Page 52 - All About History - Issue 72-18

Black magic

As this classic Crowley
image indicates he
liked to cultivate a
sinister image. The
book itself,becamethefoundationofareligion, ‘astralvampire’toattackhim;hisbooks,published reality was somewhat
d
different
Thelema, which Crowley went on to develop. through his own Society for the Propagation of
Seventy years after Crowley’s death, the ‘Do Religious Truth, never sold in large numbers; a

what thou wilt…’ credo, TheBookoftheLaw and failedexpeditiontoclimbKanchenjungainthe
Thelema itself are still very much part of any Himalayas led to the deaths of many of the group;
conversation on the subject of alternative belief he was forced to leave India after shooting dead a
systems.It’samazingtothinkthat allthiswork man who tried to attack him; and Lilith sadly died
was essentially done by the time he reached at only two years old. Rose, by now suffering from
the age of 30. Of course, he continued to work alcoholism, bore a second daughter, Lola Zaza,
at developing and disseminating his beliefs, although Crowley embarked on various affairs
returning once more to Boleskine and becoming a before divorcing Rose, on the grounds of his own
father to his first child, a daughter. adultery, in 1909.
He andRosesawfittosaddlethechildwith Through all this, Crowley continued to attempt
the name Nuit Ma Ahathoor Hecate Sappho the Abramelin Operation, completing it at a hotel
visiting Algeria, the pair engaged in a sex magic
Jezebel Lilith Crowley, referring to her as Lilith in Surrey. He claimed afterwards to have achieved visiting Algeria the pair engaged in a sex magic
(after the Biblical demon) for convenience. astate ofsamadhi,or unionwithGod,aswellas ritual on a mountain summit and invoked the
Although he was admired in occult quarters conversing once more with his old chum Aiwass demon Choronzon with a blood sacrifice.
forhiswork,Crowley’slifewasrarelyeasyfrom and writing more Thelemic books as a result. Even A vehicle was clearly required for his ongoing
this point on. He fell out with Mathers, claiming supposing these supernatural liaisons were not philosophy, and so he and George Cecil Jones
fictional, they did nothing to
that hisformercolleague hadsentan nthathisformercolleaguehadsentaan fictional they did nothing to help his finances, founded the A A , a group that infused the ideals
which were running of the Order of the Golden Dawn with Thelemic
out. He remained in thought. The group’s temple was located at 124
Pictures such as this one showed
Ass no questions: that Crowley liked to intimidate – but
a
Crowley (and how much of it was pure theatre? a precarious financial Victoria Street in London, where a biannual
donkey) pictured s pamphlet, The Equinox, was published.
statefortherestof
on the former’s
his life, not at all
firsttriptothe h Crowley continued to write and publish into his
Himalayas in 1905 h middle years and beyond.
helped
by a growing In 1912 his Book of Lies gained some notoriety
b
ad when Theodor Reuss, the head of yet another
ddiction to cocaine.
Still, nothing could occult group, the German Ordo Tempo Occultis
st op him from defying (OTO), accused Crowley of publishing some of the
th OTO’s secrets. Crowley persuaded Reuss that he
he conventions of the
me. His relationship
tim was innocent and the two became friends, with
wi ith a disciple, Victor Reuss later appointing Crowley as the head of
euburg, was based on
Ne the OTO’s British branch, the Mysteria Mystica
domasochism – while
sad Maxima. Hilariously, Crowley took upon himself

Defining moment
Crowley turns to the occult 1897

While at Cambridge, Crowley lives a dissipated life, exploring
sexual liaisons with male and female partners. He also
becomes an expert mountain climber, travelling to the
AlpswithhisfriendOscarEckensteinandmakingthefirst
O Death of Crowley’s father unguided ascent of the Mönch peak. However, a previous –
The senior Edward Crowley andundefined–mysticalexperiencethatheunderwentin
dies in 1887 of tongue Stockholm in 1896 had set him on an esoterically spiritual
cancer when his son is only path,andafteratriptoRussiahesuffersashort-livedperiod
11. Crowley later defines this
moment as a turning point of illness. This leads Crowley to consider the reality of death
in his life, not least because and to dismiss all human endeavour as meaningless – and,
althoughadiplomaticcareerisbeckoning,hedeterminesto
Timeline he inherits a large fortune. pursue his burgeoning interest in occult matters.
1887
1887

1875 1895 1898 1899 1900
O Born in Leamington Spa, O Changes name to Aleister O Order of the Golden Dawn O Move to Boleskine House O Aspiritualjourney
Warwickshire Dissatisfied with the name Crowley is initiated into the Crowley styles himself as Having visited Mexico,
Edward Alexander Crowley Edward, Crowley adopts the OuterOrderof theGolden the ‘Laird of Boleskine’ the USA, Japan, Hong
is born as the only child of nameAleisterandgoesupto Dawn by the Order’s leader, after buying this imposing Kong and Sri Lanka (then
Edward and Emily Crowley. His Trinity College, Cambridge, Samuel Mathers, later property on Loch Ness. The Ceylon), Crowley studies
parents are members of the to study philosophy. Later he Crowley’s close associate. house becomes infamous the Hindu practice of raja
ExclusiveBrethren,aChristian switches to English literature. He quickly progresses through and is purchased in 1970 yoga. He claims to have
fundamentalist group. 1895 the organisation’s ranks. by Led Zeppelin guitarist achieved dhyana, or a
12 October 1875 18 November 1898 Jimmy Page. state of perfect awareness.
1899 1900

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