Last Writes with… Marco Visconti (@azrael2393)

The premise of LAST WRITES is simple. Our guests face their final rest, but before Death claims them they are granted a few parting earthly pleasures, the memories of which will travel with them into the great unknown. What makes these questions appealing and insightful for me is that these are not necessarily our guests favorite things, but those they most want to experience one last time before they shuffle off this mortal coil.

TODAY’S DEPARTING:

MARCO VISCONTI

Marco Visconti is one of the most important voices in Thelema today. He and I do not always see eye to eye, but I respect him as a magician and a scholar. I have known him primarily through our interactions on twitter, particularly regarding issues we both had with would-be Thelemite influencers Whiskey Stevens and Georgina Rose. From those conversations, I found Marco to be charming, affable, and knowledgeable. Three of the most desirable traits of any occultists looking to ply their trade in these modern times.

Marco was employed at Treadwell’s for a number of years, is a musician, and is noted for his translations of some of Michael Bertiaux’ more important works from English to Italian. He is also instrumental in the Universal Gnostic Church and manages a very successful “virtual lodge” called Magick Without Tears.

All of this culminated in the writing of The Aleister Crowley Manual, released in 2023 by Watkins Publishing.

The Aleister Crowley Manual is, in my eyes, a terrific introduction to the magick of Thelema. While there are many introductory books on ceremonial magick, Marco has delivered the first book that really cuts through the verbiage and the weighted baggage of centuries of magical study. It does have its problems. While the graphic design is brilliant, there are some unfortunate typographical errors, but these can be overlooked. Harder to overlook is the dated nature of the work. At times it reads more as a current blog entry than a volume that will still be relevant in a decade. This is unfortunate, for in many ways this is the book Aleister Crowley intended to write in 1929 when he released Magick in Theory and Practice — a magical guide for all people. While I champion that work and consider it an enormous influence on me personally, Marco has nearly written the 21st Century equivalent and truly accomplished something extraordinary. I emphasize nearly, because Marco has a hard time not getting out of his own way… and he holds grudges that he just can’t let go of. A sign of the times, I guess, but he has a bit of an internet troll mentality sometimes that comes through in his work. That said, I like him and I cannot recommend The Aleister Crowley Manual highly enough, but with the caveat that a tighter editorial hand could have elevated the work. And that’s why I’m a little harsh on this. Marco wrote a great book that was on the verge of being something a whole lot more.

But enough of this. Let us snuff out the candles. Marco’s studies have led him down many paths, some of light and some of darkness, but now his path has led him to the Occult Detective Mortuary and his Last Writes await.

LAST MEAL:

I would definitely die (ahem!) to eat once again my Grandma’s cannelloni ripieni in besciamella. You can have a glimpse of what they are here: https://buttalapasta.it/ricette/ricetta-cannelloni-di-carne/150138/ But my Grandma’s recipe was something unique. She worked on them for days, making everything from scratch using only the best ingredients. The pasta would be thick and still perfectly cooked. The mince would have a different kinds of meats, eggs, and spices. And the bechamel they would be soaked into would never make them soggy but instead exalt the whole experience. Unfortunately, she died almost 20 years ago, and I could never capture her culinary magick again.

LAST BOOK:

This is a tough one… but if I really have to choose one, I would go for Jorge Luis Borges “L’Aleph”, a book of short stories that flawlessly captures various kinds of mystical stages. My favourite is “The House of Asterion”, but I cannot say why since the narrative hinges on a major reveal at the end.

LAST MOVIE:

“La Leggenda del Pianista sull’Oceano”, translated as “The Legend of 1900”. The film adaptation of Alessandro Baricco’s monologue is a surreal story of a divinely inspired pianist who spends his entire life on a ship, cruising from Europe to America and back in the early 1900s. When the ship is finally condemned, he refuses to leave it and instead dies with it, because he cannot bear to experience a world of infinite possibilities. Tim Roth’s best performance.

LAST SONG:

“Disintegration” by The Cure. I feel this is self-explanatory, isn’t it?

FIRST PERSON YOU’D LIKE TO MEET ON THE OTHER SIDE:

No one, because I do not believe nor have evidence that our incarnated selves exist beyond death. I will see God, who is me, and I will decide which new adventure go for.

Marco made for a terrific guest in our little necromantic fantasy. I cannot thank him enough for taking part and I truly appreciate the work he put into The Aleister Crowley Manual. It’s an important addition into the Thelemic Lexicon.

Please remember to tune in each Wednesday as we raise up another departed guest on our hypothetical funeral pyre so that they might express their Last Writes. Next week we take a lighter look beyond the veil as we invite The Ghost Maidens into our midst. Be sure to tune in for the festivities as my favorite paranormal e-girls are prepared for their eternal slumber.