Category Archives: Uncategorized

News on Kenneth Grant’s Nightside of Eden

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“Despite appearances, and according to the author’s own testimony, the thesis of Nightside of Eden is basically simple.” -David Hall

After the hectic Seattle Esoteric Book Conference and BLK Celebration “season”, followed by a magical retirement, we are now settling back in, getting some work done, and getting caught up on affairs. From all this activity, are behind on reading, but we made the time to stop by the BLK Library this week to start on Beelzebub and the Beast by David Hall.

Beelzebub and the Beast by David Hall

Beelzebub and the Beast by David Hall

Hall was one of the founders and editors of the Thelemic magazine SOTHiS. Today Starfire Publishing posted a review from a 1978 issue of SOTHiS (Vol II, NO.2) where Hall tackles Kenneth Grant’s Nightside of Eden. The opening volume of the second of the Typhonian Trilogies,  Nightside was a turning point for many of Grant readers where they either “broke through” or lost the plot entirely. Hall’s review does well to right the path of the later.

 

See the full review on Starfire’s website at http://www.starfirepublishing.co.uk/Nightside_Review.htm

For more on Hall’s Beelzebub and the Beast,

see http://www.starfirepublishing.co.uk/beelzebub_and_the_beast.htm

We are also very excited to share the announcement that Grant’s Nightside of Eden will be republished later this year! Starfire has done an admirable job in getting Kenneth Grant’s work back in print, in beautiful enhanced editions (new typeset, errata from previous editions and corrections from Grant’s own notes included, rescanned artwork, etc)

Read more on this at http://www.starfirepublishing.co.uk/Nightside_of_Eden.htm and make sure you are on Starfire’s mailing list for pre-order announcements!

“Nightside of Eden is an explication of the Cult of Choronzon and an initiated exposition of the Mysteries of the Left-Hand Path in relation to Western Occultism. Here, for the first time, the head of a genuine Magical Organization reveals the esoteric doctrines of the ‘black’ magic of the Left-Hand Path, as well as the practical application of psycho-sexual formulae of which very little is generally known.” – from the Starfire preview.

BLK Celebration 2013

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BLK Celebration 2013 LOVE KULT

BLK Celebration 2013
LOVE KULT

Black Lotus Kult presents:

BLK Celebration 2013 – “LOVE KULT” 

 

An evening of Art, Music, and Ritual featuring; Hagen von Tulien, Kindle Cimmerian, Twilight Bellidanse, Dawn Von Nagy, Raqs Steady Eddie, Ariock Van de Voorde, Scarlet Marie and More!

The 5th Annual “BLK Celebration” will be a semi-public event on September 16th at Edge of the Circle Books and will include events at the store from 6-9PM.

Schedule of events;

6:00-7:00PM – Meet and Greet and Book Signing. Open to public. A chance to converse and get some books/journals signed. Writers/Artist on hand will include Hagen von Tulien, Johnny Jakobsson, Dawn von Nagy, Ariock Van de Voorde and more. A VERY limited edition “BLK Celebration” print designed by Hagen will be made available. Wine and snacks will be served.

7:00-9:00PM – Ritual/Performance. Semi-Private. Invited guests may convene in the ritual chambers for an evening of evocative entertainment from Black Lotus Kult and Friends. Space is limited, and once invited guests are let in, we will allow additional attendees to enter as room permits. Performances will include the premier of a song from a Michael Bertiaux/Black Lotus Kult collaboration!

9:00-? – Carousing. Open to Public. After the performances are complete, we will head one door down to The Honey Hole (703 E Pike) for shenanigans.

For those who can’t make it to the event, Black Lotus Kult is offering, via the BLK Library, a limited edition “BLK Celebration” print. Based on the design of Hagen von Tulien (SEE ABOVE) and incorporating the “BLK Love Kult” logo, these prints measure 11.25″ x 17.3″ and are printed on premium poster card stock. Each will be individually hand-numbered, and will include the BLK Library Stamp, a Black Lotus Kult Propaganda Decal and the signatures of Hagen and various other Black Lotus Kultist who are performing at the event. THERE ARE ONLY 20 OF THESE BEING PRINTED. Pre-orders start now and will be cut off the day before the event (Any remaining copies will be offered there. If you plan to attend and want a print, please consider pre-ordering in case of a sell-out). To reserve a copy and receive payment info, please send a message via the Black Lotus Kult or BLK Library Facebook pages. The price is $40 USD in the US and $50 USD outside of the US via Paypal. Price includes shipping costs. PLEASE NOTE that items will begin shipping the week of 30 September. A portion of the profits for every print sold will be donated to Seattle Humane (please let us know what name you would like to be added to the “Fundraising Honor Roll” at http://shs.convio.net/site/TR?px=1097302&fr_id=1090&pg=personal to mark your purchase and contribution to this great organization).

Cults of the Shadow!

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Starfire Publishing has produced many fantastic works over the last quarter century, with a focus on the Typhonian tradition. First published in 1986, Starfire Journal has been the official voice of the Typhonian Order (previously known as the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis), and has shed light on many of the ideas brought forth in Kenneth Grant’s writings.

Starfire Journal, Volume I, Issues 1-5

Starfire Journal, Volume I, Issues 1-5

With Beyond the Mauve Zone (1999) and The Ninth Arch (2002), Starfire completed the final volumes of Grant’s Typhonian Trilogies. Starting in 2008, they then began to reprint enhanced editions of the previous out-of-print titles in this series; Outside the Circles of Time (2008), The Magical Revival (2009), and Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God (2013). Now comes the announcement of Cults of the Shadow, due this summer.

Although Grant’s works are all amazing, Cults holds a special place to many as their introductory vehicle into the wondrous world of Michael Bertiaux. This title explores Left Hand Path systems and histories, and looks into their manifestation in the works of Bertiaux, Aleister Crowley, Charles Stanfeld Jones and Austin Osman Spare. As with all Starfire reprints of Grant’s work, this will be an “enhanced” edition, with a new typeset, errata from the previous version within the text and notes taken from Grant’s personal copy included. In addition, these new versions have seen new art, interesting endpapers and, when possible, newly photographed versions of the original art. Many plates which were originally presented in black and white are now in colour. Fulgur Esoterica‘s presentations of Michael Bertiaux’s art speak volumes to the importance of colour in examining his work, and we feel many will be amazed when comparing the plates between new and old versions of Cults.

For more details on this title, head to http://www.starfirepublishing.co.uk/Cults_of_the_Shadow.htm

While on the subject of such things, some were caught sleeping at the pace of Starfire’s republication schedule, and a few of the much sought after deluxe copies of Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God are still available. We have nearly every Starfire deluxe in the BLK Library, and while all are spectacular, this volume really matches the physical object well to the content of the book.

AC&THG Deluxe

AC&THG Deluxe

To order, or read more, see http://www.starfirepublishing.co.uk/aleister_crowley_and_the_hidden_god_moredetails.htm

Starfire has also posted a link to Living Traditions Magazine‘s review of  Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God at http://www.starfirepublishing.co.uk/HG_review.html

“The Bartzabel Working” returns tonight

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We saw some interest in our previous post regarding filmmaker/musician/artist Brian Butler’s Bartzabel Working production. A new performance of this work started this week in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Palais de Tokyo.

This will be followed by an evening at Club Silencio. This David Lynch designed club will host a screening of Brian Butler and Kenneth Anger films, followed by DJ set from Brian.

invitation-kenneth-last1

Aleister Crowley’s “The Bartzabel Working” is a ritual evocation of the demon of Mars. For more information and photos, see Image Noire’s site –

http://imagenoire.com/brian-butler-evoking-bartzabel-spirit-in-paris-following-aleister-crowleys-directions/

This Show Will Break Your Heart…

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Rebel Belly Productions presents “That Crazy Little Thing Called Love” this Saturday at Columbia City Theater.

“Explore the many faces of love with
us, as we bring you into the deepest depths of the darker side of love
and then back into the lighter side of a love triumphant
through the magic and movement of dance.

Featuring belly dance, burlesque,
bollywood, modern dance and other delicious performances
by several of your favorite performers!”

Starring: Aaminah & Chris of Anwaar, Angela Silling, Copper Clock, Fosse Jack, Katana, Kindle, Letty Limbach, Master Xenagogue, Medea, Monica Schierbaum, Muna, Sarah Kate Moore, Shula Azhar & Tata Hari!

Tickets and info at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/363649

Saturday, May 4, 2013
$15 adv – $18 day of / 8:30pm / 21+

The show will be split into two acts, illustrating the “light” and “dark” sides of love.

Kindle of Black Lotus Kult will be performing in both, to the music of COIL, Elliott Smith, The Magnetic Fields and Emilie Autumn.

Love

Occult of Personality Interview

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Happy Easter from Black Lotus Kult!

It seems a bunny put a new interview in your basket this year…

Read about the “Occult of Personality” podcast/webpage and the man behind it, Greg Kaminsky. To view this, please click in the “interviews” tab or click here –

https://blacklotuskult.com/interviews/occultofpersonality/

OoP

New Interview Sunday

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A couple updates…

Interviews – We will post a new interview Sunday. You may expect new interviews roughly quarterly on Holy dates through the rest of the year.

Swag – BLK “Motorcycle Cult” T-Shirts went on sale at performances last month. They will be made available soon on the BLK Library Facebook page  www.facebook.com/BLKLibrary. Stock is VERY limited, and a portion of online sales will be donated to Seattle Humane.

Performance – Kindle will be performing at Cues and Tattoos as part of the Serpents Muse show on Saturday March 30th. There will be many amazing performances all weekend, as well as shopping and… tattoos!!!! See the Cues and Tattoos webpage for more info www.troupehipnotica.com/cues/

 

BLK Library is now on Facebook

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The BLK Library now has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BLKLibrary.

We will be sharing some pictures and announcing some Black Lotus Kult items for sale, as well as listing some books from the archives.

A generous portion of the sales of these items will go to help support charitable causes, which will be announced on the item listings.

Calm BLK

Brian Butler Performs Aleister Crowley’s “The Bartzabel Working”

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We had the privilege of meeting artist Brian Butler at the 2011 Esoteric Book Conference, and again as he came back to town to curate a film festival. Whether it be his evocative films or the ceremonial music performances of Technicolor Skull (w/Brian on guitar/electronics, and the legendary Kenneth Anger managing the theremin and visuals), Brian’s vision and execution is stunning. He should be on your list of artists to watch moving forward.

Earlier this month, Brian and friends conducted a public performance of Aleister Crowley’s The Bartzabel Working. This ritual evocation of Mars entered both occult and tabloid history as it was performed by Jack Parsons as a curse on Church of Scientology-founder L. Ron Hubbard (If you are unaware of the story behind this, and the dawning of the Babalon Current, you need to hit the library.)

Bartzabel Working by Brian Butler from Brian Butler on Vimeo.

Here are some great photos of the ritual, captured by Luke Gilford – http://purple.fr/diary/entry/kenneth-anger-and-brian-butler-s-technicolor-skull-debut-at-l-etrange-festival-paris

Photo from The Bartzabel Working by Luke Gilford

Photo from The Bartzabel Working by Luke Gilford

Tonight in Seattle

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Skinny Dip Dec 2012

Kindle and other friends from Black Lotus Kult will take the stage at this evening’s Skinny Dip show at the High Dive. The show’s theme is “The Den of Iniquity”. In case that is not a good enough clue, their literature promoting the evening states “It’s not a family show” (I guess that would depend on the family though).

Although our performances are mostly ritualized with esoteric significance, this one will be “just for fun”.
Kindle