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THE RED THREAD OF HETH Or The Hethite Thread of Artful Sacred Craft Mastery of Shape : Fire-Touched Sight : Wisdom of Wholeness Hethite Philosophy, Sorcerous Craftwork, and the Recondite Arts I. Concerning the Hollow Hill Fellowship and the Covenant of Heth THE HOLLOW HILL FELLOWSHIP A Search for the Secret Heart Brothers and Sisters of the Quest Key-holders of the Grave-Mound, Warm in the Hope of the Deathless The “Hollow Hill Fellowship” is a name given to the informal congregation of men and women worldwide who seek for the rare strains of wisdom that were once available to humankind through the Mysteries of old. Some today- an occult minority- seek the wise perspectives of ancient peoples who consciously lived alongside the sacred, living potencies of the natural world and the uncanny presence of the world unseen. Ancient Pagan religions mediated something of that wisdom to men and women; mystery cults and mystery-religions mediated other forms of vision and insight. Through happenstance of Fate and the turning of world events, the perennial sources of wisdom that were key to sustaining the true inner life of humankind became obscured; a world was left bereft of the deepest wisdom, and seekers of the truth were left with a crooked and difficult path to uncover it. In the annals of folklore and faery-tale, in certain tomes of occult learning, and in the rites and rituals of certain historical secret societies and orders were embedded obscure keys and worn-out maps to the Greatest of Journeys and Attainments, but Fortune has blessed few with the honor of discovering the hidden promises embedded in these things. Blessed are they who have uncovered the Great Mystery, via these long and circuitous routes! Their resilience and wisdom make them gemstones in the crown of the True

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  • THE RED THREAD OF HETH Or

    The Hethite Thread of Artful Sacred Craft

    Mastery of Shape : Fire-Touched Sight : Wisdom of Wholeness

    Hethite Philosophy, Sorcerous Craftwork, and the Recondite Arts

    I. Concerning the Hollow Hill Fellowship and the Covenant of Heth THE HOLLOW HILL FELLOWSHIP A Search for the Secret Heart Brothers and Sisters of the Quest Key-holders of the Grave-Mound, Warm in the Hope of the Deathless The Hollow Hill Fellowship is a name given to the informal congregation of men and women worldwide who seek for the rare strains of wisdom that were once available to humankind through the Mysteries of old. Some today- an occult minority- seek the wise perspectives of ancient peoples who consciously lived alongside the sacred, living potencies of the natural world and the uncanny presence of the world unseen. Ancient Pagan religions mediated something of that wisdom to men and women; mystery cults and mystery-religions mediated other forms of vision and insight. Through happenstance of Fate and the turning of world events, the perennial sources of wisdom that were key to sustaining the true inner life of humankind became obscured; a world was left bereft of the deepest wisdom, and seekers of the truth were left with a crooked and difficult path to uncover it. In the annals of folklore and faery-tale, in certain tomes of occult learning, and in the rites and rituals of certain historical secret societies and orders were embedded obscure keys and worn-out maps to the Greatest of Journeys and Attainments, but Fortune has blessed few with the honor of discovering the hidden promises embedded in these things. Blessed are they who have uncovered the Great Mystery, via these long and circuitous routes! Their resilience and wisdom make them gemstones in the crown of the True

  • Human Being. Those whom Fate has decreed must dredge the mirk-bog of secrets in another manner may find themselves among the Fellowship of the Hollow Hill, constrained to seek in another manner, though it is a manner no less oriented to the great goal. In that fellowship, those who become members will have the true strength of man- the warmth of human friendship and co-operation with other minds illuminated by the hope of the deathless. Everything that dies in this world goes below the earth. The grave-mound is a potent symbol of the grave-passage below the earth, into the shadowy underworld which is the storehouse and treasure-house of lost knowledge and ancient lore. It is also a symbol of the portal that connects the surface of the living mind with the hidden reaches of the self, the ebony halls of the deep self that sit still and silent, frozen without the warmth of consciousness. In the lordly vaults of the deep mind, that region of mankind which is most like unto the dead and their Land of Unlight (by virtue of its closeness to them) there are precious treasures, crafted in previous ages, waiting to be found. Death, its serene sister meditation, and its shimmering twin brother trance are all pass-ways to the Sidhe-world, to the place where everything precious eventually ends up. There is found the Grail-stone, the Fire-Emerald, the Serpent-Mothers Tablet of Fate, or the Secret Heart- the key to our successful future in our suffering world, and our destinies beyond anything we can conceive of. It is written: if you bring forth what is buried within you, what you bring forth will save you; if you do not bring forth what is buried within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you. The true promise of the grave and the deep self- the Summa Medicina, or the supreme cure to all ills of body, mind, or world- masquerades in many forms, but remains well-hidden below, in the place that nearly everyone neglects to look. The most precious thing is always that which people ignore the most. Robin Artisson, in the course of his occult development, and with the aid of allied human occultists and aligned spiritual powers, retrieved and hermeneutically described several techniques of extraordinary insight and trance-acquisition, and used them to unseal a space within himself of visionary guidance. Those techniques and some aspects of that vision were correlated and published as The Witching Way of the Hollow Hill, The Horn of Evenwood and The Toad Bone Treatise, and expressed in various forms in other writings made available to the public between 1999 and 2007, with more forthcoming. From these works, and his original efforts and research, the members of the Hollow Hill Fellowship take inspiration and instruction, until such a time that they need these works no longer. Their goal is Robins goal, and the goal of many throughout the ages. It is three-fold: illumination, conscious awareness of the deathless, and lasting wisdom. The

  • only craft or art worth studying and placing above all others is the craft and art that defeats all obscurity and death, revealing the truth of all things. The ordinary realization of the above-stated goal is not achieved quickly or overnight. However, the space of a human lifetime, wed with bravery, a cunning mind and strength of personal character, all finally balanced by a unique and rare wisdom, can bring this end about, unfailingly. Success in achieving these sublime goals is not defined in terms of the quests ending, but with the creativity, vigor, and devotion that one evidences during the ongoing journey. Membership in the Hollow Hill Fellowship is open, and there are neither dues nor officers. Anyone who defines their spiritual search in the terms expressed here, looks to Robins work for inspiration, and utilizes the techniques laid out by him and others that are connected to his work, (inspirationally or through occult relationship) are members. Anyone who understands these things and consciously self-identifies as a questing soul into the depths below the hollow grave-hill, is a member for as long as they wish to be. THE COVENANT OF HETH Lady Annuas Secret Sons and Daughters Given to Old Grandmother Fate, Pilgrims to the Gallows The Mercurial Masters Own, Draped in Heths Turnskin Hide The Covenant of Heth is a name given to a select group of allied occultists that exist parallel to the Hollow Hill Fellowship, and work to inspire its members with sorcerously crafted works of insight and sacred art. It is an operating covenant and spiritual family of occultists, spread apart in space and time, who devote effort to certain key occult doctrines and practices, again for the purposes of illumination and lasting wisdom. The name Heth refers to legendary eponymous ancestor of the Hethite people, an Indo-European people who lived in Asia Minor, and aspects of whose culture spread all over the world, even as far away as Britain. One important and world-transforming aspect of their culture was the first widespread use of smithing and metalcraft, a sacred art and activity which can be considered in terms of a metaphor for a deeper transformative spiritual process. The Covenant of Heth has two sources- a spectral white source or thread channeled and mediated from the Unseen World by Ule Heth-Bucca (Robin Artissons daimonic and ceremonial title within the covenant) and the blood and flesh of the woman that establishes and anchors the thread in the world of manifestation, sound, and motion. Her physical life makes the thread red or living- the good Lady Annua. Utilizing techniques of extraordinary cognition, and under the guidance of his Fetch-beast, the Caller in the Owl Light, Ule Heth-Bucca was led to the doorstep of an initiatrix, the Elder Tree Mother, and received of her an empowerment which inspired

  • him to share the workings of shimmering or hare leaping- moving without moving, for the purposes of attaining insight, transformation, and wisdom. The disturbing and grotesque nature of the Elder Tree Mothers interactions, as well as the sheer wonder of discovering a way into the living, hidden dimension which is itself the true mother of all mythologies and sorcerous arts, drove Ule to reach out to those whom Fate would join to him, and all people interested in gaining a new (and very old) perspective on what hidden corners our lives truly contain. His public and private works are devoted to sharing the subtle perspectives and the operations by which these transformations in the mind can be experienced. The thread- the moving power and outwardly-spreading web of changes that began in his visionary experiences, have come to affect this world, and entwine and entangle powerful and insightful occultists who were ripe and ready to join in that event, be transformed by it, and then transform it with their own insights and input. The Covenant belongs to all of its members. And so it was that this deeper fraternity began and continues to this day: no endeavor of this kind can ever be static. The Heth Bucca of this covenant will not always be Ule; others will hold the title, and see, as he does, to the transformations and expanding of this small philosophical brotherhood and sisterhood. Not everyone is called to the deepest and most transformative of sorcerous works. Some are, but would prefer not to engage the Hethite Thread, and this fact is fortunately and Fatefully ordained, for quality must always trump quantity in these precious and recondite matters. The Covenant is inspired by powerful visions from an unseen world; it is protected by Divinity; and it is righteous, for the blood of its members is not stained with contempt for Fate. It is known and accepted that those who will increase the Covenant will be called to it by greater powers, and they will be threaded, and no man or woman can prevent that. In all things, Fate will weave forever as She will and the wise do not resist her with rebellious minds. As it is, very few people who find themselves interested in Robins work or the Hollow Hill Fellowship will ever enter into direct and full communion with the Hethite Covenant. However, all can and will benefit from its many secret endeavors and involvements. The Hethite Covenant is not a hierarchical nightmare of egos clashing. Titles like Magister and Lady are bestowed for the sake of tradition only; the officers- local chapter organizers, guidance-givers, and supervisors within the covenant- are nearly completely autonomous and linked with the Heth-Bucca and the Lady by friendly affection and a spirit of sharing. Guidance for members is co-created through speaking with others and bringing intuition to bear on important issues; orders and commands, as though issued from some

  • medieval inquisition, are beneath the dignity of the covenant. Too many rigid hierarchy-games stand squarely in the way of real personal transformation and the blossoming of real wisdom, which are the ultimate goals of the Hethite Covenant. II. Concerning Hethite Philosophy, Initiation, and Magistry Much has been said in the writings of Ule Heth-Bucca or Robin Artisson, regarding many philosophical perspectives of value to the modern occultist who seeks a path to the mysteries that is not harmfully and hatefully infected by the degraded forces of the new age and the equally as degrading forces of mainstream, absolutist religious movements. If one were asked to define native Hethite philosophy, the answer would first be found in the axiomatic trinity of gifts promised to the devotees of the Hethite Throng:

    Mastery of Shape : Fire-Touched Sight : Wisdom of Wholeness Mastery of Shape refers to the art and reality of shape-shifting, of becoming so mentally and spiritually flexible, that the mind can assume any form it needs to blend in with a situation- blending and transforming in such a manner that the mind is not hindered or harmed by any situation or condition cast upon it by the vicissitudes of Fate. This transformative ability is an expression of the Virtue of Flexibility- the first virtue of Hethite philosophy. This shape shifting isnt just mental flexibility writ mystical; it is the key and core of unlocking deeper powers of endurance, survival, deception, cunning, and insight. It is, in a way, the most precious and dangerous gift of the Covenant Master- the Guiding Spirit or Tutelary Divine Being of the Covenant as a whole, who can be called Heth for the purposes of this short treatise. Fire-touched Sight refers to the art of learning to experience the world in extraordinary ways, the ability to sense and dimension extra-sensory reality, and gain poetic and visionary inspiration from it. This ability is an expression, in the human person, of the Virtue of Perceptiveness- the second lauded virtue in Hethite philosophy. To be truly perceptive means to see what others cannot or will not see- and for everything that is seen, nine things are unseen. On the outer level, this fire-touched sight is a vibrant communion with the divine imagination, the spark of which supplies mankind with the creativity that has given birth to empires and every wonder of technology. On the inner level, it is a full sensory and extra-sensory experience of the wholeness of things- all of the non-human persons or unseen beings who inhabit the many reaches of reality, and all of the hidden potencies and influences of the natural worlds. It is also an activated intuition and awareness of deeper reaches of causality that can make a person aware of the shape of things to come, or the shape of things that have been. Wisdom of Wholeness refers to the art of releasing oneself from the many mental blinders and limiting mental habits that prevent a man or woman from consciously experiencing their true place in the great and timeless weave of things. This involves a

  • rejection of pernicious, unwise mainstream ideas such as the doctrine (so popular today) of absolute, unqualified free will, and from the harmful ego-building addiction to unqualified notions of self and other or self and world. There is no possibility of a free will apart from the great web-work of natural powers which give birth, shape and condition to each part of the web, including each human being. There is only a conditioned will, and ultimately, we are all in the hands of greater powers and the unfolding of things. To free oneself from undue concern and obsession with controlling everything and learning to surrender, in an important way, to Fate, is key to letting the ego that blocks a man or womans progress towards the true Mysteries die. The great and defiled mistake of perception that convinces the half-wise that they are absolutely and totally apart from others and the world that appears to be outside of them is also a stumbling block to attainment. We are all part of a great wholeness, and our fates and destinies and ultimate well-being is intimately tied to every other living being and form in natures infinite body. There is no escapism, no isolationism, and no ignoring special duty to the wholeness of things, in the mind of the wise. When one accepts that they are part of a whole- a part which, paradoxically, can experience itself as though it were quite separate- one finds a true home and peace wherever they go, and a natural, intuitive code of ethical and truly moral behavior arises spontaneously in the mind and heart. The ability to find wisdom in wholeness is an expression (naturally) of the Virtue of Wisdom, the last and greatest of virtues in Hethite Philosophy. Wisdom is the power to know what is real, as opposed to what seems to be real. Those who develop these three virtues, and the gifts and arts that spring from them, are invulnerable to evil and harm, in the true and ultimate sense- though their bodies may die, their minds are flexible enough to ride the waves of transformation brought about by death; they can shift their shapes and shed their skin (skin referring either to their physical bodies or the cherished desires and ideas in their minds) however they need to. No spiritual power nor human person can deceive a master of the fire-sight; and no lesser trap of greed, lust, or pettiness can seduce a person away from their wise and conscious participation in wholeness- a person will accept nothing less than wholeness once that person understands that being an intimate part of everything means lacking in nothing. Initiation and Sorcerous Perspectives Besides the three Cardinal Virtues described above- collectively called the Masters Trident or the Great Trishula, there are other sorcerous, philosophical perspectives that inform the Covenants ethical and moral journey through life, and which inform their occult endeavors.

  • The concept of initiation often causes a heated debate in most occult circles; all can agree that a genuine initiation includes the end of one life and the regeneration into another; it is a deep, psychic transformation and rebirth that allows for a new order of mind to begin, and new opportunities for spiritual engagement. Any genuine new way of life and thinking requires the death of old things and the birth of something new. Initiations into occult societies today normally include pledges and oaths, and elaborate rituals. Anyone who is interested in such initiations can join the Worshipful Brotherhood of the Masons, or their counterpart orders, and gain their fill in this way. Those who wish to undergo a deeper transformation can trust this event to no physical initiation hall or tangible place of rituals- it must occur in the unseen reaches of reality, which have so many hidden overlaps with the unseen reaches of the human self. This hall of initiation cannot be destroyed. It cannot be destroyed because it was never built; it is as perpetual as the spirit of humanity, or the spirit of nature, or the twisting and turning of Old Grandmother Fate. Because it is perpetual and indestructible, it is called Adamantine. Moreover, its entrance is found everywhere. The cunning and prepared already know where to look. This is part and parcel of the old axiom: For those who understand the mystery, no explanation is needed. For those who do not, none is possible. Those words must be considered carefully for the sublime insight they contain. When a man or woman is truly prepared to meet the Powers that bear the scythe and crown of initiation- dread and subtle as they are- that candidate will have already realized that the forms of initiation that they are seeking are useless, just so much straw and ashes. Real initiation is not a thing, a ritual, or an event, but an ongoing realization that pulls a person out of their limited self and into something irrational, inconceivable, and sublime. A person rises from the ashes of the old self, into a suit of flesh and conception that seems very similar to the old self, and which carries on like the old self- but which is no longer the old self. One may slip into this Adamantine Hall of Initiation suddenly and without warning, or after a long search, but once the portal is known, nothing is ever the same. Thus it is held by the Hethites: the world is stranger than we realize. Nothing is really as it appears. Our true origins as spiritual and material persons are beyond belief, odder and stranger than any creation myth or story invented to explain it, ever. To try and capture the ultimate mystery in terms of a simple story can be a pleasing exercise in poetry, but it fails the spirit in us that scorns to be limited by anything. The Magisters Charge

  • In the documents of investiture given to each Magister or Magistra of the Covenant, they are enjoined to protect the dignity and integrity of the group in these ways: You will master your path of sorcerous and spiritual development, bringing together all red threads and serpent's tongues as you discover them in the land below you, melding them with the cunning and lasting principles of the Art of the Hollow Hill and the Craft of Heth The red threads and serpents tongues so mentioned represent the individual powers and sorcerous characteristics of the land that each will live upon. No one can claim the title master or teacher- or be thought worthy of them- without merging with the very land beneath their feet, to know its secrets and arts. Local mystical arts, insights, and lores are key to any success when working the craft of the wise in any given place. Hethites are at home wherever they go, and learn to speak the language of their land. A true Hethite Magister or Magistra will be vigilant in protecting the covenant from the introduction of certain peoples and influences, and introduce themselves to their charges in a manner proscribed by the investiture: At no time will you bring those into our fold who incline to monotheism, atheism, or materialism. You will tell them that you are a Magister of our Covenant, a way-shower and discoverer of the Hidden Road between Day and Night, which leads below the Hollow Hills, to the deep halls of initiation. You will collect their names in writing, finished with a droplet of their own blood, and extract from them a binding oath to join us in the promulgation and protection of our way of Artful craft and our way of life. The unholy trinity of monotheism, a denial of the multiplicity of divine beings who were known and honored by every human culture since the dawn of time, atheism, the ultimate narcissistic denial of objective meaning and of the invisible orders of sentient life that dwell alongside and beyond our own, and materialism, the poisonous thinking that reduces all things to mere material and denies the unseen, mysterious, and powerful aspect of all things and creatures, are anathema to the Covenant, and contrary to the spiritual and mental well-being of humans in our world. The evils done in the name of these three powers stand completely at odds with the real quest for wisdom, and the discovery of the divine spirit within man and all things. Inducted members of the Covenant are encouraged and expected to bring their own mystical insights and personal force to the Art of the Covenant as a whole- to contribute to its growth and flourishing. The investiture papers say They will be encouraged to join their own creativity to the Art, so long as it strays not in the direction of the ignorance of the monotheists, the arrogance of the atheists, or the soul-crushing dullness of the materialists. The Wisdom of Wholeness and the virtue of Wisdom informs our reason and our intuition- it naturally reveals to us that how we act towards other beings- human or

  • otherwise- has a deep impact on our progress towards wisdom and lasting peace. When selecting prospective members of the Covenant of Heth, officers are asked to look into the hearts and minds of their prospects, looking especially for those who meet this description: They must and will treasure life in all its manifestations as sacred, and sacred throughout its cycle of natural growth, life, and death, and not destroy it or suggest it be destroyed without good reason, as discovered after a searching moral inventory of their own conscience. Like the fellows of the Hollow Hill, the Hethite spirit tends towards a celebration of life and a deep acceptance of death, and the urgency to attain the needed wisdom and flexibility to transform the death-experience into one that will be positive, mystically transformative in a conscious manner, and peaceful- the ultimate initiation, undergone in full consciousness with full acceptance. Those who overcome the fear of death overcome deaths only real terror- the terror of forgetfulness and what is experienced as disintegration. Fates hard and icy noose falls around the necks of all, eventually, and drags them away whether they would like it or not; the world as we know it appears to be a sacred conglomeration of forces, all undergoing constant and unavoidable change. Death alone is immune to human pleading or prayers or offerings for clemency, for death is nothing more- or less- than the expression of immortal change, of timeless transformation. We can be a part of that, willingly- pilgrims to the gallows- or we can be fugitives from what Fate intends, from the way the universe works, and our deaths can be occasions of shame and nightmarish encounters with terror. At the very least, all mortals doomed to die can attempt to understand that death is a necessary condition for new life: scythe to the grain ere the hare leaps again. The Hethite symbolic language system considers the face of pale white to be the symbol not just of death, but of the wise and undying spirit, so the Heth Covenant inspires its members to think of themselves as dead already, as a spiritual exercise- The dead in their mounds recognize us, for we have made our faces dead for them. Pearl-white above and ghastly white below, yet I am below and they are above. Let us wear out our time preparing for metamorphosis, so that it will be a familiar presence to us, a road many times ridden; not a terror, as it will be for so many. The Hethite creed is about fearlessness and cunning in the face of obstacles and foes, whomever or wherever they may be, or what shape they may take. It requires a shape-shifter to defeat or outwit a shape-shifter, and the three great enemies met along the road on the quest for wisdom- Fear, the malevolent entity that mingles ice with blood, Despair, the spirit that drinks the water of the soul, and Dullness- the entity that smothers the fire of the head- are powerful shape-shifters, met in countless forms. Hethite craft and philosophy is about retrieving, heating, hammering, and shaping the raw and deadly material of the deep psyche into precious treasures, in honor of the Sorcerous

  • Father, the Lord of Artifice. It is about attaining the supreme flexibility, the deepest perceptiveness, and the most essential wisdom, which are themselves the three great sacrifices that Fate will look upon as worthy and accept- She will accept only them as ransom and exchange for her best gift in return, the gift of the Secret Heart that humanity cannot survive for long without.