John Dee

Aleister Crowley After an unsuccessful attempt to climb Kanchenjunga and a visit to India and China, Crowley returned to Britain, where he attracted attention as a prolific author of poetry, novels, and occult literature. In 1907, he and George Cecil Jones co-founded a Thelemite order, the A∴A∴, through which they propagated the religion. After spending time in Algeria, in 1912 he was initiated into another esoteric order, the German-based Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), rising to become the leader of its British branch, which he reformulated in accordance with his Thelemite beliefs. Through the OTO, Thelemite groups were established in Britain, Australia, and North America. He spent the First World War in the United States, where he took up painting and campaigned for the German war effort against Britain, later revealing that he had infiltrated the pro-German movement at the behest of the British intelligence services. Early life[edit] Youth: 1875–94[edit] Cambridge University: 1895–98[edit] Had! [edit]

John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, imperialist[5] and adviser to Queen Elizabeth I of Welsh[6] origin. He devoted much of his life to the study of alchemy, divination and Hermetic philosophy. In his lifetime Dee amassed one of the largest libraries in England. His high status as a scholar also allowed him to play a role in Elizabethan politics. He served as an occasional adviser and tutor to Elizabeth I and nurtured relationships with her ministers Francis Walsingham and William Cecil. Biography[edit] Early life[edit] Rector at Upton-upon-Severn from 1553, Dee was offered a readership in mathematics at Oxford in 1554, which he declined; he was occupied with writing and perhaps hoped for a better position at court.[9] In 1555, Dee became a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, as his father had, through the company's system of patrimony.[10] Later life[edit] Final years[edit] Personal life[edit] Achievements[edit]

Lord Byron English Romantic poet and lyricist (1788-1824) He travelled extensively across Europe, especially in Italy, where he lived for seven years in the cities of Venice, Ravenna, and Pisa. During his stay in Italy he frequently visited his friend and fellow poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.[7] Later in life Byron joined the Greek War of Independence fighting the Ottoman Empire and died leading a campaign during that war, for which Greeks revere him as a folk hero.[8] He died in 1824 at the age of 36 from a fever contracted after the First and Second Sieges of Missolonghi. His only legitimate child, Ada Lovelace, is regarded as a founding figure in the field of computer programming based on her notes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.[9][10][11] Byron's extramarital children include Allegra Byron, who died in childhood, and possibly Elizabeth Medora Leigh, daughter of his half-sister Augusta Leigh. Family and early life[edit] Upon the death of Byron's mother-in-law Judith Noel, the Hon. [edit]

Edward Kelley English alchemist Legends began to surround Kelley shortly after his death. His flamboyant biography, his relationships with Queen Elizabeth I's royal magus Sir John Dee and the Emperor Rudolf II, and his claims of great alchemical skill and the ability to communicate with angels have all led to his relative notoriety among historians. Biography[edit] Birth and early career[edit] Much of Kelley's early life is obscure. With Dee in England[edit] Kelley married a widow, Jane (or Joanna) Cooper of Chipping Norton (1563–1606). About a year after entering into Dee's service, Kelley appeared with an alchemical book (The Book of Dunstan) and a quantity of a red powder which, Kelley claimed, he and a certain John Blokley had been led to by a "spiritual creature" at Northwick Hill. With Dee on the Continent[edit] In 1583, Dee became acquainted with Olbracht Łaski, a Polish nobleman interested in alchemy. Apogee and fall[edit] The Enochian language[edit] Notes[edit] References[edit] External links[edit]

Chaos magic The chaosphere is a popular symbol of chaos magic. Many variants exist. For more, see Symbol of Chaos. General principles[edit] Chaos magicians are often seen by other occultists as dangerous or worrisome revolutionaries.[2] History[edit] Origins and creation[edit] This magical discipline was first formulated in West Yorkshire, England in the 1970s.[4] A meeting between Peter J. Influences[edit] Following Spare's death, magicians continued to experiment outside of traditional magical orders. Early days[edit] The first edition of Liber Null does not include the term "chaos magic", but only refers to magic or "the magic art" in general.[6] Texts from this period consistently claim to state principles universal to magic, as opposed to a new specific style or tradition of magic, and describe their innovations as efforts to rid magic of superstitious and religious ideas. Chaos came to be part of this movement defined as "the 'thing' responsible for the origin and continued action of events[...].

Hermeticism Hermeticism, also called Hermetism,[1][2] is a religious and philosophical tradition based primarily upon pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus ("Thrice Great").[3] These writings have greatly influenced the Western esoteric tradition and were considered to be of great importance during both the Renaissance[4] and the Reformation.[5] The tradition claims descent from a prisca theologia, a doctrine which affirms that a single, true theology exists which is present in all religions and was given by God to man in antiquity.[6][7] Many Christian writers, including Emerson, Lactantius, Thomas of Aquinas, Augustine, Giordano Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, Campanella and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola considered Hermes Trismegistus to be a wise pagan prophet who foresaw the coming of Christianity.[8][9] Much of the importance of Hermeticism arises from its connection with the development of science during the time from 1300 to 1600 A.D. Etymology[edit] History[edit] Cosmogony[edit]

10 Songs for Astrologers | I love music and I love astrology so I thought whilst the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars are all snuggling together in Libra, I would post a light and airy piece on songs for astrologers. 1) Starwalker by Buffy Saint Marie 2) Stars by Beth Quist This track is on the album ‘Silver’ which has an overall cosmic feel to it. A lady with a stunning vocal range, Beth’s music is both inspirational and healing. You can even listen to the album for free at Magnatune! 3) Rocket Man by David Fonseca Ok, so slightly tenuous link but I had to get my fabulous Portuguese singer in somewhere! 4 )Hello Earth by Kate Bush Of course you could always pick ‘Constellation of the Heart’ by the lovely Kate. 5) Venus by Bananarama Wonderful 80′s pop and a humorous dive to the fluffy side of Venus. 6) Jupiter and Teardrop by Grant Lee Buffalo I’ve never quite worked out what he means by this line but it mentions Jupiter and it’s a lovely song. 8) Venus as a Boy by Bjork This had to make it to the list.

Edgar Allan Poe American writer and critic (1809–1849) Edgar Allan Poe (né Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as one of the central figures of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States and of early American literature.[1] Poe was one of the country's first successful practitioners of the short story, and is generally considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre. Poe was born in Boston. Poe switched his focus to prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism. In January 1845, he published his poem "The Raven" to instant success. Poe's works influenced the development of literature throughout the world and even impacted such specialized fields as cosmology and cryptography. Philadelphia

Inês de Castro Inês de Castro (Portuguese pronunciation: [iˈneʃ dˈkaʃtɾu]; in Castilian: Inés; 1325 – 7 January 1355) was a Galician noblewoman best known as lover and posthumously-recognized wife of King Peter I of Portugal. The dramatic circumstances of her relationship with Peter (at the time Prince of Portugal), which was forbidden by his father King Afonso IV, her murder at the orders of Afonso, Peter's bloody revenge on her killers, and the legend of the coronation of her exhumed corpse by Peter, have made Inês de Castro a frequent subject of art, music, and drama through the ages. Biography[edit] Inês was the natural daughter of Pedro Fernández de Castro, Lord of Lemos and Sarria, and his noble Portuguese mistress Aldonça Lourenço de Valadares.[1] Her family descended both from the Galician and Portuguese nobilities. She was also well connected to the Castilian royal family, by illegitimate descent. Constance of Castile died in 1345. Peter became king of Portugal in 1357 (Peter I of Portugal).

Theosophy Theosophy comes from the Greek theosophia (θεοσοφία), which combines theos (θεός), "God"[3] and sophia (σοφία), "wisdom," meaning "divine wisdom." From the late 19th century onwards, the term theosophy has generally been used to refer to the religio-philosophic doctrines of the Theosophical Society, founded in New York City in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, William Quan Judge, and Henry Steel Olcott. Blavatsky's major work, The Secret Doctrine (1888), was one of the foundational works of modern theosophy.[4] As of 2015[update], members of organizations descended from, or related to, the Theosophical Society were active in more than 52 countries around the world.[a] Modern theosophy has also given rise to, or influenced, the development of other mystical, philosophical, and religious movements.[5] Etymology[edit] The term theosophia appeared (in both Greek and Latin) in the works of early church fathers, as a synonym for theology:[6] the theosophoi are "those who know divine matters Theosophy:

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (russisk: Елена Петровна Блаватская - Jelena Petrovna Blavatskaja), også kalt Madame Blavatsky, født Helena von Hahn (født 31. julijul./ 12. august 1831greg. i Jekaterinoslav, død 8. mai 1891 i London) var en russisk okkultist og mystiker som gjennom sine skrifter la grunnlaget for den moderne teosofien og for organisasjonen Teosofisk Samfunn. I 1878 ble hun amerikansk statsborger. Madame Blavatsky var en fargerik kvinne som ble det nittende århundres viktigste esoteriske filosof. Hennes arbeide med å forene østlige og vestlige esoteriske tradisjoner har lagt grunnlaget for mange nyere religiøse tendenser og grupperinger. Mange av våre dagers nyreligiøse retninger bygger på Madame Blavatskys teosofi. Biografi[rediger | rediger kilde] Familie[rediger | rediger kilde] Helena Petrovna von Hahn ble født natt til den 31. juli 1831 i byen Jekaterinoslav i Ukraina, som den gangen var en provins i det russiske imperiet. Barndom og oppvekst[rediger | rediger kilde] H.