I saw this photo on DCist this morning. Take a good close look at the layout of the Washington Monument.

Is that not the Vesica Piscis run through with the monument?

Who knew that from above we have the chalice well design right here larger than life.

ETA link to wikipedia above.

Every time I look at the acronym for the

Library of the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH)

I immediately read it as the

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP).

It's virtually impossible for me to not think about it the entire time I'm looking at the acronym. It's an odd reminder while looking at library statistics.

As you may have read, if you read any Pagan blogs or fashion blogs, the September issue of French Vogue has a photo spread of occult inspired fashion. Here's a link

In my opinion. It's very Stevie Nicks with a dash of Gwen Stefani and a pinch of some kind of diapery thing. Honestly, I don't get those crotch-to-knee leggings at ALL.

The Key to Solomon's Key: Secrets of Magic and Masonry
Lon Milo DuQuette
Consortium of Collective Consciousness, 2006
$14.95

I'm a big fan of Lon Milo DuQuette, and I deeply respect his work and his amazing insight into western magical traditions. That said, this is not his best work. Despite the glowing praise from John Michael Greer and James Wasserman I felt that this book was a little flat and in a sense two books with a very tenuous connection, made even more tenuous by the text itself.

In "The Key to Solomon's Key" DuQuette examines the mythos of Masonry in light of the western magical tradition. He looks at the history and language of masonry and from it pulls in his own insights into what may be the secret underlying the tradition. Unlike other authors like Dan Brown and Michael Baigent he doesn't believe that the masonic secret is the lost legacy of the living Jesus; rather he looks specifically at the mythos of King Solomon (which is the central focus of Masonic rites, not Jesus). Applying a very critical eye to the masonic speeches delivered during degree ceremonies and the myths surrounding Solomon's temple, DuQuette supposes that the real hidden secret of the templars is actually the rejection of mythos as history. Given that the Templars were stationed at the Temple Mount for so long and with such deep access to it and given current archaeological evidence that says nothing of the existence of a David or a Solomon or a glorious temple, DuQuette believes that the Templars actually came to believe that the legend of the Temple of Solomon was just that, a legend. Citing the biblical passages from Ezra and Nehemiah, often quoted in Masonry, DuQuette supposes that these Jewish prophets actually created the legend of Israel Joseph Smith style by "finding" the pentateuch in the remains of the temple of Solomon. Flowing from that idea the author goes to the confessions of Templar knights, and their statement that they were to step on a crucifix, he interpreting it here as the rejection of the Pauline myth of the divinity of Jesus, and thus the authority of the Church, which through these bits of evidence and supposition became baseless.

This was all quite fascinating, and honestly much more believable than the Da Vinci Code. However, the book took a divergence and went on to talk about the magical side of the myth of Solomon, and his supposed books of spiritual evocation. Specifically focusing on the Lesser Key of Solomon, also known as the Goetia, DuQuette begins a different story about utilizing these infernal evocations as a means of psychological liberation. The only connection being the now, according to this text, mythic character of Solomon. But he doesn't dwell on that connection, instead he focuses more on how the process of ritual initiation as outlined in Masonic rites leads one down the path of changing oneself into a certain kind of individual. He then compares this to initation in a magical context and how the use of ceremonial magic changes oneself as well. While I can understand the parallel, it still seemed a bit disjointed. To go from the Templars to Goetic invocations seemed a bit too much of a leap for me. Then again, maybe it's just me.

The full second half of the book is selections from the Goetia. While interesting, it felt somewhat unnecessary to the whole of the book. I feel someone reading a book about Masonry like this would be kind of floored to see the second half of the book and also feel a bit confused, as I did, and maybe even insulted at the comparison. Then again, as I'm not a mason I don't know if there are any kinds of correspondence here between these two things or if this is just the product of a personal outpouring. Not to mention the fact that the Lesser Key has been reprinted by a number of different publishers (Weiser among them) and is more than likely available online as well.

As a unified whole it feels scattered; as distinctive separate parts they would make good pamphlets. It was a quick and at times entertaining read. I mean if I can finish something in two days, without skimming and reading all the footnotes, then it's a short book. People who read DuQuette's work might be disappointed with this as I was, but those who have an interest in these two topics may find a fresh perspective in the debate over the Templars. I don't feel it was a total waste of time, but he could have done a lot better.

I'd rate it as a C, needs improvement.

Amazingly I think this is not really too far off. I think that personally I've had enough experiences with ghosty type things that mediumship seems about right, and I'm no good with any of that telepathic/empathic work. Emotions have to be something that's REALLY intense for it to honestly effect me, and when they do it's more like I get nauseous, not like I actually feel what others are feeling. I have had a few dreams that came true, but not like all the time or anything.

Nor am I actively cultivating these kinds of things. I just take them as they happen. It's not really something I feel drawn to enhance.

Finding the catalogue for the second order library of the Golden Dawn. R.A. Gilbert just casually mentions this in the very first line of his edition of the Clavicula Salomonis.

"Of the 519 titles that comprised the Second Order Library of the Golden Dawn, Key of Solomon [by] MacGregor Mathers is listed in its Catalogue as No. 1."

What were the other 518, and why are they not on my bookshelf?

I've written to the publisher to find out if this catalogue has been made public and what it's contents are, and if they don't know I'm hoping that they'll at least pass the message along to Mr. Gilbert. I'm drooling just over the thought of it!

After finishing Dion Fortune's "The Training and Work of an Initiate" I picked up the companion volume "Esoteric Orders and Their Work." I'm on chapter 3 and it's full of Atlantean history and the source of initiatory traditions in these flickering in-&-out of high level beings who came to this material plane to start some kind of astral-evolutionary whizbang (my terminology, not hers). Things like this make me groan, because it's so much unnecessary rationalization (if you can call it rational) for a lodge tradition.

Anyhow, the main point of these books runs a little something like this: There is an unbroken mystery tradition in the west that through initiation imparts secret teachings and connectivity with an aspect of the divine. The ultimate purpose of both mysticism* and occultism** is to achieve divine union, touching the mystery, with the final result as some kind of ascension. For the mystic it is loss of self-embodiment and blending with the divine (all at once), for the occultist it is the gradual inching closer and closer to the divine.

This got me thinking this morning. Why is there this overwhelming desire to ascend?

I understand if you're a reincarnationist, especially of certain eastern traditions, there is the concept of eternal suffering and breaking free of the karmic cycle. Sure. In the Christian traditions the ultimate goal is piety and obedience as the means to get to heaven in the afterlife, as opposed to fiery damnation. Okay, a bit extreme, but understandable.

But why are we striving toward divinity?

Power? Wisdom? Glory? Compassion?

What's the ultimate motivation for this quest for divine union? I guess for everyone it's different, and that influences their occult practice, and the wisdom they receive in the process.

What is it for me? Why do I continue to read these things that are off the deep end kooky & spooky? I think for me it is a wisdom quest. In a sense I think of myself sometimes as a Faustian character. No, no deals with Mephistopheles... yet. But there's really no subject or topic that is taboo for me, because I'm looking in there for something. It's that same kind of something that everyone goes questing for really, answers. I'm looking for answers to the deep questions, and I'm looking in the deep, weird places of literature to find them.

Lately I've been feeling like I'm on the edge of mystery knowledge. Like the inner workings of things are about to reveal themselves to me, and in some cases that has been happening. I'm not sure that my ultimate goal is ascension, but I think it is at the very least enlightenment.

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* Mysticism: Defined by Fortune as the quest to unite with the divine and become an integrated part of holiness, extinguishing the self (breaking the cycle of karma and reincarnation).
** Occultism: The practice of using formulae and tools to develop the soul gradually, achieve divine union, and return to continue the process again. More of a focus on elevating others as well as the self.