Key Takeaways
1. Occulture: Merging the Occult and Culture
Probably no word does better justice to the TOPY phenomenon than “Occulture.”
Occulture Defined. TOPY actively integrated the concept of "Occulture," blurring the lines between occultism and culture. This meant exploring hidden information, forgotten personalities, and discarded thoughtforms, rather than strictly adhering to magical practices.
Information Sharing. TOPY emphasized the unhampered sharing of information, acting as a precursor to the internet. Members readily exchanged second-hand books, xeroxed archives, and cassette tape copies, fostering a global network of shared interests and research.
Culture as a Fertile Ground. TOPY viewed culture as a structure or soil that contains the implicit possibility of growth and manifestation of life, ideas, and information. This perspective extended beyond traditional art forms to encompass the very essence of growth and creation.
2. TOPY's Core: Individual Liberty and Self-Discipline
The primary “teaching” of TOPY was discipline; that is, discipline in focusing on and actualizing the life one actually wants to live, regardless of social pressure or constraint.
Beyond Magick. TOPY was not merely a magickal order but a movement focused on self-directed consciousness expansion. It aimed to empower individuals to take command of their behavior and identity, rather than being controlled by external forces.
Radical Action. TOPY drew inspiration from radical action groups and experimental microsocieties of the 1960s, emphasizing personal integrity and connection with the deep waters of Spirit. It was a method of deprogramming instead of programming.
The Ghost in the Machine. TOPY encouraged individuals to realize that their daydreams and fantasies are the most important teachers of all. It was a push towards self-integrity and a connection with the deep waters of Spirit, a method of deprogramming instead of programming.
3. Sigils: Directing Desire Through Ritual
The TOPY magickal system centered around its unique approach to the “sigil” method.
Spare's Influence. TOPY's magickal system centered around its unique approach to the "sigil" method, derived and modernized by the artist Austin Osman Spare. This involved creating a symbolic representation of intent and charging it with personal energy.
The Sigil Ov Three Liquids. This ritual, performed on the 23rd of each month at 23:00 hours, involved writing down an intense sexual fantasy and anointing the paper with spit, blood, and sexual fluids. A lock of hair was also attached, creating a potent talisman.
Concrete Function. The apparent simplicity of the Sigil ov Three Liquids masks deep processes that have been part of the human experience since prehistorical times, acting on levels of the brain far deeper, and therefore that much more potent, than those we are expected to use as citizens of the “modern” world.
4. Faith vs. Fear: Embracing Mortality to Liberate Action
Faith is Fear.
Facing Death. The ability to genuinely come to terms with our physical transience liberates us all. This realization, truly assimilated, can be turned to positive use, in that it spurs one to action, aware that all time is limited and no life span is certain.
Zero Regret. Zero Regret is the magickal state of inner balance and calm acceptance of the mortality of Individuals and the use of Zero Regret to channel all future action. The perfect state is to be sure that no time is wasted, no energy repressed and no fear hidden.
Rejecting Dogma. The Temple turns towards truth, rejecting the concept and use of faith. It encourages Individuals to cherish themselves, appreciate intuition and instinct, value their time, and use mortality to motivate action and a caring, compassionate, and concentrated life.
5. Temporary Temples: Manifesting the Sacred in the Mundane
Our aim is wakefulness. Our enemy is dreamless sleep. Thee process is thee product.
Street to Temple. The Temporary Temple event exemplified a unique ritual from the street to the Temple, manifesting a clarity of purpose and unity of intent in an inappropriate yet profound situation. It was a chance to fight in the old ways, using contemporary tools and symbols.
The Spew Age. The Spew Age entraps the fearful in the chamber of the-rapist, turning the learning process of a past into a bondage process of a present, preventing the next from ascending. Those who try are seen as weak, those who hide are seen as strong, those who forgive are seen as blocked, those who run are acknowledged as aware, those who care are seen as enemies, those who exploit inner pain are seen as love.
Transcending Temporality. The Temporary Temple was a sacred, forbidden place where the spirit flowed like sexual fluid for our beings. It was a chantry of minds chanting the same human desire to break the bounds of temporality, a step onto the path of magickal practice.
6. The Brain as a Site of Magickal Integration
Ritual allows us to know the total integration of our experience as it is.
Demystification. Demystification means not taking anything for granted, whether that may be your living situation, philosophical point of view or state of mind. It involves examining all aspects of our awareness and questioning our beliefs.
Individuality. Individuality is the foundation of appearances, an undivided duality that requires no effort. It is about recognizing and developing all aspects of our personalities, even those in conflict, rather than conforming to societal expectations.
Intention. Intention is a state of continual accuracy in all of our actions, achieved through clear perception and uninhibited action. It involves giving up security and accepting the present situation as it is.
7. Transgression as a Path to Personal Truth
Throughout its eleven-year lifespan, TOPY aimed to transgress—against Church, State, the nuclear family, and reality itself.
Breaking Boundaries. TOPY aimed to transgress against societal norms, challenging established orthodoxies and conditioned interpretations of living. This included questioning the roles of Church, State, the nuclear family, and reality itself.
Cultural Engineering. TOPY sought to culturally engineer the wider acceptance of phenomena like body piercing, which was once considered a threat to society but is now a common practice. This involved challenging existing power structures and promoting individual liberty.
Magick Defends Itself. In a bleak political climate, TOPY was, first and foremost, a survival strategy. Magick had to defend itself against the malevolently dehumanizing culture that threatened individual vision and self-expression.
8. The Power of the Pack: Collective Action and Shared Vision
If, as Mrs. Thatcher famously quipped to Woman’s Own magazine, “There is no such thing as society,” then the Temple sought to prove her wrong ex nihilo, both in the UK and abroad.
Tribal Mindset. TOPY refined the tribal mindset present in both punk and rave, providing a sense of family, belonging, commitment, and self-expression where previously there had been none. This collective spirit was a direct response to the atomizing forces of modern society.
Propaganda for Magick. Genesis Breyer P-Orridge ranks as one of magick’s greatest propagandists, which he has been alternately deified and reviled for. This involved challenging the occult "establishment" and mainstreaming previously considered "dangerous" information.
A Church of Leaders. TOPY was a church of only leaders, not followers, a radical step that aimed to foster socialization around occult ideas and empower individuals to achieve their own personal apotheosis.
9. Time as an Infinite Consciousness
Time is an infinite consciousness, often mistakenly named “God.”
Time's Omnipresence. Time is omniscient, omnipresent, and neutral, an infinite consciousness containing all histories, presence, and futures. The TOPI nomad focuses on time itself as the amorphous consciousness containing all.
Clues in the Black House. In the black house, two voices contradict, revealing the banality of caring for style and the function of words to devalue vision. The body is focused as a vessel for transmission of guilt and engrams.
Wakefulness as the Goal. The ultimate aim is wakefulness, with dreamless sleep as the enemy. The process is the product, a cultural engineering project that seeks to awaken individuals to their true potential.
10. Control: Recognizing and Short-Circuiting Societal Programming
Control is invisible.
The Invisible Enemy. Control is a pervasive force that operates subtly, even genetically, shaping individuals' perceptions of reality. It shrouds perception in trivia, creating a uniform reality that cannot ask questions or formulate a language capable of revealing the truth.
Reclaiming Time. The Temple is dedicated to the re-acquisition by Individuals of their allotted time. It encourages, it does not discourage. It stands as an example of what is possible. To be involved is to become very special.
Finding a Language. In an age of collapse and transition, we must find a language, a way out of the corner donated to us by history. The human brain must develop, becoming the next step in evolution.
11. The Pandrogyne: Breaking Sex and Transcending Binary Limitations
There are so many things that come to mind, but I guess the most quintessential ones are the offering of different possibilities, of alternative options, of alternative routes, of inspiring courage and will, of breaking apart uncomfortable imposed patterns and showing, by example, that it is after all possible to re-assemble the bits in very creative ways.
Beyond Gender. The concept of the Pandrogyne represents a transcendence of traditional gender roles and limitations. It is a symbol of unity, equality, and oneness, breaking down the binary oppositions that confine individuals.
The Offering of Possibilities. The most quintessential aspect of TOPY is the offering of different possibilities, alternative options, and alternative routes. It inspires courage and will, breaking apart uncomfortable imposed patterns and showing that it is possible to re-assemble the bits in very creative ways.
Radical Experimentation. On an individual level, the experimenting was active and radical. The sharing of magical results, effects, breakthroughs, ups and downs of various techniques, etc., fostered a genuinely creative action.
12. The Eternal Temple: A Shimmering Ghost on the Horizon
The Temple is eternal, shimmering on the horizon. It is a ghost. It is the specter that answers us at the séance of our most secret desires.
A Ghost in the Machine. The Temple is a ghost, a specter that answers us at the séance of our most secret desires. It is the realization that your daydreams and fantasies, the teachers within you, are the most important teachers of all.
The Process is Eternal. There is one Process and there are many processes. The Temple is eternal, shimmering on the horizon, a ghost that answers us at the séance of our most secret desires.
A Call to Remember. Remember Earth from space. Sun goes round as we breathe as one. Human totality breathes in, breathes out. Cars and electric lights, birth and death, sex, disease, running through the long grass at dawn, walking the ox across the steep mountain path, loading the Kalashnikov, spinning the prayer wheels at dusk, laying the child in the grave, singing the old songs.
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FAQ
1. What is Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge about?
- Comprehensive occult manual: Thee Psychick Bible is a collection of scriptures, essays, rituals, and messages documenting the philosophy and practices of Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth (TOPY), blending magick, art, and countercultural thought.
- Focus on self-transformation: The book emphasizes reclaiming personal power and identity through magickal techniques, especially sigil work and sexual magick, as tools for self-exploration and resistance to societal control.
- Historical and cultural context: It situates TOPY within the broader history of occultism, counterculture, and avant-garde art, referencing figures like Aleister Crowley, William S. Burroughs, and Brion Gysin.
- Living philosophy: The text serves as both a historical document and a living guide for personal and communal transformation, challenging readers to break free from conditioning.
2. Why should I read Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge?
- Unique blend of occult and art: The book offers a rare integration of magickal philosophy, practical ritual, and avant-garde art, making it essential for those interested in alternative spirituality and cultural rebellion.
- Practical magickal methods: Readers gain access to accessible, demystified instructions for rituals, sigil creation, and sexual magick, empowering personal experimentation and self-discipline.
- Insight into control and resistance: The text provides deep analysis of societal control mechanisms and offers strategies for reclaiming autonomy and creative agency.
- Historical and cultural insight: It documents the evolution and impact of TOPY and related movements, providing valuable context for late 20th-century esoteric and underground cultures.
3. What are the key takeaways from Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge?
- Magick as self-integration: Magick is presented as a practical, non-mystical process of integrating will, imagination, and love to manifest change and reclaim individuality.
- Sexuality as liberation: Sexual energy and orgasm are central to the book’s magickal system, used to break repression and focus will through ritualized practices.
- Resistance to control: The book critiques societal, religious, and media-based control, advocating for ritual, cut-ups, and magick as tools to short-circuit conditioning.
- Art and media as magick: Art, music, and media manipulation are embraced as powerful magickal tools for personal and collective transformation.
4. What is the Sigil ov Three Liquids ritual in Thee Psychick Bible and how is it performed?
- Core monthly ritual: The Sigil ov Three Liquids is performed on the 23rd day at 23:00, involving writing a deep sexual desire on paper and anointing it with spit, blood, and sexual fluids.
- Personalization and symbolism: The sigil is further personalized with head and pubic hair, symbolizing a magical link to the self via the Law of Contagion.
- Submission and initiation: The dried sigil is sent anonymously to the Temple for archiving; completing 23 consecutive sigils qualifies one as a full initiate.
- Purpose and effect: The ritual is designed to unite conscious and unconscious will, break conditioning, and focus energy on manifesting true desires.
5. How does Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge define and approach magick?
- Integration over superstition: Magick is described as the integration of conscious and unconscious mind to manifest change, not as superstition or dogma.
- Cut-up and behavioral magick: Inspired by Burroughs and Gysin, the book uses cut-up techniques to disrupt linear thinking and societal control, applying them to ritual and behavior.
- Accessible and modern: Magick is demystified and made accessible, encouraging the use of contemporary tools like computers, video, and media for personal experimentation.
- Focus on will and imagination: The process centers on focusing will and imagination, with belief and love as key components for effective magickal work.
6. What role does sexuality and sexual magick play in Thee Psychick Bible and TOPY’s philosophy?
- Sex as magickal power: Sexual energy and orgasm are harnessed as potent sources of magickal power, used to charge sigils and focus intent.
- Breaking repression: The book critiques sexual repression as a tool of societal control and advocates guiltless exploration of true desires for personal liberation.
- Ritualized sexuality: Sexual acts, fluids, and fantasies are ritualized and symbolically charged to create magickal effects and challenge cultural taboos.
- Accessible altered states: Sexual magick is presented as a natural, drug-free method for achieving altered states and manifesting change.
7. What is the significance of the number 23 in Thee Psychick Bible and TOPY practices?
- Symbolic resonance: The number 23 is a recurring symbol representing synchronicity, mystery, and a focus for collective magickal work, inherited from Burroughs and Gysin.
- Ritual discipline: The 23rd hour of the 23rd day is the designated time for sigil rituals, and sending 23 consecutive sigils marks full initiation.
- Unity and amplification: The practice creates a communal bond among initiates, amplifying magickal effects through collective focus and discipline.
- Cultural and mystical context: The number 23 appears in various mystical and historical traditions, symbolizing cycles, trinity, and transformation.
8. How does Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge view societal control and propose resistance?
- Control as a virus: Societal control is likened to a parasitic virus manipulating behavior, language, and consciousness through institutions and media.
- Short-circuiting control: The book advocates breaking linear time and language through cut-ups, ritual, and magick to reclaim self-determination.
- Cultural engineering: TOPY is presented as a laboratory for alternative systems, promoting individual choice and creative collaboration.
- Empowerment through magick: Magick is positioned as a survival strategy, integrating and empowering individuals to resist and transcend control.
9. What are the key magickal skills and practical exercises taught in Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge?
- Centering and meditation: Foundational skills include deep breathing, mental balance, and meditation to calm the mind and strengthen willpower.
- Visualization: Visualization is emphasized as the most important skill, involving the creation and manipulation of mental images to direct magickal energy.
- Physical and sexual exercises: The book recommends stress positions, breath observation, orgasm reflex imitation, and mirror gazing to release tension and access unconscious material.
- Sigil creation and use: Instructions are given for formulating, abstracting, and activating sigils, including the use of modern media and sexual energy.
10. What is the Law of Three and the Tree of Psychick Integration in Thee Psychick Bible?
- Law of Three: All creation arises from the interplay of positive, negative, and neutral (reconciling) forces, governing evolution and consciousness.
- Tree of Psychick Integration: A reimagined Qabalistic Tree of Life, the TOPI-tree maps stages of consciousness integration and elevates the Solar-Lunar axis as mediators.
- Process Church symbolism: The four archetypes—Satan, Christ, Lucifer, Jehovah—are mapped onto the Qabalistic Worlds and elements, revealing psychological polarities.
- Psychick Cross: The Psychick Cross symbolizes the integration of these forces, serving as a unifying emblem for TOPY’s philosophy.
11. How does Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge address Pandrogeny and gender identity?
- Pandrogeny defined: Pandrogeny is the creation of a third, gender-neutral being through the fusion of binary gender identities, challenging societal and biological binaries.
- Personal embodiment: Genesis and Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge underwent medical and ritual transformations to physically resemble each other, embodying Pandrogeny.
- Cultural critique: The book critiques dualistic societies as sources of conflict and oppression, advocating for the destruction of gender as a control mechanism.
- Spiritual and political message: Pandrogeny is presented as essential for species survival and cultural evolution, promoting total freedom of identity and sexuality.
12. What are the best quotes from Thee Psychick Bible by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and what do they mean?
- “Thee product is thee process.” Creation and transformation are ongoing acts; the journey itself is the outcome, emphasizing continuous evolution.
- “Change the way to perceive and change all memory.” Perception shapes reality and personal history; altering consciousness can rewrite experience and identity.
- “Conscious faith is freedom. Emotional faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is foolishness.” Advocates for intentional, aware belief rather than blind or emotional adherence.
- “He who fights with monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster.” A warning to maintain self-awareness and integrity when opposing destructive forces.
- “WE ARE BUT ONE…” A call for unity beyond gender and identity divisions, encapsulating the Pandrogeny ideal of collective liberation.
Review Summary
Thee Psychick Bible receives mixed reviews, with an overall positive rating. Readers appreciate its exploration of occult concepts, magick, and self-transformation. Many find it insightful and inspiring, praising Genesis P-Orridge's unique perspective and writing style. Critics note the book's repetitive nature, affected spelling, and lack of originality. Some view it as essential for understanding TOPY and Psychic TV, while others dismiss it as psychobabble. The book's historical significance and impact on chaos magick are recognized, though its controversial aspects are also acknowledged.
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