Hello LAShTAL members,
My name's Darrell and I'm a male, soon to be 34 years old, and currently residing in the picturesque town of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. I've been a regular reader of LAShTAL's forums for a number of years now, and as the site's given me so much enjoyment over those years I've finally decided to sign up and, time willing, give a little back.
I've been an avid reader of Crowley's works since my early 20s. I absolutely adore his books, both in content and style, with my personal favourites being The Book of Lies and Liber Aleph. I do, however, take a lot of what he says with a pinch of salt. In my opinion there's a good deal of sensationalism and hyperbole involved, as well as sophomoric and narcissistic characteristics from the man himself. I don't consider myself a Thelemite, viewing the theogony and pantheon of AL as mere devices, and the inherent philosophy and magical systems involved as being based upon obvious antecedents. I do, however, thoroughly enjoy Crowley's witticisms, and as much as I dislike the idea from an academic point of view, his syncretic approach to religious mysticism still floats my boat. I find that a lot of the underpinning philosophy, from an ontological, magical and mystical perspective, really shines through for me. There's certainly something in there which has stuck with me thus far, that's for sure! I'm not a member of any Order, and at the moment I have no plans to join one. ... ... ... Although, having said all of this, my opinions are anything but immutable! 😉
I often find that I get sucked right in at a whim. An unexpected spark will suddenly ignite a burning desire within me and I'll inevitably become a hermit for several months at a time, directing all of my energies into study, analysis and meditation. At other times I won't even think about picking up a book; my attention will be focused on other pursuits and my knowledge and understanding will become a little rusty. Back and forth with ups and downs. C'est la vie!
The areas of research I tend to focus on are probably parallel to most of the users here. I enjoy reading Crowley, Kenneth Grant, Arthur Avalon, Martin Heidegger and Carl Jung. The study of Qabalah, Gnosticism, the Hermetica and Neo-Platonists are all also up there for me, as are Tibetan forms of Buddhism and the Greek and Hebrew languages. Over the years my knowledge has expanded, but I've also learnt to dismiss a lot of the classical A.'.A.'. system too. Simply put, some of it is not my thing, leads to nowhere, is outdated and flawed. No point in flogging a dead horse!
My other main passion is music! I've been playing guitar for 25 years now, teaching for 10. I compose, arrange, mix & master. I also have a lot of fun with synths! I gravitate towards 70s prog and fusion. Love Zappa, Gong, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever. I dig a lot of Krautrock and experimental synth stuff too. Lots of fun!
Anyway, that's enough for now.
I look forward to contributing and having even more pleasant times here,
Darrell. 🙂
93 Darrell!
Welcome to Lashtal, as a lurker you'll already know the lie of the land.
93 93/93
😀
Thank you, Hamal.
... and, yes! I feel as though I'm already fairly familiar with both the terrain and a lot of the personalities here. Hopefully from time to time I can throw some food for thought onto the table and not just be sitting with knife and fork a'waitin! 😉
93
Welcome aboard. Since you're "fairly familiar" with things, you know you'll now be sued by OTO for using "their" copyrighted hermit tarot card as your avatar
Welcome to LAShTAL, Darrell.
Thank you, Michael.
Also, kudos for the republication of Grant's works! I bought the first trilogy of books along with At the Feet of the Guru from yourself a while back, and have been enjoying them ever since. I'll no doubt purchase the others in the not so distant future. Marvellous! 🙂
Welcome aboard. Since you're "fairly familiar" with things, you know you'll now be sued by OTO for using "their" copyrighted hermit tarot card as your avatar
Thank you, Shiva.
Heh! Now that would be a shame. Such a wonderful piece of art! Not to immediately reopen that old can of worms, but my views on the use of copyright to restrict access to knowledge can be summed up with the following funky lookin' emoticon: 😮
btw, I also look forward to reading your volumes when I get a chance to pick them up. Coruscatio looks like a book I'll resonate well with.
Welcome, Darrell.
Seems like you will blend in no problem at all.
Me, I don't say much, just provide links, with the rare, brief comment.
As a lurker on the threshold I expect you already know the status quo,
So it goes: “We accept you, we accept you, one of us, one of us!”
Welcome Darrell & find yourself well come. (You’re welcome…)
(I did think of not doing this, not wishing to get bogged down in routine, then the thought occurred ‘what the hell, it only takes thirty seconds or so’, and the astounding realisation that if every Lashtalian non-lurker who read it sent a greeting, your Introductory thread would at once be several pages long and immediately on a par with Lashtal’s busiest sticky subjects.)
My views could also be summed up succinctly, but I’m having a little more trouble finding an emoticon that suitably expresses my feelings in an instant!
Trusting you will be successful in having plenty more “pleasant times” as forecast
Norma N Joy Conquest
Here it is ... 
Thank you, Paul.
I've just had a scan through your website, I hope you don't mind? I like the layout a lot, and the very first image which pops up (of a lake surrounded by trees) is so very vivid! It's very much of the same nature as the surrounding countryside near where I live. Absolutely beautiful!
Welcome Darrell & find yourself well come. (You’re welcome…)
(I did think of not doing this, ...
Thank you, Jamie.
I'm actually very glad you decided to post your standardised greeting. As a lurker in the shadows I've seen it time and time again. It's warming, I must say. I'd also perhaps become a little paranoid and start to think to myself, "what have I do wrong?," if for some reason you decided to greet me in a different manner. hehe
Here it is ...
Ha, ha, quite brilliant! Very droll - and almost true!
N Joy
Welcome Darrell & find yourself well come. (You’re welcome…)
(I did think of not doing this, ...
Thank you, Jamie.
I'm actually very glad you decided to post your standardised greeting. As a lurker in the shadows I've seen it time and time again. It's warming, I must say. I'd also perhaps become a little paranoid and start to think to myself, "what have I do wrong?," if for some reason you decided to greet me in a different manner. hehe
Thank you, Darrell. Your appreciative words have in addition to giving me some pause for thought also confirmed what I was pretty much starting to suspect: that I may have ended up creating something of a rod for my own back here, in that what started out as a piece of whimsy has now apparently solidified into something of an expected ritual. Oho, hum! At the moment I don’t feel too constrained by the apparent expectation, but it’s not impossible that on some future occasion I might feel I don’t have to do it any longer & will “down tools”, and this in spite of any hurt feelings on the part of whoever might miss out next in line!
The thought also occurs, of course, that if a few other souls were to do the same thing (or similar) the above could be disregarded since there would be no need, as my own humble greetings would be swamped out in the tsunami. ;D
Yours in Thelema,
N Joy