opinions on Aliester Crowley's writings?

[Parmenion]

While being a master therion, Aleister Crowley's writng stlye is definately an aquired taste.He often hides meanings and answers in his text.My best advise would be just to read "Magick in Theory and Practise" or "magick without tears" and see what you think yourself.You should be able to get both on pdf from a kazaalite user.

Parmenion

[Adrian]

Greetings,

I could say alot about Crowley, but won't []  I would not recommend his works.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[jilola]

His writings are definitely not for everyone. You have to be able to read beoynd the words as Crowley speaks in riddles. His texts are a mixture of creative writing mixed with some truths and ideas, both worthy and not.
Know yourself and remember that nothing in Crowleyworld is necessarily what it seems.
That said, it can be a hoot or scary beyond belief. Pick and choose with clear thought as you proceed.
Perhaps Magick Without Tears is easier to start with than the more heavy tomes.

2cents & L&L
jouni

[jason]

I read in several amazon.com reviews about how he hides meaning in the language (and imagery?),and how it is important to "read between the lines" so to speak.
maybe a biography would also be a good place to learn more about his general approach to life and the pursuit of knowledge.
also,  I've read somewhere that he was considered "the most wicked man in the world", or something to that effect, at one point.how did he earn such a title?

[jilola]

Yeah well, he did live at the beging of the century(20th), was openly bisexual and used at least some drugs. He also made a point of presenting himself as The Beast if not the devil himself and generally a person that will seduce your daughters and sons and all that.
As for writing style, he does have a penchant for the cryptic and often delivers a good idea with a lot of inconsequential crap all mixed up in imagery and code. Don't expect a quick read.

2cents & L&L
jouni

[Adrian]

Greetings jilola,

Thank you for some of the facts about Crowely. I have heard much more.

The objective of every human being is Spiritual ascent, and which fundamentally means enoblement of the Soul and Spirit with only pure thoughts and actions for the good of mankind and ones self.

Read about Crowley, and ask youself if he fits that profile as an example to all.

With best regards,

Adrian.

[jason]

Adrian-That's exactly what I was thinking![].seriously!
still interesting though.I seem to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge,just as long as it is for the exploration,expansion and fulfillment of human potential,and expression of freedom, and love of life.not merely for rediculous,stupid, and corney social bravado (insert roll-eyes smiley here).[]

so is crowley worth reading? can anyone reccommend less self- destructive authors along similar lines of thought? some recent interesting reads: the tao of physics, by fritjof capra
                  the fire from within, by carlos castaneda
                  wheels of light (by ?)

[jilola]

No, I don't think he's a good example to all.
He seemed to be at aa stage in his development where the material goals got mixed up with the awakening spiritual understanding.
Like I said he has many good ideas mixed with so much crap and cryptic language.
But in my opinion, a discerning and objective reader will get a lot out of his writings.
What C did to create the fame, or rather infame, was I think deliberate if misguided attempt at physicalizing and taking the edge off of some very deep flashes of understanding. And that alone gives us a good lesson: Be what you are and strive to be more.
He wasn't a nice person, I'm sure. But no-one is completely nice or completely bad. What we have to learn in order to proceed on our respective paths is to see the bit that is good and be ourselves and allow others to do the same.
Note that this doesn't mean we are to allow people to get away with hurting others etc. Like Crowley himself said, "Every man and every woman is a star" and the most famous, imho, "Love is the Law. Love under Will". Be you, but do it with a conscious control and mindfulness to what the ultimate goal of your existence is.

Your mileage may vary, though. []


2cents & L&L
jouni

[astralc]

Hmm, Alister Crowley?

There is a book about his life, I don't know if he or someone else wrote it, I seem to remember that it was Colin Wilson? or something like that.

Anyway, it must be one of the most interesting books I have read, a life that was full of adventure and psychosis. His knowledge was legendary but his outrageous behaviour put him off side with a lot of people. But he had something, he was not afraid to follow his hunches, and this made him stand out above the crowd in the early 1920's. He put 'magic' on the social map and paraded it before the multitudes, especially for the socially gifted, the upper classes of England. They were basically staged performances and he was the choreographer and performer all in one.

I would recommend this book above any of his others on magic, they are stoggy and out-dated, a bit boring actually. But his life story, wow, what a crazy guy!

Astralc

[Rob]

Yeah he was a bit sick, and yes he seemed to delight in playing tricks on the less discerning members of our species, leading people up the garden path a bit etc. And I think he got through a number of boyfriends....not leaving them, I think they died. I could be wrong. There is a LOT or rubbish that surrounds him.

BUT

(and it is a big one)

He was a real adept, and maybe even a genius to boot.
To be honest I was about to write about how I had read the book 4 I on mysticism (which is highly recommended), but just noticed, that it is very different from his other writings, being dictated by him and written by someone else, in a very different style. Which means I have a bit of a chasm to cross before I can talk about the main bulk of his work with any semblance of authority, but I can still point out the enormous mark he left upon the magickal community. One of the most famous and influential magickians ever, which says something. Even if many of the things he wrote were a bit, ahh, impregnable.
You will be able to find book 4 I - Liber Aba - online somewhere. It is very good, and well worth reading, if I remember rightly.
The other stuff....I wouldn't know.
He wrote a big book on Yoga too if I remember right, I have been meaning to take a look at it for some time now...
all the best
Rob

[Mirador]

(Aliester Crowley)(The Golden Dawn)--------------->  (L. Ron Hubbard)(The Church of Scientology)---------------->(Adrian, et al)(The Astral Pulse)


Mirador

[clandestino]

hmmm....Mirador, I can understand your link between Crowley and Adrian, but the church of scientology ?!!!?

(just joking Adrian !)

I've read a crowley biology that was based on his life, not his "magic". He seemed to be quite interesting, but a bit of a freak. I think he was a champion mountain climber and expert chess player too. But his wives / girlfriends had a worrying habit of killing themselves or drinking themselves silly.

I've also read "the book of the law" (very short book, apparently channeled to him by some Egyptian demi god). Its the one with the classic quotes Jilola mentioned. Lots of "hidden meanings" in there too, which require 'years of study' (?? a bunch of B.S. in my opinion!)

Read an essay "absinthe : the green goddess"... I think that's the title. I thought it was Ok... but generally his poems / essays aren't held in high regard. Back in the days, he was a big fan of publishing his own writings on pamphlets and handing them out free (because nobody would publish them).

Give him a read Jason, see what you think ! you can get all his stuff on Kazaa, or just search Google.

[Ides315]

Hey all.

Crowley? Hmmmm.... A magician who never got past his ego, and paid the price.

If you want a very excellent work to start down the path, try Franz Bardon's Initiation into Hermetics. There are two more that follow this work.

Have read a lot of books, and like him the best. Most of the rest of the decent works out there make good reference material. Spent 14 years looking for the "right" stuff, and pieced it together from a lot of different sources. Another one that is much smaller, but very responsible is "A century of spells" I do not have it with me, his name is very unique, Drajha(?) someone. It will come up on amazon.

Best

PS A good website dealing with Bardon is www.abardoncompanion.com. A lot of information about Bardon, his works, and magick in general

[Lysear]

I have 3 of his texts, all a  bit cryptic, however no matter how weird people thought he was, or whatever persona he created for himself, he has written one of the most complete and outstanding compendiums of mystical correspondances in 777.

[jason]

is anyone familiar with his approach to mysticism? book reccomendations? just wondering...