THE |
|
a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining
to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects. |
To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.pagan.magick,alt.religion.orisha,alt.lucky.w,alt.magick.order,talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.newage From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (tyaginator) Subject: alt.magick REF: Obeah/Wanga (was AL I:37) Date: 6 Sep 1997 13:55:25 -0700 49970726 aa2 Hail Satan! (this Q has come up before, so I try to cover it) E6 Alexander Rezanov: # I need some help in explaining to me what are the meanings of the words # "obeah" and "wanga". Can anybody help me? Kenneth Grant says: *Obeah* ([Creole]): Derived from the African root *Ob*, meaning a "serpent", Obeah is a specialized form of the Ophidian Current used mainly in Jamaica. and It has been noted that Crowley described the O.T.O. as the first of the great Orders of antiquity to accept the new Law, the Law of Thelema. This was a way of saying that under his direction the Order had become the repository of Mysteries originally celebrated long ages ago in Sumer. There is not available sufficient information of a historical nature to confirm this claim, but we can indeed indicate a Tradition or Current long anterior to the "great Orders of antiquity" which he mentions. This is the primal African tradition manifest, recensively, in the rites and ceremonies of Voodoo and Obeah. *AL* (II [sic], 37) states: "Also the mantras and spells; the obeah and wanga; the work of the wand and the work of the sword; these he shall learn and teach." The work of the wand is the work of the Phallus; that of the sword is of the Yoni. The wand symbolism is self evident; that of the sword is obscure and requires explanation. -------------------------------------------------------------- _Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God_, by Kenneth Grant, Skoob Books, 1992; pp. 182-3. ______________________________________________________________ he goes on to explain that the sword is related to Geburah and that the origin of the symbolism is found in the thigh, or haunch, which is the physiological emblem of the Mother who divides into two when she reproduces her image. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ibid., p. 183. _____________________________________________________________ and continues a complex analysis of more expansive topics of which the obeah and wanga appear to be only a portion within his text. however, in other text he says: *Ob* ([Hebrew]): A serpent. A name given to the Astral Light. It is the root of the word "obeah" (q.v.). See also *Od*. *Obeah*: African and West Indian sorcery. It involves the worship of the Serpent (*Ob*) and the projection of the Astral Light for magical purposes. *Ob* is the univeral materialising agent, and of the twin serpents of the Caduceus of Mercury, or Hermes, represents the passive element, the active current being *Od* (q.v.). *Od*: The positive current of Magical Energy that has its origin in the Serpent Power (see *Kundalini*) in man. Reichenbach called this force Odyle, and Wilhelm Reich, the Orgone. Experiments by these scientists have demonstrated the existence of this subtle force under laboratory conditions. *Od* is represented by the active "serpent" of the Caduceus of Hermes. Together with *Ob*, *Od* forms the magical wand of Double Power wielded by the gods of ancient Egypt and mentioned in *The Book of the Law*. The polarization of the *Ob* and the *Od* is represented by the globe which surmounts the Caduceus or Wand round which the serpents twine. The globe symbolizes *Aour* (Heb.), Light (more properly, *Lux*), which is the result of this polarization and equilibrium. In Heaven, this LVX is typified by the Sun; in Man, by Consciousness; in the Minerval Kingdom, by Gold, etc. ----------------------------------------------------------- _The Magical Revival_, by Kenneth Grant_, Frederick Muller, Ltd., 1972; pp. 222-3. ___________________________________________________________ this is of different evaluation not only from other Grant (above and below), but also of the recent disputation of Reich and the scientific standards by which he and others of his ilk have operated as were reviewed in T93-L (see heaven/Usenet/Tantra/REF.reich). elsewhere Grant opines: *Ob* (Af.) Cf. Hebrew *Aub*, a serpent. The root of *Obeah* (q.v.). The number of *Ob* is 9, a number of Yesod and of the moon.... *Obeah* (Af.): African and West Indian sorcery based upon the use of the *ob* or Ophidian Current in its lunar form. In conjunction with the Odic Current (see *Od*), these twin forces may be compared with the Wand of Hermes, or Caduceus of Mercury.... *Od* (Afr.): Compare Hebrew *Aud*, the magical light. *Od* is the positive magical current that has its origin in the Fire Snake. Its number is 11, the number of magick or 'energy tending to change'. ----------------------------------------------------------- _Cults of the Shadow_, by Kenneth Grant_, Samuel Weiser, 1976; p. 223. ___________________________________________________________ I find it interesting to compare the development of Grant's expression on these ideas. *Wanga* (Voo.): 'The work of the Sword'. (*AL* II [sic], 37). The sword is a symbol of the female as the cleaver or cutter in two. See *Zain*. ... *Zain* (Heb.): The number seven. The supreme number of the Draconian Tradition symbolized by the twins, Set-Horus (Gemini), and by the Serpent (Z) and the Eye (*Ain*). The word *Zain*, meaning a 'sword' is a glyph of the Goddess as the cleaver in twain, and of the Eye of the Serpent attributed to the Daughter (see *Coph Nia*). *Zain* is also the symbol of sex-magical polarity, and is attributed to the Twins or Lovers in the tarot of the zodiac.... ----------------------------------------------------------- _Nightside of Eden_, by Kenneth Grant, Frederick Muller Ltd., 1977; pp. 283-4. ___________________________________________________________ of interest to me as Kali suggested I get a mandala of concentric septagrams of my design tattooed onto my thigh prior to my I' initiation in my Order. very often I have been directed to parallels between my own work and Grant's without even tertiary bridging exposure to my knowledge. in any case, we can always do worse than seeking out Crowley's own commentary on the Evul Book's text in question. it is rather lengthy and I would rather not quote the whole thing here but instead refer the interested reader to this source of Regardie in _The Law is For All_: *37. Also the mantras and spells; the obeah and the wanga; the work of the wand and the work of the sword; these he shall learn and teach.* [old comment:] An entirely new system of magic is to be learnt and taught, as is now being done. [new comment:] Mantras may be defined as sentences proper to concentration of the mind by virtue of their constant repitition. (*Magick*). Spells are methods of communicating the will to other beings. (See *Magick*). The obeah is the magick of the Secret Light with special reference to acts; the wanga is the verbal or mental correspondence of the same. THe work of the wand is that of Union; of the sword, Division; these correspond to the two Phases of the Cosmic cycle described above. (See *Magick*). The root OB (AVB = 9); it may be connectd with the word "Obey". The "obeah" being the acts, the "wanga" the words, proper to Magick, the two cover the whole world of external expression. *The Equinox* and *Magick* are full of instructions on all these matters in great detail, and the student must make them his guide. But I feel bound to observe that they must be studied merely as classics, just as a musician studies Bach and others. He cannot compose by copying or combining their works; they serve him only as indications of the art of expression. He must master the technique, theory and practice, of music, till the general principles are absorbed, and he has command of the language, to use it to express his Will. So with Magick; the student must understand and assimilate the basic propositions, and he must be expert in the drill of the practical details. But that is merely groundwork: he must then conceive his own expression, and execute it in his own style. Each star is unique, and each orbit apart; indeed, that is the corner- stone of my teaching, to have no standard goals or standard ways, no orthodoxies and no codes. ... Why am not I to learn and teach the work of the Cup and of the Disk? Is it because they are the feminine weapons? Shall the Scarlet Woman attend to these ? The Book does say so, the passives are ignored. I feel the omission as a lack of balance, the only case of the kind in the Book. This makes me certain that there is a special meaning. This wand and sword may not be the wand and sword, or rather dagger, of the elemental weapons. The wand may be that of the Fool, the sword that of Justice, whose letters are A & L; AL is the Key of the whole book. We may also take them as simple symbols, the one as that of Love, the other as that of War. But, looking back over sixteen years, what have I learnt and taught? Surely the work of the wand, the free use of the Will to create, and the way to give power to the Will. I have set it up and caused men to worship it, for its name is God-in-Action. As to the work of the sword, I have fought, I have shorn shams asunder, I have anatomized my mind as no man has done since Gautama. Last, I have shown how pure analysis leads to the highest Trance, and unveils the absolute Truth. If this text imply [sic] more than this, I know not of it; I ask pardon of Them that fashioned me and chose me for Their minister. ---------------------------------------------------------- _Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on The Book of the Law_, by Aleister Crowley, eds. Symonds/Grant, 93 Publishing, 1974; pp. 125-7. __________________________________________________________, so it appears that the Beast was not in the least certain about the significance of these terms, though some of his speculation does indeed support the conjecture provided by Grant above, whom some consider his successor in exposition of Evul Book's principles, even though he can't seem to understand that it is to be found in the *first* part of the Evul Book, rather than the second. ;> review/commentary? E6/6/6 tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (333) ===================================================================== ~From: Dionysos Lysios To: thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org Greetings all, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Alexander Rezanov wrote: > > Anno IVv, Sol 2 deg Leo, Luna 17 deg Aries Dies Veneris > > 93, > > I need some help in explaining to me what are the meanings of the words "obeah" > and "wanga". Can anybody help me? > > 93 93/93 > Fr. N.T.I. > > * Origin: Thelema Site, St.Petersburg, Russia (2:5030/239.28) Traditionally, an obeah is a fetish or charm used in the sorcery of the people of Africa or the West Indies. From the context (mantras and spells,sword and wand, obeah and wanga), one may assume that it is some similar element of ritual. As for an actual definition of wanga, haven't a clue. (The above for obeah is from the Random House College Dictionary.) Love is the law, love under will. Dion -- ********************************************* *Bacchus hath drowned more men than Neptune.* * --Thomas Fuller * ********************************************* ====================================================================== ~From: Paul Hume To: thelema93-l@hollyfeld.org Alexander - Both refer to African, or African-American, forms of magick. Obeah is a particular magical style, more sorcerous, if you will, than voudoun, santeria, etc. A wanga is a spell or charm. Paul EOF -- (emailed replies may be posted);join the AMT syncretism!!;call: 408/2-666-SLUG! see http://www.abyss.com/tokus; "Clement of Rome taught that God rules the world with a right and a left hand, the right being Christ, the left Satan." - CGJung
The Arcane Archive is copyright by the authors cited.
Send comments to the Arcane Archivist: tyaginator@arcane-archive.org. |
Did you like what you read here? Find it useful?
Then please click on the Paypal Secure Server logo and make a small donation to the site maintainer for the creation and upkeep of this site. |
The ARCANE ARCHIVE is a large domain,
organized into a number of sub-directories, each dealing with a different branch of religion, mysticism, occultism, or esoteric knowledge. Here are the major ARCANE ARCHIVE directories you can visit: |
|
interdisciplinary:
geometry, natural proportion, ratio, archaeoastronomy
mysticism: enlightenment, self-realization, trance, meditation, consciousness occultism: divination, hermeticism, amulets, sigils, magick, witchcraft, spells religion: buddhism, christianity, hinduism, islam, judaism, taoism, wicca, voodoo societies and fraternal orders: freemasonry, golden dawn, rosicrucians, etc. |
SEARCH THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
There are thousands of web pages at the ARCANE ARCHIVE. You can use ATOMZ.COM
to search for a single word (like witchcraft, hoodoo, pagan, or magic) or an
exact phrase (like Kwan Yin, golden ratio, or book of shadows):
OTHER ESOTERIC AND OCCULT SITES OF INTEREST
Southern
Spirits: 19th and 20th century accounts of hoodoo,
including slave narratives & interviews
|