Seth the Ombite: Plate 11

Sexual Magick Since Crowley

As is perhaps is well known amongst those here gathered the

OTO claims to have “a secret capable of realizing the world-old
dream of the Brotherhood of Man.”. In general the secret is
sexual magick. But, other than in generalities, no-one has the
complete version of the secret – perhaps such a thing never really
existed. Those early exponents of the secret such as Theodore
Reuse and the OTO, had pretty much stumbled on the ‘secret’
and had some success in its use. Even so, its fairly obvious that
nobody was absolutely sure what the secret was or all of its
applications. In many ways we’re still waiting for the full explana-
tion, and perhaps that’s how it should be – that’s the sexual
secrets remain work in progress. But there are some commonly
agreed definitions:

Using the Masonic style grade system there are five basic catego-
ries or if you like grades:

VIIº = Adorative/Meditative (Sexual) Technique

VIIIº = Autoerotic Sexual Technique

IXº = Heteroerotic Sexual Technique

Xº = Generative Sexual Technique

XIº = Homoerotic Sexual Technique

This conspectus comes from the late Francis X King’s book

‘Secret Rituals of the OTO’ . This book has found it way
onto the OTO’s own index of forbidden books and costs a
packet to buy. At its heart is a special technique of sexual
magick that was revealed to and discovered by Crowley. The
core of the mystery as summarised by, Wilfred Talbot Smith
(1885-1957) as

‘if you want to succeed you have to succeed’.

Mogg Morgan: Plate 12
Smith was defacto leader of Crowley’s American followers, who
in 1930s Hollywood incorporated the “Church of Thelema”—
known to Los Angeles newspaper readers as the “Purple Cult.”
His mentor in Crowley’s AA organisation was G S Jones, Frater
Achad. (Starr: 2003).

The three main overt influences on Crowley sexual theorizing

were

Theodor Reuss

Victor Neuberg

Rose Kelly

Each of these being associated with three magical texts viz:

1. Book of Lies

2. Vision & the Voice,

3. Liber Al Vel Legis

Each of these associated with three different styles of sexual

magick viz:

Magical Cunnilingus

Homoeroticism hence possible subtitle for this talk ‘100 years of

sodomy’

Blood magick

If we look at each of them in turn

 Seth the Ombite: Plate 13
Magical Cunnilingus

(or as some authors would have it cunnilinctus)

Famously Reuss, visited Crowley in 1912 and accused him of

publishing the ‘central secret’ of the IX degree of the OTO.
Indeed two years later, Crowley by his own account did publish it
as chapter 69 of the Book of Lies. There’s a mystery there. (Starr
2003:22)

‘Kaphala 69’ – chapter 69

THE WAY TO SUCCEED – AND THE WAY TO SUCK

EGGS!

COMMENTATORARY

The key to the understanding of this chapter is given in the

number and the title, the former being intelligible to all
nations who employ Arabic figures, the later only to experts
in deciphering English puns.

Reuss founded his new OTO in 1906, a year after the death
of his Karl Kellner, his superior in then magical order. He
obviously felt liberated by the death of his teachers.! In a
letter to David Curwen, quoted by (Starr 2003:22), Crowley
wrote that the ‘the secret as at that time possessed by the
Order was in a very crude and unscientific form and there
was no explanation of the conditions which had to be
brought about to get it to work.’ Indeed the ‘secret’ has been
in development ever since. Indeed it could be said that the
secret passed out of the stewardship of the OTO long
before Crowley’s death. Hence the reliance in 1986, by
members of the caliphate OTO on popular works by
Mogg Morgan: Plate 14
Francis King. Ie why would they need to read King if they
knew it already from internal sources? (Satyr 2002)

Homoeroticism

(XI degree magick was discovered in a homoerotic context but is

not IMO a male only mystery. There has been some discussion
inside the OTO over the years about whether women can really
participate in XI degree mysteries I’m not going to go into that
today other than to state my personal view that the XI is for both
sexes – and that anything else would be to contradict the creative
qualities ascribed to menstrual blood in Liber Al. XI degree may
well be beyond gender or an intersexual mystery. The XI degree
has not really been able to survive within the OTO structure,
Kenneth Grant has pretty much reinterpreted the degree as
another variant on the VIII degree work. Within the so-called
Caliphate, an XI degree project authorized by Grady Mcmurtry
has been disbanded by the new ‘regime’. Judging by Marcello
Motta’s published work, his organization would seem to be still
into it, but its influence on the global occult scene is as yet quite
marginal. Seems like the Caliphate and Typhonian found it too
disruptive a practice and have quietly taken it out at midnight for
burial. It survives best amongst the non-aligned Thelemic major-
ity.

The reconnection with a very ancient magical tradition came

about through the tempestuous, some would say abusive love
affair between Victor Neuberg and Crowley that was played out
over an eight year period in the early part the 20JD century.

It was November 1909, just ten years after the Oscar Wilde
trial, when Victor Neuberg and Crowley made that fateful
walk out into Algeria mountains. They took with them Calls
of the 30 Aethyrs, the famous Enochian text of John Dee,
with the intention of making the calls in the desert. Israel
Regardie, in his introduction to the magical record of this
time, published as The Vision and the Voice," implies that
Crowley had deliberately brought his Enochian notebook
 Seth the Ombite: Plate 15
for the purpose of repeating his earlier experiments. It
could be said that it was at this moment that Crowley and
Neuberg were about to rediscover sexual magick albeit in
its homoerotic guise. They climbed mount Sal’lel Addin in
order to call the fourteenth# Aethyr. It obviously wasn’t that
successful as on their decent Crowley received an instruc-
tion to return to the summit and have another go. They
made a circle of small stones, tracing words of power in the
sand. In the centre they built an altar and placing them-
selves ‘in the sight of the sun’ Neuberg made love to
Crowley. This was a public sacrifice to the god Pan. The
footnote to this passage says that this was by the XI degree
OTO formula. Regardie (1972: 134fn) rather coyly comment-
ing that Crowley ‘constantly sought to glorify and excuse
[IT] at the same time.’

Crowley’s concept of the fully attained adept was that they

be epicene. I suggest a better word might be bisexual, the
magician pursuing the goal of androgyny or fusion of the
sex within.$ This public sacrifice of himself to Pan in the
full light of the sun, marks a turning point. It was in fact
regarded by Crowley as an initiation as Magister Templi
(8=3) in which one has to resolve the dualistic conflict of
the spiritual and the physical. An abyss had been crossed
between both realms, in which all alienation was dissolved.
The old antagonism of Golden Dawn type magick for the
sensual was ditched along with the temperance card.

Soon after that Crowley performed a public act of masturba-

tion with a London follower. This is more than supposed
Crowley exhibitionism. One interpretation of the magical
ordeal of crossing the abyss is this reconciliation of sex and
religion. The command to ‘interpret all events as dealings
of the gods with the soul’ makes sense in terms of viewing
one’s sexuality, whatever its orientation, as a divine at-
tribute. The organs of sexuality should be venerated, much
as the yoni and phallus are worshiped as the most holy
religious symbol by many millions of people.%
Mogg Morgan: Plate 16

Rose Kelley

Crowley’s first wife Rose Kelly was the medium for the
reception of the holy book received one hundred years ago.
Perhaps a controversial statement to some who focus on
Crowley’s statement that he ‘entered the room alone.’ But
examination of all the factors points towards Rose Kelley’s
assistance in the reception of Liber Al. The third chapter
contains instructions for a simple but effective sexual ritual.
In its description of ‘Cakes of Light’ it keys into a very
ancient Egyptian rites that revolves around the magical
techniques of ejaculations/spitting, licking and swallow-
ing.& The following is based on Alex Bennett’s paper Eu-
charist Magick.

Liber Al , Chapter III vs 23-25

23. For perfume mix meal and honey & thick leavings of red
wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and afterward soften &
smooth down with rich fresh blood.

24. The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood
of a child, or droppings from the host of heaven; then of en-
emies; then of the priest or the worshippers; last of some beast,
no matter what.

25. This burn: of this make cakes & eat unto me. This hath also
another use; let it be laid before me, and kept thick with perfumes
of your orison: it shall become full of beetles as it were and
creeping things sacred unto me.

[Digression if time]

Interestingly, the Book of the Law is here pointing to a ritual with

very ancient and significant antecedents. There’s an important
and illuminating Old Testament example:
 Seth the Ombite: Plate 17
Adultery curse from Bible, Number 5: 23-24

“Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them
off into the water of bitterness; and he shall make a woman drink
the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that
brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain.

And the priest shall take the cereal offering of jealously out of
the woman’s hand and shall wave the cereal offering [cakes of
light!!] before the Lord and bring it to the altar; and the priest
shall take a handful of the cereal offering, as its memorial portion
and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall make the woman
drink the water.

And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has
defiled herself and has acted unfaithfully against her husband, the
water that brings the curse shall enter her body and cause bitter
pain, and her body shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and
the woman shall become an execration among her people. But if
the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then, she shall be
free and shall conceive children.’

And this is turn is regarded as being derived from ancient Egyp-

tian body magick. The following example is Ptolemaic but the
divine precedent is the creation of the Egyptian cosmos by
Atum-Re from his own spittle/semen. (for more see my Seth the
Ombite on ‘Hekau’)

‘He put the book [of Thoth] into my hand and I read aloud the
first formula which was written. I enchanted the skies, the earth,
the world of the night, the mountains and the waters: I under-
stood clearly what birds were saying, as well as fish and the four-
footed beasts. Then I read aloud the second formula that was
written, and I saw the sun appear with its escort of gods. I saw
the moon at its rising and all the stars of the sky in their places.

I wanted to absorb these marvellous formulae, and as I did not

know how to write, I had to rely on Nenofer, my brother and my
Mogg Morgan: Plate 18
husband, who was a skilled scribe and a very learned man. He
sent for a piece of papyrus, and on it he carefully copied all the
words that were in the book. Then he moistened the papyrus
with beer and dissolved it all in water. When he was certain that it
had melted, he drank, and in this way contained within himself all
that was in the book. And then he did it all again for me.’ (Divin
1969: 114)

[end digression]

In the blood magick of Liber Al, the blood types are listed in
descending order of strength:

1, Blood of the moon, monthly (menstrual blood);'

2, The fresh blood of a child (placental blood) or droppings from

the host of heaven (semen);

3, Of enemies (blood taken from the veins of anti Thelemites);

4, Of the priest or of the worshippers (blood taken from the

veins, as self sacrifice or from you or other Thelemites);

5, Of some beast, no matter what (blood taken from any animal

whether it be from the veins, menstruation or semen).

These are both used in Tantric or Tankhem ( Egyptian Tantra )

rites and are best done solitarily or with a Sex Magick partner.

Conclusion

Crowley’s sexual magick techniques look even more relevant

 Seth the Ombite: Plate 19
today than they did 100 years ago!

One of the key differences revolves around this issue of safe sex.
The first Thelemites weren’t much concerned with contraception,
in fact they almost certainly believed that contraception might
somehow spoil the elixir or form a barrier to the unimpeded flow
of sexual energy. The results were several unplanned pregnancies,
the burden of which fell largely on the women. These Thelemites
were in no way ‘new men’. In fact I was surprised to learn that
abortion was prohibited amongst members of the OTO, perhaps
an indication of everyone’s, men and women’s, social conserva-
tism (Starr 2003: 287).

Modern thelemites tend, with some notable exceptions, to see a

conflict between normal family life and thelemic magick. Dadaji,
the last guru of a Tantrik Thelemic Order, was known to say
that’s ‘tantriks don’t breed.’

There is the additional problem of sexual transmitted diseases

and of course AIDS. These issues cannot be ignored but they can
be managed for example membership of a coven or circle of
‘swingers’ requires a regular aids/STD test etc etc.

There are few who would really trust these matters entirely to the
gods and the power of magick. Afterall why should we trust the
gods to look after our sexual health?

Thelemic sexual magick has always had a number of techniques

that are safe or where the risk can be significantly reduced. But it
requires imagination – and maybe that’s what is really important
in modern game.

Oral sex – is certainly safer and conforms to the doctrine ‘if you
want to succeed succeed.

Masturbation and mutual masturbation are safe and effective

Anal intercourse is to be followed by fellatio of the passive

Mogg Morgan: Plate 20
partner. An AIDS/STD test may be necessary– and the
starfire elixir can be purified by baking into cakes of light.
But the whole process is as safe as oral sex.

Which is the Thelemic trump card– the making of cakes of light

pretty much makes everything safe and it was a remarkable thing
that section in Liber AL quoted above.

Bondage and fetishism: no surprise that ten years or so ago this

emerged amongst the magical community but has now gone
global. This is also a strong Gnostic technique amongst
gardnerian wiccans. It’s a shame that Gardner purged early wicca
of many of the oral sex techniques he must have known were
common amongst Thelemites (and France Bardon see Richel).

This raises an additional point of sexual position - the wiccan

‘grand rite’ valorises the missionary position. Thelema means
never having to lay back and think of England…. .

well that probably more than enough to get you going. Sexual
magick has changed a lot since Crowley although the original
Thelemic material has proved itself versatile enough to thrive in
modern times.

I hope you all succeed in whatever you do

‘i am a practitioner of life endangering sex-magick down amongst

the old ones. i am also an advocate of long periods of contem-
plative celibacy in preparation for the moment when the invisible
cold flame of sexmagick transforms our physical shells and
through ecstasy an inspired path towards truth is manifest.’

Mary Hedger
 Seth the Ombite: Plate 21

Notes

Crowley, A (1913) The Book of Lies (1980 Weiser paperback)

Starr, Martin P. (2003) THE UNKNOWN GOD: W. T. SMITH

AND THE THELEMITES, Teitan Press, Inc.

Satyr (2002)“The Black Lodge of Santa Cruz” in Biroco, Joe,

Kaos 14 (Supplement).

1 A misprint in one of KG, AC & Hidden God

2 Actually several techniques are implied here – including

mutual conlingus, felatio, intercourse followed by either etc.

3 The constitution of the OTO was actually published in

1912.

4 Crowley, A C (1972) The Vision & the Voice, edited and

explained by Israel Regardie, Sangreal)

5 Lunar number

6 See C4 Secret Intersex, 5-6th April 04. Men’s XY structure

perhaps makes them natural androgynes.

7 A version of this appeared in an article called ‘The Moon

Above the Tower’ by Katon Shual in Nuit Isis magazine circa
1990.

8 Le Satanisme Paris 1896.

Vain Observance
Mogg Morgan: Plate 22
The screen of the choir opens in response to the knocking of a
hand thrust out of a huge mantle. From the folds of it emerge
three books. The wearer of the mantle places them symmetrically
upon the altar in the middle and at each end. The clock strikes
twelve. At the twelfth stroke, the black coped priest extends his
hands in the form of a cross. He stands rigid, silently invoking
the magick powers....... Four o’clock. The flames of the great
candles waver. The celebrant goes back to the sacristry to vest
himself with maniple, stole and chasuble. He covers the chalice
with a black veil, a chalice mixed in reverse, first the water and
then the wine. He takes also a reliquary closed with three seals. It
contains three human heads so old that they might be skulls of
the first sons of Adam (Able, Cain and Seth). Great astrologers,’
mutters the priest, ‘your dust prophesies. The flame of your
hearts still inspires; and the more because you are dust, and your
hearts have gathered the wisdom found beyond the tomb.’ The
priest begins to say the gospel of St John, reversing the sense. He
says instead of “The word was made flesh”, “The flesh was made
word”. The celebrant takes some of the dust from the reliquary
and puts it into the chalice.... “ Be Blessed, breath of death,
blessed a thousand times more than the bread of life, for you
have not been harvested by any human hands nor did any human
creature mill and grind you. It is the evil God alone who took you
to the mill of the sepulchre, so that you should thus become the
bread of revelation.” The celebrant takes the host and mixes it
with more dust from the reliquary. He eats and drinks the bread
and wine. After dragging the cross from the altar, he tears off his
vestments, and tramples them under his naked foot. “ O cross, I
cast you down, in memory of the ancient Master of the Temple,
because you are the instrument of torture of Jesus. I cast you
down because you preach punishment and shame to those who
would emancipate themselves and repudiate slavery. I cast you
down because your reign is finished, and it is no longer necessary
for men to return to darkness and despair. They can arise to find
the spirit of the Mani which is the Holy Ghost.” Looking down
at the torn vestments and at the discarded ornaments, the cel-
ebrant says: “ These ornaments, badges of authority, serve only
to conceal the nakedness which is alone agreeable to our God
 Seth the Ombite: Plate 23
and our Lady. You remind men of the lie of the false apostle
Peter.” There is a long silence, and then the priest again takes up
his incantations. “Life listen; Death speak.” He regards the relics.
“ All powerful dust that from the east came to salute the star,
Jesus of the Mani. First you, Gaspard, who bring riches to relieve
our poverty, give us the wisdom of the future and the precious
gift of our counsel. You, Melchior, proud old man of the long
beard, you who offer incense to humility. You, Balthazar, who are
the closet to us, you who love the ‘Queen of the Sabbat’. Un-
loose the all-powerful passion of my senses, wed me to blind
ecstasy that I shall be inspired, if not by grace, at least by desire.

9 Apparent contradiction here with Liber 4 Ch IV Formula of

Alim – where the power of blood not acknowledged when
compared with semen. (see The Inscrutable Palace)

10 The ‘blind eye of Horus’ and the ‘eye that weeps’ are the
appropriate terms her.

include stuff from ‘thelemic emblems

Mogg Morgan: Plate 24