Reviews

The Paradigmal Pirate
(Liber LLL & Liber Ventum)
Joshua S.Wetzel (a.k.a Fra. Palimpsest)

Coming at you from the Illuminates of Thanateros Section in the United States, Wetzel pulls no punches in this his first work. Liber LLL is an extension of the basic magickal practices outlines over two decades ago by Pete Carroll in Liber Null. The present work develops many of the same these as the Carroll original but with some new twists and more than a few neat developments. Wetzel develops some nice ideas on how to achieve lucid dreaming, discusses first hand observations on the effects of different methods of achieving gnosis and more. There are some useful techniques suggested for layering occult techniques to produce maximum effect, notes on the does-and don’ts of working with servitors, and an exegesis of the eight rays of chaos magick as defined by Carroll in Liber Kaos. Overall Liber LLL amplifies and puts Wetzel’s own spin on these concepts, a spin which is highly ‘goal oriented’ with the emphasis on the magickian as striving individual.

Liber Ventum was, for me, even more interesting when Wetzel steps out from the shadow of Carroll’s work and begins to create his own grimoire. The second section of The Paradigmal Pirate kicks off with an exploration of how to pirate ideas from other groups, getting in (to the coven/lodge/church), getting some useful techniques and how to get out. This Machiavellian approach continues with the excellent suggestion about using children’s games as the basic form for rituals (with a few suggestions), a look at open handed magick and a generous spattering of other techniques.

The good thing about this book overall, and about Liber Ventum in particular, is that these techniques certainly appear to be ones that the author himself has tried in the field. The overall approach is certainly highly results oriented, with little material being devoted to detailed theorising and none to a broader contextualisation of the work of the magickian. In some ways this follows the (early) Pete Carroll school of though with the emphasis on invoking demons that are ‘bigger, faster, harder’. Of course in trying to be seriously hard core Wetzel does sometimes throw the baby of metaphysical out with the bath-water of belief (his writing in the section on ‘Introducing the Factor of Risk’ gets caught in the cull-de-sac of post-modernist relativism). But, when all said and done, the energy of the author burns brightly and this would certainly be a book that every results magickian should become familiar with.

Highly recommended for people into the Chaos current, accessible and ideal for scaring your elderly Wiccan granny (the section on trafficking with the goetia makes some of Uncle Crowley’s antics look positively restrained!). Excellent stuff.
JSV

I received a copy "The Paradigmal Pirate" as reference in preparation of my 4* to 3* studies. As with all written reference to this course of study, I approached it with the intent of defining how the document communicated the conceptualization to me and then to define the effect the content had or could potentially have on my
personal magical growth.

Right away I found Josh's written approach to communicate clear concepts of direction pertaining to defining the methods outlined in "Liber Lux and Liber Nox" (by Peter J. Carrol).

Josh has gone into great detail on each of the defined aspects of the applied magical techniques presented, without dictating method, but providing example and direction to achieve the intended results while allowing the magician to maximize their creativity. This document is a clear example of why I approached Chaos Magic and the IOT in the first place. Straight, to the point, communication of concepts in a clear language and definition as pertains to skills in which must be developed to persue our magical self.

I would recommend this highly for anyone pursuing a described form of method to develop their magical skills as well as an excellent reference to help with focusing an approach when distracted by daily mundane life functions.

Ian Read said when interviewed by Phil Hine for Chaos International that maybe one in one hundred books about the occult had enough merit to read and own. The first effort by this CM practitioner seems one such effort.

Privately published by Wetzel and only available in softbound for $15.00, the book hails itself as the first practical manual of work for the IOT Neophyte (4th degree) seeking to attain Initiate status(3rd degree ) in the Pact. Auspiciously enough, this book also is the first real work written in Americanese, all other IOT authors having either UK or German origin.

Wetzel-Frater Palimpsest-covers all the bases; from meditation, dreaming, trance, auric magics to typifying paradigm shifting styles so that the Neophyte will have little question about what directions their workings ought to take for them to advance magically. We found especially entreating the little anecdotes that he used to illustrate the workings; his wry sense of humor kept us going when we'd otherwise put another book down feeling droll. He also discusses the six realms of magic: invocation, evocation, illumination, divination, enchantment, and shamanic death-in watermark fashion so that his approach stays systematic without boring us to snores.

He uncorks us in the final chapters with a host of workings adapted from childhood games like King of the Mountain and Musical Chairs, which we can tell you
from experience, give altered states of consciousness, i.e. gnosis, from a primordial childlike set of realities in excitatory and inhibitory modes like no other set of techniques.

The chapter on layered rites further blends and stretches us with new magical syntheses that we have come to expect from IOT based writer/practitioners of the CM Meta paradigm.

We highly recommend this as a read and basis for workings for any who have interests in Chaos Magic.