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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick.tantra,alt.magick,alt.religion.sexuality,alt.pagan
From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Re: CYronwode: Phallism and Crowley's Ignorance
Date: Mon, 07 May 2001 20:25:09 GMT

Satyr wrote:
> Jenning's treatment of the subject [of Phallism] is interesting as 
> it helps explain certain late 19th c. trends in the development of 
> modern occultism.  As an exhaustive or authoritative treatment of 
> the subject, however, he stinks.

Why do you say that? Have you read his books on the subject? I think he
was both exhaustive AND authoritative, the latter subject to the caveat
that he did not read Sanskrit and thus relied on British military
personnale stationed in India for translations of Indian material -- but
considering the time when he was writing, he did okay with that, too. 

I don't believe that you and i have ever met or that you live near where
i do, but i note with dismay that you echo the feelings of certain SF
Bay Area OTO members who always make it a point to sneer at Jennings's
scholarship in the most disrespectful terms. One such man told me
recently that Jennings "probably should not be in the list of Gnostic
Saints" because "his scholarship sucks." This seems to be a current OTO
"in" opinion to have. It was not shared by Crowley, however -- and if
unfamiliarity with certain cultures led one to be discounted as a
scholar of the occult or of sex-magic in those cultures, then Crowley
"probably should not be in the list of Gnostic Saints" either, as anyone
familar with the Egyptology can testify :-) 

For the record, here is a list of the books Hargrave Jennings wrote on
the subject of Phallic worship, all of which were publishied in London
and were in print and available during Crowley's adulthood: 

This information is taken from two of my web sites: 

Lucky Mojo Sacred Landscape Bibliography     
     http://www.luckymojo.com/bibliocontents.html 

Lucky Mojo Sacred Sex Bibliography
     http://www.luckymojo.com/tkbibliocontents.html

And if after looking this over, Jennings does not seem "exhaustive" and
"scholarly" enough for you, then you are one hard-to-please fellah 
---

Jennings, Hargrave 
Phallicism, Celestial and Terrestrial, Heathen and Christian 
George Redway, 1884; reprinted by Health Research, 1982 

Keywords: 
natural sacred sites, megaliths, mounds, houses of worship,
funerary-cemetery-burial sites, vernacular architecture,
archaeoastronomical observatories, astro-calendrical devices,
labyrinths, symbolic landscaping, religion, myth, folklore, cosmology,
religious iconography, freemasonic symbolism, prehistoric, ancient,
medieval, Asia, Crete, Egypt, Europe, Greece, Middle East, Rome 

Comment: 
An important work in its time; a survey of sex worship and its impact on
sacred architecture around the world. For companion volumes of the same
era see Clifford Howard and Sha Rocco -- and see also the several books
on Phallism, Phallicism, Nature Worship, Temple Architecture, and Sex
Worship by "Anonymous" which were privately printed in London
from 1880-1891 and which some bibliographers have attributed to
Jennings. For a modern book with a similar premise, see George T.
Meaden. CY 

----

Rocco, Sha [pseudonym for Abisha S. Hudson / Hargrave Jennings, q.v.] 
The Masculine Cross and Ancient Sex Worship 
Asa K.Butts, 1874. 
viii+65 pp. 
Reprinted circa 1890 as part of the "Nature Worship and Mystical Series"
by "Anonymous"
(q.v.) 
Reprinted by Commonwealth Co., 1904 (iv+65 pp. pp.) 
Reprinted by Sun Publishing, 199- (65 pp., 20 b&w illustrations) 

Comment: 
I have not seen any of these editions, but an excerpt i read reveals
that it is about phallic symbolism in various cultures, including "The
Phallus in California," an early look at phallic charmstones of the
California Indians. For companion volumes of the same era see Clifford
Howard and Hargrave Jennings -- and see also under the letter "A" the
anonymous nine-volume "Nature Worship and Mystical Series" on Phallism,
Phallicism, Nature Worship, Serpent Worship, Temple Architecture, and
Sex Worship privately printed in London from
1889-1891 and which bibliographers have attributed to Jennings and/or
Rocco/Hudson. CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Phallic Worship 
Privately Printed, 1880, London 

Comment: 
A fine tome on phallic worship. PR 

Comment: 
I have not seen this volume, but for reasons that will become obvious,
it is worth mentioning that it is not listed in the series
advertisements for the anonymous "Nature Worship and Mystical Series"
titles listed below. CY 

---

Note: the following nine anonymous works, published under the series
heading "Nature Worship and Mystical Series," are listed in
chronological order of publication rather than alphabetical order, for
ease of understanding their relationship to one another. Although no
author is given, they were all issued in matching cream vellum bindings
with red stamping and bevelled edges, limited to 500 copies. For similar
works of the same era, see also entries under the authors Clifford
Howard, Hargrave Jennings, and Sha Rocco. For guesses about
the true identity of the author, see "Byways in Bibliography" at the end
of this section. 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Phallism: A Description of the Worship of Lingam-Yoni in Various Parts
of the World, and in Different Ages, with an Account of Ancient and
Modern Crosses, Particularly the Crux Ansata (or Handled Cross) and
Other Symbols Connected with the Mysteries of Sex Worship 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#1] 
Privately Printed, 1889, London. 
Reprinted as "Phallicism"; Privately Printed, circa 1890-91, London 
viii + 107 pp., with a bibliography 

Comment: 
Red cover stamping: the word "Phallism." A later edition -- with
different interior typesetting but matching binding -- is cover-stamped
"Crux Ansata" and bears an image of an ankh. The reprint was offered for
sale in later series advertisements under the title "Phallicism." CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.; attributed by the
bibliographer Gershon Legman to the otherwise unknown Abisha S. Hudson,
who is equated with the pseudonymous Sha Rocco, q.v.) 
Ophiolatreia: An Account of the Rites and Mysteries Connected with the
Origin, Rise, and Development of Serpent Worship in Various Parts of the
Word, Enriched with Interesting Traditions, and a Full Description of
the Celebrated Serpent Mounds and Temples, the Whole Forming an
Exposition of One of the Phases of Phallic, or Sex Worship 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#2] 
Privately printed, 1889, London 
viii + 103 pp. 

Comment: 
Red cover stamping: a caduceus. There are knotty problems associated
with Legman's attribution of this title to Hudson rather than to
Jennings. For details, see "Byways in Bibliography" at the end of this
section. CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Phallic Objects, Monuments, and Remains: Illustrations of the Rise and
Development of the Phallic Idea (Sex Worship) and Its Embodiment in
Works of Nature and Art 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#3] 
Privately Printed, 1889, London. 
viii + 76 pp. 

Comment: 
Red cover stamping: a phallic-shaped tower. In the preface, the author
refers to "our volumes, 'Phallism,' and 'Ophiolatreia," thus
reinformcing the idea that one person wrote all the titles in
this series. This volume is largely devoted to the round towers of
Ireland, a subject that provides a definite thematic link between the
anonymous author and Hargrave Jennings, whose book "Phallicism,
Celestial and Terrestrial" also addresses the same topic. In addition, a
chapter here covers Neolithic "holed stones" of Ireland. CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Cultus Arborum: A Descriptive Account of Phallic Tree Worship with
Illustrative Legends, Superstitions, ec.; Exhibiting Its Origin and
Development Amongst the Eastern and Western
Nations of the World, from the Earliest to Modern Times 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#4] 
Privately printed, [1890?], London. 
??? pp. 

Comment: 
I do not have a copy of this one (YET!) but it is listed in the series
ads as "in preparation" immediately after "Phallic Objects, Monuments,
and Remains." A note in the advertisement states that "This work has a
valuable bibliography which will be of the greatest use and value
to the student of Ancient Faiths. It contains references to nearly five
hundred works on Phallism and kindred subjects." CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Fishes, Flowers, and Fire as Elements and Deities in the Phallic Faiths
and Worship of the Ancient Religions of Greece, Babylon, Rome, India,
etc., with Illustrative Myths and Legends 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#5] 
Privately printed, [1890?], London. 
??? pp. 

Comment: 
I do not have a copy of this one (YET!) but it is listed in the series
ads as "in preparation" immediately after "Cultus Arborum." CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Archaic Rock Inscriptions: an Account of the Cup and Ring Marking on the
Sculptural Stones of the Old and New Worlds 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#6] 
Privately printed, [1890?], London. 
??? pp. 

Comment: 
I do not have a copy of this one (YET!) but it is listed in the series
ads as "in preparation" immediately after "Fishes, Flowers, and Fire."
CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Nature Worship: An Account of Phallic Faiths and Practices, Ancient and
Modern, Including the Adoration of the Male and Female Powers in Various
Nations and the Sacti Puja of Indian Gnosticism 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#7] 
Privately printed, 1891, London. 
105 pp. 

Comment: 
Red cover stamping: an Indian lingam-argha and the words "Nature
Worship." The preface mentions the "exhaustion of the first edition of
Phallicism [sic]" and implies that it will be reprinted. The text also
refers to the author's previous books on "the Worship of Serpents, of
Trees, Fishes, Flowers, Fire, etc." -- again reinforcing the claim that
all titles in the series are by
the same writer. CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Phallic Miscellanies: Facts and Phases of Ancient and Modern Sex
Worship, as Explained Chiefly in the Religions of India: an Appendix of
Additional and Explanatory matter to the volumes Phallism, and Nature
Worship 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#8] 
Privately printed, 1891, London 
viii + 104 pp. 

Comment: 
Red cover stamping: the words "Phallic Miscellanies." A series
advertisement notes that this is "by the author of Phallism." CY 

---

[Anonymous] (attributed to Hargrave Jennings, q.v.) 
Mysteries of the Rosie Cross, or the History of that Curious Sect of the
Middle Ages, known as the Rosicrucians, with Examples of their
Pretensions and Claims 
"Nature Worship and Mystical Series" [#9] 
Privately printed, [1891?], London. 
??? pp. 

Comment: 
I do not have a copy of this one (YET!) but it is listed in the series
ads immediately after "Phallic Miscellanies." This title, which seems
off the topic of "Sex Worship," however provides a definite thematic
link between the anonymous author and Hargrave Jennings, whose book
"Phallicism, Celestial and Terrestrial, Heathen and Christian, Its
Connexion with the Rosicrucians and the Gnostics and its Foundation in
Buddhism" attempts to document the sex-worship practices of the
Rosicrucians. CY 

---

Byways in Bibliography: About the Authorship of the "Nature Worship and
Mystical Series" 

Advertisements and text in these books make it clear that the entire
series is the work of one person. Most bibliographers attribute all nine
volumes to Hargrave Jennings (q.v.), and i concur with this. The one
bibliographer who believed othewrwise is Gershon Legman. He
stated that "Ophiolatreia," the second volume in the set, was written by
Abisha S. Hudson. Legman did not publish this theory, merely noting it
on a piece of paper he slipped into his personal copy of the book in
question. However, Legman’s stature being what it is, his little
note has entered several bibliographical databases and been published in
numerous bookdealers’ catalogues. 

To understand why Legman reached this conclusion, it is necessary to
know that the name Sha Rocco (q.v.) appears as the author of two books
similar to those listed above, namely "The Masculine Cross" and "Sexual
Mythology," and that Sha Rocco -- an obvious pseudonym
-- is said by some bibliographers to have been the pen-name of one
Abisha S. Hudson. However, no biographical data on Abisha S. Hudson has
ever come to light, and it is highly likely that this was yet another
pseudonym for the author of "The Masculine Cross." 

Legman probably drew the conclusion that "Ophiolatreia" was written by
Rocco/Hudson because (1) the writing style is the same, (2) in one
edition of "Phallism" there is an advertisement for a "cream vellum
binding" edition of Sha Rocco's "The Masculine Cross" which places it
before "Phallism," indicating its earlier publication date, and (3)
circa 1890 edition of "The Masculine Cross" is a reprint of the 1874 Sha
Rocco book bound to match the "Nature Worship and Mystical Series"
titles [making it #0 in the series]. Here is what the bookdealer Peter
Cockrell (antiques@cockrell.co.uk) says of this reprint: 

       [In] reference [to] your web page describing "Nature Worship & 
       Mystical Series" and to your comments on the inclusion of "The 
       Masculine Cross" in the series: 

       We have a copy of "Masculine Cross" which matches your 
       description of having cream vellum bindings with red stamping 
       and which lists, in the back, "Nature Worship & Mystical  
       Series" -- "only a very limited number - privately
       printed" -- and which then lists the following titles: 

       NATURE WORSHIP 
       OPHIOLATREIA 
       PHALLIC OBJECTS 
       FISHES, FLOWERS & FIRE 
       CULTUS ARBORUM 
       PHALLIC MISCELLANIES 
       ARCHAIC ROCK INSCRIPTIONS 
       MYSTERIES OF THE ROSIE CROSS. 

       This information would seem to place our book, very clearly, in 
       the series. 

So there are two problems with Legman's theory: 

(1) "Ophiolatreia" is part of the "Nature Worship and Mystical Series"
and in ads and text it is made clear that this series is the work of a
single author. Thus, if the otherwse unknown Abisha S. Hudson wrote
"Ophiolatreia," he would have had to have written the entire series,
which Legman does not claim for him. 

(2) Most bibliographers attribute the nine volume "Nature Worship and
Mystical Series" set (minus “The Mascuine Cross”) to Hargrave Jennings,
but in fact the writing style and subject matter of all ten volumes in
the series (including “The Mascuine Cross” by Sha Rocco) are virtually
identical to those found in Jennings' "Phallisicm, Celestial and
Terrestrial," to which he affixed his real name. 

Fitting this data together, it is clear that three contradictory
suppositions arise: 

(A) Inclusion of "The Masculine Cross" by Sha Rocco in the "Nature
Worship and Mystical Series" by Jennings is an unexplained anomoly and
the other nine books in the series (including "Ophiolatreia") were
written by Hargrave Jennings, as most bibliographers state; 

(B) Inclusion of "The Masculine Cross" by Sha Rocco in the "Nature
Worship and Mystical Series" implies that Rocco/Hudson -- not Hargrave
Jennings -- wrote the entire series. This theory has not been published
by any bibliographers, inlcuding Legman, who merely
attributed "Ophiolatreia" to Hudson; 

(C) Inclusion of "The Masculine Cross" by Sha Rocco in the "Nature
Worship and Mystical Series" by Jennings is a tacit admission by the
author himself that the pseudonymous "Sha Rocco" who wrote "The
Masculine Cross" in 1874 is none other than Hargrave Jennings, who
wrote "Phallicism, Celestial and Terrestrial" in 1884 and is widely
believed to have written the entire "Nature Worship and Mystical Series"
of 1889-1891. 

I have favoured theory (C) since first taking up this problem, but have
hesitated to go up against so respected an authority as Gershon Legman.
When and if further information on this one-hundred-year-old literary
mystery is forthcoming, i shall present it here. 

---
cat yronwode

Karezza and Sacred Sex ------ http://www.luckymojo.com/sacredsex.html
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