The Western Gate

Piercing the Veil
Oscar Tusk
Troy Books

It took a while to get here from when I purchased, just over a year, in fact 90% of books I’m currently awaiting are from Troy, but they’re not Hellfire Books, at least I know they will come.
I have two of Oscar Tusk books already, I seem to be somewhat averse to his work, it’s as if I find the whole background of The Coven of the Black sun, to which he is a part, dubious. The history goes back hundreds of years, apparently. Research of proof will prove futile, though perhaps they are secret. It doesn’t add up when knowledge is freely available. I can prove that Anne Boleyn is my 3rd cousin 13 times removed on account we share a great grandfather Sir Thomas Hoo (15th great grandfather), in turn this gives a lineage back to Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great)-King of Wales, and past this, though admittedly the lineage may well be a mixture of fable though it is written in histories as fact, leads to Rhodris 6x grandfather Amladd Wledidg- who is the father of Igraine- mother of King Arthur. (Let it be remembered however, everyone, can find links to someone famous somewhere, its the law of averages. I have four grandparents and 8 great parents, by the time we reach 33 generations, my Welsh King link, there are 2³³=8,589,934,592, which is more than the population of the whole world today! It’s possible because of something called pedigree collapse?) Likewise, I have traced one side of my family back to a certain Samuel Skelton, first Pastor of Salem (Not one who accused the alleged witches and in fact his daughter spoke on their behalf/defence) I can also show I am related to a certain Mr John Hooper (Bishop) set aflame. And, I can continue, one side of my ancestors came from the Moray Firth, in particular around Auldearn, Fosses, Nairn at the time Isobel Gowdie was trialled in the same area, one of my ancestors was listed as Goulde.
I have wasted time in this review with all this boasting and posturing to highlight it actually means nothing, are you impressed? It doesnt prove I am worthy to be considered nor respected but I can prove , I have the documents, which is more than just writing about a so-called brethren of…. (insert your own moniker and potted history here) . What really matters is the here and now and not the boardwalking of a theatrical entrance. So regardless of whether the coven of the black sun exists or not and if it does whether it’s hundreds of years old or not, matters nought, what’s relevant is the ‘here and now’ and whether it is valid.

There are so many points to contest in this book I should wonder if it were better to rewrite it myself, but I can’t be bothered, any book that makes you challenge your own convictions is a good thing after all, it reinforces and continually makes us question our beliefs. With that, Mr Tusks book certainly deserves at least a star, if not a black hole.
Oscar Tusk tells us that “science fails to consider that the universe may be comprised of multiple dimensions beyond those which may be observed or measured”. Really ? I work at Imperial College London. Those multiple dimensions are not only considered, but they are in fact measured, yes even if initially theoretically, and have been ‘measured ‘observed’ to some degree by means of the Qantam network and experiments conducted- Observed and Reality being themselves interchangeable in quantum science.
Science not only embraces the concepts of multi dimensions but accepts it;- String Theory , M-Theory, Kaluza-Klein theory et al
The Coven of the Black Sun believes in the universe being of both the Bright sun, and the Dark Sun which could indeed refer to Dark Matter, however this is not equal nor do they exist in parallel and perfect opposition to each as speculated or suggested by these century old wise elders. Dark Sun (Dark energy and Dark Matter) in fact occupy c. 68% -Dark energy, 27% Dark Matter and the Manifested Energy- Baryonic Matter = 5%. And these are conservative estimates, it may well be that Manifested energy (This is not just the density of stars and planets) may be so insignificantly small that it doesn’t mathematically exist, bearing in mind the majesty and awe that James Webb telescope is providing us with, trillions of galaxies, and yet, against Dark Matter it is insignificant !

The Book describes ascension to the Lunar Astral worlds, this achieved by memorizing the Tarot Cards- major arcana. This exercise in itself is not futile. Each card thus representing in some ways a key to elevate oneself higher by visualisation and fixing those images into the higher consciousness. It would be easy to see those images merely as print on the cards rather than representing, as they do, archetypal images, and yes, gates of transcendence. Tusk suggest we learn the gradual ascent, memorizing each card from Fool to The World. Yes, more parrot fashion, monkey training bashing square pegs in teh right holes in the right sequence and we get a treat.
Mr Tusk then spoils it by declaring we should associate each card with a set of notes from the musical major scale. Firstly, the major scale is a concept that fits western music, devised by the Greeks I believe. I guess people who dance in Raga indian forms or even eastern ‘maqam’ scales have no chance of ascending to the lunar astral world.
But lets try this…The Fool- notes (sic) CD. Magician = DE and so on until the lovers at BC then we go back upwards i.e~ CB chariot… however at Temperance we also now have CD again… Albeit perhaps an octave higher/lower? Oscar doesn’t say so, though technically or musically Temperance is the same as The Fool ? This Fool is running out of Patience.
Throughout the book there are numerous errors, the text explains something relating to figure 6, when it should be figure 7, this doesn’t happen the odd time but all the time as if at the last minute the figures were moved and not proof read, which is contrary to mr.Tusk telling us that The Elders of the Coven in their diligence and infinite wisdom have read through the book and approved it ?

The book includes colourful scans of Mr Tusks own deck of cards- major arcana, and if that excites you, its printed again, each card to a full page later on. So if you take away those unnecessary pages and the spreads, which are all spelled out and learnt in our foremost reading material when we had teenage acne and the summers lasted forever, there’s not much shiny material left for the magpie to lust after.
We are given the creed/rules of the Coven of the Black sun which include such nonsense as not using power to influence the free will of others? Advertising does this, every time you ask your child to do homework, or every time you make an ‘influencing’ YouTube, you actively change the ‘free’ will of others. Don’t you ? Changing free will is called evolution. Wearing perfume is subtly influencing. What is the point of witchcraft if it is not able to change the course of events structured by an architect whose creation is, in our design, inhibiting?
Similarly Tusk and the Coven of the Black sun argues against the use of drugs, more exactly to be fair- ‘Entheogens’. First there is a difference between vain use and certainly abuse and structured and tutored use. What is the point of witchcraft if the herbalists are told to only use the passive, after all, entheogen is a fine line, an ill defined parameter, sugar is a drug- it acts cruelly and falsely upon the reward centres of the brain, coffee is a drug, alcohol, chillies, etc. Yes there is a safeguarding issue or even requirement when using that which we know to be (classed as) entheogenic, and self discovery using those methods is ill advised. All in all the coven of the black sun with its non participant and non-active influence stance and its policy to avert from even the slightest hint of a doobie sounds as much fun as a Quakers silent reflection meeting.
The blurb regarding the book describes it as an essential companion for unlocking the doors to the Lunar Astral plane and embracing a world of wonder, insight, and transformation. Are you ready to pierce the veil?
Well, according to Mr Tusk “No witch should be admitted to the Lunar astral world until He or she has been examined by a Council elder who must vouch for their readiness.”
If I say I am ready, how can an elder break their own creed and determine it is not of my free will to say or believe so.
A witch (That is -a free wayfaring soul unbound) does not walk a determined path, a ‘formed by another’s’ path, a path with rules and statutory signs. They act in accordance with their will and with wisdom.
I am none the wiser as to what the astral Lunar World envisaged by The coven of the Black sun is. The Indian Upanishads reflects that at death, we either migrate via the moon to return, or to the sun where our samsara ends and we join cosmic consciousness. This is an analogy. The Lunar ebbs and wanes, shines and dims. The Sun is fixed and constant except by our false perception it too rises and falls.
The lunar astral world and the major arcana ? It cannot be in accordance with the major arcana as the lunar revolves around c.28 days, the major arcana is 21 plus the fool. I would consider, less the fool, each card occupying a day from the new moon to the last quarter- waning crescent. And let our self be the fool on the journey. Each night affixing and meditating upon the imagery of a card into our mind, obsessing over it during the day, and in dream unlocking the portal of what it represents in accordance with the timing of the moon over the 21 days~ Aye~ even as the keys to the house are 3 by 7, therefore we tread the route of the major arcana, this, instead of mundane remembering that Cat comes after Bus and Bus after Apple…But I am not an initiate of a centuries old coven, nor do I have laws cast in stone to guide/tell me.

The Star is given for entertainment value and every book will either reinforce your belief or shatter it. Lapis Non Volvit.