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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!

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!

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?

So, while tentacle surfing the Lovecraftian web I came across a rather appetizing site called Lovecraft News Network.

The LNN dedicates itself to providing “an eclectic, free source for the latest news related to H.P. Lovecraft, including original interviews, culture, science, scholarship, and kitsch”.

Today’s post certainly falls into the latter category with “An illustrated study of Cthulhu cakes“, including the cakes in the pic on the left, crafted by Darcy LeClaire. Click the link for further horrifyingly delicious examples.

They ask:

What does this say about contemporary culture? What would the ideal Cthulhu cake taste like? Are Jane Austen fans jealous they don’t have an iconic figure of doom with which they can conjure forth in an act of confectionery heresy?

I confess that my first response was to note that these looked way tastier than the Flying Spaghetti Monster holiday treats I came across in December.

But these are valid questions. What do you think would be the perfect flavour for Cthulhu-themed treats?