Path: shell.portal.com!shell.portal.com!not-for-mail From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (mordred) Newsgroups: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.magick.order Subject: KWard: AC Clones (Reflection) Followup-To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick.order Date: 25 Jun 1995 12:44:11 -0700 Organization: Portal Communications (shell) Lines: 116 Sender: tyagi@shell.portal.com Message-ID: <3skeab$1bb@jobe.shell.portal.com> Reply-To: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (mordred) NNTP-Posting-Host: jobe.shell.portal.com Xref: shell.portal.com alt.magick.tyagi:3464 alt.magick:45683 alt.magick.order:410 [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.