Passport Through Hades

We discuss Crowley’s version of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. He regarded it as among his greatest works. However, critics and biographers have reacted with ridicule and dismissal, largely because Crowley didn’t know Chinese. Yet when Crowley’s rendition is read alongside the English translation by James Legge that he was working from, suddenly the significance of Crowley’s version becomes clear.Crowley’s Tao Teh King (his preferred spelling) remains in copyright and an authorised version has not appeared in print since the early 1990s. If you want to read a paper copy, it’s going to cost you! The best, most accessible online version I’ve found is: Aleister Crowley, Tao Teh King (Liber CLVII), https://tinyurl.com/2fnmfvzf (invisiblehouse.org). Accessed August 2026.In contrast, Legge’s translation of The Tâo Teh King (his spelling), is long out of copyright and is included in his collection of translations, The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 39 (Oxford: Clarendon, 1891), pp. 47ff, available online at: https://tinyurl.com/43vrbyss (archive.org). Accessed August 2026.Duncan Barford, “Commentary on the Vimuttimagga”, https://tinyurl.com/ypru3hjs (firekasina.org). Accessed August 2026.The Simon Iff story mentioned is “The Monkey and the Buzz-Saw”, in: The Simon Iff Stories & Other Works (Ware, UK: Wordsworth), p. 203.A very helpful and freely available character-by-character breakdown of the Tao Teh King is Bradford Hatcher, Lao Tzu—Tao Te Ching: Word by Word, https://tinyurl.com/mrdh6wa5 (hermetica.info). Accessed August 2026.Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Ambertide" by OEITH; (Outro) "Another World" by Shedding Feathers.Alan is offering an in-person retreat (the first in seven years), 21-28 September, in Kilfane, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Details: https://barbarouswords.com/retreatDuncan has made a zine. Minor Arcana issues #1, #2 and #3 are available now. Issue #3 includes the essay discussed in the podcast. Further titles and issues are planned. Copies can be ordered from: https://barbarousbooks.bigcartel.com/Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books, or peek beneath the veil through Occult Experiments in the Home: The Podcast Transcripts, published by Heptarchia. Available from the usual places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samadhi or sex-act? We mull over the meaning of a crucial passage in The Book of the Law. From there, we explore the proper role of reason in magic and mysticism, and the drawbacks of academic thinking. Finally, we turn our attention to The Amalantrah Working and consider what remains after we’ve discarded all the popular nonsense surrounding it.Gordon White (2026). Rune Soup Podcast: What are we to make of the Book of the Law? (March 30th), https://tinyurl.com/3tt8chp9 (runesoup.com). Accessed May 2026.In Plato, the words εἶδος (eidos) and ἰδέα (idea) are what is commonly translated as “form” or “idea”. Both are derived from roots meaning “to see” or “to behold”.David Beth is an occult writer strongly influenced by the work of the philosopher Ludwig Klages (1872-1956). For more about both, see James Ellis (2026), Hermitix Podcast: The Black Pilgrimage by David Beth (Book Review), https://tinyurl.com/4e2rxszh (youtube.com). Accessed May 2026.Aleister Crowley, et al. (1918). The Amalantrah Working sub figurâ DCCXXIX, https://tinyurl.com/yuvf9snk (hermetic.com). Accessed May 2026.Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Debstup" by Shedding Feathers; "What It Used to Mean" by OEITH; (Outro) "The Twenty-Tenth of Noctember" by OEITH.Alan is offering an in-person retreat (the first in seven years), 21-28 September, in Kilfane, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Details: https://barbarouswords.com/retreatDuncan has made a zine. Minor Arcana #1 is available now. Further titles and issues are planned. For details, see: https://oeith.co.uk/zines/Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books, or peek beneath the veil through Occult Experiments in the Home: The Podcast Transcripts, published by Heptarchia. Available from the usual places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A health scare provokes some reflections on mortality before the conversation turns to developments in personal practice. Then we warm to our main theme: the relevance of the recently released Epstein files to the spiritual and magical community. Finally, we turn our attention to the paranormal, exploring an alternative understanding of its nature.Jeffery A. Martin and the Finder’s Course: https://tinyurl.com/msm258v7 (finderscourse.com). Accessed February 2026.Two emails from Jeffery Martin to Jeffrey Epstein: https://tinyurl.com/5xsz54jv, https://tinyurl.com/47zt385m (justice.gov). Accessed February 2026.Oxford University (2014). Ancient Carthaginians really did sacrifice their children, https://tinyurl.com/4rdmky3h (ox.ac.uk). Accessed February 2026.Robin Ngo (2025). At Carthage, Child Sacrifice? Tell-tale remains from Carthage Tophet point to child sacrifice, https://tinyurl.com/49pm5sf4 (biblicalarchaeology.org). Accessed February 2026.Judaism as a tradition that specifically outlawed child sacrifice. See: Leviticus 18: 21 and 20: 2-5; Deuteronomy 12: 31 and 18: 10; and Micah 6: 7-8: “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”Pidyon Ha'Ben is a Jewish ceremony in which a firstborn son, at thirty-one days old, is "redeemed" from a kohen (a hereditary priest). The parents give the kohen five silver coins, symbolically "buying back" the child.For Dick’s dream, see: Philip K. Dick, The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick, edited by P. Jackson & J. Lethem (London: Gollancz, 2012), p. 262.Johannes Trimethius (c. 1500). Steganographia, https://tinyurl.com/yc3vabav (trithemius.com). Accessed February 2026.For Aquinas on angels as their own species, see: Summa Theologiae (First Part, Question 50, Article 4), https://tinyurl.com/3tedwzkp (newadvent.org). Accessed February 2026.For Steiner on the individual human as a species, see: Theosophy: An Introduction to the Supersensible Knowledge of the World and the Destination of Man (Memphis, TN: General, 1910), p. 26.For Steiner as a reincarnation of Aquinas, see: T.H. Meyer, Rudolf Steiner’s Core Mission: The Birth and Development of Spiritual-Scientific Karma Research (Forest Row, UK: Temple Lodge, 2010).Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Ippos Kardia" by Shedding Feathers; "Artiantatica" by Shedding Feathers; (Outro) "Hold Me While I Dissipate" by OEITH.Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books, or peek beneath the veil through Occult Experiments in the Home: The Podcast Transcripts, published by Heptarchia. Available from the usual places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After some general updates, our central theme is "the evocation of the evil genius". Taking its origin in a passing reference by Crowley, we trace the meaning and relevance of this idea through the work of Nick Land, Carl Jung, Crowley, Philip K. Dick, and -- not least, of course -- personal experience.The CCRU (Cybernetic Culture Research Unit) was founded at Warwick University, Coventry UK, in 1995.Nick Land and Aleksander Dugin can be seen and heard in a conversation recorded in October 2025 at: https://tinyurl.com/5sbbbbc9 (youtube.com). Accessed November, 2025.The Philip K. Dick novel that concludes in a conversation with a robot cab is: Now Wait for Last Year (1966).Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Who Left the Fridge Door Open Again?" by Shedding Feathers; "Your Car Doesn't Sound Too Healthy" by Shedding Feathers; (Outro) "Lifted Up" by OEITH.Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books, or peek beneath the veil through Occult Experiments in the Home: The Podcast Transcripts, published by Heptarchia. Available from the usual places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navigation of a fallen world confronts us with the dilemma of steering between politics and morality. We discuss how that choice can be taken, and how to position ourselves beyond politics without adopting a centrist position. We also talk about the cancellation of our new edition of Magick Without Tears following warnings of legal action against the publisher from the OTO.Alex MacDonald (2024). "Israelis practise red heifer ritual in front of Al-Aqsa Mosque", https://tinyurl.com/3382duu2 (middleeasteye.net), accessed July, 2025.Regarding the OTO's ownership of Gérard Aumont's copyrights: “Our ownership of his rights will […] give our legal department basis for inhibiting the online dissemination of disinformation about Crowley.” See: Hymenaeus Beta [William Breeze], “A Note on Gérard Aumont”, https://tinyurl.com/572dtuhr (oto.org), accessed July, 2025.Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Missing Pieces" by Shedding Feathers; "Here's Where I Lost You" by OEITH; (Outro) "Breeze's Biscuits" leaked by a disgruntled OTO member.Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books. (Available from all the places you'd expect.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of us are coming to terms with the implications of AI, but what will this obligatory adaptation extort from us? We consider how our culture’s demand for belief in the promises of AI is the latest iteration of an ancient drama.“I know now from the experience of others that The Book of the Law is veritably a Golden Bough. It is the only thing that one is allowed to take with one through Hades and it is an absolute passport.” The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: an Autohagiography, edited by J. Symonds & K. Grant (London: Arkana, 1989), p. 513.The article that forms the basis of our discussion: Azadeh Joon (2025), “Psychosis Fueled by Generative AI are [sic] Tearing Families Apart as Some Claim Chatbots Represent Spiritual Higher Consciousness”, https://tinyurl.com/msechkx7 (substack.com). Accessed June, 2025.South Wales teenage suicide cluster: https://tinyurl.com/mtm895b6 (wikipedia.com). Accessed June, 2025.“Assisted Dying Bill”: legislation for legalised euthanasia currently processing through the UK Parliament, known officially as “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill”, https://tinyurl.com/35ajxxpt (parliament.uk). Accessed June, 2025.The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick, edited by P. Jackson & J. Lethem (London: Gollancz, 2011).Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Such Glowing Feedback" by OEITH; "Desolate Bethmoora" by OEITH; (Outro) "Becoming" by OEITH.Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books. (Available from all the places you'd expect.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the role of a prophet entail and demand? How and why did Crowley struggle so egregiously in fulfilling his role as prophet of the New Aeon?Music: (Intro) "For Her Demon Lover" by OEITH; "Situation Normal" by OEITH; "We Ascended Through Mist" by OEITH; "Dark Flake" by Shedding Feathers; (Outro) "Through the Leafs" by OEITH.Curl up with Duncan's novel, The Going Down, published by Sul Books. (Available from all the places you'd expect.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.