All faiths are welcome, small group of 4000+ members, for religious discussions and general chats.

Official Discord: https://discord.gg/theology

Partner website chat: thechat.cafe/theology/

I've found the order through a post on r/altars and tried looking into you guys but the website seems to have been taken down and generally I see nothing but inactivity for years, I'd be interested to learn more about you guys, are there any resources still available or did the "organisation" disband?

I’m new and I was wondering what the theory of forms was, and where I could possibly find It explained. Are there any books that go into depth about it? Or does it not need an in depth explanation?

Hello everyone,

I have written a book called "Essays on Setianism: a look at Setianism from outside the Temple of Set" by Xepera maSet (my O.S. name). I am hoping to publish this book on Amazon within the coming weeks. I just wanted to do a little self promoting (which I'm not good at) so people know this is coming.

Basically this is a look at the historical and modern Set, the basics of Setianism, how Setianism compares to other aspects of the LHP, and both empirical and philosophical reasons to believe in Setianism. I have attached the table of contents below. Since I'm hopefully publishing through CreateSpace I believe this will be available both on Kindle and hard copy, at least that is my hope.

I also want to thank everyone who has supported my (often widely public) journey into Setianism these past years, aided in the journey, challenged me on the ideals and conclusions. Everyone can be an inspiration, everyone can inspired each other, and that is one of the biggest reasons I wanted to write this book. So thank you, and Xeper on!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Hi all.

The O.S. will be doing an all day AMA on 12/10, on /r/religion, /r/occult, and /r/satanism. Feel free to join us at any of the three venues!

I've done a lot of work recently to make our main site mobile-friendly, and have added many enhancements to the forum (which was created to facilitate in-depth LHP discussions). Feel free to sign up and share your own unique perspective.

http://orderoftheserpent.org

I recently added a forum to our website, it's still pretty rough but those interested are welcome to sign up and post new topics in the General Discussion area until we come up with the categories we want to have.

http://orderoftheserpent.org/forum/

The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution, by P.D. Ouspensky Ouspensky describes how a man must work simultaneously on his knowledge and his being to find his inner divinity. And why although his development depends on his own efforts, this is very difficult to achieve without guidance from a "School".

The Temple In Man (Sacred Architecture and the Perfect Man), by R.A. Schwaller de Lubics The human being embodied in the geometry of the temple's architecture is Pharaoh, symbolic of the Perfect Man. In ancient Egypt, Pharaoh represented the final stage of man's Evolution.

Condensed Chaos, by Phil Hine Magic(k) is about change. Magic leads us into exhilaration and ecstasy; into insight and understanding; into changing ourselves and the world in which we participate. Through Magic we may come to explore the possibilities of Freedom, real world change, and dynamic Self-transformation.

The Satanic Rituals, by Anton Szandor LaVey Anton LaVey's best and most intriguing work of the rites and ceremonies of the 1966-1975 Church of Satan. Which includes "Le Messe Noir" (Black Mass) and "Die Elektrischen Vorspiele". It also has, chapters "The Metaphysics of Lovecraft", "The Ceremony of the Nine Angles", "The Call to Cthulhu", and "The Satanic Baptism - Adult Rite", which were ghost written by Michael Aquino.

The Gods of the Egyptians, by E.A. Wallis Budge By far one of the most thorough, most useful coverage of the gods of ancient Egypt is this book by Dr. Budge of the British Museum, one of the foremost Egyptologists of the 20th century.

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends, by Lewis Spence "...let us walk in the gloom of the pyramids, in the cool shadows of ruined temples, aye, through the tortuous labyrinth of the Egyptian mind itself, trusting that by virtue of the light we carry we shall succeed in unravelling to some extent the age-long enigma of this mystic land." - from Chapter 1

The Morning of the Magicians, by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier An interesting account of some of the more obscure myths and legends of the occult world and realms of the Black Arts.

Black Magic, (The Crystal Tablet of Set), by Michael A. Aquino Read, study, learn, practice, Xeper and Remanifest.

The Church of Satan, by Michael A. Aquino A first hand account of the early Church of Satan 1969 - 1975 c.e. by Michael A. Aquino, an original member of the Priesthood of Mendes III* and Magister Templi IV* of the CoS.

The Mysteries of Horus and Set volume III

The story of Horus and Set is very well known, perhaps the best known story of the Egyptians. These entities and their story are extremely important to understanding religion, and especially for understanding occultism. Yet all most of us see are a single, perverted version of the story that originated long after the beings in question, and have been lost and twisted repeatedly over millennium. Having looked into these topics in extreme depth, I would like to discuss these famous Neteru.

Stellar v. Solar

It is commonly understood that Set was the brother and murder of Osiris, who sexually assaulted then battled Osiris’ child Horus, Horus eventually winning kingship over Egypt (Budge, 1969). One of the most basic reasons this is appealing is because it fits snuggly with Christian culture and morality, clear lines being drawn between “good” and “evil”, with Osiris/Horus being an obvious precursor of Christ. These similarities should be more than enough reason for the occultist to doubt this version of the story. The Cult of Osiris played a role so massive it is hard to conceive, from Egypt all the way to modern religion. It gave us our first heaven-like afterlife, our first true villain god, the original Solar religion, our first savior god. But this story needs to be disregarded specifically because it is so blatantly distorted. At the end of the New Kingdom period, Set became fully demonized due to the foreign rulers who the xenophobic Egyptians despised (Te Velde, 1967). The Coptics only took this farther, though many of their rituals do make reference to Set under other names (Webb, 2011). Prior to this massive downfall, the religion of Osiris had dominated Egyptian thought since the early dynasties, and we can even see where the Pyramid Texts have been altered in order to make them more Osirian (The Pyramid Texts Online, n.d.). As Egypt grew, this very early and useful religious philosophy spread throughout and became dominate, forever changing Egyptian from their Stellar to Solar religions.

The stellar religion was based on a separation of the Self from the Divine, in which the dead individual would rise even above the level of the Gods (The Pyramid Texts Online, n.d.; Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014). This is what we see in the Setian Pyramid Texts, which the dead rising above even the gods of creation.. Further, the physical body was vastly less important, with mummification not even being part of the earlier burials at Nubt, both the original location for the Cult of Set, and the birthplace of things such as written human language (Morgan, 2005). Material goods were not shunned though, and we find grave goods even in these proto-Egyptian graves. Interestingly, broken pots in early burials contain some of the first examples we have of isolated, point down pentagrams. Acts in life were what led to one being accepted amongst the ranks of the Gods after death, their virtues and what they achieved. A choice was also given between Horus and Set, leading to essentially separate afterlives (Pyramid Texts, n.d.). The circumpolar stars were associated with Set, especially Ursa Major (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012, Gordon, 2001).The circumpolar, “imperishable” stars were the focus of afterlife thought, as they were separate from the cycles of earth, the sun, and even the stars, as they never sank below the horizon (Webb, 2011; Levenda, 2008). This is much closer to the Eastern idea of being free from the cycles of reincarnation than the obeying of rules and “heaven” found in the West.

The original Egyptian death cults were based around the circumpolar, or imperishable, stars and so was the domain of Set (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012). Horus and Set, together, created a path, ladder, or stairway for the initiated dead from earth to the imperishable stars (Te Velde, 1967, Pyramid Texts Online, n.d.). Some of this can still be seen in the earlier pyramid texts, where Set is still so crucial to the ascension of the dead. Throughout even the Osirian texts we see traces of the original Set, who demands of the gods to deify the dead. “Set and Nephthys speak to the gods: N has become like an imperishable star: if he wishes you shall live you shall live, if he wishes you shall die you shall die”. The pharaoh “howls like Set howls” and the gates of heaven open before him. The dead is “like Set when he lifts himself and ascends to the heavens” (Pyramid Texts Online, n.d.). The importance of Set to deification of the Self is immense and obvious. This only changes with the coming of the Osiris cult. Horus is also referred to often, working with Set. Rather than a savior god of some sort, Horus is shown as the equal to Set, powerful in all the ways he is not, helping the dead ascend (Te Velde, 1967). There is no evidence of Horus relying on Osiris or Isis in many of the texts, except the obviously Osirian ones.

Solar religion, on the other hand, was based on uniting the Self with the Divine, in which after death an individual would either become identified with a Neter, such as Osiris, or would live a very similar life in a land still ruled by the gods (Budge, 1898). The physical body slowly becomes more and more important, as it was created by the gods and had to remain pure. It was required for life after death. Obeying the rules (such as with the negative confessions) is how one received acceptance into the afterlife, being judged by the Gods in the end to see if the dead is worthy (Budge, 1898). There was no choice of what came next, it was either nonexistence or unity/submission to Horus (originally) or Osiris (after interfering with the original relationship of Horus and Set). The focus of thought was on the sun’s cycle through the sky and the cycles of nature that affected daily Egyptian life (Levenda, 2008). Rather than striving for heroic like immortality, Egyptians simply wanted a predictable and constant life where they did not have to worry about things, such as if the Nile would not flood because they had gone against the rules of the Gods. Darkness became a threat, later to be demonized and shunned, and representative of all that went against the Solar theology. This is where Western religion stems from, obeying the rules for postmortem rewards and hoping to not upset the Gods.

To many these differences may seem insignificant, but the occultist and magician can see the vast significance between these two points of view. Horus and Set were originally seen as equals, where Horus represented things most relative to this life, and Set was the God of the afterlife. As many know, the image of Set is actually based off of a fantastic animal, it is something not real unlike most other deities (Te Velde, 1967; Budge, 1969; Aquino, 2014). What most don’t know is that in early Egyptian history the Set animal was often seen next to a winged, hawk headed Griffin (Te Velde, 1967). These two fabricated creatures were seen as two sides of the same coin, their design representing their traits, such as the forked, serpent like tail of Set and its close association with “Darkness”, as well as the obvious serpentine symbolism of the circumpolar stars especially at the time of early Egypt (where alpha draconis was the pole star) (Levenda, 2013). It is only with the rise of solar religion in Egypt that the dark side of the coin became “evil”.

Where did this Solar religion come from? It makes sense that in pre-dynastic Egypt a storm God would be given the same respect as a solar god, as the nomadic Egyptians would have relied on rain water before the Nile (Te Velde, 1967). We also know that other local religions, such as the Sumerians, already had pantheons where human beings were crushed below the weight the Gods. It is more than possible that Osiris was an imported God from foreign lands. This is not to be confused with the fact that Set was a god of foreigners (Budge, 1969). There was a massive mixing of tribes in the land of Egypt, and there is no reason to think that all of these were “native” Egyptians (Grimal, 1994). The fact that we recognize many of these gods or their forms as imported certainly helps. It also explains why Osiris is supposed to have claimed ancient rulership over Egypt, and why the Osiris had to repurpose Horus to validate their religion – they were outsiders. It also explains why it took so long, and why Set also had to be demonized. In other words, stellar religion was actual Egyptian religion, and solar religion was imported and aided by the changes to Egyptian societies.

Another interesting aspect of all this is that the original Egyptian burials in Nubt (whose main deity was Set) had very different burials that did not rely on the preservation of the physical body. Bodies were buried in the fetal position, rather exposed to the elements, with their head cut off facing the opposite direction of the body (Te Velde, 1967). Ascension was earned in life, and then one became deified, a rather straight forward process that fits well in dualistic systems. It also seems that the original deification given by Horus and Set was much different then later afterlives. The dead was truly deified, they became like a Neteru, a god or Form, a manifestation of either their lord Horus or Set. It is interesting to stop here and look at the Egyptian conceptions of the soul.

Tangent: Aspects of the Egyptian Soul

The Khat or Body: this could be considered the physical body, but it is more comparable to that which holds the body together, that which causes cells to recreate near-perfectly, the natural energy generated by the body. It is comparable to bodies of light, astral bodies, things of that nature, but is more or less identified with the physical self. So your body, nervous system, organs, physical brain, skeleton.

The Ren or Name: This is what a thing is called, from inanimate objects and forces to people’s or location’s names. Think of Ren as if everyone you know in professional life suddenly knew all your user names for online forums. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably shared plenty of ideas on your ideology that does not need to be known by everyone and their mothers. Maybe not if you have well accepted beliefs, but with something like occultism I would never want all my coworkers and clients to have direct access to all my beliefs. So I have a “secret” or “magical” name that give me the power to keep this one side secret while still openly discussing it. Even a regular name has power though. Just call someone to summon them, to connect deeper with them, even to show them how angry you are depending on context. When we consider names as “what things are called” we are almost taking all language into account.

The Sheut or Shadow: To the Egyptians the shadow was literally the shadow cast by the body. It was considered to contain aspects of the individual, which is actually entirely true. I find this one the most difficult to integrate (the rest actually are rather easy to understand), because a shadow is pretty understandable. But even when I hear the word “shadow” I have to think of Carl Jung and his archetype of the shadow. The shadow is the completely dark, obscured part of an individual, which they themselves often do not understand. An example of this is when someone else’s actions annoy us, but in reality it’s because we hate the very same trait in ourselves.

The Ib or “Heart-Soul” or Ego: I think “heart soul” is an awesome primitive term for what we now refer to as the ego. It has the best and worst of us locked away in there, it’s driven by primal urges and emotion rather that rational thought. It is the ego that opposes the shadow, hides it away so our pride is not hurt. It was the heart, or in this case the ego, that was weighed in afterlife ceremonies to decide whether the individual was worthy or not. Why? The ego/heart has no filter and helps us understand who we truly are deep down.

The Ba or Consciousness or Soul: The Ba is the actual individual, the consciousness itself, or isolate intelligence, or psyche, there are plenty words for it. The Ba relies on the Khat to have a place to grow, connected through the Ib, which itself arises from the Khat. If the Ba is worked in the proper ways throughout life, it can become more powerful than the Khat and Ib and thus survive physical death.

The Ka or Higher Self: The Egyptian Gods, known as Neteru (Neter for one), were quite similar to and likely the inspiration for Platonic Forms, perfect but abstract aspects of nature that then manifest in different ways. The second someone conceived a chair, “chairness” would have come into being. It is chairness that allows us to recognize chairs despite drastically varying designs. Likewise, with nature we can recognize cycles, storms, types of growth, language itself all as one thing despite the millions of different languages and dialects throughout history. So when a human being is born, a perfect Form of them comes into existence as well – the Ka. If an individual can get in touch with and align themselves (the Ba) with the Ka they will essentially be living the perfect life for them.

Akh or Deified Individual: If the Ba lines up with the Ka and survives physical death, it is possible for it to itself become a Neter. To the Egyptians these beings would be indistinguishable from other Neteru. Basically this is “self-deification”, the individual becoming a god through their own efforts.

Hours the Younger v. Horus the Elder

There is also the issue of Horus the Younger vs. Horus the Elder. Horus the Younger is the son of Osiris and Isis, and considered to be the 10th deity to come out of the Ennead (Budge, 1969). Horus the Younger is essentially the same as Osiris, but reborn and ruling the world of Life as opposed to Osiris ruling the world of Death. This may seem confusing, and it is important to pause to discuss the Egyptian understanding of the gods, the Neteru. The Egyptians did not believe in physical beings who had dramas in the ways of other religions. Rather, the Neteru are similar to, and likely the inspiration of, Platonic Forms (Aquino, 2015). So to say Horus the Younger is a lower manifestation of Osiris is not as nonsensical as it seems. Think of gnostic Aeons, for comparison. Horus the Younger represents a less pure version of what Osiris does, from ruler-ship to stasis. Understanding the Neteru also helps us understand that Horus the Younger is a perversion of Horus the Elder, the original Horus. Much like Christianity adopting religious dates or saviors from other religions to make it more accessible, the Osirians repurposed Horus the Elder to promote their own religion, where this timeless and ancient god was actually the son of Osiris. The idea of Horus the Younger must also be discarded with the rest of the Osirian interpretation of the myth.

So what was Horus the Elder, and what was Its relationship to Set? The Cults of Horus and Set are the two oldest known cults in human history - far predating Egypt, we find the two cults already established in pre-historical Egypt (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2015). The ancients did not see Horus and Set as eternal enemies, but rather Horus and Set represented the fundamental duality that the Egyptians saw in all things. Horus and Set were, themselves, the foundation of all Egyptian religion. It is true that Horus and Set were seen as light and dark, day and night, stability and chaos, tradition and confusion, but there was no concept of them being “good” or “evil”. They were both necessary. There was also a unity between them, rather than the division commonly represented (Te Velde, 1967). Again, the Osirian myth must be discarded. This clears up many of the issues, such as how Egypt didn’t view any Neteru as evil, or how there was no prolonged combat or anything close between any of the other gods (Aquino, 2015). In fact, it’s likely that Horus and Set never were originally fighting until the Osirian religion wrote it as such. Rather, studies of the myth suggest that the relationship between Horus and Set was originally a romantic, consensual one (Te Velde, 1967). Mertz (2008) even points out that the story may have been seen as epic and humorous, similar to the tales of other culture. As we will see, this is likely the case on the outside, but initiated understanding of the stories will show things were different for those on the inside. The original myth actually promotes the idea of a union of Horus and Set, which produces Thoth. Horus fills Set with his sperm through trickery, which in the end brings about Thoth, who rises from Set’s forehead. Further, the eye represented the power of Horus, where the testicles were the power of Set. Set attained power from Horus, the power of Order, and Horus attained power from Set, the power of Creation and Change (Te Velde, 1967). This is similar to the Ying-Yang, where the white side contains a black dot and visa versa. Together these two forces create Thoth, he who writes the universe into existence.

Remember how the Neteru are similar to Platonic Forms? It should not be thought that two beings were conceived as literally having sex to create another. Rather than a myth similar to that of Christianity and Solar religions, we see that the story of Horus and Set is much more Egyptian in nature, perhaps somewhat anticlimactically. So to sum up thus far, Horus and Set, un-perverted, were the foundational polarity of the universe, which unites to create all the cosmos. As Neteru/Forms, all other Neteru should be understood as manifestations of the two. Anubis, for example, is a lesser manifestation of Set, which explains why Set is understood as his “father” and the two are sometimes used interchangeably in texts. It is also why Ra has the same head as Horus, for Solar religion is a worship of Order/Horus, which the Egyptian state publically promoted.

When Osiris absorbed Horus he absorbed the Solar aspects of Egyptian religion. With the demonization of Set, a morality arose and a higher value placed on the Solar over the Stellar. Now deification was rewarded by the gods directly for proper behavior, though there were obviously loopholes for the high class. The material world became increasingly important, and with it the body, starting the first move from Egyptian esotericism to exotericism. These effects are still felt today in the on-going fight between the Solar Abrahamic religions and the Solar materialistic philosophies, and even in occultism which remains mostly Solar in nature.

A large part of the history of Horus and Set is the idea that Horus is better, more virtuous, more important, superior, etc. to Set in some way. But it seems quite possible that originally, Set was actually seen as the superior Neter. One of the main reasons for this is that Set was known as the “Son of Nut”, the Egyptian Neter representing the skies in their entirety (Te Velde, 1967). The “Son of Nut” referenced Set in all cases, nobody else was considered the son or daughter of Nut directly (Te Velde, 1967). This is likely a carry-over from the time when Set was seen as the head of the Neteru. There are, in fact, references that have Set as the one and only Neter holding the latter to heaven, whereas we do not see this with Horus. That Horus as the sun (later Ra) could be defeated by Apep, whereas Set could not and was actually the main defender, further shows the importance and power of Set. Even in the Pyramid Texts we see that Horus makes the Earth quake, but Set makes the Sky shake (Pyramid Texts Online, n.d.). Another interesting thing to notice is that there are cases, such as in the texts of Unas, where the king is referred to as a Horus, rather than a specific entity named Horus. It may be that Horus has always been associated with the actual ruler of the nome or country, who we know was viewed as a literal demigod. To become a “Horus” can be seen as becoming a king over the Earth and/or over the Neteru, which matches exactly with the stellar afterlife ideals of the early Egyptians. This could also explain why only the Horus name was generally preferred for the Pharaoh name, despite the two Neteru clearly being viewed as equally important.

In the end, however, it does not really matter if one viewed Horus and Set as somehow better. Most likely it can down to preference, which is why Unas was allowed to choose between Horus and Set upon reaching the Imperishable Stars (Pyramid Texts Online, n.d.). Following a balanced path between the two, or picking one over the other, is up to the individual. But what can we know about the nature of this choice between Horus and Set? For one thing, we know that Horus was a pharaoh-like role, where the dead became identified even with Atum (who preceded Horus and Set in mythology), king over the Neteru. Set, on the other hand, was known as “the separator”, being drawn as a fantastic animal and represented even in the earliest myths as an outsider (Te Velde, 1967).

The Osiris Myth

One thing to clear up is that I do not think we should reject the Osiris myth all together, as in ignore it. Rather, it does not describe the original understanding of the Neteru Set and Horus. It can, however, be used to understand modern religion and how it varies with ancient religion. The Egyptians saw the skies as the literal heavens, with the stars representing a physical form of the Neteru, or being where the Neter was supposed to live or exist. (Clark, 2000). This matches closely with the Hermetic understanding of “as above, so below”, where the physical heavens helped to understand the divine world. Horus, the god of Light, represented the daytime and the sun. Horus was the ruler of the earth, surrounded by other gods of the zodiac or starts. Set, as the god of Dark, was represented by nighttime, and explicitly the circumpolar northern starts (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008). This means either Set or Horus was in the sky at all times. It is interesting to note that Set, as being “higher” then Horus, can possibly be seen as “more divine”, but I do not personally know if the Egyptians understood that the stars were still “up” when the sun was, or that they were farther away. More likely is that Horus and Set were seen as equals.

In the Osiris myth, Set and Osiris are brothers and Osiris is the ruler of Egypt (Budge, 1969). Set, jealous of Osiris’ power, murders him. Throughout the story Isis impregnates herself using the body of Osiris, giving birth to Horus. Horus and Set battle, with Horus eventually winning rulership over Egypt. This is obviously extremely simplified! In the Osiris myth cycle, Set is an archetypal villain, a clear precursor to the modern Satan/Devil. He is jealous, violent, a heavy handed ruler, a rapist and pedophile, and hated by everyone including his wife. We know, of course, that this was a twisting of the original Set by the followers of Osiris in early dynastic Egypt, especially starting around Dynasty IV-VI. Yet this was the version that became one of the most well-known and well preserved myths of Egyptian – and human – history. There are many interesting mysteries to Horus and Set here though, and we will start by looking at the more mysterious Set.

One of the big things that jumps right out is that Set is the initiator of Osiris. Osiris needed to die in order to become ruler of the Duat (afterlife) (Te Velde, 1967). While this seems obvious at face value, we see that it was not publically acknowledged by the Egyptians, and only known to the priesthoods. This increases Set’s importance for the initiated, and his malevolence for the uninitiated. It was also Set, in the form of a bull, who carries the body of Osiris into the Duat (Te Velde, 1967). This is a holdover from Set’s original role as a guide into the next world, formerly the circumpolar stars, and now a mostly ethereal, “divine” location. Without Set Osiris would never die, and never make it to the underworld. Further, the Opening of the Mouth ceremony was crucial to both the Neteru and the dead (Te Velde, 1967; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011). This is what brought the spirit of a Neter into a statue, or allowed you to talk in the afterlife. Like everyone, this ritual was necessary for Osiris. The key to the opening of the mouth ceremony was a tool known as the Adze, which literally opened the mouth. This tool was shaped as the constellation Ursa Major, one of the constellations most associated with Set, and made from materials believed to be sacred to Set (Te Velde, 1967; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012). Obviously it was still realized, even if only behind closed doors, that Set was extremely necessary to the Osiris cycle.

As for Horus, he is seen as the son of Osiris, nephew of Set. It is in this tale where we see Set gouging out Horus’ eye, and Horus ripping off Set’s testicles, as well as Set attempting to rape Horus, and the endlessly hysterical “tainted lettuce” incident (Budge, 1969). Horus had to be hidden from Set as a child because he was not nearly powerful enough to challenge Set. He loses many times before finally becoming victorious over Set. As touched upon, Horus the Child is a manifestation of Osiris himself, Osiris reborn almost, a lesser Form. Horus was the power of the Pharaoh (same as the Elder), Osiris on Earth. Again we see an obvious precursor to Christianity, without all the utter bullshit of trying to directly compare Christ to Horus. Horus had to actively fight back against the chaos of Set, actively attempt to uphold Ma’at, same as the pharaoh. This puts Horus the Child as the center of the universal struggle between order and chaos. It’s interesting to note that later gnostic sects held the concept of Horos, “the limit”, which was the division between the Upper and Fallen Aeons. As the sun, Horus also represents the entity between the world of humans and the world of the Neteru.

A Brief Word on Apep

The story of Apep and Set holding him back is also important. It goes that after his family disowned him, Set was adopted by Ra. Set would ride on the sun boat of Ra, and at night he would have to fight back the serpent Apep. It was thought that every night Apep would try to stop the sun in its course by hypnotizing it was a stare. When facing Apep, all the Neteru in the boat would faint, except Set, who pushed the snake back. Apep can be seen to represent absolute chaos, non-existence, delusion, and so forth. It seems that Set was the only Neter not swayed by Apep, likely because Set was understood to be Dark and Chaotic as well. It has been theorized that Apep was understood as a more eldritch form of Set, almost a kind of dark Gnosticism except Set is the actual good guy. Either way, Set was absolutely necessary again, which correlates to his resurgence in the second intermediate period and new kingdom (Te Velde, 1967; Webb, 2011).

Consorts

Finally there is the question of consorts, as Egyptian Neteru are always paired with a female aspect (Budge, 1969; Te Velde, 1967). Horus is difficult, as he is commonly considered either a child of Osiris and Isis, or the fifth sibling of the Ennead that did not have a consort. This is in keeping with the Osirian mythos though. We can see either Isis or Hathor as the consort of Horus, though it can also be argued that these two Neteru are inherently the same. They represent the earth, material pleasure, drunkness and celebration, the harvest and agriculture, domestication, nurturing motherhood and the wrath of an angry parent. This is the classic fertility goddess, associated with Life in line with Horus.

Many sources recognize Taweret as the wife or concubine of Set (Morgan, 2005; Gordon, 2001; Wilkinson, 2003; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). Te Velde (1967) suggests that the Sa symbol, associated with Taweret, is grammatically related to the Sha animal, the dog form of Set. This would be in keeping with the wordplay used in early Egyptian language. During the early times of the language, word-play and puns were one of the main ways in which Egypt-created their language. In many instances it was seen that Taweret was responsible for keeping Set separated from the Gods in the Northern skies, whether to “retain his evil” or, earlier on, literally to be the Separation between Set in the Gods (Morgan, 2005; Seawright, n.d.; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.). Set’s name itself, in early Egypt, was often a single symbol representing “Separator” or “Isolator” (Te Velde, 1967). Another way she was connected with Set was that they were both related to the northern circumpolar stars (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012). Taweret was seen as the constellation Draco, which may have been envisioned as much larger to the Egyptians (Morgan, 2005; Gordon, 2001; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). It is possible that she was seen as a mother to the gods. Ursa Minor was seen as Sobek riding on Taweret’s back in some situations, or part of Taweret herself (Gordon, 2001; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). However, in the Dendera zodiac, Ursa Minor is seen as the Jackle of Set (Gordon, 2001).

References

Aquino, M., PhD. (2015). MindStar. United States, 2015: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Pr.

Aquino, M. (2014). The Temple of Set I. United States: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Budge, E. W. (1898). The Chapters of Coming Forth By Day. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner &.

Budge, E. W. (1969). The Gods of the Egyptians. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications.

Clark, R. (2000). The Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.

Flowers, S., PhD. (2012). Lord of the Left Hand Path: Forbidden Practices and Spiritual Heresies. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions.

Grimal, N. (1994). A History of Ancient Egypt. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Levenda, P. (2013). The Dark Lord: H.P. Lovecraft, Kenneth Grant, and the Typhonian Tradition in Magic. Lakeworth, FL: Ibis Press.

Levenda, P. (2008). Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists, and the Art of Spiritual Transformation. United Kingdom: Bllomsbury Academic.

Mertz, B. (2008). Red Land Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publisher.

Morgan, M. (2005). The Bull of Ombos: Seth and Egyptian Magick II. Oxford, UK: Mandrake of Oxford.

The Pyramid Texts Online. (n.d.). Retrieved September 06, 2016, from pyramidtextsonline.com

Rielly, C. A. (2011). Taweret: An Untraditional Egyptian Goddess. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from https://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/556/taweret-an-untraditional-egyptian goddess

Seawright, C. (n.d.). Taweret, Goddess Demoness of Birth, Rebirth, and the Northern Sky. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/taweret.html

Taweret. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/taweret.html

Te Velde, H. (1967). Seth, God of Confusion. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishing.

Webb, D. (2011). Seven Faces of Darkness. Lodestar.

I decided to change my name from darkpath666 to GiftOfSet in order to better reflect my religion.

I tried to make a dark theme for this subreddit, but it has proven to be a nightmare. There are some dark themes available but you have to subscribe, which I am willing to handle, but would like some feedback as to the theme you all prefer. Thanks.

Setian Arcanum – Q & A by Setamontet

What is a Setian?

The Setian is one who strives and works towards becoming attuned to his/her own Higher Self, and who strives and works to become his/her complete and absolute manifestation in the Universe. The Setian is a spiritual Alchemist who through the Black Work, the process of Self-directed Self-evolution, is transformed from mortal into the essence of divinity. The primordial source for this refined consciousness is that which is known as the Prince of Darkness whom we Setians identify as the ancient Egyptian god Set.

Why Set?

Set was the ancient Egyptian Neter or god of winds, storms, chaos, war, disruption of the cosmic stasis, and the god of Darkness and of the Sky by Night. Set was originally honored and worshipped as a powerful Neter whose kingdom was the majesty of the night sky, which he ruled from his Seat behind the Constellation of the Seven Stars or Ursa Major. Set is one of the most ancient and noble semblances of That which is also called Satan or the Devil, Prometheus, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, etc. Its names and faces are many.

Set’s Name ultimately means the Isolator or Separator, to Set Apart, which also makes him a perfect Lord of the Left-Hand Path. As Set separated him Self from the laws of the Order of the Cosmos, so too have we who walk this path consciously rejected and have separated and liberated ourselves from socially established norms, the conventional, the traditional ebb and flow of society, popular culture and conventional religion and morality.

What is Xeper?

Xeper is an ancient Egyptian verb/noun (pronounced Khefr) written as a stylized scarab beetle, which in English roughly translates as “ To Become” or “ To Evolve” or, “I Have Come Into Being”. We all have within ourselves our own individual hidden truths of higher being. The path and quest of Xeper is to uncover and to ultimately become the very embodiment and most complete and supreme manifestation of these truths.

“Xeper is the experience of an individual psyche becoming aware of its own existence and deciding to expand and evolve that existence through its own actions.” It is a dynamic spiritual transformation in one’s life in which the horizons of the potentiality of one’s own being expands. It is the establishment of a new higher mode or state of existence. Xeper, like in Alchemy, is the transformation of the soul or psyche from a lower state or base element into that of a higher state or divine element.

Xeper happens. For instance, Xeper happened to me on that day when I first truly heard that piece of music which would inspire me to devote the next eight + years of my life learning music theory and piano technique. Xeper happened to me on that night when I first invoked the Name of Set in a Working of Greater Black Magic and Came Into Being as a Setian. In those moments of dynamic spiritual transformation, major paradigms in my life were shifted and I was changed forever. Xeper is that which transformed humans from what we were 2 million years ago to that which we are today, and which will continue to transform us into other forms. Hence, it occurs on both a macrocosmic (racial) and a microcosmic (individual) level. Xeper continues to occur through the Remanifestation of these transformations of being.

What is Remanifestation?

Remanifestation is another essential aspect of Setian philosophy and the path of Xeper. It is what we do after Xeper happens, after a higher state of existence has become established. It is through the continual exercise and application of the knowledge, powers, and abilities which we have attained thus far, to our continuing work, which enables us to uncover even deeper mysteries, develop stronger more refined abilities, and to establish new higher states of existence. Without Remanifestation, Xeper would only be a single event happening. Xeper and Remanifestation, in essence, is the food for the soul; we Come Into Being and continually feed and nurture that Being through the exercise of the re-energized Black Flame. This is the process of self-directed self-evolution.

What is the significance of Darkness?

Darkness is more than just the absence of light, it observably envelopes the entire Universe. It symbolizes the Mysteries, the unknown, the secret knowledge, that which is hidden, also the infinite potential of the self-aware Being, and that which is not-yet-manifest or Is-to-Be in the realms of Black Magick. And as Don Webb once described the Path of Darkness: “In this darkling universe there are no lights save for those you create through your hard work, your spiritual rebellion, your seeking after the mysteries of your own choosing. When that light dawns, it will by its very nature not only give you moments of clarity about things in your life closest to you, it will likewise show you new horizons – horizons for you and you alone to explore.”

What is the Black Flame?

The term “Black Flame” appeared in modern times in Michael Aquino’s document “The Diabolicon”, where Lucifer came down from Heaven and infused within all mankind the essence of his mind. When doing this, the radiance of Lucifer’s mind radiated out across the Earth in the form of brilliant rays of black light.

The Black Flame is the Essence of Set within us, it is that which initiates and inspires the Will to Come Into Being, it is the energizing force of the Will to Magick, Self-Consciousness, and higher intellect; it is the very essence of being within all self-aware entities. All understanding of science and mathematics, independent thought, abstract, and creative thought such as inventiveness, philosophy, metaphysics, religion; all music and works of art; all expressions of the creative mind and will are spawns or manifestations of the Black Flame. It is that which gives us a higher sense of Self just like other animals have a more heightened sense of sight, smell, and sound. This is the nature of the Black Flame which, having become infused within our very DNA, is actually the so called “Sixth Sense”.

What is Black Magick?

Black Magick is the Willful confounding and alteration of the universal laws of the Cosmos. It is the Art of altering or changing the subjective universe in order to produce a proportionate change in the objective universe in accordance with the Will. Setian Magic is divided into lesser and greater degrees of manifestation, Lesser Black Magic (LBM) and Greater Black Magic (GBM). Lesser Black Magic is the manipulation or influencing of events, situations, people, in the everyday world by the Magickian in order to produce a desired outcome.

There is a three-fold dynamic in the practice of Greater Black Magick:

1. Origination – all Magick originates and begins in the mind. Abstract and subjective thought.

2. Manifestation – the refinement of the subjective Will through Ritual Magic employed by the Magician so that his/her Will is known to the Universe.

3. Crystallization – the realization of the subjective Will into a definite form, woven into the warp and weave of the objective universe. Subjective thoughts and ideas become objective reality.

Xeper and Remanifest.

/Setamontet\

Magister Ordo Serpentis

Greetings all,

I am Setamontet, co-founder of the Order of the Serpent. Here is a brief summary of how I became Setian;

What initially drew me to the ToS and Setian religion was its seeking after the knowledge and undefiled wisdom of the Prince of Darkness, its understanding of Black Magick, and the infusing of dark imagery with ancient Egyptian symbolism. What happened to me occurred on a Summer night in June of 1989 c.e. - I had been a Satanist for about 5 years and would occasionally hear about the Temple of Set by word of mouth or something I read in a book. It wasn't until I got a book called "The Occult Experience" which has a pretty good chapter on the ToS, that I really started taking a hard look at Set and the ToS. I started to study up on the god Set and Egyptian mythology, and was very intrigued by it. Soon I began to really ask the question, "Does the Lord of Darkness truly exist?" For that matter does Set exist as suggested by the ToS? And so one night while playing with my dogs in the back yard I realized that my wanting to know had become a Need to Know.
At that moment I then outstretched my arms, looked up at the night sky and began reciting an invocation of Set that I had written about a month earlier. Immediately an intense inspiration, warmth, peace, and a dynamic surge of energy washed over me like a water fall and infused within my very being an awesome sense of bliss and heightened awareness. I had performed ritual invocations before, but had never even come close to this type of presence. New insights and perceptual clarity began racing through my mind, and I remember feeling a sensation like I was floating or was being levitated. It felt as if my mind had become merged with that of another; something ancient and far more intelligent. After this working happened I was changed and my life was changed forever. On that night, Set came forth and ordained me a Setian, and I have been Setian ever since.

Xeper and Remanifest!

For ever in the Black Flame of Set!

When I was asked why I chose Neb-Het for the O.S. symbol, and if it was simply because she was Set’s mythological consort. I gave several reasons why, and as I did I realized how unconvincing and reaching the explanations where. This led into me looking at Nephthys again, and then at other consorts of Set. Which brings us to this current work. Well, there is not a whole lot of information available on Taweret it seems, at least not within any single source. This is just kind of a direct compilation of the knowledge, plus the unavoidable dose of metaphysics. It’s shorter than I’d like, but based on the research and writing time it’s packed pretty full. That said, the O.S. founders have unanimously agreed it will be replacing Nephthys with Tawaret, using a 6 letter variation of the name, “Tauret” for the symbol.

The Name Taweret

It seems that Taweret (T3-wrt) is one of the pre-historical goddesses of Ancient Egypt. The name Taweret (or Taurt) translates to “Great One” (Clark, 2000; Morgan, 2005; Gordon, 2001; Seawright, n.d.; Reilly, 2011). This is a title that has been assigned to various beings, but in the case of Taweret it is her actual name. In Greek Taweret was known as “Thoeris” (Clark, 2000; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Te Velde, 1967). Gordon (2001) associates Taweret with Tiamat of Sumer, stated that she was also the inspiration for Ahriman in Zoroastrianism, which we will get to later. He also calls her “the Great Hippo.” Seawright (n.d.) names her “Lady of Magical Protection,” and “the Great Female.”

The Image of Taweret

The main image of Taweret is that of a Hippo, often with Sobek, the crocodile, on her back (all sources). Often the hippo was also seen as a symbol of Nut, the sky goddess, and they two deities were closely related (Clark, 2000; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.). Taweret was a type of “griffin,” a mythological mix of animals seen in early Egypt, a few of which remained throughout their history (Clark, 2000; Gordon, 2001; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.; Te Velde, 1967; Rielly, 2011). According to Te Velde (1967), Taweret can be seen alongside three common early Egyptian griffins, the snake headed griffin, eagle-headed griffin, and the Set animal.

Taweret’s Relationship to Other Gods

Many sources recognize Taweret as the wife or concubine of Set (Morgan, 2005; Gordon, 2001; Wilkinson, 2003; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). Te Velde (1967) suggests that the Sa symbol, associated with Taweret, is grammatically related to the Sha animal, the dog form of Set. This would be in keeping with the wordplay used in early Egyptian language. During the early times of the language, word-play and puns were one of the main ways in which Egypt-created their language. In many instances it was seen that Taweret was responsible for keeping Set separated from the Gods in the Northern skies, whether to “retain his evil” or, earlier on, literally to be the Separation between Set in the Gods (Morgan, 2005; Seawright, n.d.; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.). Set’s name itself, in early Egypt, was often a single symbol representing “Separator” or “Isolator” (Te Velde, 1967). Another way she was connected with Set was that they were both related to the northern circumpolar stars (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012), which will be touched on later. It is interesting to note that Taweret also was seen as related to Horus, having essentially defected to Osiris’ side with his importation (Gordon, 2011; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). Of course it must be remembered that Te Velde (1967) believed that Horus and Set may originally have been romantically related (not literally, but mythically). Finally, Set is related to Taweret as she is sometimes associated with Nut. In early Egyptian religion, Set was known as the “Son of Nut,” a name which referred solely to him (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012).

Clark (2000) describes Taweret as part of the “cyclical triad,” in which she, her consort Apep, and their child Hapi represent the “triad of Separation.” In it, Hapi is representative of the river Nile. He unites the two lands of Egypt, and represents the Principle of Continuity. Apep represents the consumption and annihilation of the psyche, meaning the self ceasing to exist. Clark also compares this to the function of Ammut in Osirian mythology. Taweret herself represents the Principle of Multiplication, growth on top of the continuation of Hapi, and in opposition to the entropy of Apep. Further, Clark defines Taweret as representing the production of living forms.

On top of Clark’s associations, Taweret was also seen as the consort of Apep in very early mythology (Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.). Rielly (2011) also connects Taweret with Ammut. Taweret was closely associated with, and perhaps a precursor to, both Isis (who was imported) and Hathor (an early mother goddess), as well as Nut (Clark, 2000; Wilkinson, 2003; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.; Rielly, 2011).

Taweret’s Association with the Constellations

Taweret was seen as the constellation Draco, which may have been envisioned as much larger to the Egyptians (Morgan, 2005; Gordon, 2001; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). It is possible that she was seen as a mother to the gods. Ursa Minor was seen as Sobek riding on Taweret’s back in some situations, or part of Taweret herself (Gordon, 2001; Ancient Egypt Online, n.d.; Seawright, n.d.). However, in the Dendera zodiac, Ursa Minor is seen as the Jackle of Set (Gordon, 2001).

Set was also related to the circumpolar stars, and is another important way the two were connected, and Set was sometimes seen as the circumpolar north in its entirety (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008). The earliest death-cults of Egypt were focused around the circumpolar north, which may make Taweret that much more important in pre-history (Te Velde, 1967; Aquino, 2014; Levenda, 2008; Webb, 2011; Flowers, 2012).

Personal Thoughts

Taweret seems quite closely and anciently linked with Set, as well as Horus and several important goddesses. That she is associated with Nut, mixed with Te Velde’s revelation of Set being the sole “Son of Nut,” is fascinating, especially when we consider that she was more likely consort of Sobek rather than Set. To me, Taweret fits more as the mother of Set than a consort. She even is said to be the very thing that keeps Set separated from the other gods, which is the center of Set and all his importance. In fact, if Set IS the Separator, and Taweret CAUSES him to be separate, then Taweret causes Set to be. If she is truly a mother goddess this makes perfect sense. Hathor was also pre-historical, though came to resemble other Egyptian goddesses rather than the unique form of Taweret, further settling Taweret in as a mother goddess. In this sense Taweret can almost be seen as Sophia to the Demiurge, Nuit to Hadit, Lilith to Cain. I find Taweret more than worthy of further investigation, and quite inspiring as a more Setian mother goddess.

References

Aquino, M. (2014). The Temple of Set I. United States: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Clark, R. (2000). The Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.

Flowers, S., PhD. (2012). Lord of the Left Hand Path: Forbidden Practices and Spiritual Heresies. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions.

Levenda, P. (2008). Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists, and the Art of Spiritual Transformation. United Kingdom: Bllomsbury Academic.

Morgan, M. (2005). The Bull of Ombos: Seth and Egyptian Magick II. Oxford, UK: Mandrake of Oxford.

Rielly, C. A. (2011). Taweret: An Untraditional Egyptian Goddess. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from https://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/556/taweret-an-untraditional-egyptian goddess

Seawright, C. (n.d.). Taweret, Goddess Demoness of Birth, Rebirth, and the Northern Sky. Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/taweret.html

Taweret. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/taweret.html

Te Velde, H. (1967). Seth, God of Confusion. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishing.

Webb, D. (2011). Seven Faces of Darkness. Lodestar.

Wilkinson, R. H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson Inc.

BOOKS

Book Four – Aleister Crowley

• A good book for giving the basics on meditation as well as ceremonial magic. Very traditional and Solar based, but worth the read, especially Part I

Book of the Law, The – Aleister Crowley

• A must read for anyone even slightly interested in the Western Esoteric Tradition. It cannot be overstated how fundamental this text is to understanding much of esoteric thought in the 20th and 21st century.

Cthulhu Mythos Encyclopedia – Daniel Harms

• A very thorough encyclopedia on the beings of Lovecraft and his those who continued his work. Great for those inspired by Cosmic Horror and Weird Fiction, as well as the Dreamworld tales.

Dark Lord, The – Peter Levenda

• A thorough look into the works and ideas of Kenneth Grand and his Typhonian Tradition. Grant is extremely hard to read most of the time, and this text is of great – if sometimes awkward – depth. Also contains one of the most fascinating looks at The Book of the Law and what is contained within. Delves into the early Egyptian Setian ideology and stellar symbolism.

Fire and Ice – Dr. Stephen E. Flowers

• This text is likely the most thorough, English work on the Brotherhood of Saturn. This German order mixed the Thelema of Crowley with a darker, Luciferian usage of the symbolism of Saturn.

Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, The – Godwin, Chanel, and Deveney

• Before the Typhonian Tradition, before Thelema, before Theosophy, there was the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor. Rarely known about in most occult circles, the work contains thorough background information, internal letters, rituals, literally everything you could ever want from the order that started it all.

History of the Devil and the Idea of Evil – Paul Carus

• This book is dated and biased, but it is a very interesting read into how The Devil evolved over time. The reader must be cautious of Carus’ outdated views and ideas, but in the end the vigilant reader should thoroughly enjoy it.

In Pursuit of Satan: the Police and the Occult – Robert D. Hicks

• Outdated, being from 1991, this book is a VERY in-depth look into how the police were treating Satanism and crime during the Satanic Panic. Almost an overwhelming amount of information, it looks at the Panic from pretty much each factor that was relevant to the occurrence.

Invention of Satanism, The – Dyrendal, Lewis, and Petersen

• This book, and its amazing authors, have filled the much needed role of providing unbiased, outsider, academic information into Satanism. This text contains statistics from three repeated surveys on every facet of Satanism imaginable. It looks into the history of modern Satanism, works to define it objectively, and give a clear view of the various forms of Satanism.

King in Yellow, The – Robert W. Chambers

• Or more specifically, the first four stories of Chamber’s classic work. A work of early, pre-Lovecraftian weird fiction, the King in Yellow tells an esoteric tale about a cursed play, and a King beyond comprehension.

Lords of the Left Hand Path – Dr. Stephen E. Flowers

• This book is one of the few, if not only, works that cover the Left Hand Path from is pre-historic birth to modern day. While many of the early chapters are disappointingly short, the book makes up for it in its discussion of the modern LHP.

Mindstar – Dr. Michael A. Aquino

• Not much more needs to be said: this text gives the full explanation of Dr. Aquino’s metaphysical worldview from the man himself.

Mysteries of the Temple of Set – Don Webb

• A straight forward book where Don Webb, former High Priest of the Temple of Set, discusses the metaphysics of Setianism. The second half of the book is filled with essays written by Don Webb and originally published internally in the Temple.

Overthrowing the Old Gods – Don Webb

• This book contains Dr. Aquino’s commentary on the Book of the Law, as well as Don Webb’s commentary. Also contains several essays by Don Webb.

Paradise Reconsidered: A Study of the Ophite Myth and Ritual and Their Relationship to Sethianism – Tuomas Rasimus

• This is the Ophite equivalent of Seth: God of Confusion. A deep look into the varying Ophite myths and types of Gnosticism, as well as Sethian Gnosticism which heavily inspires modern usage of Cain.

Pyramid Texts, The – The Ancient Egyptians

• The oldest known religious scripture, The Pyramid Texts are a beautiful mess of amazing, contradictory symbolism. Written during the fall of Set and rise of Osiris, this give the best look into the early Egyptian religions, especially that of the Setian afterlife revolving around the circumpolar stars.

Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt, The – Rosemary Clark

• A massive text discussing all aspects of Egyptian metaphysics and ritual.

Seth: God of Confusion – H. Te Velde

• The Magnum Opus of academic works on Set, this is a must read for understanding early Egyptian beliefs, as well as the evolution and eventual demonization of Set. It cannot be overstated how important and profound this work is.

Sinister Tradition, The – Order of Nine Angles

• The O.S. is not affiliated with the ONA, nor does it condone their ideology or supposed actions. Nevertheless, this text gives a straightforward insight into ONA metaphysics, and should clearly also show the massive downsides of their ideology. The uniqueness of this text simply cannot be ignored for the scholarly minded, nor can the depth of the ideology.

Stairway to Heaven – Peter Levenda

• This text looks into the book of Ezekiel and his vision, his ascension on a chariot to heaven. It ties the myth to the circumpolar stars, and discusses the ascension myths of various traditions in great depth.

Tablets of Set, The – The Temple of Set

• These are thousands of pages from inner Temple of Set works given to initiates.

Temple of Set v. I and II – Dr. Michael A. Aquino

• Volume I gives a full history of the formation of the Temple, as well as much of the metaphysics it is based on. Volume II is where the book really shines, containing many important works like The Diabolicon, as well as inner Temple essays and information from each of the Temple’s internal Orders.

Thoth: A History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom – Lesley Jackson

• A complete look into the Form of Knowledge

Watchmen – Alan Moore

• It’s hard to talk much about Watchmen without having read it (and be sure 1137 will have several essays on the topic!). It brings to life so many aspects of philosophy and psychology that you would think it was an academic work rather than a comic. Who Watches the Watchmen? This comic is perhaps the best answer to the question ever provided.

Works of H.P. Lovecraft

• From cosmic horror to ancient Dreamlands, Lovecraft was an accidental master of occult ideology, philosophy, and symbolism. Infinitely inspiring, endlessly entertaining, it will soon become clear why this racist, closed minded materialist is in this library.

MOVIES

Batman v. Superman: Ultimate Edition

• Imagine sitting at a reading of the Iliad, seeing a play at the Globe, or attending a ceremony in an Ancient Egyptian temple. This is the modern version, a perfect take on ancient mythology. Widely hated for its “Christian symbolism,” those familiar with esotericism will be well aware that solar ideology goes far beyond Christ. Man vs. God, ascension, ancient superhuman beings, Batman v. Superman is one of the finest movies the lover of mythology could ever hope to see.

Black Swan

• Dark and sexual, Black Swan is a look into a breaking psyche. Filled with wonderful visuals and audio, it is a well-directed and well-acted look into the dark capabilities of the human mind.

Dangerous Method, A

• A surprisingly authentic drama-documentary about the relationship between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

Fight Club

• Generally seen as an anarchist movie about men fighting, Fight Club is a genius film about how easy it is to get sucked into a mindless, fascist cult of terrorists. One can’t help but notice how much more relevant this movie becomes with the recruitment by groups like the Islamic State.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The

• Ironically J.R.R. Tolkien was catholic, and the symbolism exists throughout LotR. But a story of men rising about God-like being, who rule mindless sheep with an iron fist, cannot help but be compared to Luciferian ideology. With the help of magical beings, human kind is able to take control of Middle Earth from tyrants.

Nightcrawler

• Based on the idea that modern medias runs off blood and fear, Nightcrawler is an uncomforting look into a man willing to do anything to catch the most horrifying news stories for the highest fee.

Nightlistener, The

• A Hitchcock-ian thriller, straightforward and chilling, looks into the masks people wear to reach the ends they desire. Nightlistener ends up being almost horror in nature when the true possibility of such events strikes home.

Nocturnal Animals

• A story of Greater Black Magic, the completion of a Magnum Opus, with fantastic psychological themes laying underneath. (More will be added after further viewings.)

Number 23, The

• Numerology, obsession, and fate, The Number 23 may fall short in its second half, but is nonetheless a fantastic journey into the human mind and one’s nature.

Phantom of the Opera

• While a musical may not be for everyone, viewing will eliminate any need to explain why this is in the O.S. library.

Prisoners

• A war with god, the hypocrisy of far-right Christian values, the need to seek backstory indirectly through vague hints, this is a dark look into what length people would go to for their children, and the minds of those who hunt such criminals.

Requiem for a Dream

• Besides being brilliantly made, Requiem for a Dream is an intense, disturbing look into the use and abuse of drugs and relationships. Unrelenting in its discussion of actions and their consequences, Requiem for a Dream may not be for the queasy, but its impact cannot go unnoticed.

Star Wars

• Watch them.

Shutter Island

• Psyops, early psychology and psychopharmacology, the criminal mind – Shutter Island is a thoroughly enjoyable look into what lengths the human mind will go to when pressed to its limits.

True Detective Season 1

• While a show and not a movie, Season 1 of True Detective is a dark piece of weird fiction based on The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers.

Watchmen

• As with the book, the movie goes into less detail but stays true to the book and vastly improves on the ending. The movie still makes all the same points as the book and discusses the same

ideology, but is simply limited to its already long 3 hour run time.

Zodiac

• Based on the work of Robert Graysmith, this is more a look into the obsession put into hunting the Zodiac killer than the infamous killer himself.