Two short stories from Ted Chiang this week: Exhalation and Hell is the Absence of God.

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 version of the ritual, but novices are heartily welcome.

First, take a look at Jake Stratton-Kent’s pamphlet, 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 we feel compelled to distribute 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 Betz’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 Song of the Headless Bornless One

A thematic spread for us! Please read:

Apathanatismos: Mithraic Ritual of the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris, from  “Introduction to Magic” by Julius Evola and the UR group, pages 98 – 129. Or review it, if you read it last week.

PGM IV. 475-829, pages 48-54.

The Red Rite by Don Webb, just pages 152 and 157.

Ritual XXVIII: The Ceremony of the Seven Holy Kings

For context on the Mithraic Rites, Soror Cup recommends this brief video.

Persisting in the spirit of Good Books by Bad People, we offer you more selections from “Introduction to Magic” by Julius Evola and the UR group.

Apathanatismos: Mithraic Ritual of the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris 98 – 129

ABRAXAS • Instructions for the “Awareness of Breath” 133-135

EA • The Problem of Immortality 144-151

LEO • Beyond the Threshold of Sleep 152-155

Our organization has long borne the informal motto, “Good Books by Bad People.” In that spirit we’re reading “Introduction to Magic” by Julius Evola and the UR group this week.

Let’s start with:

Preface xvi-xviii, xxxii-xxxiii, xxxvii-xxxviii

Sub Specie Interioritatis p. 8-12

Knowledge of the Waters p. 15-20

Opus Magicum: Concentration and Silence  p. 21-25

The Nature of Initiatic Knowledge p. 26-32

First Steps Toward the Experience of the Subtle Body p.60-63

Bastards of the Gloaming: we have decided to read the remaining bits of AOS’ Ethos – Micrologus, 11-25, Witches’ Sabbath, 153-161, and Mind to Mind and How, 165-173.

Please also begin your own Alphabet of Desire, if you are so willing. I’m going to aim for at least 5 letters myself. See pages 128-129,133-134, and 142-143 for a partial explanation.

AND/OR attempt an Automatic Drawing using the method partially described on pages 141-142.

We continue with Austin Osman Spare’s The Book of Pleasure! Please read pp. 112-149, from “Sigils” through “On Myself.”

Further selections from Austin Osman Spare’s The Book of Pleasure! Please read pp. 73-112, from “The Cloudy Enemies Born of Stagnant Self-Hypnotism” through “Note on the Difference of Magical Obsession (Genius) and Insanity.” If you didn’t catch the earlier sections, please don’t be deterred. These are worth reading on their own.

This week, we return to Austin Osman Spare’s The Book of Pleasure. Please read pp. 32-69—from “Definitions” through “The Death Posture.” Until then, please please yourself.

If the above link doesn’t work, try this one. Scroll down a bit and hit the “PDF” link.

Efi suggested this one a few years ago, and I believe it’s worth reexamining:

Don Webb’s The Seven Faces of Darkness; a text on Setian traditions and practice. We’ll read sections 3 (“Set”), 4 (“Theory”), and 5 (“Practice”) – pages 23-53. In addition, pick a spell or two from the papyri, tablets, or Coptic grimoire and tell us about them. ‘Til then…