Complete Astrological Writings of Aleister Crowley

by Aleister Crowley, John Symonds (Editor), Kenneth Grant (Editor)

A Treatise on Astrology was written in America in 1917-18. Crowley also called the work Liber 536, after the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word Masloth, which signifies the Sphere of Fixed Stars, i.e., the Zodiac. It is thus an appropriate number for a work on astrology. An earlier essay entitled Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia, which was published in Crowley's periodical The Equinox during 1913, is included here because it deals with the magical practice of expanding consciousness to the stars and planets. The word 'Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia' is made up of the Greek words for Frog Mind Ox World Battle, and is a play on the title of the Homeric epic, the Batrachomyomachia or 'Battle of the Frogs and Mice.' The idea behind the use of this barbarous name—that is, in pronunciation or vibration—is that it is supposed to create a sense of vertigo in which the mind is freed from its ordinary bounds. Consciousness—so the theory goes—is exalted to infinity by this method.

Also included in this volume is a little-known essay of Crowley's entitled 'How Horoscopes are Faked', which appears here for the first time in book form. It was written in 1917 under the name of 'Cor Scorpionis', the heart of the scorpion, a name probably chosen because of the stinging nature of the author's remarks. The essay was published in The International, a monthly New York periodical which, along with its stable-companion, The Fatherland—of which Crowley was the editor—was disseminating German propaganda in these war years.

Genres: Astrology, Occult, Spirituality, Thelema, Nonfiction, Magic

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

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

[Macho Man Randy Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snap er zegmaar vrij weinig van eigenlijk. Crowley is een meer entertaining schrijver dan ik had verwacht. Best grappig en gebruikt makkelijk te begrijpen analogieën. Gaat me wel een pet te boven dit. For now…..
Ook niet echt compleet.

[Walter Five · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the "complete" Astrological writings of Aleister Crowley by any stretch of the imagination, but at at the time it was published in 1973 it was not well known that Crowley had ghost-written "General Principals of Astrology" http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21... for its published authoress, Evangeline Adams. This book does not duplicate any material in that publication, but is only recommended for Crowley collectors.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a Heaven for?