What is the name of Crowley in the real world. Aleister Crowley - a mad genius or an ordinary charlatan? Entry into the Order of the Golden Dawn

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Perhaps not everyone has heard the name of Aleister Crowley, someone does not even know what kind of person he is. But, you know for sure about tarot cards, well, at least you know that they exist, that they are used for divination by various magicians, sorcerers, psychics and other similar brethren.

So, the inventor of one of the varieties of tarot cards, namely the tarot of Thoth, is the hero of our article " Aleister Crowley - biography of the black magician».

Many epithets are attributed to Aleister Crowley, such as a mystic, Satanist, occultist, cabalist, tarot reader and even a black magician, in addition, he is known as a poet and writer. And now we will introduce you to him.

Mage Personality

The personality of Aleister Crowley, his character, life views and principles are very complex and peculiar. Highly intellectual by nature, Crowley possessed the qualities of a true egoist with pronounced vanity and ambition, which in the most mysterious way intertwined in him with outright naivety. Once, at the age of fifty, Alistair wrote in his diary that he did not feel like an adult at all.

Given his specific philosophy and views, it is quite difficult to draw up an objective portrait of a magician and give a truthful assessment of the events in his life, to separate truth from fiction. For the reason that many opponents and enemies (and there were many) rejected, questioned and criticized the views and personality of Crowley himself.

And the supporters of his teaching, which he himself called the Law of Thelema, on the contrary, did not question and did not dare to criticize even the most egregious ideas, thus distorting their true meaning.

To be most clear, Crowley's motto "do whatever you want is the whole law" (meaning seeking harmony with yourself) was interpreted by the masses as a call to action regarding free love and drug use, thus the magician was hailed as the unspoken hero of all hippies. , while the public elite called him "the most corrupted man in the world."

Aleister Crowley's biography has nothing to do with either of these points of view, it is simply a description of his life, tells the facts without a touch of mythical judgments. And you, dear friends, will have to decide and figure out for yourself whether our hero was a real magician and prophet or just a very smart swindler who hid behind the cover of the occult to achieve his own goals. In any case, there are now many more followers of his teachings and admirers of his books than Crowley himself could have dreamed of during his lifetime.

Childhood and youth

Edward Alexander Crowley (the name given to him at birth) was born in 1875 in the city of Leamington Spa, in the county of Warwickshire, in the family of a hereditary owner of a brewery and a chain of drinking establishments in the southeast of England.

Throughout Crowley's childhood, his parents raised him in the spirit of deep religiosity and strict asceticism. Every morning the family began by reading prayers and passages from the Bible. At the age of four, the boy already knew how to read, the only book allowed to him then was the Bible.

After the death of his father in 1887, the young mystic hit, as they say, in all serious ways, he absolutely abandoned all religious beliefs, rituals and prayers of the Plymouth Brotherhood movement, to which his parents belonged, and under whose auspices all his childhood passed. Secretly read "objectionable" books. All attempts by the mother to attract the boy to the Christian faith ended in nothing.

Can you imagine that Aleister was called "the beast 666" by his own mother, a nickname that Crowley liked, and in his later life, he often called himself that.
The father later left his son not a small fortune, so his youth passed quite carefree. There was no need to think about earning their daily bread.

Aleister Crowley himself wrote in his diary that he was brought up in such a way that he had no idea that money has its own value, as soon as he wanted something, it was immediately paid for behind his back. Only he was not allowed to spend money on such "shameful" things as tobacco or books, or, even more disgustingly, on women or the theater. Thus, he was completely unprepared for the practical side of life. Nevertheless, he was grateful to his relatives for being.

At Trinity College, Cambridge University, where Crowley went to study in 1895, he decided to take on a new name and signed himself as Edward Aleister Crowley. In college he studied psychology, philosophy and economics, and later English literature. There, in college, he began to get involved in magic, mysticism, alchemy and the occult. He liked to play chess, was fond of mountain climbing. College education soon annoyed Crowley with its monotony.

The mystic claims that on December 31, 1896, his life changed dramatically. Then he was in Stockholm, and around midnight he suddenly came to understand that he possesses mystical powers that had been hidden until now, he seemed to have discovered in himself a second - animal nature, which was silent under the cover of an almighty and omnipresent saint, blooming in his soul. According to him, he experienced the highest spiritual ecstasy.

The following year, when Aleister Crowley fell seriously ill, he had a second mystical experience. Under the yoke of illness, he thought about how frail and meaningless human existence is in the face of death. It was at that moment that he decided to become famous and leave a mark after his death. And for this, he must do what no one has ever done before, and the spiritual world turned out to be the ideal material for this. After all, the body and the brain itself have no meaning without such an instrument as the soul. He decided that the beginning of the study of the spiritual world must certainly serve as a personal interaction with the devil and the study of black magic.

However, having embarked on his magical path, Crowley achieved even more fame than he wanted.

In the same year, Crowley decided to study Russian and went to St. Petersburg, but nothing came of this venture because the language turned out to be very difficult, and its study was as boring and monotonous as college education. Alistair left Russia, but this trip made an indelible impression on him.

At the age of twenty-three, Crowley retired from Cambridge University and published his first book of poetry, Akeldama (Burial Place for Wanderers or Philosophical Poem).

In the same year, he became a member of the Golden Dawn magical order. Adherents of the order (it is also called the “hermetic order”) practiced alchemy, magic and theurgy (this is a practical effect through rituals on angels, archangels, gods and demons). It was the most influential occult community in England at the end of the nineteenth century.

There he is engaged in mysticism, after the collapse of the order, the mystic went to Mexico, where he continued his studies and experiments. He was actively engaged in Raja and meditation, to which in his ontological essay "Berashit" he ascribes the properties of a ritual that contributes to the achievement of goals by concentrating thoughts and attention on the desired object, and also gives some remarks on ritual magic.

Relationships and sex

In addition to mysticism, Crowley had another passion - sex. And this hobby of his (if you can call it that) he gave himself in full. The mystic led a very active sex life, completely unrestrained in his desires and vices. He believed that sex is very useful in creative and intellectual terms. And being a passionate person, besides having an impressive capital, Crowley most often used the services of girls of easy virtue, not burdened with a special mind, culture and intellect.

If abstinence lasted more than forty-eight hours, his mind became dull. With the help of carnal pleasures, he asserted himself in his magical abilities, they were for him a challenge to the Christian faith and the Plymouth Brotherhood.

His attitude towards women was hostile, his relationship with his own mother affected, he believed that women should be used, treated as one of life's amenities and oppressed, that's what they are for. Although, at the same time, he admitted that he felt good in the company of women and he considered it his duty to give them sexual satisfaction.

And in his poetry, Crowley exalts and idealizes women, or gives them a metaphorical image of demons who crave sex. There are some grounds for asserting that Aleister Crowley, except for free heterosexual relationships, did not neglect sadomasochism and homosexuality. The latter in those days was considered a criminal offense and was considered in court, for this reason Crowley himself was not particularly advertised.

Crowley could not stand the routine, constantly traveled, looking for new experiences and new thoughts. He traveled to various exotic places, lived for some time in London and Paris, where he met people who played a significant role in his future, in particular Gerald Kelly and his sister Rose.

The mystic was an ardent opponent of marriage, as he believed that it limited human freedom, despised monogamy. However, these beliefs did not prevent him from marrying, although by calculation, and not even once, but more on that later.

Marriage and "scarlet women"

Rose was engaged to a lawyer, not of her own accord, but because of her mother's harsh dictates. Rose herself was in a love affair with a married man. She told Crowley her story, causing his outrage (he himself had previously experienced pressure from his mother).

Rose and Alistair with their baby

Crowley decided to help Rose in a very strange way - he invited her to enter into an alleged fictitious marriage with him. When it all happened, Alistair was overcome by ambivalent feelings, but he reassured himself that he would not have to live with her under the same roof, but simply he had made her free. After the ceremony at the local sheriff, the newlyweds parted.

Rose returned to her mother and brother, who were beside themselves with rage, and her fiancé lawyer tried to terminate the objectionable marriage. However, as a result, the “newly made” husband and wife imbued each other with not only friendly, but loving feelings.

Crowley even decided that they needed a real honeymoon, and they went on a trip, during which they even managed to spend the night in the main hall of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The mystic thus wanted to show his wife what a magician he is. There he read a book of spells, performing a magical ritual of calling the Egyptian god Horus, after which the cave was filled with a special light, and by morning Rose simply lost her senses.

But during this experience, Crowley realized that some magical entity had made contact with his wife. Rose became for Crowley a real "scarlet woman" - a woman who can make contact with spirits and entities and transmit their messages.

She even once, during a magical ceremony, brought her husband to a museum located at a sufficient distance from the venue of the ceremony itself, and pointing to a shelf with exhibits, she declared that this was the one who was waiting for Crowley. On the shelf stood the god Horus, and his number in the museum catalog was 666.

Rose and Alistair had one child - a girl who died at the age of two and a half years, after some time a second child appeared in the Crowley family, also a girl, who was named Lola Zaza. During his marriage to Rose (in 1907, to be exact), Crowley founded his own Silver Star order, continuing his occult experiments.

In 2009, the couple divorced at Crowley's insistence because of Rose's alcoholism.

The next woman Crowle became seriously interested in, apart from a series of casual relationships, in 2010 was the thirty-year-old Australian violinist Layla, then he wrote the stories "The Fox" and "The Violinist" (literally in the first days of their acquaintance). Leila was not a "scarlet woman", but he arranged various magical rituals to her music.

The next companion and part-time "scarlet woman" for Crowley was Isadora Duncan's friend - Mary.

Crowley was treated for bronchitis with opium, a dream he had while under the influence of narcotic fumes, he described in his story "The Trick".

By this time, Alistair had already managed to lose all his fortune, and he was, to put it mildly, not adapted, not trained, and there was no such desire to make money in the service. The solution to this problem was the sale of a house in Scotland, which Crowley loved very much and considered part of his soul. After that, Crowley was actively involved in rock climbing, which strengthened his health. In 1916, Leila came to him, and for several years they were still together. During the sessions of the occult, Crowley conducted various experiments with drugs.

In 1920, Crowley founded the so-called "Abbey of Thelema", where he conducted his endless magical experiments with the "scarlet women" and his other supporters and followers. Many of these experiments were more like sex-drug orgies with a hint of Satanism and the occult.

Crowley spent the rest of his life living on only occasional sources of income. The mystic had several more serious (if you can call it that, rather fateful) relationships, he got married, he had more children.

Teachings of Thelema

Crowley was a fan of the work of the writer François Rabelais, his novel "Gargantua and Pantagruel" (It mentions the French word "Thélème", the name of the abbey, whose adherents adhered to the principle of "do what you want") Crowley's feat to create his own teachings of Thelema.

Postulates of the teachings of Crowley's Thelema:

a person is free to do what he wants, this is the law;
any man and any woman, that is, every person, is a star;
love is considered only in accordance with the will, it is the law;
man has no other right than to act in accordance with his true will.

Crowley's system of Thelema is put down to paper in The Book of the Law in Egypt while on honeymoon with his wife Rose. The mystic himself said that the book was written in three days under the dictation of the guardian angel, Aiwass, whom he not only heard, but also, glancing at him secretly (it was forbidden to look at Aiwass), saw him.

The magician considered true will to be the true meaning of human existence. Each person, in his opinion, must defeat the subconscious with the help of consciousness, he must find his true will - this is the goal of all life. Moreover, this search does not require the help of God or any religious scriptures and guidelines.

In 1944, the magician wrote the last of the most significant books called "The Book of Thoth", in which he interpreted the doctrine of tarot cards. He believed that the trump cards of the tarot deck are symbols of all the energies of the universe, he decided to create a new deck in which all the principles of his "Book of the Law" would be relentlessly traced.

He created a new deck of seventy-eight cards with the help of artist Frida Harres.

Aleister Crowley died at the age of seventy-two in the UK from asthma on 12/01/1947.

Many mysterious, logically unexplainable facts from Crowley's biography, not consecrated within the framework of this article, can be found in his books and books written about him.

If you are interested in getting acquainted with the work, views and teachings of one of the greatest occultists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, you can purchase books published on the basis of the works of Aleister Crowley. Maybe you are interested in tarot cards.

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Mysticism and magic... Probably everyone who has ever approached this mysterious sphere has heard the name of Aleister Crowley. The ignorant snatched lines from the yellow press and branded him with unflattering epithets, more advanced practitioners studied his works, but everyone determined for himself who this Crowley Edward Alistair was? ..

Magic in theory and practice

Crowley's legacy is, first of all, his teaching, dressed in book bindings. The master, capturing the very essence of mystical practices, conveyed the processed quintessence of knowledge in a language accessible to the common man. For seekers, the practical magic offered by this man, sometimes in the form of documentary literature with hints of fiction, such as his manuscript “Magic Without Tears”, served as a kind of guide in the world, the veil in front of which is not open to everyone.

The modern idea of magic was woven from a thousand judgments of practitioners, but, nevertheless, a more fundamental idea of \u200b\u200bthis difficult subject found itself in the textbook "Mysticism and Magic". The author offers his students precise recommendations for studying areas such as:

Moreover, these recommendations resonate not only with those who are already on the magical path or are just groping for their paths in it. Many historians and religious scholars, as well as people who are fond of psychology and philosophy, find valuable advice from a practical mystic on the pages of his reasoning.

Biography of Aleister Crowley

Early life

Parents raised the boy in the spirit of Protestantism, and as a child, he studied the Bible daily. However, this did not leave its mark on the future fate of the little Crowley. The death of his father freed him from the obligation to participate, as he grew up, in the life of the Plymouth Brothers movement, of which both parents of the future mystic and magician were zealous admirers. Witnesses of his childhood, which took place in the imposed service of God, could hardly have imagined that in the future Alistair would write the book “Moonchild” about this, playfully displaying himself in its central character and thereby giving food to various gossip.

Character

Aleister Crowley's horoscope says that his zodiac sign is Libra. In this man, the element of Air really was displayed. After all, Libra men, guided in their lives, as a rule, by calculation and logic, often do not take seriously such a trifle as the individual characteristics of people. And the motto of Crowley's life, picked up from the French satirist Francois Rabelais, subsequently displayed the main idea driving this man: "Do what you want, so be the whole Law."

Appearance

The semantic portrait of the nature of the Satanist Aleister Crowley is made up of many details, but his appearance most clearly conveys the inner strength of this mystic man. His mother christened him "Beast 666" as a child, as in the future he called himself "according to his mother's testament." And although many years have passed since the day of his death, in all portraits and photographs, this special mystical look of the Great Beast really distinguishes him. And, of course, he did not lack the attention of women, because this man had a certain masculinity, as well as regular and beautiful facial features.

Interests

The mystic Crowley was a versatile man. In the collection of his hobbies, apart from the zealous study of various magical practices and poetry, there was a place for drawing and music. Among his interests were also a penchant for spending time at the chessboard and being on the slopes of the mountains: Crowley loved mountaineering. Passion for mystical culture poured out not only on the pages of his manuscripts, but also in the paintings he painted. The painting of Aleister Crowley is filled with the motives of the teaching, which he followed all his life.

Skills and Abilities

Alistair's mystical practice combined not only the ability to penetrate secret knowledge himself, but also the ability to clearly state their essence, as well as the ability to conduct carefully arranged rituals. And all this made him a real Master and teacher for many followers.

There is even an opinion that at the end of his life, Crowley passed through himself and described the entire system of Wicca: a special religion of ancient witchcraft that secretly existed for many centuries and is rooted in pre-Christian European paganism.

Silver Star and Order of the Oriental Templars

In 1898, Crowley joined the Order of the Golden Dawn. There he found like-minded people, but soon, with diligent practice, he outgrew his associates. Possessing a subtle sense of humorous sarcasm, in his novel "Moonchild" he painted in detail the negative features of his colleagues in the workshop. And in 1904, having set several influential opponents against himself, he left the order.

But in 1907, Aleister Crowley announced the creation of his own Order of the Silver Star and published for the initiates his magical work, The Code of the Holy Books of Thelema. And after a while he becomes the head of the Order of the Oriental Templars.

Teachings of Aleister Crowley

After leaving this world, the wizard and magician left to his descendants a layer of his great teaching. The philosophy of A. Crowley is still found in many thematic works and musical interpretations of individual authors. His motto "do what you want ..." was reflected in the lyrics of Moonchild's song. Based on the teachings of Crowley, scripts and literary works are written.

The age in which the significant mystic lived was filled with the arrival of people into this world, whose philosophy is still perceived with awe by the ordinary man in the street. This bygone era, among other things, brought together two of its great representatives: Crowley and Freud. They walked along the same conceptual road, linking together the theory of the influence of sexual desire on the daily hustle and bustle of everyday life ... - but they never met. Although - who knows how their possible joint work would have ended ...

Book of the Law

The year Crowley left the Order of the Golden Dawn, he went on a meditative journey to Cairo, where he spent his honeymoon. There he began to write one of his classic works, namely, Crowley's Thelema. This work is devoted to religious teaching and the system of values developed by the mystic himself. Excerpts from this book have long excited the minds of followers. Although a deep study of the master's works shows that a diligent practitioner can train his will in this way (in Greek - telema), which is able as a result to cause in himself certain personal changes necessary for him.

Diligently polishing his exposed immoral image, Crowley in 1920, while in Sicily, founded Thelema Abbey. According to rumors, the mores of free love were present there, the use of potent psychotropic drugs was not forbidden, and magic was welcomed. After one of the students, unable to withstand the ritual, went to the forefathers, his relatives raised a fuss, and the Italian police were forced to expel Crowley and his followers from the country.

Reflecting on the life of a mystic after the abbey, it can be assumed that, while staying there and, apparently, giving plenty of his inner essence, as well as fully enjoying carnal love and the vicissitudes of human passions, Crowley received a new charge of energy, and in 8 years he created four fundamental their labors. One of them is "Eight Lectures on Yoga". Aleister Crowley's Grimoire Library was also conceived there.

Crowley and Nazism

Although many bibliographers are trying to draw a deep parallel between Nazi concepts and the mystic Crowley, he himself was far from their ideas. Especially since his friend fell victim to fascist persecution. The mystic mentioned Hitler in passing, and then only that this dictator turned out to be a failed magician.

After spending many hours and days under the influence of drugs, the great magician reflects his transcendental experiences in two books: "The Diary of a Drug Addict" and "Cocaine".

Having written these works already at home, in the UK, he draws the reader into his travels with a bright artistic language, and he, fanned by his subtle humor, suddenly finds himself in the realities of the life of a person who is able to move to the other side of consciousness. This, of course, could not but arouse the interest of the idle reading public.

Significance of Crowley's personality

The Great Satanist or the Great Beast?.. - Who was this man, and whether he was a real person - is not exactly known. But his teaching is still alive, and he is given glory in the living and still founded Crowley Orders. Such works as Gematria and the unexpected book "The Heart of Holy Rus'" are replete with aphorisms and sayings of the magnificent mystic.

The blasphemy of people's rumors, which is trying to discredit his name, is just a reflection of his distant smile. He himself, like no one else, managed to distort any idea of himself, most likely realizing that worthy descendants would no longer judge him by his actions, but by his rich creative and mystical experience and heritage.

Aleister Crowley is a famous English poet, tarot reader, occultist, kabbalist and Satanist of the 19th and 20th centuries. For many followers, he still remains one of the most significant ideologues of the occult.

Alistair's real name is Edward Alexander Crowley. He was born on October 12, 1875 in Great Britain. The boy's father was an engineer who owned his own private brewery. The mother was in charge of the household. It so happened that Edward's parents became members of the Plymouth Brothers sect. Throughout childhood, the child was forcibly forced to read the Bible and be faithful to Christianity.

Aleister Crowley

However, all this ended after Alexander's father passed away. The mother could no longer educate the boy's interest in faith. The more she tried to instill in him love for God, the more rebuff the woman met on her way.

Scandals reached the point that the mother called her own son beast 666. Nevertheless, the boy really liked this nickname, and later in his adult life he often called himself that way. In 1895, Crowley graduated from high school and entered the College of the Holy Trinity, Cambridge University.

Initially, he rushed to study economics, psychology and philosophy. However, not without the influence of his teacher, he realized that English literature was closer to him. While studying at the university, Crowley carelessly squandered a rich inheritance and enjoyed life.

Beginning in the winter of 1896, Edward realized that he was drawn to mysticism and the occult. The very next year, he began to study magic, mysticism and alchemy in more detail.

Alistair's illness turned out to be fatal, since it was he who prompted him to think about the death, the frailty of human existence. His first book was published in 1898, after which the guy left the university and made acquaintances with Julian Baker and Samuel Mathers.

Entry into the Order of the Golden Dawn

Beginning in 1898, Alexander was a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn. It was there that he made himself two strong and influential rivals - William Yeats and Arthur Waite.

The conflict happened due to the fact that Crowley did not hide his attitude towards his brothers and positioned them as arrogant bores, constantly criticizing their works. Crowley managed to humiliate his rivals subtly and skillfully. They were reflected in his novels, and their images were used to create extremely unpleasant characters.

Beginning in 1890, Crowley began to become a little disillusioned with his mentor, Samuel Mathers. That is why he goes on a trip to Mexico, where he continues to study the magical art on his own. Alistair officially left the Golden Dawn in 1904.

In 1901, a man is already actively practicing Raja yoga. His own knowledge was reflected in the essay "Berashit". There, meditation is presented to the reader as a method by which one can achieve one's goal. Alexander speaks of the ceremony of magic as a way of tempering the will.

Thelema and the law of the left hand

Looking at the meaning of the word , then we learn that in translation from ancient Greek it means "Will". Here we can recall the main principle of Alistair's teachings:

Do what you want, that's the whole Law and Love is the law, Love obeys the Will.

Thelema itself is a religious movement that Crowley developed. Its basis was the magical teachings of the sage Abramelin. Moreover, his doctrine was based on Kabbalah. At the time of the development of such a trend as Thelema, Crowley was a fairly well-known member of the Order of the Golden Dawn.

The fact that he managed to meet with his holy spirit Aivas pushed him to develop his religious movement. It seems like it was this spirit that whispered to Crowley the text of his future Book of Laws.

It is worth noting that almost all the teachings of the Great and terrible Satanist are not just simply based, but even borrowed from an ancient confession called the “Left Hand Path”. It is worth noting that Crowley often tried to pass off other people's achievements as his own. At the same time, the very basis of the system that he seems to have created belongs to Francois Rabelais and Pascal Randolph.

It is interesting that everything that Alexander borrowed from his more experienced associates, he completely distorted and presented in a different light. For example, the original Left Hand Path involved the use of the feminine and masculine in order to master sexual magic.

Moreover, in this case, the feminine was considered divine, and the masculine was only an addition to it. As you know, Crowley was a terrible misogynist and racist.

Therefore, he could not allow the supremacy of the feminine principle in his own created cult. He believed that a girl could not become an initiate, because she was unworthy of this and was just a tool that could be used to achieve her goals. However, despite the apparent imperfection of the telema, the teaching had many followers.

Crowley tried to build temples wherever he lived. It is worth noting that the rituals performed there were not the most pleasant. There were bloody animal sacrifices, perverted sexual orgies. At this point, the whole personality of Crowley as a simple madman, and not a great genius, is revealed.

The man begins to feed his followers strange ideas that are now beyond understanding. Alistair assured that in order to become a truly powerful magician, it is necessary to become infected with syphilis, as this is one of the most valuable experiences.

There was also a very popular ritual in which it was necessary to catch a toad, give it gifts, like little Jesus, and then crucify the toad on the cross. Having said this:

There you are, Jesus of Nazareth.

Such lawlessness could not go unnoticed for a long time. He soon became persona non grata in many countries. They did not want to see him on the territory of Sicily, France, Germany. Traveling the world, Alex began to make many enemies, among whom were famous Russian occultists. For example, Gurdjieff, who considered him a simple upstart and crazy.

Order of the Oriental Templars

1907 in the life of Alex Crowley became decisive. He ventured to open his own order, which he called the "Silver Star". According to the Satanist himself, in 1912 he was accused by Theodor Reuss of revealing to the public all the secret orders of the Eastern Templars. It is worth noting that initially this order in Crowley's hidden dreams was supposed to help the entire society to know the truth in every person and to know the will of God.

The man was sure that if a person goes through certain initiation rites, appreciates their significance, masters extraordinary occult techniques and receives sacred knowledge, then he will not only become a member of the Order of the Eastern Templars, but will even be able to gain the knowledge necessary for a dialogue with his sacred angel - the guardian, the highest part of his nature, which is the connection with the entire universe and God.

As a result, a person had to answer the eternal questions “Who am I, what is my mission?”.

Despite Theodore's accusations, Crowley stated that in his Holy Book he did not reveal any secrets, since he himself had not yet reached the required stage of development.

So, unlike other psychics (Grening, Chumak, Kashpirovsky, Vanga), the magician Crowley won nothing but contempt and disgust.

To date, everyone who has been somehow connected with esotericism is familiar with the name Tarot Thoth. Sometimes this deck of cards is also called the Tarot of Aleister Crowley. It was created together with Frida Harris, who worked as an Egyptologist artist. It is worth noting that today this deck is quite popular among tarot readers, since each card has its own astrological correspondence, you can find many unique hidden symbols on it.

For those who want to work with this deck, the book of Thoth is a must-have, in which Crowley explains the meaning of each card and each element depicted on it. Most often, these cards are used to predict fate.

Throughout his life, the famous Satanist assured everyone that he was the reincarnation of Eliphas Levi. A similar opinion is also expressed in his book Magic in Theory and Practice. The occultist explains this as follows: between the death of Levi and the birth of Crowley, only six months, some are sure that in the case of reincarnation, this is the time necessary for the soul to pass from one body to another.

Eliphas himself was remarkably similar in appearance to Alex's father. Not yet familiar with Levy's writings, Crowley wrote a play, The Power of Fatal, which used a magical formula that turned out to be present in Levy's work.

While in Paris, Alex bought an apartment that was familiar to him (as it seemed to him then), and only many years later he found out that Eliphas had previously lived in the neighboring apartment.

At the end of his life, Crowley had to travel a lot, wandering and hiding. He tried to find his followers and somehow earn a living. Some biographers claim that during this time he became especially addicted to heroin. During this same period, Edward meets Gerald Gardner, who later founded the Wicca movement.

Some historians believe that Crowley himself wrote books for Wiccans, but this information has not been confirmed. On December 1, 1947, Alistair's life ended, and on December 5 he was cremated. As it was supposed to be according to the will, the “Hymn to Pan” composed by him was read at his funeral.

Quotes by Aleister Crowley

This is not to say that the work of a crazy Satanist is devoid of common sense. In each of his works, books, any person can find something that will interest him and that will push him to various (and even sensible) thoughts. For example:

As long as a person has emotions in relation to some things, love or fear or anything else, then he cannot look at them correctly. That's why a doctor won't treat his own family.
Aleister Crowley "Diary of a Drug Addict"

Today, few have heard of Plato and Aristotle. It is unlikely that one person in a thousand - perhaps one in ten thousand - read them even in translations. But just as few are those whose thinking, as it is, is not conditioned by the ideas of these two men.
Aleister Crowley "The Book of Thoth"

The battle with your doubts is a very serious thing. You will still have time to be surprised at how cunning and insightful your subconscious mind is, how well its “irrefutable” logic is tailored, how great its power is - oh, it will be able to make you recognize the day at night, if you let it.
Aleister Crowley Moonchild

The person of Aleister Crowley is extremely ambiguous. On the one hand, he is a racist, a misogynist, who promotes very strange and terrible things. But on the other hand, he is a genius who managed to create many works that are used by occultists all over the world to this day.

Aleister Crowley - Biography

Aleister Crowley

Beginning in the winter of 1896, Edward realized that he was drawn to mysticism and the occult. The very next year, he began to study magic, mysticism and alchemy in more detail.

Entry into the Order of the Golden Dawn

Beginning in 1898, Alexander was a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn. It was there that he made himself two strong and influential rivals - William Yeats and Arthur Waite.

Thelema and the law of the left hand

Looking at the meaning of the word thelema, then we learn that in translation from ancient Greek it means "Will". Here we can recall the main principle of Alistair's teachings:

Do what you want, that's the whole Law and Love is the law, Love obeys the Will.

thelema

Moreover, in this case, the feminine was considered divine, and the masculine was only an addition to it. As you know, Crowley was a terrible misogynist and racist.

There was also a very popular ritual in which it was necessary to catch a toad, give it gifts, like little Jesus, and then crucify the toad on the cross. Having said this:

There you are, Jesus of Nazareth.

Order of the Oriental Templars

As a result, a person had to answer the eternal questions “Who am I, what is my mission?”.

Despite Theodore's accusations, Crowley stated that in his Holy Book he did not reveal any secrets, since he himself had not yet reached the required stage of development.

So, unlike other psychics (Grening, Chumak, Kashpirovsky, Vanga), the magician Crowley won nothing but contempt and disgust.

For those who want to work with this deck, the book of Thoth is a must have in their arsenal, in which Crowley explains the meaning of each card and each element depicted on it. Most often, these cards are used to predict fate.

While in Paris, Alex bought an apartment that was familiar to him (as it seemed to him then), and only many years later he found out that Eliphas had previously lived in the neighboring apartment.

Quotes by Aleister Crowley

As long as a person has emotions in relation to some things, love or fear or anything else, then he cannot look at them correctly. That's why a doctor won't treat his own family.
Aleister Crowley "Diary of a Drug Addict"

Today, few have heard of Plato and Aristotle. It is unlikely that one person in a thousand - perhaps one in ten thousand - read them even in translations. But just as few are those whose thinking, as it is, is not conditioned by the ideas of these two men.
Aleister Crowley "The Book of Thoth"

The battle with your doubts is a very serious thing. You will still have time to be surprised at how cunning and insightful your subconscious mind is, how well its “irrefutable” logic is tailored, how great its power is - oh, it will be able to make you recognize the day at night, if you let it.
Aleister Crowley Moonchild

🙂 Hello dear readers! In the article "Aleister Crowley: biography of the prophet Lucifer" - about the life of an English poet, kabbalist and tarologist. Crowley is known as a black magician and Satanist of the 19th-20th centuries.

Aleister Crowley was named the prophet of Lucifer by the famous French publicist Jean-Claude Frere. The question of Crowley's actual worship of Satan remains debatable. But the founder of Thelema was undoubtedly one of the most controversial occultists of the 20th century.

Occultist Aleister Crowley

Crowley was born in 1875 in the family of a wealthy English brewer. The boy's parents belonged to a radical Protestant sect.

They raised their son in an atmosphere of religious dictatorship, forcing him to study biblical texts and long prayers for days. This can be considered one of the reasons that pushed Alistair to the path of practicing the occult sciences.

Judging by the biographical materials, Alistair maintained a fairly warm relationship with his father. He had some problems with his mother, who nicknamed her son "The Beast 666" for her rebellious nature.

Crowley himself accepted and bore the title with pride. He did everything to consolidate his reputation as the most corrupted man in the history of the 20th century.

Alistair, after graduating from school, escaped from his parental nest and went to study at the Cambridge College of the Holy Trinity. There he devoted himself to the study of English literature and began to write poetry. In addition, the guy was fond of rock climbing, playing chess, and since 1896 -

History of the Golden Dawn

Two years before the turn of the 20th century, Crowley met Samuel Mathers and joined his organization, the magical Order of the Golden Dawn. During this period, the order was going through hard times.

Mathers, who at that time lived in France, was suspected by his English followers of falsifying the history of the organization and dishonestly using his official position. A split was brewing.

Crowley, who took a liking to Samuel, quickly moved up the internal hierarchy of the order and was sent to London to restore order.

In the London lodge, Crowley entered into a confrontation with Arthur Waite and future Nobel laureate William Butler Yeats, who were also members of the Golden Dawn. It was not possible to extinguish the conflict and the order began to rapidly disintegrate.

In 1900, the Golden Dawn split into smaller organizations, most of which soon ceased to exist. Crowley became disillusioned with Mathers' leadership skills and broke off relations with him in 1904.

Crowley's legacy

Based on the hierarchy, statutes and rituals developed by members of the Golden Dawn, Crowley would later create the Silver Star occult organization. Then this organization will become the governing body of the Order of the Eastern Templars.

This is an irregular Masonic organization, over which Alistair seizes power in 1924 and reforms according to his ideals. This organization continues to function successfully to this day.

Aleister Crowley. Years of life 1875-1947

Another achievement of the occultist is the creation of his own religion - "Thelema" (from the Greek. "Will"). The religion is based on the sacred text The Book of the Law (1904), received by Alistair through Rose Kelly in Cairo. The main magical motto of Thelema - "Do your will, such is the whole Law" is sometimes interpreted as a manifestation of permissiveness.

Now this deck is one of the most popular in the world. It is only inferior to the deck of Arthur Waite, based on the legacy of the Golden Dawn.

Aleister Crowley died in relative poverty and obscurity on December 1, 1947. Real fame came to the magician in the late 60s of the last century.

The black magician became famous thanks to the Beatles, who put his photo on the cover of their album from 1967. From a forgotten eccentric, Crowley, as if by magic, turned into an icon of the counterculture.

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