Darkly Splendid Abodes

When tales tap into the subconscious, their themes can transcend the arbitrary boundaries set by the rational mind. We’ll see how Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ maps against the critical stages of Thelemic...

Edward Mason has been a regular guest on Darkly Splendid Abodes going back to our very first episode. But just who is this fellow with the English accent, who evidently lives in Mexico and yet has apparent magical ties...

The Wake World, or Liber 95 (XCV), is included as the first part of Aleister Crowley’s book “Konx Om Pax.” Originally written as a bedtime story for his daughter, Lola Zaza, it is an allegory for the initiatory ascent...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

‘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...

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...

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...

Jeremy Crow is a longtime proponent and practitioner of Luciferianism, and his Novus Ordo Luciferi and Flambeau Noir initiatives have helped promote the Lightbearer ethos internationally. We’ll chat about Jeremy’s...

When tales tap into the subconscious, their themes can transcend the arbitrary boundaries set by the rational mind. Michael and I will delve into the lore of Twin Peaks, and see if we can read a Thelemic fable into the...