Moonchild - Softcover

Crowley, Aleister

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1946774405 ISBN 13: 9781946774408

Publisher: Mockingbird Press, 2019

Synopsis

Aleister Crowley is best known for his work in the occult, his writings on Magick, and creating the religion of Thelema. He was a giant of his time with many talents and, some argue, many flaws as well. Of all his gifts, his writing was the vehicle that drove his genius.  His Book of the Law and other mystical works are widely read by students of occult philosophy. Few, however, are familiar with his more artistic endeavors, including his literary novel Moonchild.
    
For whatever reason, stories help readers integrate and understand larger themes and ideas present in the narrative. Perhaps that is why people look to allegories like Cain and Abel when trying to understand the nature of murder, or recite The Boy Who Cried Wolf when teaching their children not to lie. The truths appearing in fiction take no intellectual effort to grasp; they work subtly on the reader’s mind in a way that is easier to digest than the cold, hard philosopher’s stone. The great religions of the world understand this. Crowley took note as well. 

His novel carries the message of Thelema. The characters and themes in the book were imagined and created to dramatize and illustrate its practice. The reader sees Thelema in action and learns of Crowley’s broader beliefs and philosophy as the drama unfolds. “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law; Love is the law, love under will.” A short phrase with monumental import. In Moonchild, he demonstrates the fate of those who would misinterpret its meaning and be seduced by the temptations of Black Magick. Whether intended or not, Moonchild provides a more compelling case for his new religion than his other works ever could.

Crowley has had many successful works, including his Book of Shadows, Book of the Law (or Liber al vel Legis), Magick Without Tears, Magick in Theory and Practice, and The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. Despite the success of these works, he was widely criticized and labeled the ‘Wickedest Man in the World’ by the publications of his day. He was a Renaissance man whose life can be traced through fantastic events. His epic mountaineering attempts, scandalous love affairs, political espionage, and prolific career as a poet, writer and painter cemented his legacy as a figure that was larger than life.   His primary interest was the occult, and he carried out his studies with unquenchable energy. He claimed to be aided in his efforts by Aiwass, his so-called guardian angel who first spoke to him when he visited the ancient land of Egypt. He was prolific writer and insatiable researcher: producing volumes of work throughout his life filled with forgotten symbols, imagery and ritual. His texts on divination made him well known to modern illuminati conspiracy theorists; but those who have taken the time to read his texts could hardly believe he would associate with any group aiming to control another’s will.

He had an undeniable impact on the post war counter culture and drew the interest of some of the most well-known musical geniuses of that time: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones to name a few. Timothy Leary—arguably the man who most embodied the philosophy of the 60’s—enthusiastically studied and disseminated his work. Leary was thoroughly convinced of the power in the individual’s divine will. While playing a deck of Aleister Crowley’s Toth tarot cards, Leary famously asked for knowledge of his purpose. He then cut the deck to the Great Beast 666 and interpreted this to mean he was Crowley incarnate and obliged to finish the Magician’s work.
Crowley’s life and work will continue to influence those interested in the alternative side of spirituality. His novel Moonchild is a quintessential work for anyone wanting to fully understand his ideas.
 

About this title

About the Author

ALEISTER CROWLEY, born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 - 1 December 1947, was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He was the founder of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Born to a wealthy Plymouth Brethren family in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, Crowley rejected his fundamentalist Christian faith to pursue an interest in Western esotericism. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, where some biographers allege he was recruited into the British intelligence agency. In 1898 he joined the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and trained in ceremonial magic under Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Allan Bennett. Moving to Boleskine House by Loch Ness in Scotland, he went mountaineering in Mexico with Oscar Eckenstein, before studying Hindu and Buddhist practices in India. He married Rose Edith Kelly, and in 1904 they honeymooned in Cairo, Egypt, where Crowley claimed to have been contacted by a supernatural entity named Aiwass, who provided him with The Book of the Law, a sacred text that served as the basis for Thelema. Announcing the start of the Æon of Horus, The Book declared that its followers should adhere to the code of "Do what thou wilt" and seek to align themselves with their Will through the practice of Magick. After an unsuccessful attempt to climb Kanchenjunga and a visit to India and China, Crowley returned to Britain, where he attracted attention as a prolific author of poetry, novels, and occult literature. In 1907, he and George Cecil Jones co-founded a Thelemite order, the A∴A∴, through which they propagated their religion. After spending time in Algeria, in 1912 he was initiated into another esoteric order, the German-based Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), rising to become the leader of its British branch, which he reformulated in accordance with his Thelemite beliefs. Through the O.T.O., Thelemite groups were established in Britain, Australia, and North America. Crowley spent the First World War in the United States, where he took up painting and campaigned for the German war effort against Britain, later revealing that he had infiltrated the pro-German movement to assist the British intelligence services. In 1920, he established the Abbey of Thelema, a religious commune in Cefalù, Sicily where he lived with various followers. His libertine lifestyle led to denunciations in the British press, and the Italian government evicted him in 1923. He divided the following two decades between France, Germany, and England, and continued to promote Thelema until his death. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a recreational drug experimenter, bisexual and an individualist social critic. He was denounced in the popular press as "the wickedest man in the world" and a Satanist. Crowley has remained a highly influential figure over Western esotericism and the counter-culture, and continues to be considered a prophet in Thelema.

About this edition

• Publisher: Mockingbird Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1946774405
• ISBN 13: 9781946774408
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 238