Yes, I've read it. Looking forward to your comments.

I'll be happy to consider a review for inclusion in the forthcoming issue.

Paul,
Any thoughts on the book?

Mick,
Thanks!

Here's the link to order this book, and a very interesting interview with the author Leo Holmes:

http://www.fallofman.eu/lemulgeton.html

Thanx for this thread, N.O.X

I'm also looking forward to comments and criticism on LeMulgeton, and I put myself available to answer any questions that members may post here.

@ Thank you, Mr. Staley, for considering a review from N.O.X for inclusion in the forthcoming issue of Starfire. It would be an honour, you know how much I admire O.T., Grant and his work since many years ago... 😉

@ Paul, I would like to hear your comments on it!

Thanks to everybody who has considered reading Lemulgeton.

Leo.

I submited the following review to Lashtal's Reviews section, but as I am not sure if it was successful, I would like to submit it here too. It is a review on LeMulgeton by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold, an author for whom I have much respect and admiration. I contacted him in early July, inviting him for a review, which he kindly accepted, and I must admit I was astonished and very happy with his words:

72 Degrees of Starblood Marking the Earth
A review of Leo Holmes: LeMulgeton: Goetia and the Stellar Tradition. Fall of Man. 2013
Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold

Amongst the many occult publications that have come to light in recent years there is a tendency towards veiling and obscuration, sentimental journeys of power spread across the pages, revelling in darkness that in the end goes nowhere but back into the chaotic mass is surged from. In this landscape Holmes’ LeMulgeton gives a freshness and solidity that I hope we will see more of.

He states the premises of his study clearly, and through an analytic survey of the material at his disposal and interest he presents an analysis and application of the two cuneiform tablets known as MUL.APIN (where the oldest fragments date to around 686 B.C. but are far older than this). The amount of fragments we have at our disposal makes these two tablets amongst the most complete documents we have concerning Sumerian astronomy and astrology, which makes the entry point of this book very interesting - and in this pitfalls can be found, the greatest being to look back on the past with the eyes of the present and in doing this discard the entire matrix of evolution from one form to another in favour of forcing a particular point of view. Holmes avoids this trap with grace. He approaches his material with the mind of an archaeologist who seeks to discover layer by layer what we are dealing with, suggesting and commenting on his findings, but avoids drawing final conclusions. I find this attitude to ones material to be immensely refreshing and in doing this the book is an invitation to further musings upon the stellar nature of goetia.   

During the missive he makes synthesises and association with the tarot, with the spirits of Lemegeton and with the stars and constellations - and he does this in a way that widens the mystery’s landscape... and in this he reveals a most clever text that seeks to ignite further knowledge.

There is overall much good to say about this book, but the best thing is that the book makes you reflect and ponder; it ignites a wish for delving deeper into the place where the blood of stars meets earth and death. I always saw a deep connection between the stars and the dead and it might be because of this I took an immense liking to this book. Because after all stars are suns, and suns are souls and in order to ascend, to become a sun and a star we must die so we can shine on... this is the airs and waters that carry this text.

When we engage into the study of goetia, intellectually and practically, I feel it is important to be mindful about the considerations of Jake Stratton Kent, told in various ways in several forums and texts, that:

“The term goetia derives from a word indicating a person, a somewhat unique case of the art taking its name from the artist. This person was called a ‘goes’. In short, goetia is related first and foremost to the identity of the operator, and secondarily to the nature of their art. The word ‘goes’ relates to terms describing the act of lamenting at funeral rites; the mournful howling considered as a magical voice. These magical tones can guide the deceased to the underworld, and also raise the dead. This is the root of the long connection of goetia with necromancy, which has come to be seen as ‘black magic’.”

Given this criteria Holmes blazes forth as a true goes, but as we know from classical mythology, those who find death as heroes can be made into stars. Queens, heroes, kings, hunters, angels, animals and pilgrims are all found replicated in the starry constellations. This is not unique to classical mythology but is also found in the Mesopotamian star lore and astronomy Holmes has used as his foundation, where the triad of Enlil, Anu and Ea/Enki are considered not only as heroes but as masters of the course of planets. What Holmes set out to do is to present the potencies of constellations as related to kings, queens and demons and relate them to the mystical number of Lemegeton, 72. This number is also significant for the Shem ha-Mephorash, the ineffable name of god, but it is also the decans of the zodiac divided into day and night, 36 doubled in ten degrees of day/night reflection. All these considerations are drawn into his discussion from clear facts like:

“This tradition is reflected in the Goetia, having thirty-six Goetics attributed to daytime and thirty-six to nighttime, and suggests that Lemegeton is a star-map which should be read circularly, not in a line.”

In order to support this stellar idea of goetia he applies the seals of the goetic spirits to constellations, which is quite revealing – and makes you ponder and question further.

This is a book that provides an incentive to look back so we can walk more steadily forward. Holmes aims solely to give a track of star blood to our search to find our way back to where we once were, and bring this wisdom back into the present, tracing his steps with care and respect. In this pursuit alone I would salute this book, in its way of presenting a personal great discovery as a comment and a lantern on the track.

This book is a commentary on a field of general occult interest. There is humility here - and also a desire to share – which I find rare in contemporary occult writings.  Holmes gives his text to the world as a landscape, an open field, an invitation to further fertilization. This text is 72 drops of starblood that invites to a greater symposium of stellar goetia. I wait in anticipation for the further unveilings of these mysteries.

[ Mr. Frisvold's personal website is http://www.starrycave.com/ ]

Yes, the Review is here: http://www.lashtal.com/portal/resources/reviews/2830-lemo-leo-holmes-with-permission-from-nicholaj-de-mattos-frisvold.html

Do you consider an ebook version? I actually prefer buying ebooks. Readers world wide will have acess to it within a couple of minutes on their ereader or computer after buying it. The only problem with the ebook format is the damn proprietary issue. If one choose to make it available as ebook on amazon, it's only available on kindle ereaders (and computers with the kindle app). Present it's Kobo (I have a Kobo glo ereader by the way)  and Kindle which is the most popular ones. Microsoft is buying Nook, so I assume their ereaders will improve and become even more popular than they are today ( http://www.pcworld.com/article/2038270/what-could-microsoft-gain-from-buying-nook-.html).  

Yes, please check the link below, directly with the publisher:

http://www.fallofman.eu/releases.html

The electronic version includes both a full-colored PDF and a text-only, simplified EPUB version of the book. 5€.

A brave and sensible choice by your publisher. Received my electronic edition a couple of minutes ago.

I've recently finished reading this book and whilst I would commend the review by LeMo I would like to add that I thought there were a couple of problems with it.

It is a slender volume and as such only opens up the possibilities of its founding intuition of there being a connection between the Goetia and the stellar lore of the Sumerians/Mesopotamians. Kenneth Grant took three trilogies to lay out his evolving magical universe and many years elapsed between his original work and final legacy. It seemed to be a bit too early to me for a talismanic book. Even taking a mythic or imaginal road requires considerable effort in establishing correspondences (think of Grant's voluminous gematria/mythic allusions etc.), to reify the connection.

Secondly, the editing of the book and basic grammar etc. seemed to stop dead for the final chapters.

I think in retrospect if I'd realised that this book was available as an ebook I'd have gone for that option.

I would however recommend it for those who are interested in the goetic legacy and its expansion into contemporary occult thinking.

Regards

Jamie Gregory

Could you clarify this statement for me, please?  I don't really understand what you are saying here....

I have given up reading the ebook version, as it's a bit difficult for me to sit and stare at a computer screen for extended periods of time, and ebooks aren't really my cup of tea.  I'll finish reading the book once it arrives, which should be sometime this week.

Thank you very much for your comments, Mr. Gregory. And thank you also for recommending LeMulgeton even if you have your reservations.

I would like to mention, though, that the number of pages have been mentioned even before the book’s release and that it is aligned with the Nox Sine Occasu seal's proposal. In the words of Fall of Man publishing theirselves:

“Through Nox Sine Occasu we will be publishing any work that is too short to become a full book, but too long to be published in any of today's journals and magazines.”
http://www.fallofman.eu/nox.html

The book should be seen as talismanic for its intent of opening a gate. This is also why the fifty-nine folded editions have Oriax constellation on the cover (a hypersigil).

Obs.: The review you mentioned is not mine, despite I was the person who posted it in Lashtal. Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold is the actual author of the review you are mentioning, the author of Exu & The Quimbanda of Night and Fire, Craft of The Untamed and Serpent Songs (new!), among others.

LeMo (Leo Holmes)

I ordered the book a few days ago from the publisher.  Then the very next day I saw that Weiser Antiquarian had a copy for sale.  I wish I'd ordered from Weiser since that would have gotten the book into my hands quicker.  The book sounds really interesting to me and I'm looking forward to my copy arriving.  I'll post my thoughts on it thereafter. 

Certainly; some of the attributions of goetic spirits to deities & stars seemed slight to my mind. When I think of Grant's work he could spend several books linking together two ideas such as the Lovecraftian mythos to Advaita philosophy. Whilst I wasn't expecting such depth from this one volume to forge a system of correspondences between goetia and the stellar tradition needs a bit more than a bald statement linking a a spirit to a deity or to a star.
Sometimes I was unclear whether or not the attribution was supposed to be relying on a historical connection (in which case quite a bit of evidence would be needed to support even a single attribution), or whether the connection was one of mythic or magical correspondence. If the latter then some more in-depth exegesis such as gematria, multiple mythic allusions, multiple shared symbolism etc. would have been appreciated - at least by this reader.

LeMo - thanks for the clarification on attribution of the review and despite my comments here and earlier on I look forward to seeing further researches from you and your group as this is a subject that I personally find very interesting.

Regards

Jamie

Thank you again for your thoughts, Mr. Gregory.

The historical connection (deities x stars) was taken mostly from Mul.Apin, An Astronomical Compendium in Cuneiform by Hermann Hunger & David Pingree and from Writing Science before the Greeks by Rita Watson and Wayne Horowitz, as stated in the book. Additional authors in stellar research from whom I also borrowed knowledge include Gavin White, Payam Nabarz and the controversial Zecharia Sitchin. The Deity x Goetics connection (and therefore from there to the stars) was mostly mine, but always based on encyclopedias and authors on History. The book also suggests that readers should interact with it and whenever a connection is not convincing, they should research further - some connections are hard or nearly impossible to conclude due to the damage caused by several successive translations. Be wary, though, about what you mean by historical evidence - as you mentioned Grant, for instance, most of his historical premises are based on Gerald Massey, who is not accepted as "scientific" by all. The same goes for Sitchin in my case. Grant's Gematria too, was, and still is, questioned by many.

Yet I welcome your comparisons between LeMulgeton and Grant's work, maybe I just have to make it clear it is not my intention by any means to equate my knowledge or work to that of this great man and magician. I admire him. I actually learned a lot from his books and recognize his influence. Nevertheless, LeMulgeton is not intended (never was) to profess a continuation of Grant's works despite this amazing author is mentioned in the book along with others.

When I felt enough has been written before about a subject outside LeMulgeton, I felt compelled not "to write more on the same" and didn't want it to become boring or being classified as plagiarism, thus readers are referred to where more could be researched. I wanted it to be clean, objective and simple. And I am humble enough to say Gematria is not my cup of tea... despite I used some symbolic equivalences in my connections... I would call it "star-matria" 🙂

If you attempt the techniques mentioned in the Prospects chapter, please let me know of your results and feelings.

Best,

Leo.

Dear LeMo,

Thanks for your background information - If I find anything to report on the practical side I shall be happy to let you know.

All the best

Jamie

I picked up my Folded Edition from the post office yesterday.  I will delve into the volume this weekend.  My first impressions of the physical aspects of the book are mixed.  While I certainly enjoy the appearance of the folder with the Oriax constellation and wax seal, I do feel that it's construction with the "tab" to open it wasn't a good idea.  It just seems very delicate is all, which brings me to my next point.  The materials used feel very "cheap", and might not hold up to very many repeated readings and the test of time (but that makes the inclusion of the ebook version a great idea).  From the description given on the website (and my imagination) I was expecting the covers to be somewhat like a bible.  That is not the case.  Frankly, a good bible is a lot nicer.  But, really, its the content that matters most, and is what drew me to this volume, in the first place.  I will post some of my thoughts when I'm finished reading it (just not too much so as not to spoil my review in Starfire!).

PS. Leo, I really enjoy your inscription!  It is really nice, and brought a smile to my face!  ;D

Climbing the Stairway to Heaven,
N.O.X

Hi, N.O.X,

I totally understand what you mean regarding the "tab". When extracting the book to sign and dedicate to a few persons, you included, I felt like I had to take excessive care in order to not rip or crumple it. Nevertheless, the folder is a result of an effort from the publisher to make true my wish to have the Orion constellation in the cover, since Nox Sine Occasu releases follow a standard and could not possibly bear the hunter's star-group in the standard edition. I am personally very grateful to Fall of Man for trying their best in an attempt to fulfil my wish to have the stars there.

I think most people, like Jamie Gregory for instance, expected more of this edition, but I also think they did not know or understand the Publisher's aim with Nox Sine Occasu. A little justice is needed here. While some talismanic publishers spend a lot of money (and charge customers with that, of course) in goatskin and expensive materials, they absolutelly reject short works like this one, no matter how interesting they can be. I know how hard it is. Nox Sine Occasu aims to launch new writers that are usually rejected by mainstream Publishers because their works are too short, too revolutionary or too radical for their taste or fashion. Amazingly enough, the Goetics too were, at a point, Gods that were rejected by mainstream religions.

I'm glad you liked the inscription. I really meant that! 😉

Well, I'm looking forward to hear from you soon about the content, which directly relates to me, and I am very curious about what thoughts it can arouse in your mind.

I meet you somwhere between Cygnus, Lacerta, Cassiopeia and Cepheus.

Leo.

Speaking of Cassiopeia....here's a musical interlude with one of my favourite songs "Cassiopeia" for all to enjoy until I come back with some thoughts on the book next week!  🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VVpC_apO_0

I'll see you there, Leo
N.O.X

I found this website tonight and thought of Goetia and the Stellar Tradition book, and thought I should share it with you guys in this thread. It touches themes in Lemo's book and themes found in Thelema. Enjoy!

http://www.oneism.org/secretsofthesoul.php

http://www.keyofsolomon.net/

"An angelic character speaks to King Solomon (encoded as the 'demon' Asmodeus)...

"I was born of an angels seed by a daughter of man, so that no word of our heavenly kind addressed
to the earth-born can be questioned, my star is bright in heaven, and men call it the... wain"

This is an interesting quote, because Asmodeus has been attributed to lust, which is due to a misinterpretation, in my view, of the biblical verse where Asmodeus lusted for Sarah. It doesn't mean that it is wrong to attribute him to lust, because he is a very fierce demon, but it might as well be a reference to Asmodeus as a fallen angel (the fallen angels fell because they lusted for mens wifes), or maybe more correctly spawn of a fallen angel.

Really, nice. Thanks for sharing, Kharlatan!

I liked very much this part from the keyofsolomon.net you pointed:

"... so too are the 'demons' encoded in the Testament of Solomon manuscript. "Demons" in this context are not evil spirit demons as one would imagine. The ancient scribes were telling the secret with a 'story' but for their Elite society encoding the stars and their names and positions. The secretly adjusted codex allowed the Elite the right to take action against any person found researching forbidden 'demonic' material (reasoning follows). This discovery is discussed with full online references lower down on this page. The clue is precise and it works for the talisman. Simply bind the stars.... Join the stars with lines to complete the missing star constellation reference in the outer ring. It is part of the star map, to find the place in the heavens of the Star of David... King David... Solomon's father.

The online Clavicula Salomonis manuscript depicts many talisman examples BUT... to crack the original secret, one needs to search for the Hebrew sourced talisman... the original Hebrew Key of King Solomon. It would have to be Hebrew, not Greek, not Latin or French or any other source. It would also need to fit the manuscript theme of the Solomon Testament which it does (detail follows). Quite a surprise too that its shocking secret appears to be the same as that of The Vatican, The Freemasons and the Washington DC layout plan and the fundamental secret of the beginning of all the great pyramid civilisations! For those only interested in deciphering the talisman here without finding out more on what the star map means.."

The information found on the website could also be useful in traditional alchemical sense.

Lust in relation to the fallen angels in relation to mens wife could be translated to attraction towards manifistation in dimensional form, since the woman in hermetic philosophy is attributed to the material world. The same principle is found in the of Assmodeus and Sarah.

Phantasmogarical hypotesis
Let's say that the fallen angels also could be representations of aliens from Sirius. How could they manifest their knowledge through us? In the book the DNA molecule, isolated tribes, isolated from our world, had creation myths which involved the arrival of aliens and the creation of humanity. These creation myths were received in altered states through the use of ajahuasca ( http://www.newbrainnewworld.com/?Altered_States%26nbsp%3B:Ayahuasca). The phenomenon must be caused through the manifestation of information latent in the DNA. But the portion of the DNA where this information is stored is probably only accessible in altered states. Further it could involve keys, programmed by the fallen angels, to unlock these layers, knowledge (astrology/astronomy) intelligent creatures inevitable must discover and store, keys which could be used to access information in the DNA (subconscious layers). Hence the importance of Lemo's talismans :=)

correction: I believe the title of the book was The Cosmic serpent: DNA and the origin of knowledge, not the DNA molecule. It could have been the DMT molecule plus something.

In this part of your post it seems you captured well the essence of LeMulgeton, Kharlatan! Although I don't think these altered states have necessarily to be initiated by external substances - Gnosis is latent inside us and we have already all the chemical elements we need to unlock the gate. Meditation and Yoga, as much as orgasm, are examples of such.

Good to see that LeMulgeton led you to further investigation!

Best,

Leo.