Thelema Office Of The Readings

This article links to all of the components of the Office of the Readings for the Thelemic High Holy Days, March 20th through April 10th. It will serve as a general reference for anyone who would like to perform this series of rituals in upcoming years. "The Rite of the Office of the Readings" is performed for all of the readings following "The Invocation of Horus" on March 20th. It may also be used with "The Prologue of the Unborn" on March 19th at your own discretion. We've done it both ways over the years.

RITUALS

"The Invocation of Horus"

"The Rite of the Office of the Readings"

READINGS

March 19th - "The Prologue of the Unborn"

March 20th - Saturn/Earth, The Universe

March 21st - Fire/Spirit, The Aeon

March 22nd - Sol, The Sun

March 23rd - Pisces, The Moon

March 24th - Aries, The Emperor

March 25th - Mars, The Tower

March 26th - Capricornus, The Devil

March 27th - Sagittarius, Art

March 28th - Scorpio, Death

March 29th - Water, The Hanged Man

March 30th - Libra, Adjustment

March 31st - Jupiter, Fortune

April 1st - Virgo, The Hermit

April 2nd - Leo, Lust

April 3rd - Cancer, The Chariot

April 4th - Gemini, The Lovers

April 5th - Taurus, The Hierophant

April 6th - Aquarius, The Star

April 7th - Venus, The Empress

April 8th - Luna, The Priestess

April 9th - Mercury, The Magus

April 10th - Air, The Fool

If you would like to perform this series and have questions, feel free to e-mail me here.

All Office of the Readings posts may also be viewed here.

Suggested ebooks:

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Cave Of The Ancients
Dion Fortune - The Machinery Of The Mind
Alice Hoffman - The Book Of The Sagas

Crowley Chose Ankh Af Na Khonsu

TM> To expand on my earlier comments on Satanic symbolism in Thelemic
TM> ritual, and their relevance to the question of whether Thelema is a
TM> form of Satanism under some reasonable definition of that word.
TM>
TM> You ought to get a copy of "Magick in Theory and Practice" if you're
TM> interested in the issue. Crowley's ritual and meditative instructions
TM> were his best writing, possibly because they dealt with what he knew
TM> best. It's because of the power and importance of these instructions
TM> that I was willing to overlook his appalling right-wing politics and
TM> cite Crowley as a source in Twilight Crossing; LaVey and Aquino have
TM> made no contributions that measure up to these.
TM>
TM> I'm going to track through the various Liberi in Appendix VI, "A Few
TM> Principal Rituals", in order.
TM>
TM> Grimorium Sanctissimum. The O.T.O./A.'.A.'. sex magic expressed in the
TM> form of a Black Mass, with a naked virgin as the altar.

How is is it a Black Mass? Or are all sex magick rites Black Masses? It doesn't involve Christian crucifixes, upright or averse, though it
does have oil and a bell. One might say it has cakes and ale, but
these are not the stolen and desecrated ones of an oppressor, but rather the natural secretions of the participants. I usually think of a Black Mass as a specific attack on the Catholic Rite, reversing and spoiling.

TM> The Star Ruby. Therion and Babalon, who are the Beast and the Scarlet
TM> Woman from the Apocalypse of John, and who are explicitly Satanic
TM> symbols. (The Star Ruby is the Thelemic recension of the Lesser Banishing
TM> Ritual of the Pentagram.)

Only Tim calls it "thelemic recension. It is interesting to note that this ritual was published in two forms by Crowley himself, the other one using Chaos, Babalon, Eros and Psyche. Babalon in this case refers, I think, to the Babalon of Dee and Kelly, rather than the Babalon of Revelation, though Dee and Kelly were certainly aware of the latter. (It pairs with Chaos, who in the Dee and Kelly system would be Choronzon.)

TM> The Star Sapphire. Set, a very close Satanic cognate, and Baphomet,
TM> the demon supposedly worshipped by the Templars.

This ritual is designed to unify opposites. Not surprising that Crowley's Christian opposites would be used. Note that L.V.X. is invoked at the end, and not N.O.X.

TM> The Mass of the Phoenix. The magician carves his or her breast with
TM> the Mark of the Beast, soaks the blood into a cake, and eats it.

I don't know what Tim's source is for the use of the Mark of the Beast.
It may be a confusion with the following ritual. This ritual says 'the proper sign', which I take to be a personal and individual symbol,
which for Crowley may well have been the Marlk of the Beast. But I've found no specific record of what the proper sign is.

TM> Liber V vel Reguli. "Being the Ritual of the Mark of the Beast".
TM> The Beast 666, Therion, Babalon, Averse Pentagrams, "Saturn or Satan
TM> is exalted in the House of Venus or Astarte", "the Father-Mother
TM> Set-Isis", and so on.

This ritual, being the Ritual of the Mark of the Beast, is especially personal to Crowley, and he notes that it is to be adapted for the
daily use of other Magicians.

TM> The Gnostic Mass. Chaos, Babalon, Baphomet, Abrasax, Therion, Simon
TM> Magus, and another reclaiming of the Black Mass with its naked virgin
TM> on the altar. (The G.S. form above is more adapted to the ceremonial
TM> use of two people, while this form is for the puhblic and is veiled
TM> with a cloak of symbolism.) Interestingly, something very like this
TM> ritual may have a great deal to do with our general conception of the
TM> Black Mass, coming from the Star Chamber affair in France. It is
TM> unclear how much of the accusations were exagerrated and brought into
TM> line with the Inquisitional mythology, and how much was an actual
TM> "amatory mass" as some of the sources refer to it.

I disagree from the outset that this is a Black Mass. It is, to me, the adaptation of the Russian Orthodox pomp and circumstance (very
impressive to a Plymouth Bretheren-raised individual) to a fertility religion. It is not the reverse of a religion, it is the use of very standard ritual for another religion.

TM> This ends the appendix containing the principal Thelemic rituals, with
TM> the exception of Liber Samekh. That is so important that it receives
TM> its own appendix, IV. As you know, the emphasis of Liber Samekh on
TM> Satan is intense. It also exalts the Beast and the Scarlet Woman yet
TM> again. This is the ritual of "the Attainment of the Knowledge and
TM> Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel" or Higher Self; in Crowley's
TM> case, he believed this "devil or angel" to be named Aiwaz or Aiwass,
TM> and to have delivered the Book of the Law, the foundation of Thelema.

Liber Samekh was originally developed by Crowley for Crowley at a
particular point on his path, where he was trying to get in contact with his HGA. Note that the Barbarous names themselves have nothing Satanic in them with the possible exception of the mention of Babalon, which I do not think is original. The source of these Barbarous names is a Greco-Egyptian papyrus. The satanic symbold Tim claims are in the ritual are in fact in Crowley's notations of his interpretations. In other words, we are back at Crowley's personal spiritual path. Note that within the ritual the choice of identification of the name and race of the aspirant is up to the aspirant. (This is explained in the commentary Point II, Section Aa) The original ritual had Moses and
Israel, when first rehashed by Mathers. Crowley chose Ankh-af-na-Khonsu and Khem, when he rewrote it, and refers to himself as The Beast 666 directly as an individual who picked these names for this purpose.

TM> I have not mentioned the constant repetition of the Serpent symbol,
TM> which for Crowley was interpreted along the lines of Genesis -- or an
TM> anti-Genesis which reclaimed the pagan symbol demonized in the Hebrew
TM> myth. Someone could object, after all, that Serpent-worship is hardly
TM> confined to Satanism; we have to see how much Crowley explicitly inverted
TM> the tail of the Bible before we can know certainly that he did the same
TM> with the head. So the Serpent or Snake has little evidentiary value
TM> in itself, except where it is very plainly a reference to Genesis, as
TM> in "I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge" in the Book of the Law.
TM>
TM> As we can see, there is not one Thelemic ritual, among those Crowley
TM> thought most important, which is lacking in Satanic symbols.

Tim is here defining Thelema as the aping of Crowley and the use of his personal rituals as dead instruments, rather than live examples.
I would rather call this Crowleyanity, a phase of the development
of the understanding of Thelema that Crowley foresaw and dreaded.

TM> Now, we should also consider Appendix VII, "A Few of the Principal
TM> Instructions Authorised by the A.'.A.'." These are much less Satanic
TM> by and large. Many of them have no Satanic references worth mentioning,
TM> such as the Yogic instructions of Liber HHH, Liber E, and Liber RV,
TM> and the Golden Dawn derived ceremonial magick practices of Liber O,
TM> Liber Yod, Liber Resh, and Liber A. Similarly for the past-life recall
TM> practice (perhaps Theosophical?) of Liber Thisharb and the penultimate
TM> practice of Liber B vel Magi. Yet there are other works in the same
TM> appendix which contain notable Satanic symbolism, such as Liber Astarte,
TM> Liber III, Liber Cheth, and Liber A'ash.

I find it suspicious that he doesn't quote any of these. The mention of Cerberus in Liber III is negative, and this ceratinly has Thelemic gods;
Nuit, Hadit, and the word ABRAHADABRA. Much of the symbolism is from the Book of the Law, the Priestess, the Ox, the Fool, though these do appear elsewhere as well, of course. Liber HHH opens with a quote from Liber LXV, and the aspiration is towards one's own HGA. Liber Astarte quote Liber LXV also and only warnings against the wiles of the devil's distractions, which in this case I take to be simply advice to not break concentration. He does mention Babalon at the end. In Liber RU he refers the reader to Liber XXV and Liber CLXXV, Astarte. These instructions are all intertwined and interrelated, and I think it is erroneous to base conclusions on a few of them, especially ignoring thelemic references when it is convenient to do so.

TM> The interesting thing about the instructions of this category is that,
TM> for the most part, they are not particularly Thelemic either. There is
TM> little mention of the Thelemic trinity of Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit,
TM> or of the Book of the Law, or of the word Thelema, or "Do what thou wilt"

As I mention above. this is not true, apart from the purely ceremonial ritual instructions, such as are based on Hebrew CM traditions. It may be that Tim's definition of Thelemic is more restricted than mine. In fact, I think he defined it and then went looking for evidence.

TM> or its cognates such as "the law of liberty". Where these do occur, they
TM> are usually in passing rather than central to the instruction; and in
TM> nearly every case, the degree of Satanic symbolism is proportional to
TM> the degree of Thelemic symbolism.

I think this is an inaccurate representation. He is discounting half the books that have thelemic references, and simply claims they lack them.
This may relate to his more limited definition as to what is Thelemic.

TM> That is, there is hardly a book that contains noteworthy Satanic
TM> symbolism that does not also contain Thelemic symbolism of roughly equal
TM> note, and vice versa. The books which don't contain one rarely contain
TM> the other.

Basically when he discusses gods, he discusses gods. The other books deal with other matters. This is not surprising, given his range of interests.

TM> Liber A vel Armorum could be taken as a counterexample, but even there
TM> the quote from the Book of the Law is merely an opening clause having
TM> no import to the teaching in itself; it is a single sentence stating
TM> Crowley's authority to present the book. If it were omitted, it would
TM> have no effect on the instruction of how to construct elemental weapons.
TM> It's of no more significance than the mention of Typhon in Liber O.

Or perhaps Satan, SET, etc. in all the personally adaptable rituals?

TM> In Liber Astarte and Liber III, the Thelemic and the Satanic symbolism
TM> are both used in passing, almost as afterthoughts. (Astarte also contains
TM> some of the anti-Satanic symbolism that Crowley sometimes uses; the
TM> Thelemic devil is named Choronzon, and here he is presented as leading
TM> the aspirant astray.) In Astarte, the little Satanic symbolism consists
TM> of a reference to Babalon, which is also Thelemic symbolism; the only
TM> other Thelemic references are to Choronzon and a single short clause
TM> (out of fifty clauses) which urges the use of Thelemic books and
TM> aphorisms in the practice. In Liber III, the Thelemic mythology is
TM> solely in an opening benediction which (once again) could easily be
TM> omitted without having the slightest import to the meditation practice,
TM> while the Satanic symbol of "Cerebus, the great Beast of Hell" is almost
TM> as unimportant.

I think Tim is identifying as Thelemic only the mythology mentioned strictly in the Book of the Law. This may be the source of his only identifying Satanic mythology as Thelemic. Thelema embraces a good deal more than the Book of the Law, though of course it is central. But it is good to remember that Crowley got the Book of the Law when he was 29, before he got involved with the OTO, or started the A.'.A.'. He lived to be 72, and never stopped refining the system. The Book of the Law is without a doubt the most satanic book by Crowley. I think this has a lot to do with his state of development at that age.

TM> Was Crowley a Satanist? Is Thelema a form of Satanism? Only the most
TM> contrived definition of "Satanism" could answer these questions "no".

I think these are two very different questions. How does Tim define Thelema?

TM> What would Crowley have answered? In a dedication to "Why Jesus Wept",
TM> he told G. K. Chesterton that he, Crowley, had "found [his] Messiah in
TM>...
TM> the Devil and all his angels", and showed through gematria that the
TM> Serpent was the true Messiah.

Here Crowley is baiting a Catholic, and catching Tim.

TM> In "Magick in Theory and Practice" (cap.IV) and "The Book of Thoth",
TM> and many other places, he praised Satan
TM> at length. He sang rapturous love-songs to the devil in his ritual
TM> practices, and gave him the unholy kiss referred to in the legends of
TM> the templars and the Sabbat. He wrote, in the last chapter of "Magick
TM> in Theory and Practice", that:
TM>
TM> "The Devil" is, historically, the God of any people that one
TM> personally dislikes. This has led to so much confusion of
TM> thought that THE BEAST 666 has preferred to let names stand
TM> as they are, and to proclaim simply that AIWAZ -- the solar-
TM> phallic-hermetic Lucifer -- is His own Holy Guardian Angel,
TM> and "The Devil" SATAN or HADIT of our particular unit of the
TM> Starry Universe. This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of
TM> Man, but HE who made Gods of our race, knowing Good and Evil;
TM> He bade "Know Thyself!" and taught Initiation. He is "the
TM> Devil" of the Book of Thoth, and His emblem is BAPHOMET, the
TM> Androgyne who is the hieroglyph of arcane perfection.
TM>
TM> We have no need to speculate on the issue. The man has spoken clearly
TM> for himself.

I agree with this final summation. Crowley has spoken for himself,
and specifically for his own HGA identification. That does not mean that Thelemites all have Satan as their HGA. It would be perfectly viable, if somewhat silly, to consider Hadit the Holy Ghost, Nuit Mary, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit Christ. 'I bring not peace, but a sword!'

Liber 913 The Treasurehouse Of Images

Book: Liber 913 The Treasurehouse Of Images by Aleister Crowley

The Treasurehouse of Images. A superb collection of Litanies appropriate to the Signs of the Zodiac. Also: Liber Thesaurou Eidolon, Liber DCCCCLXIII, The Treasure-House of Images. See also: Equinox I iii, Special Supplement

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Tree Of Life Tree Of Lights

Above is a very nice diagram of the Tree of Life, the basic glyph, or magical pattern, on which the Qabbalistic system is based. As you can see, there are ten spheres with thirty-two paths linking them together in various ways. The spheres are called Sephiroth and, in my experience, when you work with them, they open up as little chapels with altars in them that correspond to the qualities of the deities that work through them. Each Sephiroth is aligned to a planet and with the Gods, Goddesses, Planetary Intelligences, Angels that make up the consciousness of that Sphere.

You can also meditate standing within the Tree, so that your feet at at Malkuth (Earth), your pelvis is at Yesod (Moon), heart is at Tiphareth (Sun) and so on. You must “Cross the Abyss” (Daath) so that your head is just below Kether whose symbol is appropriately enough, a Crowned King.

This is a huge topic that entire books have been written about, but these little keys can help you go through the doors on your own. It is the basis of Tables of Correspondences, relationships between powers and deities, and many other things. It is very enlightening to take your favorite Gods, say the Greek Gods, and put each one in a sphere according his or her planetary association and see how the energies collide and interact. You can understand things at a much deeper level when you play with the Tree of Life in this way.

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Frater Astrum - Temple Of Flame The Ritual Opening Of The Veil
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Between A Rock And A Soft Spot

I am having a multi-venue discussion now about these questions of Thelema as religion, and how it might relate or not to other religions, especially Christianity. By the way, Keith418, if you have something to offer on these points, pro or con, offer it here as well, so I can reply. The following is something I posted to my Facebook wall. The reference below to Jesus' lesson is in reply to someone who made this claim—that it could be summed up in part as an encouragement to be more than we let ourselves be.:

In Christianity and Thelema, which we should recall are respective heresies of an older tradition, there is an idea that is central, and which is generally ignored by alleged adherents. This is the idea of surrender, and of diminishment and indeed destruction of self to serve the Great Work.

I think if Jesus' lesson was that we can be more than we let ourselves be, it would not be much different than the US Army's "Be All You Can Be". Yet I think their encouragements would have very different aims. So maybe their messages are also not very alike.

Jesus was mainly concerned that the spirit of the Law had been lost, because worship of the Laws had replaced concern for the Will of God, particularly as that might work through any human being. As for forgiveness, that was offered simply enough, but not without qualification. For example, a person, whose behavior clearly demonstrated he had not been salvaged, even after he affirmed faith by the magic words, was not saved. Nevertheless, no human was to judge this shortcoming in any cosmic respect in another, since who can know the ultimate plan, which may incorporate evil people and their ways (as Gandalf pointed out as well).

As for Thelemites, they are caught between the occult rock, upon which Thelema is built and which they generally do not understand, and the soft place of their cultural sensibilities, towards which they will escape and from which they will interpret Thelema, to conform it to their respective, respectable, zones of comfort. A pointless exercise. If there is an Aeonic change coming, it will be unbelievably destructive, not comforting or sustaining.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

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Liber 412 A Vel Armorum

Book: Liber 412 A Vel Armorum by Aleister Crowley

An instruction for the preparation of the Elemental Instruments. See also: Equinox I iv, p. 15

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Diary Of A Drug Fiend

Book: Diary Of A Drug Fiend by Aleister Crowley

Aleister Crowley's first published novel was "Diary of a Drug Fiend." The book was originally published in London in 1922. Although written over seventy-five years ago, the book is still relevant for today's readers. The book paints a vivid picture of the mind of drug users. The drug user's highs, lows, and sometimes strange thought patterns are described in great detail in this interesting book.

Aleister Crowley is one of the great unheralded masters of the Enlgish language. Many aspects of his spiritual and philosophical views may leave some people in the dust, however. The mysticism can be perplexing to the average reader. Diary Of A Drug Fiend is successful because it is very easy to understand. The use of language is masterful. It is not a pretty story, to be sure, and many will disagree with the seemingly pro drug message but it is a great tale. Peter Pendragon and Unlimited Lou are presented as both sympathetic and contemptible characters. One feels empahty but it is tainted by the knowledge that they have created their own problems. They are weak. King Lamus almost seems to be like a zen master who patiently guides his pupils to higher heights. I can not say that I agree entirely with the philosophy espoused by King Lamus but it is exhilarating to follow this tale as it unfolds. I am sure many will be offended by Crowleys portrayal of King Lamus as a master who can use and not use drugs with ease. I do not suggest that mastery over heroin or cocaine is easy or even possible but this is just a work of fiction. It should not be taken literally. I do not know if this is meant as a self defense for Crowleys own drug use. It is irrelevent to me. Many great artists were alcoholics or drug addicts. It does not deter my admiration for this spectacularly well written book. aleister crowley could have been one of the great novelists had he chosen to pursue that path. This was one of the best reads I had in years.

The infamous aleister crowley invokes a reaction with some people. Some say he was strange and went off the deep-end with his involvement in Magick, the practice of using various techniques to exert control over the forces of nature. If one is too close-minded to read this book because of the author's reputation, he or she would be missing a great read.

This story is supposedly based on truth. False names were used to conceal the identities of the people in the book. For instance, aleister crowley is called Peter Pendragon in the book. Peter went to a pub and was socializing with some people he knew when he saw the woman that would change his life, Lou.

"Across the moaning body of the blackmailer, I was looking at the face of a girl that I had never seen before. And I said to myself, "Well, that's all right, I've known you all my life." And when I said to myself "my life," I didn't in the least mean my life as Peter Pendragon, I didn't even mean a life extending through the centuries, I meant a different kind of life --something with which centuries have nothing whatever to do (Crowley 11)."

This truly eloquent description of Peter's first glimpse of Lou reveals that Crowley was truly a master of language. The book is written in such a clever way that the reader continues to want more.

Basically, the story is of Peter falling madly in love with a woman named Lou. They run off to Paris and travel throughout Europe. Lou introduces Peter to cocaine and heroin and they quickly become dependent on the narcotics. When their supply of drugs runs out, the withdrawal troubles begin. Lou's father, King Lamus, helps the two overcome their addiction by the application of practical Magick. Both Peter and Lou find their true purpose in life and live happily ever after.

Diary Of A Drug Fiend appealed to me because I knew someone that was caught up in drug addiction and wanted to know more about it. I wanted to know what it felt like and how the drug user felt. This book totally met my expectations and more, it showed me exactly what I was looking for. In the first instance I began to dislike the book because it seems to glorify drugs but then I suppose that is what it feels like when you are using the drugs.

"Diary of a Drug Fiend" would be a beneficial source of information for professionals involved with the psychology of addiction. Doctors, lawyers, police, and the average person would gain insight into the thought patterns of a drug addict from the first high, to the constant effort to regain the effects of the first high. The craving for the drug, and how it is the only thing the user thinks about when he or she does not have the drug for a period of time is covered thoroughly. How selfish and careless one becomes when he or she needs a fix is also mentioned in the book. Peter lost his love for Lou because he could only think of the drugs. He quickly knew this was wrong and constantly tried to regain his love for Lou.

If people are open-minded and enjoy challenging their beliefs, then "Diary of a Drug Fiend" may be the book to read. At the time of reading this book, I found many useful insights that could dramatically change one's life contained within its pages. Overall, this book by Aleister Crowley is fantastic.

Buy Aleister Crowley's book: Diary Of A Drug Fiend

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Liber 414 Agape De Arte Magica

Book: Liber 414 Agape De Arte Magica by Aleister Crowley

De Arte Magica Secundum ritum Gradus Nonae O.T.O. Baphometi Epistola anno belli universalis ne perdat arcanum scripta. Written between Sep 6 and Oct 8, 1914

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Magick Without Tears

Book: Magick Without Tears by Aleister Crowley

In 1943 aleister crowley met a lady who, having heard of his wide knowledge and experience, asked his advice on occult, spiritual, and practical matters. This chance connection resulted in a stimulating exchange of letters.

Crowley then asked others to put similar questions to him. The result was this collection of over eighty letters which are now being issued over the title that he chose, "MAGICK WITHOUT TEARS". Crowley did not keep copies of his early letters to the above-mentioned lady, so was unable to include them in the collection that he planned to publish. Fortunately they have been preserved and are now included in the introduction to this book. Their original form has been retained with the opening and closing formulae which Crowley used in all his letters.

Crowley at first intended to call the book "ALEISTER EXPLAINS EVERYTHING", and sent the following circular to his friends and disciples asking them to suggest subjects for inclusion.

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Liber 335 Adonis An Allegory

Book: Liber 335 Adonis An Allegory by Aleister Crowley

Adonis an Allegory. A short play. Set in the hanging gardens of Babylon in classical times with classical characters. An account in poetic language of the struggle of the human and divine elements in the consciousness of man, giving their harmony following on the victory of the latter.

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Thelemic Mysticism

Thelemic mysticism is a complex mystical path designed to do two interrelated things: to learn one's unique True Will and to achieve union with the All. The set of techniques for doing so falls under Crowley's term Magick, which draws upon various existing disciplines and mystical models, including Yoga, Western ceremonial ritual (especially invocations and eucharistic ceremony), the Qabalah, and several divination systems, especially the tarot and astrology.

The path to mystical attainment or enlightenment was initially developed by Crowley largely based on the meditation/mystical techniques found in Buddhism and also the Tree of Life, especially as it was examined by Eliphas Levi in the 19th century and later by various members in the occult society, the Golden Dawn. In 1904, Crowley claimed to have transcribed, via "direct-voice transmission" from a "praeternatural intelligence" named Aiwass, The Book of the Law, which he eventually called the central sacred text of Thelema, heralding a new Aeon for mankind.

Between 1907 and 1911, Crowley wrote a series of other small texts which he considered to be "inspired" in that they were written through him rather than by him, which were afterwards collected together and termed the Holy Books. The final text added to the list was The Vision and the Voice, a vivid account of Crowley's astral travels through the thirty Enochian Aethyrs. These texts formed the final mystical backbone of Crowley's system.

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Liber 074 Testis Testitudinis

Book: Liber 074 Testis Testitudinis by Aleister Crowley

Liber Testis Testitudinis vel ty sub figura LXXIV

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Aleister Crowley Vs Neo Con Morality

When the work of Aleister Crowley, the most infamous Satanist of the 20th century, is the governing policy and spirit of a so-called "Christian" movement, you get what it is known as a Republican party. Here, now, the parallels between Neo-Con Christianity and Crowley's Book of the Law...
"You know what, I don't have any problem taking his head sticking it underwater and scaring the living daylights out of him and making him think we're drowning him, and I'm a Christian."

A lot of you thought I was kidding when I said there were parallels between Glen Beck's 9-12 Project and the principles embraced by Satanist Aleister Crowley's Book of the Law. Crowley, as you might recall, was a British Satanist who called himself the Beast of Revelation, and signed all of his letters with the number 666. What makes his claim credible enough for Britain's MI6 and the CIA, however, can be found below and in detail here.

I wasn't kidding about Glen Beck, as you'll soon see. But before we start I'd like to discuss the issue of the only unforgivable sin mentioned in the bible: blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. It is a sin that trumps murder itself, as even Paul, who persecuted and murdered Christians before his conversion to Christianity, found forgiveness and became one of the most important martyrs in the Bible.

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is to deliberately misrepresent good as evil, the very thing the Pharisees and and Sadducees engaged in when they called the miracles of Jesus evil and said that they were done through Satan. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is to imply Jesus approves of torture, when he committed no sin, and never struck a man in anger. It is the act of a television anchor, i.e. Sean Hannity, going on his show, calling himself a Christian, and telling his naive viewers that torture is compatible with Christianity; this when Jesus Himself was tortured to death. After all, isn't that what crucifixion is? death by the cruelest torture imaginable? And that's aside from the 39 lashings. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the sin of every Klansman who burns a cross, the symbol of Christ's sacrifice to atone for the sins of humanity. Is it not obvious? They do it for hate. Christ never stood for hate, but for love and tolerance. For the forgiveness of enemies.

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the hallmark of the Satanist. They encourage it in their followers to burn any bridges should they attempt to renounce Lucifer. They encourage it in people who know nothing about them, to make their paths towards Christianity impossible. If a major media or political figure, it is incited in millions of people at once. If you consider the following verse, you might see how it could easily apply to television and film...

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Revelation 13:15

We will discuss some individuals whose actions encourage the commission of the Only Unforgivable Sin. We will compare their life's work to the teachings and principles of Crowley's ode to Satan.

The following, in italics, are excerpts from Crowley's Book of the Law. For the full version, click here.

Crowley claimed to have channeled the Templar god Baphomet when writing this book. Much of it involves Egyptian mysticism and rituals.

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Aleister Crowley And Ron Habbard

Hubbard had clear connections to the occult. Even in the first publication of dianetics in "Astounding Science Fiction", Hubbard in explaining how he did his "research" into what the mind was doing, says he used "automatic writing, speaking and clairvoyance" (1) to discover what the mind's memory banks were doing. Automatic writing is an occult method of communicating with the spirit world, although psychologists consider its products to arise from subconscious thoughts of the writer. Whichever is correct, it is hardly a method used by competent scientific researchers.

Hubbard's connection to the occultist aleister crowley is quite clear and noteworthy. Crowley called himself the Anti-Christ, the Beast of Revelations, and 666. Russell Miller has adequately chronicled Hubbard's connection in 1945 to John W. Parsons, who headed Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis chapter in Los Angeles. (2) Hubbard was an active member in this group for several months, and first met his second wife there. The Church of Scientology claims that Hubbard was actually infiltrating this group in order to break it up, but the following should suffice to dismiss this claim.

In the Philadelphia Doctorate Course lectures taped in 1952, Hubbard discusses occult magic of the middle ages, and recommends a current book - "it's fascinating work in itself, and that's work written by Aleister Crowley, the late Aleister Crowley, my very good friend." (3) The book recommended was The Master Therion, (published in London in 1929) later re-released as magick in Theory and Practise. L. Ron Hubbard, Jr. asserts that during the time when the Philadelphia course was given his father would read Crowley's works "in preparation for the next day's lecture..."

There are interesting similarities between Crowley's writings and the teachings of Hubbard. Dianetics' Time Track, in which every incident in a person's life is chronologically recorded in full in the mind, is quite similar to Crowley's Magical Memory. The Magical Memory is developed over time until "memories of childhood reawaken" which were previously forgotten, and memories of previous incarnations are recalled as well. Hubbard gives examples in the Philadelphia Doctorate Course of several people remembering lives earlier on earth, some up to a million years ago. The similarity between the Magical Memory and Time Track, then, is that they both can recall every past incident in a person's life, they both can recall incidents from past lives, and they both must be developed by certain techniques in order to make use of them.

Both Hubbard and Crowley consider it important to have the person recall his or her birth. "Having allowed the mind to return for some hundred times to the hour of birth, it should be encouraged to endeavour to penetrate beyond that period" (Crowley). "After twenty runs through birth, the patient experienced a recession of all somatics and 'unconsciousness' and aberrative content." "Thus there was no inhibition about looking earlier than birth for what Dianetics had begun to call basic-basic" (Hubbard).

Both Hubbard and Crowley are avowedly anti-psychiatry. "Official psychoanalysis is therefore committed to upholding a fraud... psychoanalysts have misinterpreted life, and announced the absurdity that every human being is essentially an anti-social, criminal, and insane animal" (Crowley). Hubbard considered that psychiatry controlled most of society and was struggling to create their own 1984 world.

Hubbard and Crowley both posit the ability of the person to leave his or her body at times. Crowley states that the way to learn to leave your body is to mock up a body like your own in front of your physical body. Eventually you will learn to leave your physical body with your "astral body" and travel and view at will without physical restrictions. Hubbard teaches the same, and his method of "exteriorization" is to tell the person to "have preclear mock up own body", which will send the person outside his body .Both Crowley and Hubbard use an equilateral triangle pointing up in a circle as one of their group's symbols. Both use Volume 0 instead of Volume 1 to begin enumerating their works. One could go on for quite some time listing the similarities between Crowley's and Hubbard's theories and writings, but for more the reader is encouraged to look for him or herself.

In Crowley's Organization are several grade levels. To reach the Grade of Adeptus Exemptus "The Adept must prepare and publish a thesis setting forth His knowledge of the Universe, and his proposals for its welfare and progress. He will thus be known as the leader of a school of thought." It is apparent that Hubbard has fulfilled this requirement.

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The Equinox Vol Iii No Ii The Gospel According To St Bernard Shaw

Book: The Equinox Vol Iii No Ii The Gospel According To St Bernard Shaw by Aleister Crowley

A fascinating study of Christianity by Crowley, built around a critique of Shaw's Androcles and the Lion. Published by Crowley's follower, Karl Germer.

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Liber 018 The Fountain Of Hyacinth

Book: Liber 018 The Fountain Of Hyacinth by Aleister Crowley

Liber Tzaddi Beth Aleph vel Nike A diary of the use of cocaine and heroin and the relations of the Magician therewith. See Liber Al vel Legis: Chapter Two, verse Twenty Two.

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Duty

Book: Duty by Aleister Crowley

A note on the chief rules of practical conduct to be observed by those who accept the Law of Thelema.

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
"There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt."
"...thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that and no other shall say nay. For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect."
"Love is the law, love under will."
"Every man and every woman is a star."

Explore the nature and Powers of your own Being. This includes everything which is, or can be for you: and you must accept everything exactly as it is in itself, as one of the factors which go to make up your True Self. This True Self thus ultimately includes all things soever: its discovery is Initiation (the travelling inwards) and as its nature is to move continually, it must be understood not as static, but as dynamic, not as a Noun but as a Verb.

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Duty

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The Stratagem And Other Stories

Book: The Stratagem And Other Stories by Aleister Crowley

The Stratagem and Other Stories, a small book of short stories written by aleister crowley (1875-1947), occult magician, poet and self-proclaimed prophet of a new AEON., Including "The Strategem", "The Testament of Magdalen Blair", "His Secret Sin". The Testament of Magdalen Blair paints a particularly gruesome picture of what happens to human beings after they die. Indeed it is so nasty that it has been described in the Penguin Encyclopaedia of Horror & Supernatural as "one of the most horrible stories ever written."

The book was originally published in 1929 and one of a series of Crowley's works to be published on the new Mandrake Press label after a difficult period in which Crowley found it difficult to publish due both to financing and notoriety. The works published by Mandrake Press in 1929 were The Confessions of aleister crowley volumes I and II, and Moonchild.

Crowley hardly ever published collections of short stories, but the title story received such a good review from British novelist Joseph Conrad when he published it in The English Review that he thought it was a possible calling to conventional fame. "The Testament to Magdalen Blair" is the longer of the three and was originally published in "The Equinox" volume I, no.9 in 1913. It tells the haunting story of a psychic woman who delves into the dying, subconscious psyche of her husband and bears resemblance to Edgar Allan Poe's "Mesmeric Revelation" and "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar". The third short story, "His Secret Sin", was first published in "The Equinox" volume I, no.8 in 1912 and has a pervert absconding a photograph of the Venus de Milo.

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Babylon And Ishtar

Perhaps the earliest origin is the ancient city of Babylon, a major metropolis in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah in Iraq). Babylon is the Greek variant of Akkadian Babilu (bab-ilu), meaning "Gateway of the god". It was the "holy city" of Babylonia from around 2300 BC, and the seat of the Neo-Babylonian empire from 612 BC.

One of the goddesses associated with Babylonia was Ishtar, the most popular female deity of the Assyro-Babylonian pantheon and patron of the famous Ishtar Gate. She is the Akkadian counterpart to the Sumerian Inanna and the cognate to the northwest Semitic goddess Astarte. The Greeks associated her with Aphrodite (Latin Venus), and sometimes Hera. Ishtar was worshipped as a Great Goddess of fertility and sexuality, but also of war and death, and the guardian of prostitutes. She was Also Called the Great Whore and sacred prostitution formed part of her cult or those of cognate goddesses. Many have associated Ishtar with the figure in the Book of Revelation of Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations.

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Triumph Of The Will Of Aleister Crowley

In Egypt, between intense sex sessions with Rose, Crowley practised more black-magic rituals to impress her. Deep within the king"s chamber in the Great Pyramid he recited the preliminary invocation of the occult ritual called Goetia. It had unexpected consequences.

Rose, who had previously known nothing of the occult, began to chant. In a trance, she repeated "They are waiting for you" over and over. Crowley was irritated and sceptical of his new wife and her previously hidden clairvoyant skills but she went on to tell him that he had offended the Egyptian god Horus by not finishing the Abra-Melin. Crowley quickly set about an invocation, and a strange voice identifying itself as Aiwass began to speak in their hotel room.

For three days, between the hour of midday and 1pm, Aiwass spoke and Crowley wrote. The result was The Book of Laws. Believing himself to be the messiah of a new epoch, Crowley swore that he would perform depraved acts and learn to love them. Christianity was dead, he declared. His new religion had one all-powerful doctrine: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." Free will, denied to Crowley as a child, had now become all powerful.

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