What do you call a man who shows signs of psychotic behavior, defecates on hotel carpets because he thinks his feces are sacred, writes poetry about molesting his own children, identifies with the Anti-Christ, and dies a penniless junkie in a flophouse? If you're a Thelemite, you declare him a god and hang on every letter of his writings of course!Crowley was born Edward Alexander Crowley in 1875. He was born into a rich family, an heir to Crowley Ale. His family belonged to a strict church called The Plymouth Brethren. Crowley was very close to his father, who was a minister for the sect. At age 10, young Aleister's world was shattered when his father died. It seems Crowley's later homosexuality was born out of the need of a father figure, in the classic Freudian idea.
Some people have believed Crowley's departure from Christianity into the occult and black magic was due to a repressive childhood, but by Crowley's own admission, he was a "rather spoiled little boy", and apparently his life wasn't as "repressed" as many would have us believe. There is an incident that occurred young Crowley’s life that changed him which is usually overlooked by all but a few people doing research on Crowley. I feel it was this incident that started poor Crowley on his path to ruin. When he was 14 years old, he was knocked unconscious after a mishap with a homemade firework on Guy Fawkes night, 1891(1). The homemade "roman candle" consisted of a large glass jar with almost two pounds of gun powder. The explosion shattered nearby windows, left Crowley with pieces of gravel embedded in his face, and knocked Crowley unconscious. He remained in a coma for four days (2), and had to wear a blindfold for two weeks for fear he would go blind from the flash. After he came out of the coma, or so it is said, Crowley had a marked change in his personality and behavior. Some of his followers believe that this accident opened up what Colin Wilson might call "faculty X", giving Crowley "mystical powers". In reality, what it probably did was give him minor brain damage. People who suffer head injuries involving brain damage often exhibit a change in personality and psychotic behavior, and any trained psychologist or psychiatrist will tell you this is so. Psychotic behavior can include extreme impulsiveness, aggressiveness and a disregard for the law and the rights of others. There is no one more important in the world of the psychotic than himself. Crowley exhibited these behaviors after his mishap. It was on that Guy Fawkes Night that Edward Alexander Crowley ended and Aleister Crowley began.
Crowley suffered from sexual deviations, which he wrote about extensively. He was bisexual, and a pedophile. In fact all throughout Crowley’s writings is an obsession with sex. He was obsessed with sex to the point he might be described as a pansexual; a person who see sex in everything. He often paid prostitutes to have sex with him, from which he contracted V.D. He seemed to be willing to try anything sexually.
Crowley developed an interest for the occult at an early age. He started reading books on occultism such as Mather's Kabbalah Unveiled, and the infamous Book of Black Magic and of Pacts by A.E. Waite, and claimed at age 14 he even made a pact with the devil. He attended Cambridge University after he finished public school, but dropped out before graduating. He fancied himself a painter, a poet, and above all a "magickian". There is probably little of what Crowley turned out that could be considered art or poetry in the traditional sense...or magic for that matter. A good portion of his poetry amounted to little more than dirty limericks. His "art" was one dimensional, and often pornographic. His magic could only be called magical in the minds of the most desperate.
At age 21 Crowley opened a "Temple of Satan" in a studio flat on Fulham Road (B), London. Crowley continued to study the occult and blowing his share of the family fortune on drugs and prostitutes and working to be "the wickedest man in the world"along the way. In 1909 Crowley started an occult religion he hoped would replace Christianity (it didn’t) called "Thelema", which is the Greek word for "will". An example of Crowley’s utter hate for Christians and Christianity can be seen in this comment, "With the cross of Jesus trampled on the floor...Christians necks our footstool, Heaven itself Our throne."(T) The development of the will is stressed in Crowley's writings, although he himself seemed to exhibit little will power when one examines his life, squandering his fortune and winding up an alcoholic and drug addict. Crowley seems to have gotten the idea for Thelema from the novel by renegade Roman Catholic monk Francois Rabelais (c.1495-1553) called Gargantua and Pantagruel, written circa 1542 A.D. This tome attacked clerical education, medieval asceticism and monastic orders and gave a thumbs up to worldly pleasure. Along with dirty poems, Gargantua and Pantagruel contains a description of life at an imaginary monastery, the "Abbey of Theleme", whose rules are obviously quite different from those of the medieval monastery.
"All their life was regulated not by laws, statutes, or rules, but according to their free will and pleasure. They rose from bed when they pleased, and drank, ate, worked, and slept when the fancy seized them. Nobody woke them; nobody compelled them to either eat or to drink, or to do anything else whatsoever. So it was that Gargantua had established it. In their rules there was only one clause: DO WHAT YOU WILL!"(3)
This is an embarrassing bit of information for Thelemites who believe Crowley's claim that he really received a revelation to start a religion called "Thelema" from a demon called "Aiwazz", which also coincidentally has the motto "Do What Thou Will". This novel seems to have made an incredible impression on Crowley. Crowley would eventually even try to create his own "Abbey of Thelema" in Sicily in the 1920's, which we will read about a little later.
Crowley's sexual appetites are well documented by Crowley himself. In his semi-autobiographical novel Moonchild Crowley reveals he often had to pay for sex, indicating he wasn't quite the sorcerer his followers paint him to be (i.e, his love spells didn’t work). Crowley was a bisexual, but he might be best described as a try-sexual...as in, he'd try anything with anybody. Crowley had many affairs, with both men and women, and supported himself after his inheritance ran out by sponging off his lovers. In other words, he was a gigolo. Crowley commenting on his debauched life once wrote, "'To me, every dirty act was simply a sacrament of sin, a passionately religious protest against Christianity, which was for me the symbol of all vileness, meanness, treachery, falsehood and oppression.' [ from 'Satanic Extracts' by Aleister Crowley, edited by Cosmo Trelawney, Holmes Pub Group; (October 1995) ASIN: 1558182675 ] If people were told up front being an advanced magician involves being a drug addict, gigolo and sponging off people, no doubt many people would opt out of this career.
Crowley developed a taste for mountain climbing while at Cambridge, and tried to climb Mount Everest a few times, but always failed to reach the top. Crowley likened the pursuit of the occult to mountain climbing. A person had to work hard at it and not stop to rest. If the occultist failed in his task, he would fall off the "mountain" into "the Abyss". Crowley was known to abuse his porters, and gave racist excuses to a British newspaper when interviewed as to why this was OK. On such an expedition in 1905, Crowley was deposed as leader of the group because of such behavior. During this climb, there was an avalanche later that killed several people. Crowley heard the cries for help, but did not even bother to look outside his tent, and this incident is hard to excuse, even by his followers. But this incident is far from being atypical of Crowley. Crowley was described, by friend and foe alike, as an egotistical, self centered, arrogant individual. He took much and gave little in return. He cared nothing about other people, except what he could get out of them and could be downright cruel to his disciples and friends. Crowley's life seems to have reflected his moto of "Do What Thou Will". Such a moto is the moto of a sociopath, if not a criminal, and it doesn’t make people better. Influenced by Nitczhe, He believed he was "beyond good and evil", and thought conventional morality did not apply to him. When looking at Crowley’s behavior throughout his life, it is hard to see any benefits of practicing Thelema.
Crowley's system of occultism, like the Golden Dawn and the Theosophical Society before it, attempted to unite all forms of occultism into one system. Thelema was sort of a like a chop suey of the occult. Crowley's system included European ceremonial magic (from grimories like The Greater Key of Solomon, The Legementon, The Sacred magic of Abramelin the Mage, etc.) Gnosticism, Egyptian mythology, Buddhist meditation, Taoism, Tantric sex yoga, and drugs. There was also a strong and undeniable influence from Satanism. Crowley once said in his writings he rejected the idea of the Devil because "such a being would have to be a god", but this doesn't mean he didn't believe in Satan, he just rejected the Christian concept of him. Crowley said this about Satan, the Devil: "I was not content to believe in a personal devil and serve him, in the ordinary sense of the word. I wanted to get hold of him personally and become his chief of staff." (9)
Crowley was very fond of demons and sought them out on many occasions. One technique Crowley used to accomplish this was to sodomize a fellow magician, either man or woman, and then eat the semen or feces after the act took place. Crowley believed that sodomy attracted demons, and by eating these vile things (in a sort of mock communion) he could bring the demons inside himself and gain their powers and knowledge. Thank you for not throwing up on this book when you read that. Whatever Crowley thought he learned from these experiences is unknown, and you’d be an idiot to want to try these techniques. While Crowley never became the Devil's chief of staff he did, according to his followers, become demonically possessed on at least one occasion. During a ritual in the desert, along with two of his disciples, he attempted to invoke a demon called "Chronozon". It is said Crowley did all the things you're supposed to do, drawing his cute little circle in the sand with all the names of the God that he so despised inside to protect him. But, so the story goes, the demon simply kicked sand on the circle, walked right in, and possessed Crowley. It was said after this incident, Crowley appeared to have aged 20 years overnight. Many of his followers believe Crowley was possessed by this demon for the rest of his life! These are things one must consider when deciding to follow the teachings of this man.
While Crowley hated Christianity, he embraced Gnosticism. He certainly seemed to be Gnostic in his thinking, rejecting Christ to be a self styled Anti-Christ. He joined the Universal Gnostic Church and quickly became an "Arch-Bishop". No doubt Crowley at least considered Satan a "dark side of nature" like Blavatsky and Anton LaVey. Since Satan governed things like every sexual depravity, drunkenness, violence, and sorcery, Crowley only saw good in the idea of Satan. Apologists claim Crowley was merely a "literary Satanist", like Milton or Idres Shaw. Some feel his fascination for Satan came stemmed from his rebellion against his childhood, and this may be partly true. They claim his references to Satan are done with irony, not to be taken seriously. However, when we read Crowley's works and look at his life, it becomes painfully obvious he took more than a passing fancy to Satanism. He wrote an "Invocation to Satan" in Liber Samekh, and constantly referred to himself as "The Great Beast, 666", which certainly makes it hard to say he wasn't involved or influenced by Satanism. He kept up this identity until he died at age 75, which is more than just rebelling against a strict upbringing.
Crowley did many strange things throughout his life (like most psychotics), including defecating on carpets while staying at a posh hotel, claiming his feces was sacred like the Dalia Lama's. He traveled to America during World War I and wrote propaganda in support of Germany. Crowley would later claim he did it to detract from the German's, due to the propaganda's lack of quality (2). He claimed many things, like being a Scottish :Laird, even though he didn't have any Scottish blood. He even rented a house on Loch Ness, no doubt because of the monster sightings that had gone on for centuries. He later claimed to be an Egyptian prince after a trip to Egypt and called himself "Prince Chioa Khan", and returned mail if it wasn't addressed to him by his ridiculous made up title. In 1910 he knighted himself and shaved his big head. He would claim to be a medical doctor with a Doctorate from the University of London which was news to the University when followers inquired in the 1980's. He never even attended one class there! He once opened a "magickal restaurant" featuring pills made with his own semen as an ingredient (yuck!). In an attempt to imitate the powers of Christ, he tried to reanimate a skeleton by reciting spells and placing "blood small birds and the like" on it every day, which of coursed failed since he had no powers (so why buy his books?)(C). This "magick" experiment only resulted in a horrible sight and an unimaginable stench. If you had a relative like Crowley, you would have him committed! The reason Crowley wasn’t was because of his wealth and social standing.
He married a woman named Rose Kelly in 1903. Crowley called her "The Whore of Babylon" to compliment his self-proclaimed Anti-Christ title. The poor woman was mentally unstable (what other kind of woman would hook up with Crowley?), and eventually went completely insane. She spent the remainder of her life in an insane asylum. This was said to be a pattern throughout Crowley's career. Followers, servants, and lovers of both sexes went insane, perhaps because they were mentally unstable to begin with, or perhaps driven insane deliberately by Crowley somehow, or perhaps both factors. Several disciples were said to have committed suicide after Crowley had no further use for them. Most people would expect a religious figure does good things for people. But what about a religious figure that drives people insane and even to suicide?
Never Ask Aleister Crowley To Babysit For YouCrowley also engaged in pedophillia, and frequently liked to compare himself to child rapist and murderer Giles "Bluebeard"de Rias. While in Italy, Collin Wilson documents he had a young black male child for a sex partner (4). Exactly how many children Crowley sired is not known, but iIt is known he had several out of wedlock. He did have two legitimate children with Rose. He cast a horoscope for his 4 year old daughter, whom he predicted would "grow up to be an ordinary little whore ". Certainly this is a terrible thing for any man to wish upon his child, and this is a hard statement for any of his readers to defend. .For those folks out there who deny that Crowley was a pedophile, it is quite clear he was. It is a fact Crowley even sexually molested his own children, which he recorded in his diary in a strange third person style of writing.
"[Rose Kelly] hath given Her two year old bastard boy to her lover’s whim of sodomy...She hath tounged Her five-month old girl, and asked its father to deflower it." (78)
The above is a very shocking and graphic account. It truly sums up all the things that people fear most about the occult. The stories of children being sexually abused by occultists are not without foundation, so it would seem. Psychotics sometimes molest their own children, so this would also add to the theory that Crowley was psychotic.
With Thelema and it's hedonistic "Do What Thou Will" creed, it's Pagan gods and goddesses, it's rituals that incorporate Pagan phallus worship, it's sex magic, it's style of borrowing from many cultures, it's sub-textual references to Satanism...Thelema in a way almost looks like a proto-Wicca. Since Crowley had a religion that said a person could do basically whatever a person wanted to do, he decided he would practice sorcery and use drugs. Crowley was obsessed with the development of the will. In fact the name of his occult religion, "Thelema", is the Greek word meaning "will".
Crowley believed a person could take strong narcotics like heroine and hashish and not become addicted by use of willpower developed through his Thelemic magic. Another experiment in developing the will would be to cut himself with a razor on his forearm every time he thought, said or did something that he was supposed to avoid as part of exercise (for instance, such as not saying the word "the").(L) Some occultists have wound up in the hospital attempting this. Some have also wound up dead.
This is idea of "worship of will" is reflected in his Magnum Opus, Liber Al Vel Legis, which is Latin for "The Book of the Law." which he wrote in 1903 The book as mentioned was supposedly given to him by a demon named "Aiwazz". The book is divided into three parts, and deals with various Egyptian gods like Horus and Isis. The book gives, in a very cloaked language, the instructions for sex magic and other secrets. It also gives some very blatant anti-Christian barbs. Here are some excerpts of the book. LAVL 2:23 I am alone: there is no God where I am.
Of that, there can be little doubt! Many Satanic groups like the Temple of Set consider the being communicating to Crowley in Liber Al vel Legis to be Satan himself. The fact "God" is capitalized indicates Crowley was talking about the Judeo-Christian God.
3:12 Sacrifice cattle, little and big: after a child.
This verse was later interpreted to concern Crowley's daughter who died at the age of four. Crowley was devastated by the loss, and it seems to be one of the few times in his life he had compassion for another human being. Crowley wanted his daughter to be worshiped by his followers like a god, and make sacrifices of cattle to her. Some people feel that the alleged cattle mutilations of the 70's and 80's may have been inspired by this verse.
Liber Al Vel Legis II:22 "I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs whereof I will tell my prophet, & be drunk thereof! They shall not harm ye at all. It is a lie, this is folly against self. The exposure of innocence is a lie. Be strong, o man! lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture: fear not that any God shall deny thee for this."
Drugs and sex were the key ingredients in Thelema. Crowley wrote a fictionalized account of this process in the novel Diary of a Drug Fiend in 1922. In the novel, a young man and woman fall in love and go on a dope spree throughout Europe. But the fun ends when the couple's supply of cocaine and heroine is cut off, and misery replaces fun. Through the magic of a "King Lamus", a sorcerer they meet, they free themselves of addition with Crowley's Thelemic magic, and they live happily ever after. The problem is, it doesn't work like that in real life, nor did it work that way for Aleister Crowley. Throughout the years Crowley would become addicted to drugs like alcohol, heroine, morhpine and cocaine. Crowley would sometimes try to kick his habit by going "cold turkey", only to become addicted again and again Crowley developed a serious drug habit by the 1930's and was taking enough heroin to kill several people everyday. Drug addicts often develop habits involving amounts that are at lethal levels for non addicts..
Crowley died a drug addict, never attaining this supposed mastery over drugs. I personally new a girl into Wicca and Crowley. She died a drug addict, just like Crowley. She spent some time in and out of rehab before she did. She left behind a husband and two kids. She was 26. There is no telling how many people that have died from drug overdoses in the last 50 years have done so trying to achieve an unattainable goal of Thelemic mastery of the will. Dying a drug addict is not some kind of magical power! Drugs can cause hallucinations, and no doubt many occultists really believe their hallucinations are spirits, gods, or demons. They aren't, they're hallucinations.
3: 22-23 For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and afterward soften & smooth down with rich fresh blood. The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshipers: last of some beast, no matter what.
Animal sacrifices are a big part of Crowley's Thelema magick. This verse says the blood of any animal can be used...this would also include presumably someone's pet dog or cat. Notice the above verse also mentions "the blood of a child" or even "enemies". Who are the enemies of Thelema? Christians! Put that in your Funk and Wagnal! I’m not saying Thelemites sacrifice Christians, but it is not impossible some misguided follower would not do this someday. The Charles Manson Family had contact with an O.:T.:O.: lodge, and the two had many beliefs in common including racism, drug use, and torture.
As mentioned, Crowley took great interest in old grimories (spell books) like Grimorium Verum and The Book of Abramelin. In fact he later re-wrote Grimorium Verum and retitled it "The Lesser Key of Solomon"(7), which went on to become a very popular occult book. Wiccan author Paul Huson uses the inscriptions of Legementon in Mastering Witchcraft, by the way. Crowley believed that by contacting the demons in these books and allowing himself to become possessed by them he could gain knowledge and power from them. This may sound like a crazy idea, but one has to remember that to an occultist, there is no good or evil, and that they believe demons are spiritual beings that can benefit mankind. In fact, I've heard occultniks refer to demons as "angels with an attitude".
Crowley Joined many occult groups and lodges over the years. He became a 33rd degree Freemason on a trip to Mexico. He joined the Ordero Templi Orentis (which is Latin for "The Order of the Oriental Temple"). The group was founded in Germany, and dedicated to sex magick rituals. The O.:T.:O:. claimed it had all the secrets of Rosicrucian, Freemasonry, the Templars, and Alchemy. Crowley rapidly ascended up the ranks of the order and eventually had complete control over it. When he became the head of the O.:T.:O:., he added an 11th grade dedicated to homosexual sex. This ensured Crowley had complete control of the groups members, because they would have to have sex with Crowley to attain it's highest grade. Crowley's name in this order was "To Mega Therion" which is Greek for "The Great Beast", clearly a reference to the Beast of the Book of Revelation of the Christian Bible. Throughout his life, Crowley often referred to himself as "The Great Beast, 666". It was within the ranks of this group that he met Gerald Gardner.
As mentioned, he became a bishop in the Universal Gnostic Church, which became "Crowleyized", with Thelema replacing whatever small semblance to Christianity there might have been. Now the Universal Gnostic Church is little more than extension of the O.:T.:O.:. Crowley joined the Golden Dawn and led to it's downfall. Crowley later started his own version of the Golden Dawn which he called the Argentium Astrium (Latin for Silver Star)A.:A:..He also helped H. Spence Lewis start the A.M.O.R.C. in America, initiating him during a ritual behind closed doors that lasted 3 days, and probably involved gay sex magic. .
Never ask Aleister Crowley to take care of your goat while your away, either
After Rose Kelly went insane, Crowley found a new lover while in New York named Leah Hirsig. In the 1920's, Crowley finally was able to fulfil his lifelong dream of creating a real life "Abbey of Thelema" on the island of Sicily in Italy. Of course, life in the Abbey was not the Utopia Crowley had dreamed it would be. He tried to have a polygamous relationship with two women, but the Leah and the other gal quickly grew to dislike each other and had constant arguments. Also Crowley had no way to support himself, and at times the trio nearly starved--and would have--had it not been for the sympathy of local peasants. For three years, Crowley and the pathetic assortment of followers that came and went (leaving money and some of their sanity behind) made the Abbey home, which visitors described as about as clean as an outhouse, and it literally smelled of feces.
One of the most disgusting of all Crowley's "magical" acts was the night Leah defecated on a plate which Crowley, a man who’s blasphemy knew no end, then consecrated her feces as a "Eucharist". She then demanded that Crowley should eat her excrement. Under Hirsig's stern gaze, Crowley cleaned his plate of feces. Later, he wrote of this "magickal"experience: "My mouth burned; my throat choked; my belly retched, my blood fled whither who knows, and my skin sweated. She stood above me, hideous in contempt." (99)
Crowley adorned the walls with crudely painted pictures of people in every sexual position, as well as murals of demons. Several witnesses described the sacrifice of animals in the "magick" rituals. One such ritual is described as having a female follower copulate with a goat, and then Crowley would slash the goat's throat at the moment of climax. The blood was then collected and drank by the followers (5) In some rituals, Crowley baptized frogs and then crucified them (Same source) as part of his "Gnostic Mass". Another sacrifice by a disciple named Loveday involving a cat went like this:
"The cat was placed on the altar; incense was burnt; magical invocations went on for two hours. At the end of this time, Loveday slashed the cat's throat with a knife; but the blow was too light, and the cat rushed around the room howling. It was caught again, etherized, and Loveday was made to gulp down a cup of the cat's blood." (8)
Loveday contracted distemper after drinking blood from this poor cat and died a few days later. This incident and stories about animal and infant sacrifices the local papers ran made Mussolini's Italy give Crowley and company the boot (Italy...boot...that's a joke son, you missed it!). Throughout Crowley's career there were stories of infant sacrifice, but there never seemed to be much evidence for it. However, Crowley's own writings at first glance would seem to confirm this. "For the highest spiritual working one must accordingly choose that victim which contains the greatest and purest force. A male child of perfect innocence and high intelligence is the most satisfactory and suitable victim." (8) But apparently when Crowley makes statements of infant sacrifice, he is jokingly referring to masturbation. Still, while Crowley lived in London, one of his maids quit and went to the police, complaining Crowley was killing children and dumping the cremated remains in the river Thames.
The Police apparently didn’t take the woman’s claim seriously. Despite protests of occultists when accused of blood rituals and animal sacrifice, these things are indeed part of the occult, whether or not they will admit it. Not every occultists may indulge in such practices, but many do. It may not be part of every branch of occultism, but it is in many of them. Santeria, Voodoo, and Brujaria, all use animal sacrifice. Grimories like The Greater Key of Solomon and Grimorium Verum contain instructions for animal sacrifice.
Since Wiccans, as are all occultists, are eclectic, it isn't impossible to believe that some "rouge" Wiccans and Neopagans use animal sacrifices. There is a lot of interest in Santeria these days. Lady Sebrina has included spells invoking Santeria gods in her books, and one has to wonder if she goes so far as to perform sacrifices that Santeros do as well. It is extremely rare for Wiccans to engage in blood sacrifices nowadays. But with the interest in bizarre occult religions like Macumba, Zarabanda, Voodoo, etc., on the rise, I expect there will be an increase in animal sacrifice as well. Certainly many Wiccans avidly read Crowley’s books, and it’s not impossible to think some of these would-be Crowley type Wiccans are practicing animal sacrifice.
More From Crowley’s "Bible" the Liber Al Vel Legis
To say Crowley wasn't a Satanist just isn't completely accurate. From everything we read so far, it certainly would seem that he was. Here's another gem from Crowley's Liber Al Vel Legis, the Bible of the Thelemites:
3:50 I am in a secret fourfold word, the blasphemy against all gods of men.
3:51 Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!
3:52 With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs upon the cross.
3:53 I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed & blind him.
3:54 With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and Din.
3:55 Bahlasti! Ompehda! I spit on your crapulous creeds.
3:56 Let Mary inviolate be torn upon the wheels: for her sake let all chaste women be utterly despised among you!
This clearly shows intolerance for not only Christianity, but all other religions as well. Since religions have commandments concerning moral conduct, Crowley had little use for them, except what he could plagiarize for his own religion. It would be hard to describe the last passages as anything else but blasphemous. So before occultists shake their finger at "xtians" and give them the stink eye for what they perceive to be " intolerance", let them look at what's sitting on their own bookshelves! The above verse quoted doesn't really sound much different from the rantings of a teenage Satanist might post in a newsgroup online. So we would have to ask people who follow Crowley, how is Crowley such an enlightened being? Is it his hatred for all other religions other than his own? Maybe it's the goat blood drinking, the feces eating, or the toad crucifying? Maybe the head of the O.T.O. can mail me the answer to that one some day. (Actually I already know the answer, so he can save a stamp.)
There also many references to serpent worship, which could be a reference to sex magic, but might also be a reference to the Ophite serpent of Gnosticism. Let's review this verse again:
II:22 "I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight and bright glory……"
This is definitely a reference to the Ophite serpent (Lucifer). We have to also remember Crowley's involvement in the Universal Gnostic Church. Gnostic sects both ancient and modern often could be considered devil worshipers.
A final curious verse:
3:75 There is a splendour in my name hidden and glorious, as the sun of midnight is ever the son.
From the 17th -18th centuries (and possibly even as late as the 19th century) in London, there existed a cult of Satanists called the "Sons of Midnight". This could be a reference to them. In occult literature Lucifer is sometimes called "the Sun at midnight", or the invisible sun.[ how about a source?] So it seems the secret name of the god of the Book of the Law is indeed Lucifer. Michael Aquino of the Temple of Set seems to think so, because Crowley's Liber Al Vel Legis plus a detailed commentary are included in the Crystal Tablet of Set, the group’s primary book.
Then there is this prayer from Aleister Crowley's The Book of Lies (I think that should be the title of all his books). It clearly contains a parody of the Lord's Prayer.
"THE CRY OF THE HAWK
Hoor hath a secret fourfold name: it is
Do What Thou Wilt
Four Words: Naught-One-Many-All.
Thou-Child!
Thy Name is holy.
Thy Kingdom is come.
Thy Will is done.
Here is the Bread.
Here is the Blood.
Bring us through Temptation!
Deliver us from Good and Evil!
That Mine as Thine be the Crown of the Kingdom,
even now.
ABRAHADABRA (AA).
These ten words are four, the Name of the One"
Hoor hath a secret fourfold name: it is
Do What Thou Wilt
Four Words: Naught-One-Many-All.
Thou-Child!
Thy Name is holy.
Thy Kingdom is come.
Thy Will is done.
Here is the Bread.
Here is the Blood.
Bring us through Temptation!
Deliver us from Good and Evil!
That Mine as Thine be the Crown of the Kingdom,
even now.
ABRAHADABRA (AA).
These ten words are four, the Name of the One"
Like many of Crowley’s material, this one is inspired by Satanism as well. Since it is the opposite of Christianity, parodies of Christian prayers, ceremonies, and rituals are a major feature of Satanism. For instance, The Satanic Rituals by Anton LaVey includes the ritual of The Black Mass, which is a parody of the Roman Catholic Mass, and also features a parody of the Lord's Prayer. Satanists sometimes pronounce Christian prayers backwards (i.e., "Our Father", becomes "Rehtaf Ruo",etc., or Pater Noster", becomes "Retson Retap", etc.etc.,, in the Latin version) Likewise, Crowley felt that becoming an expert in reading, writing, speaking and understanding words backwards was essential to becoming an occultist. So while this prayer by itself is not prima facie evidence of Crowley being a Satanist, it is certainly very suggestive, especially when considered together with the very obvious Satanism noted in Crowley's Liber Al Vel Legis. In fact, all through out Crowley's writings there is an undercurrent of Satanism and references to Satan in them. With these kind of things in the works and beliefs of Crowley, it is not surprising that Anton LaVey's Church of Satan cites Crowley as one of its sources. As mentioned, the Temple of Set considers Crowley a prophet, and Michael Aquino as his successor.
Crowley could have easily been a success in his lifetime. He was born to a wealthy family. He attended public school and had some college. While he wasn’t the poet or artist his enormous ego led him to believe, but he did show some talent as a writer and perhaps could have been one had he be able to channel his talents toward it. Instead he became something of a sociopath, seemingly to care less about the people around him. He could be charming and ingratiating to his disciples so he could get what he wanted out of them, and then treated them like garbage when he was done. He drove many of them to ruin or suicide. Even his modern day followers admit he was not a kind person. He lived a life of scandal and seemed proud of it, and because of his social standing and money he got away with it while he was young. When the money ran out in his middle age, he sponged off his handful of followers and students. He needed this charity to keep up his enormous drug and alcohol addictions. Had Crowley’s obsession with the occult never came into his life, he may have very well lived a fairly normal life, even if he was psychotic. It’s a documented fact some CEO’s of major corporations have been psychotic. It was belief that like Nitzche’s "superman" he could lay aside conventional morality and do as he pleased that created his long, steady downfall. No one is beyond good or evil. (13)
There is one more thing that happened in Crowley’s life that most Thelemites don't want to think about. Toward the end of his life, Crowley performed a ritual with his illegitimate son MacAlister in a Paris hotel. During the ritual, a tremendous commotion was heard outside the door, and the two men could be heard screaming. Crowley's friends figured it was part of the ritual apparently, and didn't bother to check what was going on. When the two failed to show up for breakfast the next morning, friends called the hotel detective who broke down the door to Crowley's room. Inside they found MacAlister dead. His robe was torn to shreds and he had scratches on his body. He had a look of extreme fright on his face. It was later determined he died of heart failure, brought about from fright. He had been literally scared to death. Aleister sat huddled in a corner of the room, babbling incoherently. He too had scratches and his robe was torn. Crowley spent four months in an insane asylum, and was released. [America Bewitched by Daniel Logan pgs 64-65]
After this incident, he was described as "harmless", and so began his downward spiral of sponging of friends and former students, and spending his final days in a flophouse in Hastings, England. No one knows what happened inside that locked room that killed MacAlister and made Crowley have a nervous breakdown. I believe Crowley really conjured up a demon that night, and he found out what demons are all about! Demons are not beings that want to help us or give us knowledge. Demons are creatures of pure evil, and there goal is to hurt humanity and cause us as much harm as they can. Not only Christianity teaches this, but every major religion has some kind of concept of evil spirits. If you believe otherwise, you are kidding yourself. Let’s hope you never have to find this out the way Crowley did.
There is a story gleefully being promoted by his followers that the doctor attending Crowley died from a curse placed on him when he refused to give Crowley all the morphine he wanted. The story didn't come out until decades later when it was learned that Crowley's aged doctor died from a heart attack a few days after he did. The story of course, is a pathetic attempt to make it sound like Crowley had some kind...any kind... of magic powers. I've seen other occultists try to pull the same trick of claiming someone they knew who died did so from magic. The real demise of Crowley is much less dramatic. According to a fellow flophouse resident, he heard a thump in Crowley's room, and found the poor old man dead laying face down on the floor. No last words, no curses. This story, being the least dramatic, is probably the real truth.
Crowley infrequently published a magazine called The Equinox. All the editions of The Equinox were later republished as a hardbound 10 volume set that runs about $500 for the truly magically desperate...and no, even I wasn't dumb enough to buy one. In fact, after an initial investigation of Crowley while I was an occultist, I pretty much wrote him of as a looser. This later became a big reason I left Wicca, because Crowley's fingerprints were all over it, and I realized Wicca was a sham!
I've have included this look at Aleister Crowley in this book because I felt it was necessary. One reason is because someone recently told me not to write this book exposing Wicca. It was - - of all people- -someone who fancied themselves a Bishop of a Christian church. I explained to them, among other things, Crowley's contribution (wether voluntary or involuntary) to Wicca. He then told me of how Wicca was a viable religion, "despite the sources". My feelings about this are you can't simply concoct a religion that sounds good to you. Religion should be something that is divinely inspired by God, so yes, the sources do indeed matter! If there is no divine mandate by God for a religion, that religion is worthless. Aleister Crowley was many things, but he was NOT inspired by God!
He was a man that exhibited psychotic behavior, and people who follow his philosophy will emulate psychotic behavior. He was man who literally thought he was the Anti-Christ. He was a drug addict, an alcoholic, a misogynist, a sexual deviant, and a pedophile. He worked hard at being evil and even bragged about it. He performed every type of black magic and was demonically possessed-and this is according to his followers! All Wiccans and occultists should ask themselves: Yes or no, is this the type of person you want to contribute to your religious system? And like it or not, admit it or not, a good portion of your occult religion, from your moto of "Do What Thou Wilt" to many rituals in the Book of Shadows, come directly from Aleister Crowley, courtesy of Gerald B. Gardner- - a Crowley disciple! There are many similarities between Wicca and Thelema, far too many to be a coincidence. We will look at them in the next chapter. Another reason it is important to mention Crowely is so many founding Wiccans were connected to him, or perhaps I should say, they want to make it sound like they were.
Gerald Gardner knew Crowley and was a member of the O.:T.:O.: He stole much of the material from Crowley to creat his "ancient" Book of Shadows". Sybil Leek claimed she knew Crowely...which turned out later to be false. She never even met him. Never the less, Leek makes mention of her fictious friendship with Crowley, clsimgn he was a family friend and even told her family Leek would be his succesor. Alex Sanders claims Crowley "babysat" him when he was a child and gave him a ring. There’s no evidence Crowley knew him either, since Crowley never mentions Sander's family in his writings, and Sander's parents were both Christians.
NEVER TRUST A "DEMI-GOD", "PROPHET" OR "WIZARD" WHO DIES A PENNILESS JUNKIE IN A FLOPHOUSE!
There is a bright note to this story. Supposedly a grandson of Aleister Crowley turned up in California in the 1990's. It turns out he is a Christian, and even works at a church as a groundskeeper. He said he is sorry for the terrible things his grandfather did and wants no part of them.
Live and learn, folks. Live and learn.
SUMMARY
1. Aleister Crowley was most likely brain damaged from an accident as a child.
2. His behavior throughout his life was one of a psychotic. He did many sick and disturbing things, and even his followers don't deny it.
3. He had no magical powers. If he had he would not have wound up a drug addict in a flophouse. Just accept it.
4. Becoming a drug addict, demonically possessed, a possible pedophile, contracting syphilis, sponging off people, and dying in a flophouse are not desirable things. A person who is involved in these things is not someone you base your religion on.
5. Crowley was obsessed with sex and strongly influenced by Satanism.
6. His occult teachings did not make him a better person. They made him a psychotic weirdo. People who follow his teaching can hope for the same.
FOOTNOTES
(1)The Magical Record of The Beast 666: The Diaries of Aleister Crowley, 1914-1920, edited by John Symonds and Kenneth Grant, Pg 238 Hardcover Edition United States Games Systems; (June 1972)
(2 )Some of Crowley’s followers insist that Crowley was actually a British spy, and that his handler was none other than Ian Flemming himself. There is also a popular story about how the British government got Crowley to send Hitler phony occult information. The stories don’t appear to be based in reality. In the book The Nazis and The Occult, it is stated that The Golden Dawn was in contact with either the Vrill or the Thule (racist German occult societies), and that Crowley as the head of the Golden Dawn who passed on occult misinformation to demoralize the Nazis. In reality, the Golden Dawn never was in contact with a German Secret society (it was this fact was finally realized by the other members that they ousted Mathers) and Crowley was never the head of the G.:D.:. Crowley claimed to be a British spy, but as we have read, he claimed to be many other things that he was not as well. It’s doubtful the British government would have recruited someone as unstable as Crowley. Certainly his vices would have made him an incredible liability.
(3) The Occult: A History By Colin Wilson, Pg 352.
(2) A recent biography of Aleister Crowley titled Do What Thou Wilt tries to gloss over the fact he was in a comma (and many other negative events in Crowley's life), no doubt not wanting it to appear Crowley was brain damaged by the incident.
(3) The Histories of Gargantua and Pantagruel by Franççois Rabelais, trans. J. M. Cohen Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1955.
(4) op cite, Pg 371
(5) op cite Pg 368
(6) op cite Pg 370
(7) I should mention here that in medieval times it was common practice to attribute a Grimorie (French for "grammar"i.e, a spell book) to a religious leader or a Biblical figure. For instance, Albertus Magus, theologian and student of Thomas Aquinas is attributed to about a dozen spellbooks, none of which he actually wrote. Pope Honorius is falsely attributed to at least two Grimories, King Solomon is attributed to a dozen or more variations of so-called The Greater Key of Solomon, The Lesser Key of Solomon, and Grimorium Verum, among others. Moses is attributed with the 6th and 7th and an 8th, 9th, and 10th Books of Moses, etc., etc. It becomes apparent after a quick glance that any of these books are fakes. For instance, The Key of Solomons and the 6th and 7th Books of Moses all mention "Jesus" and quote the New Testament...which was written thousands of years after these men lived. Certainly none of these men of God would endorse practicing sorcery!
(8) Magick in Theory and Practice by Aleister Crowley, Castle Books, page 95. old hard bound copy edition.
(9)The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, by Aleister Crowley, chapter 5 (1929; revised 1970).
(B) The Occult: A History By Collin Wilson Pg 364
(Q) For that matter, Friedrich Nietzsche spent his final years in an insane asylum screaming he was a god. But unlike Crowley’s hedonism, Nietzsche’s philosophy taught that a personal happiness was futile, and that a person should throw themselves completely into a cause without hope of reward. Some people think Nietzsche’s philosophy may have inspired his readers in Europe to join the Nazi and Communist parties in the early part of the 20th century. It was wrapped in a sort of mystical anti-Semitic atheism. In someways Nietzsche is similar to Crowley’s idea of the occult study being like an arduous task like mountain climbing. Other folks who have studied Nietzsche include Charles Manson and Adolph Hitler. Like Crowley and Hitler, Nietzsche was obsessed with the will.
(C) Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley by Lawrence Sutin, Pg. 64, St. Martin's Press; (January 16, 2002) ISBN: 0312288972
(T) [From the Collected Works of Aleister Crowley, Foyers Society for the "Propagation of Religious Truth[?]" Reprinted by Yogi Publication Society, Date 1906. ISBN: 0-911662-52-9 Volume 2. page-4.]
(L) Liber III vel Jugorum 2., by Aleister Crowley
(AA) "Abracadabra" is derived from a Gnostic name of their god, "Abraxas". Sometimes Abraxas is represented as a snake.
(78) The Magical Record of The Beast 666: The Diaries of Aleister Crowley, edited by John Symonds and Kenneth Grant, Pg 239
(99) Aleister Crowley: The Nature of the Beast by Colin Wilson, Pg 123
