Jekyll2023-11-19T23:36:39+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/feed.xmlInfernal GeometryToby Chappell - Infernal GeometryToby ChappellInfernal Geometry - bibliography notes2020-06-21T00:00:00+00:002020-06-21T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2020/06/21/bibliography-notes<p>When I originally prepared the bibliography for <em>Infernal Geometry and the Left-Hand Path</em>, I included notes about many of the works explaining their significance to Angular Magic and the book in general. I find this sort of annotation to be useful, because many times it’s not obvious why a particular book is cited, or easy to determine which other books should be more or less important to read as supplementary material. The Temple of Set’s reading list (an older version of which can be found Dr. Aquino’s two volume set <em>The Temple of Set</em>) gives short descriptions of all works along with a ranking to help readers determine their relative interest for a given work. I have found that immensely helpful, and wanted to apply it in some fashion to this bibliography.</p>
<p>The bibliographical format the Inner Traditions uses as its house style does not support this type of annotation, unfortunately. They did find the additional info very useful and interesting, and suggested that I turn it into a blog post at some point. Which I’m doing now.</p>
<p>I’m leaving out notes on works that are only available within the archives of the Temple of Set or the Order of the Trapezoid, as members of both of those bodies will know how to find them and will likely immediately understand why they were included.</p>
<h3 id="works-by-open-members-of-the-temple-of-set">Works by (Open) Members of the Temple of Set</h3>
<h4 id="stephen-flowers--edred-thorsson">Stephen Flowers / Edred Thorsson</h4>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong><em>Runes and Magic</em></strong>, Chapter 2; Rûna-Raven/Lode Star, 1986 and later editions. (<em>This chapter from Dr. Flower’s Ph.D. dissertation provides a detailed academic treatment of the semiotic theory of magic</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong><em>Runelore</em></strong>, Chapter 6 (“Historical Rune Magic and Divination”); Weiser, 1987. (<em>This chapter focuses on semiotics and divination, in the context of the Runes but easily applicable to other semiotic systems such as the Nine Angles</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong><em>Lords of the Left Hand Path</em></strong>; Rûna-Raven (1992, 1997), then revised further for Inner Traditions (2012). (<em>The chapters on the Church of Satan and Temple of Set provide and interpret vital information for understanding the significance of these organizations in modern occulture</em>)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="don-webb">Don Webb</h4>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>“Fictive Arcanum”</strong>, original date unknown. (Available on the Order of the Trapezoid’s website, and as “Why Do Magicians Write Fiction?” in <em>Uncle Setnakt’s Nightbook</em> (Lode Star, 2016) (<em>An examination of the semiotic theory in the context of fiction that suggests effective frames of reference for magical work, whether or not the authors were practicing magicians</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong><em>Uncle Setnakt’s Essential Guide to the Left Hand Path</em></strong>; Rûna-Raven, 1999. (<em>An essential work for understanding the Left Hand Path in a manner not tied to any particular tradition; also includes the first publicly available hints about work with the Nine Angles since Dr. Aquino’s article in _Nyctalops_ in 1977</em>)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h4 id="patty-hardy">Patty Hardy</h4>
<ol>
<li><strong>“Keystone”</strong>, 1992. (<em>The mathematical relationships encoded in the Nine Angles and the Seal of Rûna provide a map by which the psyche can come to know itself in their reflection; appearing as Appendix D in this volume</em>)</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h3 id="the-works-of-anton-lavey">The Works of Anton LaVey</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>“The Law of the Trapezoid”</strong>; published in <em>The Cloven Hoof</em>, 1976. Reprinted in <em>The Devil’s Notebook</em>, Feral House, 2000. (<em>The only published essay by LaVey that focuses on the Law of the Trapezoid, its origins, and applications</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>“The Unknown Known”</strong>; published in <em>The Satanic Rituals</em>, Avon, 1972. (<em>The relationship of the number Nine to the cycles that govern humans and their institutions. Bears the significant influence of Hanns Hörbiger, but with essential insight into the implications of Hörbiger’s ideas</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong><em>Die Elektrischen Vorspiele</em></strong>; published in <em>The Satanic Rituals</em>, Avon, 1972. (<em>One of the foundational rites of angular magic. Discussed throughly in Chapters Three and Six</em>)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="hp-lovecraft">H.P. Lovecraft</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>“Haunter of the Dark”</strong>, 1936. (<em>An essential source for the imagery and frame of reference used in angular magic</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>“Dreams in the Witch-House”</strong>, 1933 (<em>Another essential source for the imagery and frame of reference used in angular magic, focusing on the angles as a means of accessing other dimensions and the difficulty of retaining one’s sense of Self when faced with unimaginable horrors that result from these studies</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>“Polaris”</strong>, 1920. (<em>One of the most evocative writings on the recurring patterns of the night sky and their effect on conscious beings</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>“The Silver Key”</strong>, 1929. (<em>A meditation on the fluidity of time, and how to shape one’s existence through dreams</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>“Through the Gates of the Silver Key”</strong> (collaboration with E. Hoffman Price), 1934 (<em>When one steps outside of time as perceived by humans bound to earth, how can strange angles be used to anchor oneself to the dimensions and times that are needed?</em>)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3 id="other-writers-working-with-the-cthulhu-mythos">Other Writers Working with the “Cthulhu Mythos”</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Long, Frank Belknap. “The Hounds of Tindalos”</strong>, 1929. (<em>A foundational work for studying angular magic; the origin of curved vs. angular time in the Mythos, an idea that Lovecraft expanded on in his later works:</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Doreal, Maurice</strong>.<sup id="fnref:10hdorealbib" role="doc-noteref"><a href="#fn:10hdorealbib" class="footnote" rel="footnote">1</a></sup> <strong><em>The Emerald Tablet of Thoth the Atlantean</em></strong>, date unknown (probably early/mid-30s). (<em>A synthesis of the Hounds of Tindalos, the works of Robert E. Howard, and other bits of speculative weird fiction; one of LaVey’s primary sources for the litany in “Die Elektrischen Vorspiele”</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Howard, Robert E. “The Shadow Kingdom”</strong>, 1929. (<em>Howard’s most essential contribution to the Mythos, including the Serpent Men of Valusia who were later said by Lovecraft to have possessed the Shining Trapezohedron at a critical time in the deep past</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Howard, Robert E. “The God in the Bowl”</strong>, published in 1952. (<em>Origin of the “Children of Set” references in <strong>Die Elektrischen Vorspiele</strong></em>)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h3 id="other-relevant-sources">Other Relevant Sources</h3>
<ol>
<li>
<p><strong>Austin, James L. <em>How To Do Things With Words</em></strong>. Clarendon Press, 1962. (<em>A prime source for <strong>performative utterances</strong> and other key concepts used in the semiotic theory of magic</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Barrow, John D. <em>Pi in the Sky: Counting, Thinking and Being</em></strong>. Oxford University Press, 1992. (<em>Certain patterns of thought emerge when examining the history of numbers; what seems to be an intuitive means of categorizing the world is actually a product of various leaps in comprehension of the background against which minds learn about themselves.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Boyer, Carl B. <em>A history of Mathematics</em></strong>. Wiley, 2011 (Third Edition). (<em>A comprehensive work on the development of mathematical ideas over humanity’s history, while also acknowledging the role of math in philosophy and esotericism as expressions of our innate conceptual abilities</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>de Lafforest, Roger. <em>Ces Maisons Qui Tuent</em></strong>, 1970 (published in English in 1974 as <strong><em>Houses that Kill</em></strong>). (<em>Jacques Vallée, renowned French ufologist and early Church of Satan member, introduced Anton LaVey to many resources then completely unknown in the English-speaking world. <strong>Houses that Kill</strong> combines controversial theories about various unexplained forces of nature to examine the physical and psychological effects certain locations have on their inhabitants, fitting in with LaVey’s then still-developing ideas around the Law of the Trapezoid</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Dunn, Patrick. <em>Magic, Power, Language, Symbol: A Magician’s Exploration of Linguistics</em></strong>. Llewelyn, 2008. (<em>Dunn is a professor of linguistics, as well as a practicing postmodern magician, and examines both of those disciplines from the point of view of the other resulting in insights and techniques that work well with the semiotic theory of magic as discussed in Chapter Five of this book.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Hawkins, Gerald. <em>Mindsteps to the Cosmos</em></strong>. Harper Collins, 1983. (<em>A discussion of five colossal leaps in humanity’s understanding of its place in the cosmos, each enhancing our mindful evolution towards our full potential as self-aware, self-evolving beings</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Hinton, Charles. “What is the Fourth Dimension?”</strong>, 1880. (<em>Suggests that by removing the limitations on imagination imposed by thinking in terms of a three-dimensional universe, new possibilities for understanding the world and ourselves unfold. See also Hawkins’ <strong>Mindsteps to the Cosmos</strong>, Lovecraft’s <strong>Dreams in the Witch-House</strong>, and Hardy’s “Transfinitude”; the Nine Angles are just such a system for reshaping one’s thought processes to allow for transforming the three-dimensional world from a vantage point outside of it</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Hodgson, William Hope. <em>The Casebook of Carnacki the Ghost Finder</em></strong>, Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 2006. (<em>The Carnacki stories provided crucial influence to Anton LaVey, particularly evident in <strong>Die Elektrischen Vorspiele</strong></em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Hofstadter, Douglas. <em>Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid</em>.</strong>, Basic Books, 1979. (<em>Hofstadter’s central thesis – how a “strange loop” arises to transcend the limits of complexity in the system from which it originated – perfectly describes the transitions from the First to Second, Fourth to Fifth, and Sixth to Seventh Angles. See also Stephen Wolfram’s <strong>A New Kind of Science</strong> for a related approach that is more specifically related to the transition between the First and Second Angles.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Lawlor, Robert. <em>Sacred Geometry: Philosophy and Practice</em></strong>, Thames & Hudson, 1982. (<em>A wonderful review of basic geometric principles expressed through sacred geometry, with exercises and diagrams to illustrate the principles in practice rather than just an intellectual curiosity.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Livio, Mario. <em>The Golden Ratio: The Story of PHI, the World’s Most Astonishing Number</em></strong>. Broadway Books 2003. (<em>Spends as much time debunking fanciful – and oft-repeated – notions about the Golden Ratio as it does revealing the number’s true wonder and mystery</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Mortensen, William. <em>The Command to Look: A Master Photographer’s Method for Controlling the Human Gaze</em></strong>, Feral House, 2014. (<em>The techniques and theories in this book, originally dating to the 1930s, are one of the cornerstones of LaVey’s Law of the Trapezoid. This edition includes a lengthy appendix by Michael Moynihan examining Mortensen’s profound influence on LaVey.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Pauwels, Louis and Bergier, Jacques. <em>The Morning of the Magicians: Secret Societies, Conspiracies, and Vanished Civilizations</em></strong>. Éditions Gallimard, 1960; published in English in the U.S. by Stein and Day, 1964. (<em>One of Anton LaVey’s most essential sources, though rarely acknowledged. This book is more or less responsible for the occult revival in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s</em>).</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Plato. <em>Timaeus</em></strong>. (<em>This dialog captures, perhaps more than any other, the intertwining of metaphysical, mathematical, and philosophical ideas that are necessary in order to understand the whole of Plato’s thought</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Rucker, Rudy. <em>The Fourth Dimension</em></strong>. Houghton Mifflin, 1984. (<em>A seminal influence on the early development of the Nine Angles as a magical system following Dr. Stephen Flowers’ writings ca. 1988-1992. In a curious connection to key philosophical influences within the Temple of Set, Rucker is the great-great-great-grandson of the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Schneider, Michael S. <em>A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art and Science</em></strong>. Harper Perennial, 1994. (<em>A playful meditation on the geometric ideas that seem to be inherent parts of the origin and structure of the physical universe. Recommended for study in the context of the first four Angles</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Stanley, Thomas. <em>Pythagoras: His Life and Teachings</em></strong>, 1687, available in modern additions such as that introduced by James Wasserman (2010). (<em>A meticulously referenced compendium of the philosophy of Pythagoras, and one of the chief influences on the reverence which Pythagoras receives in the modern world.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Taylor, Thomas. <em>The Theoretic Arithmetic of the Pythagoreans</em></strong>, 1816, available in modern editions such as that published by Samuel Weiser in 1972. (<em>Taylor was the first to translate into English the complete works of Plato and Aristotle, and this volume was a key influence on the Pythagorean arithmology expressed through the lens of Lovecraft’s fiction in <strong>The Ceremony of the Nine Angles</strong></em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>VandenBroeck, André. <em>Philosophical Geometry</em></strong>. Inner Traditions, 1987. (<em>A student of the symbolist philosophers René and Isha Schwaller de Lubicz, VandenBroeck applies their thought to geometry as a tool for knowing oneself in its reflections in the world</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Veldman, Frederick, Ph.D. <em>Theurgy and Numbers: Purification, Liberation, and Salvation of the Soul</em></strong>. Waning Moon Publications, 2010. (<em>A key work on the significance of number in magic and initiation, with a chapter devoted to the Nine Angles</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><strong>Webb, James. <em>The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G. I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers</em></strong>. Putnam, 1980. (<em>In the appendix “The Sources of the System,” Webb traces the origin of many of Gurdjieff’s teachings on the Enneagram back to their likely origins in medieval philosophers such as Athanasius Kircher and Ramon Llull. The magical implications of studying precise geometric symbols and their inner meaning are discussed in detail, even as Gurdjieff himself would not consider his system to be a magical one.</em>)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<h3 id="films">Films</h3>
<hr />
<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari</strong></em>, 1920. (<em>As the most well-known of the German Expressionist films utilizing “strange angles” as a central feature of its set design, the disorienting appearance of virtually every scene in the film was a foundational influence on the formulation of the Law of the Trapezoid</em>.)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Metropolis</strong></em>, 1927. (<em>The most expensive film produced to that point, with cutting edge visual aesthetics and special effects, the futuristic dystopia _Metropolis_ gave the “mad labs” legacy of German occultism a stunning representation on the big screen. A seminal reference for the chamber design and mechanics of <strong>Die Elektrischen Vorspiele</strong>.</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>The Seventh Victim</strong></em>, 1943. (<em>A group of well-heeled, cosmopolitan people in New York City are in actuality members of a Satanic cult whose symbol and _mandala_ is a parallelogram. A significant source for Anton LaVey’s “ideal” Satanists as well as for crucial ideas in his conception of the original Order of the Trapezoid</em>.)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Donald in Mathmagic Land</strong></em>, 1959. (<em>A remnant of a different time in terms of what was considered essential education; this half-hour Disney cartoon conveys a wealth of information about sacred geometry, Pythagoras, and related topics that are a fun – and informative – complement to this book near 60 years later. Easily found on YouTube</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Satanis: The Devil’s Mass</strong></em>, 1970. (<em>A documentary on the early days of the Church of Satan, featuring revealing conversations with LaVey, early Church members, and his neighbors. The interviews with LaVey reinforce the conviction and sincerity behind the founding of the Church and his role as High Priest</em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Asylum of Satan</strong></em>, 1972. (<em>A terribly conceived and produced film, with amazing ritual sequences courtesy of Michael Aquino. Included here solely for historical reasons, as the film represented the first appearance of the Nine Angles outside <strong>The Satanic Rituals</strong></em>)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>The Call of Cthulhu</strong></em>, 2005. (<em>A magnificent film of a story that on its surface seems unfilmable. The sequences in R’yleh – where Cthulhu lay dead but dreaming before rising from his slumber – impressively utilize strange angles created almost entirely without computer-generated effects. The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society produced the film, and bring keen attention to detail along with a deep understanding of what makes the source material so compelling</em>.)</p>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="footnotes" role="doc-endnotes">
<ol>
<li id="fn:10hdorealbib" role="doc-endnote">
<p>born Claude Dodgin (or Doggins; legal records differ) <a href="#fnref:10hdorealbib" class="reversefootnote" role="doc-backlink">↩</a></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>Toby ChappellWhen I originally prepared the bibliography for Infernal Geometry and the Left-Hand Path, I included notes about many of the works explaining their significance to Angular Magic and the book in general. I find this sort of annotation to be useful, because many times it’s not obvious why a particular book is cited, or easy to determine which other books should be more or less important to read as supplementary material. The Temple of Set’s reading list (an older version of which can be found Dr. Aquino’s two volume set The Temple of Set) gives short descriptions of all works along with a ranking to help readers determine their relative interest for a given work. I have found that immensely helpful, and wanted to apply it in some fashion to this bibliography.Grailstone2020-01-20T00:00:00+00:002020-01-20T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2020/01/20/grail<blockquote>
<p>Flegetanis the heathen saw<br />
With his own eyes in the constellations things<br />
He was shy to talk about,<br />
Hidden mysteries that trembling revealed it:<br />
He said that there was a thing called the Grail,<br />
Whose name he had read clearly in the constellations.</p>
<ul>
<li>Wolfram von Eschenbach, <em>Parzival</em></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>Toby ChappellFlegetanis the heathen saw With his own eyes in the constellations things He was shy to talk about, Hidden mysteries that trembling revealed it: He said that there was a thing called the Grail, Whose name he had read clearly in the constellations. Wolfram von Eschenbach, ParzivalThe Polarian Method2019-09-09T00:00:00+00:002019-09-09T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2019/09/09/polarian<p>The Polarian Method — as codified by Dr. Stephen Edred Flowers — is a primary tool for the recreation of traditional systems. (See his essay <a target="_blank" href="http://www.rune-gild.org/articles/how-to-be-a-heathen-a-methodology-for-the-awakening-of-traditional-systems/">“How to Be a Heathen”</a> for an example of the type of work from which this Method arose.)</p>
<p>It’s also a sound scholarly principle for the acquisition of <em>any</em> new realm of knowledge. The twin poles referred to by the Polarian Method are that of objective study and subjective internalization, which when synthesized form true Understanding. This involves starting with the most accurate, scholarly material as possible — the real information, not someone else’s subjective interpretation. <strong><em>This is necessary for approaching the subject matter first on its own terms</em></strong>. Then, once that information has been sufficiently absorbed, subjective understanding is developed to make it your own. It has been made a part of you by way of accurate information and legitimate study, not the other way around which only allows your subjective biases to intrude upon your understanding before it has developed.</p>Toby ChappellThe Polarian Method — as codified by Dr. Stephen Edred Flowers — is a primary tool for the recreation of traditional systems. (See his essay “How to Be a Heathen” for an example of the type of work from which this Method arose.)Bio From an Upcoming Conference2018-06-01T00:00:00+00:002018-06-01T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/06/01/bio<p>Toby Chappell is a musician and writer currently residing in Georgia. He has been enamored with the esoteric and the strange for as long as he can remember, pursuing these as gateways into unraveling the mysteries of existence and self-awareness.</p>
<p>Some of Toby’s interests include the connections between Starry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path, the study of how semiotics and language reflect and enhance effective thought and action, and the Northern European esoteric traditions including the Runes. Influenced by the treatment of the unusual, the esoteric, the imaginal and the mysterious by such authors as Fritz Leiber, Herman Hesse, Stefan Grabinski and H.P. Lovecraft, his quest is always to seek the deeper Mystery behind the things that capture his interest (knowing that the truth always remains partially hidden).</p>
<p>He is the author of the forthcoming <em>Infernal Geometry and the Left Hand Path: The Magical System of the Nine Angles</em>, which explores the history and development of angular magic within the early Church of Satan and then in the Temple of Set starting in 1975. Lovecraft, Pythagoras, geometry (sacred and otherwise), semiotics – all these influences and more come together in this system first outlined in “The Ceremony of the Nine Angles” (written by Michael Aquino for Anton LaVey’s 1972 book, <em>The Satanic Rituals</em>).</p>
<p>A member of the Temple of Set since 2000, Toby currently serves as the seventh Grand Master of the Order of the Trapezoid within the Temple. The Order, whose meaning and purpose reach far into the dim past, was formally consecrated as a Knighthood dedicated to the Prince of Darkness by Dr. Michael Aquino in 1982 at the Wewelsburg Castle in Westphalia, Germany. Toby has written numerous articles on Satanism, angular magic, the runes and H.P. Lovecraft in Runes, the private journal of the Order.</p>
<p>In the last decade he has given interviews on various magical and initiatory topics to the <em>KHPR: The Voice of Darkness</em> podcast, the <em>Daimonosophy 2.0</em> podcast, and the <em>Church of Mabus</em> radio show.</p>
<p>Toby’s music and occult pursuits intersect in the solo projects Eyes of Ligeia (starry wisdom and ambient doom), and Misdreamt (found sounds, electo-acoustic experimentation, and apophenia). Over the last 13 years he has given various performances under the Eyes of Ligeia banner, both solo and with a group. In 2011 he created a new soundtrack for the silent film <em>Faust</em> (1926); this was commissioned by and performed at the German Cultural Center in Atlanta, along with other performances in the southeast and New York City.</p>Toby ChappellToby Chappell is a musician and writer currently residing in Georgia. He has been enamored with the esoteric and the strange for as long as he can remember, pursuing these as gateways into unraveling the mysteries of existence and self-awareness.Your First Thought Is Rarely Your Best2018-02-19T00:00:00+00:002018-02-19T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/19/first<p><a target="_blank" href="https://fs.blog/2018/02/first-thought-not-best-thought/">https://fs.blog/2018/02/first-thought-not-best-thought/</a></p>
<p>The crucial bit is in a quote within the article: “I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it’s always what I’ve already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom.”</p>Toby Chappellhttps://fs.blog/2018/02/first-thought-not-best-thought/Starry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path, Part IV2018-02-19T00:00:00+00:002018-02-19T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/19/starry-IV<p><a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/06/starry-I.html">Part I</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/09/starry-II.html">Part II</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/14/starry-III.html">Part III</a></p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/starry-thigh.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>The Big Dipper was known to the Egyptians as the Thigh of the Bull, or simply the Seven Stars, and was very closely associated with the god Set; Bata began as a farmer tending to cows, and one of his final remanifestations was into that of a bull, followed by being reborn as a pharaoh and then a god who is a form of Set.</p>
<p>The Seven Stars, or more specifically an area just behind them called <em>Re Sataue</em>, are known in the Egyptian Book of the Dead as the Habitation that is Hidden. In one of oldest versions of that book the deceased, after surviving certain ordeals, then exclaims: “I have entered into the Habitation that is Hidden, and I hold converse with Set.” This further demonstrates the importance of the star cult to the afterlife at that time.</p>
<p>In another instance of the 19th and 20th Dynasty obsession with stellar symbolism made into action, there is a papyrus from that period commonly referred to as the Cairo Calendar. Its name in hieroglyphics can be rendered as “An introduction to the beginning of infinity and the end of eternity”. Originally interpreted only as a guide to lucky and unlucky days, recent academic research (by High Priestess Emeritus Patty Hardy) has demonstrated that it also describes a complex and detailed timekeeping system based on the rising and setting times for certain stars at specific times of year. Each marker is described as the “going forth” of the god or goddess associated with that star, further reinforcing the symbolic aspects of associating the rites and attributes of what one does on earth with what goes on in the sky above, and for providing the individual with a means to read and shape his or her destiny.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/starry-sba.png" alt="" /></p>
<p>A key concept in the Starry Wisdom of the Egyptians is the word <em>s’ba</em>.</p>
<p>The word <em>s’ba</em> can be translated as <em>star</em>, <em>door</em>, or <em>to teach</em>. Why this curious complex of meanings? Those of you familiar with Egyptian soul lore may recognize the word ba, often rendered simply as “soul” but more precisely understood to be the individual’s enduring sense of self-awareness. Reading the word s’ba as “to impart a ba” makes the significance of “to teach” evident.</p>
<p>The door or gate is a familiar theme in the occult, and also the stories of Lovecraft, acting as links between the conventional reality recognized by society, and other realms of possibility. Gates must be transcended, often at great cost, in order to gain access to knowledge not available in any other way. The bridge between the cosmic and the earthbound is represented in the Mythos by Nyarlathotep, himself the true identity of the Haunter of the Dark, who is summoned from the stars via the Shining Trapezohedron. As the story says, combining the different meanings of the word <em>s’ba</em>: “These people say the Shining Trapezohedron shows them heaven & other worlds, & that the Haunter of the Dark tells them secrets in some way.”</p>Toby ChappellPart I Part II Part IIIStarry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path, Part III2018-02-14T00:00:00+00:002018-02-14T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/14/starry-III<p><a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/06/starry-I.html">Part I</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/09/starry-II.html">Part II</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/19/starry-IV.html">Part IV</a></p>
<p>The symbolism attached to the patterns of the night sky, the constellations and asterisms, are a means of encoding learning and myth, and spurring new insights into the workings of the cosmos and how the Self relates to it. Since the 1960s and the computer analysis done on the alignments of Stonehenge by Dr. Gerald Hawkins of Boston University, many of our previously accepted timelines of human development have been challenged in a new field called archeo-astronomy. This in turn reinforces the idea that the more we understand the cosmos and humanity’s place within it, and how and when certain insights were gained in our intellectual history, the more opportunity there is for applying the insights gained from study of the heavens to one’s own development and understanding.</p>
<p>There is an inherent power that comes from being able to advise rulers and predict celestial events through careful study of the cycles that govern human behavior.</p>
<p>The ancient and likely original black art of astrology provided a means of applying knowledge held only by an elite. Eclipses and other seemingly irregular events are often predictable, and knowledge of them can be made to serve the purposes of those in power, but often more information than is available through casual observation is required. Precise record keeping, and the ability to encode and interpret knowledge, is also a necessity.</p>
<p>The astrologer who wielded this knowledge would have held a great deal of behind the scenes influence. The astrologer applying this understanding to his own purposes would have personal power unavailable even to the rulers he served.</p>
<p>One of the earliest civilations that applied Starry Wisdom that touched all facets of its society was that of Egypt. It is well-known that the Egyptians tracked the year’s first heliacal rising of Sirius, when after a 70 day absence it reappears in the east just prior to sunrise. This event was both the beginning of their new year and the harbinger of the critically necessary annual flooding of the Nile. But like much of Egyptian history and mythology, the connections go far deeper.</p>
<p>As far back as the 2nd Dynasty (beginning ca. 2900 BCE), a foundation laying ceremony called the Stretching of the Cord is recorded. The pharaoh, assisted by Seshat, the goddess of temple records, brings the cosmic order as derived from the stars down to earth to be reflected in the orientation of the temple being built. Seshat was normally depicted wearing a leopard hide, the spots of which were associated with the stars of the night sky.</p>
<p>Compare this aspect of the pharaoh as the agent of the gods on earth, the bridge between the worlds, to Lovecraft’s writings on the role of Nyarlhathotep:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“And it was then that Nyarlathotep came out of Egypt. Who he was, none could tell, but he was of the old native blood and looked like a Pharaoh. The fellahin knelt when they saw him, yet could not say why. He said he had risen up out of the blackness of twenty-seven centuries, and that he had heard messages from places not on this planet.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The 19th and 20th Dynasties (spanning 200 years beginning ca. 1300 BCE), were those dominated by royal families who were loyal to the god Set. The pharaohs of these dynasties were especially interested in Starry Wisdom: one of the defining features of the funerary practices of the Setian dynasties is that of the astronomical ceiling, of which the most famous of those still intact is from the tomb of Seti I.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/starry-seti.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The astronomical ceilings functioned as maps for the pharaoh’s <em>akh</em>, or active essence, to become a star and find its way to its place in the heavens as one of the <em>neteru</em> (that is, the gods). This transformation is also told of in a story that dates from the time of Seti II, called “The Tale of Two Brothers”. In this tale, a farmer named Bata undergoes a series of ordeals and metamorphoses which culminate in his transformation into a star in the Big Dipper.</p>Toby ChappellPart I Part II Part IVThe Origins of My path2018-02-05T00:00:00+00:002018-02-05T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/05/path<p>My path to the Temple of Set could be summed up as: Teenage metalhead in the Deep South discovers Satanism, and imagines his favorite bands are really in league with the Prince of Darkness. Later finds out that for 99.99% of them it’s just a marketing gimmick, but thinks there might be something to this Satan thing anyway. Eventually discovers the truth is much deeper and stranger than he ever imagined.</p>
<p>Like many others, I first heard of the Temple because of the Aquinos’ appearance on the Oprah Satanism exposé in 1988 (I was 14 at the time). I had recently read an excerpt from <em>The Truth About Witchcraft Today</em>, recounting Hans Holzer’s encounter with the Church of Satan. I was fascinated by the description of Satanism as something more viable and honorable than the caricature which was prevalent then.</p>
<p>So when I saw this very logical and sincere sounding man with odd eyebrows on TV (along with his captivating and equally grounded wife), I had already been introduced to the idea of Satanism as a noble pursuit and was able to absorb what they were saying, while observing how they ripped apart the nonsense that was being presented by others as fact. While I remembered seeing these people take a stand for the truth, I didn’t actually remember the name “Temple
of Set” and it was years later before I realized that was who I had seen.</p>
<p>In my college years, after exploring and rejecting various forms of paganism and purely philosophical approaches, and coming to see Satanism as a metaphysical dead end, in the early days of the World Wide Web I read about the Temple on a website comparing various Satanic organizations. Of all the organizations I read about there, the Temple’s material seemed the least ludicrous and made the most sense.</p>
<p>In my college years, after exploring and rejecting various forms of paganism and purely philosophical approaches, and coming to see Satanism as a metaphysical dead end, I read about the Temple on a website in the early days of the World Wide Web. Of all the organizations I read about there, the Temple’s material seemed the least ludicrous and made the most sense.</p>
<p>While it would be another three or four years before I joined, my exposure to the Temple then framed a lot of my explorations during that interlude as I learned how to make myself into someone who could actually benefit from being a part of the Temple, even though actually joining it was not initially my goal.</p>Toby ChappellMy path to the Temple of Set could be summed up as: Teenage metalhead in the Deep South discovers Satanism, and imagines his favorite bands are really in league with the Prince of Darkness. Later finds out that for 99.99% of them it’s just a marketing gimmick, but thinks there might be something to this Satan thing anyway. Eventually discovers the truth is much deeper and stranger than he ever imagined.Starry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path, Part II2017-12-09T00:00:00+00:002017-12-09T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/09/starry-II<p><a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/06/starry-I.html">Part I</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/14/starry-III.html">Part III</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/19/starry-IV.html">Part IV</a></p>
<p>Many assume the Left Hand Path attraction to ‘darkness’ to be merely aversion to daylight and to ordinary socialization. In contrast, think about the incredible courage it took to go off by oneself and just gaze at the stars instead of remaining in the safety of light, shelter, and other humans. Further, consider the idea that much could be learned by the study of patterns in the sky and their reflection in human thought and behavior; this shows something critical about the individual, self-aware pysche and its cultivation. This takes the LHP beyond merely focusing on being the “other”, but now into the realm of the transcendent.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/starry-sun.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>In the Right Hand Path religions – the religions of the day side – all creation is considered to spring from a single cosmic figure often represented by or closely connected to the sun. A critical distinction between the Paths of the Right and the Left is mirrored in this solar/stellar dichotomy.</p>
<p>The Right Hand Path takes its cues from the sun, which defines the times, orders human life, dominates agriculture, and functions as the prototype for cosmic order in its regularity.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/starry-seven.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The Left Hand Path in contrast is stellar. The night sky becomes an entrance not a barrier, allowing one to see multiple points of light – and to be aware of others present but hidden due to ever increasing distance. Many of these points of light are themselves suns, scattered throughout the sky, many if not most with entire planetary systems orbiting them. The individual is symbolized by this – after all, every man and every woman is a star. The Self is a gravitational center of worlds; not one, like our sun, but many. Such a worldview encompassing this plurality grants liberty to its fellow beings that cannot exist in a solar worldview.</p>
<p>The individual, self-aware, self-evolving psyche functions as a prism: these experiences of the objective world are transformed, reshaped into a diverse range of structures of understanding, such as scientific thought, myth, religion. The study of this in turn leads to thinking of the night sky as a mirror in which the psyche sees itself. The stars are not only “out there”, but interior reflection allows us to see ourselves in them.</p>
<p>Observation of the patterns in the night sky has been with humanity since its dawn. This was illustrated quite effectively by Arthur C. Clarke in the novel <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em>, in which a curious ape nicknamed “Moonwatcher” gazes at the moon in wonder, and this curiosity makes him one of the more successful subjects of an experiment at transforming that latent intelligence of these creatures into something more as they make the next evolutionary leap forward. This leap is connected to the later evolution of the astronaut David Bowman, as those who dare to aspire to what can be glimpsed through the night sky are transmuted by the profound experience.</p>Toby ChappellPart I Part III Part IVStarry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path, Part I2017-12-06T00:00:00+00:002017-12-06T00:00:00+00:00https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/06/starry-I<p><a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2017/12/09/starry-II.html">Part II</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/14/starry-III.html">Part III</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://infernalgeometry.com/2018/02/19/starry-IV.html">Part IV</a></p>
<p>This is the first in a series of posts about Starry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path. They are derived from notes from my talk at International Left Hand Path Consortium in Atlanta in 2016.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/images/starry-monolith.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>In these posts I will be writing about Starry Wisdom, elements of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories drawn from his experiences as an amateur astronomer, and the relation of both of these to the Left Hand Path.</p>
<p>The connection between Starry Wisdom and the Left Hand Path derives from the way that cosmology shapes and reflects human thought. This connection is necessary for the transcendent forms of the Left Hand Path that focus on the capacity of the individual for self-directed, mindful evolution.</p>
<p>The phrase “Starry Wisdom” itself comes from H.P. Lovecraft, in the short story “The Haunter of the Dark”. In this story the ‘disliked and unorthodox’ Starry Wisdom Sect use a many-angled scrying stone to contact an entity who fears the light and originates from beyond the visible stars.</p>
<p>Starry Wisdom is the study of the night sky’s effect on individuals, from the deep past and the formation of uniquely human intelligence and self-awareness, to the present where symbolism related to the movements of the heavens is implicit in much of religion, philosophy and other concerns about humanity’s place within the cosmos.</p>Toby ChappellPart II Part III Part IV