The Works of Aleister Crowley (Collected Works of Aleister Crowley) Vol. One

by Aleister Crowley

Volume 1 of a 3-volume set. Later reprint of the original 1905 edition by the Yogi Publication Society. Contains early poems and plays with little in the way of magic. Aceldama, The Tale of Archais, Songs of the Spirit, The Poem, Jephthah, Mysteries, Jezebel and Other Tragic Poems, An Appeal to the American Republic, The Fatal Force, The Mother's Tragedy, The Temple of the Holy Ghost, Carmen Saeculare, Tannhauser.

Genres: Occult, Poetry, Thelema

269 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1907

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

[Anthony Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crowley is overrated and underrated at the same time. Don't look too deep into his works but also don't dismiss them.

[yo JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je obtížné podobné texty číst nebo hodnotit, protože jsou primárně určeny zasvěcencům a praktikujícím, přesto mě můj zájem žene kupředu. Crowley je hodně o magii, rituálech, přesných aktech, symbolech, číslech, je plný náboženských odkazů a skrytých zpráv, které pochytí jen obeznámení. Jede se tu latina, alchymie, sexualita a užíti sexuální magie, východní filozofie se tu potkává s křesťanským pojetím. Takže... je to mumbo-jumbo, nebo není? David Lynch mě v raném věku naučil nesnášet to "jsem génius, protože mě nechápete", jakoby to, že jste matoucí, bylo důkazem génia. Ale taky není možno kráčet kupředu s tím, že vše plně chápete. A jak jsem slyšel, kupříkladu hodně hudebníků Crowleyho zná a magii praktikuje. U toho okultního kódování teď váhám, protože je to dlouhá cesta... autorovu inteligenci ale nezpochybňuji

[James]

If you are not a man of god this is a really good book. Aleister Crowley was a good man