Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

I’m excited to share that Scarlet Woman is back to hosting ritual events in October. Later this month, we are holding a New Moon Ritual on Oct. 19th (6 pm) at Nocturna Coven. Please mark your calendar and attend if you are able. Good attendance will help us continue hosting regular ritual events at this venue.

Additional details are in the events section at the bottom of this newsletter.

Speaking of rituals, we’re continuing to host a semimonthly series of Hermetic Practice Workshops covering Magick in Theory and Practice chapter by chapter. Even if you haven’t attended previous sessions, you should join us. Notes from previous chapters are available here (and we’re more than happy to help you catch up).

One rewarding aspect studying Magick in Theory and Practice is the opportunity to step back and view one’s own practice through a holistic lens. As Crowley states in chapter one, we often have a tendency to rely too much on the parts of magick that come naturally to us (and there must be balance to achieve the great work).

I realize this tendency in myself, and it seems it should be true for groups as well. As a solar-focused tradition, do we risk overlooking other energetic dimensions? But then I remember Scarlet Woman has a long tradition of performing lunar rituals, and that the energy of those rituals always reflected the specific individuals engaged in performing them (each person with their own unique predisposition). This is why I’m especially excited about returning to monthly events: by giving our community space to perform the magick that resonates with them, we are balancing out not just our individual predisposition but also the solar focus intrinsic in Thelema.

In the Hermetic Qabalah, the moon is responsible for receiving and balancing the energies of the higher Sephirot before transmitting them to the material plane. How apropos, that’s certainly the theme for the October ritual. I hope you can join us for it!

Love is the law, love under will.

— Fr. Ishmael