Unless you have read the work of Kenneth Grant much of what I say will seem completely alien. And unless you have read the work of Aleister Crowley, Kenneth Grant's work will seem alien as well. To begin, I will give a brief background of Crowley as best I can, and move on to Grant later.
When initially researching the notorious character Aleister Crowley, many people are turned away by the sensationalism commonly associated with him. Crowley even stated that he liked putting false rumors about himself so as to turn away would-be readers and researchers, thereby keeping his work truly occult and esoteric. Many people have held Crowley in disdain for some of his ideas and behaviours, and concocted stories abound regarding his various magical experiments and adventures. He is perhaps most notably recognized as the most influential 'Satanist', or 'black' magician, although if one looks into his work it is easy to see that this was not so. In fact, his most commonly used nickname was 'The Great Beast 666'. He earned this title from is own mother for being so rebellious and defiant when he was young. When accused of being a black magician Crowley replied thus:
It is usually after many years of research into a variety of subjects dealing with philosophy, religion, mythology, etc. that someone encounters Crowley and is able to understand the context of his work. If one can see beyond their apprehensions and misconceptions of the study of magick and mysticism then one of the biggest steps toward attainment will have been taken.
For years Crowley doubted the legitimacy of the text, and failed to understand its message. He struggled with some of the verses and actually found certain bits quite abhorrent. Over the years Crowley realized its importance of the text in relation to the traditions of eld and their direction into the future. To him it signified the inauguration of a new era for humanity, that of the Aeon of Horus the child.
"I have been accused of being a “black magician.”
No more foolish statement was ever made about me.
I despise the thing to such an extent that I can hardly believe
in the existence of people so debased and idiotic as to practice it."
It is usually after many years of research into a variety of subjects dealing with philosophy, religion, mythology, etc. that someone encounters Crowley and is able to understand the context of his work. If one can see beyond their apprehensions and misconceptions of the study of magick and mysticism then one of the biggest steps toward attainment will have been taken.
In my opinion, one of Crowley's greatest achievements lay in the magical order he created with the help of George Cecil Jones in 1907 called the A∴A∴, or Argentium Astrum (Latin)/Άστρον Αργυρόν (Aston Argon, Greek). Argentium Astrum/Astron Argon means 'Silver Star'. It is an initiatory system consisting of eleven grades which correspond to the 10 sephiroth and the Abyss that separates the top 3 sephiroth (called the Supernal Triad) from the other 7. Each grade is intended to bring the initiate to a higher state of Wisdom and Understanding as they accomplish various tasks according to the grade s/he is in.
The A∴A∴ is loosely based off of the initiatory system of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, though it centralizes around a particular 'Holy' text that Crowley received from a "praeternatural" intelligence which later proved itself to be of cosmic importance. This text is known as the Book of the Law, or technically as - Liber AL vel Legis, sub figura CCXX as delivered by XCIII (93)=418 to DCLXVI.
The main tasks the initiate must strive for in order to discover and actively live their True Will is the 'Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel' and the 'Crossing of the Abyss'. I will leave this particular area open for personal study for now and come back to it later.
The Book of the Law, which Crowley received in Cairo Egypt in April of 1904 over the course of three days - a chapter a day on the 8th, 9th, and 10th - was dictated to him, while he was in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid, by a voice who identified itself as 'Aiwass, the minister of Hoor-paar-Kraat'. It was a response to various invocations he performed to impress his then wife Rose Edith Kelly who had little knowledge, let alone belief in the supernatural.
On March 18th, after invoking the Egyptian messenger god Thoth, Rose mentioned to Crowley that "Horus was waiting for him". Crowley questioned her in regard to her knowledge of Horus and she answered quite accurately for never having studied mythology or Egyptology. Crowley was convinced she was receiving the information as a result of his invocation. As further proof of her identification of Horus, Rose was inspired to find a particular Stele, or stone tablet, which Crowley and her indeed ended up finding in the Bulaq Museum. The inventory number assigned to it happened to be '666', the number Crowley had identified himself with since a child, further clarifying the ordeal. Afterwards, the Stele was realized to give attribute to the 3 central characters of Liber AL, Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit.
The philosophical system surrounding Liber AL ended up being called Thelema, which is the Greek word for Will. One of the primary tenets of Thelema is the eleven-fold axiom: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law". This is commonly misunderstood to mean do whatever you want, but it really means find your True Will and do it, which is often quite contrary to what you want to do. Much study and rigorous work is required if one really wishes to reach enlightenment and it can only come with exercise.
Another phrase often following the latter is "Love is the Law, Love under Will". This means that Love (Greek: Agape) is the means to the Law's fulfilment.
The Book of the Law is intended to be interpreted by each individual in regard to his own Great Work and path to enlightenment. My own initiation has led me to unlock for myself certain pieces of what was at first an incomprehensible jungle, but only after much work and discipline was I able to better comprehend the concepts and information.
I learned about Crowley first in various books on the general topic of magic and metaphysics and began studying him as a part of an English class biography assignment in my senior year. I had read a little about him when studying another interesting cultural persona - Marilyn Manson - since I was about 13, though it wasn't until my later high-school years that I was able to see his relevance. I too had a defiant predisposition when I was younger and found much to relate with in both of them. I grew up in a constricting environment in East Texas which I am now thankful for since it prepared me for what I am writing about now.
I learned about Crowley first in various books on the general topic of magic and metaphysics and began studying him as a part of an English class biography assignment in my senior year. I had read a little about him when studying another interesting cultural persona - Marilyn Manson - since I was about 13, though it wasn't until my later high-school years that I was able to see his relevance. I too had a defiant predisposition when I was younger and found much to relate with in both of them. I grew up in a constricting environment in East Texas which I am now thankful for since it prepared me for what I am writing about now.
Nothing short of monumental, Crowley's work consists of a wide variety texts ranging from bizarre poetry to mystical texts of all sorts. He embodied a specialized form of knowledge which he claimed was a "re-discovery of the Sumerian Tradition", which is to say, he sought to find the roots of magic which span back to the origins of recorded civilization in Ancient Sumeria. It has little to do with the late distortions commonly known as "New-Age", other than the fact that much of that material is based on work we can thank Crowley for.
Crowley's intention was to fuse the teachings of the Eastern mystics with the Western Mystery Traditions, both of which were lacking what the other had, much like the case between Science and Religion, another set of institutions he sought to integrate for the benefit of the underlying aim of both. He came to term this fusion 'Scientific Illuminism' which, from the uninitiated perspective has been perverted as the 'Unified Religion', or 'New World Religion', supposed to merge all religions under a common brand based on their underlying similarities. Crowley just meant that rather than accepting myths and legends as true, one should work to test their hypothesis and base their beliefs of experience rather than 'faith' based on fear and cultural upbringing. Crowley was so opposed to fascism and authoritarianism it becomes quite a contradiction when people say he was for a 'one world religion' or government.
Whether Crowley's work can be considered of value is for each person to decide for themselves. One thing is certain, if it wasn't for Crowley life as we know it might be very, very different. The 60's counter-culture movement may have never even come about if Leary and Co. hadn't been inspired by the legacy of his penchant for exotic intoxicants, themselves compelled to experiment with the powerful mind-altering substances like LSD, Psilocybin, Mescaline, DMT, etc. as an entheogenic, or consciousness-expanding tool .
Much like Crowley, the general counter-culture movement and its figure heads ended up being misunderstood and demonized by those who misperceived their original intention. But because the many people ingesting psychedelics and psychedelic culture at the time were so used to mass-market idealism, and addicted to capitalistic materialism the operation went sour and left a bad impression. Rather than achieve liberation and peace, I think in the end ego's were just inflated on a whole different level.
The religious/spiritual/mystical experience is very similar to a psychedelic experience in that the ego is transcended and spirit and matter are shown, often in beautiful visionary displays, to be universally interlocked as different expressions of the same divine source, infinitely greater than the mind can grasp from mundane levels of awareness. The transference of awareness to zones beyond the ego is basically a form of 'crossing the abyss', though it is first necessary to establish balance at the center level - Tiphareth/Anahatta - otherwise there is danger of obsession, imbalance, mania, or even death.
The situation facing humanity today is our lack of interest in and focus on the spiritual, non-physical world. Materialism has almost completely engrossed modern society and the only thing that may shock it back into awareness might be a dramatic event caused either by weather or an accident on our part. You could say that has actually been happening. Take all the massive animal die-offs, earthquakes, oil spills, nuclear reactor meltdowns, etc., for example. Unfortunately, the shock we are facing may be more than what our incarnate bodies can withstand.
Whatever the future holds for this planet, one thing is certain: This race that assumes it is dominant must quickly mature and gain a level of competence sufficient enough to deal with the forces of nuclear annihilation it is in possession of or else succumb to the fate of civilizations before ours. The only way we can do this is for as many people to raise their level of wisdom and love for the world by learning to see the spirit within and beyond our material reality.
The Universe of Man is normally binary. This is to say it is not uni-, or one. The macrocosm seems different, unconnected from the microcosm, until man engages himself in initiation which incrementally dissolves the perceived boundaries between man and his environment, slowly revealing his infinite connection with all being. It is this process that organized religion is failing to impart to its adherents, and science not recognizing as relevant to the equation. Consciousness is really the primary factor in any philosophic or existential inquiry, and until this is realized and sufficiently tended to, all attempts toward improvement will be sterile.
The world doesn't need a new religion, and it doesn't need any new inventions to survive its imminent apocalypse. It needs to slow down and look back at its long and incredible history so that it doesn't fall into the same holes it has before. No matter what piece of technology we have, if we don't know how to use it or what it is good for, it is useless. When the distance between our technological capacity and our spiritual maturity get far enough apart there may be no turning back. Therefore, knowledge, along with the balance of wisdom and understanding, are the keys to our survival.. or at the very least, a deeper appreciation of this miracle called life.
Fortunately, we aren't left to start in the dirt. Many heroic people like Crowley have come before us and made clear the paths that worked for them. We aren't alone with nothing to hold on to and it is not impossible to change things before it is indeed too late.
While it is up to everybody to help their fellow man in rising to his or her highest nature, we must teach by example that the only way to achieve such a goal is to keep learning, growing and improving. There can be no giving into dependency or feeding off of others weakness. We need to show the older generation that it is not too late, and the youth that it is not too early to begin looking into the mysteries of life. We need to understand that no one is going to tell us things that might end up empowering us because that will end their dominion over our consensus reality.
If we can work to empower ourselves with the strength that comes along with the ascendancy over our primal instincts and drives then we could turn what is moving towards a dark age into one of love and light in just a couple generations. The decisions we make now will affect our futures to a great degree, so careful consideration must be taken when planning what we wish to achieve. At the rate we are moving, if we are to survive our space age, it is nearly impossible to say what type of world we will be living in. What is important now are the values and qualities we instill in our children who really are the fruit of the world.
Familiarization with Crowley's work will be assumed of the readers in my later posts, though I will give brief elaborations when needed. I must say that I've had no experience writing until I started this blog so my skills are not the best, and there are going to be some inevitable errors. I will try to fix these in time, so if anyone has any comments or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or send me a message.
-M.A.L.
Whether Crowley's work can be considered of value is for each person to decide for themselves. One thing is certain, if it wasn't for Crowley life as we know it might be very, very different. The 60's counter-culture movement may have never even come about if Leary and Co. hadn't been inspired by the legacy of his penchant for exotic intoxicants, themselves compelled to experiment with the powerful mind-altering substances like LSD, Psilocybin, Mescaline, DMT, etc. as an entheogenic, or consciousness-expanding tool .
Much like Crowley, the general counter-culture movement and its figure heads ended up being misunderstood and demonized by those who misperceived their original intention. But because the many people ingesting psychedelics and psychedelic culture at the time were so used to mass-market idealism, and addicted to capitalistic materialism the operation went sour and left a bad impression. Rather than achieve liberation and peace, I think in the end ego's were just inflated on a whole different level.
The religious/spiritual/mystical experience is very similar to a psychedelic experience in that the ego is transcended and spirit and matter are shown, often in beautiful visionary displays, to be universally interlocked as different expressions of the same divine source, infinitely greater than the mind can grasp from mundane levels of awareness. The transference of awareness to zones beyond the ego is basically a form of 'crossing the abyss', though it is first necessary to establish balance at the center level - Tiphareth/Anahatta - otherwise there is danger of obsession, imbalance, mania, or even death.
The situation facing humanity today is our lack of interest in and focus on the spiritual, non-physical world. Materialism has almost completely engrossed modern society and the only thing that may shock it back into awareness might be a dramatic event caused either by weather or an accident on our part. You could say that has actually been happening. Take all the massive animal die-offs, earthquakes, oil spills, nuclear reactor meltdowns, etc., for example. Unfortunately, the shock we are facing may be more than what our incarnate bodies can withstand.
Whatever the future holds for this planet, one thing is certain: This race that assumes it is dominant must quickly mature and gain a level of competence sufficient enough to deal with the forces of nuclear annihilation it is in possession of or else succumb to the fate of civilizations before ours. The only way we can do this is for as many people to raise their level of wisdom and love for the world by learning to see the spirit within and beyond our material reality.
The Universe of Man is normally binary. This is to say it is not uni-, or one. The macrocosm seems different, unconnected from the microcosm, until man engages himself in initiation which incrementally dissolves the perceived boundaries between man and his environment, slowly revealing his infinite connection with all being. It is this process that organized religion is failing to impart to its adherents, and science not recognizing as relevant to the equation. Consciousness is really the primary factor in any philosophic or existential inquiry, and until this is realized and sufficiently tended to, all attempts toward improvement will be sterile.
The world doesn't need a new religion, and it doesn't need any new inventions to survive its imminent apocalypse. It needs to slow down and look back at its long and incredible history so that it doesn't fall into the same holes it has before. No matter what piece of technology we have, if we don't know how to use it or what it is good for, it is useless. When the distance between our technological capacity and our spiritual maturity get far enough apart there may be no turning back. Therefore, knowledge, along with the balance of wisdom and understanding, are the keys to our survival.. or at the very least, a deeper appreciation of this miracle called life.
Fortunately, we aren't left to start in the dirt. Many heroic people like Crowley have come before us and made clear the paths that worked for them. We aren't alone with nothing to hold on to and it is not impossible to change things before it is indeed too late.
While it is up to everybody to help their fellow man in rising to his or her highest nature, we must teach by example that the only way to achieve such a goal is to keep learning, growing and improving. There can be no giving into dependency or feeding off of others weakness. We need to show the older generation that it is not too late, and the youth that it is not too early to begin looking into the mysteries of life. We need to understand that no one is going to tell us things that might end up empowering us because that will end their dominion over our consensus reality.
If we can work to empower ourselves with the strength that comes along with the ascendancy over our primal instincts and drives then we could turn what is moving towards a dark age into one of love and light in just a couple generations. The decisions we make now will affect our futures to a great degree, so careful consideration must be taken when planning what we wish to achieve. At the rate we are moving, if we are to survive our space age, it is nearly impossible to say what type of world we will be living in. What is important now are the values and qualities we instill in our children who really are the fruit of the world.
'By their fruits ye shall know them' - Matthew 7:16
-M.A.L.
