AleisterCrowley(byJuliusEvola)

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AleisterCrowley
ByJuliusEvola
FromChapterIX,IlSatanismo(Satanism)ofMascheraevoltodellospiritualismocontemporaneo
(MaskandFaceofContemporarySpiritualism)
Crowleywasacharacterwhosepersonalityoverpowerscertainofthefiguresalreadyconsidered.Ifwe
associatehimwithSatanism,itisbecausehehimselfinvitesustodoso.Infact,hegavehimselfthetitle
ofGreatBeast666whoistheAntichristoftheApocalypse,whilehegavetothewomenwhomhe
selectedandused,thetitleScarletWomanwho,inJohnsApocalypse,istheGreatWhoreassociated
withtheBeast.ThejudgmentastheWickedestmaninEngland,givenhimbyajudgeinEnglandin
relationtoacertainjudicialproceeding,musthavegreatlypleasedhim,somuchwashispredilectionfor
scandal,notfleeingfrommasksandmystificationsofeverytypejustforthispurpose.
Invocationsusedinceremonies,thatCrowleypresidedover,weresuchasthefollowing:
ThouspiritualSun!Satan!Thoueye,thoulust.Cryaloud!Cryaloud!Whirlthewheel,OmyFather,O
Satan,OSun!(LiberSamekh)
Byitself,itwouldseemtoconfirmSatanism,evenifnotwithoutsomeadmixture(referencetothe
spiritualSun).ItishowevernecessarytoseethatCrowleydidnotputSatanintheplaceofGod,given
thehighregardinwhichheheldtraditions,liketheKabbalah,whichveneratedadivinity,evenif
conceivedmetaphysicallyandnotreligiously.Finally,asintheothercasesconsidered,theostentatious
SatanismofCrowleyisexplainedonlyintermsofanantithesistoChristianitywhosedoctrine
condemnedthesensesandtheintegralachievementofman,however,inhiscase,withaninitiaticand
magicalbasisratherthannaturalistic.Ifdangerousforceswereevoked,itseemsthatinthespecific
caseofCrowley,thepreviouslymentionedconditionstocopewithexperiencesofthetypewouldbe
present,inthefirstplacebecauseCrowleyhadanexceptionalpersonalityandwaspredisposedina
naturalwaytocontactwiththesupersensible(beyondpossessingaparticularmagnetism),andinthe
secondplacethroughhistieswithorganizationstosomeextentsuccessorstothoseofaninitiatic
character.Theseare,initially,theHermeticOrderoftheGoldenDawn,inwhichCrowleytookpart,
althoughafterwardhebrokeawayfromitandfoundedtheOrdoTempiOrientis(OTO,reminiscentof
theTemplars,evenrevivingtheTemplarBaphomet).HoweverthisOrderusedmanyofthemagical
ritualsoftheGoldenDawn,meanttocommunicatewiththesocalledSecretMastersandwithgiven
entitiesorintelligences.TothisendCrowleyalsousedit,soastoattributethegenesisoftheLiber
Legis,thecompendiumofhisdoctrines,toanentityheevokedinCairo,Aiwaz,whowouldhavebeena
manifestationoftheEgyptianHoorPaarKraat,theLordofSilence.Itistobeconsideredthat,in
general,noteverythingshouldbereducedtoadaydream,andthatsomecontactsofCrowleywitha
mysterioussupersensibleworldwerereal.
AleisterCrowley(byJuliusEvola)

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HereitisnotthepointtolingeronCrowleyslife,whichwasrathereventfulandinfluential,because
beyondcultivatingmagic(hehadthistosay:IrehabilitatedmagicandIdetermineditinthecourseof
mylife),hewasapoet,apainter,amountainclimberwhotriedtoclimbthehighestpeaksofthe
Himalayas(K2andKanchenjunga),adrugexperimenter(heevenwrotetheDiaryofaDrugFiend,
publishedin1922).Herewewilllimitourselvesinsteadtobrieflyindicatehisdoctrinesandtechniques.
InLiberLegiswecandisregardtheobligatoryantiChristianandpaganpolemics.Thereweread,among
otherthingsBestrong,oman!Lust,enjoyallthingsofsenseandrapture:fearnotthatanyGodshall
denytheeforthis.(II,22)But,inreality,adoctrinethatencompassesthreeprincipalsispointedout.
Thefirstis:DowhatthouwiltshallbethewholeoftheLawButitisnotnecessarytogetlockedinto
theletterofthispreceptalmostasifitprescribesdoingeverythingthatyoulike(asinRabelaisFayce
quevouldras),becauseCrowleyreferstothetruewilltobediscoveredinoneselfandthentobe
realized.ThisdiscoveryandthisrealizationwouldbetheessenceoftheWork(thedisciplemusthave
vowedbeforehandtotheGreatBeast666todedicatehimselftoit),asthesignthatCrowley
assertedonlythosewhoreachedtosuchalevelaretrulymenandmasters,theothersareslaves
(seeminglyfromtheinteriorpointofview).Fortherest,Crowleyspokealsoofaselfdisciplineatleastin
itsownregard,ofarigorousmoralityofmorethananyotherinspiteoftheabsolutefreedomin
respecttoeveryconventionalcodeofconduct.Inthesameperspective,therefollowsthecorollary
Theonlysinisrestriction,evidentlyinregardstothetruewill.
Thesecondprincipleistheeverymanandeverywomanisastar,inthesensethatinthema
transcendentprinciplewouldbemanifestedorincarnatedinacertainway,thatleads,ingeneral,
beyondamerepagannaturalism.OnecouldthinkbacktothetheoryoftheSelfdistinctfromthe
simpleI.Consequently,theconnectionwiththespecialconceptofthewillwhichwejustindicated,
alsoappearsevident.Amongotherthings,Crowleybringsbacktheancienttheoryofthetwodemons,
hespeaksofawayoflifemeanttoevokethegooddemon,notyieldingtothetemptationsthat
insteadwouldsubjectonethemerciesoftheotherdemon,leadingtoruinanddamnation,whilefrom
thefirst,onewouldbeinspiredaroundtherightuseofmagicaltechniques.Indramatizedform,itwould
seemheretobeabout,onceagain,thedeepprincipalpostulatedbytheconceptionsofthehuman
beingasastar(orasagod),whosepresenceconstitutesthebasistofacetheperilousexperiences
ofthislife.
Finally,thethirdprincipleisLoveistheLaw,Loveunderwill,wherelovemeansessentiallysexual
love.Thisleadsfromthedomainofdoctrinetothatofthetechniqueswheretheaspectsof
Crowleyanismarepresentedthatcanalarmmoretheprofanegrantingtoitaproblematicorgiastic
coloration(evensofarasonecanstillspeakofsatanicinthepropersense).
InthewayproclaimedbyCrowley,theuseofsex,aswellasdrugs,takescenterstage.However,one
mustrecognizethat,atleastinintention,itwasaboutthesacredandmagicaluseofsexanddrugs
thatwasalsoconsideredinvariousancienttraditions.Thegoal,consciouslypursued,istoobtain
experiencesofthesupersensibleandcontactswithentities.Equally,thingsarepresentedinaway
somewhatdifferentfromwhathappensattheedgeofthecontemporaryworld,insimplekeyof
evasions,sensationsandartificialparadises.Crowleywrites,Thereexistdrugsthatopenupthe
thresholdsofthehiddenworldbehindtheveilofmatter,thisformulationbeing,however,imperfect
AleisterCrowley(byJuliusEvola)

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becausebywayofprincipleoneshouldnotspeakofdrugssicetsimpliciter(whatevertheymaybe)but
ratherofoneoftheirveryspecialusestiedtopreciseandnoteasilyrealizableconditions.
Thesameappliestosexastechnique,beyondthegeneralityoforgiasticreligionannouncedinLiber
Legis,withanallusiontothegreatGodPan.ForCrowley,thesexualacthadthemeaningofa
sacrament,ofasacredandmagicaloperation;inintercourse,oneaimed,atthelimit,toatypeof
ruptureoflevelthroughwhichonefindshimselffacetofacewiththegods,thatis,itensuresan
openingtothesupersensible.Itisimportantthat,inthisandinothercontexts,Crowleyhadspokenof
thingsthatforyouarepoisons,iffactpoisonsofthegreatestdegreetobetransformedintofoodand
thatthedeleteriousoutcomethatthewayhepointedouthadinsomeofhisdiscipleswasexplained
withreferencetodosesofpoisontoolargetobetransformedintofood.Again,headdsthecondition
foundinanexceptionalpersonality,referringtodrugs,thattheywereafoodonlyfortheroyalman.
Astosexmagic,thetechniqueoftenindicatedwasthatofexcess:inorgasmandintoxicationoneshould
reachastateofexhaustionleadinguptotheextremelimitscompatiblewithsurvival.Eveninthearea
ofevocationalceremoniesthemagicaldaggerusedtogetherwithallthetraditionalimplementsof
signs,formulas,robes,pentacles,etc,countedasasymbolofthebeingreadytosacrificeall.Inthe
secretritualoftheCrowleyanOrdoTemplOrientiscalledDeartemagica,inc.XV,onespeaksofadeath
intheorgasmcalledmorsjusti.Theextremelimitofexhaustionandorgiasticecstasywerepointedout
alsoasthemomentofapossiblemagicallucidityoftheclairvoyanttranceattainedbythemanorthe
woman.SointheMagicalRecordoftheBeast666hespeaksofpassionateandunrestrainedyoung
womenthatatatugunpredictedbyanyone,willpassintoastateofcalmdepthdistinguishableonly
withdifficultyfromaprophetictrance,throughwhichtheywillbegintodescribewhattheywere
seeing.
Asisnatural,whatreallyhappenedinexperiencesofthesort,withthosecontactedplanesofthe
invisible,cannotbeestablished.ItiscertainthatinCrowleyismtheinnoculationofprecisemagicao
initiaticapplicationsisprecise,andthereferencestoritesororientationsofancienttraditionsare
evident.Fromthelevelofchaotic,disorderly,andrecklessexperimentswithwildsexanddrugs
characteristicofthecirclesofyouthsatthemarginsofthecontemporaryworld,onepassesto
somethingmoreseriousbut,justforthisreason,alsomoredangerous.Crowleyhadsomediscipleswho,
alsointhecadreoftheannouncedLawofThelema,wereputthroughtestsanddisciplinesofevery
type(in1920hecreatedalsoinCefalu,SicilyaMagicalAbbeywiththecomingofFascismhethen
wasimmediatelydeportedfromItalybecauseofwhatwassaidaboutthegoingsonintheAbbey).But
theirdestiniesdidnotseemtohavebeenthesame.Thosewhowerestrongenoughtoholdfirm,tonot
veer,saidtheycameoutrenewedandintegratedbytheseexperimentsdonewiththeGreatBeast666;
however,onespeaksequallyofotherpersons,kindsofwomen,whodisintegrated,whoevenendedup
inhospitals;itseemseventhatthereweresomesuicides.Insuchacase,Crowleysaidthathewasnot
abletoworkthemagicaltransformationoftheevokedforceseithertowhichhewasgivenafreewayor
thatthedosesofpoisonhadbeentoohightobetransformedintofood;forthisreason,thosepersons
werebroken.AsforCrowleyhimself,heknewhowtokeephimselfonhisfeetupuntiltheend,dyingin
1947attheageof72withallhisfacultieslucidandnormal.Apartfromhisdisciples,different
personalities,evenofacertainrank(forexample,Filler,thenotedgeneralofthearmoredcorps),had
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contactwithhimandgiventhegeneralclimateofourdays,itisnaturalthathischaractercontinuedto
exerciseastrongfascinationandthathisideaswereoftencited.
IftheCrowleyianviewwouldseemtroublesomeandobscuretomany,evenobjectivelythesatanic
element,inspiteofeverythingthattheGreatBeast666displayedalmosttheatrically,doesnotseemto
usveryrelevant.Thecorrespondingcolorationdoesnothaveasmuchprominenceasthatwhich,
fundamentally,possessesamagical,andinpartinitiatic,character.