A YouTube series called 'Thelema Talk' on Thelemic Studies' official video channel, HeruTV, has been launched with its first episode. HeruTV's series 'Thelema Talk' showcases the wide range and variety of opinions & thoughts in the community of modern Thelema. The views represented are of the interviewee only and do not represent HeruTV's or Thelemic Studies' views nor do they represent the views of all Thelemites. The first episode is an interview with Frater Oz, a member of the Dallas-based Bubastis Oasis of the O.T.O.

Part 1: Frater Oz answers the questions 'What is Thelema to you?', 'What is Will?', and 'What is Love?' in this part of this Thelema Talk.

Part 2: Frater Oz answers the questions 'What is the Holy Guardian Angel?', 'What are some important practices for Thelemites?', and 'Where would you like to see Thelema go in the future?' in this part of this Thelema Talk.

Enjoy!

* NOTOCON VII announced - NOTOCON VII, the seventh convening of the National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference, has been announced. It will take place August 7-9, 2009 and its theme will be "Unity Uttermost Showed." For more information, visit NOTOCON VII's webpage here.

* Public Lecture: Initiation - The Technology of Transformation - Dr. David Shoemaker, Prolocutor of the Temple of the Silver Star, will discuss the principles of magical ritual and initiation, in the context of the work of Aleister Crowley and Carl Jung. This event is open to the public. This lecture is on Sunday, September 7, 2008. The event will take place at 12 noon at Mission Masonic Center, 2668 Mission Street, 2nd floor (Enter from Bartlett Street), San Francisco, California. The cost of admission is $11 tax-deductible donation. Please call 916-273-5631 for more information and directions. Visit www.cotnorcal.org for more information about the Temple of the Silver Star. The Temple of the Silver Star is the initiatory branch of the College of Thelema of Northern California, a California non-profit religious and educational corporation, formed under warrant from Soror Meral (Phyllis Seckler). The Temple offers a complete course of training in the Thelemic mystery traditions, including Qabalah, Tarot, ceremonial magick, and meditation. Click here for more information on this event and the College of Thelema of Northern California.

* "In Search of the Great Beast 666" audio book - LAShTAL.com reports that the Classic Media Group has announced an audio book version of their popular "In Search of the Great Beast 666." "Last year Rick Wakeman recorded his score for the Aleister Crowley Film, produced by Classic, the production company also behind the release of the recent YES – Director’s Cut (DVD). So, not only is it possible to hear Rick Wakeman’s wonderful score on the DVD, we have now, by popular demand, made it possible so you can now download the movie as an AUDIO BOOK from I-Tunes and other audio download outlets on the web. Rick recorded the film score in the most amazing fashion, using initially the Grand Piano on Classic T Stage at Shepperton Film Studios. Wakeman literally watched the film on the big screen in a candle lit soundstage and he played what he felt." Click here for the full article at LAShTAL.com along with links to download the audio book version of "In Search of the Great Beast 666."

* "Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666" documentary available - A Canadian documentary about Crowley, unrelated to the above-mentioned "In Search of the Great Beast" is now available. LAShTAL.com reports, "Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666 a film by Donna Zuckerbrot is now available on DVD from Reel Time Images This documentary aired on VisionTV and Space in Canada as part of the Enigma series and will be broadcast on HDNet in the US in the Fall. This is an introduction to Aleister Crowley for a general audience. Lon Milo DuQuette helps illuminate some of the basic ideas of ceremonial magick as well as sharing how his life has been transformed by Aleister Crowley's influence. Interviews with Richard Kaczynski and Marco Pasi give us further insight into Crowley's work and the basics of Thelemic magick. While Crowley is undoubtedly a complex figure with complex beliefs, this film attempts to understand him on his own terms and transmit the essential ideas in a clear and accessible manner.Click here for more information about ordering this documentary.

source: LAShTAL.com and OTO International News

Ordo Templi Orientis is reporting two landmark legal cases that they have won recently. The first is the trademark battle over the use of "OTO" and "O.T.O." in the United Kingdom. "In her decision of June 8, Anna Carbone, the Appointed Person hearing OTO's appeal, found in favor of OTO, overturning a previous decision in favor of Starfire. OTO's registrations of the marks "OTO" and "O.T.O." are now proceeding normally in the UK, joining our previous registrations of "Ordo Templi Orientis" and the OTO Lamen. Under UK law, there can be no further appeal of a decision by an Appointed Person, in either the Trademark Registry or High Court."

The second case involves O.T.O.'s successful filed suit against NBC Vivendi Universal for the use of an image from the Thoth Tarot in the promotion of the Woody Allen movie "Scoop." "OTO filed suit in US Federal Court in Southern California against Focus Features, NBC Universal and Vivendi for copyright infringement in connection with the appropriation of images from the Thoth Tarot cards to promote the Woody Allen film "Scoop," where they were used on the poster, DVD packaging and in the press kits. The case has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties. Under the terms of the agreement, the details of the settlement are confidential."

Click here for the full article as reported on LAShTAL.com

* Fernando Pessoa's correspondence with Crowley being auctioned - The Independent has reported that Portugal's literary community is angry over the sale of rare documents. These include voluminous correspondence between the famous poet Fernando Pessoa and Aleister Crowley. "When the poet died in obscurity in 1935, he left a trunk full of documents that included extensive correspondence with the eccentric English astrologist and magician Aleister Crowley, a practitioner of the occult said to have inspired satanism in Britain. Portugal's National Library fiercely opposes the private sale of documents considered vital to the nation's literary heritage, and warns it will take all legal measures to stop the sale and dispersal of the archive, the Lisbon daily Publico reports... The dossier includes voluminous correspondence with Crowley, and hundreds of pages of an unfinished novel about Crowley's faked suicide." Click here to read the full article at the Independent.

* "Fresh Fever From the Skies" released - A new book by IAO131, the creator & editor of the Journal of Thelemic Studies, has been released entitled "Fresh Fever From the Skies." The book includes many contemporary essays including "Thelemic Values: A New View of Morality," "Psychological Commentary on Liber AL vel Legis," and "The Manifesto of Ra-Hoor-Khuit." The book "Fresh Fever From the Skies" is available here.

* Secret Agent 666 by Richard B. Spence released - Richard B. Spence has released a new book entitled "Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence, and the Occult. LAShTAL.com reports Using documents gleaned from American, British, French, and Italian archives, Secret Agent 666 reveals that Crowley's clandestine service linked him to the sinking of the Lusitania, a plot to overthrow the government of Spain, the thwarting of Irish and Indian nationalist conspiracies, the Communist International, and the 1941 flight of Rudolf Hess. Author Richard Spence, a professor of History at the University of Idaho, argues that Crowley--in his own unconventional way--was a patriotic Englishman who endured years of public vilification in part to mask his role as a secret agent. Dr. Spence has appeared on the History Channel and as a speaker at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. He has been interviewed on Radio Liberty and other media outlets and has been a consultant and interviewee for documentary films produced by the Russian Cultural Foundation..." The book "Secret Agent 666" can be found here on Amazon.com.

* HeruTV launches - A new official video channel of the Journal of Thelemic Studies has launched on YouTube called HeruTV. Currently there are two videos uploaded including meditations on "Liber Cheth" and "Liber Tzaddi." The HeruTV YouTube channel can be found here.

* New art by Aleister Crowley - Thelema Media has announced an exclusive production of Aleister Crowley's art entitled "An Old Master: The Art of Aleister Crowley." It is described as, "the official catalogue for the largest exhibition of Aleister Crowley's art to date, held in London in 1998 e.v.... [It is] A4 size, 32 pages, featuring 47 color illustrations of paintings and drawings by Aleister Crowley, with essays by Martin P. Starr and Karl Nierendorf." Check this new collection out from Thelema Media.

* Golden Dawn Occult Society Thelemic Symposium 2008 - "There is to be a reunion/revival of the old annual O.G.D.O.S. International Thelemic Symposium this autumn [on Saturday 4th October 2008 from 12:00pm till 1:00am]. Tickets are £20 each, in cash over the counter at The Inner Bookshop if you are nearby otherwise email to reserve them, where we will contact you with regards payment and postage. To order tickets please email here first. There will be no guest list or concessions. The event will consist of speakers to start with from 12noon till 7pm. The speakers in no particular order are: Lon Milo DuQuette, Constance DuQuette, Mike Magee speaking about "The 5 senses in A.M.O.O.K.O.S. and Tantrik Traditions," Charlotte Rodgers speaking about "Taboo & Blood Rites (A Talk with Slideshow Pictures)", Jake Stratton-Kent speaking about "Goetic Magick," Melissa Harrington speaking about "Thelema & The Feminine Part II", David Beth. After a break there will then be a fully staged Gnostic Mass to all who want to take part. It will be performed by the E.G.C. ordained Priest and Priestess of York. The Eucharist will be administered to all who take part." Again, the Symposium is on Saturday 4th October 2008 from 12:00pm till 1:00am. Check out the website for Thelemic Symposium 2008

* Mystics, Mothers, Magicians update - "Only six months to go before the beginning of our next national O.T.O. Symposium! Mystics, Mothers, and Magicians: Women and Goddesses of O.T.O., will be held in Sacramento, California, November 14th through 16th, 2008. The focus of this event will be the Divine Feminine itself, on the one hand, and its manifestation in living women, on the other hand. Presentation topics on Saturday will include the following: "Babalon and the Beast: The Rise and Fall of Leah Hirsig," "Babalon: Unifying the Feminine in the House of Desire," "Kumari: Nepal's Living Goddess," "Lady in Red, Lady in Blue: Egyptian Goddesses," "Mother of Abominations: Babalon, Matter, and the Art of Loving the Monstrous," "Seshat: Creating the Temple with the Power of Words," "The Venusian View: Lessons of Love Goddesses." On Sunday, we will hear presentations or interviews with eight O.T.O. women chosen for their outstanding work in different fields of endeavor, corresponding to the seven Classical planets plus Earth. By honoring these women and their work, we honor that corresponding part in ourselves and in our sisters and brothers. We also will have the opportunity to learn from their triumphs and hardships, as they share those lessons with us. In addition, we'll enjoy ritual openings and closings, music and dancing, several cocktail receptions, and the company of our brothers and sisters. Please visit MysticsMothersMagicians.com for a complete schedule of events, including the names and bios of our distinguished speakers, and titles and descriptions of presentations. The website also contains registration prices and deadlines, a link to the registration site, links to lodging, and more."

* Weiser Antiquarian Catalog no.35 - LAShTAL.com reports, "Weiser Antiquarian Books is pleased to announce the issue of the thirty-fifth of our on-line catalogs, which is another of our special lists on rare books, typescripts, and ephemera relating to Aleister Crowley. For the most part the material on offer has come from one collection, and a number of the items have previously passed through the hands of Weiser Antiquarian, thus affording our customers an unusual 'second chance' to acquire items that they missed out on when we first offered them for sale." Read the full catalog at Weiser Antiquarian.

* New recording of old Crowley song - LAShTAL.com reports, "After recording together for Othon’s Debut Album, Marc Almond and Othon will be returning to the Studio to record Aleister Crowley’s 'Tango Song.'" More information can be found at the Othon website.