The Revival of Magick & Other Essays

by Aleister Crowley, Hymenaeus Beta (Editor)

This collection is concerned with Aleister Crowley as an essayist. This literary form gave full range to his wit, humor, knowledge, and command of English. Most of his essays are as fresh today as when they were first written, and some of his best are collected here, forming a curiously charming sampling of Crowley's opinions and interests. His essay subjects are wide-ranging, including mysticism, magick, travel, humor, social satire, drugs, psychoanalysis, religious fundamentalism, "pop" occultism, art, divination, mythology, and drama. Crowley preaches his new Law of Thelema in several passionate essays and epistolary letters, explaining the religious philosophy of the new law given in 1904 e.v. by Liber AL vel Legis, The Book of the Law. Sometimes writing as Crowley the man, at other times as The Master Therion, Magus of the New Æon of Horus, the recipients range from a fellow writer (the American novelist James Branch Cabell), to an industrialist (Henry Ford), to his own colleagues, Crowley makes doctrinal connections not made elsewhere, many of great relevance to the theology and social philosophy of Thelema. In other essays he explores the spiritual antecedents of Thelema, discussing François Rabelais and William Blake. He also discusses the practical application of his philosophy at that great experiment in Thelemic monasticism, the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily.

The intent of this collection is to introduce Crowley's writings to a wider modern audience, and his essays have been annotated thoroughly, including notes on sources, a bibliography of works cited, and an index. The Oriflamme is a series of monographs on magick, mysticism and the history of ideas. This is the second number of a new series.

Genres: Thelema, Occult, Magick, Spirituality, Religion

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Aleister Crowley was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, proclaiming himself as the prophet destined to guide humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, Crowley published extensively throughout his life.
Born Edward Alexander Crowley in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, he was raised in a wealthy family adhering to the fundamentalist Christian Plymouth Brethren faith. Crowley rejected his religious upbringing, developing an interest in Western esotericism. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, focusing on mountaineering and poetry, and published several works during this period. In 1898, he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, receiving training in ceremonial magic from Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Allan Bennett. His travels took him to Mexico for mountaineering with Oscar Eckenstein and to India, where he studied Hindu and Buddhist practices.
In 1904, during a honeymoon in Cairo with his wife Rose Edith Kelly, Crowley claimed to have received "The Book of the Law" from a supernatural entity named Aiwass. This text became the foundation of Thelema, announcing the onset of the Æon of Horus and introducing the central tenet: "Do what thou wilt." Crowley emphasized that individuals should align with their True Will through ceremonial magic.
After an unsuccessful expedition to Kanchenjunga in 1905 and further travels in India and China, Crowley returned to Britain. There, he co-founded the esoteric order A∴A∴ with George Cecil Jones in 1907 to promote Thelema. In 1912, he joined the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), eventually leading its British branch and reformulating it according to Thelemic principles. Crowley spent World War I in the United States, engaging in painting and writing pro-German propaganda, which biographers later suggested was a cover for British intelligence activities.
In 1920, Crowley established the Abbey of Thelema, a religious commune in Cefalù, Sicily. His libertine lifestyle attracted negative attention from the British press, leading to his expulsion by the Italian government in 1923. He spent subsequent years in France, Germany, and England, continuing to promote Thelema until his death in 1947.
Crowley's notoriety stemmed from his recreational drug use, bisexuality, and criticism of societal norms. Despite controversy, he significantly influenced Western esotericism and the 1960s counterculture, and remains a central figure in Thelema.

Reviews

[Dian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some really interesting and important essays by Crowley, many of which were published in place like The International or Vanity Fair. Some of the essays are more interesting than others, but quite a bit of it is well worth reading.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

personal note: only the revival of magick, 2019 oto revision