Sunday, June 28, 2015
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Egyptian and Jewish Magic in Antiquity
Egyptian and Jewish Magic in Antiquity:
Contexts, Contacts, Continuities, and Comparisions When: July 6-9, 2015 Where: University of Bonn, Germany Conference Website
From the organizers:
Under the auspices of the Minerva Stiftung, Bonn and Tel Aviv Universities have embarked on the bold initiative to bring together, for the first time, Egyptologists and Hebraists in an international conference aimed at studying ancient magic in an interdisciplinary perspective.
The EJMA Conference will be a four days forum for scholars to exchange their innovative work in ancient Egyptian and Jewish magic. The focus will be on the historical continuity and change of ancient Egyptian and ancient Jewish magical practices from antiquity to the early middle ages. Particularly, we will study the similarities, the differences, and the points of contact between these two magical traditions, with a strong emphasis on the impact of Pharaonic magic on early medieval (Coptic, Jewish and Islamic) magical practices.
We believe that, by studying two different ancient magical traditions from an historical perspective and with a view to a territorial continuity (in the land of Egypt), we will attain a more accurate and fluid overview of the Egyptian and Jewish magical lore throughout the centuries.
For more information, please visit the conference website.
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Monday, June 8, 2015
Videogame Thelema
Here are some titles I cooked up for the #videogamethelema hashtag that I created on Twitter. Feel free to join in!
(note: I edited out the hashtag after the first one so that you wouldn't have to read it dozens of times over)
@t3dy The Gold Box Dawn #videogamethelema
Sorry Probationer, Your Initiation Is In Another Castle
Dragon Age: Invoke Often
Dead Space 0: Daath
Love is the Law. Love Under Pixels.
Powers of the Sphinx: To Know, to Dare, to Will, and to Keep Silent Hill
White Stains (from Cool Ranch Doritos)
It is my will to Eat or Be Eaten and to drink Mountain Dew.
Boom Shankar Blox
"...Mega Man has the right to kill robots who would thwart those rights."
Metal Gear Solid LVX: Secret Chief
The Secret Chiefs of Mana
SimCity of the Pyramids
Dance Trance Revelation
Kundalini Damacy
Booth Babe of the Abyss
A,',A,', or Argentum Asteroids
We Place No Reliance on Immersion or Narration. Our Method Is Ludology, Our Aim Is Interaction.
Kirby's Lucid Dream Course
World of War God
May All Attain Gamification!
Game Design is the Science and Art of Making Interesting Choices Occur in Conformity with Will
Do What Thou Wilt Shall be the Whole of the Tutorial
"I am the snake that giveth Hints and Cheat Codes..."
Every high score is the same. There is no difference!
Every Ghost And Every Goblin Is A Star
Autohagiography with the Turbo Button Locked
May All Atari!
The Elder Scrolls: Ain Soph
XBOX AEON
Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Strat
Beyond Good and Resident Evil
Banishing Pentagram of Earthworm Jim
Liber 256: Qabalah of RNG
Lightning Flash: Tower Defense
Rising on the Pilotwings
Pathworking on the Tree of Extra Life
Marble Madness in Theory and Practice
Sonic the Hedge Mage
Super Middle Pillar Bros
Call of Duty: True Will
Fallout: Lucifer Rising
Ordo Templi Assassin's Creed
The Stele of Portal
Invoking Pentagram of Earthbound
Pranayama: Huizinga's Magic Circle Breathing
Kirby of the Abyss
Enochian Chess 2K15
God of War: Kratos vs Aiwass
The Metroidvania Working
Bioshock: Queen of Infinite Space
The Great Beast Developer Mode
To MegaDrive Therion
Perdurabos: I Will Endure to the Endings
May All Gamify!
Contributions from Twitter friends:
@brutalgardener "Bahlasti! Ompehda! I spit on your crapulous Assassin’s Creed“
@brutalgardener Emergent gameplay is the True Will
@brutalgardener Therion, the ultimate boss fight
@brutalgardener Emergent gameplay is the True Will
@brutalgardener Call of Duty to Self, Others, Mankind and to All Other Beings and Things
@brutalgardener Crowned and Conquering Child: Red Alert
@brutalgardener The Heart of the Dungeon Master http://hermetic.com/crowley/heart-of-the-master/ …
@brutalgardener Halo: The Secret Master Chief
@brutalgardener A∴A∴ games
@hermeticlibrary One Hidden Block in Sight http://hermetic.com/crowley/book-4/app2.html
@hermeticlibrary The Konami Code of the Gods: "I am thy Solid Snake, o Mario, The prophet ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A!" http://hermetic.com/crowley/equinox-of-the-gods/ …
Thursday, June 4, 2015
CFP: Fortean approaches to religion and the supernatural
CFP: Fortean Approaches to the Study of Religion (Deadline for Abstracts June 15th 2015)
Currently seeking abstract submissions for inclusion in the following proposed collection:
Damned Facts: Fortean Approaches to the Study of Religion
Edited by Jack Hunter (Doctoral Candidate, Dept. Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Bristol)
Overview:
Over the course of four intriguing books (The Book of the Damned (1919), New Lands (1925), Lo! (1931), and Wild Talents (1932)), Charles Hoy Fort meticulously collected hundreds of accounts of anomalous events documented in scientific journals and newspapers, including such unusual occurrences as fish falling from the sky, poltergeists, unidentified flying objects, levitations, mysterious objects, disappearances, ball lightning, and so on. Throughout all of his works, Fort employed the philosophy of intermediatism: “that nothing is real, but that nothing is unreal: that all phenomena are approximations in one way between realness and unrealness.” Through this rigorously agnostic epistemology Fort was able to explore some exceedingly strange territory, unearthing phenomena (what he called “damned facts”), that mainstream science had rejected outright, and in so doing inspired others to employ a similarly Fortean approach in their own writings. This collection draws together scholars who have taken a Fortean approach to the study of religion, itself a category filled with a wide range of weird and anomalous accounts: from miracles, encounters with supernatural beings, and self-mortification, to stigmata, spirit possession and mystical experience.
Some possible themes:
Submissions of abstracts on areas related to the following would be greatly appreciated:
* Fortean approaches to religion.
* The paranormal in the context of religion and religious studies.
* Explorations of implications of Fortean/paranormal phenomena for the study of religion
* Relating Fortean concepts to theory, theology, etc.
* Examinations of the relevance of other Fortean writers, e.g. John Keel, John Michell, Colin Wilson, Robert Anton Wilson, Jacques Vallee, etc. to the study of religion.
* Intermediatism
* Extraordinary religious phenomena (stigmata, spirit possession, magic, shamanism, visions, altered states of consciousness etc.)
These are just a few ideas, and I would be more than happy to hear other thoughts or suggestions for possible chapters that would fit within the general theme of the book.
If you have any ideas or questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch, I can be contacted via discarnates@googlemail.com
Deadline for Abstract Submissions and Expressions of Interest: June 15th 2015.
The book is currently under consideration by Aporetic Press (https://aporeticpress.
Jack Hunter
PhD Candidate, Dept. Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Bristol.
Co-Editor with Dr. David Luke of 'Talking With the Spirits: Ethnographies from Between the Worlds'
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
20 Books to get started in alchemical studies
Q: Is there like one book on alchemy I can read to get an overview of the subject?
A: Yes and no. There are a few great surveys and introductory books, but the field is too vast and the interpretations too varied to fit in just one.
Here are 20 important books that survey different aspects of the topic, from physical chemistry to armchair theory and practical esotericism.
I'm ranking these books roughly in order of how early in your course of study I'd recommend reading them.
1. Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy. Magisterial survey from one of the leading scholars in the field. Check out his Teaching Company lectures on the History of Science, which include a few lectures focusing on alchemy in Islam, Medieval and Early Modern Europe.
2. William R. Newman, Promethean Ambitions. This is a great introduction to some of the key themes of alchemy as it relates to key concerns in science. Fans of the homonculus will especially dig it. See also Newman's many articles, or watch him in various videos like the History Channel alchemy program and "Newton's Dark Secrets".
3. Alexander Roob, The Hermetic Museum. Fine production by the great artbook publisher Taschen of alchemical emblems and their influences in mysticism and art.
4. Stanislaus Klossowski de Rola, The Golden Game. The author, who if I've heard right is a Count of some kind, goes by the nickname "Stash" and had a special relationship with The Rolling Stones. Here he demonstrates his esoteric erudition, collecting black and white prints of the Seventeenth century, when a decidedly mystical and mythological dimension was added to the already complex symbolism of alchemical textmakers.
5. Bruce Moran, Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution. Great introduction to the philosophical issues that plaed out in debates over alchemy, chemistry, and medicine during the early history of the scientific revolution.
6. Stanton J. Linden, The Alchemy Reader. Introductory anthology of texts in translation, perfect for students in presenting a survey of short texts introduced with historical and literary contexts.
7. Pamela Smith, The Business of Alchemy. Pioneering exploration of the place of alchemists in society through social and economic modes of history. See also her gargantuan "Body of the Artisan."
8. Tara Nummedal, Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire. Exciting demonstration of the use of historical sources like trial records and contracts as well as the usual alchemical texts, opens a lot of doors in the "history from below" of artisans and merchants as they interacted with alchemists.
9. Lyndy Abraham, A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery. This was my first book on alchemy, lent to me by my Shakespeare professor Richard Levin. I'd like it better if there was more explicit citation of the traditions she's summarizing, but it's the best place to look for explanations of the basic themes, symbols, and ideas of alchemy.
10. Rafael Patai, The Jewish Alchemists. Deep survey of the roles that alchemy has played in Judaism, including the magical associations it had for a maverick kabbalist from the circle of Luria, and context on the enigmatic letter-number symbolism of the text Aesch Mezareph.
11. Peter Forshaw, Essays on Academia.edu. Forshaw's important essays are breaking a great deal of ground in the study of Khunrath, who is critical for the understanding of "Spiritual Alchemy" in that era. We look forward to his book, supposedly coming soon, but for now we have a book worth of essays illuminating various aspects and contexts of early modern alchemy.
12. C.G. Jung, Alchemy and Psychology. Classic study of the psychology of Christian esoteric or spiritual alchemy, although not so much as a guide to the history of science dimensions. He wrote some other books on Alchemy but I won't get into that rabbit hole here.
13. Stanislaus Klossowski de Rola, Alchemy: The Secret Art. Survey of alchemical imagery and spirituality imbued with the spirit of 60s occultism. Very suggestive and good introduction to the art.
14. Adam McLean, The Alchemical Mandala. Exploration of the emblems as meditation guides, this is an interesting interpretation of the visual art of alchemy, which has certainly been used by mystics to do visionary work for centuries, this is less reliable as a historical study but very suggestive especially if you're interested in the art side of alchemy. See also his Alchemy Website, a dynamite resource.
15. Arthurian Myths and Alchemy. Another angle on the history of alchemical imagery, an exploration of the role alchemy played in a royal court that looks at at royal propaganda and representation and the context of the alchemical interests of the king's advisors--including George Ripley!
16. Adam McLean, Splendor Solis. One of the most beautiful texts of alchemy, worth studying deeply and deserving of a more comprehensive study (but this is a nice start). See also his Commentary on the Mutus Liber.
17. William R. Newman and Anthony Grafton. Secrets of Nature: Alchemy and Astrology in Early Modern Europe. Vital essays on the links that Renaissance authors found between alchemy and astrology as legitimate modes of exploring natural philosophy, essential for understanding how early modern mentalities really worked--in order to clear up myths about the birth of science.
18. Barbara Obrist, Les debuts de l'imagerie alchimique: XIVe-XVe siecles. Pioneering work on alchemical imagery by a leading scholar. If you can't read French there is an essay in English by Obrist available online.
19. The Quest for the Phoenix: Spiritual Alchemy and Rosicrucianism in the Work of Michael Maier. Valuable historical researches into the biography and thinking of Michael Maier that is unfortunately marred by some historiographical polemic that misunderstand the positions of scholars like Newman and Principe, this book is still very useful for students of spiritual alchemy and its 17th century emblems.
20. Allen Debus, The Chemical Philosophy: Paraclesian Science and Medicine. Pioneering and magisterial study of the role that alchemy played in the history of medicine, by the late dean of alchemical studies. Debus is a towering figure who has opened up the field of Paracelsianism to English-language scholars. See also his Man and Nature in the Renaissance, a fantastic survey of Renaissance history of science topics for students.
A: Yes and no. There are a few great surveys and introductory books, but the field is too vast and the interpretations too varied to fit in just one.
Here are 20 important books that survey different aspects of the topic, from physical chemistry to armchair theory and practical esotericism.
I'm ranking these books roughly in order of how early in your course of study I'd recommend reading them.
1. Lawrence Principe, The Secrets of Alchemy. Magisterial survey from one of the leading scholars in the field. Check out his Teaching Company lectures on the History of Science, which include a few lectures focusing on alchemy in Islam, Medieval and Early Modern Europe.
2. William R. Newman, Promethean Ambitions. This is a great introduction to some of the key themes of alchemy as it relates to key concerns in science. Fans of the homonculus will especially dig it. See also Newman's many articles, or watch him in various videos like the History Channel alchemy program and "Newton's Dark Secrets".
3. Alexander Roob, The Hermetic Museum. Fine production by the great artbook publisher Taschen of alchemical emblems and their influences in mysticism and art.
4. Stanislaus Klossowski de Rola, The Golden Game. The author, who if I've heard right is a Count of some kind, goes by the nickname "Stash" and had a special relationship with The Rolling Stones. Here he demonstrates his esoteric erudition, collecting black and white prints of the Seventeenth century, when a decidedly mystical and mythological dimension was added to the already complex symbolism of alchemical textmakers.
5. Bruce Moran, Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution. Great introduction to the philosophical issues that plaed out in debates over alchemy, chemistry, and medicine during the early history of the scientific revolution.
6. Stanton J. Linden, The Alchemy Reader. Introductory anthology of texts in translation, perfect for students in presenting a survey of short texts introduced with historical and literary contexts.
7. Pamela Smith, The Business of Alchemy. Pioneering exploration of the place of alchemists in society through social and economic modes of history. See also her gargantuan "Body of the Artisan."
8. Tara Nummedal, Alchemy and Authority in the Holy Roman Empire. Exciting demonstration of the use of historical sources like trial records and contracts as well as the usual alchemical texts, opens a lot of doors in the "history from below" of artisans and merchants as they interacted with alchemists.
9. Lyndy Abraham, A Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery. This was my first book on alchemy, lent to me by my Shakespeare professor Richard Levin. I'd like it better if there was more explicit citation of the traditions she's summarizing, but it's the best place to look for explanations of the basic themes, symbols, and ideas of alchemy.
10. Rafael Patai, The Jewish Alchemists. Deep survey of the roles that alchemy has played in Judaism, including the magical associations it had for a maverick kabbalist from the circle of Luria, and context on the enigmatic letter-number symbolism of the text Aesch Mezareph.
11. Peter Forshaw, Essays on Academia.edu. Forshaw's important essays are breaking a great deal of ground in the study of Khunrath, who is critical for the understanding of "Spiritual Alchemy" in that era. We look forward to his book, supposedly coming soon, but for now we have a book worth of essays illuminating various aspects and contexts of early modern alchemy.
12. C.G. Jung, Alchemy and Psychology. Classic study of the psychology of Christian esoteric or spiritual alchemy, although not so much as a guide to the history of science dimensions. He wrote some other books on Alchemy but I won't get into that rabbit hole here.
13. Stanislaus Klossowski de Rola, Alchemy: The Secret Art. Survey of alchemical imagery and spirituality imbued with the spirit of 60s occultism. Very suggestive and good introduction to the art.
14. Adam McLean, The Alchemical Mandala. Exploration of the emblems as meditation guides, this is an interesting interpretation of the visual art of alchemy, which has certainly been used by mystics to do visionary work for centuries, this is less reliable as a historical study but very suggestive especially if you're interested in the art side of alchemy. See also his Alchemy Website, a dynamite resource.
15. Arthurian Myths and Alchemy. Another angle on the history of alchemical imagery, an exploration of the role alchemy played in a royal court that looks at at royal propaganda and representation and the context of the alchemical interests of the king's advisors--including George Ripley!
16. Adam McLean, Splendor Solis. One of the most beautiful texts of alchemy, worth studying deeply and deserving of a more comprehensive study (but this is a nice start). See also his Commentary on the Mutus Liber.
17. William R. Newman and Anthony Grafton. Secrets of Nature: Alchemy and Astrology in Early Modern Europe. Vital essays on the links that Renaissance authors found between alchemy and astrology as legitimate modes of exploring natural philosophy, essential for understanding how early modern mentalities really worked--in order to clear up myths about the birth of science.
18. Barbara Obrist, Les debuts de l'imagerie alchimique: XIVe-XVe siecles. Pioneering work on alchemical imagery by a leading scholar. If you can't read French there is an essay in English by Obrist available online.
19. The Quest for the Phoenix: Spiritual Alchemy and Rosicrucianism in the Work of Michael Maier. Valuable historical researches into the biography and thinking of Michael Maier that is unfortunately marred by some historiographical polemic that misunderstand the positions of scholars like Newman and Principe, this book is still very useful for students of spiritual alchemy and its 17th century emblems.
20. Allen Debus, The Chemical Philosophy: Paraclesian Science and Medicine. Pioneering and magisterial study of the role that alchemy played in the history of medicine, by the late dean of alchemical studies. Debus is a towering figure who has opened up the field of Paracelsianism to English-language scholars. See also his Man and Nature in the Renaissance, a fantastic survey of Renaissance history of science topics for students.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
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