Czech Hermetics: Sexual Mysteries and Alchemical Tarot
When you think Czech Occultism you probably think about John Dee & Edward Kelly in their Alchemists tower. Maybe you also think of Franz Bardon and his unique system of magical training and spirit evocation. Other than that, in the English speaking world, not much is known about magic in Czech Republic. That doesn’t mean that there is not more to know though. Astrid Haszprunarová, Matthew Blankenburg, and the rest of the team at Czech Hermetics is doing for the magic around Prague, what Cyprianistas have done for magic in the Iberian Peninsula- making fascinating magical traditions and texts available in English.
Sexual Mysteries
Their first release was Sexual Mysteries by Pierre de Lasenic. This text falls into the post Pascal Beverly Randolph era of sexual occultism. It also falls into that era’s unfortunate penchant for Orientalism and some misinterpretation of Indian texts and terms. The tech itself however is solid and will yield results for the couple willing to experiment with it. I would urge OTO people in particular to check this book out. If you wanted to see what Carl Kellner’s sex magic might have looked like if he lived longer, and the original material not overshadowed by Aleister Crowley, this is a good place to look as Pierre de Lasenic was also a member of the Brotherhood of Light. It makes an interesting comparison to the works of Maria de Naglowska as well. De Naglowska provides more ritual and cultus framework whereas de Lasenic emphasizes principals and methods that can be adopted by almost anyone.
If you enjoy Pierre de Lasenic, I would urge you to head over to the Czech Hermetics Download page and get a copy of The Book of Works, the initiatory lodge material for the 1st degree of Lasenic’s inner circle, the Horev-Club. Here you will find material that ties into Franz Bardon’s work with the Elements and the mind. You can pay what you want, but if you like people continuing to do this kind of thing please don’t be a cheap git 🙂
Alchemical Tarot
The second release from Czech Hermetics is the “The Alchemical Tarot” of Theofanus Abba. Abba lived between 1901 and 1975 and wrote notes around the Tarot and Alchemy. This deck was illustrated in cooperation with Abba’s student, Martin Stejskal, and Czech artist, Michal Stránský. The deck is infused with Alchemical colors and symbolism, but unlike other esoteric Tarots, this overlay does not overly compromise the basic Tarot symbolism that you find in the French and Italian Tarots. It reads like dream and if you are on facebook you can see some sample readings I did with it.
It is a limited edition of 500 copies, so if you are at all interested in Tarot you should grab it. Even if you are not coming at it with an interest in the Alchemical and Khabbalistic symbolism (which I mostly ignore in Tarot reading myself) this deck is well worth it just for its place in Tarot history and its unique take on some of the Trumps.
Grab Sexual Mysteries and Alchemical Tarot here
Make sure you follow Czech Hermetics for whatever they put out next. They have some Bardon-adjacent material that they are working on which I cannot wait to get my hands on!