Tag Archives: book review

January 7, 2026 · 12:00 am

Review: “Teaching System of the Golden and Rosy Cross,” by Bernard Beyer, translated by Ian H Gladwin

“Teaching System of the Golden and Rosy Cross,” by Bernard Beyer, translated by Ian H Gladwin

This is the first major book available in English which goes into detail about the “Golden and Rosy Cross,” the Masonic Rosicrucian Order deriving from Germany in the 18th century. I say “in English” because Bernard Beyer’s original text was first published in German back in 1925: it had remained untranslated – until now. But: who exactly were these Golden Rosicrucians?  

The Gold und Rosenkreuzer (to give them their original German name) emerged in mid‑18th‑century Germany as a secretive esoteric fraternity blending Rosicrucian mysticism, alchemy, and Freemasonry. Although the order formally coalesced in the 1750s, its ideological roots were older: members traced their lineage to the early Rosicrucian manifestos and especially to Samuel Richter’s 1710 alchemical work published under the name Sincerus Renatus, which outlined doctrines later absorbed into the order.

The group was shaped most decisively by Hermann Fictuld, a Freemason and alchemist who reorganized scattered Rosicrucian currents into a structured initiatory system. The order developed a nine‑grade hierarchy, emphasizing spiritual purification, laboratory alchemy, and the quest for the Philosopher’s Stone. Candidates were required to be Master Masons: although as the translator of this edition points out, this was more of a pious aspiration. The rationale of the first, “Junior” degree required that the candidate be conversant with the symbolism of Freemasonry, including the secrets of a Master Mason. However, after the first degree the Order left Freemasonry progressively farther behind. There was no requirement, for example, that one must remain a Mason after having joined, in contrast to certain modern Rosicrucian Societies.

By the 1770s–1780s, the Gold und Rosenkreuzer had spread across Central and Eastern Europe, establishing lodges in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Prague, Poland, Hungary, and Russia. Their influence peaked when Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, sympathetic to Rosicrucian ideals, elevated several members—such as Johann Christoph von Wöllner and Johann Rudolf von Bischoffwerder—to positions of political authority, allowing the order to shape religious and educational policy.

Rivalries with the Bavarian Illuminati, internal secrecy, and political upheavals after Friedrich Wilhelm II’s death in 1797 accelerated the order’s decline. By the early 19th century, the Gold und Rosenkreuzer had fragmented, though their ritual structure later inspired groups such as the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. However: there are rumours that despite the original order’s decline, it did not go completely extinct (e.g. Gustav Meyrinck was alleged to be an initiate), and that the last lineage holder only died as recently as the 1990s.

As regards this book in particular: a lot of this material has been summarised and quoted by commentators before (e.g. Arthur Edward Waite), but this is the first time that the primary sources have been made available to the reading public. So unless you are a Rosicrucian fan-boy who likes to spend their time poring over old manuscripts in the Library & Museum of Freemasonry, you will not have seen a lot of this material before.

Thanks to this current book, it is possible to compare and contrast the Golden and Rosy Cross with its nearest modern analogue, the Societas Rosicruciana In Anglia (SRIA). Both are societies purporting to be Rosicrucian and which require its candidates to be Master Masons. They have similar sounding grade structures:

GradeGolden & Rosy CrossSRIA
1st“Junior”“Zelator”
2nd“Theoreticus”“Theoricus”
3rd“Practicus”“Practicus”
4th“Philosophus”“Philosophus”
5th“Minor”“Adeptus Minor”
6th“Major”“Adeptus Major”
7th“Adeptus Exemptus”“Adeptus Exemptus”
8th“Magister”“Magister”
9th“Magus”“Magus”
10th(no tenth grade)“Adept of Christian Rosenkreutz”[1]

But that is pretty much where the similarities end. In the first grade of the G&RC the candidate is immediately confronted by an initiation ritual which is heavy with Alchemical symbolism. That of the SRIA is more hermetic or qabalistic. In the second grade, the G&RC members literally learn about the Theoretical basis of Alchemy in a teaching environment. In the third grade, Practici must participate in a practical Alchemical working, albeit as students at this stage. From the fourth grade onwards, the candidate, as a condition of advancement, must perform increasingly complex alchemical operations himself: whilst in the final grade – of which there is very little data given – the candidate is implied to undertake Divine Magic.

In contrast, in the SRIA each grade involves a certain amount of ritual drama, but there is very little in the way of practical teaching given. Far from learning and taking part in Alchemy, its members are encouraged to research and write papers on esoteric subjects. In fact, I have heard it said that in the old days one could not be advanced to the next SRIA grade unless one actually had presented such a paper to the Society: if that had been the case, it would at least have made the SRIA if not an Alchemical society, then at least as rigorous as continental Freemasonry. However, by the time I came into contact with it, this had completely fallen by the wayside, and members were routinely advanced to the next grade a year after attaining their previous grade, notwithstanding whether they had made any contribution or even attended at all within the intervening twelve-months.

The book ends by announcing that there will be sequel to this volume entitled “The Golden and Rosy Cross: Ritual, Revelation, and the Legacy of Rosicrucian Alchemy.” I heartily recommend both the current volume and its forthcoming companion to all those interested in this fascinating aspect of Rosicrucian history.

Beyer, B, Gladwin, I H (translator), 2025, “Teaching System of the Golden and Rosy Cross,” Pansophic Press, Dunstable, UK. ISBN 979 8 9993799 0 0

[1] This was not part of the original SRIA structure. It started off simply as a Medal given to senior members of the Society for outstanding service, until the last but one Supreme Magus decided to create a ritual for it.

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January 5, 2026 · 12:00 am

Review: “Spirit Builders: a Free Illuminist approach to the Antient & Primitive Rite of Memphis+Misraïm,” by Palamas.

“Spirit Builders: a Free Illuminist approach to the Antient & Primitive Rite of Memphis+Misraïm,” by Palamas.

Peace profound, my Brethren! Salutations on all points of the triangle, and honour to the order!

During 2025 I had the honour to have conferred on me the 95º of Memphis Misraim, that of Patriarch Grand Conservator. It occurred to me that, seeing as I am now a nominal holder of all the degrees in that rite, it might be a good idea to start learning about them! I had in fact already read widely on such information as was readily available on the subject, mainly books by John Yarker and Robert Ambelain, as well as Matthieu G Ravignat, the latter of which will form the basis of another post on this blog in due course.

Then I came to this book, “Spirit Builders,” which presents a radically different point of view entirely. But first, some exposition:

Memphis Misraim is a masonic rite of ninety seven degrees, although properly speaking it consists of ninety degrees, plus seven administrative degrees tacked on for good measure. Why ninety? Because there are 90º in a Square, and the Square represents the Craft as a whole. Hence, once one has experienced all ninety degrees, one has experienced every permutation of what the Craft is or could be: that is the theory, at any rate.

A special point to note is that unlike male-only masonry, there is heavy emphasis on Alchemy in the rite, and even on Theurgy (i.e. ceremonial magick). Whereas some people have argued that it is implicit in the symbolism of male-only masonry, in Memphis Misraim it is very definitely made explicit. Indeed, if it had not, I doubt I would have been interested in it.

However, in practice, not all of these degrees are worked. Some “Sovereign Sanctuaries” (the Memphis Misraim equivalent of a Grand Lodge) only work as few as ten degrees, not even all of the degrees for which John Yarker published full rituals. The rest of them are conferred in name only, similar to the practice of the Ancient & Accepted Rite of male-only Masonry: and for the same purported reason: if each degree were staged as a full-blown Masonic ritual, it would take many months or indeed years to acquire the whole.

We thus come to the “Free Illuminist” approach, espoused by Tau Palamas, the author of the work currently under consideration. As I understand it, “Free Illuminism” aspires to confer all ninety-seven degrees, in particular the mystic and psychic attributes thereof. Not necessarily all in one go, but certainly sooner than the many years it would take otherwise. In this way each initiate is able to scry into the inner nature of each degree conferred, so that it becomes a step in a path of spiritual development. This the Free Illuminists achieve by stripping out of the ninety-seven degrees of all its Masonic Ritual content.

This ought to come as a delight to esotericists who believe that too much or even any Masonry can spoil the Occult. Hence, instead of a ceremony lasting at least an hour and requiring elaborate preparations, each degree becomes an “empowerment” which can be administered in a matter of minutes, with the “Secrets” of the degree becoming the proving-signs which the initiate can then use to scry into its properties.

The original idea of Free Illuminism derives from Allen Greenfield, who first associated the ninety-seven degrees with ninety-seven acupuncture points on the human body (mostly conforming to the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life), classifying them as Points-Chauds (“Hot points”), which in turn is a concept deriving from Michael Bertiaux. Alas! I used to have Greenfield’s book “The Compleat Rite of Memphis” in which he first set out this schema, but I appear to have lost it the last time I moved house!

Palamas, the current author, has taken the idea of “Free Illuminism” one stage further by developing the idea of “Congregational Illuminism,” i.e. of practicing Free Illuminism within a community of initiates, mostly centred in Georgia, USA, but with other groups practicing across America and indeed the rest of the world.

This book itself contains useful summaries of all ninety seven degrees of the Rite, so from that point of view it becomes a Cliff Notes version of Memphis Misraim (actually useful to me in my own situation). However, it contains much more in addition, detailing the particular rituals of Congregational Illuminism, and describing the Arcana Arcanorum practices, as well as a method of linking the degrees to the 91 parts of the Earth in Enochian Magic. I have to say that in doing so he suggests a method of scrying the Thirty Aethyrs which seems blindingly obvious now I come to think of it, but which would nevertheless avoid all the difficulties – and horrors – which Aleister Crowley encountered in The Vision and The Voice.

I must say that I enjoyed Palamas’ style of writing: anyone who quotes W L Wilmshurst, Israel Regardie, and Chic & Tabby Cicero in the way that he does automatically gets my approval. I also found it instructive to follow up his references to Michael Bertiaux’s writings. Ye gods! The Voudon Gnostic Workbook is completely bonkers!!! However, I enjoyed reading Cosmic Meditation, and found it one of the very best books on the subject.

I have had a chance to compare the newest edition – which my fiancée got me as a Christmas present – with the first edition of the same book, and am pleased to note that Palamas has included new material with this publication, in particular details of an elaborate ritual for the Congregational Illuminists’ version of the 66º, Patriarch Grand Consecrator, which effectively is a theurgical rite of consecration as a Gnostic Bishop. NB: the edition I received was the Standard Edition, a hefty 738 page tome in black and white. There is also a deluxe full-colour version in two volumes, which I believe includes the colour plates originally found in the first edition.

One difficulty arose in my mind as I read this book, which I did not recall seeing resolved in the text, but it was this: the 97 points-chauds are, as I said, associated with acupuncture points on the human body. During each empowerment, the Initiator will touch or press the corresponding point to activate the point-chaud. However, the books states that many of these points are actually in bodily locations which, to put politely, if someone were to administer an empowerment there I would assume that they were proposing marriage to me. Needless to say, I have not received those particular empowerments yet, so I am intrigued as to how they could be feasibly be carried out, to put it lightly.

“Palamas,” 2025, “Spirit Builders: a Free Illuminist approach to the Antient & Primitive Rite of Memphis+Misraïm,” Standard Edition, Fox Lake, Illinois, USA. ISBN: 978-1-94688 1 4-1 6-6

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January 3, 2026 · 12:00 am

Review: “Golden Dawn Rituals: rites and ceremonies for groups and solo magicians,” by Chic Cicero & Sandra Tabatha Cicero.

Golden Dawn Rituals: Rites and Ceremonies for Groups and Solo Magicians, by Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero

In an article I wrote for “The Light Extended” in 2021, I outed myself as the Cancellarius of a Golden Dawn temple.[1] One of my main points consisted of describing the lengths to which I went to find monthly activities for our temple whilst we were on lockdown: by raiding such works as “Garden of Pomegranates,” “Ritual Use of Magical Tools,” “Circles of Power,” and even my own ingenium, to provide new rituals for us to use.

However, in that respect I merely continued the kind of thing I had done before lockdown, and which I did after we had resumed meeting in person. The fact is that our temple meets monthly, but we don’t always have new initiations or grade advancements every month. Hence, what to do in the meantime? Usually this would amount to a teaching session; or some other ritual; or better still, some other ritual which had a teaching element to it. We had long ago rejected the idea of trying to get a new initiate at every meeting no matter what the cost: we had no fears of elitism, as it turned out it only took a very low bar to get rid of 99% of all time-wasters.

“What I could really do with,” I thought to myself, “was some book of rituals which we could put on in our temple – so that I did not have to keep searching for something to do every month. If only such a handy resource existed!”

And then, Chic and Tabatha Cicero came out with this book. This hefty tome comprises over forty rituals, around three-quarters of which are original and previously unpublished, whilst the rest are based closely on rituals from Regardie’s The Golden Dawn but edited and annotated to make them more easily readable. There are rituals here for both the Outer and Inner Order. The Inner Order rituals include a number of compositions based upon the Z2 Magic Of Light Formulae, as well intriguing ways to put the Vault of the Adepti to good use.

The Outer Order Rituals, however, are most unusual: after an opening and closing of the Neophyte Hall, the officers are employed in a manner not following the traditional structure of the Neophyte ceremony. Hence, we get rituals of healing, of celebrating both solstices, and of Samhain, as well as charging talismans, invoking supernatural beings, and contemplating Qabalistic teaching through the power of ritual drama. The overall theme appears to be that of involving the officers and members of the Temple who would otherwise have sat on the sidelines  in a way that would not happen in a normal Neophyte ceremony.

In short I am glad I got this: I foresee that I will be making use of this for some time in the future.

Cicero, C, Cicero, S T, 2005, Golden Dawn Rituals: Rites and Ceremonies for Groups and Solo Magicians, Llewellyn, Woodbury, Minnesota, USA. ISBN 978-0-7387-7926-3

[1] Sumner, A, 2021, “Self Isolation in the Golden Dawn Tradition,” The Light Extended, a journal of the Golden Dawn, volume 3, Kerubim Press, Dublin, Ireland.

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January 1, 2026 · 5:08 pm

Review: “Light In Extension: a history of Bradford’s 1888 Golden Dawn Temple Horus No. 5,” by Melissa Seims.

“Light In Extension: a history of Bradford’s 1888 Golden Dawn Temple Horus no. 5,” by Melissa Seims

Across the skin of the Earth lie certain nodal apertures where power seeps through from dimensions older than humanity’s first stirrings. Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Macchu Picchu, the Pyramids – these are but the more widely whispered of such vortices. Yet there exists another, veiled beneath the soot‑laden skies of West Yorkshire: Bradford, a city whose mundane façades conceal an unsuspected confluence of forces.

In the waning years of the nineteenth century, this unlikely location drew to itself a congregation of Masons, Theosophists, and wanderers of more esoteric lineages – souls attuned to … who knows what? One may speculate that labyrinthine energies coiled beneath the city’s foundations called out to an unusually large number of people, but the fact is that West Yorkshire in general, and Bradford and latterly Leeds in particular, became a centre of esotericism, even remaining so to this day. Their workings, conducted at first in hotel function rooms and latterly in exquisitely decorated purpose-built temples, have remained obscured by time and deliberate silence.

But the veils are thinning, and the chronicle of their hidden labours begins, at last, to uncoil.

In the book, “Light In Extension,” Ms Seims succeeds in pointing out that the history of one particular Golden Dawn temple, in Bradford, cannot be separated from that of the local esoteric scene generally: for the personalities who comprised the former constituted the movers and shakers of the latter. At first this worked to Horus no. 5’s advantage, because this scene provided the Temple with a pool from which to draw initiates. However this also meant that instead of remaining true to the Golden Dawn egregore, Horus’ members allowed the politics of all the other local orders – Masonic and otherwise – to affect it to its detriment.

On the one hand, the Bradford Temple left behind a treasure trove of beautiful Temple equipment and documents, into which Ms Seims has delved thoroughly: she includes many colour photographs of the wonders which this archive (the so-called “Scott Collection”) holds.

On the other however, her research reveals that most of the membership of Horus no. 5 were old fashioned, rather chauvinistic Freemasons who treated their GD temple like just another “Masonic Unit,” and who only admitted a minority of females and non-masons at a sufferance. Moreover, she records at least one major schism in the temple which was caused not by something which occurred within Horus no. 5 but within the local Theosophical Society at the time.

From reading Ms Seim’s description of the Scott Collection, it appears to me that there is a major component missing, as it were. What is evident is a full set of temple equipment to run an outer order Golden Temple. What there is not, however, are any inner order documents or equipment, or any personal inner order papers of any of the members who reached the Adeptus Minor grade. There is, in short, no evidence that anyone in Bradford once having attained the 5=6 grade actually did any other further magical work.

In 1900, when the Golden Dawn schismed, instead of siding with either the London rebels, or following Mathers into the Alpha et Omega, Horus Temple no. 5 chose to do neither, going into “abeyance” – closing down, but without surrendering its warrant as it should have done, and transferring its property to the newly formed (or more accurately, “reponed”) August Order of Light. The story of Horus Temple no 5 is therefore ultimately one of a failed Golden Dawn temple.

Ms Seims’ work, by contrast, is a triumph of scholarship on the subject. It is quite clear that she has gone to great lengths in her research, dissecting the historical evidence like a forensic examiner. In doing so she has come up with a work in the same altitude if not greater as that of R A Gilbert and Ellic Howe.

Seims, M, 2025, “Light In Extension: a history of Bradford’s 1888 Golden Dawn Temple Horus no. 5,” Thoth Publications, Leiceister, UK. ISBN 978-1913660468

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January 25, 2023 · 1:08 pm

Review: “Alois Mailander: A Rosicrucian Remembered,” by Samuel Robinson

At a certain point in the Royal Arch degree, the blindfolded candidate is asked to read something he holds in his hand – which of course he cannot. Instead, he is forced to answer: “For want of Light, I am unable to discover.” Anyone with merest smattering of spiritual understanding will realise that the Light being referred to is Illumination from God, which I interpret as meaning that it is ultimately impossible to understand the true meaning of Holy words without Divine assistance. This in turn further implies that all scripture is in some ways Esoteric, as the true meaning, which comes from God, will always be more than what is written in black and white. How ironic that so many people over the past two thousand years or more – both believers and non-believers – have tried reading the Bible without praying for the benefit of Divine Intuition – or Grace – when doing so. Crowley said “If one were to take the bible seriously one would go mad. But to take the bible seriously, one must be already mad.” No, indeed! Attempting to read it without the benefit of Light would not make you go mad, but with Light, you would become MAD.

But I digress. This book is not about Aleister Crowley, Royal Arch, Freemasonry, or lame jokes in Enochian. Instead, it is the sequel to 44 Letters to Gustav Meyrink, by Alois Mailänder.

As previously noted, the profile of Mailänder (1843 – 1905) has risen in recent years due to the website Pansophers.com, of which the translator of the current work, Samuel Robinson, is the founder. Mailänder apparently had a spiritual awakening in 1877, which led him to become the leader of a group of spiritual seekers known as “The Covenant of the Promise.” Tellingly, the membership comprised mostly German and Austrian members of the Theosophical society, seeking a Rosicrucian path as opposed to the Eastern flavour espoused by Blavatsky.

Mailänder himself avoided publicity: instead, new members came to him by word of mouth, but he only accepted them after he consulted with what is described as his “inner word.” I rather suspect this was meant in the same sense as “Im Anfang war das Wort,” and hence was equivalent to the his Inner Christ. Once accepted, he would give each pupil individual teachings upon which to meditate, and hence ultimately discover their own “inner word.”

The main feature of this particular book, however, is a series of Mailänder’s teachings translated into English for the first time. Of these, the “Soul Teachings” comprise over four hundred cryptic statements with little apparent elucidation, e.g.

301
The first baptism is the attraction of Christ and the Crucifixion. Then we step into the Spirit of Truth.
The second baptism is the reception of the power of spirit through accepting the Lord in the spiritual life.
The third baptism is the conception of the Holy Spirit, which is the work of the spirit.

Robinson (2021) p200.

The above passage has at least three distinct layers of meaning: firstly, the bare meanings of the words themselves; secondly, the context in relation to Mailänder’s teachings in general. Mailänder characterised an individual’s spiritual progress into three stages which he termed “Baptisms.”

However, the third and most important layer is the meaning which the individual intuits after meditation – and the influx of Light from God, rather like the candidate for the Royal Arch degree. In this sense I see the similarity between Mailänder’s approach and that of Jakob Boehme, who noted that there is a barrier to full Divine knowledge which must be overcome, which “is not to be done by thyself, but by the Light and Grace of God received into thy Soul.”

The book also contains “Form Teachings” – to wit, Mailänder believed that certain signs appearing on one’s flesh (e.g. letters) could be interpreted as spiritual messages for the individual.

Overall, this book is essentially a reference work, ideally suited for an English-speaker wishing to investigate Mailänder’s teachings in detail. It is a rather curious read: because it is only newly-translated, it may come as a surprise to English-readers that here was a man for whom Rosicrucianism consisted of privately teaching a small group of followers in his parlour at home – yet after his death his students acclaimed him the greatest authority since Christian Rosenkreutz himself. He has languished in obscurity up to now, what with his wish for anonymity during his lifetime, and the fact that his works were not available, but hopefully that will now change.

Robinson, S (2021) “Alois Mailander: A Rosicrucian Remembered,” Pansophic Press, Oberstdorf, Germany. ISBN 978-0645394603

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July 13, 2021 · 4:18 pm

Review: “The Divinatory Arts” by Papus

The Divinatory Arts by Papus

Papus (Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse, 1865 – 1916), was a leading figure of the French Occult scene at the turn of the 20th century. He authored “Tarot of the Bohemians,” and founded or co-founded the Martinist Order and the Order Kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix. He was also a leading figure in Memphis Misraim and the Gnostic Catholic Church. He was even a member of the OTO, before Crowley got his mits on it.

He was also very briefly a member of the Golden Dawn, i.e. he only ever attended one meeting, and didn’t stay for the whole thing at that.

Despite being the very essence of “Occult,” Papus at one stage went mainstream by penning a series of articles published in Le Figaro, which is now France’s biggest newspaper, although back in 1895 when the articles were written, it had a more populist stance. Still, that would be like if you were to imagine me, Alex Sumner, being employed at a generous salary by The Daily Telegraph to write for it.

Hence, Papus ended up writing about Graphology, Palmistry, Physiognomy, as well as astrology. The content of these articles was necessarily only a brief introduction to the subject matter – understandable as they were intended for publication in a newspaper. This book, is the first time that these articles have been translated into English.

Although this is an interesting reference for someone researching Papus’ life, Papus’ own writing here is far from being the most interesting thing that Papus had ever done, given that he had lived such rich and full life. In that sense, the Translator’s own introduction is actually more interesting from an esoteric point of view. Nevertheless, I did find some merit in reading about palmistry and graphology, which were subjects I had never really touched upon.

I had to laugh at one point at Papus’ blatant chauvinism – he assumes, for example that the only reason a man would study Physiognomy is so that he can dominate any woman irrespective of her temperament. Nevertheless, the book as a whole is a curious piece in the larger jig-saw puzzle of the life of an otherwise great occultist.

The Divinatory Arts by Papus; translated into by “The Three Luminaries” © 2020, ISBN-13: 9798684181795. Available from Amazon.

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May 27, 2021 · 12:16 pm

Review: 44 Letters to Gustav Meyrink, by Alois Mailänder

44 Letters to Gustav Meyrink, by Alois Mailänder.

Gustav Meyrink (1862-1932) is most famous as the writer of The Golem, as well as other occult novels. What is perhaps less well-known is the extent to which he was involved in real-life occultism. That he was in contact with leading Theosophists and other occultists, such as the founders of the Golden Dawn, is almost common knowledge. He was also rumoured to have been involved with organisations even more mysterious, including a branch of the Gold Und Rosenkreuzers, who were supposed to have gone dormant over a century before. The legendary “Meyrink Line” is still spoken of in hushed tones of awe and mystery in the pubs of north London (or at least was before the lockdown).

Fortunately, one occult connection which is now seeing the light of day is that to Alois Mailänder (1843 – 1905), a German mystic who has been much lionized on the website Pansophers.com. Mailänder forbid his disciples from revealing his identity to the public during his lifetime, although Franz Hartmann and Meyrink himself both referred to him anonymously. In any event, those that knew him, praised him enormously, describing him as a “real Rosicrucian.” Apparently, Mailänder’s teachings owed a lot to Jakob Boehme, as well as Boehme’s protegés John Pordage and Jane Leade, as well as J B Kerning, and he managed to gather a large number of students from the German and Austrian occult scene in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As it happened, Meyrink did not get much out of his association with Mailänder at the time: it was only towards the end of his life that he fully acknowledged his appreciation of him.

Anywho – this book: this contains a scholarly introduction to both Mailänder and Meyrink’s life; a helpful epilogue in which the editors further explain the context of Mailänder’s teachings, and how Meyrink viewed him through his writings; and the central section – the book’s USP, as it were – 44 letters which Mailänder wrote to Meyrink, which had been available in German, but are here now translated into English for the first time. In addition there are letters written by the former’s amanuensis and companion to both Meyrink himself and his (ex-)wife.

Ironically – the text of the letters is the least useful part of the whole book! They reveal only a small fragment of Mailänder’s teachings and practices (i.e. he would periodically give each pupil a phrase or mantra upon which to meditate, which he often changed according to how he judged the pupil’s progress). They do however reveal some of his character, that apart from being a spiritual teacher he managed to live a fairly normal life as a family man and a textile worker in Southern Germany.

On the very last page, however, the editors reveal that they are currently at work on a second volume – a translation of “Lectures on the Soul” – a book of Mailänder’s teachings which he gave out to members of his personal circle. This at least would be something to which to look forward.

44 Letters to Gustav Meyrink: English Translation (Writings by and about Alois Mailänder Book 1), by Alois Mailänder. Edited by Erik Dillo-Heidger and Chris Allen. ISBN: 3751997857. Books On Demand, 2021. Available on Amazon.

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December 31, 2020 · 3:35 pm

Review: When Magic Works – edited by Mike Crowson

When Magic Works, edited by Mike Crowson

This is a story of a number of people who are now Adepts, each discovering evidence of the paranormal for the first time, and from that, extrapolating a belief in the reality of Magic. It is a story of the trials and tribulations which initiates go through when progressing through the grades of the outer order. It is a record of the nitty gritty of what is really involved in summoning ones inner resources to put into a Portal thesis, when one attempts to practice Clairvoyance, of astonishing oneself when one succeeds in consecrating a talisman and making it work. It is in short a portrait of everyday life as a member of a magical order, with the qualification that – viewed by an outsider – nothing in this book is in fact “everyday.”

My favourite parts of the book are a guided meditation for Rising on the Planes, intended to demonstrate the work of a typical inner-order member, and which can be utilised as a practical exercise for oneself. Furthermore, there is a curious mention of what happened when a number of initiates used their powers of astral projection to form a side-project of people dealing with occult forces gone bad. I must confess here that I have spoken to the editor who has privately informed me that he deliberately held back on publishing the details of some of the more terrifying incidents in which this group got involved, which is a shame as from the sound of it their exploits would provide inspiration for a score of decent horror movies!

When Magic Works: The Inner Experiences of the Adepts of the UK Temples of the Golden Dawn 2003 – 2018. Edited by Mike Crowson. ISBN 978-1716408069. Available on Amazon and other book stores now.

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August 21, 2020 · 7:08 pm

Review: “Meditations for Every Week,” by Paul Sédir

“Meditations for Every Week,” by Paul Sédir.

At first reading, this appears to be a book of fifty-two meditations which follow a fairly conventional path of Christian devotion. On closer inspection, one notes some curious departures from orthodox Christianity. Why, for example, does the author talk about having past incarnations (Chapter LI, “Insubordination”)? Why does he attach so much importance to St John the Baptist (Chapter V, “The Precursor”)? Why, even do we get this curious comment:

“Esotericism studies, among other problems, the means of producing natural miracles. … We will only have the legitimate right to command Nature when she sees that we are masters of ourselves, when we have followed the school of the Gospel to the end… Before any action, ask the Father for His consent.”
Chapter XXIX, “The Miracles of Jesus.”

Thankfully, one can readily discern the answer in the biographical note, helpfully provided by the translator. Paul Sédir (born Yvon Leloup, 1871) as a young man in his late teens / early twenties became an enthusiastic member of just about every occult society going in Paris in the fin-de-siècle period, falling in with the likes of Papus, Jules Doinel, etc. As such he would have been familiar with Martinism, Gnosticism, the Order Kabbalistique de la Rose Croix and various shades of Rosicrucianism, Egyptian Rite Masonry, etc, etc etc. However in 1897 he met Maitre Phillipe of Lyon, who appears to have had a sobering effect on young Sédir, as he resigned from every order of which he was a member, and devoted the rest of his life to Christian mysticism.

As an aside: Sédir would have been coming up to his first Saturn return when he took the decision to step back from the esoteric societies of which he had been a member, and as such he would naturally felt a desire to re-evaluate his life as he said goodbye to the follies of youth and entered adulthood-proper. Coincidentally, Maitre Phillipe seems to have had a similar effect on Papus himself when the latter first met him: Papus had taken umbrage at Phillipe for some reason, and was about to work some supposedly fearsome black magic on him, when the Maitre “pulled a Plotinus” on him, causing him to drop his magic sword – both literally and metaphorically. Assuming that Maitre Phillipe’s effect on him was similar to that on Sédir, it says a lot about Papus that Martinism was to his former sorcery what Christian Mysticism was to Sédir’s Martinism!

Anywho, the present book – “Meditations for Every Week” – may be summed up as mostly Christian in character, but displaying the vestiges of memories of esotericism – which sums up Sédir’s life-path. From the rather obvious pentacle on the front cover, it appears that the translator intends the book to be most useful to students of Martinism, even though Sédir had resigned from office in Papus’ order. Or in other words: “You can take the man out of Martinism, but you can’t take Martinism out of the man.”

“Meditations for Every Week,” by Paul Sédir. ISBN-13 9798643208631. Available from Amazon.

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March 14, 2020 · 1:09 pm

Review: The Hermetic Science of Transmutation, by Giuliano Kremmerz

The Hermetic Science of Transformation: The Initiatic Path of Natural & Divine Magic, by Giuliano Kremmerz

Giuliano Kremmerz (born Ciro Formisano, 1861; died (at least physically) 1930) was one of the most influential Italian Occultists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His writings have been translated into French and Spanish, but he remained largely unknown amongst Anglophone magicians as they were never translated into English – until now.

Giuliano Kremmerz, 1861 – 1930

“The Hermetic Science of Transformation: The Initiatic Path of Natural & Divine Magic,” was first written by Kremmerz in 1896, apparently in the hope that acquainting Italian readers with the power of the occult would lead to a new Renaissance of the mind. His reaction to the events of the subsequent twenty years betrays his bitterness that this did not happen. Anywho, the main points that Kremmerz makes, as I understand them, may be summarized thus:

  • The goal of the Magician is to Transform oneself into a God. But this is not the “become a living god” rhetoric that has blighted the credibility of modern occultism, for Kremmerz also stresses that the first duty of a magician after acquiring god-like power is to use it for the good of humanity in general, or one’s neighbour in particular.
  • Likewise, Kremmerz stresses continually that only Magicians who are pure in heart and intention can participate in the Divine Magic. Kremmerz’ morality is thus almost Christian in outlook, and he himself professes great admiration for the figure of Christ. But not so much for the Church, which he criticises for having lost the keys to magic, whilst yet clinging to meaningless dogma.
  • The key to this apotheosing is the Transmutation of the Sexual Force. However, far from entailing wild and reckless orgies, this actually entails careful conservation of the sex-force – even to the point where Kremmerz says that only absolute chastity can enable a participation in the Divine Magic. This results in Kremmerz’ sexual alchemy coming across as prudish compared to the smut of later authors such as Crowley, etc.
  • A consequence of actively attempting to make of oneself a God is that the Magician acquires the ability to perform works of Thaumaturgy.

Now that we have an actual work of Kremmerz in our hands, it is interesting to compare it with some of the lurid, and quite frankly disgusting, writings attributed to him which have been circulating on the internet and other places for several years (mostly in Italian), referred to variously as the Dossier Segreti or Corpus Totius Magiae.

In this “Hermetic Science…” book, Kremmerz speaks of his Myriam Fraternity, the aim of which is to perform works of Healing and purification.

Kremmerz does not however mention or even hint at the existence of the “Egyptian Order of Osiris,” which is the subject of the purported Corpus Totius Magiae.

I am reliably informed – by several different people – that the Corpus Totius Magiae is a hoax insofar as it claims to represent Kremmerz’ practices.[1] The present book, “Hermetic Science…” does however give an accurate flavour of the philosophy underpinning the Myriam work, without obviously giving away any of its secret rituals. Reading it myself, the difference in tone between “Hermetic Science…” and the Corpus Totius Magiae becomes one of sharp relief – as if no-one could believe they belong to the same organisation without epitomising the essence of DoubleThink. And yet, the most widely cited academic source, Hans Thomas Hakl in Hidden Eros,[2] seems to conflate Kremmerz’ own writings with the contents of the Corpus Totius Magiae uncritically.

(As an aside, it is within my personal knowledge that at least one Big-Name-Occultist has been duped by some passing salesman of magical charters into buying the Corpus Totius Magiae as The Ultimate Secrets of Magic. What bewildered me was not that he necessarily believed this to be the case, but that he paid good money for a document that had been floating around for free for several years on the internet. The moral of the story is – first learn to speak Italian, before buying something written in Italian).

In short, I would recommend this book purely on the basis that it forms a key link in our understanding the History of continental Occultism, and I look forward to more works by Kremmerz becoming available in English in the future.

Notes

[1] Whether or not the practices described therein are genuine at all, however, is another matter entirely.

[2] Hakl H T, Hanegraaf W J (ed.), Kripal JJ (ed.), 2008, “The Theory and Practice of Sexual Magic, Exemplified byFour Magical Groups in the Early Twentieth Century,” from “Hidden Intercourse: Eros and Sexuality in the History of Western Esotericism,” Brill, Leiden / Boston.

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