ilemanzer

Ταῦτα δὲ ἐγένετο μὲν οὐδέποτε, ἔστι δὲ ἀεί 'These things never happened but always are.' This is how late pagan theologian and theurgist Sallustius (in Peri theon... §.8) thinks we should think about the myths.

Delighted to announce publicly the formation of the Citadel of the Caduceus, a local body of the Astrum Sophiae, here in London. oas-caduceus.org/2024/04/the…

But Dee’s work is also an act of reception, interpretation and *development* of the grimoire tradition – I was glad to hear @DouglasWMiT stress it in that light. More on that here –– xitter.cf/ilemanzer/status/16986…

One of the missing links in the modern reception is surely Robert Turner, who published an edition of the Heptarchia Mystica (i.e. Sloane 3191) in 1983 & whose Order of the Cubic Stone did a lot of Enochian. The book was widely pirated – I first had it in photocopy!

(AIUI they are being transcribed for publication although... apparently not very quickly.)

There’s a set of v cool diaries in the British Library from 17th century group of magicians working from T&FR. Having sat and leafed through them for a couple of weeks, they’re less innovative & virtuosic than Dee but still fascinating. searcharchives.bl.uk/permali…

Expanding on the ‘reception history’ of Dee’s magic: small groups of angel magicians worked from True & Faithful Relation from pretty much immediately after it was published. (Contra some authors, it doesn’t look like at all like a secret manuscript tradition!)

This is a really nice introduction to - and conversation about - Enochian magic. As Douglas jokes, it might be the hardest thing to introduce without visual aids, but they manage it very well. Some thoughts follow 🧵 ––

The latter, at least done effectively, are the rarest in my experience. As the follow-up tweet suggests, initiations in many western esoteric traditions are quite disconnected from major life events. Not a problem in itself, but perhaps a notable absence.

E.g.: initiation as a marker of socio-spiritual transition; initiation as simple conferring of legitimacy within a tradition; as recognition of attainment; as ‘introduction’ to powers; as spark and accelerant for a process of spiritual transformation…

I think this is true, with the caveat that ‘initiation’ is so polyvalent a term in occultism that it would be fairly simple to conjure up legitimate counter-examples.

“They had changed their throats and had the throats of birds.”