You now have the ability to order my new book, “Conjuring Demons for Pleasure and Profit” in paperback direct from the Publisher’s website. Thoth Publications promise to be able to ship worldwide – especially useful if you find Amazon or Barnes & Noble don’t deliver to your particular country!
The first organisation to be called the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn opened in 1888 as an initiatory society dedicated to the study and practice of Ritual Magic, the Qabalah, Hermeticism, Astrology, Tarot and Alchemy. It was founded by people who wanted to have something like Theosophy, but rooted in the Western Mystery Tradition.
The original order ceased operating under that name in 1903, but continued in various forms until the late sixties or seventies.
However, in the late seventies / early eighties there was a move to revive the Golden Dawn, mainly thanks to the influence of Israel Regardie, and temples originating from that period still exist to this day.
(a2a) There are several strategies which I would use: I suggest you learn all of them so that you can choose which is most appropriate when the need arises. You can:
Form a protective barrier around yourself;
Bind the spirit within something which acts as a “spirit trap”;
Go “invisible” – so that they completely ignore you;
Command their respect by invoking a superior power which they recognise;
Call upon a Spirit guide to protect you and deal with them on your behalf;
Ask them to leave of their own accord;
Forcibly banish them if they don’t leave peacefully.
You could try to burn them, but if you did succeed, it would probably only prove that you’re not on the astral plane at all, but rather still inside your mind.
Always try to find out why the spirit is behaving the way it is, before you get heavy-handed. I did hear about one incident where some witches claimed they were attacked by an evil entity – except that it turned out they had trespassed on a sacred site, and the entity was a perfectly reasonable guardian spirit just doing its job. The correct approach would have been for the witches to withdraw from the confrontation themselves.
But by far the best advice I could give is to prepare for astral projection by practicing this lot whilst you are still in your physical body. All of these strategies have their analogue in ceremonial magic, for example by calling upon angels or upon your Holy Guardian Angel, or assuming god-forms, or using rituals such as the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram, etc. Practice them now so that you can deploy them at will when you are out of the body.
And always set your intention for what you want to do with your astral projection, and keep this firmly in your mind, before you leave the body: this will make sure you don’t turn up somewhere random and get surprised by something unpleasant.
“Abramelin” was a Jewish magician, living in 14th century Egypt, who conferred the “Sacred Magic” on one “Abraham the Jew” who came from Worms in present day Germany. Abraham the Jew then wrote up the account of his journey as well as the description of the Sacred Magic, which became the grimoire now known as “The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage,” or “Book of Abramelin.”
That at least is the story: note however that neither Abraham the Jew’ nor Abramelin’s historicity have ever been proven independently, with some people believing them to be fictional characters.
I tend to assume that because the Sacred Magic works, it’s not actually necessary to know who Abramelin was, except that someone must have come up with the idea for it in the first place, so I call that mysterious person “Abramelin” all the same.
If you would like a signed copy, or you cannot get it via Amazon or your preferred bookstore, message me via the Contact page: I am willing to sell copies directly.
Here at Castle Sumner, no sooner have I come out with a book (nb: PLUG) in which I, ahem, dissect references to Abramelin in A Dark Song, than I find another reference to it in pop-culture, namely the newest adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire.
When Lestat, Louis, and Claudia corral their victims from a Mardi Gras party into a room during the Season 1 finale where they purport to have hidden their secret, Lestat describes the fictional liquid as being the famed elixir of life which has oft been the goal of alchemists for hundreds of years. However, how he claims to have come into the knowledge of the concoction relates to a tome that he calls “The Book of Abramelin, the Mage.”
As it turns out in this often fantastical take on “Interview With the Vampire,” the book Lestat describes is based on a real piece of occult history. […]
Of course, as with any supposedly magical tome, we obviously can’t confirm or deny whether any of this actually works. Still, as the basis of a simple throwaway line in “Interview With the Vampire,” the writers must be lauded for doing their research and finding an appropriate real-life book to cite for their characters’ supposed magical knowledge — and even one that viewers in the real world can actually read today if they want to.
OK I’m going to skip over the fact that that scene was set in late 1790s America, when Abramelin was not available in English, and the only published edition extent was not called “The Book of Abramelin.” 😉
The question which naturally arises in the mind of an occultist is – could Abramelin be really used for Alchemical purposes? In my new book, Conjuring Demons for Pleasure and Profit, I argue that it can, and indeed I myself have attempted to do so.
My thoughts turned to Alchemy almost immediately after completing the Operation. In its immediate aftermath, I spent a lot of time researching the history of the concept of the “ Holy Guardian Angel,” in the course of which I also researched the etymology of a term bandied about by contemporary occultists, the Augoeides.
Crowley implicitly used this as a synonym for “ obtaining Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.” However, taken literally, the word Augoeides does not refer to an angel or dæmon at all – it means “ dawn-like image ” or “ shining body .” Hence, Augoeides should more properly refer to the Resurrection- or Solar-Body, which is the Philosophical Gold. Or to put it more simply, if one imagines Divine Union as a destination, the Augoeides becomes the car which takes one there, whilst the Holy Guardian Angel adopts the role of the driving instructor who teaches one how to drive it in the first place.
I thought : could I use Abramelin-magick itself to help me realise my Augoeides ? The Book describes the function of the third word square of part IV, chapter 7 as “ to learn all sorts of Alchemical arts from the spirits.” Perhaps this really meant Internal Alchemy ? If so, then in amongst all the word-squares which promised rather worldly, low-magick attainments, I had found one which could provide me with practical help as a Hermetic magician.
Sumner, A (2022) Conjuring Demons for Pleasure and Profit: an Abramelin memoir, Thoth Publications, Leicester, UK – p534
The significance of this is that some continental schools of Alchemy (e.g. Kremmerz et al) allege that it is the realisation of the Solar Body which provides the true key to immortality – by allowing one to exist in a perfected form, free from the ravages endemic to imperfect matter. Or in other words, the Elixir Vitae although not literal, is nevertheless a metaphor for a real Alchemical phenomenon.
To cut a long story short, I did a magical operation in which I deployed word square number three from Book IV, Chapter 7 of the Book of Abramelin, whilst researching all I could about Alchemy, and discovered a powerful method of meditation, similar to Kundalini Yoga, which synthesised the teachings of Sendivogius, Isaac Newton, Paracelsus – and of course, the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistos.
NB: I do not claim to have realised the Solar Body – I claim to aspire to do so. I’m still just a neophyte in that regard.
So in conclusion, to answer Mr Worby, yes, in my opinion it is both plausible and possible. In fact I shall probably make a note to watch this new adaptation when it becomes available on Netflix.
“DURING THE YEAR 2020,the COVID-19 Pandemic affected people across the world in a number of different ways … I personally chose to use the time to carry out a lengthy Magical Ritual to invoke an Angel and subsequently summon and bind all the Demons of Hell.”
In 1996 as a young man, Alex Sumner brought a copy of Mathers’ The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, made most famous by the occultist Aleister Crowley. Alex left it lying on his bookshelf for almost a quarter of a century … until the pandemic lockdown caused him to work from home on full-pay – and enabled him to complete the Abramelin Operation.
IN THIS BOOK YOU WILL DISCOVER: • The magical diary of a magician who performed the Abramelin Operation for six months, right through to its exciting end. • What the Operation is, how it is performed and what to expect from “Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.” • Why most books about Abramelin are full of mistakes, and how you can work out the truth for yourself. • Worked examples of how to make use of the Word Squares to attain fantastic magical effects. And … • Why the Abramelin Operation is actually easier than many people seem to think.
Alex Sumner is a novelist and writer on the occult. In 2009 he wrote his first novel The Magus and has gone on to write six novels in total, several short-stories, and numerous non-fiction articles. This is his first full length, non-fiction book. Alex lives with his fiancée in Essex, England.
“Conjuring Demons for Pleasure and Profit: An Abramelin Memoir” by Alex Sumner.
News today that the UK has gained a vacancy for a new head of Government. Given that this my nation’s hour of need, I, Alex Sumner, have decided to volunteer to take up the role. And not least because my fiancée and I have been looking for a new pad and could do with somewhere in London close to the West End!
During my premiership, I would concentrate on three areas of public policy:
Reform the Ministerial Code
Clearly, breaching the Ministerial Code as it now stands has been as dangerous as being licked by an overly affectionate Labrador. I briefly considered whether all Government Ministers should be obliged to wear a device which gives them a mild electric shock whenever they commit an infringement, just to remind them.
Instead, I have decided to institute a Three Strikes and You’re Out Rule, i.e. in future a…
The United Kingdom is currently going through a great national crisis, and that can mean only one thing: it’s time for Alex Sumner to exercise his Astrology chops once again! Specifically: what do the stars have to say about Liz Truss’ meteoric rise and fall as Prime Minister?
Mary Elizabeth Truss was born on 26th July 1975 in Oxford, England. I could not find birth-time data: however, a 47-year-old woman will not normally be going through transits to her natal planets, so I am willing to bet that her career flushed down the pan the way it did yesterday because Saturn was transitting her MC. On this basis, I have created a Rectified Chart for her with an estimated birth-time of 2.16am, hence:
On first glancing at this chart, I would say that this is not the chart of a woman born to be Prime Minister! Firstly, Saturn and Mercury conjunct in Cancer in the second house suggest that her professional talents would best be applied not making public pronouncements, but instead communicating in a safe, sensible and measured manner: in any event, avoiding saying anything rash or ill-considered.
This is unfortunate, as – assuming my rectification is accurate – with Gemini as her rising sign, she feels naturally inclined to present herself as a great communicator: so having Saturn conjunct the Lord of her Ascendant must be a bit of a downer.
Secondly, the same Saturn/Mercury conjunction is in a “T-formation” with regard to Jupiter in Aries (11th house), and comedy planet Uranus in Libra (5th house). Jupiter indicates her desire to win friends and admirers through some sort of leadership role, whilst Uranus points out a propensity to behaving unconventionally when performing in public. However, the need to speak and act cautiously is a drag on her leadership ambitions, as well as a challenge to her going on the public stage, as it were.
Ironically, Square aspects can inspire an individual to achieve greatness if they are able to solve the conflicts provoked thereby. More specifically, a “T-formation” like this indicates that an individual is likely to experience both Great Success and Great Failure in her life, often coming quickly one after the other – as a transitting planet, when forming an aspect with one natal planet, will inevitably form aspects to a whole load of other planets at the same time.
In conclusion, if I were to analyse Liz Truss’ personality based on this chart, I would summarise it as follows:
You are a warrior and a ringleader, but your emotions are rather extreme. Art is what makes you emotionally happy. You think in a deep way and express your needs and thoughts in an emotional way. You express your energy in an abiding way: you are destructive when you get angry. In love you are helpful, and you seek respect.
Boris Johnson 
Sol Ascendans - The Website of Alex Sumner 
Alex weighs in on the Liz Truss Debacle
The United Kingdom is currently going through a great national crisis, and that can mean only one thing: it’s time for Alex Sumner to exercise his Astrology chops once again! Specifically: what do the stars have to say about Liz Truss’ meteoric rise and fall as Prime Minister?
Mary Elizabeth Truss was born on 26th July 1975 in Oxford, England. I could not find birth-time data: however, a 47-year-old woman will not normally be going through transits to her natal planets, so I am willing to bet that her career flushed down the pan the way it did yesterday because Saturn was transitting her MC. On this basis, I have created a Rectified Chart for her with an estimated birth-time of 2.16am, hence:
On first glancing at this chart, I would say that this is not the chart of a woman born to be Prime Minister! Firstly, Saturn and Mercury conjunct in Cancer in the second house suggest that her professional talents would best be applied not making public pronouncements, but instead communicating in a safe, sensible and measured manner: in any event, avoiding saying anything rash or ill-considered.
This is unfortunate, as – assuming my rectification is accurate – with Gemini as her rising sign, she feels naturally inclined to present herself as a great communicator: so having Saturn conjunct the Lord of her Ascendant must be a bit of a downer.
Secondly, the same Saturn/Mercury conjunction is in a “T-formation” with regard to Jupiter in Aries (11th house), and comedy planet Uranus in Libra (5th house). Jupiter indicates her desire to win friends and admirers through some sort of leadership role, whilst Uranus points out a propensity to behaving unconventionally when performing in public. However, the need to speak and act cautiously is a drag on her leadership ambitions, as well as a challenge to her going on the public stage, as it were.
Ironically, Square aspects can inspire an individual to achieve greatness if they are able to solve the conflicts provoked thereby. More specifically, a “T-formation” like this indicates that an individual is likely to experience both Great Success and Great Failure in her life, often coming quickly one after the other – as a transitting planet, when forming an aspect with one natal planet, will inevitably form aspects to a whole load of other planets at the same time.
In conclusion, if I were to analyse Liz Truss’ personality based on this chart, I would summarise it as follows:
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