Description
Starfire Publishing Ltd, London, 2011. Paperback, full colour cover, sewn binding, large format, 304 pages. Brand New/Fine.
The first issue of Starfire appeared in 1986, and it has been an occasional Journal of the New Aeon ever since. Dedicated to Thelema, it brims over with articles and artwork of relevance to the Thelemic current.
Starfire Vol II No 4 is a substantial, riveting, and enlightening publication, 304 pages long and printed on Arctic Volume, a good quality coated paper. There is a sparkling diversity of content, including thirteen great articles and essays, two fascinating short stories, four arresting pieces of artwork, and a substantial section of book reviews.
Though Starfire is Thelemic in focus, it has an eclectic mix of articles and short stories, reflecting the richness and diversity of Thelema. The front cover design shown here to the left features a glorious image by Kyle Fite. The contents of this issue are very diverse, and include:
– Scintillations in Mauve: An Introduction to the Work of Kenneth Grant by Michael Staley – a preliminary survey of some key elements in the substantial body of mystical and magical work which Kenneth bequeathed us for further development;
– Images of the Mystery by Gary Dickinson – a consideration of the origins and implications of Crowley’s drawing ‘The Way’, better known simply as LAM;
– The Ophidian Sabbat by Daniel Schulke – some considerations of the body of lore and sorcerous praxis which comprise the Sabbatic path;
– Sermon from a Haunted Cellar by Richard Gavin – an essay on some of the implications of working within the Typhonian Tradition;
– The Unity of Toltec and Thelema by Eric N. Peterson – a consideration of the common ground between the Toltec tradition and Thelema;
– On Toltec Art by Koyote the Blind – an essay by a Toltec adept on the significance of art in the Toltec tradition;
– Shades of Grey by Richard Gavin – a short story woven around Lam;
– Maranatha and Beyond by Stephen Dziklewicz – a sequel to the author’s essay on Maranatha in the previous issue of Starfire;
– From Aiwass to Lam by Richard Ward – an essay on Crowley, praeterhuman contact, and the magical path of the Divine Fool;
– Echoes of Silence by Alistair Coombs – an analysis of the background to Blavatsky’s The Voice of the Silence and Crowley’s Commentary on the book which he considered a masterpiece;
– Grid Sigil Magick by Robert Podgurski – considerations concerning the ramifications of a sigil which was revealed several years ago to the author;
– The Emergence of Lam by Michael Staley – some considerations of Lam from its emergence in the Amalantrah Working and beyond;
– Sleeping Buddha by Hector Djoun – a short story about a Buddhist academic and his awakening following an encounter with a Pythoness;
– Two Fragments on Ataturk by Ithell Colquhoun – reminiscences on the genesis and subsequent life of Crowley’s son;
– Book Reviews by various contributors. Reviews include Brother Curwen, Brother Crowley by Henrik Bogdan; Perdurabo by Richard Kaczynski; Aleister Crowley and the Aeon of Horus by Paul Weston; A Cockney Visionary by Jerusalem Press; Vudu Cartography by Michael Bertiaux; A Gathering of Masks by Robert Fitzgerald; Voudon Gnosis by David Beth; Austin Osman Spare: The Life and Legend of London’s Lost Artist by Phil Baker; and more.
