Hermetic Library Newsletter - Issue #63 (maybe it is time to get all retro up in here?)

This week there’s the three days, fraternity, merch, almanac, propaganda, memes, updates, quotes, reviews, and more!

And, as always, I worked on various other things on website, blog, and more … Enjoy!

Today, starting at noon Cairo time, 5am my time, was the anniversary of the first day of The Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law, part of the Thelemic holy days, listed in itself and recited during the Gnostic Mass.

Of course, the second and third days are next, tomorrow and the next day, naturally.

Traditionally, a lot of people recite or read the corresponding chapter of the book on the anniversary of the day it was written, not just those who are working the Thelemic Tephilah.

There will probably be a lot of people posting about this, both old and new reading, and declarations of the days, including me, as I tend to do.

You’re welcome to read Liber AL vel Legis sub figurâ CCXX as Delivered by XCIII = 418 unto DCLXVI at the library. There’s also Liber 31, the manuscript, which unfortunately is still a little messed up, and needs more of my attention on the site. You may also be interested in checking out the entire Liber Legis — The Book of the Law which has a lot of information about the book, the comments, and more.

Also, if you want to listen to the chapters being read, head over to the Thelema Coast To Coast archive and play Thelema Coast to Coast #24 Part 1 (Chapter I), Part 2 (Chapter II), Part 3 (Chapter III), which has readings by various people of each chapter on the anniversary days back in 2006.

Recently Jason Mankey wrote “Instagram Does Not Care About Witches & Pagans” about the seemingly endless spoofing of people on social media, and how there’s a serious lack of verification for certain communities, in this case witches & pagans.

It isn’t a solution, but, maybe, let’s each of us, where we can, start a “list” (or equivalent per platform) as a web of trust, of accounts we reasonably believe to be ones we would verify. But, relying on these companies was always and is a losing proposition in the end …

So, I’m officially adding in a “web of trust” element to the existing Fraternity section of the library, which has been “A Place for Friendship and Mutual Support”, where I will now included people with reason to be that want to be folk-verified by me, and I’ll list accounts and sites where they can be found.

For my part, I’ve added some initial “web of trust” comments to the page footer of so if this applies to you let’s talk if you want.

I mean, I’m kinda just re-inventing moderated webrings, aren’t I? But, you know … maybe it is time to get all retro up in here?

Honestly, I didn’t ever participate in webrings back in the day. But I think the way I’m thinking about approaching this is to have Fraternity offer a layer similar to a moderated webring, sort of.

I’ve never been willing to just do plain link exchange because that got icky and SEO-spammy fast everywhere, so I’ve avoided it, but I’ve been trying to do Fraternity better. Certainly, trying.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I was partially inspired to do it originally by find out that WitchVox was gone. I remembered how WitchVox used to have directories of trads and groups, and I’ve wondered if that was still something that would be useful. Part of that would make more sense in Hermeneuticon, like full and informative entries about trads, but there’s also something else, a kind of curated directory element that didn’t have a place yet, or, at least, I’ve toyed with doing in various ways over the years before (like the old featured supporter links and such on the main site, and the mostly now defunct community layers of Hrmtc Underground) but wasn’t currently doing until adding Fraternity.

So, in addition to staying tuned to the Fraternity section as a resource, I’ve also started a Fraternity list under my Twitter account as a a Twitter-specific companion in support of this idea. Currently my idea is to list the twitter accounts of those people or entities that appear on the section at the library.

Now, I need to be clear that this isn’t a free-for-all. My thinking about this is that I will keep this battened down. Whilst I cannot guarantee that people listed or that listing people is necessarily any kind of endorsement, I will try to curate this.

I’m very happy to engage in solidarity and mutual support, but I’m no one’s bitch. I’m the sole arbiter of the library, and won’t suffer anyone thinking otherwise. There’s no way to get listed without going through me, and having a frank talk about it all, so think I’ll have it in well in hand, as I am wont to do. But, I will require that people I list engage with me with ongoing respect and reciprocity.

And, after all, that’s an entirely rational and reasonable expectation, I think.

🧑‍🚀 Wait. Some religions are inspired by fiction and storytelling?

🔫 They all are.

Fanfic as pejorative category is misprision, even if the boundary wasn’t arbitrary and it’s fanfic all the way down anyway. Success is your proof. Put Xena and Harambe on your altar if it works for you, and no one should say any different, who’s honest about their own sources.

You think there’s some kind of bright line where on one side there’s “real” authors writing “real” writing and on the other side there’s “fake” authors writing “fanfic”? You think “real” authors only ever write “real” writing and don’t have their own doggerel and trunk novels? You think “fake” authors never manage to write well or are never inspired?

Anyhow, the same goes for religious writing as goes for writing.

You think Crowley’s fanfic based on Golden Dawn Egyptian-revival fanfic wasn’t also fanfic?

There’s no bright line between authors and fanfic, religious or otherwise.

Also, even if writing about a thing weren’t a map of the thing instead of the thing, it’s all made up anyway. All of it.

So pick your fandom and stan it, but let others enjoy their things; unless they refuse to let you do so too.

The Trunk Novel of Gaap

The Refrigerator Poetry of Andras

The Scrapbook of Stolas

The Burn File of Ba'al

The Paper Shredder of Pazuzu

File 13 of Judas

Here’s a sneak peek at the new 4 hours for Work, 8 hours for Rest, 12 hours Do what thou wilt mini print added as Patron-exclusive merch this month!

This is a design inspired by and kitbashed from an old IWW labor cartoon. The original has the hours split into three equal 8 hour segments, but I, you know, felt this was better. Also, not to mention, that the work week should be 4 days long too.

It was kinda popular on social media, so I though I’d slap that on some merch, as one does.

Meanwhile, I do also want to mention that the retired and previously-exclusive Unicursal Sabo Cat Magick Union Dept 666 One Big Egregore design that was on a mini print on Patreon has now reached the Public Merch Shop on various apparel options, a banner, buttons, magnets, and stickers!

The banner would be, you know, for your union hall. I’m really enamoured with the look of this design on the Extra Soft / Smoke shirt, but, one can’t go wrong with a good red (because if you haven’t been called a red …), or, who am I kidding? Get it on any colour, as long as you get one!

(To be fair, I don’t actually make much of anything more than a couple bucks off the stuff I put in the public merch shop, but I’m still doing it because they fun things. If I ever see any of these in the wild, that will be crazy cool!)

Here’s upcoming calendar and astronomical events and the daily Thelemic Tephilah practice for the coming week.