3 posts tagged “john dee”

An excellent review of the Red Goddess has just appeared in Mandrake Speaks, the Mandrake Press of Oxford newsletter.  An  indepth look at the text by the highly regarded Mogg Morgan:

The Red Goddess by Peter Grey (review)258pp, Hardback 2008 £37 + p&p
This is a beautiful, provocative, thought-provoking book, one man’s journey in search of the obscure object of his desire – full of odd typography, robust, sometimes rough language and a £37 price tag.
Using the latest research from books such as "Strange Angel" , "Love and Rockets" and "The Unknown God" the author blends his own narrative around that which he sees as the three pillars of the Babalonian mythos – Enochian Magick, Aleister Crowley and Jack Parsons. Thus one reads: "Eunuchs have been used traditionally to serve the Goddess, often as sodomitic dog priests. That name is not a slur but most likely comes from their dog position sex. These were important priests who served the ancient Love Goddess by sacrifi
cing their reproductive power. They are no longer men. They cannot penetrate the mystery. I will not advocate the joys of self castration or the smooth root of the Skopsie, but it is certainly one way to serve Our Lady. I prefer Magick with the balls to push shaft deep into the crimson petals of the Goddess."
Babalon is modern goddess, one of the most recent to emerge from the cauldron of serendipity. Even so, some, Peter Grey amongst them, would claim she has antique roots. She remerged in the modern world via the writings of Aleister Crowley, who is also responsible for renovating the old English spelling as Babalon, which has a significant numerology of 156 as opposed to 165. For Babylon, is an ancient Mesopotamian city, the Bête Noire of the ancient Hebrews, and therefore a natural cipher for corruption and hubris in the strange apocalyptic end game of the Biblical New Testament. I’m talking of the Book of Revelation, a book that exerted a powerful influence on Crowley’s imagination and one way or another figured large in his new Thelemic mythos.The Book of Revelation is widely believed to contain much hidden and indeed Kabbalistic symbolism, So no surprise that the "anti-gods" of that book turn out to be, according to Thelemites, the true corrective of the modern age.
The goddesses of ancient Babylon were Innana, Ishtar and Astarte. These are "Red Goddesses" in more ways than one – and possible role models for the modern woman who is powerful, self sufficient and above all sexual. Whether modern "scarlet woman" is, as Herodotus suggested, willing to give herself to any man for any small coin, seems unlikely these days somehow. So in as much as the author of Revelation was saying that it’s the goddesses that really bring society down, Crowley and the Thelemites say the opposite.Few would argue that Peter’s Red Goddess is a Mesopotamian creation. Most of us accept Mesopotamia, as the "cradle of civilization" and the dispersal hub for many important things, writing, astrology, technology, religion, etc etc.
I must admit my own dealings with "The Red Goddess" are in her Egyptian territory (see "The Bull of Ombos") Peter devotes a short chapter to the exploration of her possible Egyptian roots, although this is maybe a clear example of where the works of the Victorian Egyptophile Gerald Massey provide an inadequate guide to the material.AFAIK, Egypt, did indeed benefit from early contacts with Mesopotamia before the rise of the Pharaohs (i.e. 4000BCE) but its main development was independent. So for example although writing may have been invented in Mesopotamia, it was also invented quite independently in Egypt, presumably for the same imperative. The earliest reference in Egypt to the Semitic goddesses Astarte and Anat belongs to the reign of Thutmoses c1500bce, both love goddesses were married to ultimate "Red Bull" Seth. But my Egyptian "Red Goddess" has to be Hathor, a goddess as old as time, goddess of the cattle cult (hence the horns) she is indeed sensual, sexual and intoxicated. (See "Hathor’s Secrets") When old man Ra is down in the dumps she lifts her skirts and gives him a laugh.Having said something of the mythology of Innana et al, Peter soon leaves behind the ancient world. I definitely wanted more info on Mesopotamian religion, as his analysis is consistently interesting and engaging.
He then follows the tracks of the Belle Dame Sans Merci, through the writings of her numerous modern devotees, including John Dee, Marquis de Sade, Jack Parsons and indeed many a modern mage, including his own dealing with she who must be obeyed, which brings to mind the lines of the song "my knuckles are bleeding and my knees are raw". This reworking of the Crowleyian material on the nature of the scarlet women, is seen largely through his poetry and forms "The Red Goddess’ " vibrant core.Peter has no time for the post modern obsession with transgender and reclaiming the "blossoms of bone". "Eunuchs" he tells us, "cannot penetrate the mystery." But there again for me, Babalon might be like "post porn modernist" Annie Sprinkle –the love of whose life is famously the tortured Les, a female to male transsexual.
So all in all an interesting and provocative monograph; worthy I would think of some wider circulation. It might be that this first edition which is perhaps aimed at the "collector" for whom "the medium is the message." Its white wibeline cover with red embossing is very striking; there are tipped in illustrations, one in colour. And indeed interior text is black and occasional red. Even so I’d be happy to read it in a standard hardback "Starfire" mode or even a good trade paperback. But whatever way you read it, it’s definitely worth a spin. [Mogg]

www.scarletimprint.com

Our google alert brought up another reader review, we thought we'd share with you, the word is spreading:

review

Book Review
The Red Goddess By Peter Grey
Scarlet Imprint,
UK Summer Solstice 2008 edition

I enjoy the mythos of BABALON. There is something about powerful and sexual female energies that sits right with me (having worked in the past with Lilith and Morrigan, whom I still work with). But BABALON is the best aspects of both in a single entity.

So when I heard about this book, I insisted on buying it. Although the first time I heard about it, the first 2007 print run had been done (156 copies) and was sold out in quick time. And then I found a 2008 run being done, 777 copies (I got #63) with 49 hand bound leather editions being made. I bought both (still waiting for the hand bound edition to be finished and then arrive, it will be a few months).

This book is very hard to describe in words in a coherent manner. It is a wondrous mix of history, and gnostic speculation on the behalf of the author, Peter Grey.

He starts with the history of Babalon and her appearance in The Book of Revelations and why she is essentially feared by the Phallo-jealous monotheists. She empowers the freedom of enjoyment, pleasure and powerful-dangerous womanhood.

To quote two small paragraphs:

We are watchers of the dance of veils as Salome, Mary Magdalene, Isis and Astarte display the shrine of the mystery to our hungry eyes. She is a pole dancer, a dollar whore, a catwalk advert for impossibly red lipstick, a beautiful young girl. Your first love.
She is the Sophia of the Gnostics, a Black Madonna, a heroine of the heretic heart.

Both Aleister Crowley and Jack Parson's get a good lot of mention throughout the book, although in itself, it is not a Thelemic portrayed idea within the pages. Infact Grey spends a small amount of time politely attacking Crowley as a person and his documented behaviour towards women, whilst praising his spiritual practices and the path the To Mega Therion paved for the rest of us. In my reading, Grey's approach to Crowley didn't sit badly, although it may annoy or upset Othodox Thelemites partially.

The second third of the book, where the references to the O.T.O and Thelema exist the most follows on the history of Babalon to historical manifestations of her and her worship. Jesus is mentioned, along with Simon Magnus, Jack Parsons and other quite interestingly Iohn Dee, alongside his Enochian discoveries.

The third and final part explores the means to worship and bring Babalon into your life, through ritual practices, ingesting sacraments, sexual acts, bondage, chemicals and even as simple as inhaling the scent of a Damascus rose. But, as warned by the author, bringing Babalon into your life may leave scars, as she is a Goddess of both Love, Lust and War.

And last and not least, before words fail me entirely, the visual presentation of this book is breathtaking. White cover, with the BABALON lamen / sigil pressed into it in red, the bookends in a deep scarlet red, lovely thick stock paper, with smatterings of red text sprinkled throughout. And four gloss plates, illustrating Babalon herself in various forms. The Thoth Lust card by Lady Frieda Harris being the last plate.

I won't recommend everyone buys this, it may not be for them, but at least taste from its pages and get a feel for the Holy Whore, the Scarlet Woman that Rides the Seven Headed Beast.

Dear Friends,

Scarlet Imprint are delighted to announce the publication of: The Red Goddess for midday Summer Solstice June 21.

This title is now available for you to order.

The Red Goddess is an octavo book of 260pp, printed throughout in red and black ink, and with four luscious plates.
The standard edition is strikingly bound in white book cloth, scarlet endpapers, and embossed with the seven pointed star of BABALON. Each and every book is perfumed and consecrated.

It is being prepared in a strictly limited and hand-numbered edition of seven hundred and seventy-seven copies.
A copy can be yours for thirty-seven English pounds plus postage.

In addition, 49 devotee copies of The Red Goddess are being quarter bound in black moroccan goat and finished in scarlet silk with hand marbled endpapers. These fine books will be bound by Brian Settle. Each one a work of art and rare beauty in a world of mass production. We will only sell these direct to individuals who contact us and explain why they wish to own a copy, a necessary step given the speculators who seek to profit from our work.
These are magickal books, for a magickal purpose, and that is their value.
We do accept installments, as we want our books to reach the right people.

The devotee copies will each cost an hundred and fifty six English pounds plus secure delivery.

The Red Goddess is an ecstatic journey through the unheard history of BABALON, from Revelations back through the Ishtar Gate and forward into a living modern magickal current.
This is an explicit and challenging vision of a very modern Goddess coming into power. This is more than a history, it is a passionate account of living magick and the transcendent power of Love.

The epic sweep of the text takes us from Babylon to Jerusalem to Rome, and onwards to Apocalypse.
It looks at the angelic work of renaissance mage John Dee.
It lays bare the excesses of Aleister Crowley, and unlocks the secrets of Waratah Blossoms.
It explains the immolation of the Californian antichrist-superstar Jack Parsons and his relationship with Scientology founder L.Ron Hubbard.

This is the missing history of the Holy Whore.

Thirteen essays conclude the book on subjects including: roses, mirror magick, BDSM, aphrodisiac drugs, the information age, love vs lust, and the meaning of apocalypse.

Intelligent and balanced reviews for the previous edition from both readers and people of standing in the occult community can be found at www.scarletimprint.com

Those working with Ishtar, Inanna, Lilith, Kali, Sekhmet, Bast, Freya, Pomba Gira, Erzulie, witchcraft, Tantra, sacred sex and ritual transgression will find much here to intrigue, inspire and challenge them.

The Red Goddess is suitable for anyone with blood in their veins, regardless of tradition, background or experience.

It is a Love story.

To secure your copy please credit our paypal account for £37 plus postage scarletimprint@gmail.com

Postage rates are:
UK First Class £4
Europe £6
Worldwide £10

If you do not have a paypal account and wish to pay by cheque (uk residents only), please email us and we will forward you our postal address.
If you need our IBAN and SWIFT numbers for an international bank transfer again, email us and we will provide you with them.

Full details can be found at www.scarletimprint.com

This is an important book for these times.

In Nomine Babalon

Scarlet Imprint x

This release is public, please feel free to post on any communities or to personal contacts, we very much appreciate your support.