselves easily to systematization". She added that he "deliberately employs cryptic or circuitous modes of argumentation", and lacks clear boundaries between fact and fiction. Grant promoted what he termed
21868-509: The way of their fathers and recycle back into another life; those who renounce these, go into the forest and pursue spiritual knowledge, were claimed to climb into the higher path of the gods. It is these who break the cycle and are not reborn. With the composition of the Epics – the common man's introduction to dharma in Hinduism – the ideas of causality and essential elements of the theory of karma were being recited in folk stories. For example: As
22022-449: The work of Crowley, Spare, and Lovecraft, and the text of another work that Grant claimed had been given to him from a supernatural source, Book of the Spider . That same year, Grant also published two further volumes of fictional stories, Gamaliel and Dance, Doll, Dance! , which told the story of a vampire and a Tantric sex group, and The Other Child, and Other Tales , which contained six short stories. Grant died on 15 January 2011 after
22176-506: The work of fantasy writer H. P. Lovecraft . This was anathema to Germer, who expelled Grant from O.T.O. in 1955, although the latter continued to operate his Lodge regardless until 1962. During the 1950s he also came to be increasingly interested in Hinduism , exploring the teachings of the Indian guru Ramana Maharshi and publishing a range of articles on the topic. He was particularly interested in
22330-549: The world, with reference to the work of Crowley, Spare, and Lovecraft. It ends with the text of The Wisdom of S'lba , a work that Grant claimed he had received clairvoyantly from a supernatural source. After Skoob Books closed its esoteric publishing division, in 1996 Grant transferred the publishing rights of his books to two companies, Starfire Publishing – which decided to bring out his trilogies and novellas – and Fulgur Limited , which published his work on Spare. In 1997 Starfire published Grant's first novel, Against
22484-405: The young man to Crowley, but later suggested that it was because Houghton desired him for his own organisation, The Order of Hidden Masters, and thereby did not want him to become Crowley's disciple. Persisting, Grant wrote letters to the new address of Crowley's publishers, asking that they pass his letters on to Crowley himself. These resulted in the first meeting between the two, in autumn 1944, at
22638-408: Was "at best highly speculative" and lacked any supporting evidence, however he suggested that Grant may never have intended it to be taken literally. Grant adopted a perennialist interpretation of the history of religion. Grant's claims that Indian spiritual traditions like Tantra and Yoga correlate to Western esoteric traditions, and that both stem from a core, ancient source, has parallels in
22792-410: Was "certainly unique" in the history of British esotericism because of his "close dealings" with Crowley, Spare, and Gardner , the "three most influential Western occultists of the 20th century." The occultist and comic book author Alan Moore thought it "hard to name" any other living individual who "has done more to shape contemporary western thinking with regard to Magic" than Grant, and characterized
22946-516: Was "one of the key figures" for bringing H. P. Lovecraft 's literary works into magical theory and practice, adding that his writings were a "formative influence" on Lovecraftian occult groups like the Esoteric Order of Dagon , founded in North America during the late 1980s. The occultist Peter Levenda discussed Grant's work in his 2013 essay, The Dark Lord: H. P. Lovecraft, Kenneth Grant, and
23100-638: Was "very sorry to part with Kenneth" and that he felt that Grant was "giving up his real future." To David Curwen, an O.T.O. member who was another of his correspondents, Crowley related his opinion that "I may have treated him too severely." Crowley put Curwen in contact with Grant, with Grant later claiming that he learned much from Curwen, particularly regarding the Kaula school of Tantra ; in his later writings, he made reference to Curwen using his Order name of Frater Ani Abthilal. Although they continued to correspond with one another, Crowley and Grant never met again, for
23254-505: Was appointed as such by the American head of O.T.O., Karl Germer . In 1949, Grant befriended the occult artist Austin Osman Spare , and in ensuing years helped to publicise Spare's artwork through a series of publications. In 1954 Grant founded the London -based New Isis Lodge, through which he added to many of Crowley's Thelemic teachings, bringing in extraterrestrial themes and influences from
23408-445: Was born on 23 May 1924 in Ilford , Essex , the son of a Welsh clergyman. By his early teenage years, Grant had read widely on the subject of Western esotericism and Asian religions, including the work of prominent occultist Helena Blavatsky . He had made use of a personal magical symbol ever since being inspired to do so in a visionary dream he experienced in 1939; he spelled its name variously as A'ashik, Oshik, or Aossic. Aged 18, in
23562-508: Was living. He continued living there with Crowley for several months, dealing with the old man's correspondences and needs. In turn, he was allowed to read from Crowley's extensive library on occult subjects, and performed ceremonial magic workings with him, becoming a high initiate of Crowley's magical group, Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.). Crowley saw Grant as a potential leader of O.T.O. in the UK, writing in his diary, "value of Grant. If I die or go to
23716-508: Was nevertheless prepared to accept it as "the highest peak of natural philosophy". Ceremonial magic, on the other hand, which included all sorts of communication with spirits, including necromancy and witchcraft , he denounced in its entirety as impious disobedience towards God. Karma Antiquity Medieval Early modern Modern Iran India East-Asia Karma ( / ˈ k ɑːr m ə / , from Sanskrit : कर्म , IPA: [ˈkɐɾmɐ] ; Pali : kamma )
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