#Jack Parsons’ poetry | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

originalchicago · 1 year

Text

bughouse [buhg-hous]

noun, (slang)

an insane asylum.

"Bughouse Square" didn't start out as a gathering place for "kooks". It was a cow path with a well that farmers used to water cattle. Now its a cool little piece of serenity not too far from busy Michigan ave and Rush street.

In 1842 , the owners of the three acre parcel donated it for use as a park. Located across Walton Street from Newberry Library at 901 N. Clark Street in the Near North Side of Chicago.

They stipulated that it be called Washington Square Park, one of four present day Chicago parks that use the surname Washington. (the others being Washington Park, Harold Washington Park, and Dinah Washington Park) It is Chicago's oldest existing small park (renovated a few times) and a registered historic landmark.

By the 1890's, it had bisecting diagonal walks, limestone coping, picket fencing, and a Victorian fountain in the center. Perfect for "soapboxing", a flamboyant art form used metaphorically today but in the 1890's, public oration required an actual wooden box to stand on. It was around this time that it became known as "Bughouse Square".

A good soapboxer was quick on his feet as well as with his wit, to escape angry crowds and put down hecklers as they often gave provocative speeches on religious or political themes.

A speaker named One-Armed Cholly Wendorf would raise the stub of his right arm and declare "You know where the rest of this is? Somewhere in France. Somewhere in a trench. … Cholly Wendorf's arm is enrichin' the soil that grows the grapes that bring you the best Cognac money can buy."

A good soapboxer after all, also knew how to get the crowd on his side.

Speakers with moniker's like “Cosmic Kid,” Ben “the clap doctor” Reitman, the Sheridan twins (Jack and Jimmy) came to soapbox but people such as Carl Sandburg, Upton Sinclair, Edgar Lee Masters, Clarence Darrow, Emma Goldman, Lucy Parsons and Theodore Dreiser also spoke there.

It was known as a center for free speech, rivaling such oratory landmarks like Hyde Park in London. Artists, writers, radicals, and hobos pontificated, lectured, recited poetry, ranted, and raved much like they do on Facebook today, then they would go to the Dil Pickle. A bohemian club owned by Wobbly John "Jack" Jones, about a block away where they would listen to jazz, recite poetry, rant and rave some more and maybe put on a play while imbibing a drink or two. The club had an orange alley door and a sign that read “DANGER” and two arrows pointing to the club’s entrance with the warning “Step High, Stoop Low, Leave Your Dignity Outside.” It closed in 1933.

"Bughouse Square" had its heyday between the 1920's until the mid 60's.

It had been a major tourist attraction starting in the 20's with thousands of people coming by the busload.

Nowadays, the Newberry Library hosts the "Bughouse Square" debates in July, a celebration of First Amendment rights. They encourage speakers and hecklers alike to join in and speak their mind about issues of the day. They also do reenactment speeches by famous Chicagoans as well and have open mic poetry, music and food.

There is also a memorial tablet which declares the park as "Chicago's Premier Free Speech Forum."

Bring a thick skin.

0 notes

nitebloom · 2 years

Note

Can you share some of your favorite books with us?

oh ym god thank u this is the best question <3 definitely leaving a lot out but here for the sake of time and space but here are the ones id rather die than be without lol

the way of the tarot - alejandro jodorowsky literally my bible like ive slept w this in my bed like a stuffed animal multiple times it’s underlined and written all over lmao, ended up writing my thesis on the tarot (and leonora carrington, who was his tarot teacher) based off the stuff ive learned from this book song of songs from the bible uuuhmmm yeah one of the greatest poems and mystical texts ever written also reading it 20000 times and thinking about it a lot really influenced my spiritual philosophy ladders to fire anais nin love and other demons gabriel garcia marquez wise blood flannery oconnor weetzie bat (and all the books in that series), got the 1st book when i was 13 changed my life forever going solo roald dahl this compilation of edgar Alan poe poetry lol night wraps the sky: writings by and about mayakovsky my beloved mayakovsky ilysm <3 les fleurs du mal baudelaire duhhh tristessa jack karouac isabelle and the angel - thierry magnier literally a kids book that ive had forever and have a complex about where i feel like it prophecized the course of my life, also the illustrations are oil painted and so beautiful i’m with the band - pamela des barres <3 i first discovered gram parsons cuz of this book need i say more ask dr. mueller: the writings of cookie mueller -cookieee i love you so much. this is a compilation of her short stories and such and mostly it’s my favorite for this one story about her going to jamaica in the 70s with her son and gf and it’s seriously some of the most beautiful writing i’ve ever read. all the other stories are so good too. i discovered it in 2018 while going thru cookie’s archive at the NYU library and read an original copy that allegedly belonged to david wojnarowicz (<3) moon moon anne kent rush alice in wonderland - lewis carroll literally fave forever ive owned like 30 copies throughout my life& its another one w an intense affect on my subconscious lol

also the collected articles of ida craddock (!!! google her), the bell jar (duh), ram dass be here now, d’aulaires book of greek myths and euripides the bacchae

#sorry this is so long lol but theres no simple answer to that question #but ty again for asking ur da bomb <3

9 notes · View notes

the-al-chemist · 3 years

Text

Ethel Viola Hexley

Ethel Hexley is a highly spirited woman, with a talent for flying, talking, and causing trouble. As the older of the Hexley twins, Ethel was born to lead. After spending seven years being the scourge of Gryffindor house alongside her best friend Selene, Ethel pursued a career in Magical Law, eventually rising to the level of the Wizengamot. In her late twenties, she started to realise that her strong feelings towards her brother’s best friend Lysander Mercury were not just those of utter hatred, and the pair went on to marry and have three unruly daughters together.

Profile

Born: 26th September 1880 (Libra)

Hometown: Dunsworthy-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor, Devon, U.K.

Nationality/Ethnicity: White British

Blood status: Half-Blood

Gender identity: witch (she/her)

Sexuality: Heterosexual. Mainly, anyway.

Personality

Myers-Briggs Type: ENTP (Debater)

Strengths: Energetic, Quick-Witted, Passionate, Verbally Dextrous, Persuasive

Weaknesses: Exhausting, Irritating, Argumentative

Interests/hobbies: Quidditch, debating, writing/performing poetry/plays/speeches, social justice

Appearance

Height: as an adult, 5’7”

Weight: as an adult, 65kg

Hair: light brown with reddish undertones

Eyes: blue

Skin: pale-ish, freckles

Defects: scars on both knees and left shoulder

Style: comfort over style as a rule, detests corsets, lace up boots, often will mix dresses with men’s outerwear (because pockets)

Faceclaim: Maya Hawke

Witchcraft

Wand: Chestnut and Unicorn Hair

(Chestnut is a most curious, multi-faceted wood, which varies greatly in its character depending on the wand core, and takes a great deal of colour from the personality that possesses it. The wand of chestnut is attracted to witches and wizards who are skilled tamers of magical beasts, those who possess great gifts in Herbology, and those who are natural fliers. Three successive heads of the Wizengamot have possessed chestnut and unicorn wands, for this combination shows a predilection for those concerned with all manner of justice.)

Animagus form: None

Patronus: Parson Jack Russell Terrier

Boggart: Ethel sees herself, unable to talk

Riddikulus: Boggart-Ethel recites a rude limerick

Amortentia (what does she smell?): lemon, fresh cut grass, new parchment, butterscotch

Amortentia (what does she smell like?): clotted cream, honeyed whiskey, polished wood, the dew on morning grass

Magical abilities: skilled flier

At Hogwarts

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Best subject(s): Ancient Runes, Divination (in terms of enjoyment)

Worst subject(s): Potions, Divination (in terms of grades)

Third year options: Ancient Runes, Divination, Muggle Studies

N.E.W.T.s: Ancient Runes, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, DADA, Charms, Transfiguration

Quidditch position: Chaser

After Hogwarts

July 1899-December 1900: Junior secretary, Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

January 1901-May 1904: Clerk to the Head of the Council of Magical Law

June 1904-October 1925: Member of the Council of Magical Law (short career breaks for family reasons)

January 1907 onwards: Member of the Wizengamot

November 1925-December 1950: Head of the Council of Magical Law

January 1951 onwards: Semi-Retired, Advisor to the Council of Magical Law

Relationships

Family:

Florence Hexley (mother) - a Muggleborn Healer and Midwife

Theodore Hexley (father) - a Pure(ish)blood Herbologist and proprietor of a small company creating magical remedies

Jeremiah Hexley (twin brother) - Ethel and Jim do get on, but they aren’t close. They have nothing in common, and Ethel thinks Jim is a little dull. However, if anyone else said this about him, she’d leap to his defence.

Beatrice, Flora and Ottilie Mercury (daughters) - Ethel and Lysander’s three daughters all inherited their mother’s loud voice and talent for trouble and their fathers Metamorphmagus skills. When all the year that the youngest Mercury girl started Hogwarts, several staff members handed in their resignation letters.

Ivy Anders (cousin @kc-needs-coffee) - Ethel is Ivy’s second-favourite cousin.

Héloïse Hexley née Perrault (sister-in-law)

Marius and Lucienne Hexley (nephew and niece)

Friends:

Selene Fraser (@lifeofkaze) - Selly is the sister Effy never had, and the two of them have been inseparable since their first day at Hogwarts

Cledwyn Ironwood (@that-scouse-wizard) - Ethel’s fellow Chaser Cled says that Ethel is not his friend. Ethel disagrees. Ethel is right. Ethel is always right. Even when she’s wrong, she is right.

Victoria Summer and Lottie Gallagher (@whatwouldvalerydo, @slytherindisaster) - Ethel and Selene’s roommates have the patience of saints.

Vinny Raymond (@hogwartsmysteryho) - Ethel adores little Vinny, his sweet temper, and his willingness to do anything for a dare.

Gwen Archeron (@thatravenpuffwitch) - Ethel and Gwen bonded in third year over their mutual love of Ancient Runes and similar sense of humour.

Siobhan Llewelyn (@kc-needs-coffee) - Shiv and Ethel are passionate about feminism and enjoy a good witty debate.

Oliver Gerard (@kc-needs-coffee) - Ethel’s long-suffering Quidditch Captain is fonder of her than he’d let on.

Love interests: Lysander Mercury (@slytherindisaster) - Ethel and her former Quidditch rival Lysander claimed to hate each other for years, and were horrified to find that they were attracted to each other when they reconnected at Jim and Héloïse’s wedding. After that, their paths kept crossing until they eventually began courting.

Pets:

Ethel is the co-owner of Selene’s pet ferret Alan. The Hexley family own three cats, two owls, and a Labrador named Roger.

Rivals:

Carolyn Nyberg (@lifeofkaze) - Ethel loves winding people up, and she gets a kick out of seeing Caro struggle to maintain her usually composed demeanour when she gets annoyed.

Atticus Doherty (@hphmmatthewluther) and Nolan Miller (@hogwartsmysteryho) - why are these two boys so easy and so fun to tease? Because they always rise to the bait, that’s why. It’s even more fun to rile them both up and watch them argue with each other. Ethel could spend hours doing that.

Siobhan Llewelyn (@kc-needs-coffee) - when Shiv and Ethel agree on something, there’s no stopping them. When they disagree, however, all hell breaks loose…

Lysander Mercury (@slytherindisaster)- Ethel always thought that her twin brother was annoying, but then, she met his friend Lysander. He was like Jim, without the good bits. The Quidditch rivalry between the Gryffindor Chaser and Hufflepuff Keeper was always to be expected, but who would have guessed that it would give way to something romantic?

*Ethel is open to all interactions*

The quote in the edit is from Legally Blonde

#hogwarts legacy #hphl oc #the Hexley family #ethel hexley

33 notes · View notes

dustedmagazine · 4 years

Text

Luke Haines and Peter Buck — Beat Poetry for Survivalists (Omnivore)

youtube

Two titans of the 1990s hook up for an enjoyable album of odd, whimsical yet muscular power pop. Luke Haines, an uneasy contemporary of Pulp, Oasis and Suede (his biography is subtitled Britpop and My Part In Its Downfall), helmed the cultish, cello-led Auteurs through three rather wonderful albums, New Wave, Now I’m a Cowboy and After Murder Park, before turning his attention to Black Box Recorder. Peter Buck, well he’s fucking Peter Buck, mostly of R.E.M., but also the Minus Five, the Baseball Projects and occasional gigs with Robyn Hitchcock. The two met, apparently when Buck decided to buy one of Haines’ paintings of Lou Reed, but it seems like something that had to happen. Both work life and eccentricity into well-worn jangly pop forms. Both are good at what they do.

Musically, Beat Poetry for Survivalists weds chugging freak beat rhythms to spiraling, psychedelic guitars, with an occasional penny whistle, harmonica or glockenspiel thrown in for variety. Catchy little melodies wrap themselves in bluster; strings of verbiage coalesce cleverly around the ear-worm-y choruses. Haines sings in a weathered, mutter-y manner, breaking from speak-singing into song-singing at intervals to follow the curve of the song. Buck builds fun-house castles of guitar sound out of wah wah and fuzz, chiming and slashing and vamping in fanciful patterns that never drift out of control.

Yet as in its touchstones—Robyn Hitchcock for sure, and to a lesser extent Bowie—the music’s lyrics are important. They are very clever, odd and intermittently a bit too pleased with themselves. Look at me stick the rhyme, some of them seem to say. The craft is right there on the surface, working on its own account and not always for the song. The good songs (“Jack Parsons” “Bobby’s Wild Years”) are fascinating in the way that unpredictable images fit into the contours of melody. The less impressive ones (“Apocalypse Beach” “French Glam Man Band”) seem like strings of unrelated words with bits of guitars in between.

If you like Nuggets-y garage pop, if you enjoyed either the Minus Five or the Auteurs, if you’re a sucker for fuzz guitar and end-times imagery, you’ll find plenty to entertain you. The songs are good. Both musicians are pros. The execution is offhandedly excellent, like they’re not even trying but nailing it anyway. But you never get the sense that these songs matter all that much to either principal. It’s a parlor trick, a juggling act that they could do all day without dropping anything, but the stakes don’t seem to be very high.

Jennifer Kelly

#luke haines #peter buck #beat poetry for the survivalists #omnivore #jennifer kelly #albumreview #dusted magazine #auteurs #black box recorder #R.E.M.#power pop #nuggets #garage

1 note · View note

hs-parsons · 5 years

Note

do you have a favorite and least favorite scythe? :)

[HS Parsons runs his hand through his hair nervously, and offers a sheepish smile.]

"Ah, see, this is a hard question for me to answer, but I suppose I should give it an honest go, since it may be a good benchmark for how my values over the years have evolved."

[Despite his very obvious hesitation, he clears his throat and begins. Humiliation can be seen plainly on his face.]

"Ever since I was a kid, and a ways into my apprenticeship as well, I always admired Goddard. I pointed to him as an example of a fully realized Scythe, one who utilized his talents and power to its fullest extent. No one else took life with such finesse. I feel bad about it, but I bought into his 'new order' rhetoric for so long. I chose my name for another pioneer of rocketry, Jack Parsons, to reflect him."

"Then the monastery burned, and I was forced to rethink... everything. I looked to the Scythes of the distant past, and tried to find wisdom in their words and the traditions they codified. I kind of felt like an apprentice all over again, learning what my purpose in all this really was."

"I especially find wisdom in the poetry of Scythe Socrates, these days. Have not a hand in the blade with abandon/Cull from the fold all the brazen and bold. I think we too often forget this wisdom."

#arc of a scythe #scythe oc

4 notes · View notes

omgericzimmermann · 6 years

Text

There were a lot of things that Dima found confusing about the United States. He didn’t understand why cell phone bills cost as much money as they did. He didn’t understand why there were that many ingredients in Nutella. He didn’t understand why the Americans around him treated vodka like it’s some miracle drug, or why none of them knew the difference between pierogi or pelmeni. He didn’t, absolutely did not, understand why tins of tuna said they were “chicken of the sea” when they were actually fish.

The one thing he did understand was hockey.

And with hockey, the whole reason he lived in the strange, brightly lit den of desert iniquity that is Las Vegas, he understood Kent Parson.

Dima didn’t understand the United States and probably never would - which he decided mere moments after he first landed in the US after a long, long flight from the Kiev airport - but it didn’t take him long to understand Parse. They started on the Aces the same year, though Dima was a few years older, but Parse was graceful on the ice in a way that Dima never could be; Parse was poetry in motion; Parse was sex on skates.

Dima liked the fact that Parse tried, that he asked whether Dima spoke Ukrainian or Russian - that he knew there was a difference - and he liked the fact that Parse made an effort at speaking Ukrushian that Dima and the Russian players on the team could all understand. He liked the way Parse said “Dimitri” and then later “Scraps” and then, sometimes, quietly, “Dima.”

He liked that Parse only ever said “Dima” quietly, softly, when other people couldn’t hear. When they were watching a movie together in the apartment they shared their joint first year, or when they were bunking together on roadies. He liked that Parse picked it up after they skyped with Dima’s mom who was in their dacha east of the city, in the kitchen making shashlik, and the way he tried to be formal with is “Dobry den” even though all he usually spoke was curse words.

Dima liked all of those things when he first started on the Aces, and first moved to Las Vegas, and he understood hockey and Kent Parson, right up until the first moment they were alone together after they won their first Stanley Cup. And in the dark of their apartment, a day and a half after their cup win, with the Vegas heat pressing in through their windows, and the blackness of the hour just before dawn smothering all thoughts and common sense, with Parse’s small, lithe frame pressed against his much larger, more scarred, blunter body, and his mouth, so hot, and soft, and wet against Dima’s own, Dima realised he didn’t understand Kent Parson.

“What are you doing?” Dima had asked, putting his hands on Parse’s shoulders and pushing him away.

“I thought--” Parse had said, and his eyes had cycled through a series of emotions: fear, shame, disappointment, resignation.

“No?” Dima had replied, because he did understand Parse, he had realised again, and he understood him to be the right amount braver than Dima was himself.

“Fuck, sorry,” Parse had said, but of the emotions Dima had seen in his eyes, apology had not been one of them.

And it had gone away. It had all gone away, and it had stayed away until their second cup. And maybe Parse was confused when Dima hadn’t asked him to find his own place, and hadn’t protested Parse’s captaincy, and hadn’t told anyone. But Dima understood hockey, and he knew Parse was best for their hockey.

At their first moment alone together after their second cup, it was Dima, in the bright morning light of their apartment, after they had peeled themselves off the Strip, with Kit Purrson winding around their ankles and the taste of champagne still on their tongues and the carbonated bubbles still popping inside their cheeks, who kissed Parse this time. It was Dima who thanked him for good games, good hockey, that thing which they both understood so much better than anything else, especially human hearts, and it was Dima who cupped Parse’s face in his own, oversized hands and aligned their lips for the best coverage. For the best coverage, and the most electricity running up and down both their spines, half from taking the cup a second time, half from doing what they ought to have done two years earlier and had started abortively but properly this time. Dima understood that at least: he understood kissing.

And he understood the sleepy soft smile on Parse’s face the next morning when he woke with Parse’s cheek pressed against his chest.

And he understood Parse well enough to read the look in his eye when pictures and videos and twitters - tweeters - whatever they were called - of Jack Zimmermann kissing a small blond man on centre ice in the wake of his own Stanley Cup victory turned up all over their phones.

He understood Parse well enough to know that as soon as they got home - the bachelors who’d never found reason to get their own places as far as the rest of their team was concerned - the first words out of Parse’s mouth would be, “I wasn’t supposed to go first in the draft, but I was supposed to be first at this.”

#I have to go to sleep i said to all my friends #it's quarter past one am i said to all my friends #literally fuck you said my brain and made me write about Dimitri Chicken-fish Scraps Zelenko and his boyfriend Kent Parson #parse #the ghost ship scribbles #why am I this way

205 notes · View notes

howaminotinthestrokesyet · 4 years

Text

Music Landmarks Tour: Bars and Hotels

The Rainbow Bar and Grill

The Sunset Strip has always been well known for its connection to the music world. Many of the bars and clubs located on that street have a place in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, and none was bigger than the Rainbow Bar and Grill. The bar was founded in 1972 by Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and others. This quickly became a place for celebrities to hang out at as evidenced by the fact on it’s opening night a party was held there for Elton John. John Belushi would eat his last meal there. Before it was the Rainbow, this location was a restaurant owned by Judy Garland and Vincent Minelli. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe had their first date there. The bar soon became the number one spot on the strip for rock and roll celebrities including Keith Moon, Harry Nelson, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Mickey Dolenz, Keith Moon, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and many more. Motorhead front man Lemmey Klimster practically lived there sitting at the end of the bar playing the video poker machine. The bar would also change its regulars as the music changed. Members of Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, WASP, Poison all became frequent customers at the Rainbow in the 1980’s. Guns N’ Roses would go on to mention the bar in the songs “Estranged,” “November Rain,” and “Don’t Cry.” The place was filled with groupies for all of these bands. A number of the waitresses would end up being groupies also. The rock band Rainbow was actually named after the bar. I have drank in this place. The sense that I got as we stood in this room was that I was being stared at by this huge biker. People were trying to figure out whether I was a nobody or somebody.

The Green Mill

The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge located in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago first opened in 1907. Its original name was Pop Morse’s Roadhouse, but was changed to the Green Mill Gardens in 1910. The name was a reference to Moulin Rouge in Paris. During the days of Prohibition, Machine Gun Jack McGurn became part owner of the establishment. He was a member of Al Capone’s outfit organization. Performer Joe E. Lewis would later refuse to perform at the Green Mill, which led to his brutal death having his throat slashed. This would be later dramatized in the film, The Jokers Wild. Al Capone had a favorite seat in the bar, which still exists to this day offering views of both the front and back entrance. Underneath the bar, there was also an escape hatch, which led to a tunnel that came out to another building nearby. As time went on, the Green Mill hosted quite a few jazz icons of the day including Billie Holiday. The bar also became home to one of the country’s first poetry slams, which was held for the most part on Sunday nights. The bar has been featured in numerous films mostly in the 1990’s including VI Warshawsky and Prelude to a Kiss. The reason for placing a jazz club in this list is personal. The Green Mill was always the place to go after any concert at the Aragon or the Riviera on a weekend. There would always be a long line waiting to get in there after the show. Most of the time, I would not even wait in line, but instead head over to the Uptown Lounge. The Green Mill was usually too packed to warrant spending any time there.

Memory Motel

In 1976, the Rolling Stones released a song entitled “Memory Motel” on the album, Black and Blue. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Jagger wrote the lyrics in 1975 while staying at Andy Warhol’s house in Montauk, New York (Long Island). The motel is an actual one located there as well. The history of Mick Jagger and this motel was very brief. He only visited the bar at the motel once. A husband and wife, who owned the bar, did not really like him that much. Rumor has it that all the members of the Rolling Stones did not particularly like the motel either, but they only liked the name of the motel. Jagger found it to be quite poetic. Anyone can stay there as it still exists as an inexpensive, mom and pop motel. If you do not wish to stay there, you can still visit the same bar that Jagger drank at back in 1975. If you look at pictures of the motel, except for this connection to the Rolling Stones, I could see very little reason to attract people to stay there.

Joshua Tree Inn

If you enjoy slightly more morbid rock and roll history, you could stay at the Joshua Tree Inn in San Bernardino County, California near Joshua Tree National Park. This is the hole in the wall motel where country rock legend Gram Parsons died in 1973. Who you may ask? He was a member of the Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and the founder of American Cosmic Music. The latter was a hybrid music style combining country, r and b, rock, and folk. The Rolling Stones started to dabble in country on the album, Exile on Main Street primarily because they had met Graham Parsons. He died in Room 8 in an avalanche of drugs and alcohol. Anyone can stay in the room where he met his end. You can also stay in the Donovan Suite, which was the famous singer’s room of choice when he stayed there with his wife. In the 1970’s, he had decided to basically quit music altogether and moved to the Joshua Tree area to raise his family. The National Park is a good spot anyway because many musicians have found inspiration there including John Lennon, Keith Richards, Jim Morrison, and U2.

Continental Hyatt House

The Continental Hyatt House is a hotel located on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. If you remember the film Almost Famous, the character William Miller and Penny Lane go there to meet with Stillwater. The hotel has received the nickname over the years as the Riot House because of the outrageous behavior from many musicians over the years. The hotel was first opened in 1963 by Gene Autry, but three years later it was sold to Hyatt, which changed the name to the Continental Hyatt House. One of the primary attractions of the hotel was its close proximity to clubs on the Sunset Strip like the Whiskey A Gogo. Currently, the hotel is called the Andaz West Hollywood, but it is still owned by Hyatt. Led Zeppelin would often rent as many as six floors in the 1970’s when they stayed there. Legend has it that John Bonham would drive his motorcycle up and down the hallways. Truth be told, this was probably manager Richard Cole. In 1972, Keith Richards threw a television out the window in Room 1015. Keith Moon would later do the same thing from his room. Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor attempted suicide here in 2003. The late Little Richard actually lived at the hotel for most of the 1980’s and 1990’s. Jim Morrison was living there for a time, but he was evicted after being found hanging outside his window. One change that has been made with the recent renovations is there are no longer any balconies to throw televisions over. The balconies have been changed to glass enclosed sunrooms.

1 note · View note

sirengenerator · 6 years

Text

a masterpost

lifeguard girl: a fantasy/adventure tale with a poly-romance at the center of it. i’m most invested in lifeguard girl and attached to characters within it, so they’re the ones most commonly blogged about.

it should be noted that “lifeguard girl” is a placement title until i can get my shit together.

laila karnofsky: the main character of lifeguard girl and, shockingly, a girl and a lifeguard. laila is determined to find a cure to her siren’s curse and not really aware that other people might have objections to her risky and impulsive behavior. she is in a polyamorous relationship with troye and florence.

troye bernstein: a supporting character and love interest, troye is a good-natured romantic who accompanies laila on her journey and, in the process, begins a relationship with her and florence.

florence: [charahub link] a supporting character and love interest, florence is a siren with a lot of internal conflict regarding her feelings towards humanity and other sirens. she is in a poly relationship with laila and troye.

nerys spring-selborne: local researcher into the paranormal and part time conspiracy theorist, nerys is best characterized by her dedication to both her research and her best-friendship with andre.

andre michon: both a psychic and an unemployed millennial, andre remains the casual observer of other’s lives, rather than the startup of events in them. he would do anything for his best friend nerys, and is in a relationship with achilles.

achilles: [charahub link] a mermaid who has managed to find themselves in quite a bind, achilles lives in a koi pond in the backyard of nerys’s and andre’s home, and enjoys a romantic relationship with andre and a healthy friendship with him and nerys.

zachariah “z” zheng: a half-siren with few prospects in life and a dim sort of outlook, z lives a hedonistic lifestyle with little regard for the feelings of others. that is, when they aren’t met with their self-perpetuated misery. they begin as a minor antagonist and by the end, find themselves being more of a minor annoyance.

antigone: an old force similar to but much more powerful than today’s sirens, antigone is the last of their generation and they don’t exactly seem happy about that fact. they are the antagonist of lifeguard girl, and their character development has a ways to go, so for now i keep a lot of information about them vague.

the vanishing: a post apocalyptic dating sim concept i came up with during my summer break. like most of my projects, nothing is likely to come out of it, but i tend to think about it a lot.

beezus nakanishi: a reclusive entomologist, beezus has a not-so-mild obsession with insect life and labels people based on what bugs he thinks they most reflect. he’s kind of weird and gross. still, he has some charms. deep down. really, really deep down. he’s the only vanishing character i’ve really blogged about at considerable length.

esra redd: hooty hoo here comes weed and comic book boy, with his weed and comic books. what’s he dragging behind him? oh, it’s just his abandonment issues and inferiority complex. don’t worry about that. focus on his crush on beezus in the front there.

ceres trench: local millennial talks nostalgically about her indie band and the unofficial tour they went on while she bags your cvs items. she damns the name of minnesota, the dreaded state that keeps her captive from her true passion, which is playing guitar #2 and singing vocals. she continues advertising this band well into the weird empty apocalypse.

donatello “donnie” rickets: the local fight gay cannot go one minute without picking a fight. specifically with beezus. he really doesn’t like bug boy. still, he sort of joins esra when it comes to carrying that inferiority complex with him.

filomena blackett: filomena is a model and stylist, and could tell you at length how hard it is adjusting to a life with only the company of six other losers, but would rather sit with you and explain her insecurity as a child and her admiration for other women.

laurence dean: pretentious southern vegetarian. laurence is a philosophy degree away from being what he always dreamed of, unfortunately instead of going with his dreams and pursuing art/writing/philosophy, he went with architecture to give the illusion that he was a professional. he likes bad webcomics.

shall i compare thee: a story about adolescence, living with trauma, the closet, and crushes. shall i compare thee (working title by the way) started off as a stray thought but then i made ocs for it so i guess it’s a thing now. kind of.

dahlia parsons: dahlia is currently deeply in the closet and comfortable there, but a misunderstanding leads to her being set up with landon robinson, which wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t a lesbian and crushing on his sister. she likes coding and set design. she’s partially based on me and partially based on girls too cool to even be compared to me.

lana robinson: known for playing romeo in last years rendition of romeo and juliet, being the president of the school’s gsa, practicing her writing with reader insert fanfiction, and being the most open and out lesbian in school. she’s based on several different girls i’ve met and looked up to so as to create the Ultimate Crush who’s actually a Giant Nerd.

landon robinson: a fellow theater kid, landon is a bisexual boy who has yet to realize his attraction to guys, and develops an attraction to dahlia after being set up on a few dates with her. vice president of the gsa, landon claims he is a straight ally and is there in support of his sister.

hercule parsons: a gay with a ridiculous name, hercule has been in the closet since forever and is the only person who knows that dahlia is a lesbian. she goes to him for advice sometimes. hercule values his sister’s trust and sometimes consults his boyfriend for advice to become a better brother to her.

ethan parsons: dahlia and hercule’s twelve-year-old annoyance and little brother, ethan is aggressively intelligent but due to his yet-diagnosed dyslexia and adhd, is currently trying to get a handle on his difficulty in school and avoid going to summer school for the third time.

marsha tennant: dahlia’s fellow closeted friend, marsha is unaware of dahlia’s attraction to girls and dahlia is unaware of marsha’s attraction to girls. marsha does her best to be cool with limited success.

logan winters: hercule’s boyfriend and former weed-dealer, logan’s interests include his boyfriend’s wellbeing and arguing that a college education isn’t necessary whilst getting a college education.

stomach aches: a story about a close knit group of friends who just happen to all have food names, their lives, and their reaction to one of their friends―ginger―leaving to go to an overseas college. it mainly centers around nori.

nori sanders: a lesbian with social anxiety and a strong attachment to ginger, nori has a hard time letting go of people and a tendency to bottle up her feelings. she’s in a new relationship with merlot that goes through some ups and downs.

ginger isaac: nori’s best friend with big aspirations. she’s going to overseas college and is kind of sort of breaking down thinking about it. she likes putting on an air of having her shit together and enjoying nights in with her secret girlfriend.

jack newcombe: the most pansexual and polyamorous of them all, jack mainly specializes in being one of nori’s best friends and looking like a rogue in a ya novel. he does questionably successful improve comedy and is That Binch.

merlot black: a bisexual girl with limited experience with girls, merlot hits it off with nori upon meeting her and crushes needlessly. she has clinical depression and writes music and poetry, and sometimes paints. she and her mom fight a lot.

[there are many characters, and i’ll be adding them and links as i continue to get motivation/content.]

#hnnngn i have 2 many ocs

1 note · View note

kentparsonbirthdaybash · 7 years

Text

Kent Parson’s Birthday Bash 2017 Masterpost

Hello wonderful people!

All participants should have received a gift today, so we’re ready to publish our masterpost of every fic produced for the challenge. Woohoo! We know you guys are reading like mad already and we’re excited to see the level of interaction and love going around. Remember to leave comments and kudos galore for all the wonderful creators!

You can access the AO3 challenge here at any time.

This masterpost list is organized alphabetically by recipient and will be updated on July 10th after author reveals!

All this week, we will also be publishing several smaller posts that will organize fics by ship to make it easy for your shipper heart to find the fics you want!

Thanks for much for participating in the challenge this year. It’s been a blast & we’ll see you next year!

Happy birthday, Kent Parson!

Best,

@whiskeytangofrogman & @iamneversleepingagain

? for achilleees: drive on through the night (back home) (Rated T, Pimms, 5.1k): They’re not the same people they were in the Q, with hockey looming over their heads. They’re better.

? for aj4668: The People Who Leave Us (Rated T, Kent/Ransom and Kent/Swoops and Kent/OMC, 21.5k): Ransom signs with the Aces because they’re as far away as he can get from Boston. He figures that despite their reputation for playing dirty, they’re the most progressive team in the league. He looks over at Kent, whose face is sullen and lost in a house full of people here to be with him. He wonders if someone could know his entire story without him saying more than a few words.

? for allonsyarielle: Something New (Rated G, Patater, 1.6k): When Kent bumps into Alexei Mashkov at his favourite brunch place, he finds something very unexpected, something he'd almost given up on.

? for alpha_exodus: spring (Rated T, BittyParse, 22k): Sometimes Kent sits on the floor by the windows of his apartment and feels inexplicably lonely in a city seeking glory and affection, lets his heart feel full of things lost and yet to be found, and hopes for better things to come.

? for alwaysbuddy: About Time (Rated T, Pimms, 3.5k):“You sure you're ready?” Kent asked, looking up at Jack. “Kenny, I’m sure. You don't have to keep asking, okay? I want to do this with you,” Jack assured him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Okay,” Kent echoed, laying his head on Jack’s chest, his fingers lacing through Jack’s. “Almost doesn't feel real, you know? Like, we’ve had to hide for so long and we just--won’t have to anymore.” “It'll be good,” Jack said, squeezing Kent’s hand. “It'll be fucking amazing, that's what it'll be,” Kent said, his lips stretching into a grin. “You just had to one up me,” Jack teased. “Always.”

? for asimpleline18: three (Rated T, Kent/Tater/Snowy, 1.5k): Three's a crowd -- or is it?

? for bittyybee: You Look Pretty Good Down Here (But You Ain’t Really Good) (Rated E, PB&J, 5.6k): Jack finds himself a little overwhelmed at his first BDSM kink party. Luckily, Kent and Bitty are there to show him the ropes.

? for blazeofglory: the fires we started (Rated E, Pimms, 6.1k): “How long?” Kent asks. He won’t look at Jack. He won’t. There’s a pause. “Since.” Jack doesn’t look at him either. “Since then.” Since you.

? for blindinglights: Cherry Pie: 50 min @ 425F (Rated E, PB&J, 2.2k): “Yeah. You want in, Zimms? Or should we get a room?” “Both?” Jack asked, looking to Bitty. “Both,” Bitty breathed. “Both is good.”

? for blithelybonny: you got me wanting you (Rated E, Nursey/Kent/Dex, 11.3k): “Kent – Parson?” Dex said, kind of a squeak. “Like…” “How many Kent Parsons you know of?” Nursey said. “Yeah, Parson. Number one celeb crush. I’m mad into that douche-ass smirk, man.”

? for blue_rocket_frost: (jealousy) get the best of me (Rated T, Pimms, 4.6k): There’s a familiar couple with warm smiles and crinkled eyes standing at the airport outside his gate with a giant sign sporting his name, and Alicia Zimmermann gives Kent the biggest, warmest hug he’s had off the hockey rink in years. Kent forgot how much he missed that. How much he missed them. In the excitement of it all, Kent forgets a very, very important thing about Bad Bob Zimmermann. Bad Bob Zimmermann is a terrible meddler.

? for bookwyrmling: Hold Me in Your Heart (Rated T, Kent & Zimmerparents, 7.6k): Kent Parson doesn’t need another dad. His own was bad enough. He and his sister have gotten along just fine without one ever since his mom finally kicked that piece of s*** out once and for all. He definitely doesn’t need some ex-hockey star pretending to be a dad to him.

? for cablesscutie: Some Days are Harder Than Others (Rated T, Patater, 1k): "Shit." Just when Kent was about to make a call back, the time and date hit him. It was his God damn birthday and he had a party and he's pretty sure he fucked up something. Kent has doubts about himself and lacks confidence, thankfully he always his goof of a boyfriend Tater there with him.

? for cambo: Not Quite Singing in Perfect Harmony (Rated T, Pimms and pre-PB&J, 27.1k): Bitty held up his phone with one hand and rubbed his eye with the other. “Kent Parson is engaged?” “Kent’s engaged,” Jack said. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Happy for him? Surprised? Something else? Bitty looked over at Jack and sighed. “Invite him to dinner,” he said.

? for carsonphillips: Breathe You In (Rated T, Patater and Kent/Swoops, 42.9k): "Don't hide away from me like this, Zimms. You don’t smell it?" The Soulmate Smell, people liked to call it. Scientifically, it was just pheromones, compatible people heightening each other’s sense of smell, to suss each other out like bloodhounds sniffing down their target. "Smell what Kenny? I didn't smell anything." "Don't lie to me!" Kent snaps. -- A soulmate AU where you can smell your soulmate from across the room, but not pinpoint who it is, and Kent tries to find out who he's smelling on the ice.

? for checkthanks: A long flight (Unrated, Kent/Swoops, Art): Fanart of Kenny and Swoops on a long flight home.

? for daydoodles: someone you maybe might love (Rated T, Pimms, 1.4k): Jack and Kent: the three happy years before the draft.

? for dogstarblack: the start of something (Rated T, Kent/Swoops, 20.3k): The story of how Jeff Troy became, at first, Kent Parson’s linemate, then his friend, and eventually something more than that.

? for eden22: Starved (Rated M, BittyParse, 16.3k): Kent suffers a career ending injury in a game against the Caps, forcing him to hang up his jersey for good. Now he must learn to cope with the loss of his past life and decide what to make of himself without hockey to define him. Lucky for him, help can be found in unexpected places.

? for entirely_too_tall: Something Sweet (Rated T, Pimms and Patater, 5.9k): When the media asks Kent what he was feeling as Mrs. Durand drove him to the Colisée Financière Sun Life for his first day with the Rimouski Océanic, he feeds them a cocktail of emotions: excitement, nervousness, and determination all at once. He isn’t lying—he was feeling those things—but his feelings were pushed to the back of his mind in favor of the Smell. The closer he got to the rink, the more detail he could pick up: freshly mown grass, fir, birch, lilac, and upon stepping into the rink, Kent swears he can smell maple syrup.

? for fieldofdiabolicalbutlovelykillers: Player 15 (Rated E, BittyParse, 20.4k): A list of things that Kent Parson definitely isn't: 1. He definitely isn't worried that the Aces just drafted Eric Bittle because he's a younger, faster version of Kent 2. He definitely isn't bitter and jealous that Bittle got Jack and Kent didn't 3. He definitely isn't falling for him

? for goldstandard: Moving in Slow Motion (Rated E, BittyParse, 8.6k): Bitty's room is overbooked at orientation, which means he has to stay in the only available bed left. But that bed is in the RA's room, and the RA in question happens to be Kent Parson.

? for imamaryanne: Yer a Wizard, Parser! (Rated T, Kent/OMC, 8.5k): Sure, Kent Parson is gay. But that’s not his biggest secret.

? for immarcesibility: aftermath (Rated T, Pimms, 1k): Jack and Kent meet up years later, and talk about what went wrong.

? for iprotectkennyp: Avocado Toast (Rated T, Kent/Snowy, 1.1k): “You won’t tell anyone, right?” “That you write romantic poetry or that you’re gay? In which Kent is oblivious as usual.

? for jacksbits: Best Birthday(s) Ever (Rated E, PB&J, 1.8k): Snippets of Kent's birthday through the years. He's not always around, but he's always on Jack's mind.

? for ladymars: always gold (Rated G, Kent/Nursey, 6.1k): Derek looks like fall; the good parts of it, at least, when the sun is shining through the cracks of red and orange trees, when everything is just a little softer and warmer and nicer. Kent always liked fall best, anyway. Or: the one where Kent and Derek both visit the park every morning to watch the sunrise, and their lives become infinitely more intertwined.

? for lautjuh1: Land of Wishing Wells (Rated E, Patater, 9.6k): Somehow Kent goes from dateless to Jack and Bitty’s wedding to going to it with Alexei Mashkov. Not a real date. No, they’ll play fake boyfriends, and then somehow break up after the wedding. He’s not even sure how or if they can pull it off, but Alexei is dead set on it working.

? for lydiastjames: we should just kiss (like real people do) (Rated T, Kent/Swoops, 6.7k): In which Kent Parson has a cat who keeps secrets from him, and a crush on a teammate that isn't much of a secret anymore.

? for madameofmusic: [pending]

? for mahons_ondine: With a Thousand Sweet Kisses (Rated T, BittyParse, 7.2k): Ten times Kent kisses a boy.

? for manhattanproject: A Timid Love Beneath The Skin (Rated T, Pimms and pre-PB&J, 7.2k): “You should go see a trainer about your shoulder,” Jack says, voice low, approaching Parse’s side at the bar. Parse’s head snaps up. “What are—well, hello to you, too. Jesus Christ, Jack.” Or, Parse gets injured during the All-Star Game, and Jack tries to make him go see a trainer. Things escalate. To... massages?

? for mcbangle: It’s About Forgiveness (Rated T, Kent/Swoops, 6.1k): Kent stares at his phone. He reads the text three times. He checks the name of the sender five times. It’s a text from Jack, who, outside of saying ‘good game’, he hasn’t talked to in six years.

? for minyrrds: Crossing the Line (Unrated, Kent/Swoops, 1.1k): Kent Parson resolved to get over his longstanding crush on his straight teammate long ago. Luckily for him, he was never successful.

? for niesbixby: find me somebody to love (Rated T, Kent/OMC and Kent/OFC, 12.6k): Kent Parson has it all. Money, fame, looks, you name it. The only thing missing in his life? A relationship. He has been single for longer than he likes to admit, and he's turned into the crankiest old person because of it. Of course, his friends notice that, so they do the only thing they know will help: Set Kent up on dates. The only problem? Kent is picky as fuck.

? for nightswatch: hesitate (Rated T, Kent/Swoops, 2.8k): “Is this your way of showing love? By insulting me?” That actually makes Jeff pause. He considers giving Kent a hint, at least a chirp at the weird swooping his stomach did. “Nah I just like insulting you to insult you.” (Wherein it takes playing at different teams for these two to get together.)

? for oldlace: Might as Well Swim (Rated M, Pimms, 2.5k): Kent and Jack find themselves at the All Star Game together for the first time.

? for omgpieplease: Displaying Our Love (Rated E, PB&J, 4.9k): Kent receives a suggestive snap from Bitty. Jack doesn't have sex during the playoffs. Both of these things lead to one of the best nights of Kent's life.

? for originally: you could be happy (and i won’t know) (Rated T, Kent/Swoops, 10k): The year he turns 26, Kent Parson renews his contract, comes out and figures out how to talk about his feelings. It's a steep learning curve.

? for palateens: Meet Me When You’re Over Yourself (Rated T, Nursey/Kent and Shitty/Lardo/Kent, 4.1k): Meeting your soulmate is a choice. Some people make it more easily than others.

? for poisonousflower3: A Soft Place to Fall (Rated E, Patater, 2.3k): “I have surprise for you, Kenny,” Alexei whispered against Kent’s collarbone. The certain surprise was burning a hole in his suitcase, mocking him every time he grabbed clothes for the day. Alexei wanted to wait until Kent’s actual birthday to use it, and the wait had slowly been driving him crazy.

? for potrix: Chirping Kent Parson (Rated T, Patater, 3.7k): “I’m just--” Kent fumbled for an explanation for his behavior. The only father-figure he'd ever had was judging him for his culinary skills, his first love was flirting with his new boyfriend ten feet to his left, and said boyfriend was looking at Kent like he ran over his dog. Too much. Too ridiculous. Instead, Kent settled with changing the conversation. “What are you making, anyway?” “I make surprise dish. Rat stew. No ingredient but is okay, since you are here. Judges will be very surprised.”

? for redporkpadthai: Puerto Vallarta (Rated T, BittyParse, 2k): It's been five years since they met in a whirlwind vacation fling and five years since they began dating. Bitty wants to make sure the next five years, and much longer, start off on the right foot.

? for ronanlynchisneversleepingagain: Ace Observation (Rated T, Kent/Swoops, 7.3k): Alternatively Titled: Tyler Frye Gets His Groove On

? for sohini96: Patater Cuddling (Rated G, Patater, Art): A quiet morning spent cuddling on the couch.

? for staunchlyanonymous: To Fall Down at Your Door (Rated T, Pimms, 3.3k): Kent Parson is pretty sure he's completely ruined the best friendship he will ever have, and he runs from that knowledge. It takes him four years to find out just how wrong, and also how right he was.

? for summerfrost: Bed and Breakfast (Rated M, PB&J, Art): Kent's birthday celebration starts a bit early and continues the following morning.

? for takumiismypatronus: It’s Magic (Rated T, Kent/OMC, 12.6k): In 2001, Kent Parson reluctantly goes to see the first Harry Potter movie with his sister. He has no idea how much being a Harry Potter fan will change his life, even years later.

? for theunvanquishedzims: :3 (Rated G, Gen, Art): Kent is a cat burglar who has a friendly acquaintanceship with other villains he sees around town, at least until a bunny-themed burglar starts showing him up. Time to teach bunny-boy a lesson... if Kent can catch him, that is. (And does stopping a thief make you a hero? Oh no. Oops.)

? for ticktockclockwork: There For You (Rated M, BittyParse, 4.8k): Eric is a DJ rising through the gay club scene in Las Vegas when he and Kent Parson fall in love after Kent becomes the first openly gay player in the NHL. They start to fit into each others' lives until Kent makes a mistake because of his own insecurities. Can they fix it before they drift too far apart?

? for topieornottopie: The Proud and the Prejudiced (Rated M, Patater, 5.1k): “Don’t ruin pretty face,” a familiar, accented voice drawls. “It's only thing you have going for you.” “Fuck off, Mashkov,” Kent barks back automatically before he stills, and then slowly turns around to face the other man. “Mashkov? What the fuck are you doing here?” Kent has annoying but well-meaning friends, a lot of (internalized) issues, and a mild pretty bad swearing problem. But he gets to kiss a hot guy at Pride, so there's that.

? for tragedyistheirs: Friends In Low Places (Rated T, Patater, 4.8k): “Hey, Mashkov,” Kent says, “who do I gotta blow to get a drink around here?”

#omgcheckplease #omgcp #kent parson #parsepositive #kvpbb17 #2017 Challenge

125 notes · View notes

tipsycad147 · 5 years

Text

Aleister Crowley Factsheet

'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law'

Aleister Crowley (Edward Alexander Crowley) was born 12 October in the same year as the foundation of the Theosophical Society (1875), at Leamington Spa at 11.30 pm. He was therefore a Libran with Pisces moon and Leo rising. Contrary to popular legend, he died on the 1st December 1947. A review in Cambridge University magazine Granta of 1904 provides some guidance on the pronunciation of the great man's name: 'Oh, Crowley, name for future fame!/(Do you pronounce it Croully?)/ Whate'er the worth of this your mirth/It reads a trifle foully.'

The myth of the magus has grown to prodigious proportions in the half century or more since the old man's death. Crowley is now firmly established in the popular mind as a folk hero (or anti hero?), transmogrified to an icon on a spectrum somewhere between 'the sandman' (Clive Barker version) and 'the gringe'.

To many, Crowley's magick (I am using the archaic form of the term as popularised by AC for technical reasons), provides a neat dividing line between some kind of urban high magical tradition and the supposedly more earth centred styles of neo-paganism. The truth is, as always, a lot more complex. Crowley's magick draws all of it's power from nature, see for example an ancient Egyptian formula: 'so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: Upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry land and in the Water: of whirling Air; and of rushing Fire and every spell and scourge of God may be obedient to Me.' (1)

Crowley spent all of his moderately long life exploring countless dramatic astral and mundane landscapes in search of gnosis. It's a shame he wasn't a good enough travel writer to communicate fully in his many books the real majesty of nature. He seemed to go everywhere, from the deepest jungles to the highest mountains of the earth. An account from Jan Fries' book Visual Magick, amply demonstrates that Crowley never quite lost the taste for the great outdoors and the spirits of nature. In 1925 the mage took the leadership of the 'Fraternitas Saturni on a long walk up the garden path and into the forest. Whenever Uncle Aleister noticed a remarkable plant, stone or tree, he graciously lifted his hat to greet it. This bizarre behaviour apparently astonished his fellows. Some novices, we are told, dared to whisper "What is the master doing?" "The elemental spirits of nature have come to see the master" was the reply "and Sir Aleister is acknowledging their greeting." The whole incident including a rather nice ritual is to be found in an article on 'Pentagramme Magick' in Praxis (1963).

Towards the end of his life Crowley began to lose interest in the Ordo Templi Orientis and other organisations he had fashioned as potential vehicles for the dissemination of the great work. He met Gerald Gardner and together they may have devised a plan to transform the OTO into a more popular witchcraft cult. Gardner duly bought a charter and rose rapidly through the grades, even travelling to America to meet other OTO initiates. Fred Lamond, one of Gardners first acolytes, recalls that American adept Jack Parsons looked very favourably on the idea of a new witch cult. If Crowley had lived long enough to complete Gardner's training, modern paganism would undoubtedly look quite different, but that's another story.

(1) From Liber Samekh, as adapted by Crowley from an ancient Hermetic fragment. The cosmology of the Egyptian original made no sense to Crowley's teachers, hence his slight paraphase - the original reads: 'so that every daimon, whether heavenly or aerial or earthly or subterranean or terrestrial or aquatic'.

Crowley Today

Aleister Crowley may have died in 1947, but his influence is still very much felt by the magician of the 1990s. The CD soundtrack The Beast Speaks sold 8000 copies since its release in 1993, and the paperback edition of Crowley's Confessions was number two in Virgin Megastores top ten books. Don't be fooled into thinking that the magician of the nineties is a slavish follower or member of some mind bending cult. Crowley's word was Thelema (The Crowleian pronunciation is Theh-LEE-mah, the accent bewatching on the vowel of the second syllable, Greek speakers ay the accent should be on the vowel of the first syllable for it to be pronounced right....ThEH-lee-mah) - which means [free] Will. Those who choose to follow this magical path aim to de-condition themselves, to develop independence of spirit and ultimately to become their very own self. One of the many attractions of Crowley's type of Magick, was this advice to follow one's own way and create your own life style. You don't need a priest or a judge to tell you how to act - work it out for yourself.

As part of the process of developing self knowledge, Crowley advocated the practice of Magick. This he defined as 'the science and art of causing change in conformity with will.' The history of magick is the history of human beings. Many of the things that are now labelled 'culture' began as experiments in ritual and magick viz. drama, music, art, dance, philosophy and poetry etc., etc. Magick has played a role in many key moments of our history, for example during the fourteenth century, it was the philosophy of the Renaissance. In our own time, many modern art movements have been driven by magical ideas, for instance, the first abstract painting was made by the Theosophist Kandinsky. Magick is a valuable and reputable activity to undertake.

Crowley's Books

Whatever else one can say about it, magick certainly is not a mass activity, neither is it a spectator sport. Magicians are in many localities in a minority of one and have to teach themselves the skills traditionally part of the art viz. trance, divination, invocation and creative imagination. The solitary magician gathers most of his or her information from books and Crowley made a substantial contribution to the vast number of books on the subject. Most of his books are now in print, something like 100 titles. The secondary literature of commentaries and studies, as one might expect after more than 50 years, is very extensive indeed. However there is no need to read everything the master wrote. There are a handful of key texts that should give you a good grounding in the man and his magick.

Sadly, there is still no really objective biography of Crowley. The standard biography is John Symonds' The Great Beast, (lastest edition of which is entitled King of the Shadow Realm) which records all of the salient facts but is very hostile to Crowley's ideas and therefore gives a lively but unbalanced picture. Jean Overton Fuller's Magical Dilemma of Victor Neuburg is slightly more objective and written with much inside information. A modern attempt is the late Gerald Suster's Legacy of the Beast, which is too short to cover all the facts, and too sycophantic -nevertheless, it is not without value. Gerald Suster also wrote Crowley's entry in Dictionary of National Biography - Missing Persons (OUP 1993) which is also worth a read. Incidentally, 1993 was also the year in which Crowley made it to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations for the first time with his motto 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.'

Several newer biographies have recently appeared, two in particular are worthy of note: Martin Booth, A Magick Life and said by some to be the best of the whole lot: Do What Thou Wilt by Lawrence Sutin for St Martin's Press.

There is a 2004 reissue of Megatherion by Francis King, published by Creation Press, which was originally published in 1977 under the title The Magical World of Aleister Crowley. There is also an excellent study of Aleister Crowley's followers in America during the Golden Age of Hollywood, entitled The Unknown God, W.T. Smith and the Thelemites by Martin P. Starr, published in 2003 by The Teitan Press, Inc.

The modern generation of Thelemites, admires something in the spirit of Crowley rather than the word. He could be a interesting writer but as is often the case, the present day re-working of his material is often easier to follow and less peppered by some of Crowley's offensive cultural baggage. Writers such as Jan Fries in Visual Magick and Jack Parsons in Freedom is a Two Edged Sword, seem to have a better understanding of the magical philosophy for which Crowley was a conduit. However, you will undoubted want to make your own mind up in this, so apart from biography and if you have the stamina his massive autobiography, and the following are Crowley's principal works.

1. Magick - alternatively called Magick in Theory and Practice -or Book Four. This is his textbook of magick, leads the reader from basic yoga techniques through Golden Dawn type ritual to his own unique gnostic rituals, many of them with veiled sexual content. But beware, this is not a book for the beginner and you might do well to ask a more experienced magician to suggest a study plan for it beginning with Liber O, or even look at some of the secondary literature first. For example see Lon DuQuette's The Magick of Thelema or Israel Regardie's Middle Pillar, Eye in Triangle, and others.

2. The Book of Thoth, along with the tarot cards of the same name, is his brilliant study of the tarot, difficult to follow in parts if you have no familiarity with his 'Thelemic' imagery, but well worth persevering with. The tarot deck he created with English 'surrealist' Lady Frieda Harris, is fast becoming the most widely used esoteric tarot deck in the world.

3. 777 and other Qabalistic Writings. A essential summary of his symbol system, which also contains a reprint of Mathers' instructional essay on Qabalah.

4. Holy Books of Thelema - all brought together under one cover, including Liber al vel Legis - Book of the Law. The mystical poem that formed the core of Crowley's magical system. 'Delivered' to him by discarnate entity Aiwass during one of the most important mystical experiences of his life.

Crowley's People

There are a small but growing number of groups, based in this country that work with Crowley's ideas. The following list is not exhaustive, but gives some of the main contact points. It is recommended that you do not atttempt to join all of them at once.

OTO This stands for Ordo Templi Orientis (Order of the Eastern Temple). A magical order, based on eastern eroto-gnostic techniques, some derived from Tantrism. Existed, long before Crowley came on the scene but soon became the principle vehicle for his magical work. Has undergone a big revival over the last ten years. Perhaps it is fortuititous that the OTO split into several rival tendencies following the death of Crowley's successor, Karl Germer. Many magicians feel that magical orders, structured on medieval lines, may not be the appropriate vehicle for Thelema. But as things stand the aspiring candidate must make a choice after investigating and weighing up what both groups have to offer, if anything. In England there are two main groups claiming title to Crowley's mantle: In other parts of Europe and the world, other OTOs exist and can claim priority. There are currently legal threats flying between these groups, so I hope I get it right.

i. OTO 'Caliphate' - BM Thelema, London WC1N 3XX - International HQ: Postfach 33 20 12 D-14180, Germany. More 'traditional' if it can be termed so. Uses original OTO Masonic style rituals and charges annual subscriptions and initiation fees.

ii. OTO 'Typhonian' BM Starfire, London WC1N 3XX. Ruled by famous occult scholar Kenneth Grant, whose book Aleister Crowley & the Hidden God, revolutionised the understanding of Crowley magick. Ditched the old Masonic style rituals in favour of the syllabus very like the Argentinum Astrum, i.e. individual graded magical practices leading to adeptship.

Non OTO Thelemic Groups

Apart from the 'OTOs' there are a number of 'new wave' magical groups and orders that are trying to refashion the occult community on more 'rosicrucian' lines, which seem more in tune with modern needs. Strict hierarchies, authoritarianism and obscurantism are definitely out. An honest attempt to build a fellowship or sodality of magicians is on the cards. Amongst these are:

Golden Dawn Occult Society

PO Box 250, Oxford, OX1 1AP. (email C/O [email protected] Offers a foundation course in magick and other training to associate members (associate membership is £5 pa.). Is part of a growing network of individuals and groups throughout Britain and all over the world. Online newsletter

Chaos Magic and the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT)

C/O, BM Sorcery, London WC1N 3XX, Another important new style of magick that has developed out of the Thelemic one. Other influences include new physics and European shamanism.

The Kaula-Nath Community (including AMOOKOS). C/O PO Box 250, Oxford, OX1 1AP. East- West tantrik groups, founded by Dadaji, one of Crowley's disciple's in the 1930s who, on the master's advice, went to India and became a sadhu. A unique blend of western occultism with authentic magical Hinduism. Has an older equivalent of Crowley's 'Law of Thelema' - viz: svecchacara - 'the path of ones own will'.

Crowley and the Media

There has been precious little media attention to Crowley, there is still no film or documentary devoted in entirety to Crowley's life. This situation is changing slowly. In year 2000, BBC Scotland made a short documentary about Boleskine, Crowley's house on the banks on Loch Ness. The show was called The Other Loch Ness Monster, but the BBC have so far refused to show it outside of Scotland. Channel Four have filmed a more thoroughgoing documentary although broadcast has again been delayed due to editorial difficulties. It will eventually appear as part of a series dealing with occult themes. BBC Modern Times are currently filming a fifty minute piece on serious magick, which will include a fair amount of material on Crowley. There are been one or two short radio pieces and an interesting stage play by Snoo Wilson some time back. Snoo Wilson appeared in a fifteen minute broadcast for UK's Channel 4 (text reprinted in Thelemic Magick I fromMandrake of Oxford.) Snoo Wilson's Novel I Crowley, has been published to critical acclaim and should go into production as a feature film. It is based on events at the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily.

Obtaining Useful Books etc

Books by and about Crowley are now widely available in UK booksellers such as Waterstones, Borders, Ottakar's etc. The best selection is still to be found in specialist bookshops such as the world famous Atlantis Bookshop, 49a Museum St, London WC1, and Watkins Bookshop, 19 Cecil Court, London WC2 4EZ, as well as several others throughout the UK. However, if you don't live in London or getting to a bookshop is difficult, there are several good mail-order suppliers, including Mandrake of Oxford (mandrake@[removeme]mandrake.uk.net) which is run by and for working magicians. Information is available here on local stockists and sometimes links if you prefer to deal with a bookseller in your own country.

Love is the law, love under will

Note: The contents of these pages are copyright Mandrake of Oxford. These contents can be reproduced for non commercial use, as long as source and copyright are acknowledged. [http://www.cix.co.uk/~mandrake/crowley.htm]

http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/an_introduction_to_paganism/aleister_crowley_factsheet.asp

0 notes