Aleister Crowley
From Free Encyclopedia of Thelema
Aleister Crowley (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was a British occultist, mystic, writer, poet, astrologer, sexual revolutionary, painter, mountain climber, and social critic.
He is best known as being an infamous occultist and the scribe of The Book of the Law, which introduced Thelema to the world. Crowley was an influential member in several occult organizations, including the Golden Dawn, the A.'.A.'., and Ordo Templi Orientis. He was a prolific writer and poet, a world traveller, mountaineer, chess master, artist, yogi, social provocateur, and sexual libertine. The press loved to demonize him and dubbed Crowley “The wickedest man in the world.”
Contents |
Biography
He was born Edward Alexander Crowley in Leamington, Warwickshire, England, between 11:00pm and 12 midnight on 12 October 1875. His father, Edward Crowley,was a retired brewer and once had a lucrative family business. His mother, Emily Bertha Bishop, drew roots from a Devon and Somerset family. Aleister grew up in a staunch Plymouth Brethren household. His father after retiring from his daily duties as a brewer took up the practice of preaching at a fanatical pace. Daily Bible studies and private tutoring were mainstays in young Aleister's childhood. The literal translation of the Bible helped pave the way for his mother to call him 'The Beast 666' because of his disobedient and promiscuous behavior (though this would be considered tame by today's youth). It is due in part to Edward Senior's insistence that Aleister learn the Bible so thoroughly that he regarded it to be filled with inconsistencies. In addition, he objected to the labelling of what he saw as life's most worthwhile and enjoyable activities as Sinful.
In response, Crowley created his own "philosophical system", Occult Sciences, best described as a synthesis of various Eastern mystical systems (including Hinduism, Buddhism, Tantra, the predecessor to Western Sex Magick, Zoroastrianism and the many systems of Yoga) fused with the Western Occult Sciences of the Golden Dawn and the many reformed rituals of Freemasonry he later reformulated within the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O). This system later discussed is founded in scientific skepticism. His undergraduate studies in Chemistry dutifully helped forge this scientific skepticism which later culminated in the many-volumed and unparalleled occult publication, The Equinox. Today, nearly 60 years since his passing in 1947, his works are becoming more prevalent and prominent, especially with today's current struggle between dogmatic branches of Christianity and Islam.
As a young adult, he had been involved in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, where he first studied mysticism — and made enemies of William Butler Yeats and Arthur Edward Waite— like many in the Occult circles of that time, Crowley voiced the common view of Waite as a pretentious bore, through searing critiques of Waite's writings and editorials of other authors' writings. His friend and former Golden Dawn associate Allan Bennett introduced him to the ideas of Buddhism, while Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, acting leader of the Golden Dawn organization, acted as his early mentor in western magick but would later become his enemy. Several decades after Crowley's participation in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Mathers claimed copyright protection over a particular ritual and sued Crowley for infringement after Crowley's public display of the same ritual. In a book of fiction entitled "Moonchild", Crowley portrayed Mathers as the primary villain, and included him as a character named SRMD, using the abbreviation of Mathers' magical name. Incidentally, Arthur Edward Waite also appeared in "Moonchild" as a villain named Arthwaite, while Bennett appeared in "Moonchild" as the main character's wise mentor, Simon Iff.
In October 1901, after practising raja yoga for some time, he claimed to reach a state he called dhyana — this is but one of many states of unification in thoughts that are described succinctly and vividly in MAGICK Book IV (See Crowley on egolessness). 1902 saw him writing the essay Berashith (the first word of Genesis), in which he gave meditation (or restraint of the mind to a single object) as the means of attaining his goal. The essay describes ceremonial magic as a means of training the will, and of constantly directing one's thoughts to a given object through the trappings of the ritual. In his 1903 essay, Science and Buddhism, Crowley urged an empirical approach to Buddhist teachings. In 1904, he alleged that he had a mystical experience on April 8, 9 and 10 that year while on vacation in Cairo, Egypt which led to his founding of the religious philosophy known as Thelema.
The text Liber AL vel Legis, or The Book of the Law, which Crowley claimed had been dictated to him in Cairo by the voice (or intelligence) Aiwaz or Aiwass, was to form the cornerstone of Thelema. The book's philosophy is highly opaque, apparently calling in places for peaceful (and erotic) discovery of "magick," and in other places for violence and war. Portions of it are in numerical cipher, which Crowley claimed inability to decode. This is in no small part due to the fact that within the Book of the Law it is forewarned that the scribe, Ankh-af-na-khonsu! — Aleister Crowley, was never to attempt to decode the ciphers for to do so would end only in folly. The later written The Law is For All sees Crowley warning all not to discuss the writing amongst fellow critics, for fear that a dogmatic position would arise. It was years after the original trance sessions in Cairo that Crowley would accept the writing of the Book of the Law and follow its doctrine. Only after countless attempts to falsify its writings did he come to embrace them as the official doctrine of the New Aeon of Horus. The rest of his professional and personal careers were spent expanding the new frontiers of scientific illuminism.
Crowley was notorious in his own lifetime — a frequent target of attacks in the tabloid press, which labelled him "The Wickedest Man in the World" to his evident amusement. The claims made about him by the press range from the certain (that he supported the Germans in World War I), to the realistic claim that he was an avowed atheist, to the unproven (that he openly kept mistresses), to the apparently ridiculous (that he sacrificed hundreds of babies in black magic rituals). At one point, he was expelled from Italy after having established a sort of commune, the organization of which was based on his personal philosophies, the Abbey of Thelema, at Cefalu, Sicily.
Thelema
The religious or mystical system which Crowley founded, into which most of his nonfiction writings fall, he named Thelema. The word is the ancient Greek θελημα, "will", from the verb εθελειν, ethelein, meaning "to will" or "to wish." Thelema combines a radical form of philosophical libertarianism, akin in some ways to Nietzsche, with a mystical initiatory system derived in part from the Golden Dawn.
Chief among the precepts of Thelema is the sovereignty of the individual will: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" is, as it were, the system's first commandment. Crowley's idea of will, however, is not simply the individual's desires or wishes, but also incorporates a sense of the person's destiny or greater purpose: what he termed the "Magick Will." Much of the initiatory system of Thelema is focused on discovering one's true will, true purpose, or higher self. Much else is devoted to an Eastern-inspired dissolution of the individual ego, as a means to that end (see Choronzon).
The second commandment of Thelema is "Love is the law, love under will" — and Crowley's meaning of "Love" is as complex as that of "Will". It is frequently sexual: Crowley's system, like elements of the Golden Dawn before him, sees the dichotomy and tension between the male and female as fundamental to existence, and sexual "magick" and metaphor form a significant part of Thelemic ritual.
Thelema draws on numerous older sources, and like many other new religious movements of its time combines "Western" and "Eastern" traditions. Its chief Western influences include the Golden Dawn, Kabbalah, and elements of Freemasonry; Eastern influences include aspects of yoga, Taoism, and Tantra.
The word Thelema finds its origins in the Bible, but was first brought into common usage by Rabelais, who wrote of the Abbey of Theleme, and had the motto "Fay ce que vouldras" or "Do what you will." This theme echoed St. Augustine's "Love and do what you will" and was a part of the emerging philosophy of humanism. Others who adopted this idea were Sir Francis Dashwood and the Monks of Medmenham (better known as The Hellfire Club) as well as Sir Walter Besant and James Rice in their novel The Monks of Thelema (1878).
Science, Magick, and Sexuality
Crowley claimed to use a scientific method to study what people at the time called "spiritual" experiences, making "The Method of Science, the Aim of Religion" the catchphrase of his magazine The Equinox. By this he meant that mystical experiences should not be taken at face value, but critiqued and experimented with in order to arrive at their underlying religious meaning. In this he may be considered to foreshadow Dr. Timothy Leary, who at one point sought to apply the same method to psychedelic drug experiences. Yet like Leary's, Crowley's method fell short of objectivity and has received little "scientific" attention outside the circle of Thelema's practitioners.
Crowley's magical and initiatory system has amongst its innermost reaches a set of teachings on sex "magick." He frequently expressed views about sex that were radical for his time, and published numerous poems and tracts combining pagan religious themes with sexual imagery both heterosexual and homosexual.
Sex Magick is the use of the sex act—or the energies, passions or arousal states it evokes—as a point upon which to focus the will or magical desire for effects in the non-sexual world. In this, Crowley was inspired by Paschal Beverly Randolph, an American author writing in the 1870s who wrote (in his book "Eulis!") of using the "nuptive moment" (orgasm) as the time to make a "prayer" for events to occur. While Randolph was interested in both the male and female partners, Crowley's version of sex magick was a male-centered activity and the female partner played a passive role.
In 1934 Crowley was declared bankrupt after losing a court case in which he sued the artist Nina Hamnett for calling him a Black Magician in her 1932 book, Laughing Torso. The evidence against him must have been overwhelming, and it is difficult to see why he ever took the case to court. In addressing the jury, Mr. Justice Swift said:
- "I have been over forty years engaged in the administration of the law in one capacity or another. I thought that I knew of every conceivable form of wickedness. I thought that everything which was vicious and bad had been produced at one time or another before me. I have learnt in this case that we can always learn something more if we live long enough. I have never heard such dreadful, horrible, blasphemous and abominable stuff as that which has been produced by the man (Crowley) who describes himself to you as the greatest living poet."
Writings
Within the subject of occultism Crowley wrote widely, penning commentaries on the Tarot (The Book of Thoth), yoga (Book Four), the Kabbalah (Sepher Sephiroth), astrology (The General Principles of Astrology), and numerous other subjects. He also wrote a Thelemic "translation" of the Tao Te Ching, based on earlier English translations since he knew little or no Chinese. Like the Golden Dawn mystics before him, Crowley evidently sought to comprehend the entire human religious and mystical experience in a single philosophy. Many of his books he published himself, expending the majority of his inheritance disseminating his views. Many of his fiction works, such as the "Simon Iff" detective stories and Moonchild have not received significant notice outside of occult circles. However his fictional work "Diary of a Drug Fiend" has received acclaim from those involved in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation.
Crowley's most acclaimed work was The Equinox. The Equinox was a large bi-annual periodical published by Aleister Crowley that served as the official organ of the A.'.A.'. and later the O.T.O. It was subtitled "The Review of Scientific Illuminism." It still remains one of the definitive works on occultism.
Crowley's other major works include:
Crowley had a particular sense of humour. In his Book Four he includes a chapter purporting to illuminate the Qabalistic significance of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. In re Humpty Dumpty, for instance, he recommends the occult authority "Ludovicus Carolus" -- better known as Lewis Carroll. In a footnote to the chapter he admits that he had invented the alleged meanings, to show that one can find occult "Truth" in everything.
Many Crowley biographies relate the story of L. Ron Hubbard and Jack Parsons and their attempt to create a "moonchild" (from Crowley's novel of that name). In Crowley's own words, "Apparently Parsons and Hubbard or somebody is producing a moonchild. I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these louts." Clearly the admiration Hubbard had for Crowley was not reciprocated.
More famously still, he baited Christians by naming himself To Mega Therion, or "The Great Beast" of the Book of Revelation.
Crowley and Rock & Roll
A number of rock musicians have been fascinated by the persona and ideas of Aleister Crowley, and several have made reference to him or his work in their own.
Popular music groups who have made passing references to Crowley include:
- The Beatles, who placed him among dozens of other influential figures on the cover of their concept album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, who named an album Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
- Iconic pop star Michael Jackson, whose 1991 album Dangerous featured a drawing of Crowley on the cover.
- David Bowie, whose song "Quicksand", featured on his album Hunky Dory, makes the reference "I'm closer to the Golden Dawn, immersed in Crowley's uniform of imagery..."
- Numerous heavy metal rockers, including Ozzy Osbourne and Ministry, who have referred to Crowley in lyrics, though their interpretations more often follow the tabloid "Satanist" image of Crowley and not his actual writings. Such lyrics dwell on Crowley's sometime use of Christian eschatological imagery such as the number 666.
- Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, who once stated that Crowley was one of his favourite authors. On his album Antichrist Superstar, the sentence "When you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you" supposedly rephrases a line from Liber AL vel Legis: "Begone! ye mocker; even though ye laugh in my honour ye shall laugh not long: then when you are sad know that I have forsaken you."
- Polish death metal band Behemoth: a record of theirs is entitled Thelema.6.
- The British gothic rock band Fields of the Nephilim, who make numerous indirect references to Crowley and to Thelema in their works, with the songs "Moonchild" and "Love Under Will" being more obvious examples.
- German pop group Alphaville, noted for mystical references of various sorts, who penned a song about Crowley's wife Rose, entitled "Red Rose", which makes coded reference to a number of Thelemic and otherwise occult ideas.
- The San Francisco-based Folk-Rock band Annwn, who have performed a similarly themed song, "The Scarlet Muse", about Leila Waddell, one of Crowley's mistresses. Some of the same performers, under the band name Nuit, have produced an album, Mother Night, based in part on Thelemic mystical concepts.
- British music group Current 93, who have drawn extensive inspiration from Crowley's writings and works, taking their name from a mystical term referring to Thelema itself.
- There is a reference to the Diaries of Crowley in the song "Liezah" by The Coral.
- Porcupine Tree has a song called "Queen Quotes Crowley" on their "Love, Death & Mussolini E.P."
- British rock band Gothick (http://www.t3kton.com) are influenced by Aleister Crowley and the OTO. The 2005 release Abyss Walker features the track "Law of the Strong" taken from Liber Oz with the lyrics "every man, every woman, we are stars, we are wonders".
Also, several bands have used samples of Crowley reading his own works, including British band Paradise Lost, Costa Rican band Dreams of Decadence and Finnish band Babylon Whores.
Perhaps most curiously, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page owned Crowley's Loch Ness estate, Boleskine House, from 1971 to 1992. It is also said that on some pressings of the Led Zeppelin III album, one or more Aleister Crowley quotes are inscribed into the runoff matrix of the vinyl (the space between the last groove and the label.)
Mountaineer
Crowley was an accomplished mountain climber is his time, and is still mentioned in mountaineering literature. He owed his ability to Oscar Eckenstein, who was not only a highly skilled climber, but also had a great interest in Eastern philosophy (which had a distinct influence on Crowley).
Crowley made some significant climbs, including a 1902 attempt on Chogo Ri (or K2), the second tallest peak in the world. On that climb, the expedition achieved a record: "the greatest number of days spent on a glacier—65 days on the Baltoro" (Equinox of the Gods Ch.1). He also had the record for "the greatest pace uphill over 16,000 feet—4,000 feet in 1 hour 23 minutes on Iztaccihuatl in 1900" (Ibid).
Crowley is also known for his 1905 attempt (and failure) on Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas—a peak that would not be successfully ascended until 1955. On the upward climb, a porter fell to his death in the process of leaving the expedition. More porters accused Crowley of beating them, and a general mutiny began among them and the other core climbers (namely Guillarmod and de Righi), based on Crowley's route (which was later vouched as a good one in 1954), his supposed ill-treatment of the porters, and the bad feelings between him and several of the climbers. Guillarmod took charge, leading the bulk of the men back down. On that descent, a porter's stumble triggered an avalanche that buried four men under ten feet of snow. It took three days of digging to recover their bodies. Crowley, remaining in the higher camp, did not respond to the cries for help when the avalanche began, a fact which later demonized him in mountaineering circles.
Miscellany
Crowley also tried to mint a number of new terms instead of the established ones he felt inadequate. For example he spelled magic "magick" and renamed theurgy "high magick" and thaumaturgy "low magick". Many of his terms are still used by some practitioners.
Aleister Crowley claimed that, in Cairo on April 8, 1904 at 12 noon exactly and for the following two days at the exact same time—he actually heard a voice in his ear, dictating the words of the text (as if through some transmitter in his brain), and that he transcribed them faithfully. It was not "inspired," then, so much as received. The voice itself claimed to be that of Aiwass, or Aiwaz, "the minister of Hoor-paar-kraat," or otherwise, Horus, the god of force and fire, child of Isis and Osiris, and self-appointed conquering lord of the New Aeon, officially announced through his chosen scribe, "the prince-priest the Beast."
Crowley remains a popular icon of libertines and those interested in the theory and practice of magic.
Aleister Crowley died a penniless heroin addict in a Hastings boarding house on December 1, 1947 (according to some accounts he passed on the 5th).
His last words were supposed to have been: "I am perplexed." (according to Symonds), though he did not die alone and the only other person with him (Patricia MacAlpine, the mother of Crowley's son) denied this. According to MacAlpine, Crowley remained bedridden for the last few days of his life, but was nonetheless in light spirits and conversational. She claims he died next to an open window, with his last words being "Sometimes I hate myself", Patricia also claimed that her son was also present at his death.
Readings at the cremation service in nearby Brighton included one of his own works, Hymn to Pan, which led to newspapers referring to the funeral as a black mass. Brighton council resolved to take all necessary steps to prevent such an incident occurring again.
List of Published Works
Modern Classics Still in Print, distilled from the Equinox
- Magick in Theory and Practice
- Eight Lectures on Yoga (or Yoga for yellowbellies, today it would be called Yoga for Dummies)
- Magick Without Tears
- Tao Teh Ching - a Thelemic Translation
- The Book of Wisdom and Folly or Liber Aleph
- The Book of Thoth
Fiction
Some critics regard AC fiction as unimpressive, others as more pure gold from a reliable genius.
- Moonchild
- The diary of a drug fiend
- Simon Iff (short stories)
- The Strategem and others (short stories)
Literary Journalism
- The Fatherland
- The English Review
Magical Mottos and other names used by Crowley
- Frater Perdurabo ("I will last through") - Neophyte - 18 Nov 1898.
- Ol Sonuf Vaoresaji ("I reign over ye") - Adeptus Major - April 1904.
- Oy Mh (" ")- Adeptus Exemptus - 1909.
- Vi Veri Vniversum Vivus Vici ("By the force of truth, I, while living, have conquered the Universe") - Magister Templi - 3 Dec 1910
- To Mega Therion - Magus - Oct 12 1915
- Baphomet as the Xth Degree OTO OHO
See also
References
- Wikipedia (2005). Aleister Crowley. Retrieved March 19, 2005.
- Carroll, Robert Todd (2004). "Aleister Crowley (1875-1947)". The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved December 30, 2004.
- Crowley, Aleister(1990) "The Tao Teh King, Liber CLVII: THE EQUINOX Vol. III. No. VIII. ASCII VERSION". Retrieved December 30, 2004.
External links
- A Crowley Timeline
- AleisterCrowley.com
- Aleister Crowley - The Rotten Library
- Contemporary media accounts and photographic portraits
Categories: People | Thelema | Artists | Magicians | Mystics | Occultists | Past Masters | Poets | Prophets | Saints | Thelemites | Writers | Yogis | A.'.A.'. | Golden Dawn | Ordo Templi Orientis
