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[from Thelema93-L: KEN WARD <WARD@cnc.bc.ca>]

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

I am sure that a number of you have encountered various oddballs,
eccentrics, and just plain nut-cases upon getting involved with
magick.  The magical & mystical arts (and in particular, Thelema)
seem to attract these types like a magnet!  In my own searching
over the past 25 years I have come across more than I care to
think about and I will only mention a few notables for this
posting.

AMADO 777  (BM-Box 77, London WC1V 6XX, England)

In 1976 e.v. I came into contact (just how I can't recall) with
Aleister Crowley's "supposed" illegitimate son and we exchanged
about 4 letters and I ordered his series of books, _Liber Lucis_.

I found his letters truly boring and uninformative, and his books,
a waste of time and money!  If he _is_ the child of A.C., he
certainly didn't inherit his father's writing skills nor does he
have a clue about A.C.'s work or Thelema!  Much of _Liber Lucis_
deals with spiritualism and psychism, something which A.C. was
dead against!

More recently, when I first got "on-line" during the fall of
1994 e.v. with A.O.L., one of the first "newsgroups" I read on
alt.magick was a review of Amado Crowley's _The Secrets of
Aleister Crowley_ by Steve Anthony (STEVE@elan.demon.co.uk)??
I had thought that Amado had crawled back into the woodwork!
Apparently not!  This book apparently claims that Amado is A.C.'s
successor (by intent), that _Liber AL_ was a "red herring" to
distract attention from A.C.'s "real work", etc. etc.  Has anyone
seen this book?

Finally, with regard to Amado 777, I also recently discovered
that he once influenced (rather negatively, I might add) a couple
of reasonably well known writers on magick which I will talk
about in my next posting.

T. CASEY BRENNAN (THE GREAT BEAST 666)

Last known address was at "Xanadu" in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  During
1976 and 1977 e.v. I communicated with this fellow who claimed to
be the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley.  He had all sorts of
"proof" including photos of his shaven head and descriptions of his
666 birthmark (or was it a tattoo?).  The last I heard of him he was
writing comic books.  He even sent me one.  As I recall it wasn't
half bad, but I seem to have misplaced (subconsciously?) both his
comic and his correspondence!

THELEMA KAABA  (P.O.Box 85, King City, Ontario LOG 1K0, Canada)

Out of the blue in 1990 e.v. I received pages & pages of material
from a Frater Archon of Thelema Kaaba ranting and raving about
how a psychic from California saw him as the sole authority on
Thelema and that all Thelemites and Thelemic orders should rally
around him!  He _is_ the next prophet mentioned in _Liber AL_
(actually I think he implied that he was the reincarnation of A.C.
as well!)  He also _literally_ forbids the study of _Liber AL_ and
recommends the study of the writings of Robert Masters and Jean
Houston.  Now, I don't have anything against these two authors
but after browsing through some of their books I don't feel they
have a lot to add to Thelema.

Anyway, I wrote a couple of brief letters to Fra. Archon asking
for clarification and identification of himself.  Each time I
would receive back pages & pages of rhetoric (the pulp & paper
industry must love him!) but he would never identify himself!
I have suspicions that he may be Alexander Duncan, a fellow I
wrote to for a while back in the 70's but he would neither
confirm or deny it.

TEMPLO ORDINIS TEITANAS (Box 639, New Boston, Michigan 48164)

In 1993 e.v. I made the mistake of responding to an ad in a
magazine about a new Thelemic order, T.O.T. (O.T.O. inside out?)
Again, I received volumes of paper (not quite as much as Thelema
Kaaba though) claiming ties to Frater Achad and James M. Martin,
as well as being the next prophet of _Liber AL_.  This time it
was a Frater Hemaphroditus Alpha Xo.  Among the various rites
and practices sent to me was the T.O.T.'s main practice.....
the worship of the image of the head of Aleister Crowley!  Come
on now!

Finally, my last entry here for "Thelemic Odds & Sods" is a very
recent contact and is almost an afterthought so-to-speak, but I
felt it warranted mentioning.

DAVID BERSSON (FRATER SPHINX, S.O.T.O., FRATER SUPERIOR OF THE
                                                  WHOLE WORLD!)

         (c/o Clerk-House, P.O. Box 3164, Dana Point, CA 92629)

About a month ago I ordered _Gold Coins_ or _The Golden Coins of
The Master: A Commentary of the Book of the Law_ by Fra. Sphinx.
I didn't get my usual "barred for life" response (see my O.T.O.
posting) but maybe it was because I had sent money or perhaps
they actually have forgotten?  I received the book about a week
ago.  In my opinion, it is pure trash of the worst kind!  This
guy not only misrepresents Thelema but he also does disservice
to his so-called mentor, the late Marcello Motta!

One of the big things in _Gold Coins_ is the construction of
actual ritual wands designed from the images of A.C.'s hand-
writing in the ms of _Liber AL_.  For example, there is an
ABRAHADABRA wand formed in the shape of how A.C. wrote it in
_Liber AL_, etc. etc.  Bersson gives a "Sacred Ritual of the
Bull Sacrifice" taking Ch.3, V12 literally!  Also, his comments
on Ch.3, V55 imply that any woman that won't "fuck" him are to
be cursed!  Really?  I have read some wierd shit in my day but
this is right up there!

Love is the law, love under will.

O.v.N.