In one of our most popular posts, we listed ten myths about Aleister Crowley which we refuted within this blog. We also revealed some interesting facts about Crowley in our guide to the AC2012 campaign ad. Now, we offer ten myths about Aleister Crowley which are actually true! (Or are they…?)
10. Aleister Crowley wrote Gerald Gardner’s Wiccan initiation rituals.
Gerald Gardner
OK, no, Gardner didn’t pay Crowley to write the Wiccan initiation rituals. And it’s not that Crowley sat down to write initiation rituals for Wicca. What happened, apparently, was this: Gardner took a bunch of Crowley’s writings, and material from Liber AL vel Legis, and sort of cut and pasted them with a few words changed and a few words added. From this he created initiation rituals, the Charge of the Goddess, the Drawing Down the Moon ritual, and more. For the full account, see Rodney Orpheus’ essay, “A New and Greater Pagan Cult: Gerald Gardner & Ordo Templi Orientis.”
9. Aleister Crowley knew the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard.
L. Ron Hubbard
And by know him, we mean… well, Aleister Crowley at least heard about L. Ron Hubbard — enough that he got “fairly frantic” when contemplating the idiocy that he was hearing about. Look, that’s about as well as we think anyone should know L. Ron Hubbard. The lack of any real contact, however, didn’t stop Hubbard from claiming that Crowley was his “very good friend,” as you can hear in this recording where Hubbard pronounces Crowley’s name wrong, discusses a book by Crowley that doesn’t exist, and concludes by saying that Crowley is “Very, very, something or other.”
Aleister Crowley had learned about Hubbard’s friendship with Jack Parsons, who at the time was Master of Agapé Lodge No. 2, one of the American lodges of Aleister Crowley’s Ordo Templi Orientis. Hubbard and Parsons had started a business together and began the ridiculous Babalon Working. Crowley was right to be frantic; the business partnership ultimately ended in shambles, Hubbard ran off with Parsons’ boat, and went on to start his sci-fi religion, Scientology.
8. Aleister Crowley was actually a nice guy with a good sense of humor.
“The common defect of all mystical systems previous to that of the Aeon whose Law is Thelema is that there has been no place for Laughter.”
Just, not always at the same time. Aleister Crowley’s best humor was often at someone else’s expense, but overall he had a kind heart and a deep concern for the well-being of every man, woman, and child alive. Indeed, in 1924 he dedicated his life to serving humankind, and from then on he worked tirelessly and exclusively for the cause of human liberty.
It would be impossible to survey Crowley’s extraordinary wit in this small space. Suffice to say, all of his prose is packed with humor. Aleister Crowley’s original writing is far funnier than any of the parodies of his work. Below are a few short examples of his excellent jests. If you have any other favorite witticisms from Aleister Crowley, please share in the comments!
“One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad.” — Liber ABA, Part II, Chapter XVI
“May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue, so that I triumph even when I fall!” — Moonchild
“Theosophist: A person who talks about Yoga, and does no work.” — Liber ABA, Glossary
“Some men are born sodomites, some achieve sodomy, and some have sodomy thrust upon them…” — The Scented Garden of Abdullah the Satirist of Shiraz
“[I adopt the phrase ‘Holy Guardian Angel’] Because since all theories of the universe are absurd it is better to talk in the language of one which is patently absurd, so as to mortify the metaphysical man.” — The Temple Of Solomon the King in The Equinox I, no. 1.
7. Aleister Crowley inspired the counterculture movement of the 1960s.
Timothy Leary as Aleister Crowley
Most people are quite aware of Aleister Crowley’s censored appearance on the cover of Sgt. Pepper among the Beatles’ other heroes. Few, though, have gone on to ask why Aleister Crowley made the cut. John Lennon made the connection clear in an interview with Playboy when he said that “The whole Beatle idea was to do what you want, right? To take your own responsibility.” Lennon was paraphrasing “Do what thou wilt,” which is one of the central precepts of Thelema, the religion founded by Aleister Crowley. Thelema is the Greek word which means “will” and teaches that we each must discover our individual inmost nature, described as the “True Will.”
The Beatles were only the first of many counterculture rock musicians in the 1960s to openly cite Aleister Crowley as an influence. Led Zeppelin‘s guitarist Jimmy Page was very interested in Aleister Crowley and he remains a prominent Thelemite today. We have even recently learned that Frank Zappa was reading Crowley in 1968.
Apart from rock stars, who helped to popularize the writings of Aleister Crowley, we can also look at some of the people who revolutionized western culture in other, perhaps more deep and lasting ways. To start with, let’s consider where these musicians may have heard about Aleister Crowley. Perhaps the most likely candidate is Harry Smith, a Thelemite whose influence on folk and rock music cannot be overstated. Aleister Crowley also once dined with Aldous Huxley in Berlin, and the rumor goes that Crowley introduced him to peyote. Timothy Leary saw himself as continuing Crowley’s work, and said so on national television. Check out this clip:
These are only a few of the major streams of influence that Aleister Crowley had in shaping the counterculture movement of the 1960s. There is much more to explore, including Crowley’s efforts to make Eastern philosophy more accessible to the West, which helped to inspire the whole New Age movement. For more complete explorations, you can start by reading the best biographies of Aleister Crowley:
- Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley, by Richard Kaczynski
- Aleister Crowley: The Biography, by Tobias Churton
6. Aleister Crowley was one of the earliest published homoerotic poets in the UK.
Aleister Crowley in his Cambridge years, 1895-1898
At a time when it was illegal to be gay in the UK, when being convicted of sodomy could mean hard labor, Aleister Crowley was publishing verse that could have easily landed him in prison. Indeed, many of Aleister Crowley’s books were banned and/or burned because of the sexuality portrayed in them. Crowley was bisexual and wrote poetry across the spectrum of taboo, whether homosexual or not.
As a notable example, Aleister Crowley published White Stains in Amsterdam in 1898, under the pseudonym of George Archibald Bishop. All but a few copies of the first edition of this book were seized and destroyed by British customs. This came only three years after Oscar Wilde was sent to prison for his poetic allusions to homosexuality.
Later in Crowley’s life, he would continue to write sexual poetry which still shocks people to read even in the 21st century of the common era. For perhaps the most stunning example of this, see his poem inspired by his love of Leah Hirsig entitled Leah Sublime.
5. Aleister Crowley faked his own death.
Fernando Pessoa on Portuguese currency
No, we’re not claiming that Aleister Crowley is still alive and hanging out with Elvis. His death in 1947 was very real and his body was cremated. But before that, in 1930, Aleister Crowley worked with his friend Fernando Pessoa to fake his death at the Boca do Inferno near Lisbon. Crowley left a sad note about heartbreak at the top of this dangerous rock formation, the implication being that he had jumped to his death. Pessoa, the celebrated Portuguese poet, followed up by feeding suggestive ideas to the local papers concerning the occult symbols that Crowley had used to decorate his note, and telling them that he had seen Crowley’s ghost the next day. The papers ran with it, and announced Crowley’s suicide, much to the amusement of both Crowley and Pessoa. Some weeks later, Crowley arrived unannounced at an exhibit of some of his paintings in Berlin.
4. Aleister Crowley was a spy who worked for the Allies during World War II.
Aleister Crowley and Winston Churchill against Hitler
We’ve written here before about some of Aleister Crowley’s activities during World War II. In our post, “V for Victory,” we explained how Crowley’s idea to use the “v-sign” as a magical foil to the Nazis’ swastika was picked up by Churchill. In that same post, we discussed Crowley’s French propaganda poem, “La Gauloise,” and how it was received by de Gaulle, set to music and played on BBC radio. We also discussed this briefly and provided some fun graphics along these lines in our post, “The Answer to 1984 is 666.”
Ian Fleming, the future author of the James Bond novels, was at that time a Navy intelligence officer. He knew Crowley and hatched several schemes to use Crowley to feed misinformation to the Nazis through Rudolph Hess. it is widely speculated that the eventual capture of Hess was thanks to Aleister Crowley’s work as a spy.
Crowley also seems to have done this in World War I when he created some badly written pro-German propaganda, clearly intended to make the Germans look bad.
You can learn all about Aleister Crowley’s activities as a spook in Secret Agent 666, by Richard Spence.
3. Aleister Crowley tore up his British passport and declared independence for Ireland.
Ireland had a special place in Crowley’s heart. He called himself an Irishman inThe Book of Lies, wrote a poem for St. Patrick’s Day, and even penned a Declaration of Independence of the Irish Republic. He also had some thoughts on an improvement to the flag of Ireland in flashing colors, which he expressed in a letter to the editor of the New York Times, published July 21, 1915:
“The true flag of Ireland is a red sunblaze on a green ground. This is symbolical not only of Ireland’s geographical position as the sentinel of the western gate of Europe, but of her traditional history.”
Here’s our rendition of Crowley’s description for a new Irish flag:
Irish Flag as proposed by Aleister Crowley
Ireland today faces many issues for which Aleister Crowley would certainly be able to offer some guidance. We have written before on Irish politics, including the blasphemy law and the Euro crisis which has created much difficulty for Ireland.
2. Aleister Crowley was the Great Beast 666 prophesied by John the Divine.
No, really. People sometimes think that Aleister Crowley was joking around or just trying to shock people by calling himself ΤΟ ΜΕΓΑ ΘΗΡΙΟΝ DCLXVI (The Great Beast 666). But he really meant it and there are good reasons to think he may have been right. Crowley himself gives a full account of how this happened in his piece, “The Master Therion–A Biographical Note,” as well as in The Equinox of the Gods and part 4 of Liber ABA.
T Polyphilus and Soror Sphinx explore this fascinating aspect of Aleister Crowley in an article published in Reality Sandwich, entitled “The Great Beast Was Here,” where they write:
In 1904, Crowley received a text as a result of magical invocation: The Book of the Law. The law the book contained may be summed up in these words: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.” With the arrival of this new law, Crowley believed the old world order was completely overturned — destroyed by fire, as it were — and a new age dawned. He called his new system Thelema (Greek for “will”), and identified himself with the Great Beast of Revelation. Accordingly, Thelema declares Christianity obsolete, along with all other world religions, even while putting to use their most potent spiritual techniques, symbolism, and mythic narratives.
The Mark of the Beast also makes a great tattoo
Far from being a horrific catastrophe, the word “apocalypse” really means an unveiling, a revelation. Since 1904 we have seen tremendous changes throughout society all over the globe. From the perspective of early Christians like John the Divine, the overturning of the old religions was a frightening prospect. From our perspective today, it is a welcome and overdue change. Today, whether people are conscious of Crowley’s magical workings or not, most have come to accept the inherent divinity and liberty of every individual as a self-evident fact of life.
Aleister Crowley also designed his own Mark of the Beast, which we have struck in a coin commemorating our 2012 campaign. A few of these coins are still available exclusively through this website.
1. Aleister Crowley was a solar myth.
When Aleister Crowley was asked during a trial to explain his office, Crowley replied, “‘The Beast 666’ only means ‘sunlight’. You can call me ‘Little Sunshine.'”
In some ways, it is easier to believe that Aleister Crowley is a myth than to believe that he could have been a single, mortal human being. In this myth of Aleister Crowley we find a person who has excelled in three completely distinct careers, which he classifies as “the Secret Way of the Initiate, the Path of Poetry and Philosophy, and the Open Sea of Romance and Adventure.” Aleister Crowley points out that in truly great men, we might find one or two of these facets, but never all three. He concludes:
… in this particular instance all three careers are so full that posterity might well be excused for surmising that not one but several individuals were combined in a legend, or even for taking the next step and saying: This Aleister Crowley was not a man, or even a number of men; he is obviously a solar myth. — The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Part 1, Prelude
“Our religion therefore, for the People, is the Cult of the Sun, who is our particular star of the Body of Nuit, from whom, in the strictest scientific sense, come this earth, a chilled spark of Him, and all our Light and Life.” — Commentary on Liber AL vel Legis III:22
Aleister Crowley 2012 
Thanks everyone for your insight on The AC Cat.
I am not a follower of Crowley, mainly due to some differences with the “mathematics” in relation with the philosophies, but none the less he was pretty brilliant and made the world change like it or not to any of his critics out there… As I stated, I am not a follower of his teachings, but still, he is a remarkable man who is to be highly respected…
Crowley was a subjective nuisance to the community at large and very little objective violence or mass hysteria was ever created by the alternative belief system of Thelema. There are 20k or so followers and I have not seen anywhere near the notoriety of political or social issues arising from their ranks. m But I think I will just put this right here http://violentdeathproject.com/images/Religions-Homicide-Totals-copy.jpg
What Crowley fought vehemently against was the mind control of his time. The death toll of the planet as it was laid was the result of the mesmerization that was well established for the past 2,000 years. They didn’t need any help, they had control, a mass control that honestly dwarfs the control they have today. They didn’t need Crowley to bind men to their lusts. The world was already under mass hypnosis and back then it was much easier to control. Crowley revolted against this, as a man, not a god, a man that was shackled as all the rest around him. His actions, if they were dark and disturbed and if he was a pedophile (which is highly debated) are unforgivable, but that does not erase the fact that his absolute disgust with the political/christian governments caused him to not only rebel but forthright purposely represent the polar opposite. In doing so he affected the future of where we are today in ways that are incalculable.
If any of you sheeple can show me chart of deaths that were made in violence or anything else that the Thelema based belief system has spawned that even comes close, in its per capita perspective, to the violence and ridiculous death counts of the christian church and state I am all fucking ears.
What Crowley was right about was the unbelievable number of idiots born into this world that are so quick to defend the murderous leadership that has and still remains in power.
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My Master, my Profit My God is Aleister Crowley, blind people don’t eyes to see the greatness of him. He was under cover Saint. He helped many people, J Benette when he was sick and needed the sunshine to survive he gave him money to go and live in Sri Lanka and save his life. Master always embarrassed who ever called upon him. This how I got know him Guy call Neil called me for auditioning for the movie he came on to he tried to bad things to me I said no and then he was bitching about Aleister Crowley I said to that piece of shit has he seen spirit is ugly as the gutter. Neil also made the negative movie about my master, I never watched but that night when I mediated Master came to me started speaking and started helping with me my whole life changed from being nothing to everything. Hail to Aleister Crowley. He was and still is one of the best Saints world has seen. Those who bitch about my God shall never make it live because they dig their grave themselves. When someone says evil things about good people that person creates bad karma for themselves and people around suffer. So never make friends anyone who is nasty about Saints. Holly scriptures say’s those who slate Saints they are bastards even if their mother was married to a father they come from. So be careful who talk about in the bad way it’s returning back to you 1000 folds in return. You stay poor and shall rise. Respect My Aleister Crowley.
I meant to say shall never rise. Respect MY ALEISTER CROWLY.
I watched the video where Ron Hubbard allegedly pronounces Aleister Crowley’s name “incorrectly.” He actually pronounced it correctly so I’m not sure where that came from. You will probably go on to point out that Crowley’s name is not spelled “-stair.” Irregardless, that is how Crowley himself would have his name pronounced.
Wrong. Crowley rhymes with holy.
The Irish pronounciation rhymes with holy or, with a crow.. The English pronunciation is with an owl.
All that matters is Crowley’s own pronunciation, and he rhymed it with “holy” in a poem, so that’s that.
I advise you to pull up some quotes regarding AC’s attitude toward the sodomy of young boys. You might be fooled enough about your hero to miss the fact that he was an MI6 agent, deeply involved in the NWO, but his paedophelia will hopefully allow you to stop regarding the guy as a quirky counter-culture hero.
How about you provide the quotes to which you allude?
Yeah, there are zero quotations like what you are implying. Keep reading! If you can.
I’m appalled at your complete ignorance for what Crowley stood for. Pedophilia is one of the least deranged things he did.
Still waiting to see any evidence whatsoever for this claim!
… And even still, shocked, shocked I tell you? 😱
How did he get away with it without being arrested, Rachel? I knew that he was thrown out of Italy for his dirty commune, to say the least, but I never heard anyone say that he was a pedophile. I find him interesting but somewhat on the dark side. rumor has it that he set up two alters in his house in Bolskine. one for the prince of darkness and one for the angels of light. I think he was torn and confused but brilliant, as are many geniuses! His father was a fanatic christian preacher of the Plymouth Brethren. He was a strange dude, for sure!
786 I have a big issue with number 7. Do what thou Wilt most certainly cannot be equated with “do what you want,” something AC himself reiterated many times, which the author would know if he ever bothered to read Crowley’s work. It is the single greatest flaw of modern “Thelemites” that they cannot seem to comprehend at this simple, yet vital point and end up failing spectacularly on every level.
The fact that John Lennon had a poor understanding of the Law does not invalidate the simple point that Crowley was a major influence on the counterculture movement of the 60s. But as to your complaint, you must realize of course that the Law is liberating to those who have been fitted to strictures of common morality their whole lives, and that fulfilling one’s inmost nature requires discipline but can certainly feel like “do what you want” to the person who has recently thrown off the shackles. Moreover, as AC writes in “The Method of Thelema”:
«The formula of this law is: Do what thou wilt. Its moral aspect is simple enough in theory. Do what thou wilt does not mean Do as you please, although it implies this degree of emancipation, that it is no longer possible to say à priori that a given action is “wrong.” Each man has the right—and an absolute right—to accomplish his True Will.»
Basically you should get over yourself and your highfalutin condemnation of Thelemites. We suggest you escape your parents’ basement and meet a few.
Glad I ventured across this . A few good, bad and funny points. All well made, even the Christian militia have a sense ov huma. Peace.
You have to admit, he’s a very entertaining man to read about. Thank you for the entertainment, everyone.
Well, either way, demon spawn or brilliant genius, we all must admit the many versions of this very human being are quite entertaining.
Thank you for the amusement, and education, everyone.
My wife hates AC because of some alleged legends of his exploits of women… a sort of Bill Cosby like person who used his powerful persona to pursue acts of sexual cruelty against those he could easily silence by fear.
Not sure if thats a myth or a truth?
Thanks for asking, K. Crowley was adamantly opposed to such manipulative tactics and strongly against rape of any kind. He upheld the right of every woman to be the master of her own sexuality, in strong contrast to the prevailing mores. Your wife has been misinformed.
Where are you getting your information from? He wasn’t ‘strongly against’ rape unless you think the interactions with young boys could be considered a consensual relationship? He was terrible to women. You can have a good sense of humour and be a terrible person.
From his writings, of course.
probably true.
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Considering he wrote during the Victorian era and rebelled against the hypocrisy and damaging sexual repression–and even published the first book of its kind about of his addiction to heroin in “Diary of a Drug Fiend” he was quite a genius with that regard and even rebelled against Christianity.
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The significance only 1 in a million might understand is that Crowley was a fraud. He was merely a change agent for the aristocratic elite whose vision for a New World Order – Aeon of Horus – could only be accomplished by enslaving the masses to their own lusts. Thus, the shallow promise of “liberty, equality, and fraternity” and “do what thou will” are tools to that end. Once the world revolution has finalized in the culmination of the Aeon of Horus, those gullible who follow his deceptive teaching will have served their purpose and be disposed of or made slaves. In their rebellion against the authority that once was their shield against such cunning wolves, those not only destroy their means of salvation, but their own souls. Crowley advocated an aristocratic revolution whereby the strong rule over the weak (slaves) and the global slave state mercilessly kills the unfit, including anyone whose faculty of reason and virtues of love and compassion might cause them to voice opposition. Of course, the most unfit according to those self-judged righteous ones are the humble disciples of Christ who teach moderation in all things because those have the understanding and the wisdom to concluded that Crowley and his associates were deceivers. As the bloody revolutions of the last 3 centuries did their work of paving the way for the New Order, the “peaceful” revolution of the 60’s that called for the youth to rebel by “tuning in and dropping out” by Crowley disciple, Timothy O’Leary (another Illuminati change agent) duped them into forsaking vigilance.
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” Crowley, O’leary, and other NWO aristocratic revolutionaries have removed that noble quality and replaced it with indiscreet, thoughtless, negligence of duty.
“Whatever you call the collectivist system – Soviet socialism, New Deal socialism, corporate socialism, or national Socialism – it is the average citizen, the guy in the street, that ultimately looses out to the boys running the operation at the top. Each system in its own way is a system of plunder, an organizational device to get everyone living (or attempting to live) at the expense of everyone else (as they do what they will), while the elitists leaders (Crowley’s aristocrats), the rulers and the politicians, scalp the cream off the top” – Anthony Sutton
Don’t be fooled. In Crowley’s mind, you would be his slave to do according to his will, not your own.
As the serpent said to Eve, “you shall be as gods.”
As the Gods Said ”Behold the man has become as one of us””And now lest he take of the Tree of Life and live Forever”
Religion is the greatest bullshit story ever told! George Carlin
Having watched Americans screaming to NOT have universal healthcare, and to let the poor go to the wall of disease, I take right-wing “anti-socialist’ Randite disinformation shills like this for what they are: exactly what they accuse others of.
The opposite of ‘socialist’ is ‘psychopath’.
“The opposite of ‘socialist’ is ‘psychopath’,
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *gasp* HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
So nevermind socialists Vladimir Lenin (4 million murdered), Joseph Stalin (20 million murdered) Mao Zedong (40 million murdered), Hugo Chavez who tanked the Venezuelan economy, Che Guavera, AKA the butcher of La Cabaña, who was the poster-child for failed socialist ideologies, and essentially every other socialist butcher that has emerged over the last century. If socialism works so well and you’re a psychopath if you oppose it, then why a.) are the only truly socialist countries in the world dirt-poor third world shit-holes, b.) every time a socialist leader emerges, they murder thousands, if not millions of people, c.) why doesn’t the whole world adopt it?
You must be a delusional narcissist if you truly believe that everyone who doesn’t agree with your political views of hardcore socialism are on a spectrum of psychopathy.
Patrick. You have replied, but made yourself look silly. You have quoted “COMMUNIST” Not socliaists. Two different things mate.
Communism is fascism. As Fascism is Communism.
do what *thou* wilt.
“do what *thou* wilt.”
Since it is in quotes, I expect its is quoted accurately.
My little red book says: Do what Thou will.”
Completely changes the meaning. This indicates tome you have not read Magick without Tears.
Conclusion:
You are a troll, ignorant, stupid, an agent of chaos. OR . . . . .choose all applicable.
Be that as it may. “caltrop” please post YOUR original works that are more fully descriptive of the subjective material.
THEN we can analyze your understanding.
I’ll wait here. But won’t hold my breath.
LOL well this is rich!
The role of the American corporate socialists, otherwise known as the Wall Street financial elite or the Eastern Liberal Establishment, in three significant twentieth-century historical events: the 1917 Lenin -Trotsky Revolution in Russia, the 1933 election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States, and the 1933 seizure of power by Adolf Hitler in Germany
ANTONY C. SUTTON
I didn’t get why the Marx’s theory was discussed in conjunction with the person who some kind inspired ones of the fundamental XXth century peaceful social movements
Being a British English citizen you hear a lot of nonsense circulated about AC he was quite an interesting character and I enjoy reading his work also books about AC. Of course he did some things that was ruthless and it earned him a title in England that he will forever carry, but he did what he did with his own life and that’s how it unfolded… I don’t agree with some things he did but I am not AC, it’s like that.
If someone started a Alex Jones show and just did stories about how Christian’s indoctrinate people into meat puppets, molest children, take money from the poor, it would have to run like CNN 24 hrs a day. And it wouldn’t be theory or rumours.
Correction. You are talking about catholics, quite different from true Christians. Do your homework before offering opinions.
Sammy jinks.. the English weren’t catholic.. and look at all the chaos they created.. 99% of world’s problems can be tied directly to English colonization.
Haha…yes shows the quality of the person or persons who love this man, when you read of the filthy perverse poetry he wrote, the wonderful thing is he couldn’t extend his life, and he is down to a rotted pile of bones…nothing but a footnote in human history, an immensely stupid man who ended up in this supposed path of enlightenment due to a severe head concussion in his teens….
I guess he then had an excuse being affected and could be considered retarded in that effect…not like the authors of this website, who cant even claim a brain injury, more that they are sycophanted idiots, with little or no ability to think for themselves…dumb cattle I guess…
Yes don’t defend yourselves or him, if you “love ” someone who could write such filth shows what level you are…base line scum…yes there is right and wrong no matter how much he and his brain deads wanted it not to be…and as such that is what will win…satan isn’t a creator..but a created, so can’t then control…I know, I know, bit too much for you too handle and acknowledge considering his end is limited and not eternal…
Im guessing even though you supposedly believe that everyone can believe whatever you wont post this, hypocrites……get enlightened and see if you can understand that your life will be a few short years then its gone…and you did nothing with it…
Oh by the way he isn’t the beast, he just isn’t significant enough…the real beast will come from the church…
I know the anti Christ will mock all religions.
What verse says the beast will come from the church?
Yes, yes, we get it; you’re a whiny prude who is allergic to ideas outside of your comfort zone, and you have a massive chip on your shoulder for a man who lived a long time ago, and who, despite your little rant here, is still infinitely more significant to the world and humanity at large than you and your trifling complaints here on the internet could ever hope to be.
“get enlightened and see if you can understand that your life will be a few short years then its gone…and you did nothing with it…”
Take your own advice, friend.
Don’t call me friend….your enlightened by darkness and nothing else…hurry up kill yourself and get to meet your “hero”
Rain: That’s a pretty rude response on your part. Do all Christians wish people to kill themselves because you don’t agree with them? If that’s what Christians want for people, for everyone else to die and burn in hell, no wonder people are flocking away from religions in droves and live by their own moral standards which I can safety say is much more humanitarian than wing nuts like yourself telling people they should die.
Say what you like about Crowley at least he could spell.
Just because a person can spell does not then make them good does it?
Is English your first language?
about the most intelligent thing you said throughout that whole post was the very last line.. the rest is pure hatespeech on someone you clearly do not have any knowledge of if you base your entire opinion of his research and contributions to the world on his poetry. whether it is perverse or not is immaterial it doesnt reflect any of the knowledge he uncovered and brought into the light of the world.. do not speak of enlightenment when clearly your mind is the one still shrouded in the darkness of religious brainwashing.
More hate and nonsense vomited at a bunch of people who have surgically cut out sources of endless negative emotions and attributes. The flowers of Christianity mostly bear fruit in the form of the perpetually uneducated and ignorant, dumb cattle, oh wait, what does your god keep calling you folk who need told what to think…..Oh yes sheep.
The main arguments I got from your unwanted rambling was: 1. You don’t see eye to eye on what constitutes a good poem. 2. Some fictional satan can’t create, but his fictional counterpart can…who created your Judeo-Christian god then. (perhaps a previous version of monotheism)..write this down retard….ENDLESS REGRESSION… you know like series in Calculus 2, you remember those in between your theology (scoff scoff) classes 3. Most importantly, you are saying life is finite? That just blew me away. I gotta get movin’ then, I should have mowed my lawn YESTERDAY!!!!!
Thanks for Enlightening Me,
Sincerely Yours,
Dr. Sycophantic Hypocritical Pond Scum, the III, esquire.
Post Script- A.C. is still proving years after his death that you “instructed in the true religion of love” have no new points or answers, since your patchwork of stolen myths originally tried. More stale pretzel logic from someone who doesn’t know her ass from an axiom, isn’t what needed to try to sway. Don’t just start whining and typing, make an argument or cut someone else’s argument to absolute shreds, like I just did yours. Hell you can use this as study guide if you wish.. Mwah,
–SHPS, the III
Haha…you amuse me you sycophantic zombie…kill yourself and prove me wrong..mwah
Hello Rain. I’m Dan Nice & to meet you! Ive never heard that he had a concussion. Is it mentioned in any of his writings? I don’t find ponographic poems as distasteful as the sexually frustrated religious demigods and pedophile priests. who reek havoc on Children with nonsense about an afterlife of hellfire and damnation. Everyone has a fun kinky side. I find puritans and those who shrink from their sexuality much more perverse!
Is it true that AC was recognized as one of the evilest men on Earth? And what is the difference between Thelema and Satanism and Wicca?
He was called that by the British equivalent of the National Enquirer. For your other question, read the Wikipedia entry on Thelema and Satanism and Wicca.
In a nut shell..
Thelema is a religion/philosophy in that every person is their most effective and content when they find their own true will and nature and do not let dogmas within society and religion detract us or hold us back as we all look to seek it out and use it, The OTO works with allot of ceremonial magick and works with the Thelemic philosophy and much of Crowley’s rituals, much of which is built upon the Qabalah, and it uses much of the Ancient Egyptian pantheon..
Satanism (my least familiar) was created by Anton Lavey in the late 60s, and is a rebellion against some of the Christian doctrines and has rewritten its own commandments.. its philosophy is for each individual to be left free to succeed or fail… but be free to live how they like taking responsibility only for your self….
Wicca is a religion created in the mid 50s by Gerald Gardner for witchcraft, influenced by Western Magick orders like The Golden Dawn and OTO, it is nature based while worshipping the unity of Female and Male energies in the form of a triple Goddess of the moon and a duel horned God of the sun, Wiccan pantheons can vary as generally the view is all traditions back in ancient times all worshipped the same energies which they interact with.. They generally practice “low magick” which i guess you could say is more shamanistic.. Thelema has most definitely had a strong influence on Wicca, and to a lesser extent Anton Laveys Satanism..
three out of four on point @ thapodcast but as you say, satanism is your least familiar… Satanism believe it or not was actually created by the roman catholic church, more directly the Vatican as a term defining any group or individual that practices the attainment of knowledge contrary to the teachings of the church. none of the three are religions per se, they are paths of thought where religious doctrines and faiths are intertwined due to the practioners themselves. thapodcast has very good information here however although i could easily expound on any of them having been a long follower of S.L. Macgregor Mathers and his manuscripts.. Just to point out one small misnomer about Crowley though, he wasnt called the Evilest man In The World, he was coined as The Wickedest Man In The World at the World’s Fair. He wasnt evil by any means, his knowledge and research was just extremely contrary to the widespread “knowledge” the average person had of religious histories and doctrines all of which he gleaned from a vast array of different cultures most of which from the mesopotamian area. another small point (seriously not criticizing, just going more in depth) the O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orienti) was not founded by or founded after A. Crowley its alternate name is The Eastern Order of the Knights Templar and dates its history much further back than Thelema, Wicca, and satanism combined. before his death Crowley was named as the leader of the organization.
Hi, please clarify, if Crowley is the prophesized beast of Revelation, are you saying Biblical prophesy is true?
We report the facts, you decide what it means!
“Prophesied” and “prophecy”. Prophesized isn’t a word, and prophesy is a verb.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prophesied
If “prophesy” is a verb, then what’s its past participle?
Prophesied.
Dolores Park is correct. The link posted by ac2012 confirms this. The past participle of the verb “prophesy” is “prophesied” which is the same form as the simple past. The noun is “prophecy”.
hi,
this is not meant to be disrespectful in any way, but i was very surprised by point #8. i have read and heard a lot about crowley and even most of his admirers don’t generally characterize him as being “kind”.
would you please tell me where i can find documentation that supports this?
thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
Well, his earlier biographers maligned him. You should read the recent biography by Richard Kaczynski, which was researched over 20 years.
This is what he said about women:
But, morally and mentally, women were for me beneath contempt. They had no moral ideals. They were bound up with their necessary preoccupation, with the function of reproduction. Their apparent aspirations were camouflage. Intellectually, of course, they did not exist.
That’s not a nice person. It’s very difficult for someone to have such hatred for their mothers as he did and then be kind to women. A woman was to be used. He projects onto women his lack of interest in them as people.
He was criticizing the culture that raised women to be that way. He spent his whole life and much of his inheritance working to liberate women from their dependence on men.
Does anyone have any links to what he said about his experiences with peyote and mescaline?
Great job idiots, You talk about that audio of L Ron Hubbard in # 9 mentioning a book written by Crowley that you say “does not exist” and yet you actually mention the exact book Hubbard talks about in that audio, “The Master Therion”, in # 2.
Good job morons. By the way, “The Master Therion” book simply had a name change to “Magick in Theory and Practice” which you can get on amazon.com. can’t say a single thing about Hubbard without attempting to bash him to bits and and lying about shit you know nothing about. Fucking tools.
The Master Therion is the nom de guerre of the author, not the book. Thanks for playing!
Awwwwww, Fwankie-Poo sounds weallly weally angwy. It’s gonna be otay Fwankie!
Yeah man. Old mother Hubbard was such a great man. Hey, ever heard any of his albums? I shit you not:
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/05/the_music_of_l_ron_hubbard_space_jazz_and_other_scientology_albums.html
Anyone who defends L. Ron Hubbard and then refers to people as “fucking tools” – well, ya gotta admit that’s funny.
Either that or it’s just the Body Thetans talking. ;-P
L Ron Hubbard, the master con artist. Hot steaming horeshit!
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Reblogged this on Frater Phaino and commented:
Along with “Ten Crowley Myths Busted,” this is a must-read for all who approach the mysterious character of The Great Beast 666.
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I think a better assessment as to why Aleister Crowley is The Beast as prophesied by John of Patmos can easily be inferred from Crowley’s own word in Magick (Book IV)
“This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of Man, but He who made Gods of our race, knowing Good and Evil; He bade ‘Know Thyself!’ and taught Initiation.”
One might say when he gave up the secrets of the Golden Dawn, which has it’s origins in Gnostic Christianity and the Greco-Roman Mysteries, he committed the same apostasy towards the secret societies as Baphomet did to the rest of the Godhead.
In regards to Dan’s Question…The death of AC’s son is also described with some detail in a book called “America Bewitched: The Rise of Black Magic and Spiritism” by Daniel Logan. I believe it was published in the early to mid 1970s.
Yes, there are many places one can find libel about Aleister Crowley. The 70s is a great place to start looking.
In 1979 when I was 15, having never heard of Aleister Crowley, I bought a copy of Moonchild at a used book store. I bought it because it was cheap and the description on the back was interesting. Thelema and mysticism were entirely outside my experience. I loved it for its’ humor, and it remains one of my favorites.
Nice article! One of my favourite Crowley witticisms has always been, from the dedication page of Liber AL: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law…” and then it goes on to say, “The study of this book is forbidden!” —ha ha ha!
actually he was making a very true statement by saying the study of the book was forbidden… he himself, wasn’t forbidding anyone from studying it, he was only pointing out that the information contained within was forbidden by the “powers that be” because the esoteric knowledge within goes against the grain of what they want people to know.
Interesting list. I wouldn’t have described Aleister Crowley as a nice guy or anything close to it but I do think that his (twisted) sense of humour was key to a lot of his personality. I tend to believe that he viewed much of what he did, or preached, as a big joke. Like L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology you have the impression that behind closed doors he was laughing at everyone else involved.
A handful of writers have suggested that Crowley’s 1915 Declaration of an Irish Republic was actually part of a British Intelligence plan to sow confusion in Irish-American political circles and whip up anti-Irish sentiment in the US by associating the cause of Ireland’s freedom with German “aggression” during WWI. Crowley’s links to Britain’s spy agencies are well known and certainly British spy-rings were extremely active in monitoring Irish-Republican organisations in New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia during the period. Plots and counter-plots proliferated. However it seems more likely that the whole event was simply staged as yet another of Crowley’s self-aggrandizing stunts and a two-fingered salute to a Britain he felt disenchanted from.
That said, it is interesting that the flag referred to by Crowley is the Gal Gréine, the Irish Sunburst banner, which in the 19th and early 20th centuries was very closely associated with Irish revolutionary movements, both political and cultural. These organisations largely rejected the classical Irish Harp flag as a emblem of British rule in Ireland or the collaborative Irish Parliamentary Party. Outside of Irish or Irish-emigrant communities the significance of these symbols would not have been readily known implying that Crowley at least knew something of the Irish cultural and political milieu.
He may have been a charlatan but he was a charlatan with brains ;-)
Great comment. Thanks for contributing. Certainly many things he did were done with good humor, but there was a serious, purposeful side of his every action.
Wow, I loved 3, I knew that he respected the Scottish, but I was surprised to read this. Crowley now has my full respect (but he kind of already had that, so…)
“In 1904, Crowley received a text as a result of magical invocation: The Book of the Law. The law the book contained may be summed up in these words: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.” With the arrival of this new law, Crowley believed the old world order was completely overturned”
Really? And all this time I thought he plagerized the Fransican monk François Rabelais and his series of satirical books Gargantua and Pantagruel, and the monestary the Abbey of Theleme in the books, where the only rule was to “do what thou wilt”…
Well, that was a pretty stupid thought, since anyone who has read the books you mention and who understands what plagiarism is would never make such a stupid error.
It might help you in your speculation if you actually had ever read Rabelais or Crowley. Repeating second-hand, inaccurate information you cribbed off the Internet isn’t really helpful. Having actually READ both “Gargantua and Pantagruel,” and “The Book of the Law,” I can tell you that the only thing they have in common is the reference to Thelema and the words, “Do What Thou Wilt.” Reading is fun-damental! Try it sometime! They have these things called “libraries” where you can actually get hold of books. No, really!
Three cheers for ‘happydog1960’, it astonished me how few people use libraries these days much less actually read!! And thank you so much ac2012 for your informative and interesting post re:A.C. I only wish that I had found it in 2012! Cheers! C.V.
Really? Libraries? Aww shucks!
Republicou isso em S.'. E.'. F.'..
Could you post a link to “Leah Sublime” that has the actual poem rather than an R-rated redacted version full of asterisks, please?
Thanks for pointing that out. It wasn’t redacted when we first linked to it. Here’s a good link:
http://www.luckymojo.com/neo-tantra/acleah.txt
Reblogged this on INTO THE MYSTERIES.
Borken link? :-(
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For Crowley’s sense of humor, his “Dead Weight” review of Arthur Edward Waite is hilarious, if rather mean-spirited. Your Section 8 made me think of it. If you’ve never read it or haven’t read it for awhile, it is worth re-reading. Thanks for AC2012. Very entertaining. Made my day.
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Was A.C. Really a 33rd degree freemason??
Yes.
No he was not. He was never recognized as a Mason in a Grand Lodge standing in Mexico where he claimed he had taken his thirty-three degrees. He took the degrees in a clandestine Lodge where they practice ritual much different to ours. Might want to take a look at this. http://www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/aqc/crowley.html
Whatever hairsplitting over regularity one wishes to make, it did not stop the Nazis from persecuting Karl Germer for being a friend of Hochgradfreimaurer Crowley, as Starr’s excellent paper points out.
Karl Germer, was indeed incarcerated for being a Freemason, although later released when proved he was in fact not a Freemason.
93 Bloody well done. 93/93
Say what you will,Christians.But you cannot deny,the man had style.(Plus,he is smarter than a lot of Scientologist.He didn’t even have to meet the man to know he was going to screw Jack Parsons over.)
“Christians to the Lions”, as AC used to say. They are so boring and corny. Anyone who believes that dead people rise from their graves, should undergo psychiatric therapy!
The child murder mentioned in some of his rite referenced merely masturbation. ‘Spilling his seed’ would not allow for a chid’s birth.
‘pini
Correct.
I once read that Crowley had a son who was found dead after AC performed a ritual designed to summon Pan. Ca’t remember if they said the son’s head was turned backwards. I have no idea if AC even had a son. Any truth to this tale ?
That one is completely false.
Made up by Novelist Dennis Wheatley as I recall. Excellent site, great article.
Yes indeed. Thanks, glad you like it.
If I’m not mistaken, Crowlely claimed that Evangeline Adams took credit for some astrological writings and predictions he made. It’s interesting that once Adams became famous, she stopped making predictions…
Indeed, and Crowley’s writings on astrology have since been published under his own name: http://amzn.to/SjMQLh
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My first Crowley´s lecture was “The Gospel According to Saint Bernard Shaw” … and was in fact the must funny way to learn occultism…
btw.. I´m sure that is possible to play with some gematria and/or other numerologist method in order to find the number 3 for his “return from grave”…
One might almost percieve it to be a litmus test as to whether or not an individual has truly and completely accepted the Law of Thelema: the ability to laugh very consistently whilst reading Crowley’s works :)
We don’t tend to endorse the idea of litmus tests in general, and of course Crowley was very serious about Thelema, but it’s true that there is much good humor throughout all his writings!
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A true master,teacher and. Mastermind …… Many know little of the beast and what they know are all lies ….. Never do they pick a book written by him instead they pick up the bible!!!! What waist of time for those religios freaks…… Freewill Ac2012
The whole of Scientology and “Dianetics” was the brainchild of Revilo P Oliver. . .
(Jesuit/Tzaddik agent) Hubbard was merley Handled. Revilo P Oliver also “handeled” Timothy Mcveigh (still alive) Murrah building incident. I would love to be able to read German so that I could read the original Scientology(1934), as this is the language that he published his “Imperium” not Francis Parker Yockey (ostensible author)
Okay, but what does that have to do with Aleister Crowley?
He was a pioneer well ahead of his time. He did leave a wealth of writings for the generations to come.
Aleister Nacht
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He’s an interesting guy, that’s for sure.
I read that he encouraged his wife to have sex with a goat. Is that true or just another myth?
At the Abbey in Cefalu, they did all kinds of crazy stuff that even AC later regretted, but he probably didn’t have to do much convincing of Leah Hirsig, who had quite an appetite for taboo sex (to put it politely). Nevertheless, the goat didn’t cooperate. Leah was not his wife, by the way.
I wasn’t sure of Leah’s status but I guessed she would not be his wife. She sounds almost as interesting as AC though. It would have been great to have been at some of the parties.
No … I think he was trying to encourage the goat to have sex with the wife
Correct. The goat, it turned out, wasn’t game So to speak.
Another of my favorite bits of Crowley humor, I don’t remember where it’s from:
“I was asked to memorize what I did not understand; and, my memory being so good, it refused to be insulted in that manner”
Nice one! Thanks for commenting.
It was in regard to his youth when they asked him to read the Christian Bible.
Supposedly by AC (but ?) quoted by R.A. Wilson I think;
Someone asks AC what he thinks about Jesus;
“I hold the poor fellow totally innocent of the religion that was foisted upon him posthumously.”
:)
I love the “posthumously” part! Most people never question what was imposed upon them from birth!
Like Bertrand Russell said, “what is imposed upon you from outside is of no use whatsoever”
Another awesome article, guys, seriously. I shall spread this throughout the land (of Facebook, anyway).
Thanks much!