Occultism in a Global Perspective

Tabula Contentorum

#

Capitulum

Auctor vel -trix

Paginae

1

Introduction

Henrik Bogdan & Gordan Djurdjevic

1 to 15

2

Localizing the West

Kennet Granholm

17-36

3

Magical Order of the Fraternitas Saturni

Hans Thomas Hakl

37-55

4

Powers of Darkness in Denmark

Per Faxneld

57-77

5

Survey of Occultism in Former Yugoslavia

Gordan Djurdjevic

79-100

6

Occultism in 20th-Century Italy

Francesco Baroni

101-119

7

Savitri Devi & Miguel Serrano

Arthur Versluis

121-133

8

Sexual Magic & Gnosis in Colombia

PierLuigi Zoccatelli

135-150

9

Occultism in an Islamic Context

Thierry Zarcone

151-176

10

Holy Order of Kr.s.n.a

Henrik Bogdan

177-201

11

Transnational Necromancy

Emily Aoife Somers

203-230

12

An Australian Original Magical Cosmology

Nevill Drury

231-254

pp. vii-ix Affiliations of Contributores & of Contributrix

p.

Name

Gendre

University

vii

Francesco Baroni

M

Lausanne


Henrik Bogdan

M

Gothenburg


Gordan Djurdjevic

M

Simon Fraser (Canada)

viii

Nevill Drury

M

--


Per Faxneld

M

Stockholm


Kennet Granholm

M

"


Hans Thomas Hakl

M

[co-editor of GNOSTIKA]


Emily Aoife Somers

F

British Columbia

ix

Arthur Versluis

M

Michigan State


Thierry Zarcone

M

[editor of the J OF THE HISTORY OF S.UFISM (Paris)]


PierLuigi Zoccatelli

M

(Centre for the Study of New Religions)

1-3.

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1

Introduction

Henrik Bogdan & Gordan Djurdjevic

1 to 15

p. 3 occult novels by Edward Buwer-Lytton (1803-1873)

Zanoni. 1842.

A Strange Story. 1862.

The Coming Race. 1871.

pp. 4-5 occult authors

p. 4

Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854-1918) founder of Golden Dawn


Dion Fortune (Violet Mary Firth, 1890-1946)

p. 5

Gerald Gardner (1884-1964) an O.T.O. initiate

p. 5 praevious books similar to this one, but devoted each to a particular country

Alex Owen : The Place of Enchantment : British Occultism and the Culture of the Modern. Univ of Chicago Pr, 2004.

Corinna Treitel : A Science for the Soul : Occultism and the Genesis the German Modern. Baltimore : John Hopkins Univ Pr 2004.

David Harvey Allen : Beyond the Enlightenment : Occultism ... in Modern France. DeKalb (IL) : Northern IL Univ Pr, 2005.

Julia Mannherz : Modern Occultism in Late Imperial Russia. DeKalb (IL) : Northern IL Univ Pr, 2012.

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2

Localizing the West

Kennet Granholm

17-36

pp. 18 & 23 distinction betwixt Occident & Orient

p. 18

"Antoine Faivre ... defines "the West" as "the vast Gr{a}eco-Roman ensemble ... .""

{Because the word /West/ is Teutonic/Germanic, it must designate primarily West Germany, along with Holland and the England. Because the word /Occident/ is Latin, it ought be be used instead if the Roman empire is being referred to.} {But the "Occident philosophy" referred to in Rosicrucian and in Freemasonic texts is typically Hermeticism, with its twin emerald cities (Jabars.a & Jabalqa of Yarsani lore), so that for it a Persian localization is required.}

p. 23

The assignment of the "mystic orient" is to "esoteric centres such as Agharti and

{Because the word /East/ is Teutonic/Germanic, it must designate primarily East Germany, along with Gdansk of the Guthones, and also the region of the Vandales in southern Poland, etc. Because the word /Orient/ is Latin, it ought be be used instead if points further east than the Roman empire are being referred to.} {The term /Agharti/ would appear to derive from the Bon religion, which was indigenous to rTa-gzig = Tajikistan (i.e., Sogdiane + Baktriane).}


Shangri-La".

{This is a Bodish pronunciation for (or pun on) /S`ambhala/, which is generally aequated with Ferghana, the mountain-range-enclosed upper valley of the potamos Iaxartes (Se^h.un = Syr Darya).}

pp. 23-4 Orientalist occult societies : Theosophical (India-oriented) & Hermetik (Hellenistic-oriented : Aiguptist & Mesopotamist)

p. 23

"in eighteenth- {read "nineteenth-"} century occultism ... the Theosophical Society outright embraced esotericist positive orientialism in a never-before-seen degree of admiration ..., specifically with a focus on India. ...

Movements such as Anna

p. 24

Kingsford's and Edward Maitland's Hermetic Society (1884-7),

the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor (c. 1884-5), and

the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1888) were created".

{It may be noted that the Theosophical Society is somewhat composite in its orientation, by way of its including Platonism. Also, the "Hermetic" Hellenistic societies are also heavily composite, for their assimilated forms of "Hermes Tris-megistos" include Thouth (DH.TY, in Aiguptos) and Nebo (Nabu, in Mesopotamia).}

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3

Magical Order of the Fraternitas Saturni

Hans Thomas Hakl

37-55

pp. 37-8 published literature of the Fraternitas Saturni

p. 37

"The order journal of the FS, the Bla:tter fu:r angewandte okkulte Lebenskunst ("Papers for an Applied Occult Art of Life", 1950-63; henceforth BaoL), comprising 3,600 large-format pages, ... the FS has in Austria ... existed since 1985, and in Switzerland since 1986. ...

There is further ... five beautifully designed folio volumes of Saturngnosis (1928-30), fourteen volumes of lodge school lectures from the late 1920s, and periodicals such as Vita Gnosis, Saturn Gnosis and Magischer Weg ("Magical Path"). ...

p. 38

Particularly impressive is the fifteen-part Documenta et Ritualia Fraternitatis Saturni (1975-7), collected and published by Adolf Hemberger in seventeen hectographed A4-size volumes. ...

Finally there are many books of the FS Grand Master Eugen Grosche (1888-1964, order name Gregor A. Gregorius) and Karl Spiesberger (1904-92, order name Fra[ter] Eratus)."

pp. 38-40 history of the Fraternitas Saturni before 20 July 1937 (when it was proscribed)

p. 38

"[There] existed ... a "Saturn Brotherhood" in Warsaw under the direction of Jean-Marie Hoene'-Wronski (1776-1853).

Conceptually the FS ... refers to the ancient Roman Saturnalia, during which common ideas {of masters dominating servants} were turned upside down {with masters serving their servants, etc.} and the class differences were suspended.

The FS gives its official founding date as


Easter of 1928,

{The 28 for the number of nights in a lunation of moon-phases, and Easter for the bunny (s`as`a which is visible in the face of the moon s`as`in, according to Bharatiya understandings)?}


but the de facto founding of the order by the bookseller and occultist Eugen Grosche [p. 52, n. 5 : "For more about Grosche, see ... Details in Ko:nig (2001:28f.)."] and four "fratres" occured 1926 in Berlin. It was created out of the Pansophical Lodge of the "Light Seeking Brethren of the Orient -- Berlin". Grosche had already set up this earlier group [i.e., the Pansophical Lodge], though he only served in it as secretary, at the request of Grand Master Heinrich Tra:nker (1880-1956, order names Recnartus, Master Garud[.]a and Henkelkreuzman). Tra:nker was an antiquarian bookseller in Berlin and a theosophist who had been Grand Master of the OTO in Germany from 1921 ... .

The Pansophical Lodge, ... the last "true" Rosicrucian lodge in the German-speaking world, had ... served by the so-called Liber I -- Das Buch der Nullstunde (Liber I -- The Book of the Zero Hour) that appeared under the imprimatur of Albin Grau (1884-1971, order name Master Pacitius). [p. 52, n. 7 : "For more on Albin Grau, see Popiol and Schrader (2007:24f)."]. ... .

p. 39

... Albin Grau ... demanded that Tra:nker step down as Grand Master of the Pansophical {translating /vis`va-prajn~atika/?} Lodge ..., and a majority of members (minus Tra:nker) joined the newly founded Fraternitas Saturni.


The FS adopted Crowley's so-called Law of Thelema ... but altered ... : "Do what thou wilt, is {praesent tense, to indicate that the New Aion is already arriven} the whole of the Law. ... Love is the law, law under will. {impliedly, under the will one's guardian-angel} Compassionless love." {to imply that karun.a ('compassion') is not fully feasible for a collectivity of souls?} ...

{This dictum is apparently a countre-statement asserting in rather idiosyncratic terminology the mystic doctrine that because all the universe (including souls of mortals) is under divine control, therefore mortals have no independently free will (thus are inhaerently sinless). Still more definite would be the assertion that mortal souls are not distinct from the sempiternal divine nature (the Veda-anta doctrine that the illusory atman is an aspect of brahman).}


There were also "Magic Experimental Evenings" featuring experiments in hypnosis ... . Some of the lectures were later published by the society under the collective title Logenschulvortra:ge -- Geheimwissenschaftliche Studien ("Lodge School Lectures -- Studies in the Secret Sciences"). ...


In stark contrast to the many other esoteric journals of the day, which were either of a theosophical or anthroposophical orientation ..., the FS writings treated of astral demons, {psychedelic} drugs and sexuality. ...

{Daimones and sexual vagaries are indeed details of the actual content of the subtle planes-of-existence, but typical theosophical/anthroposophical literature would omit mention of such details in their characterizations of those planes -- the omissions mainly being due to the fact that anti-obscenity laws were more intensely enforced on literary publications in England and in the United States, than in Germany, during that epoch.}

p. 40

Seven of the lectures were reprinted as a separate book under the title Magische Einweihung ("Magical Initiation"). In the 1920s there appeared the ten-volume series Magische Briefe ("Magical Letters"; since reprinted) ... . The series included ... sexual magic ... . ...

In 1928 another group that ... also worked wth sexual magic, the "Order of Mental Architects" (founded in 1922 in Dresden by Wilhelm Quintscher, 1893-1945, order names Rah Omir and Ophias), disbanded, and Quintischer directed many of its members into the FS."

Ko:nig 2001 = P-R. Ko:nig : Der O.T.O. Pha:nomen Remix. Mu:nich : ARW.

Popiol & Schrader 2007 = A. Popiol & R. Schrader : Gregor A. Gregorius. Bu:rstadt/Walheim : Esoterischer Verlag/MagWis Verlag.

{Crowley's "Law of Thelema" is a tour-de-force in ambiguity, as if intended to attract personalities of opposite characters (both : mystics who deem only the divine will existent, and also oppressives intent to dominate others); but because that would lead practicably to utter confoundment quite replete with misunderstandings, and would be worse than useless -- therefore the so-called "Law" must have been intended as some consummate joke (grotesque jokery being typical of Crowley, and indeed such would much-endear him to his praeponderately Irish audience). [written June 14th 2014]}

pp. 40-3 history of the Fraternitas Saturni from 1950 onwards

p. 40

"in 1950 ... the lodge was legally registered with the [West] Berlin authorities as an association, the Fraternitas Saturni e[ingetragener].V[erein]. ...

p. 41

On 18 March 1957 (the anniversary of the death of the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar) the FS declared itself the "Grand Lodge of the Fraternitas Saturni in Berlin" and was officially registered under this title. As the Grand Lodge it has branches known as Vorho:fe (outer courts) ... in several German cities. ... In 1960 an expanded degree system from 10o to 33o was introduced ... . ... In 1960 Grosche published a work ... Entitled Exorial -- Der Roman eines da:monischen Wesens (Exorial -- the Novel of a Demonic Entity), it appeared in a private edition of 333 ... . All of this ... was based on actual events. The "demonic entity" in question ... caused intense states of possession. ... In 1962 and 1963 ... some of the best known and most productive masters, such as Amenophis (reputed to be E. P. H. Barth) and Eratus (Karl Spiesberger), left the main lodge. The Orient Frankfurt under Master Immanuel (Johannes Maikowski, b. 1925) also seceded. In 1964 Eugen Grosche died ... .

After his successor Margarete Berndt (1920-65,

p. 42

order name Roxane {named for the queen of Alexandros ho Megalos}) died the next year, a collegium of three men {triumvirate} took over the leadership : Masters Arminius (Hermann Wagner), Fabian (Willi Hauser) and Giovanni (Karl Wedler, 1911-2006).

At Easter 1966 Guido Wolther (1922-2001, order name Daniel) became the new Grand Master. In order to attain a higher level magical work, Wolther founded an new secret society within the FS, called the


AMOS (Ancient and Mystical Order of the Saturn Brotherhood),

{a name perhaps imitated from that of the Ancient and Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross, AMORC}


and limited to nine members. ... A new order journal called Vita Gnosis was also started, but only distributed according to the earned-degree level of members.

... in 1969 Walter Jantschik (b. 1939, order name Jananda) was elected Grand Master ..., and he soon stepped down ... . ...

Later in 1969 a new member who had joined that same year, S. W. Wicha (Master Andrzey), was elected Grand Master. ... Not long after this, ... Dr Adolf Hemberger (1929-91), Professor of Methodology and Scientific Theory at the University of Giessen in Germany ..., privately published essential portions of the FS's secret documents (Hemberger 1971) ... . ...

In 1980 the Grand Orient Bersenbru:ck led by Dieter Heikaus (Master Honorius {named after the grimoire-author?} ...) split off from the FS, thenceforth operating under the name Ordo Saturni. ... In 1983 Johannes Maikowski ...

p. 43

left the order ..., though ... in 1993 he founded the Communitas Saturni, ... Grand Lodge Gregorius A. Gregorius (G.A.G.) ... in 1997.

In the meantime, Ralph-Peter Trelle (Master Thot) became Grand Master of the ... FS in 1990. A quieter phase followed, ... for in 2003 the Fraternitas Saturni re-unified with the ... G.A.G.

In 2008 the ... journal Saturn Gnosis resumed publication". [p. 53, n. 23 : "The history here is drawn from ... Ko:nig's In Nomine Domine Demiurgi Homunculi [Munich : ARW, 2010] and his English overview "Fraternitas Saturni : History ...".]

Hemberger 1971 = A. Hemberger (ed.) : Der mystisch-magische Orden Fraternitas Saturni. 2 voll. Frankfurt/Main.

Ko:nig's English overview = https://web.archive.org/web/20110223234450/http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/fs1.htm

p. 44 knowledge-degrees

"The degrees were in part awarded (Wu:rdegrade = honorary degrees) and in part earned Wissensgrade = knowledge degrees). The Gradus Mercurii (8o) and the Gradus Solis (12o) in particular are knowledge degrees."

p. 45 glacial cosmology

"The teachings of the FS are held together by ... the "mythology" of Saturn based upon ... the glacial cosmology of Hanns Ho:rbiger (1860-1931),

in which fire meets ice {as mentioned in the Edda},

{According to a system of Qabbalah, the subtle bodies of mal>aki^m (angeloi) are compounded of divine fire and divine snow.}

moons crash down onto the planets, and

{This may have been deduced from meeting of fire with ice, where ice is regarded as the nature of the moon on account of Middle-Platonic doctrine of merger of the psuche (literally, 'cold') into the Moon.}

the cosmos exists as an eternal battle of opposites."

{"this continuous battle of opposites" is also mentioned by Herakleitos (Fragment 41)}

Herakleitos http://ddaluz.blogspot.com/2013/02/fragments.html

p. 46 transitioning one's temperament from the Saturnine to the Solar

"For the human being, the path from Saturn to the Sun corresponds to ... gradually be repolarized into longing, love, energy, faith and perseverance ... (Gregorius 1952b:6)."

[quoted from Gregorius 1953a, p. 6 :] "To follow a cult of Saturn thus means to comprehend the higher octaves of this demiurge, to recognize the Luciferian principle as a divine spiritual power, and to organize this consciously in the service of the sun's Logos".

Gregorius 1952b = G. A Gregorius (Eugen Grosche) : "Saturn-Yoga : der Weg des dunklen Lichtes". BOAL 29 (Aug):1-6.

Gregorius 1953a = G. A. Gregorius (Eugen Grosche) : "Mephistopheles oder Luzifer?" BOAL 37 (Apr):1-7.

p. 47 accumulating orgone energy

"Gregorius is said to have been familiar with Wilhelm Reich's ideas about orgone energy, and to have had an orgone accumulator in his study."

pp. 47-8 a magical lodge

p. 47

"Adolf Hemberger even describes the FS as "the magical lodge par excellence" (Hemberger 1971:243). Walter Jantschik (lodge name Aythos), former Grand Master of FS and

p. 48

acting Grand Master of the Ordo Templi Baphometis, notes that "A lodge like the FS has to and must occupy itself with 'total magic' ..." (Aythos 1979:33)."

Hemberger 1971 = Adolf Hemberger : Der mystisch-magische Orden Fraternitas Saturni. 2 voll. Frankfurt/Main.

Aythos 1979 = Aythos (Walter Jantschik) : Die Fraternitas Saturni : eine saturn-magische Loge. Hiram-Edition 7. Munich : ARW.

p. 48 the finger-ring worn by membres of the Fraternitas Saturni

"The magical ring worn in the FS ... is discussed in terms of magic ..., and there is a special ritual for bestowing it (Hemberger 1971:134). ... Most notably, its wearer gains a "magical channel of communication" with access to the sphere of Saturn at any time".

p. 49 astral-plane entities

"workings with the magical mirror, under the influence of drugs, and with so-called astral entities would have been regularly performed, at least during Grosche's lifetime.

According to FS teaching, the existence of astral entities can be "verified" with a pendulum or dowsing rod."

pp. 50, 53-4 temporary borrowing of personal odic energy by the opposite gendre

p. 50

"Sexual magic was further applied in the development of the chakras, using certain runic or yoga postures. ... In the rite, odic energy is cullled from the chakras of the woman for special magical operations. This odic energy must however be given back to her later on."

p. 53, n. 41

"These exercises can be traced back to Eugen Grosche and were developed further by Johannes Maikowski. A corresponding essay was published in Cara-Lashtal (2005). ...

p. 54, n. 41

Cara-Lashtal (Alice Ho:llein) was a student of Johannes Maikowski['s]."

Cara-Lashtal 2005 = Alice Ho:llein (editrix) : Sexualmagie und Sexualmystik. Saturnarbeiter, Sonderdruck II. Bawinkel und Dietzho:lztal : Franz Jaspers & Frank Mu:ller.

pp. 50-1 the 18th degree of the Fraternitas Saturni

p. 50

"the sexual magical rituals ... were ... for the attainment of the 18th degree of the FS hierarchy (Gradus Pentalphae). Very explicit drawings accompany the text, which is equally explicit ... of the ritual ... act of sexual intercourse by the priestly couple. ...

p. 51

The original manuscript, which Adolf Hemberger owned, is in the handwriting of Guido Wolther". [p. 54, n. 42 : "A reduced facsimile of the ritual text can be found in Ko:nig (1999:108-27)."]

Ko:nig 1999 = P.-R. Ko:nig : In Nomine Demiurgi Nosferati 1970-1998. Hiram-Edition 27. Munich : ARW.

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Henrik Bogdan & Gordan Djurdjevic (edd.) : Occultism in a Global Perspective. Acumen Publ Ltd, Durham (UK), 2013.