A Crowley Options

Hello , I was wondering what you guys think of A Crowley and if its any worth reading his books ?

Crowley was probably the most influential figure in modern occultism. His books present a very well-developed view of Magick whether or not anyone who reads it agrees with him or follows his instructions.

His bad behavior is sometimes exaggerated, but for a 72 yr old man, the Book of Thoth was well-done. How many heroin addicts of your acquaintance could produce such a thing at that age?

His conjuration of Typhon in 1903, aimed to kill his occult master, succeeded in 1918 with the Spanish Flu which killed 20-40 million other people worldwide. He was influential in the World Wars and is a respected mind among many popular and powerful people. He is worth reading for that alone. He wrote volumes of poetry, plays and verse, and several novels in addition to his Magick writings.

What makes you think he was responsible for the flu in 1918?

He invoked Typhon by means of a Greek curse (presumably his own writing, adapted from older works) and specifically names Mathers as the target. The curse appears in his publication of the Goetia. Typhon is often identified with diseases, and major ailments are named after him.

Crowley sought to make a fundamental change in the way people approach the subject of spirituality, aside from curses and ancient demonology. The New Age movement in almost every place has some origin in Crowley or in someone who was using his Magick, and for good or ill it has had a large effect on society. His views on women, sexuality, recreational drugs, and personal control over the mind are now commonplace where they were not during his lifetime. As a magician he accomplished many of his basic goals despite their dreadful consequences.

Ok , thank you .

The first 'Magick/Occult' Books i ever read where Aleister Crowley. I'd say those are a very large factor to how i got where i am today.

~Pluma

This post has been edited by Pluma: Sep 17 2008, 11:25 AM

What would be a good book to get started on Crowley if one was already familiar a bit with Ceremonial Magick?

Hello , I was wondering what you guys think of A Crowley and if its any worth reading his books ?

(Previous excessive ranting deleted)

From what I've seen, it's worth reading if you can be bothered wading through the rather titanic degree of arrogance...which personally, I can't.

If I'm going to view someone as a mentor, personally, their level of purely technical skill alone isn't enough. I also need them to display a decent level of humility as well, or to at least be reasonably real about themselves. Confidence to a certain level is fine; viewing yourself as an incarnate godform isn't.

I don't respect Bym or the other people I've read on this site as much as I do purely because of what I've seen of their level of ability; I also do because every one of them that I've seen manages to avoid arrogance, and remember that they are human. Crowley, in my observation, had enormous difficulty doing that, and for that reason, the size of his contributions notwithstanding, I find it equally difficult to have serious respect for him.

This post has been edited by Petrus: Sep 29 2008, 01:51 AM

What would be a good book to get started on Crowley if one was already familiar a bit with Ceremonial Magick?

"Magick in Theory and Practice" is considered his Magnum Opus

It was my starting point to Occultism, and for the sake of the fact that I still come back to it 7 years later- for cross-referencing purposes, and am still learning from various little tidbits he scattered about within it: is the foremost reason I like to put this book in the hands of the more serious inquirer/Occultist.


Some will that Crowley spoke with the ego he did because he was addicted to cocaine, or some will say he did so knowing just a powerful magician he was: which seems to be, for many, a tribute to his legacy.

He, writing his words at the time he did (with the publicity he did) which was in no way as accelerated as it is now...

And when you go back to read what he says, or how he was saying what he said; and with what degree of certainty he was saying those things: you start saying to yourself, "this, is A Very Powerful: Intelligent Magician who I could learn a lot from"

If you are, as you "familiar a bit with Ceremonial Magick" this guy will make you refine your Craft in levels you perhaps did not think were possible.


While some are saying Crowley spoke with an aire of esteemed ego (as he was into the cocaine)

So there are some who are verifying his testiment to raise men to the Level of Godhood.

He is more alive today than when he was walking this earth, breathing as a living man.


I think that should be a testiment, or point to consider for any sincere student of Metaphysics.

So yes, if Ceremonial is your interest: and you wish to take to transcendental levels... I would highly recommend this book to you.

It will be the best 80 bucks that you have ever spent in your entire life.

I actually had something odd related to Crowley happen this morning.

I was eating a slice of some fairly thick bread I've got, while lost in thought about something else, and nearly choked. After I recovered from that, I suddenly had a mental picture of him, (resembling the photos I've seen) with a ruler in hand, and giving me a swift crack over one of my wrists, along with the words, "No! Remain present at ALL times! If you are eating, focus solely on THAT!"

I'm not going to presume that this was a product of anything other than my hyperactive imagination, although from what I did read about him, it is possibly vaguely consistent...at least to a degree.

Could you point to some specific instances of this arrogance that has turned you off to Crowley? I ask to know if you mean things said about him and his life, or things he said himself.

"Magick in Theory and Practice" was written by Mary Desti and Leah Hirsig based on conversations with Crowley. Though it is obvious he supervised the book closely, it is not his directly. Crowley's own thoughts on Magick Art, when put down by his own hand, are somewhat different in character and content. Compare for example the Aquae Contemplationis or Liber Jugorum to the relatively simplistic chapters in Liber Aba. The "holy books" also are of a different sort, a stand-alone set of texts, whereas "Magick in Theory and Practice" is a summary and expansion of existing occult ideas.

Whether or not you admire Crowley or his writing, his influence on modern occult practices is immense, and there is viritually no concept of older occultism that he does not discuss at some point in his writings. I believe this makes his books worth reading, even if you prefer to ignore his opinions and refute his ideas.

If you want a more "humble" Crowley, try Magick Without Tears.

What would be a good book to get started on Crowley if one was already familiar a bit with Ceremonial Magick?

To start:

• Magick in Theory & Practice
• Magick Without Tears
• 777

Read a few (wildly conflicting!) biographies, then read everything else you can get your hands on.

Best of luck.

Crowley was intelligent and just a bit up himself over it,
but I say let it pass because he had a lot of good stuff to say.
I think I've read all his main books, some interesting stuff.
Can't say much for his poetry, but his other writing's good.
Strange how no one mentioned yet he channelled the Book
of the Law as I would say that's the most important thing he
did besides being way ahead of his time on so many things.
Love is the Law, Love under Will. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wub.gif)

Crowley is an acquired taste, his writings deep, genuinely inspired, and sometimes absolutely impenetrable. Many find Crowley's personal life abrasive, and so too his narrator sometimes comes off as an egotistical, oppositional-defiant teenager. But this does not apply to all of Crowley's life or writings; neither does it detract from his obvious level of attainment, nor does it taint the hard-earned wisdom of experience he seeks to pass on to others.

Magick in Theory and Practice is published in two books: "Book 4" and "Liber ABA." I'd recommend ABA, (which is confusingly also called BOOK 4, Parts 1-4) as it includes the whole of Book 4, plus a copy and explanation of Liber Al, The Book of the Law, considered Crowley's "life work." In addition, ABA gives you the best parts of 777 and a number of Crowley's essential ceremonies in the appendices.

Crowley wrote (somewhere) that the only books you "really" needed were Book 4, 777, and the Book of Thoth.

The bad news: Liber ABA, runs around $100.

This post has been edited by monkman418: Jul 8 2009, 05:26 AM

If you want a more "humble" Crowley, try Magick Without Tears.

Magick Without Tears humble???

..."Magick in Theory and Practice" was written by Mary Desti and Leah Hirsig based on conversations with Crowley. Though it is obvious he supervised the book closely, it is not his directly....

Um...

I think what you mean by this is that Crowley spoke out loud and had someone write his words down while he was speaking.

I think what you mean by this is that Crowley spoke out loud and had someone write his words down while he was speaking.

No, that isn't what I meant. Credit is due to the women mentioned, perhaps more than to Crowley, for the writing of "Magick."

As is said in the book, the Beast was a bit too obscure in relating some of his subject matter, so these women wrote what they thought would be a more friendly-to-the-public version of the same ideas. When one became exapserated with the project, and probably Crowley too, the other took over the writing.

"Soror Virakam" claims that she took notes from his lectures in Naples, then re-arranged, edited, and altered them to suit her audience for Parts I and II of Liber ABA.

Part III, Magick in Theory and Practice, follows a similar line from "Soror Agatha," who claims to have received it from Crowley before her own editing.

The very first sentence:

"This book is intentionally not the work of Frater Perdurabo.

Crowley was one of the great Occultists of history. Michael W Ford may be the next great one.
Don't be fooled by the drug addict accusations, the concept was explained in his book 'Diary of a Drug Fiend' in which the self imposed physical addictions are used as 'Adversarial' tools for discipline and gnosis.

Hello , I was wondering what you guys think of A Crowley and if its any worth reading his books ?

Greetings Aquarius,

The writings of Aleister Crowley can be very beneficial to various aspects of Magickal Workings. He has Books out for almost every facet of an Initiates Progress from Probationer through Adepthood.

There is a Book out for the Probationer Neophyte called "The Magickal Diaries of ALeister Crowley" which show a systemized method for keeping a Daily Magickal Journal. This is a Practice that almost all Magickal Orders have their Neophytes perform in their advancement.

Also for Beginners through Intermediate Stages there is a wonderful work called "Magck in Theory and Practice" by Aleister Crowley. This gives some of the underlying Practices of an Initiate, as well as, the text and diagrams for some Ritual Workings to be performed.

The more Hard to come by, exspecially in the cost of the Books, is The Equinox Series, Volumn 1; 1-10. However this particular Series in the Volumn 1,is required reading by all Neophytes or Minervals of the Ordo Templi Orientis. It is a Great Series, and covers almost anything that a Student would have a question for.

If you want a listing of the Reading Requirements, and Obligations of the Particular Grades to the O.T.O. with a synapsis of the Workings "The Blue Equinox" is a very handy Book to obtain. It's cost is not too much, and it explains the Obligations and Requirements for various Grade Degrees.

I think the writings of ALeister Crowley are a cornerstone to the Scientifc AIm of the Art and Science of Magick.

Respectfully,
Helel (Joseph)

Hello , I was wondering what you guys think of A Crowley and if its any worth reading his books ?

Greetings Aquarius,

The writings of Aleister Crowley can be very beneficial to various aspects of Magickal Workings. He has Books out for almost every facet of an Initiates Progress from Probationer through Adepthood.

There is a Book out for the Probationer Neophyte called "The Magickal Diaries of ALeister Crowley" which show a systemized method for keeping a Daily Magickal Journal. This is a Practice that almost all Magickal Orders have their Neophytes perform in their advancement.

Also for Beginners through Intermediate Stages there is a wonderful work called "Magck in Theory and Practice" by Aleister Crowley. This gives some of the underlying Practices of an Initiate, as well as, the text and diagrams for some Ritual Workings to be performed.

The more Hard to come by, exspecially in the cost of the Books, is The Equinox Series, Volumn 1; 1-10. However this particular Series in the Volumn 1,is required reading by all Neophytes or Minervals of the Ordo Templi Orientis. It is a Great Series, and covers almost anything that a Student would have a question for.

If you want a listing of the Reading Requirements, and Obligations of the Particular Grades to the O.T.O. with a synapsis of the Workings "The Blue Equinox" is a very handy Book to obtain. It's cost is not too much, and it explains the Obligations and Requirements for various Grade Degrees.

I think the writings of ALeister Crowley are a cornerstone to the Scientifc AIm of the Art and Science of Magick.

Respectfully,
Helel (Joseph)

No, that isn't what I meant. Credit is due to the women mentioned, perhaps more than to Crowley, for the writing of "Magick."

As is said in the book, the Beast was a bit too obscure in relating some of his subject matter, so these women wrote what they thought would be a more friendly-to-the-public version of the same ideas. When one became exapserated with the project, and probably Crowley too, the other took over the writing.

"Soror Virakam" claims that she took notes from his lectures in Naples, then re-arranged, edited, and altered them to suit her audience for Parts I and II of Liber ABA.

Part III, Magick in Theory and Practice, follows a similar line from "Soror Agatha," who claims to have received it from Crowley before her own editing.

The very first sentence:

"This book is intentionally not the work of Frater Perdurabo.

Greetings Imperial Arts,

I would have to agree with this statement that Aleister Crowley often had one, or more of his Scarlet Women, (as he called them), to edit and write his Books. In almost every major Book I see that is accredited to Crowley, few were openly penned by Aleister Himself. The Equinox Series is a compendium of Various AUthors which have been collected and gathered to form a Series of Instructional Writings. Magickal Diaries of Aleister Crowley was Edited by Stephen Skinner. etc...

The cases where he had more influence in the writings directly are those associated with the A.A. Publications, as well as "The Book of The Law" - Liber vel Legis".

Good Point Imperial Arts, I thank you for pointing out this fact.

Respectfully,
Helel (Joseph)