ANDREW CHUMBLEY

September the 15th will mark the first anniversary of the death of a leading light in the
realms of British Occultism. Andrew Chumbley was just 37 when he died; due to complications
following a massive asthma attack. But already, he had established himself as an innovative and
inspirational writer. His own form of Sabbatical Witchcraft has followers as far a field as America;
even though all his publications were limited to just a few hundred copies, and are now trading for in
excess of 500 But what can be said of his innovative style of magick?
Chumbley himself saw his work as very much a continuation of traditional witchcraft, in the
form of the Essex cunning man, the county from which he hailed. But a closer examination of his
written work does suggest that there is more under the surface than a cursory reading would
otherwise imply. His art work clearly reflects an influence and interest in Austin Osman Spare, the
famous Occult artist, but there are elements that are clearly Chumbleys own, and are reflective of
his approach to magick. While his artwork is indicative of a form of magick that is a little different to
traditional Witchcraft, the prose of his written works does have the feel all its own. Looking at his
published works in greater detail,
Qutub: The Point is actually a collection of Chumbleys poetry and art, which certainly is
esoteric but it does give an insight to Chumbleys mind set and approach to magick.
One: Grimoire of the Golden Toad is, as it says, a working grimoire. The special edition
even includes a toad bone and a piece of skin. This relatively short work can be seen as a mere
fragment of his magical world, but contained within its pages is an effective system of evocation.
Described by Chumbley as A mystery-text serving to reveal the Arcana of SABATRAXAS being an
exposition of the Ancient Wiccan Craft initiation into the mysteries of the Toadsmanship, the work is
suggestive of being a continuation of ancient witchcraft. Although no other such mystery-text is
known to exist, only the vaguest roumer of a Toad craft tradition in East Anglia.
However, his first, and arguably most important, work is The Azoetia: A grimoire of the
Sabbatic craft. In this text Cumbley lays out his ideas for what he refers to as The Sabbatic Craft,
and is therefore the most complete revelation of his ideas.
Chumbley named his own witchcraft coven Cultus Sabbati and issued Azoetia as
essentially a training manual for his own brand of witchcraft. The book details all the requirements
for using his system of magic, but still branding it as very much a traditional form of witchcraft. It
also includes many of the rituals unique to his Sabbatic craft. But is Azoetia the continuation of
traditional Witchcraft? Or and altogether different form of ritual magick? A detailed exanimation of
this text reveal various unaccredited influences, which point far more towards the sources of
influence evidenced in the art of Austin Spare than anything truly traditional. While the influence of
writers such as Paul Huson can be seen in the suggested continuation of a witchcraft tradition,
other sections of the text read far more like a Goetic, or Solomonic Grimiore, Indeed the first, most
obvious writing influence is Kenneth Grant, but this is hardly surprised considering Chumbley was
formally member of Grants Typhonian O.T.O. But, although the reasons remain unclear, Chumbley
left under something of a cloud. Nevertheless Chumbey mimics certain aspects of Grants style,
including Grants use of words that did not previously exist. But Grants influence is greater than
grammatical gymnastics. Some of the magical incantations seem to hint at the kinds of multi
dimensional dream worlds, as expressed in Grants later works. But the true occult connections do
not end there. The aforementioned Austin Osman Spares influence reaches beyond Sabbatic Art.
Chumbelys inclusion of what he calls the Sacred Alphabet is most certainly another Spare
influence. Although Spare would certainly approve of such a creation, It does not seem in keeping
with the supposedly traditional Witchcraft approach. But an even deeper examination of Azoetias
text reveals another somewhat surprising influence, one which needs greater exploration.
Unfortunately this present text does not allow for such an exploration.

The Azoetia by Andrew Chumbley

from 'Nuit Isis Reader 1993' & 'Hem Neter'
The Azoetia is a work of rare originality. Opening its pages, the reader encounters pictures
and prose of truly draconian darkness, elaborate sigils, spells, sorcery and oracles, giving the
sacred alignments of a unique magical system. How can we approach a book of such virtues? The
Azoetia is not a compendium of household sorceries. Each book being a spirit, the Azoetia spirit is
of the dramatic and refined sort that invites the reader to enter a bizarre magical thought and belief
system. As the cover of the work informs us the Azoetia is a grimoire, which means, in the original
sense of the word, a grammar. A grammar is a structure that organises language. Grammars dont
tell you what to say - the words you speak are a matter of your will - but it tells you how to say it. In
the same sense, the Azoetia offers you workable formulas, evokes atavistic obsessions and makes
the minds cauldron bubble merrily. What use you make of these is your own affair.
As a grimoire the Azoetia gives a unique, efficient and congruent system of Magick. Like
the Goetia, the Book of Pleasure and Liber Al vel Legis, the Azoetia weaves a fabric of thought,
belief and creative inspiration that can be understood, applied and experienced in many ways. Each
of these grimoires is a highly original example of what used to be called inspired writing, meaning
that the material they offer is recognised by the author as coming from beyond the realms of
ordinary consciousness. This sort of thing has quite a long tradition - think of Myrrdin or Taliesin,
who used to prophesy in ecstatic trance states.
Where in other cultures a medium, shaman or priest is obsessed by some spiritual agency
and proceeds to divine, exorcise, heal or bless, Andrew Chumbley sets out to draw and write the
visions that come through. On close examination, the drawings which grace the Azoetia, are the
work of an artist with little formal art training. No matter, these images were produced without
conscious intent and the material pulses with rich and eldritch life. The influence of Spare, Lovecraft
and Grant can be detected - yet Chumbleys work goes beyond this and explores cells of dreams
and instinct that have yet to be discovered. It is this original quality which upsets many casual
readers, lacking the guts to try out what us suggested, they try to compare the work with other
traditions and run into trouble as so much of the Azoetia stuff is new and unique. It is, indeed the
sort of source text that may one day become the basis for an entirely new tradition.
Discussing the Azoetia with friends, I was surprised at the unease which many magicians
expressed concerning inspired writings. Where a dozen years ago these were met with interest,
todays occult book market is flooded with vapid pure white lights literature. Given the quality of
channelled messages, it seems rather natural that more serious magicians shy away from them.
When they receive inspired texts today, many are reluctant to say so let alone ready to publish the
stuff. Yet the reason for so many forgeries is that the genuine phenomena exists. Imagine how
Crowleys Liber Al would be received today or Spares Focus of Life? It hardly seems surprising that
many good mages hide their inspired writings in the wardrobe and leave the field of channelled
literature to hare-brained morons who think too positively to evaluate their output, Who knows how
much good material is never published! When Chumbley collected materials of his Azoetia and set
out to earth the work in published form, he had to save up and to publish it at his own expense,
which gave you an idea of his sense of commitment and dedication. As a result, the Azoetia is
exactly as the author and his spirits willed it. Conceived in dreams and trance visions, perhaps the
book is most easily discovered by dreaming into it. You may be surprised to know that passages
which made little sense the other day sparkle with meaning to you today. What comes out of the
Azoetia for you depends on what you put into its discovery. Like many of the grimoires, Chumbleys
book requires a measure of empathy. Its value depends on your involvement with the work and can
be judged by the insights, dreams inspirations and the changes you experience.

Some of these changes may be subtle, coming out of the subconscious realms of twilight
mysteries to transform the entire personality if you will so. Thus I would not recommend the Azoetia
as the good book for everyone. However if you like exploring in a new and bizarre universe? If you
thrive on nightside mysteries, this is the book for you.
Reviewed by Jan Fries

Andrew D. Chumbley
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 his own private press
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'. According to
Chumbley the term "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, for which he claimed provenance from premodern revivalist forms.[2] His earlier work was published in the Chaos Magic journal Chaos
International, and later work appeared in Starfire, journal of the Typhonian OTO, and in the longestablished British witchcraft magazine The Cauldron. Chumbley was well respected within the
occult community[3] and his books continue to command very high resale prices. Daniel Alvin
Schulke succeeded him as Magister of Cultus Sabbati.
Influences
Although Chumbley was mainly known for his involvement with traditional English
Witchcraft,[4] especially that of the county of Essex,[5] his occult interests and influences were
extremely diverse. Schulke writes of Chumbley's interests, "Chumbley's magical work spanned
many fields of sorcerous influence, including Sufism, left-hand Tantra and Petro Voodoo".[6] Some
influences on his work are those of the artist-occultist Austin Osman Spare and author-occultist
Kenneth Grant. Chumbley evidently respected and was familiar with Grant's work and there
appears to have been contact between the two magicians - at one time Chumbley operated an
independent magical lodge that was affiliated to Grant's Typhonian OTO.[7] Spare's philosophy of
the 'Kia' almost certainly influenced the non-dual gnosis which is a key element in Chumbley's
system, although the 'Doctrine of the Void' (Shunyavata) is a foundation concept of Tantrism, which
is likely to have affected Chumbley's work thorough the Uttara Kaula Sampradaya, of which he was
an initiate. [8] In The Azotia the concepts of "Will, Desire, Belief" are presented as a threefold unity
operative in sorcery; this is ultimately derived from Spare's work, although the primary textual
source is Grant. [9] The use of sigils and magical glyphs in Chumbley's work also suggests a
derivation from Spare, though for both authors the precedent was the tradition of magical grimoires
including The Key of Solomon and Gotia. Chumbley's familiarity with a broad range of Western
esoteric doctrines that included Kabbalah, Enochian Magic, the magic of the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn, and the Thelemic school of Aleister Crowley is demonstrated in The Azotia and
subsequent writings. Another influence was the neo-Sufi author Idries Shah, particularly his theories
concerning possible connections between Witchcraft and various near-eastern cults such as the
Yezidi, Mandaeans, Sufis and Zoroastrians.[10][2] Chumbley addressed these themes, citing
Shah's work, in his book (1995). Regarding the sources upon which he drew, both from literature
and direct contact with practitioners of other occult and religious traditions, Chumbley stated: "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." [5] Schulke, in writing of Chumbley's
magical recension observed that "Chumbley's grimoire Azotia, though wholly a reification of
traditional British witchcraft, makes use of Sumerian, Egyptian, Yezidi, Arabic, and Aztec
iconography, among others." [6] Chumbley asserted that such pan-cultural eclecticism was needful
in order to revivify elements of praxis previously existent, though dormant or forgotten, in his own
tradition, whose transmission had relied on oral lore and personal contact between successive
generations of initiates. [citation needed]
Doctrine and Method
Chumbley's work proposes a doctrine of 'Transcendental Sorcery', founded on his belief
that all forms of magic arise from a single source, which he termed the 'Magical Quintessence';
"Magick is the transmutability of the Quintessence of all nature" [1] he wrote, adding, "Sorcery is the
knowledge of the universal points of transmutation. Its Art is to cultivate the ability to manipulate
these foci of power in accordance with Will, Desire and Belief." [1]
Chumbley considered the practice of willed dreaming essential as a means of interacting
directly, and consciously, with the spiritual dimensions he called 'the High Sabbat'; he commented:
"Every word, deed and thought can empower, magnetise, and establish points of receptivity for a
magical dream, likewise any of these means can do the opposite - fixating perception in a manner
that is not receptive - that seals the soul in the body instead of enabling it to go forth at will." [1] In
conjunction with dreaming and trance experience Chumbley used different methods of automatic
writing and drawing to manifest the knowledge drawn from ritual magic; this procedure, in which the
magician offers her or himself as a vehicle for the forces summoned instead of utilising another as
medium, is rarely encountered in occult tradition - the modern exemplar perhaps being Austin
Osman Spare. The results of Chumbley's practices can be seen in his drawings and sigillisations;
further, he believed that the natural manifestation of magical gnosis and power occurs through
creative activity: "Dreaming and the mutual translation of dreamt ritual and ritual-as-dreamt form the
basic rationale and context for our work. The active discourse between initiates and our spiritpatrons inspires and motivates this dreaming. This is demonstrably manifest in the magical artistry
of individual initiates, whether through text, ritual performance, song, tapestry, craftsmanship, or
image." [11]
Written and illustrated works
Chumbley's first book The Azotia, was published privately by the author in 1992 as a
softcover volume under the Xoanon imprint. This ambitious work was greeted with reviews praising
its scope and originality by influential contemporary practitioners including Freya Aswynn, Phil Hine
and Jan Fries. [12] Described as "...a complete recension of Sabbatic theory and praxis, relating the
Three Great Rites of Ingress, Congress, and Egress, together with a detailed exposition of the 22
Letters of the Sorcerer's Alphabet"[11], the book forms a resum of Chumbley's system and is the
core text for practitioners wishing to study and practice the Sabbatic path of magic. A tenth
anniversary edition, revised to include further textual and illustrative material was issued by Xoanon
Publishing on October 31st, 2002 as Azotia (Sethos Edition). Part of the book's significance in
modern occult literature lies in its conscious reinvention of the format of the 'grimoire', or sorcerer's
instruction book, and it set the theme and pace for Chumbley's subsequent work as well as
providing a model for imitators of his style.
Qutub: The Point followed in 1995, published for Xoanon by Fulgur[13], in which Chumbley
combined illustrations and poetry with the intent of creating a telesmatic volume. The illustrations
demonstrated that Chumbley's skills as a draughtsman were advancing quickly. The book was
described as follows: "This work treats of the Arcanum of the Opposer, a magical formula of the
Crooked Path concerning the Powers of Self-overcoming. The book consists of an arcane poetic
text in 72 verses, a detailed commentary in critical prose, and a substantial glossary of esoteric
terms and names. The whole is illustrated throughout with calligraphic and sigillic depictions of the

Opposer's composite mysteries." [14] Issued in several different hard bindings as standard, deluxe
and private editions, copies of Qutub copies included unique additions such as hand-drawn
talismans or sigillised inscriptions.
Numerous articles by Chumbley followed, published in British and American occult journals,
but no further books appeared until ONE: The Grimoire of the Golden Toad in 2000, described by
Xoanon as: "...the first full grimoire-text to treat specifically and from personal account of the
Traditional East Anglian ritual called 'The Waters of the Moon': the solitary initiation of the so-called
'Toad-witch'." The purpose of this traditional folk-magical rite is to obtain a specific bone from the
flensed corpse of a toad; the bone is believed to bestow certain powers upon its owner, primarily
control of animals. Chumbley's ONE, however, presents a thoroughly antinomian re-visioning of the
ritual procedure and its results, combining ritual practice with a series of dramatic visions recounted
in prose-poetry. Seventy-seven hand-bound copies of the book were offered for sale, each copy
accompanied by a hand-written page of a sigillic 'inner grimoire', signed by the author, and an
envelope containing a hand-painted talisman made from antique toadskin leather, a toad bone, and
a single blackthorn. A further three copies were retained "for internal distribution"; these were bound
in leather with an actual toad's head set into the front cover, with toadskin leather panelling on the
rear. [14]
Other works by Chumbley are known to exist, but have not been issued; they were either
unpublished at his death, or had been produced solely for private distribution. The Draconian
Grimoire: The Dragon-Book of Essex was intended as the second volume of a trilogy of Sabbatic
grimoires, following Azoetia; it appears to be a very substantial work, described as "...a Compleat
Grimoire of Crooked Path Sorcery, distilled from the many years of practice... Being the fruit of a
decade of concentrated praxis in the Cultus' inner circle, this work is intended as an entire resum
of the ancestral and ophidian components of Traditional Sorcery and Sabbatic Gnosis." Ten copies
were published circa 1998 as a private 'initiatic' edition in three volumes totalling 1200 pages.[11]
The Auraeon was referred to by Chumbley as a forthcoming volume concerning solitary
initiation, of which he said: "In the Sabbatic Craft, solitary initiation or The Lonely Road is
recognised as a vital aspect of every practitioners path and the understanding of solitude is
subject to many levels of interpretation. Autonomy is the key virtue, irrespective of whether one
practices in human convocation or alone in the ever-present company of spirits." [1]
Another volume titled The Greene Gospel is referred to in a footnote to Michael Howard's
The Book of Fallen Angels (Capell Bann, 2004) where it is identified as being privately distributed.
Chumbley also created a series of singular artworks known as the 'Unique Transmission
Series'. These were books which were individually hand-written and illustrated; according to the
Xoanon website: "Each book is executed on hand-made paper, presented in a carved wooden box
with accompanying telesmata and sealed letter to owner. Each text embodies a unique recension of
a specific arcanum of the Crooked Path." [14] The full number of works in the series was not
disclosed, however one example, The Red Grimoire, is known to have been purchased by Jack
Macbeth (Orlando Britts), and was referenced by him in his privately-published book The Totemic
Invocation of the Shadow Selves, one of several recent books styled as 'grimoires' that have
followed in the wake of The Azotia.
At the time of his death Chumbley was studying for a doctorate in the history of religion. In
an obituary his close friend Michael Howard, the well-known writer in the field of the occult and
publisher of The Cauldron magazine observed that "Despite this, Andrew was a man of the land,
rural in both birth and character. He fitted totally within the traditional archetypal parameters of the
English (and specifically Essex) cunning man." Howard recalled Chumbleys kindness, generosity
and sense of humour, noting that "To outsiders Andrew could sometimes appear to be aloof, intense
and serious to the point of obsession However, if he met kindred spirits of sincerity and honour,
who shared his interests and serious intent, he would willingly go out of his way to offer them help

and guidance on the Path In fact he was a natural teacher and, like all good occult teachers,
acted as a catalyst in the lives of his students." [15]
Chumbley's work is cited in several notable journals and books on the occult including The
Journal for the Academic Study of Magic, a juried academic journal,[16][17][18] Ronald Hutton's
Triumph of the Moon,[19] Laurence Galian's The Sun at Midnight[20] and The Cauldron magazine.
[21]
Notes
^ a b c d e 'An Interview With Andrew D. Chumbley', The Cauldron no. 103, February 2002.
^ a b Chumbley, Andrew, 'Hekas', The Cauldron no. 74, November 1994.
^ Hutton, Ronald, The Triumph of The Moon, Oxford University Press 2001.
^ Hutton, Ronald, The Triumph of The Moon, Oxford University Press 2001.
^ a b Chumbley, Andrew, 'What is Traditional Craft?', The Cauldron no. 81, August 1996.
Online text at sosyetedumarche.com.
^ a b Schulke, Daniel Alvin. 'Way and Waymark', The Cauldron no. 122, November 2006.
^ Chumbley, Andrew, 'Opening the Way for the Daemons of the Void', Starfire Vol. II, No. 2,
1998.
^ Chumbley, Andrew, 'The Golden Chain and the Lonely Road: a typological study of
Initiatory Transmissions within the Sabbatic Tradition', The Cauldron no. 94, November 1999.
^ Grant, Kenneth, Images & Oracles of Austin Osman Spare, Muller 1975, Fulgur Limited
2005.
^ These connections are proposed in Daraul, Arkon (1961). A History of Secret Societies.
Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-0857-4. Idries Shah quotes Daraul in The Sufis (1964), adding little,
however 'Arkon Daraul' is widely thought to be one of the many pseudonyms of Shah.
^ a b c Occult Art Gallery website, see link below.
^ Review by Fries published in The Nuit-Isis Reader, Mandrake of Oxford, 1993, and
subsequently at Lashtal.com [1]
^ The Fulgur press has specialised in high-quality editions of works by, and about, Austin
Osman Spare. See link below.
^abc
^ Howard, M., 'Andrew D. Chumbley', The Cauldron no. 114, November 2004.
^ Dave Evans, (ed.), Journal for the Academic Study of Magic, 2, Mandrake, Oxford, 2004
^ Dave Green, (ed.), Journal for the Academic Study of Magic, 3, Mandrake, Oxford, 2005
^ Dave Green, (ed.), Journal for the Academic Study of Magic, 4, Mandrake, Oxford, 2006
^ The Triumph of the Moon, R. Hutton, 2001, Oxford University Press
^ Laurence Galian 2003. The Sun at Midnight: The Revealed Mysteries of the Ahlul Bayt
Sufis. Quiddity Publishing
^ The Cauldron, nos. 100, 101, 102, 108, 110, 112, 113, 114, 122.