Darkly Splendid Abodes

Frater Baltan is an Initiate of Crowley’s system of A∴A∴, and a practitioner of Enochian Magick. We’ll discuss these two Magical systems, on the one hand exploring what the A∴A∴ is for and what an Initiate can expect from it, and on the other discussing the dangers, purpose and best starting-point for Enochian Magic.

Liber 418, ‘The Vision & the Voice’ is the record of a series of Enochian visions scried by Aleister Crowley in 1900 and in 1909 e.v. These visions are the most well-known example of putting John Dee and Edward Kelly’s system of Angel Magic into practice. Michael and I will look at Aethyrs 9 and 4, and see how our Deep Dips to date aid us in understanding the Angel’s message.

Of all the iconic images associated with Thelema, the most primal, sacred and important is the Stelé of Revealing, a funeral stelé dedicated to an Egyptian priest of the late 25th/early 26th dynasty, Ank-f-n-Khonsu. Edward and I will discuss this ancient depiction of the Thelemic Trinity.

When tales tap into the subconscious, their themes can transcend the arbitrary boundaries set by the rational mind. Dipping into the circuits of time, Michael and I conclude our exploration of the Magical themes of Twin peaks as we look at Season 2 and The Return, as part of our spinoff series: Spinning Stories.

Aleister Crowley had an admiration for Islam and tried to immerse himself in Sufi spaces on a few occasions. The Islamic influence on Thelema is sometimes overt, but often implicit. Author Uthman Ken and I will discuss the Islamic influence on Thelema and on modern Hermetics more generally.

Crowley describes George MacDonald’s 1895 novel LILITH as “A good introduction to the Astral”, and cites it amongst the works of fiction included in the reading curriculum for A∴A∴ and O.T.O. Michael and I will dip into the dreamlike netherworld of this late-Victorian fantasy novel.

Karma is commonly described as the results of one’s actions in one form or another, and often gets thought of as a cosmic justice system. But how is it seen from a Thelemic perspective? And how can the concept inform one’s pursuit to know and to do the True Will? Given in the August of 2025 e.v., this workshop explores how one can know who they are, how individual tendencies influence experience, and how to decide one's future.

‘The Gospel According to St. Bernard Shaw’ is Crowley’s exhaustive response to Bernard Shaw’s preface to his play, Androcles and the Lion. Both pieces analyze the Jesus of the Gospels, with Crowley’s diving into the parallels with the life of the Mystic as well as the Dying God mythos, with abundant quotations from J.G. Frazer’s ‘The Golden Bough.’

Plenty of emphasis gets placed on the importance of Banishing Rituals, especially as part of a greater overall Magical Ceremony. But not as much is said about Purification and Consecration, in spite of being integral elements of Ceremonial Magick. Edward Mason and I will take a look at these Magical applications of Water & Fire.

Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente, or The Book of the Heart Girt with a Serpent, is an inspired text written by Aleister Crowley that recounts the experience of union with his Holy Guardian Angel. Michael and I will delve into Chapter Five, along with Crowley’s Commentary on the text to help us elucidate its mysteries.