You've probably already subscribed to our RSS feed, followed us on Twitter, and joined our Facebook page. (You're so Web 2.0!)
But have you checked out our new Esoteric Book Club? First pick is Robert Anton Wilson's Quantum Psychology. Participate here!

My review of Aleister Crowley: A Modern Master, by John Moore is now up on SpiralNature.com, you can read it by clicking this link.

I was really excited when I got the book. It was published by Mandrake of Oxford, who’ve put out many excellent books over the past decade, but unfortunately this wasn’t one of them. I really wanted to like this book, read the review for an analysis of why it didn’t end up happening.

In other, closely related news, Weiser Antiquarian has announced that they have three new Crowley titles available for sale, all signed by the author.

They are as follows: The Magickal Essence of Aleister Crowley, by J. Edward Cornelius; Aleister Crowley and the Aeon of Horus, by Paul Weston; and The Wickedest Books in the World: Confessions of an Aleister Crowley Bibliophile, by Blair MacKenzie Blake. Each sounds interesting in their own way, particularly Cornelius’, which contains reworked material originally published in the Red Flame.

So many new being published about Crowley lately. A new trend?

The Occult Reliquary will be released in March 2010 by Three Hands Press.

Introduced by Graham King, the book largely consists of more than 200 illustrations, 80 of which will be in full colour.

The images are selected from from the Richel-Eldermans Collection, an occult archive of some 2,000 images and artifacts housed in the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall. For a sample, check out the images available for viewing on the website.

From the book’s description on Three Hands Press:

Situated at the crossroads of erotic magic, ceremonial angelic conjuration, and witchcraft, the images comprise, in part, a pictorial cipher of the rituals of Ars Amatoria, a European magical order using sex magic, and the lesser-known M∴M∴, based in the Hague and Leiden. Also referenced among the collection are materials relating to A∴A∴ of Aliester Crowley. [sic]

The transfixing procession of images, charms, magical seals, and ritual objects in the Collection is the work of multiple artists, and displays a high degree of magical insight and creativity. It will be of interest to students of witchcraft, Freemasonry, the Goetia, sex magic, and early twentieth century occultism.

Three editions will be available, a special edition (already sold out), a deluxe edition (£130, 220$US) and a standard edition (£65, 110$US). All editions are limited.

See Three Hands Press for more.

Book’s cover image taken from the notice of publication found in the Museum’s blog, the Museum of Witchcraft Diary.

Bought Crowley books that is.

An order came in today bearing a few of the books that are still in print that I didn’t already have. Including: Diary of a Drug Fiend (pictured right), White Stains, and the Sutin biography, Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley.

From the out of print market I also picked up The Revival of Magick and Other Essays (Oriflamme).

It’s great to see that Moonchild is in print again, even if it is a limited edition (I’ve already pre-ordered a copy), but with so many titles going out of print, I feel like I have to rush to fill the gaps in my library while I still can.

Whatever polarization there is amongst readers of Crowley, we’re not “beyond the books” (there is no such thing). This OOP situation needs to be rectified. I still can’t find a decently priced copy of Confessions.

Also, thanks to Joseph Thiebes who, on Plutonica.net’s Facebook page, let us know that Buying Crowley Books isn’t just a Facebook group and a Twitter account – it’s also a blog! Complete with an “Anti-Boycott” manifesto.

Final point, unrelated to Crowley (for now), but still on a bookish theme: the Esoteric Book Club is up and running. Check in and let us know where you’re at.

Arcane Wisdom, an imprint of Bloodletting Press, is reissuing a limited edition of Aleister Crowley’s novel Moonchild.

Included in this edition is a long introduction by Don Webb, author of Aleister Crowley: The Fire and the Force, among other books on occultism.

The plot description on Horror-Mall.com is brief:

Moonchild is a novel written by the British occultist Aleister Crowley in 1917. Its plot involves a magical war between a group of white magicians, led by the protagonist Simon Iff, and a group of black magicians over an unborn child. It was first published by Mandrake Press in 1929.

Moonchild is a novel held in high regard for its magical and occult significance and also for its complex and well written prose.

The print run is limited to 200 copies and retails for 55$US. The only source I’ve been able to find selling copies is Horror-Mall.com.

Thanks to Cole Tucker for the tip!

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

Our Esoteric Book Club officially starts on Monday, but the conversation’s already started, and people have to begun introduce themselves, come join us!

If you missed our earlier announcement, the first pick is Quantum Psychology, by Robert Anton Wilson.

Great stuff.

Now, on with our usual linkage:

• The wonderful blog Gyllene Gryningen has a great post titled “Genie or Genius?” which delves into the history and mythology of the djinn, also discussing possible elemental correspondences. Very nifty.

• Someone’s started a fan page on Facebook for people interested in Buying Crowley Books. They’ve even got a Twitter account (@crowleybooks) now. Via these methods they share info about good places to buy Crowley’s works as so much of it has gone out of print. As of this writing the Facebook page has nearly 700 fans.

• John Griogair Bell points out deficiencies in the Thelemic calendar and recommends some improvements in “Heliocentricity“.

Noise?

• In Letters from Hardscrabble Creek, Chas Clifton wrote a bit about a website he came across which focused on “Having Sex With Ghosts“. Gina “Gnothz” Lanier (what’s a “gnothz”?) is a self-described paranormal investigator who wants to hear about your intimidate relations with the dead. They’re not even funny. One woman complains about obscene phone calls from the dead. It’s just sad. For the voyeuristic with no sense of web design, here’s Real Sex with Ghosts. Oh dear.

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