Our Mythos - The Thanatos Stone (& The Crowley Stone)

The Thanatos Stone (& The Crowley Stone)

The Thanatos Stone is the most recent addition to Church of Burn’s magical artefacts. The mythology of The Thanatos Stone could begin at multiple points. After the revelation of its existence to the current Holder of The Staff, The Thanatos Stone was subsequently found at Dinas Emrys (which some call the 'birthplace' of The Staff). [ All Hail, The Staff x2 ]

For this telling though, we shall start with the acquisition of the Crowley Stone in Zennor.

Friend of Church of Burn, Rebel Not Taken (aka Bob Osborne) moved to Zennor through a series of extraordinary magical events. The collection of old farm buildings which now make up his home are as idyllic as they are historically and mythologically significant. Zennor is abundant with Melusinian energy. Famously, St Senara - Zennor’s Church - is home to a ‘mermaid chair’ from the 15th Century. If you don’t know the tale of Zennor’s Mermaid, here is a retelling of it by Piski.

On a hill overlooking Bob’s home is the derelict and abandoned cottage of ‘the wickedest man in the world’ Alistair Crowley. It’s believed that Crowley used the cottage for many of his rituals. Bob has written a book, Zennor - Spirit of Place exploring the extraordinary history of Zennor; its connections with some of the C20th greatest writers and artists (DH Lawrence, Francis Bacon and many more) and its darker side.

The Holder of The Staff [ All Hail, The Staff ! ], Anwen the Witch, writer CJ Stone and Arthur Pendragon, Druid King visited Bob at his Zennor home in November 2021. During that stay among ritual and mischief a journey was made to the top of the hill where Crowley’s ruined cottage stands. It had clearly become a point of pilgrimage for today’s Crowleyites with signs that some had slept and partied in the cottage. Above a doorway leading to a make-shift bedroom was written the profound and sage advice ‘Do not shit inside’.

On leaving the cottage the Holder of The Staff [ All Hail, The Staff! ] found himself in possession of a piece of hearth stone and roof slate. This piece of hearth stone is what we now refer to in Church of Burn as ‘The Crowley Stone’. The roof slate was placed on our Altar at The Secret Garden Party and the story of its origins was told. Upon hearing this, a man approached us with an extraordinary and synchronicitous tale revolving around Crowley’s cottage. As a result the roof slate was given to him thus restoring balance in respect of the profane property relations around the artefacts.

Clearly the spirits of place are strong within both The Thanatos and Crowley Stones. The Thanatos Stone was found in that most magical of places Dinas Emrys - the site where Merlin released the two dragons and final magical nexus was put under the The Staff prior to the population of the British Isles assuming their blessed position of subjugation underneath The Staff’s corporeal form. And The Crowley Stone is from a place awash with Melusinian magic and tied inexorably to the legend of the most infamous man in modern magic. These artefacts then, have a powerful magical provenance.

The Thanatos Stone absorbs dark energy. It’s charged when a protagonist grips it tightly, pouring in their pain, frustration and anger. Temporarily, while the dark energy is held within the Thanatos Stone the outside world is lighter and less troubled. However, The Thanatos Stone is unstable on its own and cannot hold its charge indefinitely. This is where the Crowley Stone plays its vital role.

The Crowley Stone serves as a stabilising force—a "charging pad" for The Thanatos Stone, though not in the conventional sense. Rather than feeding energy in, the Crowley Stone ensures that the dark energy absorbed by the Thanatos Stone does not unintentionally "bleed out" into the world.

When, during a magical action, the Thanatos Stone is deliberately discharged— it emits targeted, dense, and effective dark energy. Although the total psychical energy of the system as a whole remains the same, The Thanatos Stone reshapes and redirects the flow of this negative energy, concentrating it where it is most needed. Thus by recycling and redirecting, the Thanatos Stone creates new currents and potentialities within the magical system- and within reality itself.

The story of how The Thanatos Stone was found at Dinas Emrys (at least so far as the Mages are prepared to tell it) can be found in Our Story - The Thanatos Stone. The Revelation given to the current Holder of The Staff [ All Hail, The Staff! ] which foretold of The Thanatos Stone’s existence can be found exclusively in The Vestry.