Neat!  Do let us know what you think of the book, Kharlatan!  Here's the Hadean Press link:

http://www.hadeanpress.com/2013/09/obeah-a-sorcerous-ossuary/

Some more great artwork on the cover from our esteemed lashtalian Kyle Fite!  🙂

Here is an interview with De Matteo Frisvold where he answers questions and elaborates further on some of the concepts in the book:

http://deeper-down-the-rabbit-hole.com/2013/10/episode-110-nicholaj-de-mattos-frisvold-discusses-obeah-sorcerous-ossuary/

I have read the attachments but have not been able to have the pleasure of listening to the podcast interview with Mr Frisvold.  Does anyone who has listened to it though know if he similarly gets to grips with the concept of wanga (and if so, does he relate it specifically to the Loa), or is it all about the obeah? It is a dreadful shame these two teachings were so neglected by To Mega Therion, as they very much feel to be a missing branch of knowledge & singularly failed to appear in Magick/ Book 4.

Yes, a very nice cover – comments about not judging books thereon, notwithstanding!

Meantime banging the drum,
Norma N Joy Conquest

Hi Jamie,

I was gladly able to listen to the live transmission. Well, for what I can recall, he mentioned nothing about Wanga. The focus of the interview was all about the Obeah, Mr. Frisvold's initiation and related experiences, the interaction with the imagery of the jungle and the plants - and the meaning of the jungle to the Obeah man - and commented about the character of Anansi and Papa Bones.

It was a very interesting interview, indeed!

You should manage to download and listen to it as soon as possible.

Best!

Leo

Thanks very much for your feedback there, Leo.  I’ll bear in mind your positive recommendation & try to give it a listen at an early opportunity.

It does seem that far more is known relative to the obeah than with regard to the wanga.  Even any sort of a definite description is lacking in comparison, A.C. himself is annoyingly ambivalent here: on the one side, with the obeah at least apparently subscribing to an Afrocentric migrated to Caribbean slant; on the other, saying something apparently completely different and rather more inclined to be metaphysical than practical:

An entirely new system of magic [sic] is to be learnt and taught, as is now being done.

(Old Comment to Liber AL I.37)[/align:31upbk78]

The obeah is the magick [sic] of the secret Light with special reference to acts; the wanga is the verbal or mental correspondence of the same. […] The ‘obeah’ being the acts, and the ‘wanga’ the words, proper to magick, the two cover the whole world of external expression.

(New Comment to Liber AL I.37)[/align:31upbk78]

“I have my hand on the creatures of the dark”
N Joy

Wanga, more usually found as Ouanga these days, is a Haitian Creole term for a magical charm.  As to precisely what type of magical charm opinions vary.  In his excellent study of Vodou, 'The Invisibles' (Rupert-Hart Davis, London, 1966), Francis Huxley defines a Wanga as "A magical charm used for selfish ends."  Ouangas generally have a reputation for being used for sinister purposes, although the term surely must have some shared etymology with Houngan, the correct term for a Vodou priest and not a sorcerer.

"..the obeah and the wanga.." doesn't Crowley say that he anticipates some new form of magic evolving from these.

VANGA = 61, while OVANGA = 131.  Have not had time to check the full correspondences, although the numbers are familiar and significant ones.

Nicholaj's book looks and sounds exceedingly interesting, but would be a little bit of an expensive luxury (£20 for 88 pages ?) for me at present.

Dear Advocaat, I respect you a lot for the pleasant messages we have exchanged and I understand that sometimes we cannot afford the prices of some books. But please, don't take me wrong, let me give you an advice (if you allow me): never judge the value of books for their page number!! This can take you on the wrong direction. There is a lot of rubbish out there with more than 300 pages 😉

Best!!

Leo.

Hi Leo,

Your advice is perfectly sound my friend !  And I've read plenty of rubbish in my time, its just that every new book that comes out these days by anyone who knows their material (as Nicholaj does; I've read much of his material in the past) seems to have to be a beautifully crafted piece of expensive art, when a cheap and cheerful booklet might make a refreshing change.  Yes, I know we get ebooks and downloads, but I have limited online access and it just isn't the same anyway.  Ah, perhaps, I was just feeling nostalgic...

Regards  -  Stephen.

I mentioned wanga in another post assuming everybody would've understood the reference in a meaningful way, but glancing around the board maybe not(?) Wanga can be found in many of the African diaspora religions, many of which just worship forces of nature in various ways. Of course, the common definition is a little limited. You get a bag (traditionally flannel although thelemites might use silk) and put your 'charm' in it. The physical object and the process are both quite often referred to as wanga. The power of the wanga (rather lke the obi stick) depends very much on the houngan that made it. If someone else (a houngan for instance) makes the wanga for you, you still have to activate it, usually by touching it quite often. In that way, spiritual power is concentrated into it. Of course, in the creation of wanga, songs and special words go with it, all working together to concentrate the mind and focus it. In the animist practice, the houngan or follower is possibly unaware of all details of the psychological pocess, whereas the Crowley-follower – for want of a better word – discovers how to use these forces and also exactly what they comprise. There's nothing wrong with 'selfish' in a thelemic sense as long as you know you are serving your true Will. And as for the slightly sinister reputation(!), someone genuinely practicing the system spelled out by Crowley will heed the admonition, "Deem not too eagerly to catch the promises; fear not to undergo the curses." Your protection is to be true to your Will (via your Oaths) since the ultimate curse (and ultimate aim) is the complete destruction of the ego and so to listen to the Holy Guardian Angel. (There are other details about wanga that it is probably best not to go into on a public forum but I hope this helps: you can at least understand "wanga", if you wish, by getting to grips with it quite literally; and then raising it to a more thelemic level.)

One of the nice things, it strikes me, about this Lashtal forum is that attracts people who are interested in Crowley's system generally, in a sort of pick-and-mix eclectic way, and also those that are more seriously interested in it as a complete system. With respect to the former, it has to be admitted (and I personally do accept this bias as someone who recognises The Beast 666) that Crowley's system is skewered to one purpose and one purpose only: The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Everything, quite literally everything, is designed as a system to take you to that point in the most efficient manner humanly possible. Now a lot of people may just want some inspiration from his hardcore ideas to enrich their spiritual lives or studies or whatever and why not?? He was a very interesting character with very interesting ideas, and whether (or how much) to take his stuff seriously is entirely up to the individual!!!

93.