Crowleymas: Stardate 2020

Above image: The Aeon card from Pharos Tarot, copyright 2018-2020 M.M. Meleen

Crowleymas, Stardate 2020. ☉︎ in 19° ♎︎ : ☽︎ in 23° ♌︎ : ☽︎ : Ⅴⅴⅰ

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. ~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” indeed. Ah hell, who am I kidding…it’s 2020, and we all are just waiting for it to be over. For it seems that several years ago (you can guess around when, can’t you?) we passed through a terrible portal: our Earth became square and renamed “htraE” and for sure we are now in a Bizarro world, filled with anti-heroes. But there is an end in sight that might return us to a round earth…I’ll say no more.

Today however, is a day for celebration: Crowleymas, a Feast for the Beast, on this the 12th of October and the 145th anniversary of the birth of Aleister Crowley in 1875. It’s a day to re-calibrate and reflect on where and when we are, and how to align our path with our True Will.

In spite of how crazy the world is, how full of terrors and divisions, how isolating and lonesome it sometimes feels, today anyway, I feel pretty good and ready to embark in earnest on a new series of tarot artwork inspired by the something in one of the many books of the one and only To Mega Therion.

Tomorrow, October 13, trickster Mercury goes retrograde at 11°40 Scorpio, and it stations direct on November 3 (election day!) at 25°54 Libra. While we all know that Mercury retrograde periods and changes of direction can coincide with periods of chaos in Mercury-related things, retrograde periods can be good for RE-visiting things, RE-turning to projects or things that were first started in the past. I’m returning to work tomorrow on several projects that were begun in prior periods. I mentioned two of the decks I’d begun and then abandoned in a prior post. Both of those will be revisited and worked on during this period, but I feel most inspired by the one you saw in that post with the pencil sketch of the Magus card. So tomorrow I’m really looking forward to digging in and beginning to paint the Fool card from that deck.

I’m also revisiting something I didn’t expect to. Remember the “Who is HRU?” handmade esoteric pop up books that hold the extra large major arcana cards? I originally intended to make a limited edition of 22 of them, but soon realized that there WAS NO WAY IN HELL that I was going to be able to stand making that many, as with at least 26 hand cut pop up mechanisms inside each book it is just way way way too much work, and even charging hundreds of dollars for one means working for a long time for a lot less than minimum wage. So I only ended up making numbered copies I thru III, plus an artist’s reference model for myself that I labeled “zero”. So currently only 4 copies exist: numbers I thru III and including my own working model, 0.

But since someone has persisted in asking for another copy to be made, and I still have all of the diagrams and notes I made on how to make the pop up mechanisms and even had a few covers and parts started and abandoned, I finally (probably against my better judgement) decided to at least finish a couple more complete pop up books, and use the covers that were made that don’t end up as full fledged pop up books to make some cool handmade books. So the “Who is HRU?” book will probably end up as a series of only copies I thru either V or VI, plus my 0 model. I think I can probably force myself to finish two or maybe three more, but then that project will be shelved, probably for good.

Here are some pictures of the partially made covers in progress. Some of them will likely just end up being journals, while a few may make it to fully functional pop-up books. The last picture shows the secret panel with the Stele of Revealing that is hidden inside the book’s hinges.

Yesterday, we recorded new episodes for our current zodiacal series on the Fortune’s Wheelhouse podcast – including the one for my own sun sign Sagittarius which airs this Wednesday. Today was tying up loose ends, posting about our next episodes and giveaways on the FW Patreon site, and getting the art studio ready for action. For tonight, I’m going to select a few verses at random from Liber AL, the Book of the Law with a random number generator, and try to divine from them while raising a Brown Derby (the cocktail, not the hat) to Uncle Al, and maybe a feast involving some homemade egg rolls. Tomorrow, a REVIVAL and RE-turn to ART to art. Here’s to a round Earth in our future.

Remember to VOTE! Round Earth 2020!

Tarot IV? Tarot V?

Finally, after our pandemic spring and summer, and all the strange and chaotic events both related and unrelated that have unfolded in 2020, I’m feeling the muse stirring. Finally wrapping up my gardening “fervorino” of the spring and summer seasons. Harvested the onions and garlic, and made more pickles, both fermented and canned, than any one human should. And tinctured some medicinal herbs for the winter. There are still garden tasks to do like process tomatoes but my interest in the whole gardening and cooking stuff is waning with the season, and I feel the urge to go within and work on art again.

Problem is, I have more than one tarot I could pick back up and work on. Whatever the next one is, I guess it will be my 5th in a sense (Rosetta Tarot, Tabula Mundi Tarot in black and white, Tabula Mundi Tarot in color, Pharos Tarot.) I guess you could also call it the 4th if we just count both versions of Tabula Mundi as one tarot deck – though I count it as two since the black and white one came out a year before the other and has a very different look and feel to it.

Either way, now with a different type of creative urge rising, I have to choose one to focus on. While I suppose one could work on more than one deck simultaneously, the process of creating a deck takes so very long, for me anyway, that it makes more sense to pick one and stick with it for a while. There is also another book illustration project for a friend that might happen – though I haven’t heard much from that quarter lately. I suppose 2020 has thrown us all off track.

These are a few of the tarot related possibilities…

  1. Make Pharos Tarot into a full deck? While this is the most practical since the Majors are done, it’s the least likely as for now at least the muse thinks that one is destined to be a Majors only.
  2. Continue progress on the as-yet-unnamed deck that I was excitedly working on before all the crappy things that happened early in 2020 broke my artistic momentum. This deck is based on a resource I think is pretty cool (but as of yet I don’t want to say what – it will be revealed during the process when work resumes on it.) I’ve completed pencil drawings for 0 Fool through V Hierophant – so six cards drawn but not refined into completed paintings. That’s pretty good considering that for me the hardest part is getting an idea, composition, and sketch I like. The media will be something new and exciting – similar to the ink on mylar of Tabula Mundi, but with additional mediums and techniques incorporated that I’m excited to try working with together on the mylar. A combination of anything goes combining inks, acrylic, oils, colored pencils, enamels.
  3. Continue progress on a deck that is named in my mind – but the name has not been announced yet. For this deck I have completed actual finished paintings for 0 Fool through III Empress – so four cards done. Well, five actually as I did two Magus cards, as I just didn’t like one of them enough. I may even have to do a third as I’m not sure even about the one I kept. This deck is painted on 8×10 hard panels in matte acrylic. You may remember seeing a sneaky peek of the Fool card on my “Big Bonus 777” slot machine altar post for April Fools Day 2018. I was working on this deck before Pharos, way back then, but abandoned it in favor of Pharos because I wasn’t feeling the acrylic at the time and became very attracted to the idea of working with and trying to master watercolors. Now that I got that out of my system, acrylic seems appealing again!
  4. Start over with something else, using some new medias I want to learn: gouache, casein, egg tempera, gilding. This would be both challenging and, if I succeed in the learning part, really beautiful. But also most time consuming and is probably the least practical choice seeing as all the other options at least have some progress made. Also traditional egg tempera is pretty demanding as you actually make your own paint, and gilding is unlikely to scan or photo well, though I suppose it could be added during the printing process instead.

I’m leaning towards option 2 or 3, since the muse isn’t feeling 1 and 4 seems most daunting! So here is a sneak peak at something from each. First up is a VERY ROUGH pencil drawing of the Magus from option 2. It’s not properly developed or shaded yet, and of course is subject to change. Note the hand gestures of the Magus, his familiars, and his shadow(s) – that’s my favorite part. Of course it’s going to look much better when it is painted in color!

Below is a finished painting from option 3, of the Priestess. She is looking down the middle pillar, from highest Kether down to the solar heart of Tiphareth; behind her lunar rays pour her waters and radiate the form of a great cup.

[photo private]

So those are the options. If I live long enough I’ll finish both option 2 and 3 eventually, and maybe the others. For now I guess I just have to trust the muse to choose – though will take opinions into consideration!

Deck inventory updates

this is what’s inside the mysterious briefcase in Pulp Fiction…

For those of you who have been asking, Tabula Mundi Colores Arcus II tarot decks in the large 3.25×5 inch card size with holographic card backs are now available – we happy? Yes! 🙂

Will post a link here on this page when pre-orders open.

Going, going, gone…In sadder news, the following decks are now on extremely low inventory alert; some of them may not be reprinted for a long time, and some may never be reprinted:

Rosetta Papyrus is still available in the large size and there are still Tabula Mundi decks available in the MID SIZE, and POCKET SIZE, with LARGE SIZE coming soon. UPDATE: the Large Tabula Mundi Colores Arcus II decks are now available as of September 2020.

Pharos Tarot numerology info

The Fool

The Pharos Tarot was named after the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Someone has wondered why the Pharos Tarot Majors decks editions were released in such odd numbers. All are editions of less than 300, not to be repeated. But there are reasons for the numbers chosen for each edition.

  • Pharos Tarot borderless edition is only 247 copies. The completely borderless edition has alternate titles only and is named Ad lucem, meaning “to the Light”. In the Sepher Sephiroth at the back of this edition of Crowley’s 777, the number 247 has under its listed Hebrew letter gematria-derived meanings one that reads “A light”.
  • Pharos Tarot bordered edition is only 273 copies. This edition has cream colored borders like Tabula Mundi, with both traditional (Thoth based tarot) titles and Pharos alternate titles, along with attribution symbols. This edition is called Lux occultatum, “the hidden light” (because some of the light is hidden by the borders). The number 273 in the Sepher Sephiroth has a correspondence to the Hebrew letters of “The Hidden Light”.
  • Pharos Tarot has a third version of 231 copies with bottom borders only, with black bottom borders and alternate titles in the colors of the Golden Dawn color scales. This edition is called Fiat Lux. This means “let there be light” (and was the magical motto of Crowley’s Golden Dawn associate and friend Allan Bennett). “Let there be light” written in Hebrew letters has the gematria equivalent of 231 in the Sepher Sephiroth.

So there you have it, in case you were wondering. These extra large Majors only decks are limited to only these editions and won’t be repeated. You can see most of the cards here and purchase them here. There is also a limited edition paperback describing each card that is also available for Kindle or other e-book formats. This book not only describes the Lighthouse terminology each major is assigned to, but is also an in depth look at the Golden Dawn Color Scales.

Fortune’s Wheelhouse News

The Fortune’s Wheelhouse podcast has now recorded over 100 episodes! In the most recent series of pods we are covering astrological signs in tarot, and related cards.

We also co-authored a book, which we think of as the Fortune’s Wheelhouse “guide to esoteric tarot” but is really titled: Tarot Deciphered: Decoding Esoteric Symbolism in Modern Tarot. It is being published by Llewellyn in March of 2021 – but is already available for pre-order on Amazon.

In the podcast, we are currently covering how the zodiacal signs present in tarot, with related Major, Minor, and court cards. Episode 101 and 102 were just released for Gemini and Cancer, and up next is Leo and Virgo – perfect timing for the season. The podcast is available free at all pod places…or you can choose to support it on the FW Patreon for additional perks. The podcast gives away a lot of good stuff with every single episode so check it out! For Gemini we gave away a choice (theme of the Lovers card, for Gemini) of either a set of TWO decks or a bifold case that holds two decks. For Cancer we gave away a Fortune’s Wheelhouse logo mug for home (Cancerian theme) or a travel mug for your Chariot – card of Cancer. Tune in at Fortune’s Wheelhouse Patreon to see what is coming for Leo and Virgo in the next episodes of summer.

Who is HRU? Part III

Someone commented on one of the old posts that showed a video of my “Who is HRU?” esoteric pop up book. I realized that while I posted Part I showing the beginning pages and Part II showing the middle pages, I forgot to ever post Part III showing the end pages, including the solution to the riddle and the secret compartment in the book.

Here is Part I of Who is HRU?, first posted in July of 2016. This intial post has an explanation of the text, how and why it was written, and a little more info on the book. Part II shows the middle pages.

At the end of the poem, and the book, is a mathematical equation: ∞ – V = ∞

…or “infinity minus V equals infinity”. Since V and U historically were interchangeable (see explanation) and the Hebrew letter V, Vau or vav, was also used to represent the vowel U, the equation also reads as “Infinity minus U (you) equals infinity”, echoing HRU’s final message: “I’m infinity, minus you.”

The colophon at the books end tells you to “Remove the Vau” to find the secret compartment of the book. The Hebrew letter Vau means nail, which forms the linchpin of the book’s spine as seen in the photo above.

Unfortunately I can no longer upload videos here due to file size limits. However you can see a youtube video of all the pages that Nya Thyrce took at one of the Fortune’s Wheelhouse meetups (back when we were allowed to have meetups! Those were the days…) The parts of the book that would be in Part III starts at around 7:31.

In honor of this final reveal of the book at long last, for a few days I’ve added back the option to purchase a printable version of the Who is HRU? text, written in calligraphy and suitable for framing. The file also includes a second page with a Pronunciation Guide and Colophon, and a third page of in computer font with Roman numerals added. I’ll be removing this from the store in a few days to make room for new offerings so if you are interested get it while you can.

Tabula Mundi – past, present, and future

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether any new editions of Tabula Mundi are forthcoming, since the Colores Arcus edition sold out.

The short answer is YES, and soon. I am in the gathering info stage, and figuring out what changes will be made to any new edition, what the printing job will cost and what I can afford to do, etc. I only print using companies based in the USA, so once the decisions are made, the turn around time is quick. Details will be coming soon!

I wanted to also alert you to the fact that someone is pirating my work. If you see my decks (Tabula Mundi, Rosetta, Pharos) sold anywhere other than www.tarotcart.com or shop.rosettatarot.com, unless they are reselling their own used copy, it is an inferior PIRATED version.

There is one pirated version on a very popular site – printed on inferior GLOSSY cardboard, without the holograms or booklet or nice box – and they are asking for MORE money than I charge for a real version on real matte cardstock with the holographic foil backs, silk lined box, and booklet.

They are also pirating several other decks, not just mine. While I am sure this is happening all over the world, at least on the major commerce sites here there is a little way to combat it, by reporting infractions.

So don’t be fooled, and please report counterfeit decks and deck pirates, and get them kicked off their platforms. It’s easy, and if enough people do it, their sites will get taken down. On Etsy, for example, as long as you have an Etsy account it is easy to report an item or a shop as violating Etsy’s terms – which pirated products do! They can be flagged as “not handmade” (they have to be either “handmade” or vintage – and for handmade, they have to have the rights to be making them) and/or “prohibited item” as making something that the rights belong to someone else is prohibited. Here’s how: https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000344568-How-to-Report-an-Item-or-Shop

I’ve done it – and it only takes a second.

It’s distressing to see how easy it is for someone to take a labor of love, something I worked on for more than five years to completion, scan it and start selling shoddy copies of it. And do the same for the work of countless others. I know how much effort goes into the creation of a deck – it takes over your life! So please report this when you see it.

I will always endeavor to keep self publishing my works and keep them available for as long as I’m able. What’s more it will be A+ quality, handmade and assembled by the artist, at a reasonable price. If something goes out of print for good because I can’t fund the printing, I’ll let you know. But I’ll try to release new editions as I’m able so please be patient – good things are coming! So please flag the pirated copies you see and buy direct from the artist.

Beyond Tabula Mundi, I have a few other new art and tarot projects to tell you about soon. But because of this pirating, I’m trying to think of a better way to only show so much, to those who appreciate it. New works coming, I just need to figure out the best way to show you the progress.

UPDATE: Well while Etsy will take stuff down, the scammers can deny it and then Etsy will relist it in a few days! I have to file a court order! Unbelievable!

Still, keep reporting these things. If a shop gets reported multiple times, supposedly they will take them down. Surprised they don’t see how obvious the store that is selling all these decks is a scammer, as not only did I provide actual proof of my own copyright, but the scammers have 25 other decks on there – all by different people and companies! Surely Etsy does not believe these people own the copyright for all of them?

Art for Element Brewery

Just wanted to share this with you. One of my favorite local places is Element Brewery and Distillery in Millers Falls, MA. They started with beer and branched out to spirits. I really like their vibe, and their beverages!

I visited them on my birthday not too long ago and took home a blank bottle, as they were inviting local artists to handpaint bottles for them. They are filling these hand painted bottles with spirits and raffling them off. I have always wanted to design for a brewery so I offered to do one.

Their schtick is science-y – the alchemical elements are part of their branding and they sell spirits in Erlenmeyer flasks. So for their bottle I decided to go retro-science-y and do a design based on an old alchemical series of illustrations called “Genesis in the Retort.”

So after the first batch of Pharos tarot decks ship, I’ll be paying them a visit to deliver this bottle. They will be raffling it off – full of some delicious spirit – so if you visit the area check them out and buy a raffle ticket!

More border experiments

Just an update that I’ve delayed the release of the new Pharos Tarot majors until the new year in 2020. I’m hoping to make both a bordered and a borderless version. The bordered one will have standard (Thoth based) titles, with the Pharos word keys underneath, probably looking something like this:

The borderless cards are a bit harder to decide on. I’m experimenting with completely borderless, or with a bottom border. Here is an example of a completely borderless Fool card, using the just the Pharos alternate title:

It’s also been suggested that I try using a black bottom border. I see pros and cons with this, but thought I’d try it. I could do black borders with white text or black borders with text in one of the Golden Dawn color scale colors of the card. Here are two examples, white and colored text with alternate titles on the Chariot:

I could also do the ones above with standard titles (just use your imagination on the Chariot or Fool for now).

Of course I had to try one with both the standard title and the alternate word key underneath, just to see.

I’m not crazy about having both titles on the borderless ones. It looks too busy to me, which defeats the purpose of borderless cards which is spaciousness. Though it does solve the problem of getting regular titles on there, but also providing the Pharos concept titles too.

So where do things stand now?

  • All of the card art is done.
  • The card backs are done.
  • The bordered cards are decided on (see Lust card above)
  • The borderless cards, I’m still trying to decide on.

Since I’m the most indecisive person in the world sometimes, that is the next step. Meanwhile since I know about what the bordered cards will look like I can continue working on the card files to add the borders to all of them. But those borderless ones – I guess I have to decide.

I kind of like the idea of completely borderless, since the card art is sized to make that possible – and that is a rare thing. But the titles sure are easier to read on a plain bottom border. Black looks nice, though it shows wear more. I think I like them with just the Pharos concept titles, in the Golden Dawn scale colors. But I know lots of people dislike alternate titles, so it’s risky. And I’m sure some won’t like them in different colors either…

I’m leaning towards doing bordered ones like in the Lust example, and borderless ones like in the Fool example. But the Chariot example works too. Or either of those with just regular titles could work. I don’t think I like having both titles on the ones with the bottom black border, like in the Emperor, and both titles definitely won’t work on the completely borderless ones, as the font needs to be substantial to be read against the background picture.

So these decisions, plus holidays, plus working on the Fortunes Wheelhouse book which is due to come out in 2020, have made the release of these later than I’d hoped. I don’t want to take pre-orders until I have it all worked out.

Coming soon in the New Year though. My printers have a fast turn around time since I print in the USA where I’m located, so I don’t have to worry about slow boats etc. I just have to make a decision on those borderless ones so I can finish making the print files.

Crowleymas, Stardate 2019

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

Another year here already?

Crowleymas is a Thelemic holiday, a celebration of the birthdate of Aleister Crowley, born October 12, 1875 at 11:42 PM e.v. Comedic rites, good food, and plentiful drink are all welcome.

For this year’s Crowleymas, I decided to check out Uncle Al’s solar return chart. Where I live, the Sun returns to the degree of his birth this year on October 12th at 4:59 PM e.v. Hey, that’s perfect as that’s close enough to “cocktail hour” and we have a tradition of celebrating with a special cocktail each year, designed in honor of the beast.

Last year (2018) it was called “Al’s Libation”.  For 2015 it was a “Debauch cocktail”. What will it be for 2019?

The Thelemic date for Oct 12th at his solar return in 2019 would be written as: ☉︎ in 19° Libra : ☽︎ in 8° Aries : Saturn’s Day : Ⅴⅴ

2019 is a double Hierophant year in the Thelemic dating system (thus the V v). So watch this space on the 12th to see what special libation comes up. Double Hierophant? Reminds me of a joke. A guy gets into a confessional booth in church, and looks around appreciatively. There’s a bottle of scotch and a box of cigars, and it’s all very plush with red velvet. “Wow Father” he says “this new booth is nice. I appreciate the upgrades! Very hospitable.” The priest says “Get out – you are on my side.”

Ok back with an update on the special day. Happy Crowleymas!!

Today’s libation is based on the classic cocktail the Negroni which is equal parts gin, compari, and sweet vermouth. Since it is fall though, a variation called the Boulevardier, which replaces the gin with whisky. And in honor of Crowley, who was fond of Scotch, we used a mix of a fine peaty single malt from Scotland for Bolskine and an Indian scotch, because dinner will be a curry and chappatis. The drink has a drop of Green Dragon and fresh fig slices as a garnish. A toast to Aleister!

Love is the law, love under will.