Month: July 2013
Two weeks left for submissions to the Summer 2013 Hermetic Library Album
There are two weeks left until the Summer 2013 submissions deadline for participation on Magic,…
Virtual Book Tours
I am now a member of a very cool website that promotes authors who write about magic. Most of it the fantasy kind, not the occult kind, but where would we be without stories? Isn’t that where all myths begin?
So if you would like to learn about indie authors who write magic-oriented fantasy, check out the Magical Appreciation Tour website.
I’ll be having authors from the group doing guest posts here and at jameslwilber.com.
Pretty soon, I’ll be doing my own blog tour for the My Babylon: Completeedition coming out July 23rd.
Ave Babalon
Whether you like it or not
My blog description has changed to fit what I’m actually doing here:
The devotions of author and magus James L. Wilber: this is a blog about writing, magick and change – “Epizeteo Eschaton”
This means, the book promotions will continue. Even when the books aren’t really about magick. Though I consider all of my writing a devotion to Thoth. Posting about magick and political activities will continue as normal, as well as art work.
I’m not going to lie about this. While it would be fair to the people who follow me to move my book promotions to one of my other blogs, this one reaches over 700 people. I need as much help as I can get spreading the word.
If you ever feel this has become too twitter-like and all I’m doing is shoving shit in your face, let me know and I’ll tone it down. I know why you’re here, and it’s not to get an ad for a book every hour.
This is an amazing picture.
Damnnn
THE LEAVES OF HERMES’ SACRED TREE.
Redrawn from an original manuscript dated 1577.
In his Key to Alchemy, Samuel Norton divides into fourteen parts the processes or states through which the alchemical substances pass from the time they are first placed in the test tube until ready as medicine for plants, minerals, or men:
1. Solution, the act of passing from a gaseous or solid condition, into one of liquidity.
2. Filtration, the mechanical separation of a liquid from the undissolved particles suspended in it.
3. Evaporation, the changing or converting from a liquid or solid state into a vaporous state with the aid of heat.
4. Distillation, an operation by which a volatile liquid may be separated from substances which it holds in solution.
5. Separation, the operation of disuniting or decomposing substances.
6. Rectification, the process of refining or purifying any substance by repeated distillation.
7. Calcination, the conversion into a powder or calx by the action of heat; expulsion of the volatile substance from a matter.
8. Commixtion, the blending of different ingredients into new compounds or mass.
9. Purification (through putrefaction), disintegration by spontaneous decomposition; decay by artificial means.
10. Inhibition, the process of holding back or restraining.
11. Fermentation, the conversion of organic substances into new compounds in the presence of a ferment.
12. Fixation, the act or process of ceasing to be a fluid and becoming firm; state of being fixed.
13. Multiplication, the act or process of multiplying or increasing in number, the state of being multiplied.
14. Projection, the process of turningthe base Metals into gold.
Fortune-Telling Cards, c.1714 engraved pack designed for divination, in which every alternate numeral card has an astrological sphere, andthe others are filled with fortune-telling answers. The court cards are whole length figures, the Kings and Queens being the same in all four suits, although with different inscriptions. Every card has aruled offspace at the top containing the name ofan astrologer, sybil, etc., with a numeral and suitmark toindicate the value. On the Ace of Hearts is Hermes Trismagistus, on the King ofHearts Herod, on the Knave of Spades Wat Tyler and onthe Knave of Clubs Hewson, the regicide.
These Fortune-Telling cards, first published as early as 1690, were possibly the first pack of cards ever made specifically for the purpose of fortune-telling. Otherwise, previously, ordinary playing cards would have been used for the purpose. The system of fortune-telling advocated is complicated, and takes some perseverance to reach an answer to simple questions such as whether the enquirer will be happy, rich or poor in love .
These cards bear, in addition to the usual suit and number markings, figures and diagrams which can be used for fortune telling. There is a contemporary set of instructions in the use of the cards printed on two of the cards, the second of which has the address by John Lenthall, Stationer, at the Talbot against St. Dunstan Church, Fleetstreet, London.