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| There were ACTUAL Black Rosicrucians, you know. |
“It is believed that a document giving in practical form much of PBR's sexual practices was in circulation among the German magical circles as early as 1868.”
- Edward James, Preface to Sexual Magic.
“When he talks of initiations, ‘officiating girls’ and ‘strange oaths,’ we may infer that he held meetings of some kind, but I have failed to obtain particulars.”- Arthur Edward Waite, On Paschal Beverly Randolph's “Rosicrucian Rooms”.
You've probably heard the phrases “Black Brother,” “Black Lodge,” and so forth by now. You may have seen me lampoon the idea. Unfortunately, I'm just going to give up on that task and say what I know:
The idea of the “Black Brotherhood” is a straight up racist hold-over from the conflicts between the American founder of Rosicrucianism – Paschal Beverly Randolph – and Blavatsky.
Now, given what you've heard of such a fearful group of individuals, I've taken the time to hunt down a few of Randolph's works so that you – the reader – can consult them yourself, and see for yourself that they are not diabolic, nor overly dangerous. They just occasionally deal with drugs and sex; two subjects that the Victorian world, even here in America, was not quite ready for.
I'll be linking two books (one I haven't read, admittedly) that are not in Public Domain, hoping that some reading this entry will look into them. In the event you know where more of Mr. Randolph's work appears in public domain, feel free to drop a line and link and I'll add it to this list.
Novelas:
Dealings with the Dead. (Accessed through here if glitchy.)
Occult Information (easily accessed):
Essays on the man:
Excerpts from Eulis! By Teresa Burns
Randolph's page at Lucky Mojo thanks to Cat Yronwode.
Paschal Beverly Randolph: Sexual Magic in the 19th Century by T Allen Greenfield
Finally, try getting your hands on copies of his recent biography, and of the most interest to some: a copy of Sexual Magic, which contains Randolph's original instructions for volting, fluid condensers, solid condensers, his instructions on sex magic – and even his comments on trance induction and using “drugs” simultaneously.
I may write a twin to this post actually discussing Randolph, but most likely only if certain categories of idiots keep using sordid phrases to refer to people they don't like.* :)
- Jack
* AIT has me convinced I ought to write more, so I will. I will do my very best not to be overly mean about this subject; some comments and knowing their actual history leave me feeling incredibly annoyed.
6 comments:
Firstly, Seership... excellent read. I like. Thanks for the recommend on that.
Secondly, my grandmother was a Rosicrucian. I suppose that's all one with issues about the "Black Brotherhood" needs to know about me. LOL
Ever since I first read about him in a book on the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, I loved P.B. Randolph.
I was always skeptical of Blavatsky as I started reading her knowing a lot of what she said was flat out wrong on history and anthropology. A lot of Unverified "Pagan" Gnosis later proved false on the facts. Reading about her dealings with Randolph, I liked her even less.
I've been reading Crowley's novel "Moonchild," and his villains are part of the Black Lodge, but they are all white people--Mathers is the head and Waite is in it. But I certainly believe you in terms of Blavatsky's racism. I have been working on a story set in 1870 and wanted to use the Aryanism of Blavatsky as a reaction to Reconstruction, but Theosophy is too late. Still, the Aryan thing had already been made popular by Gobineau. The Randolph biography is over 600 pages. I am looking forward to it.
@Jow: What was the reference point for the HB of L? I only know some cursory bits about them.
I'm still not convinced the term "Black Brotherhood" is as straight up racist as you think it is. Black has meant:
The color of sin and sorrow since at least c.1300; "fierce, terrible, wicked" is late 14c. sense of "with dark purposes, malignant" emerged 1580s (e.g. black magic).
Most of what Blavatsky wrote was lifted from Randolph. He was popular, really popular, in Europe before and at the same time she was. She regarded him as a contemporary, and spoke highly of him at one point, mostly because her audience thought highly of him, imo. Randolph is the one who introduced the idea of an organized group of magicians working with the evil spirits and the evil dead for personal gain. He called them the "Brethren of the Shadows," a title Blavatsky used herself in Isis unveiled.
Agrippa condemns Necromancy in his first published work, along with goetia. Necromancy and Nigromancy were interchangeable terms in the 16th century, and they went back to the color of the skin of the dead used in the necromantic rites.
"Black" Magic is a phrase that's been around in other languages long before Blavatsky called him a n*****.
Blavatsky's idea of the Left Hand Path of the Black Brotherhood was strongly influenced by whatever pseudo understanding she might have picked up in India of the ways of the tantrikas. She carefully put it into place in her belief system, and emphasized the sexual nature of the LHP in Tibetan Buddhism and the sexual rites of Randolph's teachings.
Yes, she started writing about the Black Brotherhood after her alleged interactions with Randololph, but everything she published came after her interactions with Randolph. She tried to use his Order to validate her claims to being a member of the Great White Brotherhood at one point. There's little evidence they ever met or talked; she claimed to have psychic transmissions with him, he never mentioned talking to her though.
I just don't believe that in a time when "black" had already been used in the phrase "black magic" that calling Randolph's "Brethren of the Shadows" Black Brothers is obviously racist.
Yes she was racist. Doesn't mean "Black Brotherhood" is racist.
@Jack much of their work and lore has roots in his work, or at least was greatly influenced by it, especially here sex Magic was concerned.
Honestly I find Randolph's works more interesting, and approachable than any HBoL stuff that I have read.
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