Andrew D. Chumbley
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Andrew D. Chumbley (September 15 1967-September 15 2004) was an English writer, poet, artist, practitioner-theorist of modern magic, and Magister of the magical group Cultus Sabbati. He died on his thirty-seventh birthday following a severe asthma attack.
Chumbley published a number of limited edition books through Fulgur Limited and his own publishing house Xoanon Publishing, and a series of articles in various occult magazines; these conveyed aspects of doctrine and practice of a tradition of sorcery which he called 'Sabbatic Craft'. This term, first appearing in Azoëtia (1992), "describes the way in which elements of witch-lore, Sabbath mythology and imagery were being employed in the cunning-craft tradition into which I was originally inducted".[1] His work is an unusual expression of modern Witchcraft, and has been moderately influential in certain areas of magic and occultism. The regard in which Chumbley is held - both within the occult community and amongst connoisseurs of art and fine books - is reflected in the high prices his work commanded even before his death. Daniel Alvin Schulke succeeded him as Magister of Cultus Sabbati.
Although Chumbley was mainly known for his involvement with traditional English Witchcraft(Hutton, R., Triumph of The Moon, Oxford University Press 2001.), especially that of the county of Essex (Chumbley, A. 'What is Traditional Craft?', The Cauldron no. 81, August 1996), his occult interests and influences were diverse. Schulke (Way and Waymark, The Caldron no. 122, November 2006) writes of Chumbley's interests, "Chumbley's magical work spanned many fields of socerous influence, including Sufism, left-hand Tantra and Petro Voodoo". His earlier work was published in the respected Chaos Magic journal Chaos International. The most obvious influences on his work are those of the artist-occultist Austin Osman Spare and author-occultist Kenneth Grant and indeed he was for some time an affiliated member of the Typhonian OTO headed by Grant. Other major influences seen in his work include the neo-Sufi ideas of Idries Shah concerning possible connections between Witchcraft and various near-eastern cults such as the Yezidi, Mandaeans, Sufis and Zoroastrians, and in particular these influences can be found in his book Qutub, which is an illustrated, telesmatic poem. This is similar to the methods of some of the Gnostics, and left-hand Tantrists.[citation needed]
An innovative and ingenious occultist, Chumbley's eclectic philosophy which he termed his 'Quintessential Art'[1] was founded on his view that all forms of magic arose from a single source. Chumbley wrote, "In all contexts one may find pieces of magical lore and belief from many disparate times and places, but all are brought to function within the trans-historical arena of the sacred dimension, whether it be the magical circle of Witcherie or the Ninefold Plot of Sigaldry" (Chumbley, A. 'What is Traditional Craft?', The Cauldron no. 81, August 1996). Schulke (Way and Waymark, The Caldron no. 122, November 2006), in writing of Chumbley's magical recension wrote, "Chumbley's grimiore Azoetia, though wholly a reification of traditional British witchcraft, makes use of Sumerian, Egyptian, Yezidi, Arabic, and Aztec iconography, among others".
His written works include:
- Azoëtia (Xoanon, 1992; revised edition Xoanon Publishing 2002)
- Qutub: The Point (Fulgur, 1995)
- ONE: The Grimoire of the Golden Toad (Xoanon, 2000)
- The Aureon In preparation.
- The Draconian Grimoire Privately issued.
- The Green Gospel Privately issued.
- Ars Silvera Privately issued
- The Red Grimoire Privately purchased as a unique artwork by Jack Macbeth (Orlando Britts), referenced in his book "The Totemic Invocation of the Shadow Selves".