Thelemic Symposium 2009 (review)

Nu Thelemic Symposium 2009 In the year following the global credit crunch the organisers may well have had a few sleepless nights as to whether they would break even on this normally landmark event in the occult year. But on the day the rather magnificent surroundings of the Holywell music room were comfortably full - although there were reportedly tickets to spare. Some said the room was a bit cold, and Charlotte Rodgers & myself were the warm-up act - which seemed to go down quite well, although it would be inappropriate to review my own performance. Our title BLOOD ON THE THRESHOLD: Seth The Demonic Initiator - Charlotte is currently writing a book called "The Bloody Sacrifice" and my brief was to find some counterpoint to all that from my own obsession with the Egyptian God Seth and his bloody companions, who so often crop up in matters of "exorcism" - a common method of initiation in the ancient world. Job done we handed the floor over the Liza Lewellyn of the "Open Source Golden Dawn". Her topic was "LIBER AL as a Geburic text" - which I admit is not one of my favourite topics. Liza did a good job, struggling a bit against the apparent lack of a chairperson or lectern, resting her notes on the very distracting slide projector. Later someone explained to me how it was quite a fairly straightforward analysis of the programme of Crowley's holy books and how it follows his own path of initiation. In other words the Holy books that came after Liber Al display more initiated knowledge than his earlier efforts when he was still at the level of Geburah in his progress through the Tree of Life. The third speaker before I headed off to the pie shop (one Matador Pie, one Mince and one Spicy Vegetable) was John Moore giving an illustrated lecture on his efforts to get his book ALEISTER CROWLEY: A Modern Master treated on a par with Fontana Modern Masters series. Suitable fortified - the company now split into main session and optional workshops. Rufus Harrington spoke on his personal journey into Enochian magick. Rufus Harrington was initiated into Alexandrian Wicca as a teenager, and there introduced to Enochian Magic. He spoke of how his first experiences with Enochia precipitated an alarming dark night of the soul. In the "underworld" down under in Oz he eventually resolved his personal depression and crisis and re-emerged the man he is today. At this stage the illustrated lecture turned into an impromptu workshop - as Rufus wanted us to experience some of the power of Enochian invocation - after the demonstration there was another optional session in which anyone interested could learn one of two of the calls. Needless to say the room was still packed for what turned out to be one of the best presentations of the day. Julian Vayne spoke next, although I missed most of that as I was out moving the car. He is the author of numerous articles and books, both popular and academic and spoke on his pet topic of WINE & STRANGE DRUGS. I'm told it was a good if not classic Julian performance. Rufus returned to introduce the "mighty" Geraldine Beskin and her illustrated lecture on the life of ALEISTER CROWLEY: "The Not So Beastly Beast" - which despite being a fairly well worn path for most of the audience nevertheless managed to be interesting and spring a few surprises. I sat firmly at the back for newly revealed Typhonian Order's Michael Staley presentation on Magical creativity. I suppose given the fact that the organisation formerly known as the Typhonian OTO but now changing its outer name to the Typhonian Order under heavy legalistic pressure. Potentially it is a good move although Michael's rather down beat talk to a half empty room was just a little short of the ralleying cry of the Thelemites. But if you stuck with it and were familiar with the old chestnuts such as H P Lovecraft and Bram Stoker, it was an

engaging enough performance. I didn't make it to any workshops although the androgyny session created the greatest buzz. It took a while to get going as there were several calls for participants for the "feminine" half of the workshop. Gossip in the social was that they split into two groups - one male one female - there was a rather apocryphal tale that the man zone got the most animated with a spontaneous chanting of "shag/kill" - in the end both sides came together for an invocation of Baphomet and creation of an elixir which impressed everyone by its subtle but nevertheless remarkable androgynous quality. I went off with Rufus for a curry and some Cobra beer and bowled into the social at about nine although there was a merry crowd in the bar the musick was taking a while to materialise. At ten we were called in without much warm up for Sir Francis Dashwood's discordant rendering of the "Hymn to Pan" - slowly the whole set became more melodic and we were on familiar ecstatic Amodali territory. We danced on but trouble was brewing with the bar staff, who closed us down at 12.30 just as we were getting going. The barrage of complaints about watered down wine and illicite supplies was just too much. 12:30 was well past my bedtime so I was happy to return to my belfry. An exhausting and exhilarating day - room for improvement but very distinctive approach to Thelema. [Mogg]