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But have you checked out our new Esoteric Book Club? First pick is Robert Anton Wilson's Quantum Psychology. Participate here!

Saturday Signal: sifting the signal from the noise of the Internet’s occultural cacophony.

I’ve been crazy busy the past few weeks with work and trying to finish a few pieces of writing to submit to various publications, but I think I’m back on track now, so we’ll try to resume our regular schedule.

There’s still quite a bit I want to discuss in regards to sex and gender and what it means spiritually and magickally, but for now, let’s take a look at symbols in a more generic sense:

• Sor. Ceilede 789, in her blog Beautiful Pyre, re-posts “Golden Fiction“, which originally appeared on Key23.net. In it she examines the concept of hypersigils, noting the differences between these and graphic or mantric sigils, and discusses practical applications.

• Technoccult has started posting more in-depth pieces, and in “Hypersigils reconsidered” Klintron, with references to Grant Morrison (of course), discusses this in context of forming alternate identity-narratives and cybernetics.

• Grant Morrison at Disinfo.con in 2000 discussing…just about everything: aliens, drugs, Aleister Crowley, drugs, the fifth dimension, drugs, hypersigils, drugs, Robert Anton Wilson, drugs, and magick. Click here for part one of five, follow the links on YouTube’s sidebar for the rest. It’s very entertaining.

One of my favourite essays on sigils remains Marik’s Sigils, Servitors and Godforms, Part I and Part II. It’s a great resource. (Marik also makes excellent jewellery.)

Found something fab? Please share it in the comments, or if you use delicious tag it “plutonica” and we’ll take a look. Thanks!

Weiser Books sent me the new translation of Arbatel: Concerning the Magic of Ancients published by Ibis Press in 2009, and I’ve just started reading it.

Joseph Peterson’s translation is the first published in English since 1655.

This edition contains both the Latin original and the English translation, annotated by Peterson.

From Weiser:

Arbatel’s magic is full of wonder and free from the sinister elements usually associated with texts on the subject. But it is about more than magic; filled with gnomic wisdom, it urges us to help our neighbors, be positive and grateful, and use time wisely. Above all, it teaches us to pay attention, looking for the wondrous and miraculous. In fact, to the author this virtually defines the magus.

Full review to follow.

The votes are in, and April’s Esoteric Book Club selection is S.S.O.T.B.M.E., written by Lionel Snell as Ramsey Dukes. The full title is Sex Secrets of the Black Magicians Exposed – I love his sensational titles, they have almost nothing to do with the books themselves (see also BLAST Your Way To Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula – another book about philosophy).

It’s an excellent book, one I’ve already read several times, and one I recommend highly. I’m thrilled that it was chosen, I think it will make for excellent discussion in April.

The only reason I didn’t include it in my list of “Top 5 Books on Chaos Magick” was because S.S.O.T.B.M.E. predated it, but it will be interesting to trace its influence through to today.

April’s forum is open and ready if anyone wants to get started a little early, otherwise I’ll post a reminder closer to the date.

Hope you’ll join us!

As we announced in February, we now offer advertising at excellent rates.

The first company to take us up on this was AloeRoot, a web design company with a beautiful site, a helpful blog, and a great client list.

You’ll still be able to find their ad on the far right hand side of our website for the next couple of days with the special code for a discount on their services and I highly encourage you to check them out.

Interested in advertising with us, too?

We still have spaces left for March and April, please see our rates or contact me for details.

Thanks again for being our first advertiser, AloeRoot!

Saturday Signal: sifting the signal from the noise of the Internet’s occultural cacophony.

The comments section has been busier this week than it’s ever been in the history of this blog, largely due to my post about “Sexism in contemporary occulture“, with some spill over on my follow up with “Gender and the elements“. A third post on this theme was planned for Friday, but due to time constraints it will likely be posted tomorrow instead.

You may notice a theme in these signals.

• Did you know that Phil Hine has a new blog? Check it out at enfolding.org, especially the latest post, “Occult gender regimes: the Yin-Yang binary” for a lucid examination of why appeals to history and tradition are often misguided.

• Tim Maroney’s excellent 1998 essay “Facts and Phallacies” looks at Aleister Crowley’s use of the word “phallus” and provides deeper insight into the context which it’s used. It’s clearly not a gender-neutral term, and Maroney eloquently dispels this myth once and for all. (Via Phil Hine.)

• While we’re on the subject, the Arcane Archive has an excellent resource titled “Aleister Crowley: A Legacy of Sexism” which is a compilation of sexist remarks and other misogynistic material sourced from Crowley’s writing. I’ve no doubt the man was a Master, but there’s just no getting around the fact that he was a misogynist.

While not specifically related to occultism, GeekFeminism.org is a great blog and resource for all things geeky and…feministy? In a recent post, “Quick Hit: The Safety Dance“, Terri discusses her experiences at events with unwelcome contact. Strange men approaching her what follows amounts to sexual harassment. I’ve seen this happen at public gatherings at occultural events as well. Being female does not give anyone an excuse to initiate physical contact. Ever.

This is an important subject that requires ongoing discussion, but it will not become the dominant theme on this blog.

We’re rounding out the week, and if you have further links you’d like to share, or stories that need to be told, I’m always available on the blog, but for more private discussions, there’s always e-mail or IM.

Found something groovy? Please share it in the comments, or if you use delicious, tag it “plutonica” and we’ll take a look. Thanks!