Sorry, i don't really think I've got the hang of this blog thing. I know it's supposed to be short, frequent posts, rather than a few long ones. I'll try to do better when I return to my office in the NY.
I've QUITE enjoyed being published - I mean this in the English-English sense, not the American. I enjoyed the last big radio thing I did, the Steve Wright Show on Radio 2, because he was great, very friendly and I knew it wasn't live. They cut out all the ums and errs and made me sound on the ball for once. A neighbour told me Steve W said the next day they'd had an unprecedented number of queries and gave out the book's details again, which is good - but I'm glad to be going back to being a 'back room boy'.
Hey Mark, my name is Alishia and I had a Question on chapter 19 "FOOLS FOR LOVE" page 282 there is an illustration from the Hypnerotomachia where it says you “catch an echo of the translation from vegetable to animal.” When I was a little girl, I had a nightmare that i never forgot growing up; the illustration reminded me of the nightmare. I was being chased or the notion I was being chased in a forest, the trees were dancing in circles swinging their branches but stayed stationary. when the trees would circle once, they became human, then circled again and their flesh was peeling off, then danced again in another circle and they became skeleton just to repeat again and became trees again, then as being as young as I was, I still can’t recall how old I was, But seeing this illustration of “vegetable to animal life” I was wondering the meaning of it? I also didn’t go into detail of the dream but I was very curious about this.
Posted by: Alishia Handy | March 31, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Hey Mark, my name is Alishia and I had a Question on chapter 19 "FOOLS FOR LOVE" page 282 in the book THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE WORLD, there is an illustration from the Hypnerotomachia where it says you “catch an echo of the translation from vegetable to animal.” When I was a little girl, I had a nightmare that i never forgot growing up; the illustration reminded me of the nightmare. I was being chased or the notion I was being chased in a forest, the trees were dancing in circles swinging their branches but stayed stationary. when the trees would circle once, they became human, then circled again and their flesh was peeling off, then danced again in another circle and they became skeleton just to repeat again and became trees again, then as being as young as I was, I still can’t recall how old I was, But seeing this illustration of “vegetable to animal life” I was wondering the meaning of it? I also didn’t go into detail of the dream but I was very curious about this.
Posted by: Alishia Handy | March 31, 2011 at 10:26 PM
I've just picked up a copy of your book and am enjoying it immensely as a cliff-notes romp thru this attempt at a comprehensive prehistorical mythological view. I've just gotten thru the Isis / Osiris / Nepthys section, and I do have to say so far your connect-the-dot methods are lovely and fun (and I enjoyed playing find the goat in the front illustration!), but I am suspecting, so far, the discussion is helpful but _not_ comprehensive. That the Occult remains, as intended, quite hidden, while giving the general public something juicy to chew on. The Goddess remains ever in the spaces-between (and really... Isis / Nepthys did everything, while Osiris just LAID there... - the active-feminine principle which was just glossed over in your book. yech, haven't we gotten over a male-worldview yet??). Hopefully your work will inspire additional study.
Posted by: Kat | May 11, 2011 at 03:06 PM
Mark hi, I have read and re-read and re-read your book again, the first thing I would like to say is, CONGRATULATIONS. It is not so much what you say, which in itself is deeply esoteric, but the WAY you say these things. Your language changes the way we 'feel' things. Our world and everything in it. I am a woman, a freemason, a writer and researcher of some thirty five years. I have also worked as a shamaness and have known for many years, that the spirits, angels, come through us as thoughts. I am experiencing the world very differently since reading your book. I feel we need to engage with our world and the spirits for whatever we refuse to engage with comes back to us as our destiny. With heartfelt thanks, Lianna from Byron Bay Australia.
Posted by: Lindi Atkinson | July 08, 2011 at 03:18 AM
Hi Mr Booth, I've enjoyed your book and respect your writings and research, so I want to ask of your opinion of thelema and Crowley, and the AA out of London. I have formed my own conclusions, perhaps in ignorance or not, from my own wee research and experience, but I am no expert! Kindest regards, Jasi
Posted by: Jasi | July 11, 2011 at 02:13 PM
If I may interject Jasi, I would suspect that I could offer a good opinion on Crowley as a student of his work for some years now!
Firstly I hope that you are enjoying your research into one of the most enigmatic figures of the mystical scene. I also trust that you have divested yourself of any of the nonsense hear-say that one would find by paying any notice to people who have merely skim-read his wiki article and formulated a half-arse bigoted opinion instead of actually sitting down and reading his works.
To this end I would recommend heading some advice: firstly to steer-clear of sourcing information on Crowley outside of Crowley's work itself, since such a subjective figure is prone to people tarnishing him with dishonest brushes to further dishonest agendas. Secondly to keep an open mind when approaching him. Case and point would be his most infamous signature; 666. A short glance at it from the get-go could well turn people off, but he took 666 unto himself after deriving its Kabbalistic Properties and the relevance to Adam.
In terms of books I would thoroughly recommended reading his "autohagography" The Spirit of Solitude to begin with.
http://hermetic.com/crowley/confessions/
Everything about his life is there for all to see and the fact of the matter is that it is the one and only true source; who else, after all, could one depend on for the facts apart from the word of the great man himself?
Secondly I would suggest investing in a copy of Magick Without Tears. It is a clear and charming guide to the esoteric; it is the meat whereas the secret history is the skeleton!
Thirdly, invest in a copy of Magick in Theory in Practise.
With the above however I insist on laying down the following caveats for your own good:
1. Much like a very good Opera, Crowley's work is a slow building genius that needs to be undertaken with the honest expectation of letting your understanding of it grow from the beginning. It is imperative that one completely throws off the opinions given to one over the years that are shaky and just take the words and ideas set down as if he himself was writing to you. Crowley has shown himself to me through much research to be a genuine genius of unparallel proportions who is vindicated more so as your knowledge (in the True Sense) grows. Think of your understanding of him not so much as a destination but as an organic process that is constantly undergoing re-evaluation in proportion to your other progress. Frequently you will only understand certain things after piecing the groundwork together months after. Do not lose Heart and do not be shocked.
3. Steer clear of joining any associations until you have A. Utterly analysed your motives (for your own peace of mind as well as to avoid any financial or other commitments; decide in haste and you'll repent at leisure!) and B. finally achieved a sense of Peace in his work. If you can reach the stage whereby what he is saying starts to click into your everyday life you know that you have arrived; your course will then reveal itself to you and if you are ready they will know.
And finally enjoy it - as I've said before, Crowley has been an unparallel joy to me over the years and has proved himself a most worthy guide; his knowledge is sincere and his sense of humour is as sharp and relevant as it is subversive and memorable. I am grateful for my association with a certain secret society in allowing me to actually study from actual pieces of his work such as original hand-written letters and rituals; here's hoping that you will find a way.
P.S: Enjoy his sense of humour; much like John Lennon it is genius wit with a shocking after-taste: no wonder they put him on the cover of Sgt Pepper's!
Good Luck.
Posted by: RAM | July 12, 2011 at 07:44 PM
Thank you RAM for your response. All what you said I could relate to in one way or another; everything was spot-on to what I needed.
Also I am curious about the meaning of RAM as I have seen it before and wonder if it is the same...
Thanks again for your direction. Cheers, Jasi
Posted by: Jasi | July 16, 2011 at 01:51 AM
Royal Arch Mason! Mst synchonistic since a certain "fab" musician and his former band knew the right import of Crowley...
Pleasure to be of service. Please let me know if you think of anything else.
Posted by: RAM | July 18, 2011 at 09:14 PM