Babalon (also known as the Scarlet Woman, Great Mother or Mother of Abominations) is a complex and mysterious figure found in the occult system of Thelema, which was established in 1904 with the writing of The Book of the Law by English author and occultist Aleister Crowley.
Babalon's roots however are much, much older, and are to be found in the Enochian tradition, an enigmatic magical system received by Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley in the late 16th Century.
Babalon eventually became the focus of the Magical Work of Jack Parsons, the maverick magician and rocket scientist whose story has recently been serialised by the tv show Strange Angel. Together with L.Ron Hubbard, of Scientology infamy, he conducted The Babalon Working, a series of magic ceremonies essentially designed to manifest an individual incarnation of the Babalon herself. The project was based on the ideas of Aleister Crowley, and his description of a similar project in his 1917 novel Moonchild.
Nowadays, Babalon is everywhere in contemporary occulture: from those who want to frame Her as an icon of feminism, to those who see Her as a complex vector of transcendence. She is equated to Inanna, Ereshkigal, Hecate, and seen as the Goddess of a New Witchcraft, while at the same time others swear that she is no such thing - but in fact, something entirely alien and beyond definition.
Join Marco Visconti for this livestream talk detailing the history and the theology of this incredibly complex egregore.
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This talk will be recorded. Participants who book will receive a link following the event.
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Previous participants say:
"This talk was incredibly informative and interesting. The speaker was very engaging, I would love to hear more from him and explore Thelemic themes more in depth next time!"
"Outstanding knowledge and authentic practicing tutor! And this was the tip of the iceberg."
"Marco did a great job introducing both the person of Aleister Crowley and providing the context of his time and experiences which influenced the evolution of Crowley's approach. It provided insights not normally accessible.. thank you!"
"Excellent event. Unfortunately I missed the live session, but have just finished watching the recording. Superb!"
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This talk will be live in our online classroom
All you need to take part is a good internet connection and a computer with a webcam, microphone and Zoom.
On booking this talk, you will receive an email with the Zoom link to access it. Remember to check your spam folder if you don't receive this confirmation email in your inbox.
Please send us a message if you have any questions. We hope you enjoy the talk!
About Marco Visconti
Marco Visconti specialises in Western esoteric traditions, with a particular interest in Thelema & Crowleyana. He teaches Thelema & Freemasonry to a wider public outside the bonds of oaths. Read more about Marco
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