Really appreciated this nuanced take on Crowley's Abbey period. Your balanced critique helps contemporary practitioners separate valuable magical technologies from problematic behaviors. The exploration of transgression versus genuine liberation is particularly relevant for developing ethical modern practice. This piece had meaningful synchronicity with my own explorations of these currents. Keep It Real :)
A well-founded critique of Crowley's pretense at transcending morality, which I would suspect, probably had more to do with his own psychological pathology than any spiritual fortitude. And it probably had more to reveal to him as a symptom of his being buggered during his education. Though I would say, that homosexuality in general, is a benefit to our society for those few who are naturally disposed to it, as it is deeply connected to the shamanistic impulse. His skryings of the thirty Aethyrs is a strong record of this. However, when you note, "But the overwriting of heterosexuality with homosexual norms has been the grave error of our times, one in which Crowley, Anger and Kinsey all played their part. As our Western societies grapple with the hangover from the permissive sixties, the overreach of woke identity politics, and demographic collapse, my concern is that the reaction will be to whitewash the walls again," you are spot on!
“Literate writing on magic, the occult, witchcraft and nature from the far west” The past eight or so posts, while interesting history, whew! if that’s the magic and the occult, after reading about it, who would want to participate in it!
A lot of karma to clear here, so it can seem relentlessly awful! The attrition rate is high, but we can do so much better if we learn from the folly and error of what came before us, particularly as glimpsed in the interregnum between the old magic and the modern world. What heartens me is the lack of negative comments on these pieces, which shows that many are keen to see this work accomplished, rather than reactively defending the indefensible acts of our forebears.
fascinating, nice insights, on this note, I guess it is necessary to killcrowley as the sacrifice, we have enough pain without his messing up our rituals
I agree, kill the Budda. Paradoxically one of the things I like about Crowley is precisely because he is unspeakable, and, like Gurdjieff a rascal guru.
Fantastic work as always Peter! I always love the poetry and illustration you find in prose, and at the same time the concision you apply to your intellectual arguments.
Thanks Jasun, I hadn't come across your work, I'll be interested to read more, I'll pick up a copy. I was aware of the Fabian Society's issues, be good to see what else you bring out on that and AC. One thing I always note is that Thelemites are, in the main, open to criticisms of Crowley, and revolted by much of his behaviour. I increasingly feel that we have all read Crowley through the lens of the proponents of his work in the sixties, and this series of essays is my attempt to move things forward in terms of magick, human freedom and flourishing.
I have found the opposite & it's understandable, if not excusable, since Crowley's depravities are baked into the Thelema loaf, inevitably, since it is his recipe (eg, Liber Al, III:12). IMO, AC pursued his basest instincts not despite but because of Thelemic principles.
Really appreciated this nuanced take on Crowley's Abbey period. Your balanced critique helps contemporary practitioners separate valuable magical technologies from problematic behaviors. The exploration of transgression versus genuine liberation is particularly relevant for developing ethical modern practice. This piece had meaningful synchronicity with my own explorations of these currents. Keep It Real :)
T. C. Boyle wrote a great novel about Kinsey, The Inner Circle
That blackshirt poem is wonderful. Once again thank you Peter for the time and research that has gone into this piece, an excellent read.
A well-founded critique of Crowley's pretense at transcending morality, which I would suspect, probably had more to do with his own psychological pathology than any spiritual fortitude. And it probably had more to reveal to him as a symptom of his being buggered during his education. Though I would say, that homosexuality in general, is a benefit to our society for those few who are naturally disposed to it, as it is deeply connected to the shamanistic impulse. His skryings of the thirty Aethyrs is a strong record of this. However, when you note, "But the overwriting of heterosexuality with homosexual norms has been the grave error of our times, one in which Crowley, Anger and Kinsey all played their part. As our Western societies grapple with the hangover from the permissive sixties, the overreach of woke identity politics, and demographic collapse, my concern is that the reaction will be to whitewash the walls again," you are spot on!
“Literate writing on magic, the occult, witchcraft and nature from the far west” The past eight or so posts, while interesting history, whew! if that’s the magic and the occult, after reading about it, who would want to participate in it!
A lot of karma to clear here, so it can seem relentlessly awful! The attrition rate is high, but we can do so much better if we learn from the folly and error of what came before us, particularly as glimpsed in the interregnum between the old magic and the modern world. What heartens me is the lack of negative comments on these pieces, which shows that many are keen to see this work accomplished, rather than reactively defending the indefensible acts of our forebears.
fascinating, nice insights, on this note, I guess it is necessary to killcrowley as the sacrifice, we have enough pain without his messing up our rituals
I agree, kill the Budda. Paradoxically one of the things I like about Crowley is precisely because he is unspeakable, and, like Gurdjieff a rascal guru.
yeah def, he only really made some kind of sense to me when I went to clown school
Loved everything about this essay from the splendid writing to the acute moral assessments. And the title!!! Wonderful throughout.
Fantastic, erudite writing with a kick! Enjoy these adder posts; lifts us into subliminal doorways!
This was an excellent read and I really appreciated how you tied it to the contemporary zeitgeist.
Fantastic work as always Peter! I always love the poetry and illustration you find in prose, and at the same time the concision you apply to your intellectual arguments.
Necessary & commendable piece; FYI, much of this (& also much more on substantial evidence of AC's high-level depravities) covered in Vice of Kings.
Thanks Jasun, I hadn't come across your work, I'll be interested to read more, I'll pick up a copy. I was aware of the Fabian Society's issues, be good to see what else you bring out on that and AC. One thing I always note is that Thelemites are, in the main, open to criticisms of Crowley, and revolted by much of his behaviour. I increasingly feel that we have all read Crowley through the lens of the proponents of his work in the sixties, and this series of essays is my attempt to move things forward in terms of magick, human freedom and flourishing.
I have found the opposite & it's understandable, if not excusable, since Crowley's depravities are baked into the Thelema loaf, inevitably, since it is his recipe (eg, Liber Al, III:12). IMO, AC pursued his basest instincts not despite but because of Thelemic principles.
I wouldn’t interpret the passage in that way.
in praise of sexually arrested inward focused deviants.