Bøger af Tarl Warwick

The Testament of Solomon has stood the test of time and remained one of the seminole occult works of antiquity. Far predating the Lesser Keys and associated works, it dates to between the first and fifth centuries, seemingly basing part of its content on proto-judaean lore and Greek works as well. It contains, as well, an allusion to the concept, simply, "As above, so below"- one of the earlier references to such, if the earlier dating is true. It describes a host of demons encountered by King Solomon during his time spent enslaving the same, for the purposes of the building of the temple at Jerusalem. Attendant to him in his wisdom, the "Queen of the South" (presumably Egyptian) and the land of Arabia, entreating his wisdom and power to rid them of demonic forces. To any who wish to practice later works involving these same demonic entities or associated forces (such as with the Lesser Keys) this remains one of the more valuable pieces of source material; far older and potentially closer to the original story.

This little booklet was penned at the end of the 19th century, and ostensibly involves events mere years later. A work of political satire, it chastises the rise of socialism and populism, inferring their fictional rise here as disastrous and leading to chaos. It is of note here that this work, along with others by Lockwood, appear to prognosticate the current political climate of the United States and West at large- and for an apparent religious Catholic of his era, it is not altogether impossible that Lockwood- wittingly or unwittingly- tapped into some mystic forces. Regardless, it is an interesting little political story from its time and is reflective of some of the social ideologies and movements of the age.

"The Secret Treasures of the Ancient Qabalah" is actually a Theosophical work released by the school at Kratona a century ago. While it alludes to the Qabalah (or Kabbalah) of Judaism it speaks at length on yoga, and speaks of alchemy from what can be loosely deemed a pro-Hermetic backdrop.It is, though, quite well written; an example of an apparent oratory of transcribed lectures by its author, who was prolific in the era.

This work is one of three on yoga by the same author, under his chosen pseudonym, presumed to actually be William Atkinson. It is a fairly detailed description of Raja yoga (or royal yoga) and centers around self awareness, mental focus, and exercises designed to increase both of the same. While a few of the tales here (Houdin is explicitly spoken of) are hyperbolic, the text is, altogether, well written, and was designed for serious students of yoga to understand this particular distinct branch of the same.

"The Realms of the Egyptian Dead" is one of the shorter but more dense and thorough works of its type from the golden era of occult academia. Covering a wide variety of topics such as the use of spells to animate clay figurines, the names and symbolism of some Egyptian gods of note, and other pagan lore, Wiedemann here has crafted a work to stand the test of time. It should be noted that this is functionally an educational text, and contains a fairly extensive and useful bibliography of a few dozen other works including several translated primary sources.

This short booklet was crafted on topics related to self improvement but is not a self help guide. From a general psychological and philosophical perspective, overcoming guilt and fear can be useful beyond passing them by and can be combined with using negativity to drive ambition. This is a positive system for spiritual and emotional development and can be utilized to create, construct, and build up, warding the reader away from anything destructive towards the self or others. It contains anecdotes as well.

The idea of giant men, animals, and other beings is one which has been treated of profusely through the centuries from antiquity to modernity. Henry Wysham Lanier here compiled some of the most notable tales of this kind into one work, adding in the then-modern idea of giants being not only real in the pseudobiblical sense but present even in relatively recent times.From the cyclops of Homeric lore to the giants of the high middle ages, and from the cold lands of Thor and Odin to the Mesoamerican tropics, this work is at once interesting as a fictional tale and useful as a historical one.

Aula Lucis or, the House of Light, is a short but extremely straight-forward description of some alchemical tenets. While it contains the usual asides, veils, and metaphor of other works, some attempt is made to explain it in easily understood terms. Alluding to legal issues in its postscript, and lauding Philalethes, Lully, and others, Aula Lucis is an important manuscript for the practice of alchemy.

"A Treatise on Magical Incantations" is a quasi-historical and christianized work from the 1880s. Supposedly based on the (possibly mythical) Christianus Pazig's work in Latin from over a century prior, it speaks of Homeric mythology, antiquity, the middle ages, and the use of voice and incantation in various serpent cults. It is a dense, if biased work, which generally rebuffs the concept of incantation as relevant, and relegates what is claimed to be relevant generally to the demonic, setting aside only biblical accounts of the use of incantation and praising them as the work of the christian deity.

"Gleanings of a Mystic" is a compilation of short essays on mystic, Rosicrucian topics, from the well known Max Heindel. These were written, apparently, over a span of some time.The subject matter is highly varied- social systems, biology, and straight-up occultism are all mentioned in multiple passages, and Atlantis-heavy references of human mythology abound, along with statements on mortality, reincarnation, and many other things.

Machen's "Thesaurus Incantatus" is a work in two parts; the first is a short metaphoric story (partially in the form of a fantasy work) that describes alchemy in a veiled manner, and the second is a lengthy list of works for sale at the time by the publisher.While the former is the work, technically, itself, the latter is such a good springboard for occultists to begin researching other texts that it almost eclipses the actual alchemical materials which were central to the booklet. The date of manufacture has been inferred due to the use of the date 1888 in one part of the latter segment to seemingly describe the contemporary era.

This work is one of a number of manuscripts crafted towards the end of the 1800s well into the 1920s containing material related to all aspects of the occult; mesmerism, ceremonial magic, the black arts, talismans, and more. What is interesting, here, is that all of the above and more are contained in one work, instead of separately.Speaking of everything from fortune telling to folk healing, the Book of Forbidden Knowledge is perhaps better classed as a modern grimoire than most contemporary works of similar origin; the paper covers of any of a number of competing Victorian and Edwardian era titles.

The Philosophical Merlin is an interesting early British effort at utilizing the fortune teller tradition (a number of 18th century systems of prognostication.) With some such texts claiming a Napoleonic origin, this particular work claims to be able to cast the general nativity of the user. This astrological sign they exist under according to the book supposedly governs their life and allows them to predict what affairs are best to delve into. An altogether dated but fascinating occult system.

This little book is a collection of poetry written by the well known Arthur Edward Waite, of Rider-Waite tarot deck fame. One of the works here takes the form of a play, of sorts, setting and all, entitled "The Hearts Tragedy in Fairyland." Much of the lore here deals with the concept of mortality, overlapping it with the progression of the four seasons. At most times, the poetry is theatrically magical in nature, and quite well written. Waite is also known for compiling older, fairy-related poetic and prose works.

This present book is a grimoire which presents some challenge to classify and describe. Written relatively recently (by the standards of grimoires!) it contains content from a half dozen other works- The Clavicle of Solomon, Black Pullet, and a work by Trithemius, among others. We may best categorize this work as a compiled grimoire, similar to the Petit Albert, or the "Egyptian Secrets" of Albertus Magnus.This work should be distinguished from the older "Grand Grimoire" used to summon Lucifuge Rofocale as this present work is more than half about magical talismans and involves the use of planchettes in a spiritist setting for mediumship. It apparently was used by some sort of occult order or group at some time and listed fourteen distinct degrees one could attain to as well as leaving every other page blank, presumably for note-taking during lectures or courses of some kind.

Michael Maier is one of the foremost names within the corpus of alchemical literature. This short tract, written in the late 17th century, proposes a short story regarding the phoenix as the answer to the riddle of alchemy. Instructing the reader thus through metaphor and veil, Maier hopes to allow those with the wisdom to understand the content to practice this art for spiritual and medicinal purposes. The occult trappings of this work are quite fantastical.

"Vril; the Power of the Coming Race" comes from one of the stranger characters of the 19th century. Bulwer-Lytton's works then would proceed to inform, to varying degrees, many of the occult works and figures of the subsequent five decades, from Blavatsky on through to the now modern era with its UFOs and Antarctic expeditions. As a fictional work, this text is interesting- it is when the work is taken as a veiled reference to reality that we get two entirely different meanings- a symbolic work as Plato's Atlantis writings, on the topic of philosophy, or a reference to actual events as it is (and was) taken by some. Its early science fiction, then-standard fantasy content continues its readability to this very day.

Although written from the perspective of skepticism (and even hostility towards some superstition in a more general sense, ) Alfred Thompson's "Magic and Mystery" is a fine work that at once compiles folklore and details a bit about the history of some pagan and other practices. As a sign of its era, some of the rationalist arguments it employs (especially those of a scientific nature) are themselves arguably now classed more with folklore than the folklore it compiles.With sections as widely varied as folk medicine and homeopathy, to antiquity and the then-modern late 19th century, this is indeed a work of note for the occultist and skeptic alike.

Napoleon's Oraculum is one of the foremost fortune-telling works of its era. Based in part on the system found in the earlier British work "The Philosophical Merlin," it purports to deliver to the reader a system of divination once used by Napoleon Bonaparte himself to govern his conquests. This edition of the work, earlier than other American endeavors at crafting such a system, adds to the Oraculum itself an elaborate series of passages by which playing cards, dice, dominoes, and other means can be used to divine fortunes. Altogether, it is perhaps the finest pre-modern work of its type ever made.

"Phallic Objects" is a late 1800s guide to then-modern anthropological theory and ruminations on the worldwide phallic cult then considered to form the backbone of near antiquity. Reviewing ruins and other structures across Europe, especially in Ireland and Britain, and remains in India and the Americas, it focuses heavily on historical secondary sources. It is one of the many companions to the infamous "Phallism"- an invaluable compilation of historical lore for the academic, occultist, or those interested in literary history.

This interesting compilation of lectures was delivered to a Unitarian and Masonic congregation by the well known Charles Vail; a political, social, and religious figure, also a Mason, among other things.The topics vary from lecture to lecture; the brief history of Freemasonry, the symbols it employs, their meaning, and the older, sometimes pre-Christian traditions intertwined with the same. With plenty of remarks on the Knights Templar and other intriguing topics, Vails' work is one of the best of its kind.

"Vampires and Vampirism" is one of the more interesting works on the subject penned less than two decades after the release of Bram Stoker's "Dracula." More than a treatment of Romanian and similar lore, it speaks of some Asian demons and spirits as well as lore from Russia and other locales.Covering some then-contemporary poetry and literature on the subject as well as treating on ancient cultures and their own inclusion of blood drinking or disembodied ghouls, Wright's work is of great value to the cryptozoologist, occultist, and history buff alike.

This work is quite simply titled- a compilation of various lore coming in the form of stories related by the (in)famous Elliot O'Donnell, related to various cultures as wide reaching as France, Denmark, and Siberia.The concept of lycanthropy here finds a somewhat sympathetic mind- for the material is presented in loose connection with theories about existence popularized by the author- of spirits of various sorts, and of the literal existence of sorcery able to produce werewolves, among other things. This work contains recipes for literally becoming a lycanthrope, all of which are drastically psychoactive.

This work is one of the better creation series entries released over the course of a decade in the early 20th century. The title is vaguely misleading since it does not involve the modern region of Palestine, so much as a study of the extra-biblical influence of Egyptian and Babylonian deities and rites within what would later become Judeochristianity.It is at once a work of linguistics and of basic religious history, with a major discussion of the adaptation of deities and powers by ruling classes and figures through antiquity in all adjacent regions.

Animism is a fascinating concept often studied even into modernity- this particular text sees it as part of a natural spiritual evolution leading, as then-modern westerners held it, to the Christian world.This booklet explores the worship of trees, water, stones, and other inanimate things as well as ancestors and various unseen forces, as part of its cross-cultural review of practice and belief. Various superstitions and folk tales are described from Africa, Asia, and other places- takes which illustrate the point of the work. It should be noted that some anthropological lore here has been displaced by additional and more contemporary evidence.

For those involved with the study of Kabbalah, the Sepher Yetzirah is, along with the Sepher Bahir, one of the key works of note within this genre of mysticism. Involved with both the Hebrew alphabet and numbers systems, it ascribes all major aspects of creation (literally, formation by divine force) to three classes of Hebrew letters, with three numbered classes thereafter; the three mothers, the seven pairs, and the twelve elementals. Further, to this is added the ten Sephiroth and their representations. The work contains what are very likely to be Gnostic elements as well, for the Sephiroth are of nothingness; here too are some alchemical properties and concepts enumerated in antiquity, long before their latter day Renaissance counterparts. Here, then, it is through fire, water, and breath that formation occurs, and the divine breath of god is considered the moderating force which measures and imparts all other existence and nature.

How does society view the use of psychedelics? Is its view to such use sensible, or nonsense? What role did mind altering substances play in the development of religion and culture? "Psychedelic Spirituality" seeks to answer these and other questions, based on the best possible anthropological evidence, along with both ancient and modern spiritual study- with more than a little bit of experimentation. From the failure of the drug war, to the degradation over time of primitive drug cults into modern religion, all psychedelic spirituality must be considered if such questions are to be answered. The role of "drugs" within human circles has not dissipated over time. Rather than regard only ancient people smoking, snorting, eating, or anointing themselves with various substances, this work seeks to view also the modern; for the modern becomes the antiquated, and prohibition never really removed psychedelia from the very forefront of human consciousness. It touches on the philosophical as well as the more tangible aspects of the human condition. Every realm of human understanding has been impacted by such species and substances; politics, sociology, psychology, and most especially, and within the main topic of this book itself; spirituality and religion, which at all times garnered whatever wisdom it had from those in times past who had imbibed most natural substances known to man.

The following book is comprised of a series of lectures dating to the end of the 19th century, on the topic of mediums, spirits, Heaven and Hell, and allied themes.Altogether the work is of great value for those who wish to practice the art of magic- not so much perhaps for the spiritualism element or its various meanderings regarding seances (which came into vogue two whole decades after its own publication!) but for its refutation of Hellfire, its debasement of the dangers of occultism, and its promotion of physical and mental health as precursors to clairvoyance.

"Spiritualism and Necromancy" is a mid 19th century refutation of spiritualism from the specifically fire and brimstone perspective of the Methodist Church at the time. While some of its content is not entirely accurate (or is spiritually debatable) it is an important piece of then-modern lore on demonology.It is the treatment of spirits, especially those of a purportedly evil nature, that most concerns the occultist with such literature; it makes the claim that spiritualist mediums and clairvoyants are sometimes frauds but at other times do communicate with spirits, but not of the dead but rather from Hell itself- literally, devils and demons.

The Seaside Sybil is a New York fortune teller written in the 1880s. The system is simple; slips of paper marked from 1 to 100 are consulted to give a very general fortune of the future, especially related to relationships and marriage. This work, like others, follows directly in the wave of the oracle tradition of fortune telling, which includes both simplistic and complex systems. This specific text also includes a variety of jokes, cartoons, and quack medicine ads.