Items related to Megatherion: The Magickal World of Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley (1875―1947) has been seen variously as a man of notorious sexual habits, a satanic occultist, and latterly an icon of the 1960s love generation.
But Crowley was neither a mere sexual predator nor a vulgar black magician. He was the synthesizer of what he termed "Magick", a complex system of occult philosophy and technique outlined in such classic texts as The Book Of The Law and Magick In Theory And Practice. Crowley's vision combined clarity, intellectual power and a strange, sometimes frightening, beauty.
In this cogent and intensely readable account of Crowley's life and occult progress, Francis King examines each of the three main sources of Magick ― thus throwing much new light on Crowley himself, and doing much to explain the continuing admiration for his writings which has been displayed by individuals as diverse as occultists, film directors from Kenneth Anger to Donald Cammell, and rock musicians such as Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page.
Includes 12 pages of photographs, and a new appendix with two rare Crowley essays on narcotics: "The Great Drug Delusion" and "The Drug Panic".
But Crowley was neither a mere sexual predator nor a vulgar black magician. He was the synthesizer of what he termed "Magick", a complex system of occult philosophy and technique outlined in such classic texts as The Book Of The Law and Magick In Theory And Practice. Crowley's vision combined clarity, intellectual power and a strange, sometimes frightening, beauty.
In this cogent and intensely readable account of Crowley's life and occult progress, Francis King examines each of the three main sources of Magick ― thus throwing much new light on Crowley himself, and doing much to explain the continuing admiration for his writings which has been displayed by individuals as diverse as occultists, film directors from Kenneth Anger to Donald Cammell, and rock musicians such as Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page.
Includes 12 pages of photographs, and a new appendix with two rare Crowley essays on narcotics: "The Great Drug Delusion" and "The Drug Panic".
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Francis X. King (10 January 1934―1994) was a British occult writer and editor who wrote about tarot, divination, witchcraft, magic, sex magic, tantra, and holistic medicine.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
1.
On the evening of 18 November 1898 a twenty-three year old poet named Aleister Crowley waited impatiently in the ante-room of the London Masonic temple situated at Mark Masons' Hall, Great Queen Street. He was convinced that he was about to have the ultimate secrets of life and death revealed to him.
He was wearing an ankle-length black robe, his eyes were blindfolded, and around his waist was a triple-coiled cord. By his side, holding the ends of the binding cord in his right hand, was another man who was to be his guide during part of the ceremony which was to take place. The guide was more spectacularly dressed than Crowley. He too wore a black robe, but over it he wore a billowing white cloak with a red cross on its left breast. Round his neck he wore a broad band of white ribbon from which hung a large cruciform badge and in his left hand he carried a red and gold sceptre surmounted by a carving of a miniature Episcopal mitre.
With a blast of hot and incense-laden air the doors which the two men faced were flung open from the inside and the blindfolded Crowley was led through them. He felt himself sprinkled with water, his nose wrinkled from the astringent tang of smouldering perfumes as a censer was waved over his head, and he heard a voice address him: 'Child of Earth, why seekest thou to enter our sacred hall? His guide answered on his behalf: 'My soul wanders in darkness and seeks the light of hidden knowledge, and I believe that in this Order knowledge of that light may be obtained.'
Crowley, still blindfolded, was led forward, guided into a kneeling position before a cubical altar on which lay a red cross and a white triangle, and his right hand placed on the triangle. Then at the prompting of his guide he swore an oath that he would:
.....keep secret this Order, its name, the names of its members, and the proceedings that take place at its meetings...
....not suffer myself to be hypnotised, mesmerised or placed in such a state of passivity that any uninitiated person or power may cause me to lose control of my thoughts, words or actions.
....persevere with courage and determination the labours of the Divine Science even as I shall persevere with courage and determination through this ceremony which is their image, and I will not debase my mystical knowledge in the labour of evil magic at any time tried or under any temptation. .........
On the evening of 18 November 1898 a twenty-three year old poet named Aleister Crowley waited impatiently in the ante-room of the London Masonic temple situated at Mark Masons' Hall, Great Queen Street. He was convinced that he was about to have the ultimate secrets of life and death revealed to him.
He was wearing an ankle-length black robe, his eyes were blindfolded, and around his waist was a triple-coiled cord. By his side, holding the ends of the binding cord in his right hand, was another man who was to be his guide during part of the ceremony which was to take place. The guide was more spectacularly dressed than Crowley. He too wore a black robe, but over it he wore a billowing white cloak with a red cross on its left breast. Round his neck he wore a broad band of white ribbon from which hung a large cruciform badge and in his left hand he carried a red and gold sceptre surmounted by a carving of a miniature Episcopal mitre.
With a blast of hot and incense-laden air the doors which the two men faced were flung open from the inside and the blindfolded Crowley was led through them. He felt himself sprinkled with water, his nose wrinkled from the astringent tang of smouldering perfumes as a censer was waved over his head, and he heard a voice address him: 'Child of Earth, why seekest thou to enter our sacred hall? His guide answered on his behalf: 'My soul wanders in darkness and seeks the light of hidden knowledge, and I believe that in this Order knowledge of that light may be obtained.'
Crowley, still blindfolded, was led forward, guided into a kneeling position before a cubical altar on which lay a red cross and a white triangle, and his right hand placed on the triangle. Then at the prompting of his guide he swore an oath that he would:
.....keep secret this Order, its name, the names of its members, and the proceedings that take place at its meetings...
....not suffer myself to be hypnotised, mesmerised or placed in such a state of passivity that any uninitiated person or power may cause me to lose control of my thoughts, words or actions.
....persevere with courage and determination the labours of the Divine Science even as I shall persevere with courage and determination through this ceremony which is their image, and I will not debase my mystical knowledge in the labour of evil magic at any time tried or under any temptation. .........
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherCreation
- Publication date2012
- ISBN 10 1840681802
- ISBN 13 9781840681802
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages216
- Rating
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