VL-IV pgs. 98/99: Postmodern Mysticism

[Robin Landseadel]

On Jan 22, 2009, at 4:24 AM, Kai Frederik Lorentzen wrote:

> In general, I agree with Simon that Pynchon's take on these matters IS
> superficial. Yet now there's your chance to show the contrary!

My point is not hinging on how superficial or deep Pynchon's knowledge  
of these matters is. His knowledge may well be superficial, as you  
[both] are saying. My knowledge is superficial, as you both have  
pointed out.  Pynchon may well be skimming the surface of these  
topics, but that does not eliminate the presence of these topics in  
his books.

By the way, thanks to both of  you for taking the time and energy to  
point these things out. I'll cop to being a slow learner.


> But I detect the influence of Crowley's commentaries in "Book of  
> Thoth"
> in Pynchon's "Weissman's Tarot" episode.


	Kai:
	Please demonstrate!
	Got a German copy of Crowley's book by my side.

I've owned Waite's Key to the Tarot and also have a copy of Crowley's  
Book of Thoth.  Waite's Key has very simple descriptions of the cards,  
descriptions meant simply to aid in a card reading. Crowley's book is  
far more detailed and uses a lot of terms belonging to Kabbalah. [I've  
been told by someone who has long-term involvement with Ritual Magick  
that the Book of Thoth is far more useful for G.D./O.T.O. types than  
for card readers.] The flavor of Pynchon's writing in the passage  
concerning Weissman's tarot is more reminiscent of The Book of Thoth  
than Waite's Key. As simple and as superficial as that. If you really  
want me to post some passages as examples, I'll be glad to later in  
the day. Right now I'm getting ready for work and have to get out the  
door in a few.

Part of my focus on Crowley's take on the Tarot [as rendered by  
Pynchon] has to do with little co-incidences. Crowley's "Book of  
Thoth" was first published in Berlin, in 1944. Somehow that seems to  
relate to GR, if only in location and time.

" ... what, a dialectical Tarot? Yes,indeedyfoax! A-and if you don't  
think
there are Marxist-Leninist magicians around, well YOU better think  
AGAIN!"
(GR, p. 748)

For some reason, all the Witches I've known are far to the left,  
politically speaking.