In observance of a roughly annual tradition, we revive The Headless One! We’ll discuss the origins of this variously-named ritual and the forms it has taken across traditions and practices. Many of us have gotten amazing results with this one.

My note to you should say: Feel free to treat this as a buffet and read according to your own preference. If you’ve read some of the permutations by Wednesday, it will suffice to furnish a good discussion. Many of us have performed some variant of the ritual, but novices are heartily welcome.

First, take a look at Jake Stratton-Kent’s pamphlet on the ritual, The Headless One. Then look at the translations from the Greek and Demotic magical papyri: from the PGM, “The Stele of Jeu the Hieroglyphist” (pp. 103, PGM V. 96-172) and from the PDM (pp. 232, PDM xiv. 675-694).

The Golden Dawn adapted their own version of the rite, translated as “The Bornless Ritual”, found in The Golden Dawn, pp. 442.

Next we progress to Crowley, who first adapted the ritual as the “Preliminary Invocation of the Goetia”, and later expanded it as Liber Samekh. And finally, a variant of Liber Samekh many of us have celebrated to great effect, Frater Antichristos’ Liber Thagirion.

Wikipedia article on the PGM.

Israel Regardie’s comparative analysis of the versions of the ritual.

From Hans Dieter’s translations, the introductions to the Greek and Demotic papyri found at the beginning of the volume (pp. xlii and lv).

The Stele of Jeu (Rite of the Headless One) as it appears in Stephen Flowers’ Hermetic Magic (pp. 182-184).

Sorcerix Helios Epicene’s own variant, Song of the Headless Bornless One

Soror Hermafetes’ preferred version: in song form and in textual form

This Wednesday, Soror Hermafetes will teach us a method of meditation which seems to have served them very well. I hear we’ll have about an hour of practice, with a bit of discussion afterward. They tell us:

I will be trying to distill the 120 hours of practice that I acquired at the Northfork Vipassana center into a single session. It involves three distinct forms of meditation. Day 1-3 we practiced Anapana or “awareness of breath” in which we spent a total of 36 hours observing our natural state of breathing and the sensations associated with it. This is an important foundation for the other two meditations, Vipassana and Metta Parna, which we will go over in class.

Please read the following: https://www.dhamma.org/en/about/vipassana

And I recommend everyone practice the technique outlined in this video for a minimum of 10 minutes (though longer is better): https://youtu.be/Oh5ii6R6LTM

Apologies for a slightly fatter assignment this time – we read through to the end of The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. That’s chapters 10-13, pp.85-122. We eagerly await your presence.

We continue The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick! Please read chapters 6-9, pp.59-84.

This week, we continue to begin The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick. If you were with us last week, please read chapters 3-6, pages 27-58. If you’re joining us newly, read as much as you can of chapters 1-6, page 1-58.
In either instance, if you find yourself partway through the reading, do come anyhow! You are most heartily invited.

This week, we begin to read a masterwork: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick. What can be said of this brilliant artist that has not already been said? Unto him may there be granted the accomplishment of his Will.

Try to get through the first three chapters – through page 27 in our PDF. If you fall short, come anyhow!

This week, members have suggested a few works of poetry they would like to discuss with the Wizard Council. Read, ponder, and bring forth a few suppositions for us!

Two from the immortal William Butler Yeats: The Second Coming and Byzantium

The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski

TS Eliot’s The Hollow Men

Sometimes a Wild God by Tim Hirons

Little Sleep’s-Head Sprouting Hair in the Moonlight by Galway Kinnell

A Name for All by Hart Crane

Prometheus by Lord Byron

Dormition and Dominion by David Tibet – with the transcribed lyrics on page 404.

Two from H.P. Lovecraft’s The Fungi From Yuggoth: XXXII. Alienation and XXXIII. Harbour Whistles

By Knight of the White Elephant of Burmah William McGonagall: The Tay Bridge Disaster

For the second time and not the last, we’ll be discussing Oscar Wilde’s “The Decay of Lying.” Those who still have comments to offer on the Hermes working will be given a few minutes as well.

Looking forward to conversing with all of you!

This week, a number of us will be working Mark Stavish’s The Liturgy of Hermes, at the suggestion of Frater Ex Nihilo. On Wednesday we will discuss our results, and perhaps take a look at the Additional Prayers and the Appendix.

The text calls for observances to be made 42 days in succession, but our aim is to each try it once before Wednesday. Frater Ex Nihilo called it “one of the most effective rituals I have ever performed.”

Ex Nihilo’s comment:

I have performed this practice hundreds of times and have had all kinds of experiences with it. For completing the ritual singularly, I would create, print, or obtain the ritual implements. At the very least, print a picture of Thoth that resonates with you. If you find resonance with this initiatory practice, I would pursue the 42 day ritual, with full implements when you have the opportunity, it is well worth it. Always remember the best results come without lust for result, and indeed that is when I have had my greatest experiences.
This is an initiatory practice to the chain of Thoth Hermes and Western Hermeticism. May you exceed as a son/daughter/xer of Thoth Hermes and forever be in the chain of magical initiation as you spread your light in the world.

Let every nature of the world receive the utterance of my hymn!

Open, thou Earth! Let every bolt of the Abyss be drawn for me!

Stir not, ye Trees!

I am about to hymn creation’s Lord, both All and One.