Wednesday 27 February 2008

How Soon Is Now

"According to Qabalistic doctrine, the future exists in the Astral Light, in embryo, as the present existed, in embryo, in the past. While man is free to act as he pleases, the manner in which he will act was foreknown from all time; not on the ground of fatalism or destiny, but simply on the principle of universal, unchangeable harmony; and, as it may be foreknown that, when a musical note is struck, its vibrations will not, and cannot change into those of another note. Besides, eternity can have neither past nor future, but only the present; as boundless spaces, in its strictly literal sense, can have neither distance nor proximate places. Our conceptions, limited to the narrow area of our experience, attempt to fit if not an end, at least a beginning of time and space; but neither of these exist in reality; for in such case time would both be eternal, nor space boundless. The past no more exists than the future, as we have said, only our memories survive; and our memories are but the glimpses that we catch of the reflections of this past in the currents of the Astral Light."

Now, whilst the above may very well sound like the sort of thing I would probably say to you whilst lounging in some comfy chair in a pub somewhere, they are not in fact my words at all !

I find the quote to be remarkably prescient of many areas of 20th Century scientific theories (Singularities, The Big Bang Theory, The Uncertainty Principle, String Theory, The Daemon/Eidolon Dyad etc etc) and our very own blogsite wafflings regarding Lucid Dreaming, Deja Vu, Precognitive Consciousness, Communication with the Daemon etc etc, especially considering it was written in 1877 and by the incomparable occultist Madame H.P Blavatsky in Isis Unveiled (a ludicrously rare copy of which I house in my rather extensive Occult section of my own personal library - amongst many other grimoires).

Blavatsky was the founder of Theosophy and the main aim of the movement was to spread knowledge of Eastern mysticism to such an extent that she virtually single-handedly introduced and made known all those vague philosophies and religions that are so popular today.

My connection with Blavatsky came about (once again entirely synchrondipitously) whilst on a family holiday to Llandudno in North Wales when I was but a wee lad. I discovered that literally a stone's throw from where we were staying was Bryn-y-Bia (on the Little Orme for anyone that knows Llandudno), the birthplace of Violet Mary Frith (better known as Dion Fortune), another British Occultist who joined the Theosophical Society. It was her writings that introduced me to Blavatsky and Crowley, Eliphas Levi, Samuel Liddell MacGregor-Mathers et al and which led to my many years writing about and studying much of the Occult ideology.
*oh what stories I could tell - but shan't for reasons obvious to those in the know*
Fortune also met and corresponded with the legendary Aleister Crowley (see Tony's previous post and my comments on Crowley here).

I know that Tony comprehends the many striking connections with his Daemon theory and that indeed communication from some working societies today has been entirely supportive and favourable. What astonishes me is the "Peake Experience" as Abraham Maslow would have called it regarding my seemingly lifelong devotion to purchasing books that are all becoming linked through the writings and theories of one man...........Tony!
What could possibly have been guiding me to these disparate books on hugely varying topics which now all seem interconnected? There is scarcely a name that is brought up on this blog about whom I do not own several books.
Koestler and Schopenhauer would call this my "Library Angel"
Tony Peake would call it my " Daemon "

"The driving forces of the universe, the framework upon which it is built up in all its parts, belong to another phase of manifestation than our physical plane, having other dimensions than the three to which we are habituated, and perceived by other modes of consciousness than those to which we are accustomed."
Dion Fortune

A Dark Philosopher
Karl L Le Marcs

20 comments:

Karl Le Marcs said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Karl Le Marcs said...

I should add that it was another weirdly Daemonic string of connectivity that brought me to this Blavatsky quote whilst idly thumbing through several old volumes in my library.
Tony and I had discussed Colin Wilson the previous day and he asked me if I had a copy of his book "Beyond The Occult", which I do, so I was just having a quick look through it last night when I was reminded of an Ouspensky quote, so I picked up one of my Ouspensky books which took me through books by Gurdijeff-Crowley- Eliphas Levi-Dion Fortune-HP Blavatsky and to that quote from my post (all within about an hour, all weirdly connecting on Peakeian subjects) "Peake Experience","Library Angel","Daemon" or just "Karl's head" (where much lies dormant)
Certainly made me think (even more so than normal - if that's quantumly feasible)
*smile*

SM Kovalinsky said...

KARL; You write beautifully and vividly. And I, too, have come to feel that my shelves and piles of books which I have obsessively accumulated once seemed disperate and now seem ordered and interconnected via Tony. Scary, in a sense. And did you mean the "How soon is now?" in the Morrisey song sense, or the Kierkegaardian "though we suffer 7 x70 years, in the eternal 'twas but a moment" sense? And do you like Morrisey's song , "Big Mouth" which now seems to me to be referring to Tony with his Joan of Arc play? And do you believe Gurdijeff and Ouspenski when they say our actions in the present can change the past?

Hurlyburly said...

Oh how i have missed Karl's posts! You have a way of commanding my attention with those big words and fancy thoughts!

I can't believe that was written in 1987 that was amazing.

I've noticed a great deal of refferences to the Daemon recently. In one of the final chapters of the God Delusion there was some similar thoughts overlapping with Anthony's.

Karl Le Marcs said...

Martin, it was written in 1877 not 1987
*lemon*
Hee Hee!
Thanks for your comments re my "fancy thoughts"
Get hold of a copy of Colin Wilson's "Beyond The Occult" and start your flabber being gasted if you think the connections in Dawkins are interesting.
*smile*

Karl Le Marcs said...

Dearest Susan Marie, you make a young man blush with your comments. Thank you. (I have a ludicrously small ego that runs away and hides at any compliments).
EXCELLENTLY well done on spotting the duality of my "How Soon Is Now" title. Deeply impressed. I would have thought Hurly (being somewhat Morrissey like in appearance) would have got that association but I expected you to pick up on the Kierkegaardian pun (ALTHOUGH, the title is actually a triptych of meaning, so there is a third, admittedly much more esoteric and occult studies related pun but it will be interesting to see if anyone spots it)..............I don't throw all this stuff together you know - there's thought behind it !
*Big Smile*
Find Morrissey's song "Come Back To Camden" and pour yourself a drink and listen, as he sings of me in my beloved place. It's beautiful.
AND finally, I really must get my post on Ouspensky and Gurdijeff finished as it's remarkable prevalent and I'm sure you, for one, would be very interested to read it. But in essense, to your question. Yes AND No. I will explain more in the post when I get it finished.
*hug*

Hurlyburly said...

1987 - 1897

same thing, even though haircuts may have changed - yes it was a typo!

I look like Morrisey, people tell me everyday - True Story.

SM Kovalinsky said...

Thank you, Karl, for all, many times over.

SM Kovalinsky said...

And Hurly, I actually had thought of Morrisey (in his younger days of course) the instant I saw your photo months ago, but thought you would think I was being silly, so kept my trap shut.

Hurlyburly said...

Silly Susan, speak up. If you ever have something special to say i wish to hear it!

*this sentence should not be attempted by anybody with a lisp*

SM Kovalinsky said...

Hurly: Funny! And your point is extremely well-taken. I only hope I don't run off at the mouth too much in future ramblings. . .

Karl Le Marcs said...

HurlyBurly:
"1987 - 1897 same thing, even though haircuts may have changed - yes it was a typo!"
It was 1877 !! You typo(ed) your typo. *rolls eyes*
Hilarious!

Karl Le Marcs said...

And Susan Marie:
You don't need to thanks me hun. That's what us like-minded friends are for.
*smile*

Karl Le Marcs said...

Hoping to hear from AP on this one as I'm not sure if he is aware of HP Blavatsky, Fortune etc and of course the other famous HP (No, not the sauce), LOVECRAFT !!!

Anthony Peake said...

I was absolutely amazed when I read the quotation by Blavatsky. I really did think it sounded very LeMarcian in its tone.

I have been aware of the writings of Madam Blavatsky for many years but have only read about her writings and philosophy is secondary sources (much of it Colin Wilson). However the linking here is really very weird.

Karl mentions Dion Fortune who was, as I understand it, one of the founders of the Occult Organisation 'The Servants Of The Light (SOL). SOL are interested in similarities between ITLAD/CTF and their own occult teaching. The present 'Head' (if that is the right word) of the SOL is Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, a lady who has read ITLAD and subsequently invited me to give a lecture to the international Lodge Leaders of the SOL at their 'Ceremony of the Banners' late last year. Indeed I have been invited back to give another lecture to them at their International Sirius Gathering in May.

Having also spent many childhood holidays in Llandudno it comes as now surprise the Dion Fortune was born there. I find it a particularly mysterious place with an air of timlessness about it.

On a final note Dolores kindly sent me a course on 'Western Magic' called 'Your Unseen Power'. This is a collection of CD's and booklets published by an American publisher called 'Sounds True'. The CD's simply consist of Dolores talking to the listener as if they are an apprentice magician. I have been listening to these CD's on my long car journeys (including a round trip to Slough that I undertook today). I find them really fascinating - particularly when listened to with knowledge of CTF and ITLAD. I think I now understand why Dolores and the SOL find my theory interesting.

Anthony Peake said...

Oh, I nearly forgot. In one of the CD's I was listening to today Dolores specifically suggests that the 'apprentice' should read the works of Colin Wilson.

Karl Le Marcs said...

Thank you Tony

Karl Le Marcs said...

I myself would be particularly interested to hear any comments from the SOL regarding this post and especially from Dolores regarding the Fortune/Blavatsky linkages.

ken said...

Anthony and Karl, you may be interested in hearing that Tim Freke's new book (to be released in Aug, I think) is called "How Long Is Now?"

Karl Le Marcs said...

Ken: Hello old friend, where have you been hiding?

Thanks for this. I wasn't aware that Tim had a new book due out. I wonder if either Steven Patrick Morrissey or myself have a case of plagiarism against him using that title!
*smile*

Good to see you again Ken, hope you get involved on FORUM, we could use your intellect and youthful charm!
*wink*