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Aleister Crowley (12 October 1875 - 1 December 1947), born Edward Alexander Crowley, also known by the magic names «Brother Perdurabo» and «The Great Beast», - prominent English occultist, mystic and master of ceremonial magic, founder of the magical philosophy of Thelema. He also achieved impressive success in a number of other fields of endeavour (poetry, mountaineering, chess) and is believed to have been a member of British intelligence. As the founder of the teachings of Thelema, he considered himself a prophet dedicated to proclaiming that humanity had entered the New Aeon of Thelema (Aeon of Chora) at the beginning of the 20th century.
Biography
Crowley was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family. As a young man he was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and was friends with the head of that order, S.L. MacGregor Mathers. In 1904 in Cairo, Crowley, as he believed, made contact with his Sacred Guardian Angel - a superhuman entity called Ayvass - and wrote down at his dictation the text of the «Book of the Law». This book formed the basis of a new magical system, Thelema.
Crowley went on to found the occult order A.'.A.'', and eventually led the Order of the Templars of the East (O.T.O.). From 1920 to 1923, a magical community he founded called «Telem Abbey» operated in Cefalù (Sicily). After his exile from Italy, Crowley returned to England, where he continued to work to spread the teachings of Thelema for the rest of his life.
As a result of widespread harassment against him in the tabloid press, as well as the misinterpretation by the general public of the basic principle of Thelema («Thou shalt do thy will: such shall be the whole law»), Crowley gained the reputation of «the most vicious man in the world». This attitude persisted posthumously; it has not been completely eradicated to this day.
Nevertheless, Crowley remained an influential figure; he was and still is considered by many to be the most prominent occultist of the 20th century. References to him and images based on his personality are found in the work of many writers, musicians, and film directors, and his writings have served as a major source of inspiration for a number of later occult figures (among others, one might mention Jack Parsons, Kenneth Grant, Gerald Gardner and, to some extent, Austin Osman Spair).
Life and activities
Early years: 1875-1894
Aleister (Edward Alexander) Crowley was born in the town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, at No. 30 Clarendon Square on 12 October 1875, between 11 and 12 o'clock at night. His father, Edward Crawley (c. 1830-1887), was educated as an engineer but, according to Aleister Crawley, never worked in his profession. He held a share in the family brewing business («Crawley's Beer») and made a considerable profit, so he was able to retire from the business before his son was born. Alistair's mother, Emily Bertha Bishop (1848-1917), was born into a family originating in Devonshire and Somerset. Her son despised her, and she sometimes called him in her heart «Beast 666», which made a deep impression on the boy and was remembered throughout his life. Crawley's father was brought up as a Quaker, but soon after his marriage he joined the conservative group of the Christian sect of the Plymouth Brethren and became an itinerant preacher. Every day after breakfast he read aloud a chapter of the Bible to his wife and son. Edward Crowley's largest publication was his 108-page book «Peace and Acceptance; Freedom and Sonship», signed with the initials - E. C. The couple married in November 1874.
Following the death of a young daughter in 1880, the Crawley family moved from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, to a large house near Redhill, Surrey, in 1881. At the age of eight, Crawley entered H. T. Habershon's Evangelical Boarding School for Boys in Hastings, and then Ebor Preparatory School in Cambridge, run by the Reverend Henry d'Arcy Champney, whom Crawley later described as a sadist.
on 5 March 1887, when Crowley was 11 years old, his father died of tongue cancer, leaving his son a large inheritance. Alistair had always admired his father and considered him «his hero and friend», so Edward Crawley's death was a turning point in his son's life. Alistair attended the Plymouth Brothers public school in Cambridge, but was expelled «from there for bad behaviour». He then briefly attended Malvern College and Tonbridge School before transferring to Eastbourne College. He gradually developed a deeply sceptical attitude towards Christianity. He pointed out to his religious instructors various logical inconsistencies in the Bible and rebelled against the norms of Christian morality, in strict obedience to which he had been brought up. One of the main manifestations of this youthful rebellion was secret sexual relations, both with girls he knew and with prostitutes.
Sent to live with a fraternity tutor in Eastbourne, Crowley completed a chemistry course at Eastbourne College. He showed an interest in chess, poetry and mountaineering, climbing to the summit of Beachy Head in 1894 before visiting the Alps and joining the Scottish Mountaineering Club.
University: 1895-1897
In October 1895, Crowley, who was soon to change his name to «Alistair», began a three-year course of study at Trinity College, Cambridge University. He intended to take an undergraduate degree in ethics and began to study philosophy, but soon switched, with the permission of his personal tutor, to English literature, at that time not part of the compulsory programme. on 12 October 1896, when he was 21, Crowley entered into an inheritance, receiving £45,000.
While at university, Crawley spent the bulk of his time on his hobbies, one of which was mountaineering: other climbers he was acquainted with recognised in him «a promising, though somewhat eccentric, rock climber». He continued to pursue mountaineering, going on holiday to the Alps to climb every year from 1894 to 1898, often with his friend Oskar Eckenstein.
Another of his hobbies was poetry. Crowley wrote poetry from the age of ten, and in 1898 published at his own expense a poem «Akeldam» (under the pseudonym «Gentleman of Cambridge University») in an edition of 100 copies. It was not a particular success, but, not discouraged by this, Crowley published a number of other poems and poems in the same year. A third passion was chess; Crowley joined the university chess club, won a game from its chairman in his first year, and trained for two hours a day to win the title of champion, but eventually gave up the venture.
In 1897 Crawley, preparing for a career as a diplomat, visited St Petersburg during his holidays, where he tried to learn Russian.
In 1897, Crowley met Herbert Charles Pollitt, a friend of the artist Aubrey Beardsley and chairman of the Cambridge University Dramatic Club «Ramp Lights». A love affair developed between the two, but Crowley subsequently broke off the union because Pollit did not share his interest in esotericism.
«I told him frankly that I had devoted my life to religion and it had no place in my plans. Now I realise what a fool I was, what a monstrous weakness and mistake it is to reject any part of one's identity».
Crowley had his first mystical experience in December 1896, when he apparently had a homosexual experience. At the same time he began reading books on occultism and mysticism. In October, a brief illness caused him to contemplate death and the «futility of all human endeavour». Crowley felt the pointlessness of the diplomatic career for which he had prepared at university, and decided to devote his life to occult pursuits. In 1897 he withdrew from his studies, deciding not to take his degree examinations, despite the success he had achieved in examinations in previous semesters.
In March 1898, Crowley read «The Book of Black Magic and Treaties» Arthur Waite, and then «The Cloud over the Sanctuary» Karl von Eckartshausen, which furthered his occult interests. In the same year, Crowley privately published a number of poems, including «White Spots» and «Decadent», collections of erotic poetry printed abroad so that their publication would not be banned by British authorities.
Golden Dawn: 1898-1899
In 1898, in Zermatt, Switzerland, Crowley met the chemist Julian L. Baker through a shared interest in alchemy. On his return to London, Baker introduced Crowley to George Cecil Jones, a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn which brought Crowley together with leading figures of the Order, including William Wynn Westcott, Florence Farr and William Butler Yates. on 18 November 1898, Crowley underwent initiation into the degree of Neophyte 0°=0° Golden Dawn. The ceremony, with S.L. MacGregor Mathers as the initiate, was held at the London Hall of Masons of the Mark. Crowley adopted as his Order motto the name «Brother Perdurabo», which means «I will endure to the end». Crowley soon received the degrees of Realist 1°=10° and Theoretician 2°=9°, and in February 1899 underwent an initiation ceremony to the degree of Practitioner 3°=8°.
Around the same time, he moved from the «Cecil Hotel» to a luxury flat at 67-69 Chancery Lane. He assigned one of the rooms of his new abode to the practice of white magic, the other to black magic. He soon invited a fellow member of the order, Alan Bennet, to share his shelter with him, and Bennet became his personal tutor in ceremonial Magic. However, in 1900 Bennett left for Ceylon to improve his health and study Buddhism in depth, and Crowley purchased the Boleskine House estate on the shores of Loch Ness, Scotland, along with the title of laird for £2,300 on 17 November 1899. Fascinated by Scottish culture, he later came to call himself «Laird of Boleskine» (a laird is a non-titled Scottish nobleman) and wore the traditional costume of the Scottish Highlanders even on visits to London.
Crowley continued to dabble in poetry, publishing «Jezebel and Other Tragic Poems», «Tales of Archaid», «Songs of the Spirit», «Address to the American Republic» and «Jeffai» between 1898 and 1899. Most of these works received mixed reviews from literary critics, although «Jeffai» enjoyed some success.
Crowley's bisexuality and promiscuous lifestyle earned him a bad reputation, and he had conflicts with some members of the Golden Dawn, including W.B. Yeats. When the London lodge of the Golden Dawn refused to initiate Crowley into the Second Order, he went to Mathers in Paris and was initiated by him into the degree of Junior Adept 5°=6° on 23 January 1900. A rift developed between Mathers and the London members of «Golden Dawn», who were dissatisfied with his autocratic rule.
After swearing allegiance to Mathers, Crowley returned to England and, with the help of his mistress and sister in the order Elaine Simpson, attempted to quell the riot and take over the London temple with the The Adept's Shrine at 36 Blythe Road in West Kensington. When the case went to court, the judge ruled in favour of the London lodge as they had paid the rent for the premises. In the course of these unsuccessful attempts, Crowley came into open conflict with several members of the order, including W.B. Yeats, whom Crowley had disliked even earlier because of Yeats' unfavourable review of one of his poems («Jeffay»). In addition, Crowley had a particular dislike for A.E. Waite, whom he subsequently ridiculed and parodied in his writings.
Mexico, India, and Paris: 1900-1903
In 1900 Crowley travelled to the United States, and from there to Mexico in July of that year, where he was joined in November by an old friend, Oscar Eckenstein. Together they conquered several hard-to-reach mountain peaks, including Istaxihuatl and Popocatepetl; the ascent of Colima had to be aborted due to a volcanic eruption. During this period, Eckenstein realised that he too was no stranger to mystical interests, and advised Crowley to seek better thought control by turning to the Indian methods of raja Yoga. After parting ways with Golden Dawn and Mathers, Crowley nevertheless continued his magical experiments; his diaries from that period show that it was then that he began to discover the deep meaning behind the magic word «Abrahadabra».
While in Mexico, Aleister Crowley received initiation into the 33rd degree of the Scottish Masonic Charter from Don Jesús Medina, Duke of Sidonia in early 1901, and made an unsuccessful attempt to organise his first magical order, the Order «Luminary of the Invisible Light» with Medina as high priest. Later, in «Confessions», Crowley claimed that this Order was established by permission granted by Mathers in Paris.
In mid-November 1900, Crowley investigated the 30th and 29th Ethers on a system created in the 16th century by Edward Kelly and John Dee related to the invocation of angels. «The ethers of» were spiritual abodes of the angelic spheres, accessible in a trance achieved through prayer.
In Mexico, Crowley wrote a play based on «Tannhäuser» by Richard Wagner, as well as a series of poems later published as «Oracles» (1905).
Leaving Mexico in April 1901, a country for which he forever retained great affection, Crowley headed for San Francisco and then sailed for Hawaii aboard «Nippon Maru». On the ship, he had a brief affair with a married woman named Mary Alice Rogers. Crowley decided he had fallen in love with her and wrote a series of poems about the affair, published as «Alice: Adultery» (1903).
After brief stops in Japan and Hong Kong, Crowley made his way to Ceylon, where he met Alan Bennett, who was studying Shivaism there.
Under Bennett's guidance, Crowley took up yoga, achieving, he said, a sublime spiritual state of dhyana. Bennett, meanwhile, decided to become a monk of the Theravada school of Buddhism and left for Burma, while Crowley travelled to India for a deeper study of Hindu practices [1. He spent much of this time studying at the Meenakshi temple in Madura. During this time he also wrote poetry, which was published as «Sword Song» (1904). In India, Crowley contracted malaria and had to be treated for the disease in Calcutta and Rangoon.
In 1902, he was joined in India by Eckenstein and several other climbers. Thus formed an expedition to climb the K2 peak, which, in addition to Crowley and Eckenstein, included Trinity College (Cambridge) engineering graduate Guy John Senton Knowles, Austrian judge Heinrich Pfannl, Austrian lawyer Victor Wessely, and Swiss mountaineer Dr Jules Jaco-Guillarmeau. During this journey Crowley was ill with influenza, malaria and snow blindness; the other members of the expedition were also unwell, and on reaching an altitude of 6,100 metres above sea level they decided to turn back. From India, Crowley travelled to Cairo, and from there, in November 1902, to Paris, where, thanks to his friend, the artist Gerald Festus Kelly, he entered the Parisian artistic bohemia. While there, Crowley wrote a series of poems about the work of his acquaintance, the sculptor Auguste Rodin. One of those who frequented this milieu was the British writer Somerset Maugham, who, after a brief meeting with Crowley, later used him as a model for the character Oliver Haddo in his novel «The Magician» (1908).
Crowley returned to Boleskine in April 1903.
on 12 August 1903, Crowley married the sister of his pal Gerald Kelly - Rose Edith Kelly. It was a marriage of convenience, but shortly after the wedding, Crowley truly fell in love with his wife. During his honeymoon he wrote her a series of love poems, published as «Rose Mundy and Other Love Songs» (1906), and also authored the religious satire «Why Jesus Wept» (1904).
Egypt and «Book of the Law»: 1904
In 1903, Crowley and Rose travelled to Paris, and from there to Marseille, Naples and Cairo. In Egypt, the newlyweds were incognito - under the names of Prince and Princess Hiva Khan («Hiva» is a transliteration of the word «beast» in Hebrew). Crowley claimed that the title was bestowed upon him by a certain Eastern monarch. While in Egypt, Crowley studied Islamic mysticism and attempted to learn Arabic.
According to Crowley's account, while in Cairo, he decided to entertain his pregnant wife and performed a magical ceremony to evocation sylphs, the spirits of the air. Rose never saw the Sylphs, but instead went into a trance and began repeating, «They are waiting for you». It soon became clear that «they» were the ancient Egyptian god Horus and a certain messenger of his. Crowley then took Rose to the Bulak Museum, where she pointed out on her first attempt the image of Horus on a little-known funerary stele of the priest Ankh-ef-na-Khonsu (7th century BC; this stele was later called the «Stele of Revelation» and became a sacred relic of Thelema). Crowley noticed that the museum catalogue listed this stele as number 666 - the famous «Number of the Beast» from the Apocalypse. Taking this as a sign from above, on 20 March Crowley held an invocation of Horus, after which Rose (or, as he now called her, The Prophetess of Ward) informed him that the «Equinox of the Gods» had come. Between 8 and 10 April, Crowley recorded the text of the «Book of the Law», dictated to him, as he claimed, by a spiritual entity named Aiwass. Ayvass introduced himself as a messenger of Harpocrates (one of the hypostases of Horus) and announced that a New Aeon had begun in human history, and Crowley was called to be its prophet. The supreme moral law of the New Aeon was declared to be the principle of:
«Thou shalt do thy own will: such shall be the whole Law»,
which was supplemented by the formula:
«Love is the law, love in harmony with the Will».
Each person was to determine his True Will and live in accordance with it. Subsequently, these principles and the text «of the Book of the Law» formed the basis of the religion of Thelema, although Crowley himself accepted the revelation of the New Age and his mission far from immediately. At first he chose to ignore many of the injunctions of «the Book of the Law» (such as the order to remove the Stele of Revelation from the museum or the command to translate «the Book of the Law» into all languages) and confined himself to sending typewritten copies of its text to a few occultists he knew.
on 29 June 1904, Crowley petitioned for admission to «Anglo-Saxon» Lodge No. 343, operating under a patent granted in 1899 by the Grand Lodge of France. In the petition he gives his name as «Aleister St Edward Crowley», and his occupation as «poet». Crowley was initiated as an Apprentice on 8 October 1904, promoted to the degree of Apprentice presumably the following month, and elevated to the degree of Master on 17 December 1904; his name appears in the «Yearbook» (Tableau annuel) of 31 December 1904, along with the Grand Lodge patent number (41210) and lodge number (54).
Kanchenjunga and China: 1905-1906
Back in Boleskine, Crowley decided that S.L. Macgregor Mathers was subjecting him to magic attacks out of jealousy of his success in the field of ceremonial Magic. Relations between the former brethren soured irreparably. on 28 July 1905, Rose Kelly gave birth to Crowley's first child, a daughter named Nuit-Ma-Ahathor-Hecate-Sapfo-Jesabel-Lilith (she was subsequently referred to only by her last name for simplicity), and Crowley wrote the pornographic «Snowdrops from the Priest's Garden» to entertain his convalescing wife. Crowley also founded a publishing house called «Society for the Propagation of Religious Truth»' (a parody of the missionary «Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge») and published several collections of poems and essays under its label, including «Sword of Song». These sold poorly, despite making a strong impression on many critics, and to stimulate interest among readers, Crowley announced a competition for the best essay on his poetry, setting a reward of £100 for the winner. The winner was J.F.C. Fuller (1878-1966), a British army officer and military historian, who stated in his essay «Star in the West» that Crowley was one of the greatest poets in all of human history.
Crowley decided to conquer another of the planet's greatest mountains, Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas, which climbers of the time called «the most treacherous mountain in the world». In May, Crowley travelled to India. The party he assembled included Dr Jaco-Guillarmo (a veteran of climbing K2 Peak) and several other Europeans, including two Swiss army officers Charles Adolphe Raymond and Alexis Pasch, as well as an Italian hotel manager «Darjeelings Drum Druid» Alcesti Rigo de Righi. They reached British India and in August 1905 began their ascent. During this expedition disputes arose more than once between Crowley and other members of the party, and one evening several of Crowley's companions revolted, finding him too imprudent, and left the camp. They decided to make the return journey at once without waiting for morning, although Crowley had warned them that it was too dangerous to go down in the dark. In the end, Pash and several of the porters were killed in an accident, which had a negative effect on Crowley's reputation.
After returning from this expedition, Crowley travelled to Calcutta, where he was joined by Rose and his daughter Lilith. After spending time in Moharbhanj, where he participated in a big game hunt, Crowley wrote a homoerotic treatise «Fragrant Garden». He soon had to leave India to avoid arrest: he wounded two locals who tried to rob him. After briefly visiting Bennett in Burma, who was living at this time in a monastery near Rangoon, Crowley and his family decided in December 1905 to make a journey to South China, hiring porters and a nanny for the purpose. Crowley smoked opium throughout the journey, which took him from Tengyue to Yunchang, Tali, Yunnanfu, and then to Hanoi. Along the way he spent much time on spiritual and magical work, reciting daily the «Ritual of the Unborn» - an invocation to his Sacred Guardian Angel. During one of the crossings, a remarkable incident occurred when Crowley fell off a 12 metre cliff with his pony and rolled down the slope, but was unharmed. This incident convinced him that the higher powers were keeping him for some great purpose, and he decided to devote himself fully to spiritual and magical work. After spending a few more months in China, he decided to return to Britain in March 1906.
Rose and Lilith travelled home by steamer via India, while Crowley preferred to visit the United States on the return journey, where he hoped to assemble a new team for another attempt to climb Kanchenjunga. Before leaving, he visited his long-time friend Elaine Simpson in Shanghai. Elaine became interested in the «Book of the Law» and the prophetic message contained therein, which Crowley had hitherto deliberately ignored. Together they successfully performed a ritual Invocation of Invocation Ayvass, and the latter commanded Crowley to:
«Go back to Egypt, to the same setting. There I will give you signs».
But Crowley did not follow Aiwass's instructions, leaving Shanghai on 21 April and heading for Japan and Canada and then New York, where he hoped to organise a second expedition to Kanchenjunga. En route, during a stopover in the Japanese port of Kobe, he was visited by a vision, which he interpreted as a sign that the great spiritual entities known as «Secret Leaders», were admitting him into the Third Order of the Golden Dawn. After arriving in the United States and failing to find companions for a mountaineering expedition, he travelled home and arrived in Britain on 2 June 1906.
A.A. and the Sacred Books of Thelema: 1907-1908
Upon returning to Britain, Crowley learnt that his daughter Lilith had died in Rangoon of typhoid fever and his wife had developed a severe form of alcoholism. Crowley was shaken to the core; his health was compromised and he had to undergo several surgical operations. He soon began a short-lived affair with the actress Vera Stepp («Lola» 1888-1953). She later appears as «Lola Daydream» in Crowley's short story «The Awakening World», first published in «Konx Om Pax» (1907). Faith also inspired Crowley's «Waterless Clouds» (1909). In the winter of 1906, Rose gave birth to his second daughter, who was given the name Lola Zaza and in honour of whose birth Crowley held a special ritual of thanksgiving.
Believing that he had risen to a sufficiently high level of spiritual adept, Crowley began to think about founding his own magical society. Support in this endeavour he was supported by his friend, the occultist George Cecil Jones, whom Crowley considered one of his two spiritual guides and teachers of magic (the other was Allan Bennett). With him, Crowley went on to perform the Rituals Abramelin at the «Ashdown Park Hotel» in Coulsdon, Surrey. As Crowley claimed, in doing so he achieved samadhi, union with the deity, which was a turning point in his life. The goal of the long-running Abramelin operation (described in a grimoire called the «The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Magician»), which Crowley had begun months before, was thus achieved. The result of this achievement was the Holy Books of Thelema, the first of which, «Liber VII», was recorded on 30 October 1907. A few days later, Crowley received the next Sacred Book - « The Book of the Heart Coiled by the Serpent».
While actively using hashish during these rituals, he wrote an essay «The Psychology of Hashish» in which he promoted the drug as a means of achieving mystical experiences. In January 1906, with Jones' consent, Crowley conferred the degree of Free Adept (7°=4°).
For the autumnal equinox on 22 September 1907, Jones and Crowley devised and performed a new ceremony based on the initiation ritual of Neophyte of the Golden Dawn. Crowley subsequently revised it and arranged it as «Liber 671» («Book of the Pyramid»). on 9 October the ritual was repeated with some changes.
Soon Crowley, Jones and a new friend, John Frederick Charles Fuller, whom Crowley had met in the late summer of 1906, decided to found a new magical order to succeed the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The new order, established in November 1907, was given the name A.'.A.'', which is usually deciphered as Argenteum Astrum (Latin: «Silver Star»). The group's headquarters and temple were located at 124 Victoria Street in central London. The rituals of the A.'.A. were largely based on those of the Golden Dawn, but with the addition of yoga, as well as Thelemic symbolism and ideas.
The inheritance Crowley had received was coming to an end. In an attempt to earn money, he took on George Montague Bennett, the seventh Earl of Tankerville (whom he met in February 1907), as his apprentice to help protect him from witchcraft. Realising that Tankerville's paranoia was based on his cocaine addiction, Crowley took him on holiday to France, Morocco and Spain to recover. In mid-May 1907, in the presence of Rose Kelly and Tankerville, Crowley took the oath of Master of the Temple (8°=3°). His motto in this degree was «Vi veri universum vivus vic» («By the Power of Truth I have conquered the universe while still alive»).
Upon returning from his journey to Britain, Crowley wrote several magical texts which were later called the «Holy Books of Thelema». According to Crowley's claim, he wrote them in a deep trance state. From October to December 1907, Crowley recorded «Liber LXVI», «Liber Arcanorum», «Liber Porta Lucis», «Liber Tau», «Liber Trigrammaton», and «Liber DCCCXIII vel Ararita».
Meanwhile, Crowley had an affair with Ada Leverson (1862 - 1933), a writer and former girlfriend of Oscar Wilde. Their magico-sexual experiments were described by Crowley in his «Liber LXVI: Liber Stellae Rubeae». This affair was short-lived: in February 1908, Crowley returned to his wife, who had temporarily recovered from her alcohol addiction, and went on holiday with her to Eastbourne.
But soon Rose had a relapse, and Crowley, who could not stand it when his wife was intoxicated, left for Paris on 28 April 1908, where he settled in «Hôtel de Blois» at 50 rue Vavin in the Latin Quarter. In 1909, doctors concluded that Rose was incurable and needed permanent hospitalisation. Crowley then finally decided to divorce her, but, not wanting her reputation to suffer, took the blame: by agreement with Rosa, divorce proceedings were instituted on Crowley's charge of adultery. on 24 November 1909, the court ordered their divorce. Lola was entrusted to Rose's care; the couple remained friends, and Rose continued to live in Boleskine. Crawley was made liable to pay alimony of £52 a year. During the divorce proceedings, Crawley wrote a poem «Rosa Decidua» which gives a poetic description of their situation. However, Rosa Kelly's alcoholism soon worsened and as a result she was placed in an institution in September 1911.
In 1907, Crowley also began charging students with whom he engaged in occult and magic practices. Victor Neuburg, a Jewish-born London poet whom Crowley met in February 1907, became his sexual partner and closest disciple; in 1908 the pair travelled through northern Spain before travelling to Tangier, Morocco.
To attract more applicants to the new order, Crowley decided to publish a journal «Equinox» with the subtitle «Review of Scientific illuminism». The first issue, published in 1909, contained works by Crowley, Fuller, and poetry by Victor Neuburg. Soon the A.''A.'' joined other occultists, including the lawyer Richard Noel Warren, the artist Ostin Osman Speir, Horace Sheridan-Bickers, writer George Raffalovich, Francis Henry Everard Joseph Bickers, engineer Herbert Edward Inman, Kenneth Ward, and Charles Stansfield Jones.
Crowley continued to write prolifically, producing such poetry as «Ambergris», «Waterless Clouds» and «Konx Om Pax». He also made his first attempt at writing an autobiography entitled «World Tragedy». Recognising the popularity of horror short stories, Crowley wrote his own, some of which were published, and also published several articles in «Vanity Fair», a magazine whose editor-in-chief at the time was Frank Harris, who admired Crowley and later wrote the famous book «My Life and Loves». In addition, Crowley compiled «Liber 777» - a book of magical and Kabbalistic correspondences, based on material obtained from Mathers and Bennett. It was published by him anonymously in 1909.
In October 1908, in Paris, Aleister Crowley was said to have attained samadhi again using the ritual method, and published an account of this work to show that his methodology was effective and that it was by no means necessary to become a hermit to achieve meaningful mystical results.
on 30 December 1908, using the pseudonym «Oliver Haddo», Crowley made accusations of plagiarism against Somerset Maugham, author of the novel «The Magician». Crowley's article was published in «Vanity Fair magazine». Maugham had indeed modelled Oliver Haddo, a character in his novel, on Crowley and subsequently, as Crowley claimed, privately admitted the plagiarism.
To destroy the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Crowley published in September 1909 in the second issue of «Equinox» the first six initiatory rituals of the Order (from Neophyte, 0°=0° to Lord of the Ways), in violation of his initiatory vows. Notably, shortly thereafter, a «black legend» about Aleister Crowley began to form, which haunted him for the rest of his life.
Algeria and the Eleusinian Mysteries: 1909-1911
on 18 November 1909, Crowley and Neuburg arrived in Algiers, travelling through the desert from El Arba to Omal, Bou Saad, and then to Mount Daleh-Addin, with Crowley reading the Koran daily. As Crowley claimed, in Omal he heard a voice ordering him to go into the desert and continue his magical work there. While travelling in the desert, Crowley and Neuburg conducted the work of ascension through 30 spiritual planes - the «Enochian» Ethers, information about which was first obtained by the British magicians John Dee and Edward Kelly in the late 16th century. The results of this work were recorded by Neuburg and presented in Crowley's book «Liber CDXVIII: Vision and Voice». After a ritual of sexual magic performed on top of a mountain, Crowley conducted an invocation to Demon Horonzon.
- Up to this point, sex and the occult had been separated in his view. Sex had belonged to the realm of the carnal; magic to the realm of the spiritual. Now, however, he saw that there was a definite relationship between the two. At this time Crowley began to realise sex as an adjunct to magic [2].
Crowley interpreted the outcome of his magical work as the passage of the Bath and the confirmation of the degree of Master of the Temple (8°=3°). This was, as Crowley later claimed, one of the three greatest achievements of his magical life. By the other two he meant «Book of the Law» and Operation Abramelin [3].
Upon returning to London in January 1910, Crowley discovered that Macgregor Mathers had sued him for publishing in «Equinox» the Golden Dawn materials, including initiation rituals written by Mathers. As Mathers did not have the means to litigate, the court ruled in favour of Crowley, reasoning that the court felt that the published materials could not have damaged Mathers himself or his reputation. The case was widely reported in the press, and Crowley gained even more notoriety. Crowley liked this, and spread rumours that he was a Satanist and a supporter of human sacrifice, although he was neither.
In 1910, John Yarker, on the recommendation of Theodore Reuss, sent Crowley his book «The School of Arcana» for review, and the review was published in «Equinox» for September 1910. The review contains some thoughts suggestive of the need for an Esoteric School in Freemasonry and of its precursors already existing:
«He [Yarker] has succeeded in repeatedly reaffirming his original premise of asserting the true antiquity of certain Masonic systems. One can clearly see a parallel here with Fraser's work tracing the history of the Murdered God.
But why is there no life in any of our Murdered God rituals? We must restore them with Word and Shaking.
We who possess the inner Knowledge, inherited or conquered, must restore the true rituals of Atis, Adonis, Osiris, Set, Serapis, Mitra and Abel».'
Yarker welcomed Crowley with open arms, readily acknowledging his Mexican 33rd degree and adding another 33rd degree to it on 29 November 1910, this time from the irregular Supreme Council of the Scottish Charter of Cerno, whose legitimacy and capacity Yarker had defended in print for decades. In addition, Yarker endowed him with similar degrees from other charters under his control - the 95° Charter of Memphis and the 90° Charter of Mitzraim. Reuss and Yarker had enough connections in the world of Irregular Freemasonry for Crowley to later remark: «From that point on, degrees literally rained down on me from everywhere, from Bucharest to Salt Lake City8. I have so many high-profile titles now, you can't count them. I am supposed to know so many secret signs, shrugs, passwords, «great words», steps, and so on, that one would not remember in a dozen lifetimes. An elephant would drop dead under the weight of the regalia I am entitled to wear. The natural result of all this was that like Alice, upon whom kings, queens, and all others sprinkled like a pack of cards, I awoke» (Crowley, Confessions, p. 629).
Crowley's prominence attracted new members to the A.A., including Frank Bennett, James Bailey, Herbert Close, and James Windram. In 1910, his mistress was the Australian violinist Leila Waddell, who took the name Sister Agatha in A.A.. Determined to extend his teachings to a wider audience, Crowley devised «Rites of Artemis», which would involve members of the A..A. impersonating various deities. They were first held at the A.A.s headquarters, where participants were served fruit punch containing peyote to enhance their experience. The event was attended by members of the press, who mostly left favourable reviews. In October and November 1910, Crowley conducted a series of dramatic rituals open to the public on the stage of London's Caxton Hall - «Eleusinian Mysteries», starring himself, Leila Waddell and Victor Neuburg. This time the reviews in the press were mixed.
In September 1910, the newspaper «The Looking Glass» («The Looking Glass») began a campaign against Crowley, accusing him of performing obscene rituals, hinting at Crowley's unusual sexual behaviour, citing as evidence a photograph of a kneeling Leila on Crowley's chest. Crowley's friends in his A.'.A.' order were also criticised. Allan Bennett was accused of being «a pathetic fraud pretending to be a Buddhist monk», George Cecil Jones was presented as a colleague of «Crowley's» Cult of Love. George Cecil Jones filed a libel suit against the newspaper, but Crowley, against John Fuller's advice, did not do so, although he was present in the courtroom. In April 1911, the court dismissed Jones' suit.
Crowley's refusal to support his friends led Bennett, Jones, Fuller, and Raffalovich to resign from the A.'.A.'. and cut off personal relations with him. Fewer and fewer people wanted to become members of the A.'.A.'.
«Equinox» continued to be published, in addition, Crowley published various books on literature and poetry, such as his own works «Ambergris», «The Winged Beetle» and «The Fragrant Garden», as well as «The Triumph of Pan» Neuburg and «The Whirlpool» Ethel Archer. In 1911, Crowley and Waddell holidayed in Montigny-sur-Loine, where Crowley wrote extensively, producing poems, short stories, plays, and 19 works on magic and mysticism, including the last two Holy Books of Thelema.
In the autumn of 1911, Crowley separated from Leila Waddell and in October met Mary Desti Sturges, who soon became his second (after Rosa Kelly) «Crimson Wife». During sexual and magical experiments with his new lover, named Sister Virakam, in November 1911 in Switzerland, Aleister Crowley, as he later wrote, was instructed by one of the Secret Teachers named Ab-ul-Diz to create a «book - Aba, and its number - IV» in Italy. Crowley began this work at the Villa Caldarazzo, located in Posilipo, near Naples. Quarrels soon began between Crowley and Mary Desti. They left for England, where they separated.
It was in «Book Four» that Crowley began to refer to magic by the word «magick» rather than «magic» to distinguish it from the stage magic of magicians.
Ordo Templi Orientis: 1912-1913
During the first half of 1912, Crowley lived in Paris and then London while writing «The Book of Lies». According to Crowley's account, in 1912 he was visited by Theodore Royss, then head of the Order of the Eastern Templars (Ordo Templi Orientis). Royss accused him of having revealed the secrets of the O.T.O. to Crowley in print; Crowley dismissed these accusations, stating that he had no knowledge of the Order's IXth degree, at which the initiates are informed of these secrets. In response, Reuss opened Crowley's latest book, «The Book of Lies», and pointed out the passage that contained the said secret. After a long conversation, Reuss granted Crowley the X (administrative) degree of O.T.O. and appointed him on 21 April 1912 «National Grand Master General of Great Britain and Ireland», that is, Grand Master O.T.O. for all English-speaking countries.
- '...The true story of Crowley's entry into the O.T.O. is much more prosaic. In early 1910, Crowley was sued by S.L. Mathers, then head of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Crowley intended to publish in the 3rd issue of «Equinox», scheduled for March 1910, the secret initiation ceremony of the Junior Adept of the Golden Dawn, and Mathers tried to prevent him. At his trial, Mathers indiscreetly declared himself head of the Rosicrucian order. When the story hit the newspapers, offers of help poured in on Crowley: he was sided with nearly every British and continental occult group that considered the true Rosencreutzers themselves. To strengthen Crowley's position against Mathers, many of these groups gave him all sorts of high-profile titles, dignities, and ranks at their disposal behind his eyes. And among these generous, though pesky givers was Theodore Reuss, who conferred upon Crowley - without any request from the latter - the honourable VII degree of O.T.O. <...> Over the next two or three years Crowley systematically worked his way up through the higher degrees of the O.T.O. and by 1912 had reached the IX°. At the same time he was granted the X°, signifying supremacy over the national branch of the Order. Thus he became Grand Master of the O.T.O. in the United Kingdom and founded one active lodge in England. The set of outer degrees of the O.T.O. in Britain was named «Mysteria Mystica Maxima» (M.'.M.'.M.'.M.).' [4]
- At a ceremony in Berlin, Crowley assumed the magical name «Baphomet» and was appointed by Reuss «as Supreme King X° and Sovereign Grand Master General of Ireland, Iona and all Britons».
It should be noted that by this time Crowley had all but lost interest in Freemasonry, but Roiss convinced Crowley that there were still a few people to whom Freemasonry meant much more and, more importantly, that Masonic rites concealed deep secrets of magic. With the permission of Theodore Reuss, Crowley began to promote the MMM and to rewrite many of the O.T.O.'s initiation rituals, which were then based largely on the Masonic tradition. Back in London, Crowley printed a manifesto and launched an advertising campaign to attract converts. The manifesto came in an expensive edition, was adorned with a photograph of Boleskine, and was written by Leila Waddell as secretary of Mysteria Mystica Maxima.
sword, scales and crown (degree of Master of the Temple, 8°=3°)
Royss issued him a patent, dated 21 April 1912, to «Aleister St Edward Crowley, 33°, 90°, 95°, X°». Yarker, apparently anticipating his imminent death, also granted Crowley a special dispensation (dispensation), dated 7 August 1912, «to replace and take charge of all pre-existing Masonic Authorities and, in particular, to revive the hitherto dormant London Chapter of the Ancient and Primordial Charter «Mount Sinai» and «Rose of Sharon». It was probably at the insistence of Yarker, who believed that a free mason of the Ancient and Primitive Charter, should be «a dues-indebted member of a lodge operating under a patent issued by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons», that Crowley made another attempt to establish links with regular Freemasonry. on 19 August 1912. Crowley appeared at London's «Freemasons' Hall» to visit Br. W.J. Songhurst, secretary of the lodge «Quatuor Coronati» #2076. Songhurst felt it necessary «to give timely and proper» notice of the meeting to Westcott: «You will probably be interested to know that Alistair MacArthur [sic!] Crowley came to see me yesterday. He showed me a patent certifying his membership of the Anglo-Saxon Lodge, operating in Paris under the Grand Lodge of France. He wants to join an English lodge, but I told him bluntly that if asked I should deny him the right to join any English lodge with which I had connections. I advised him to see the Grand Secretary and get official instructions from him, and he promised to do so. But on going there the same day, only later, I learned that he had already visited them early last week and they had told him exactly the same thing as I had (Letter from W.J. Songhurst to W. Wynne Westcott, dated 20 August 1912, private collection «From»).
In March 1913, Crowley inducted Leila Waddell into a musical revue «The Ragged Ragtime Girls», which consisted of six women violinists in addition to her. The first performance was given at London's «Old Tivoli Theatre» on 3 March 1913. In June of the same year the revue went on a six-week tour to Russia. While in Russia, Crowley attended a fair in Nizhny Novgorod and there drew inspiration for the poem «Merry Fair», also in Moscow he wrote the poem «Grad Bozhiy», «Hymn to Pan», which thirty-four years later was recited at his funeral, and «Gnostic Mass» («Liber XV»), which is still regularly celebrated in Telemite communities to this day.
Returning to London in the summer of 1913, Crowley published the 10th and final issue of the first volume of «Equinox». After a legal battle with the newspaper «Mirror» the ranks of A.'.A.'. members thinned, but in late 1913 they were replenished again. Among the newcomers were Nina Hamnett, prominent social activist Gwendolyn Otter, future predictor Earl Lewis Hamon, known by the stage name Heiro [5].
Also during this period a struggle over the legacy of John Yarker, who had died on 20 March 1913, came to a head, and in a bitter skirmish Crowley managed to disrupt the meeting of the Power Sanctuary of the British Federation of the Ancient and Original Charter of Memphis-Mitzraim on 28 June in Manchester in order to reconvene it on 30 June in his London studio and ensure the election of his protégé Henry Meyer as International Grand Master. The cause of Crowley's conflict with the charter leadership was the rumour that J.I. Yarker's planned successor. Wedgwood, who was also Grand Secretary of the British Federation of the International Masonic Mixed Order (which had split off from the French branch «of the Rights of Man»), together with its leader Annie Besant, also one of the leaders of the Theosophical Society, «had bought» the Ancient and Original Charter and planned to turn it into an instrument of service «to the new Messiah» Krishnamurti chosen» by them «. This meeting marked the beginning «of the silanum» Charter of Memphis Mitzraim in Great Britain, because Crowley's task was to unite all «the organisations of the initiated» into a single system under the auspices of the O.T.O. and the existence of a separate esoteric Masonic Charter was not adequate to this task. At the same time he again appealed to the United Grand Lodge of England with a strong disassociation from the Grand Lodge of France because of its contacts with the International Masonic Mixed Order. However, he received no response.
on 1 January 1914 in Paris, Crowley and Victor Neuburg conducted the first ritual of 24 operations, during which they made invocations of Jupiter and Mercury. During the ritual, the couple performed acts of sexual magic, sometimes joined by journalist Walter Duranty. Inspired by this work, Crowley wrote five secret instructions for O.T.O. members of the higher degrees, including - «Liber Agapé» - a treatise on sexual magic. An account of this operation later became known as «Book of the Art of High Magic», or «Paris Work». After about eight months, Neuburg had a nervous breakdown; a quarrel and separation from Crowley ensued, after which they never met again.
USA: 1914-1918
By early 1914, Crowley's financial situation was quite difficult. He had almost completely squandered his financial fortune, and the house in Boleskine had been mortgaged by him in May 1914. Crowley lived on a subsistence basis, relying mainly on donations from A.'.A.'. members and contributions from O.T.O. members. In July, Crowley made a mountaineering trip to the Swiss Alps. At this time, World War I was breaking out. Crowley tried to obtain a paid position in the intelligence or propaganda services, but was turned down. Frustrated by this, in October 1914 Crowley travelled to the United States aboard the liner «Lusitania».
While in the United States, Crowley took up residence in a hotel in New York and for a time attempted to write articles for the American press. In February 1915, Leila Waddell came to visit him from Britain. Due to lack of funds, from early 1915 Crowley began to co-operate with the pro-German press. In January 1915, the German-American writer and poet George Sylvester Virek hired him as a contributor to his propaganda newspaper «The Fatherland» («The Fatherland»), dedicated to preserving U.S. neutrality in the conflict (he later claimed, when he returned to England after the war, that he did so in consultation with British intelligence). In late 1916 he spoke in favour of the execution of suspected spy nurse Edith Cavell, in 1917 he discussed the possibility of Britain becoming a German colony, supported the use of submarines (at the time their use was thought to be against the rules of warfare), and stated that «Lusitania» should be considered a warship [6]
While in the United States, Crowley declared himself an Irish nationalist in favour of Irish independence from Britain. on 3 July 1915, outside the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Crowley, along with Leila Waddell and several journalists, defiantly tore up what should have been - but was not - his British passport, throwing it into the Hudson River with the words: «Ireland forever!». A report of the incident appeared in the New York Times.
Richard B. Spence in his book «Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence and the Occult» (2008) attempts to prove that Crowley was an agent of British intelligence for many years. According to his version, this co-operation began as a student, during his travels to Russia and Switzerland, and continued later, in trips to Asia, Mexico and North Africa. But to active work in this direction, Crowley began only in the United States during the First World War - as an agent provocateur, acting as a propagandist for Germany and supporter of Irish independence. His mission was to gather information about the German intelligence network and independent Irish activists, to discredit the pro-German and pro-Irish movements in America. Spence claims that Crowley had a hand in the sinking of the British passenger liner «Lusitania» (this passenger ship was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May 1915, which turned public opinion in many countries against Germany and ultimately contributed to the US entering the war on the side of the British); to some plot to overthrow the Spanish government; to the failure of Irish and Indian nationalist plots; to the creation of the Communist International; and to Rudolf Hess's «mission» in 1941. Crowley also published in the German magazines «Futherland» and «International», using them not only to spread pro-German sentiment but also as a mouthpiece for the teachings of Thelema. Whether Crowley was an intelligence agent remains an open question, but Spence cites documentary evidence to support that he did work for the British intelligence services. However, the British intelligence services themselves have never confirmed their co-operation with Crowley.
In the spring of 1917, British police searched the London office of the O.T.O. and A.'.A.'. at 93 Regent Street and confiscated many documents.
During his stay in the United States, Crowley carefully carried out the task of Master of the Temple A.'.A.'. - interpreted each apparition as a special address from God to his soul. The women he encountered during that time he regarded as servants in the ongoing ritual of his self-dedication to the degree of Mage A.A.' (accepted 12 October 1915), likening them to Egyptian priestesses wearing animal masks: Cat, Snake, Monkey, Dog, Camel, Owl and Ape [7].
In June 1915, Crowley met Jean Robert Foster and her friend, journalist Hellen Hollis, whom he called respectively «Cat» and «Snake». With both of them he developed romantic relationships. Foster was a well-known New York City model, poet, journalist, and married woman. Crowley initiated her into the A.'.A.', giving her the name Sisters Hilarion, and she became his third «Crimson Wife» (after Rose Kelly and Mary Desty). On the day of the autumnal equinox in 1915, Crowley and Jean Foster performed several ceremonies of sexual magic, the result of which was supposed to be the appearance of a magical son on the day of the summer solstice in 1916. This did not happen, however, and they separated at the end of 1915. But when, in the summer of 1916, A.'.A.'. and O.T.O. member from Vancouver Charles Stansfield Jones sent Crowley a telegram informing him that he had decided to «take the degree of 8°=3°, in case that was what the Master required», the latter interpreted this to mean that Jones was his «magical child». In the early 1920s, however, they quarrelled and were no longer in contact.
In 1915, Crowley visited Vancouver, where he met Wilfred Smith, Brother 132, a member of the Vancouver Lodge O.T.O. (Smith later founded lodge «Agape» in Southern California with Crowley's permission in 1930).
In early 1916, Crowley's mistress was Alice Richardson, wife of Ananda Coomaraswamy, one of the foremost art historians of the period. Richardson was a singer and performed on stage with East Indian compositions under the pseudonym «Ratan Devi». Crowley gave her the name «Monkey» and tried to conceive a child with her. However, she miscarried and they broke up.
A period of magical experiments followed. The first began in June 1916, when Crowley took up residence in the New Hampshire cottage of Evangeline Adams and began writing a textbook on astrology, later published in two books under her name. In his diary for that period, he expresses dissatisfaction with the discrepancy between his view of the Magician's degree and what he himself represents:
«There is no point in trying to achieve any material results; for I have not the means to do so. But if I dare to achieve them, that will change».
At the same time Crowley wrote several short stories based on the work of J. Fraser «The Golden Bough» and a literary-critical work «The Gospel of Bernard Shaw»'.
Returning to «Adams Cottage» in late July 1916 after a break taken in Boston, Crowley studied «The Psychology of the Unconscious» Karl Gustav Jung, concluding: «I think I see a way to easily attain samadhi by means of Jung's theories»' [8].
Despite his dislike of the very idea of animal sacrifice, he decided to play out the drama of the life of Jesus, crucifying a Toad in the process, and then declaring it his voluntary familiars-assuming, «that some heinous offence against all the laws of my essence would reverse my karma or dispel the enchantments by which I am bound». A month or so later he was visited by a vision of the universe consistent with the notions of modern scientific cosmology - the so-called «Vision of the Star Sponge» which he often referred to in his later writings.
on 9 December 1916, Crowley moved to New Orleans, his favourite city in the United States. In New Orleans, Crowley began his novel «Moonchild» and short story «Not the Life and Adventures of Sir Roger Bloxham», which included autobiographical and sex-magical material. He spent February 1917 at his evangelical Christian relatives in Titusville, Florida. Returning to New York City, he moved in with artist and A.A.'member. Leon Engers Kennedy, where he learned of his mother's death on 6 May. After the collapse of «The Fatherland» magazine, Crowley continued his association with Virek, who appointed him assistant managing editor of the art magazine «The International». Crowley used it to promote the ideas of Thelema, but publication soon ceased. At the same time he wrote «Liber Aleph» («The Book of Wisdom and Folly»), addressed to his «magical child» Charles Stansfield Jones. At that time Crowley was also engaged in systematising the rituals of the O.T.O. During 1917 and 1918 Crowley communicated with Anna Catherine Miller, whom he called «Dog» or «Anubis».
After his breakup with Anna Miller, Crowley moved into the studio flat of Roddy Mynor (The Sisters of Achita), who became his next mistress and «Crimson Wife». Roddy was divorced from her husband, and Crowley called her «The Camel». During the magical rituals that began on 4 January 1918, called «Works of Amalantra», Roddy Minor experienced a series of visions through which Crowley, he believed, made contact with a spirit who introduced himself as a magician named Amalantra. Crowley set out the information gained from these writings in «Liber 729». As he wrote about it afterwards:
«...after many questions I obtained from the magician of Amalantra a name, Olun, equal to One Hundred, Fifty and Six, as is the Name of our Lady BABALON».
Crowley also believed that, through «The Work of Amalantra», they were contacted by a supernatural entity called LAM.
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In the summer of 1918, Crowley went to a magical retreat on Aesop's Island on the Hudson River. Here he began translating «Tao De Jing», painted red with Thelemic slogans on coastal rocks, and, as he later claimed, gained visions of his past incarnations (as the famous Taoist Ge Xuan, Pope Alexander VI, Alessandro Cagliostro, and Eliphas Levi), although he never stated with certainty exactly how they were to be understood, whether literally or metaphorically. Toward the end of this magical recluse, Crowley experienced a profound shock at some revelation «of Chinese wisdom», compared to which even Thelema seemed insignificant to him. Nevertheless, he continued his work.
Back in New York, Crowley moved to Greenwich Village, where he began a love affair with 35-year-old Leah Hirsig, who also became his «Crimson Wife». He took up painting as a hobby, exhibiting his work at the «Greenwich Village Liberal Club», reviews of which were published in the «New York Evening World». With financial support from sympathetic Freemasons, Crowley revived «Equinox», producing the first issue of Volume III, known as «Blue Equinox». In it was printed a colour portrait of Crowley, a reproduction from a painting by Leon Kennedy. Also included in this issue were «Hymn to Pan», which Crowley had written in Moscow in 1913, and an open letter inviting people to become members of the O.T.O. He spent the middle of 1919 on holiday climbing rocks in Montauk before returning to London in December. Throughout his stay in the U.S.A. Crowley made one last attempt to bridge the gap between his organisations and regular Freemasonry, but was not successful, primarily because of the assertion that all Masonic degrees, charters and ranks could only be absorbed by membership of the O.T.O. and not recognised as such.
«Thelema Abbey»: 1920-1923
Returning to England in December 1919, Crowley faced a negative reaction from the press, which criticised him for his pro-German activities during the war. The newspaper «John Bull» in an article «Another traitor defeated - the career and conviction of the infamous Aleister Crowley» dated 10 January 1920 accused him of high treason and of being an agitator for Irish separatists. In January of that year, Crowley moved to Paris, renting a house in Fontainebleau. on 10 January 1920, Leah Hirsig arrived in Paris from Switzerland with her son Hans. There, on 27 February 1920, they had a daughter Anna-Lia, nicknamed «Poupé». At Fontainebleau, Crowley met Ninette Chamway, whom he took first as a governess and later made his mistress.
Crowley had the idea of forming a community of Thelemites, which he called the «Abbey of Thelema», similar to the «Abbey of Thelema» (French: l'Abbaye de Thélème) described in the satirical novel «Gargantua and Pantagruel» François Rabelais. In this community he not only intended to realise his ideas, but also saw it as a refuge from the big world. On 1 March, having performed a divination on «I Ching», he decided to establish a community in the small Sicilian village of Cefalù (forty miles from Palermo, Italy). Crowley, along with Leah Hirsig, Ninette Shumway and the children, arrived in Cefalù on 31 March 1920. In the village they were advised to rent the old Villa Santa Barbara to accommodate them there.
The first day of the Abbey of Thelema (also known as Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum or Villa Santa Barbara) can be considered 2 April, when Crowley, Ninette and the children moved in. Leah Hirsig arrived twelve days later. The lease for Villa Santa Barbara, where the abbey was housed, was signed by Sir Alastor de Kerval (Crawley) and Countess Leah Harcourt (Leah Hirsig). During her stay at the Abbey, Leah took the magical name «Alostrael». The «Telem Abbey they founded» was also a magical school called «Collegium ad Spiritum Sanctum» - «College of the Holy Spirit». The curriculum at this school was aligned with the A.A. system and included daily worship of the Sun according to «Liber CC. Resh vel Helios» («Book of Resh»), study of Crowley's writings, regular practice of yoga, ritual magic and keeping a magical diary. There was also a Gnostic Mass held at «Telem Abbey» . For the rest of the day, the inhabitants of «Abbey» could go about their own business. While at «Abbey», Aleister Crowley continued to paint, wrote a commentary on «The Book of the Law», and edited the third part of «Book 4».
From time to time Crowley travelled to Palermo to visit tenants and buy supplies, including drugs; heroin addiction began to dominate his life and cocaine began to destroy his nasal cavity. « Telem Abbey» had no cleaning schedule, feral dogs and cats roamed around, and there was a lot of filth around.
Leah Hirsig brought to «Telem Abbey» not only a daughter with Crowley, but also her two-year-old son, Hans, and Ninette Shumway (Sister Cyprida), a three-year-old son named Howard. Crowley gave the boys nicknames «Dionysus» and «Hermes». When Leah's daughter, Pupe, died on 14 October 1920, Crowley sank into deep grief. Meanwhile, six days later, Leah Hirsig suffered a miscarriage. She suspected that Chamway had faked her miscarriage with black magic; Crowley found confirmation of this in Ninette's magical diary and banished her from the Abbey, but soon allowed her to return. on 26 November 1920, Ninette Shumway gave birth to a daughter by Crowley, who was named «Astarte Lulu Panthea». The first word was the name of a prostitute believed to be one of Crowley's former incarnations.
New followers continued to arrive at «abbey», to be trained by Crowley. Among them was the film actress Jane Wolfe, who arrived in July 1920. She was initiated into the A.'.A. and became Crowley's secretary. Another visitor was Cecil Frederick Russell, who had met Crowley in New York. He often argued with Crowley and left him after a year. Australian telemite Frank Bennett spent several months at «Abbey». Guests and residents of the community at one time also included the English writer Mary Butts and her friend Cecil Maitland, Norman Mudd and others.
In 1921, Aleister Crowley initiated himself into the tenth (last) degree of A.'.A., becoming «Perfect» (10°=1°). In November 1921, Crowley quarrelled with Theodore Reuss and declared himself the Outer Head of the O.T.O..
In February 1922, Crowley returned to Paris to conduct a retreat in an unsuccessful attempt to kick his heroin addiction. He then travelled to London in search of money, where he published articles in «The English Review», criticising «The Dangerous Drugs Act» 1920 («The Dangerous Drugs Act», 1920).
on 4 June 1922, Aleister Crowley began dictating to Leah Hirsig «Diary of a Druggist». The 121,000-word novel was written in 27 days and was a success. It was Crowley's first commercial book, which he did not have to pay to publish. The novel received mixed reviews. The «Times Literary Supplement» characterised the novel as «a phantasmagoria of ecstasy and despair, and an empty and verbose», «Observer» stated, that «human degradation» is described in the book with «appealing» power, and «Daily Gerald» noted that «the book is not a pleasant» [9]. The tabloid «The Sunday Express» («The Sunday Express») criticised Aleister Crowley and called for his book to be burned.
on 26 November 1922, a young Thelemic Raul Loveday arrived at «Thelema Abbey» with his wife Betty May (Betty May), whom Crowley had met back in 1914. Crowley initiated Loveday into the A.'.A. and gave him the name «Aur», which means «magical light». While Raul Loveday was devoted to Crowley, Betty May hated Crowley and life in the community. She later claimed that Loveday was forced to drink the blood of a sacrificed cat and that they were required to cut themselves with razors every time they used the pronoun «I».
on 14 February 1923, Raoul Loveday died of acute gastroenteritis. Back in England, Betty May claimed it was caused by the blood of a cat that Raoul had drunk. Crowley himself claimed that Loveday died because he had drunk water from a polluted stream despite his warning. Upon returning to Britain, Betty May recounted the circumstances of Loveday's death to the newspaper staff «Sunday Express». Based on her story, an article appeared, the headline of which was carried on the front page on 25 February: «Horrific new revelations about Aleister Crowley. The death of a recent student cunningly lured into the 'abbey'. The suffering of his young wife. Crowley's plans».
Continuing the campaign against Crowley, the newspaper «John Bull» proclaimed Crowley «the most evil man in the world» and «the man we would like to hang». Although Crowley considered these accusations to be libel, he could not afford the legal fees to challenge them in court. After a negative campaign about it in newspapers in many countries around the world, Crowley was summoned to the local police station on 23 April 1923 and served with a written order to leave the country. After Crowley's departure, some of his followers remained at the villa, but eventually the owner of the house demanded to vacate the premises and the Abbey was closed.
After Abbey: 1923-1945
Tunisia, Paris and London: 1923-1929
on 30 April, Aleister Crowley and Leah Hirsig left Cefalù for Palermo. The next day they boarded a ship bound for Tunisia, France, and arrived there on 2 May. At first Crowley hoped that their stay there would be temporary, the order to leave Italy would be cancelled, and he and Leah could return. However, this did not happen. Suffering from ill health, Crowley again tried unsuccessfully to give up heroin, began work on his «Confessions», and made various plans to spread the teachings of Thelema.
At this time he was also contemplating several strange plans, including a trip to Cairo in conjunction with J.-F.-C. Fuller for the purpose of removing (such was the euphemism Crowley applied to the word «steal») the Ankh-f-n-Khonsu stela from the Cairo Museum. And as a man accustomed to correspondence, Crowley also wrote to King George V with a proposal to organise a crusade and to Trotsky with the exact opposite idea of leading an international anti-Christian movement [10].
In July, Crowley was visited by Norman Mudd, who assisted him financially and acted as his secretary to him. At Crowley's direction, Mudd wrote letters to various media outlets demanding Crowley's rehabilitation. The letters emphasised that Crowley had been undeservedly slandered, followed by a request for support, mainly of a financial nature. on 29 December 1923, leaving Mudd and Hirsig in Tunisia, Crowley travelled to Nice, France, where he met Frank Harris, underwent a series of operations on his nasal cavity, and then settled in Paris.
In February 1924, while in France, Crowley visited Gurdjieff's «Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man» in Fontainebleau. He never met Gurdjieff himself, but in his diary he called him «a remarkable man». It is true that some of the methods and principles «of the» Institute caused him to condemn him, but he doubted that the information given to him by a disciple named Pindar accurately reflected his teacher's views. According to some claims, Crowley visited «the Institute» one more time and did see Gurdjieff, who gave him a very cold reception. Crowley's biographer, Sutin, is sceptical of this information, while Gurdjieff's disciple Charles Stanley Nott (1887-1978) offers a different version: in his memoirs he condemns Crowley as «a black magician» or at least an ignoramus, and also states that his teacher «kept a vigilant eye» on his guest, but makes no mention of any open confrontation between them.
In the autumn of 1924, Crowley separated from Leah Hirsig. His new «Crimson Wife» was a 32-year-old American Dorothy Olsen, whom he initiated into the A.A.. giving her the name Astrid'. In late September 1924, Crowley took Olsen to Tunisia for a magical retreat in Nefta. During this journey he wrote a short declaration of the Law of Thelema, which was entitled «To Man» but became known as «The Mediterranean Manifesto». The purpose of this document was to lead to the acceptance of Thelema by two of the most important of the esoteric organisations contemporary with it: the various national branches of the Order of the Eastern Templars and the Theosophical Society. O.T.O. was a small and not overly influential order at the time. The Theosophical Society, on the other hand, was the largest of the non-Christian religious brotherhoods of the West, but after the death of E.P. Blavatsky it had clearly lost its spiritual guidance. In this document, Crowley publicly declared himself for the first time as «spiritual world teacher» who had been commissioned to bring Thelema to humanity. He also continued to campaign against the young Indian Jiddu Krishnamurti, whom the leaders of the Theosophical Society Annie Besant and Charles Webster Ledbiter were also nominating for the role. Despite European media coverage, Crowley's campaign was not successful.
After spending the winter in Paris, Crowley and Olsen returned to Tunisia in the spring of 1925, where Crowley wrote «Heart of the Master», in which he recounts visions he experienced in a trance. In March, Olsen became pregnant, and Hirsig was called upon to take care of her. But Olsen suffered a miscarriage, after which Crowley took her back to France. Later, Hirsig withdrew from Crowley and stopped communicating with him.
In the summer of 1925, a conference was held in Hohenleiben, near Weida, Germany, during which a new Outer (International) Head of the O.T.O. The initiator of the conference, Heinrich Trenker, who had headed the O.T.O. in Germany, invited Crowley to formally head the O.T.O., as well as various organisations within the Pansophic Movement, on the recommendation of Jones. Heinrich and Helena Trenker attended the conference; Karl Hermer, who was acting as Trenker's secretary and editor at the time, Martha Künzel, Albin Grau Ougen Grosje, Oskar Hopfer, Crowley himself and his followers Dorothy Olsen, Leah Hirsig, Norman Mudd.
The results of the conference were mixed. The positions of those present were divided on the principle of their attitude towards Crowley's teachings and the «Book of the Law», of which most of them had only hearsay knowledge («Book of the Law» had by then only recently been translated into German). There were also personal conflicts. Martha Künzel and Karl Germer took Crowley's side. Trenker, Grau, Hopfer and Bierwen concluded that the Pansophic Lodge should be independent of Master Therion. Grosje initially allied himself with Crowley, but quarrelled with Germer and eventually decided to remain independent as well. Crowley felt that this conference confirmed his claim to the position of Outer Chapter of the O.T.O., although later, in 1925, Trenker attempted to lay claim to the title of Outer Chapter of the O.T.O. himself, but does not appear to have received widespread support.
After the conference, Aleister Crowley moved to Paris, where he separated from Dorothy Olsen in 1926.
After her, Crowley's life flashed through a string of rapidly changing contenders for the role of the Scarlet Woman. Among them were Ninette («a real Negro from Martinique», not to be confused with Ninette Shumway), Catherine («a magnificent vamp woman») and Margaret Binetti, whom Crowley met in the late summer of 1926, proposed marriage to him and even became engaged, but on 6 February 1927 he abandoned her, «consigning to the flames her talisman, dedicated to Jupiter and intended to protect her». «With her rigidity, callousness, hypocrisy and mendacity, she will end badly»," Crowley wrote of her. According to Crowley's own count, in January 1927 he had six white and three black mistresses at the same time, but he «rejected them one by one»' [11]
In December 1927, Aleister Crowley met Gerald York, who soon joined the A.A.' order. York took over the management of Crowley's finances. He set up a fund and invested £400 in the publication of Crowley's books, hoping thereby to restore his good name in the public eye. From the same fund York paid Crowley weekly £ 10. In addition, Yorke sent to the remaining eight members of the order A.'.A.'. (Jacoby, Wolfe, Olsen, Smith, et al.) administrative reminders to contribute to the Order's treasury, but only Jacoby and Smith regularly sent $20 per month. Thus, the brunt of Crowley's financial support fell on the Hermer couple. Nevertheless, this support was enough for Crowley to afford a furnished flat in Paris.
In late 1928, Israel Regardie came to visit Crowley in Paris, hoping that Crowley could teach him magic. However, Crowley did not train Regardie in magic, preferring to use him as his secretary for three years.
In December 1928, Crowley met a Nicaraguan woman Maria de Miramar, who had already been married and had a child. In 1929, the French government cancelled Crowley's right of residence in France, where he had lived since 1923. The reason for this was apparently that the French authorities did not like Crowley's reputation and rumours that he was a German agent. on 9 March, Crowley and Maria de Miramar and Israel Regardie, who shared a flat with him, were ordered to leave France within 24 hours. So that Miramar could join him in Britain, Crowley married her on 16 August 1929 in Leipzig.
That same year, 1929, Crowley managed to publish his most famous work «Magic in Theory and Practice» at the Paris publishing house «Lecram Press». The publication of the book was paid for by Hermer and Yorke. After leaving France, Crowley stopped briefly in Belgium, and from there travelled to England, where he settled in a country house in Kent. Then, in 1929, the London publisher «Mandrake Press» agreed to publish in a limited edition of six volumes autobiography Crowley, recorded under dictation by Leah Hirsig. «Mandrake Press» has also agreed to publish his novel «Moonchild» and short story collection «Stratagem» («Stratagem»). The publisher «Mandrake Press» was liquidated in November 1930 before it was possible to publish «Crowley's Confessions» in its entirety. The owner of «Mandrake» Reginald Stevensen, meanwhile, wrote and published «The Legend of Aleister Crowley» in which, after analysing media reports about Crowley, he attempted to debunk the «black legend» that had developed about him.
In 1930, Crowley separated from Miramar, but the divorce was not formalised. In July 1931 Miramar was committed to the «Colney Hatch» mental institution in New Southgate, where she remained until her death, a period of thirty years.
Berlin and London: 1930-1938
In April 1930, Crowley sent his passport documents to the USSR consul, probably hoping to visit the Soviet Union. But this trip did not materialise. on 1 August 1930, Crowley arrived in Germany, where in Berlin he communicated with Carl Germer and other acquaintances, discussing the prospects of publishing his books and plans to hold exhibitions of his paintings in several German cities. He remained in Berlin from September 1930 until mid-1932, where he met the Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler, as well as the writers Christopher Isherwood and Oldos Huxley.
As Crowley later wrote:
We need a headquarters here to organise translations, promote the production of plays and films and so on [12].
on 23 April 1930, he met Arnold Krumm-Heller in the Berlin flat of Henri Birven', who had previously, in a letter of 1928, suggested that he should publicise his ideas in the Spanish-speaking countries of South America in order to expand his organisation. However, closer co-operation did not occur. Also in Germany, Crowley met the 19-year-old model and artist Hanni Yeager, who became his next mistress. Soon Crowley and Yeager briefly returned to London. And as early as September 1930, he and Yeager travelled to Lisbon, where Crowley met the poet Fernando Pessoa, who translated into Portuguese his poem «Hymn to Pan».
In Portugal, Crowley had a falling out with Hanni Yeager, who broke off relations with him and returned to Germany. Probably to force her to return, Crowley, with the help of Pessoa, staged his own suicide on the cliffs of Boca do Inferno («Hellmouth»), leaving «suicide note»: '
'«I cannot live without you. Other "Mouths of Devil" will consume me, but they won't be as hot as yours! Hjsos! Tu Li Yu!» [13].
Crowley actually went to Germany, where he read reports of his death in the newspapers.
Three weeks later, on 11 October, he announced himself to the public in Berlin at the opening of his art exhibition at the Neumann-Nierendorf Gallery. Fifty-one of Crowley's paintings were on display. They were in keeping with the fashion for German Expressionism; few were sold, but press reports were mostly favourable.
In an effort to settle things with Hanni, Crowley declared her his final Scarlet Woman, but there was still no stability in their relationship. In his diary, Crowley notes that Hannie has bouts of melancholy, that she cries often, is constantly ill (her poor health was exacerbated by drugs and alcohol) and that quarrels often break out between them [14].
Yeager soon left Crowley. on 3 August 1931, on a boulevard in Berlin, Crowley met 36-year-old Bertha Busch, who became his mistress. He moved in with her and dedicated her as the next great harlot «of the Beast 666».
Throughout the 1930s, Crowley periodically worked for British counter-intelligence, supplying information on communists, German nationalists, Nazis and occult fraternities linked to some Gestapo-type organisation. Eventually, Crowley became a real spy, although this work did not occupy all of his time [15].
In 1932, Crowley left Bertha Busch and returned from Germany to England, where he remained until his death [16.
His health was undermined by constant drug use. Despite his literary activities, he remained dependent on the financial support of his students. In August 1933, Crowley had a new «Crimson Wife» in England - Pearl Brooksmith, the 35-year-old widow of a naval officer. She helped Crowley produce a new edition of «The Book of the Law» and gave him money to live on while York and Germer became increasingly estranged from him. In gratitude for this, Crowley granted her the copyright to his book of Simon Iffe stories.
In 1934, in need of money, Crowley took legal action against people he believed had slandered him. Some of these ended successfully for the plaintiff. However, when Crowley tried to take legal action against artist and former A.'.A. member. Nina Hamnett, who in her book «The Laughing Torso» (1932) critically described life at the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalù, passed on rumours that a child had disappeared there and engaged in «black magic»], the suit was dismissed and the legal costs were borne by Crowley himself. What began as a minor libel trial ended as a trial of Crowley himself. Judge Swift in his address to the jury stated:
«For over forty years now I have laboured in one capacity or another in the service of the law. I thought I had seen every conceivable and inconceivable variety of vice. I thought I had seen every evil of which man was capable. However, during this process I realised that I had learnt to live and learn. I had never heard of such disgusting, horrible, sacrilegious and vile things as were done by this man (Crowley), who introduces himself to you as the greatest living poet» [17].
The court cases exacerbated Crowley's financial problems and he was declared bankrupt on 14 February 1935. The total amount owed was £4,695 8 shillings 1 pence. During the court hearing, it emerged that Crowley had spent three times more money than he earned for several years.
In 1936 Crawley entered into a love affair with Deirdre Patricia O'Doherty («Deirdre»), whom he had met two years earlier. on 2 May 1937, she bore him a son, Randall Geirr, whom Crowley called «Alistair Ataturk». Patricia did not seek to play any mystical or religious role in Crowley's life, and after the birth of their child they met - by mutual consent - only occasionally.
In 1936, Crowley published his first book in six years «Equinox of the Gods», which contained a facsimile of «The Book of the Law» and was considered Volume III, No. 3 «Equinox». The book sold well, resulting in a second printing.
In 1937 he gave a series of public lectures on yoga in Soho, from which the book «Eight Lectures on Yoga» was compiled and published in 1939. Crowley now lived primarily on donations provided by the lodge «Agape» O.T.O. in California.
...there remained a small circle of those who were still interested in him. They were attracted by his erudition, the sharpness and power of his mind, his remarkable ability as a chess player, his sense of humour, and the inherent honesty that lurked beneath the guise of a daring and often even greedy man. He had a beautiful voice, rich in tonal shades, a fine vocabulary (which he possessed so well that in conversation he rarely resorted to banal phrases and almost never repeated himself). In addition, he had a great propensity for complex word games and the use of phraseology. Despite all his sins, Crowley never sought to hide anything: he was exactly as he appeared from the outside. He never tried to pretend to be something other than what he really was, to present himself as something other than what he felt he was. There was one condition in dealing with Crowley. He was not to be talked to about magic. [18].
In 1937, he met Frieda Harris and with her developed a deck of «Tarot of Thoth». In March 1939, Crowley met Dion Fortune for the first time. By then she had already used him as a prototype for one of the characters in her novel '«The Winged Bull» (1935), the black magician Hugo Astley.
Crowley still devoted much time to the needs of the O.T.O., of which he was the official head. He kept in touch with branches of the organisation throughout the world, and accepted new members into the Order, although the British branch of the O.T.O. was small in size, and the A.'.A.'. organisation was dormant. When Crowley left for America in 1914, the members of the A.'.A.'. greatly reduced their activity, and in 1917 the organisation ceased to exist immediately after the police paid a visit to the organisation's head office in Regent Street [19].
Crowley during World War II: 1939-1945
When World War II broke out, Crowley wrote to the British Naval Intelligence Division offering his services but was refused. At the time, Crowley was in contact with various members of the British intelligence community including Dennis Wheatley, Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming and Maxwell Knight and claimed to be behind the sign «V - victory», first used by the BBC. However, this has never been proven.
Ian Fleming (the future creator of James Bond) and other employees «MI-5» suggested that Crowley participate in the ideological struggle against Nazi Germany by supplying Rudolf Hess with fake horoscopes through a British agent, and at the same time with disinformation about a fictitious pro-German group supposedly operating in Britain. However, the government abandoned the plan because Hess flew to Scotland in a plane that crashed on the heaths near Eaglesham and surrendered as a prisoner. Fleming advised using Crowley in Hess's interrogations to find out with his help how trustworthy astrology was to other Nazi leaders (such a suggestion may have been in jest), but the leadership rejected this idea as well.
In 1940, Crowley's chronic asthma worsened and, as German-made drugs were unavailable, he returned to heroin use, becoming addicted again. In London, Crowley was visited by an American telemite Grady McMurtry, to whom Crowley gave the magical name «Hymenaeus Alpha». Crowley told McMurtry that although Carl Germer would be his immediate successor, McMurtry should succeed Germer as head of the O.T.O. upon the latter's death. In November 1942, Crowley moved into a flat at 93 Jermyn Street, above «Paxton and Whitfield's cheese shop» on Piccadilly.
In the last years of his life Crowley lived mainly on money raised for him by members of the California branch of the O.T.O. Crowley's report for 1943 showed that O.T.O. money for the last two years totalled £830 and 1 shilling.
on 21 March 1944, Crowley published «The Book of Thoth», which he considered the crowning achievement of his literary and magical career. The book was published by «Chiswick Press» in a limited edition of 200 copies, in morocco binding, on pre-war paper; each copy was hand-signed by the author. In less than three months the proceeds from sales of the edition reached £1,500. Crowley's last publication during his lifetime was a collection of poems «Olla: Sixty Years of Song (an anthology)». The cover of the book was designed by Frieda Harris. Another of his projects, «Alistair Explains Everything», was posthumously published as «Magic Without Tears».
During the war, Crowley moved frequently from place to place. In the first year of the war he lived on Petersham Road in the small town of Richmond on the outskirts of London, in a house overlooking the Thames. From here he moved to a Queen Anne mansion near Richmond Green. In Richmond, one of his neighbours was Montague Summers. When the bombing intensified, Crawley left London for Torquay. When London ceased to be heavily bombed, Crowley returned to the city and settled in a ground floor flat at number 93 Jermyn Street. In April 1944, Crowley moved from this London flat to the «Belle Inn» in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, where he was visited by the poet Nancy Cunard.
Late years and death: 1945-1947
on 17 January 1945, Crowley moved to the boarding house «Netherwood», where he remained until his death. The boarding house was a large Regency house with four acres of woodland attached. The house was located in the suburb of Hastings. Crowley lived in a room that served as his study and bedroom. It was furnished with a bed, a chest of drawers, a desk, several bookshelves, and a washbasin.
While living in «Netherwood», Crowley took a young man named Kenneth Grant as his secretary, paying him for his work by teaching magic. The joint work with Grant lasted about 2 months (from 12 March to 16 May 1945). Crowley was also introduced to John Symonds, whom he appointed as his literary executor. Symonds thought little of Crowley and later published biographies of him in which Crowley is portrayed as «black magician».
Illusionist Arnold Crowther introduced Crowley to Gerald Gardner, the future founder of Wicca. The two became friends, and Crowley instructed Gardner to revive the British branch of the O.T.O., which, however, was not fulfilled.
on 1 January 1946, the writer Eliza M. Butler, a professor at Cambridge University, visited the boarding house «Netherwood», to interview Aleister Crowley for her new book «The Myth of the Magician».
Butler recalled Crowley as a man prone to despotism, dull, selfish and limited. In her eyes he was a pathetic little man with thick-goggled glasses, the yellow face of a drug addict, and a tear trembling in the corner of his eye. He had a high, unpleasant voice. To top it all off, Crowley startled the guest quite a bit. In response to a question concerning the occult, he shouted loudly: «Magic is not one possible path in life, it is the only possible path» [20]
In the book «Myth and Magic», published in 1948, a year after Crowley's death, he was only mentioned in passing as «Ayvass's personal secretary». Crowley, judging from his diaries of the period, was quite differently impressed by this meeting. He writes:
«Professor Butler from Newham came and spoke so sympathetically, with such attention and understanding! One could only dream of such a joyous day!»'
Near the end of her life, E.M. Butler wrote several novels, including «Silver Wings» (1952). Many people have tried to figure out who served as prototypes for the characters in this book, but, somehow, one of «few real people» in it was Aleister Crowley - whom Butler claimed «no one ever recognised». Crowley is introduced in the novel as Christopher Carlton, whom the author calls «a shameless creature» and who proclaims himself «the high priest and prophet of some new religion, or even its deity in the flesh». Butler included in the novel many details from Aleister Crowley's life that she personally picked up during her visit to Hastings. One of the most unusual talents she attributes to Carlton was that «he boasted that he could both become invisible himself and make others invisible». Towards the end of the novel, Butler calls Carlton «an insatiable land shark». Perhaps the Great Beast himself would have found this description quite amusing and even quite benevolent in comparison with those epithets, which in his lifetime endowed him with newspapers.
During the first three months of his stay in Hastings, Crowley was visited twice by Dion Fortune (in January 1946 she died of leukaemia). In a letter to Crawley dated 14 March 1945, she stated:
«The appreciation I expressed for your work in the preface to The Mystic Kabbalah, which I regarded as merely an expression of literary honesty, has become a weapon against me in the hands of those who regard you as the Antichrist».'
In early 1946, Crowley began to consider what would become of the O.T.O. after his death.
In 1943, Crowley appointed McMurtry Sovereign Supreme Inspector of the O.T.O., giving him the magical name Hymenaeus Alpha. In 1946, he provided McMurtry with a letter authorising him to take over the administration of the Order in a critical situation if the California branch of the O.T.O. began to decline, and to see to it that the Order's activities were not halted. In June 1947, Crowley gave McMurtry the power to become head of the O.T.O. in the United States after Germer's death. Germer approved of these moves by Crowley, which put McMurtry in a quite exceptional position, since no one else had been explicitly given the power by Crowley. [21].
on 15 May 1947, Patricia McAlpine («Deirdre») and Crowley's 10-year-old son Ataturk visited Crowley at «Netherwood». In the summer of 1947, Crowley's health began to deteriorate rapidly. He needed constant care but could not afford it due to lack of money. Although he had about £450 in a box under his bed, he refused to touch it, saying it was money sent from America for special O.T.O. needs.
Crowley died at «Netherwood» on 1 December 1947 at the age of 72.
Deirdre McAlpine was by his side at the time of his death and his ten-year-old son had left the room briefly. Crowley suffered from bronchial asthma, but according to one biographer, the cause of death was a respiratory infection. The next day Crawley's London physician, Dr William Brown Thomson was found dead in a bathtub in his own flat in Mayfair. Journalists were not slow to claim that Crawley had cursed Thomson for refusing to prescribe him opiates, to which he had become addicted years earlier as an asthma medication prescribed by other doctors.
Crowley's biographer, Lawrence Sutin, relays various versions of accounts of Crowley's demise and last words. Frieda Harris allegedly stated that before his death he exclaimed: «I don't understand anything!» - although she was not by his side in his final hours. Biographer Gerald Suster gives another version from the words of a certain «Mr W.G.», who was working on the day of Crowley's death in the same house a floor below. Mr W.G. claims that Crowley was pacing back and forth in his room and then fell; hearing a rumble, W.G. went up to see what had happened and found Crowley lying dead on the floor.
Patricia McAlpin, who came to visit Crowley with their common son and three other children and was in the house on 1 December, rejects all these versions and claims that at the moment of his death she heard a sudden gust of wind and thunder, although the weather had been quiet before.
Aleister Crowley's funeral took place on 5 December at Brighton Crematorium. They were attended by about a dozen people and Louis Wilkinson read extracts from «Gnostic Mass», «Book of the Law» and «Hymn to Pan». The funeral caused controversy in the press and was labelled by the tabloids «a black mass». Crowley's body was cremated and his ashes were sent to Carl Germer in the United States, who buried them in his garden in Hampton, New Jersey.
Opinions and positions
Telema
Thelema is a mystical cosmology that Crowley proclaimed in 1904 and subsequently continued to develop for the rest of his life. The sheer diversity of his writings makes it difficult to attempt to define Thelema from any one perspective. It can be seen as a kind of magical philosophy, and as a religious movement, and as a form of humanistic positivism, and as a system of elitist meritocracy.
The main principle of Thelema, dating back to the ideas of François Rabelais, is the absolute supremacy of the Will:
«Thou shalt do thy will: such shall be the whole Law».
However, in Crowley's view of the Will - «True Will» - is not simply personal desires or intentions, but rather a sense of individual destiny or purpose.
The second precept of Thelema is
«Love is the Law, love in harmony with the Will».
The concept of Love in Crowley's teachings is no less complex than the concept of Will. Love is often understood to mean love sexually: in the system of magic developed by Crowley (as well as in some elements of its predecessor, the Golden Dawn system of magic), the dichotomy and opposition of male and female is seen as the basis of all existence, while «sexual magic» serves as a metaphor for much of Thelemic ritual. More generally, however, Love is seen as the Union of Opposites, which is what Crowley believes is the key to enlightenment.
Masonry
Crowley claimed Masonic initiations of high degrees, but the organisations to which he belonged are not recognised as regular in the Anglo-American tradition of free masonry.
Crowley numbered the following Masonic degrees:
- 33rd degree of the Scottish Charter, received in Mexico City from Don Jesús Medina.
«...to Don Jesús Medina, a descendant of the Grand Duke, illustrious organiser of the Armada and one of the highest leaders of Scottish Charter Masonry. As my knowledge of Kabbalism was already quite profound by modern standards, he considered me worthy of the highest of initiations which he had the power to bestow. In view of the restrictions on the time of my stay, special credentials were requested, and I was quickly pushed upstairs and admitted to the thirty-third and final degree before I left the country» («Confessions» Crowley).
- 3rd degree, received in France, in Anglo-Saxon Lodge No. 343, registered in 1899 by the Grand Lodge of France, but at that time (29 June 1904) lacking the recognition of the United Grand Lodge of England.
- 33rd Degree of the Irregular Scottish Charter of Cernot, received from John Yarker.
- 90 / 95 degrees of the Memphis-Mitzraim charter, derived from John Yarker.
However, the measure of the regularity of Masonic organisations is recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England, and it did not recognise any of the above organisations. Thus, «official» Masonic initiations Crowley did not have.
«Crowley quickly realised that Yarker's death meant the dawn of a new era. And he did not even try to rebel, at least against ancient British institutions. He was undoubtedly convinced that the O.T.O. was authorised by Yarker to operate under the Ancient and Primordial Charter, the equivalent of the Craft degrees in England; but when England refused to recognise his own initiations received in France, he did not protest, and even voluntarily amended the O.T.O. to avoid conflict. In the last issue of the Equinox, published during his lifetime, notes were added stipulating that the O.T.O. did not claim the legitimate privileges of the Grand Lodge of England. During World War I, Crowley made some minor changes to the English Craft rituals practised in America, but, despite the absence of a central Grand Lodge in that country, encountered objections from the Masonic leadership. He then rewrote the I-III O.T.O. rituals to eliminate any linguistic, thematic, and functional similarity to Masonic rituals». (Hymenaeus Beta, «Magical Link», vol. IX, no. 1)
Science and magic
Crowley sought to apply the scientific method to what in his time was called spiritual experience, and made the motto of his journal «Equinox» the saying «The method is scientific, the aim is religious». By this was meant that no religious experience should be taken at face value: it must be evaluated critically and tested experimentally to reveal its possible mystical or neurological underpinnings.
«In this connection it seemed to me important to prove another point, namely, that spiritual development does not depend on any religious or moral precepts, but is like any other science. Magic will readily reveal its secrets to both the pagan and the freethinker - just as one need not be a churchwarden to bring out a new variety of orchids. Of course, a magician must possess some necessary virtues, but these are the same virtues that a good chemist needs» (Crowley, «Confessions»).
Crowley often expressed views on sex that were radical for his time and published many poems and prose works that combine religious themes with sexual imagery. One of his most famous poetry collections «White Spots» (1898) was published in Amsterdam and deals almost exclusively with sexual themes, presented in a very explicit manner. Most of the first print run of this collection was later detained and destroyed at British customs.
The doctrine of sexual magic was one of the most intimate and profound elements of Crowley's entire magico-sentient system. Sexual magic is the use of sexual intercourse (or related energies, passions, and altered states of consciousness) as a means of focusing the will or magical intention on achieving some form of change in the external world. One of the sources from which Crowley drew inspiration was the writings of Pascal Beverly Randolph - American abolitionist and psychic, whose work includes the treatise «Evelida!» (1874), which recommends using orgasm as a moment to offer «prayers» for the fulfilment of certain desires.
Crowley often introduced new or recycled old terms to refer to various spiritual and magical practices or theoretical positions. Thus, for example, in «The Book of the Law» and in «Vision and Voice» the Aramaic magical formula «Abracadabra» takes the form «Abrahadabra» and is treated as the basic formula of the New Aeon. Here we may also mention the peculiar spelling of the word «magic» (archaic «magick» instead of modern «magic»), to which he adhered in order «to distinguish the true science of the Magi from its counterfeits».
He encouraged his students to learn to master their thinking and behaviour to the point where they could eventually change personality traits and political beliefs at will. For example, to develop control over speech, he advised choosing a word that was in common use (e.g., the pronoun «I») and avoiding saying it for a week. If the student forgot and said the forbidden word, he was instructed to cut his hand with a sharp razor as a warning for the future. The pupil then proceeded to gain control over his actions and thoughts.
Contradictions
Crowley was a controversial personality and often deliberately provoked controversial attitudes in his surroundings.
Lon Milo Duquette writes in his book «The Magic of Aleister Crowley» (1993):
«Crowley clothed many of the principles of his teachings in transparent veils of sensational and provocative statements. By this he hoped to ensure, firstly, that his works would be appreciated by the few who were capable of doing so, and secondly, that they would continue to be of interest and republished long after his death, attracting admirers and enemies alike. He never - I repeat, never! - performed human sacrifice or called for any such thing. However, he was not infallible: it was not uncommon for him to be wrong in his judgement. Like all of us, Crowley had his faults and shortcomings. But chief among them, in my opinion, was his failure to realise that not everyone in the world was as educated and intelligent as he was. Even in his early writings it is striking that he often enjoyed subtle mockery of those who were too lazy, too full of prejudice, or not intelligent enough to understand him».
Crowley's most audacious and shocking utterances were in fact slightly veiled attempts to expound the methods of sexual magic: words such as «blood», or «death», or «murder» served as metaphors for semen, orgasm, and ejaculation respectively, concepts that were impossible to mention openly in Puritan England of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Take, for example, an oft-quoted passage from «Book Four»:
«The custom of savages who pluck out the heart and liver of an enemy and devour them while still warm is by no means meaningless. <…> For the highest spiritual work, accordingly, such a sacrifice should be chosen as contains the most powerful and purest force. The most acceptable and appropriate sacrifice is a male child, marked by perfect innocence and a developed mind».
Robert Anton Wilson in his book «The Last Secret of the Illuminati» interprets this «child» as a metaphorical reference to the genes contained in the male seed. Crowley himself adds the note:
«The intelligence and innocence of the male child is the perfect understanding which the Magician has attained, and the only goal of his endeavours, free from lust for the result».
Wilson also notes that in «The New Commentary» to «The Book of the Law »
«...Beast 666 recommends that children should be accustomed from the earliest age to the spectacle of all kinds of sexual acts, as well as the process of childbirth, so that their minds may not be clouded by a fog of false fabrications and contrived mystery, under the influence of which the development of the subconscious s system of their individual souls may be perverted and go in the wrong direction for them personally».
Use of drugs for spiritual and other purposes
Crowley used various narcotic and intoxicating substances and left detailed notes and accounts of his experiments with opium, cocaine, hashish, cannabis, alcohol, ether, mescaline, morphine and heroin. Crowley was introduced to the use of drugs for magical purposes by his magical mentor Alan Bennett.
In «The Book of the Law» a prescription is given on behalf of Hadith:
«In my name taste wine and outlandish potions <…> and become intoxicated with them! There shall be no harm» (II:22)
.
The key to understanding this verse is the instruction: «In my name» which links the issue of drug use to the True Will of man as personified by Hadith.
During the 1920s in Paris, Crowley experimented with psychedelic substances, particularly with Anhalonium lewinii (the obsolete scientific name for the mescaline-containing peyote cactus), which he later encouraged the writers Theodore Dreiser and Katherine Mansfield to use. In October 1930 he met Oldos Huxley in Berlin, and it is still rumoured to this day that it was Crowley who introduced Huxley to peyote.
After a London doctor prescribed heroin to Crowley as a cure for asthma and bronchitis, Crowley developed a drug addiction. Impressions of his own life in this state are reflected in his 1922 novel «Diary of an Addict», which ends happily for the protagonist: with the help of magical techniques and the use of True Will, he manages to overcome his addiction. Crowley himself also overcame his addiction to heroin (a chronicle of his struggle with addiction is presented in «Liber XVIII, or Hyacinth's Source»), although in the last years of his life he began to take it again (again, on doctor's orders).
Racism
Crowley biographer Lawrence Sutin argues that «persistent, though by no means the most important element in Crowley's writings, remains unabashed intolerance». He also calls Crowley «a spoilt scion of a wealthy Victorian family who embodied many of the worst racial and social prejudices typical of his compatriots and contemporaries in the upper classes». Nevertheless, the same biographer notes that «Crowley embodied a contradiction that plagued many other Western intellectuals of the time: his deep-seated racist prejudices were combined with a respect for the culture of other peoples and a fascination with people of colour».
Crowley's public anti-Semitic remarks made the later editors of his writings so uncomfortable that one of them, Israel Regardie, once a student of Crowley, even tried to eliminate them from the text. In his introduction to «777 and Other Kabbalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley» (Samuel Weiser, 1975), Regardie explained his reasons for completely removing anti-Semitic remarks about the Kabbalah from «Crowley's» Editorial Preface to «Sefer Sefirot», first published in «Equinox», I:8:
«Crowley's Foreword <…> I withdraw. It is a disgusting and vicious attack, unjust to the very system to which this book» is devoted.
This preface, written in 1911, contains a statement from which it may be inferred that Crowley believed in «a blood libel» against the Jews:
«The Jews of Eastern Europe to this day offer human sacrifices, as Sir Richard Burton describes in detail in a manuscript, to the destruction of which the wealthy English Jews have applied every conceivable effort and means, and as is evidenced by the constant pogroms which provoke such senseless protests from people living among those degenerate Jews who at least do not engage in cannibalism».
Crowley asks the rhetorical question why so valuable a system as the Kabbalah has arisen among «a people utterly barbaric from the point of view of any ethnologist, devoid of any spiritual aspirations» and polytheistic to the core «» . Since Crowley himself was a polytheist, some see in these remarks a quite conscious irony.
The statement that the Jews of Eastern Europe practised ritual infanticide is later repeated by Crowley in another work, in «Book Four» (Part I, «Mysticism»):
«The occasion of the Jewish pogroms in Eastern Europe, perplexing to the uninformed, is almost invariably the disappearance of Christian children whose parents imagine that they have been kidnapped for ritual murder».
Here, however, the words «ritual murder» and «Christian» (as applied to children) are in inverted commas.
An article on the Neo-Pagan forum «Cauldron» («Cauldron») regarding the above quote states:
«At first glance, it might appear that Crowley shares a belief in the myth of child sacrifice, a universal bugbear of anti-Semites and witch-hunters. But in reality he argues only that behind the historical legend of child sacrifice, which served as a pretext for the persecution of "witches" and Jews, lies a sexual formula of self-sacrifice. In the secret document of the IXth degree of the O.T.O., the "blood libel" against the Jews - the myth that Jews allegedly conduct some secret rituals in which they use the blood of murdered babies - is interpreted as a claim that the main secret of the O.T.O. was possessed by some Hasidic sects. Early Christians accused the Romans of such practices, and the Gnostic Catholic Church considers these accusations to be evidence that the secret of sexual magic was already possessed by the ancient Gnostics».
Crowley studied and promoted the mystical and magical teachings of the very ethnic groups against which he allowed himself to speak negatively - Indian yoga, Jewish kabbalah and Goetia, Chinese «Book of Changes». In addition, in his «Confessions» (chapter 86), as well as in a private diary quoted by Lawrence Sutin, Crowley recalls his «past life» as the Chinese Taoist Guo Xuan. In his other incarnation, Crowley is said to have participated in «the Council of Masters», many of whom were of Asian descent. Here is what he says about the merits and demerits «of Eurasians», and then Jews:
«I do not believe that the inferior traits universally acknowledged in them are due to the composition of their blood or to the peculiar character of their parents, but I believe that they are induced to abominations by the attitude of their neighbours, both white and coloured. A similar case is that of the Jews, who all too often do possess the bad qualities which are attributed to them and for which they are disliked, but in reality they are not inherent in the people themselves. Moreover, no nation has produced such exalted examples of humanity as the Jewish people. The Hebrew poets and prophets are magnificent. The Jewish soldier is brave, the Jewish rich man is generous. Imagination, romanticism, loyalty, honesty, and humanity are characteristic of this people, all to an exceptional degree.A
little lower down
,
Crowley continues:
Yet the Jews have been persecuted so ruthlessly and relentlessly that they have had to rely only on their worst qualities to survive: greed, servility, deceit, cunning, and so on. Even the highest-spirited Eurasians like Ananda Coomaraswamy suffer grievously from the shameful stigma of being outcasts. Irrational hatred and injustice on the part of their neighbours aggravates such feelings in these peoples and produces precisely the very abominations expected of them».
All these statements must be compared with the direct philosophical admonitions that Crowley gives in his last book, «Magic Without Tears»-in chapter 73 entitled «Monsters, Negroes, Jews, etc.». Here he openly expresses his position - individualistic and anti-racist:
«...regarding 'Every man and woman is a star' you say that it is necessary to define more precisely what a 'man' and a 'woman' are. What to do, you ask, with "monsters"? And with all the people of "inferior races" like the Veddas, the Gottentots and the Australian Aborigines? There has to be a boundary somewhere, and would I be so kind as to draw it? <…> To affirm the fullness of each individual and to deny the right to exist to such phenomena as "class consciousness", "mob psychology" and, consequently, the power of the mob and Lynch's law, is, in my opinion, not only the only conceivable way to reconcile this and other such statements with the postulate Every man and woman is a star, but the only practicable plan that will help each of us to calm down and go about our own business in peace - to follow our True Will and do the Great Work».
So the philosophical position of Thelema that Crowley sets forth in this book, a series of letters of personal instruction from one of his students, is distinctly anti-racist. And even in unpublished commentaries on «Mein Kampf» Crowley asserts that the true «class of» lords in his view stands above all racial distinctions.
Sexism
Biographer Lawrence Sutin argues that Crowley «generally shared the view embedded in Victorian sexology of women as second-rate beings, in terms of intelligence and sensitivity». Tim Maroney, a researcher in the history of the occult, compares him to several other figures and movements of the time and suggests that these others treated women with boomore respect. Another biographer, Martin Booth, discussing Crowley's inherent misogyny, notes that Crowley was otherwise a supporter of feminism and believed that the law treated women unfairly.
Crowley equated abortion with murder and condemned states where abortion was legal: he believed that no woman would want to terminate a pregnancy unless subjected to social pressure. It seemed to him that women «with few exceptions» wanted children more than anything else in the world and began to annoy their husbands if they had no children to take care of. In his «Confessions» Crowley explains that he learnt this experience from his first marriage. He states that a childless woman tends to make her husband give up his life's work so that he can devote himself to her interests. According to him, «tolerate women» only when they themselves devote themselves entirely to helping the man in his primary work. But the essence of this work, he believes, a woman cannot understand. Furthermore, he states that women have no individuality of their own and are guided solely by their habits or spontaneous impulses. In this respect, Crowley treated women in the same way as any average man of the time.
Nevertheless, in his quest for the highest magico-mystical achievement, Crowley asked Leah Hirsig to supervise his trials. For the first time since leaving the Golden Dawn, he actually entrusted the work of his initiation to another person, and that person happened to be a woman. And in the section of «The Book of Thoth», describing the card «Hierophant», Crowley interprets a verse from «The Book of the Law» about a woman «girded with a Sword: she symbolises Crimson Woman in the hierarchy of the New Aeon». Crowley further elaborates:
«This woman is the image that Venus has now assumed in the New Aeon: she is no longer merely a vessel for her male complement, but is herself armed and warlike».'
It is important to note that in
his
commentary on «The Book of the Law» Crowley articulates an attitude towards woman befitting the Thelemites:
«We Telemites say, 'Every man and every woman is a star'. <…> To us a woman is an individual in her own right, perfect, original, independent, free and self-sufficient, exactly like a man».
Assignments
Aleister Crowley was a very prolific writer. The subject matter of his books is very diverse: he wrote not only on the teachings of Thelema, mysticism and ceremonial magic, but also on politics, philosophy and culture in general. The most important of his works is considered to be «The Book of the Law» (1904), the foundational text of Thelema's teachings; however, Crowley himself claimed not to be the author of this book, but merely recorded it from the words of an angelic entity named Aiwass. It is only one of many books that he believed came from a higher spiritual source and collectively called the «Holy Books of Thelema».
Among Crowley's books on ceremonial magic are «Book Four», «Vision and Voice», and «Liber 777», as well as his edited edition of the grimoire «Goetia: The Little Key of King Solomon». Among his most important works on mysticism are «The Book of Lies» and a collection of essays «Step by Step to Truth». He also wrote an autobiography entitled «The Confessions of Aleister Crowley». Throughout his life he kept an extensive correspondence and detailed diaries; some of his letters, with instructions to one of his students, formed the book «Magic Without Tears», published posthumously. He was also the author and editor of papers published in the journal «Equinox» (subtitled «Review of Scientific Illuminism»), the print organ of the magical order A.'.A.''. Of his other writings, which had a great influence on the subsequent development of occult thought, books such as «Equinox of the Gods», «Eight Lectures on Yoga», «Book of Thoth» and «Book of Aleph» should be noted.
Crowley also wrote prose fiction, mostly little known outside occult circles; only the novels «Moonchild» and «Diary of a Junkie» and the short story collection «Stratagem and Other Stories» are widely known. In addition, he is credited with many plays, poems, and poems, including collections of erotic poetry «White Spots» and «Clouds Without Water»; his most famous poem was «Hymn to Pan». Three of Crowley's poems - «The Quest», «Neophyte», as well as «The Rose and the Cross» - were included in «The Oxford Book of English Mystical Poetry» (1917), although an article devoted to him in «The Oxford Guide to English Literature» characterises Crowley as «a bad poet, though a prolific».
Heritage and Influence
Crowley was and remains an influential figure among both occultists and popular culture, primarily in Britain, but also in other countries.
In a research poll in preparation for the televised list «100 Greatest Britons» for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in 2002, based on the responses of 30,000 respondents voting by telephone or Internet, Aleister Crowley was ranked 73rd, ahead of such luminaries as Robert I Bruce, King Richard III, Sir Walter Raleigh and J. R. R. Tolkien. No other magician or occultist made it into this top 100.
Occultism
After Crowley's death, his work was continued by many of his colleagues and fellow Thelemites. One of his British disciples, Kenneth Grant, founded the so-called «Tiphonian O.T.O.» in the 1950s. His followers also continued to operate in America, one of whom was Jack Parsons, a major scientist who conducted rocket science research. In 1946, Parsons conducted «The Babalon Ritual», which resulted in some text that he believed to be the fourth chapter «of the Book of the Law». For a time, Parsons collaborated with Ron Hubbard, who later founded Scientology.
Crowley influenced some notable alumni of Malvern College, among them Major General John Fuller (inventor of artificial lunar light) and Cecil Williamson (follower of the neo-pagan system of witchcraft).
In the last months of his life, Crowley met Gerald Gardner and initiated him into the O.T.O. Gardner subsequently founded Wicca - Wicca, a famous neo-pagan religion. Researchers of early Wicca history (Ronald Hutton, Philip Heselton, Leo Rykby) have noted that the original Wiccan rituals composed by Gardner contain many passages from Crowley's writings (particularly from «Gnostic Mass»). Gardner himself claimed that Crowley's works «breathe the true spirit of paganism».
Also of note is Crowley's influence on the counterculture of the 1960s and the New Age movement.
Magical names and aliases of Crowley
- Abhavananda;
- Herr Hermann Rudolph Von Alastor;
- Ananda Vigga;
- Gerard Aumont;
- Francis Bendick;
- George Archibald Bishop;
- Reverend P. D. Carey;
- Elaine Carr;
- H. D. Carr;
- Christeos Luciftias;
- Cor Scorpionis;
- Alex C. Crowley;
- Alys Cusack;
- O Dhammaloyu;
- Fra. H. I. Edinburgh;
- Michael Fairfax;
- Comte De Fenix;
- Percy Flage;
- James Grahame;
- Arthur Grimble;
- Cyril Gustance;
- Oliver Haddo;
- C. S. Hiller;
- Lemuel S. Innocent;
- Dost Achiha Khan;
- Lavinia King;
- Ko Hsuan;
- Ko Yuen;
- St. Maurice E. Kulm;
- Maria Lavroff;
- Lord Boleskine;
- Major Lutiy;
- Mahatma Guru Sri Paramahansa Shivaji;
- Mahatma Sri Paramananda Guru Swamiji;
- S. J. Mills;
- Martial Nay;
- Percy W. Newlands;
- Hilda Norfolk;
- Sheamus O'Brien;
- G.H.S. Pinsent;
- Katharine S. Prichard;
- George Raffalovich;
- Ethel Ramsay;
- Barbey De Rochechouart;
- John Roberts;
- Mary Smith;
- Edward Storer;
- Count Vladimir Svareff;
- Ta Dhuibh;
- Alice Wesley Torr;
- J. Turner;
- Rev. C. Verey;
- Leo Vincey;
- Mark Wells;
- Thomas Wentworth.
Mass Culture
Crowley's personality has served as a prototype for characters in many works of fiction. Somerset Maugham created on its basis Oliver Haddo - the character of the novel «The Magician» (1908). After reading this novel, Crowley felt honoured and stated:
«...Maugham has not merely done justice to those virtues of mine of which I was proud <…> In fact, The Magician has proved to be such high praise of my genius as I dared not dream of».
Crowley became the prototype of Mokata (the leader of a Satanic sect) in the popular thriller Dennis Wheatley «And the devil comes», whose features are also seen in the late Satanist Adrian Marcato, mentioned in «Rosemary's Baby» Ira Levin.
Crowley appears as a major character in the novel Robert Anton Wilson «Masks of the Illuminati». His image has been used in several of his works by the famous comic book author Alan Moore, also a practitioner of ceremonial magic. In the pages of the comic strip «From Hell» Crowley appears as a young boy claiming that magic is real, and in the series «Promethea» appears several times as an inhabitant of Immateria, the world of imagination.
In a chronicle of his own magical practices («The Highbury Work»), Moore analyses Crowley's connections with the London borough of Highbury. Other graphic novelists have also addressed Crowley's personality: Pat Mills and Olivier Ledroit in the series «Requiem Knight-Vampire» portray him as a reborn vampire; in the comic book «Arkham Asylum: a Cruel House on a Cruel Earth» (from the Batman series) Amadeus Arkham meets Crowley, discusses Egyptian Tarot symbolism with him, and plays chess.
Aleister Crowley apparently served as a prototype for the following literary characters: Carswell - «Reading Runes» Montague Rhodes James; Oscar Clington - «He Came and Passed By» Herbert Russell Wakefield; Aupleus Chalton - «Black Solitude» Manley Wade Welman; Rowley Thor - «Black Solitude» Manley Wade Welman; Hugo Astley - «Winged Bull» Dion Fortune; Caradoc Cunningham - «Man Without a Shadow» Colin Wilson; Dr Trelawney and Scorpio Martlock - «Dance to the Music of Time» Anthony Powell; Theron Ware - «Black Easter» James Blish; Swarow - «Hieroglyph» Ethel Archer.
Aleister Crowley is mentioned in Dan Brown's book about the adventures of Professor Langdon «The Lost Symbol», in Ernest Hemingway's book «The Holiday That Is Always With You», in Umberto Eco's book «Foucault's Pendulum», in Robert Irwin's book «The Lodge of the Witchfinders».
Crowley also appears in the pages of Japanese manga. The hentai series «Black Bible» features his fictional daughter Jody Crowley, who continues her father's search for the Crimson Wife. The game «Nightmare Creatures» for PlayStation features a reincarnation of Crowley in the guise of the powerful demon Adam Crowley. Aleister Crowley is a character in the anime series «D.Gray-man» (a character who has the power of an exorcist, is insanely naive and looks a lot like a vampire). Crowley also appears in the light novel series «To Aru Majutsu no Index» by Japanese writer Kazuma Kamachi and the anime of the same name. Here it is the name of a minor character, a mysterious magician usually shown floating upside down in a huge tank of liquid. Aleister Crowley is brought out as a minor character in the Japanese anime «Undead Girl Murder Farce» / Undead Girl Murder Farce (2023). There he is depicted as a male with green eyes and shoulder-length brown hair.
Crowley also influenced a number of 20th century pop musicians. The Beatles' world-famous band «» included his portrait in the cover song of their album «Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band» (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967), placing him between Sri Yukteshwar Giri and Mae West (second from left in the top row). A deeper interest in Crowley was nurtured by Jimmy Page, guitarist and founding member of the Famous Rock Band of the late 1960s and 1970s «Led Zeppelin». While not positioning himself as a teletype or member of the O.T.O., Page was nevertheless seriously fascinated by Crowley's personality and amassed a collection of clothing, manuscripts and ritual objects that belonged to him, and in the 1970s bought the Boleskine mansion (also featured in that band's 1976 musical film «The Song Remains The Same»). Jimmy Page designed some of Led Zeppelin's band covers based on Crowley's artwork. Rock musician and founding member of «Black Sabbath» Ozzy Osbourne included a song called «Mr. Crowley» on his first solo album «The Blizzard of Ozz», released in 1980; Ozzy Osbourne's album Diary of a Madman is named after his reading of Crowley's autobiography and is dedicated to him. The «Journal of Religion and Popular Culture» offers a comparative analysis of the personalities of Crowley and Osbourne in the context of how they are perceived in the press.
John Zorn's album IAO (Music in Sacred Light)(2002) is dedicated to Aleister Crowley. The image of Crowley is the subject of the song «Man of Sorrows» by vocalist Bruce Dickinson from the album Accident of Birth. The title of the song quotes verse 53 of the Book of Isaiah, attributed by some interpreters to a description of Jesus. Aleister Crowley is the subject of the song «Aleister Crowley Memorial Boogie» by Edguy from the album Age of the Joker. Crowley is referenced in the song Magick by Klaxons. In Oxxxymiron's solo album Eternal Liquid in the song «Crocodile Tears» there is a line «...On the shelf Crowley, a postcard with a cat and the Necronomicon».
Crowley's image is also represented in cinema. Above all, his life and writings were a major source of inspiration for the avant-garde film director Kenneth Enger. He had a particularly notable influence on Enger's series of short films «The Magic Lantern». One of Enger's works is dedicated to his paintings, and in 2009 this director gave a lecture on Crowley. Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of the band «Iron Maiden», wrote the screenplay for the film «Chemical Wedding», starring Simon Callow as Oliver Haddo, a character who borrows his name from the villainous magician in Somerset Maugham's novel «The Magician», which in turn was inspired by his encounter with Crowley.
Italian esotericism historian Giordano Berti in his book «The Tarot of Aleister Crowley» lists a number of literary works and films inspired by Crowley's life and legends about his personality [22]. Films mentioned include «The Magician» (1926) Rex Ingram, based on Maugham's book of the same name; «Night of the Demon» (1957) Jacques Tourneur, based on the short story «Divination by Runes» M.R. James; «And the Devil Comes» (1968) by Terence Fisher, based on the thriller of the same name by Dennis Wheatley.
The first and last name Aleister Crowley was used for two characters in the American horror fantasy television series «Supernatural», featuring a Scotsman named Crowley who proclaims himself «King of the Crossroads» and later becomes a demon, and the demon Aleister, who torments one of the show's protagonists in adu. Anthony Crowley's demon is featured in the TV series «Good Omens» (Good Omens, 2019-2023), based on the novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. As one of the minor characters, Aleister Crowley appears in the Spanish film «The Legacy of Valdemar» (La herencia Valdemar, 2010).
Bibliography
- Booth, Martin. The Life of a Magician: A Biography of Aleister Crowley. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra.Kultura, 2006. - (The Lives of the Forbidden People - ZZL).
- King, Francis. Megaterion. Beast 666. - M.: Adaptek, 2009. - (Series: Alternative).
- Crowley, Aleister. Confessions. Volume 1. - Moscow: ID Ganga, 2011.
- Crowley, Aleister. Confessions. Volume 2. - Moscow: Ganga Publishing House, 2014.
Links
- Biography, poetry
- Wikipedia article (English)
- Occult Books (English)
- Man, Myth, and Magic. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Mythology (21 vols. in 1; English), c. 526
- Brother Aton "Shattering Illusions"
- Chronology of Aleister Crowley's Life
- Crowley Genealogical Tree The Ancestors and Descendants of Aleister Crowley
- Grady McMurtry First-hand accounts of Aleister Crowley
Notes
- 1. Churton, Tobias. Aleister Crowley in India. The Secret Influence of Eastern Mysticism on Magic and the Occult. - Rochester (Vermont): Inner Traditions / Beer Co., 2019.
- 2. Booth, Martin. The Life of a Magician: A Biography of Aleister Crowley. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra.Culture, 2004. - (Life of the Zapped People - ZZL). - С. 383-384.
- 3. Ibid. p. 385.
- 4. James Eshelman. The mystical-magical system of A.-.A.-. The spiritual system of Aleister Crowley and George Cecil Jones. - M., Harpocrates. 2016. - (Midnight of the Magicians). - С. 43-44.
- 5. Booth, Martin. The Life of a Magician: A Biography of Aleister Crowley. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra.Kultura, 2004. - (Zhizn zaprezhdennykh ludov - ZhZL). - С. 425-426.
- 6. Ibid. p. 450.
- 7. Meaning «Cat», or Sister Hilarion (Jean Robert Foster, née Oliver), «Snake» (Helen Westley, «Theatre actress»), Miriam the Drunkard (Miriam Derox), Rita (Gonzales) the Harlot; «Singing Like a Monkey Woman» (Alice Coomaraswamy), Gerda (von Kotek), «Crazy Like an Owl», Anna Catherine Miller, or «Dog of Anubis», Camel (Roddy Minor) and «Dragon Olun» (Maria Lavrova Reeling).
- 8. See: Churton, Tobias. Aleister Crowley: The Biography: Spiritual Revolutionary, Romantic Explorer, Occult Master and Spy. - London: Watkins Publishing, 2014. See also: Churton, Tobias. Aleister Crowley in America. Art, Espionage, and the Sex Magick in the New World. - Rochester (Vermont): Inner Traditions / Beer Co., 2017.
- 9. Booth, Martin. The Life of a Magician: A Biography of Aleister Crowley. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra, Kultura, 2004. - (Life of the Zapped People - ZZL). - С. 525-526.
- 10. Ibid. p. 550.
- 11. Ibid. p. :11. 583.
- 12. Cited in: Churton, Tobias. Aleister Crowley: The Biography: Spiritual Revolutionary, Romantic Explorer, Occult Master and Spy. - London: Watkins Publishing, 2014.
- 13. Booth, Martin. The Life of a Magician: The Biography of Aleister Crowley. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra, Kultura, 2004. - (Life of the Zaprescribed People - ZZL). - С. 604.
- 14. Ibid. p. 606.
- 15. Ibid. p. :15. 612.
- 16. For more information on this see: Churton, Tobias. Aleister Crowley in England. The Return of the Great Beast. - Rochester (Vermont): Inner Traditions / Beer Co., 2021.
- 17. The United Press (13 April 1934). - P. 39.
- 18. Booth, Martin. The Life of a Magician: A Biography of Aleister Crowley. - Ekaterinburg: Ultra, Kultura, 2004. - (Zhizn zaprezhdennykh ludov - ZhZL). - С. 634-635.
- 19. Ibid. pp. 638.
- 20. Ibid, pp. 659-660.
- 21. Ibid. p. 656.
- 22. See: Berti, Giordano. Tarocchi. Aleister Crowley. - Torino: Lo Scarabeo, 1999.