The works of Aleister Crowley.

278 Pages·2016·26.6 MB·English

by  Crowley, Aleister, 1875-1947.

THE WORKS
OF
ALEISTER CROWLEY
WITH POR TRAITS
VOLUME l
A
FOYERS
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF
RELIGIOUS TRUTH
1905

ISBN 0-911662-51-0
Reprinted by
YOGI PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Des Plaines, Illinois
PREFACE
IT is not without some misgiving that I have undertaken to edit
the collected writings of Aleister Crowley. The task has been
no easy one. His numerous references to the obscurer bypaths
of classical mythology, and his not less frequent allusions to the
works of Qabalistic writers, have demanded much elucidation.
In making the explanatory notes, I have endeavoured to strike
a golden mean between the attitude of Browning, when he pub
lished “Sordello,” and that of Huxley, who took it for granted
that his readers were entirely ignorant: and only such passages
or phrases have been annotated as were thought likely to present
any difliculty to the student of ordinary intelligence.
It is no part of the duty of an editor to assume the role
of critic. But I must explain that I am conscious of Crowley’s
weaknesses. They are in the main the outcome of his astonish
ing perversity; nowhere more strikingly demonstrated than in
“ The Poem,” throughout which there is a struggle for the supre
macy between his sense of the ridiculous and his sense of the
sublime.
I
am also aware that his views on religious matters will be
found unpalatable in some quarters. But it should be re
membered that these writings represent the ideas of a man of
an unconventional mind brought up in conventional surround
ings. When he came to man’s estate he not unnaturally revolted:
and the result has been, as in many such cases, that his search
for the truth has red him to investigate the religious beliefs of
many nations; nor have those investigations tended to lessen the
gulf which separates him from the orthodox point of view.
The edition is authorised, and, as such, complete: therein
are contained all the important works of Aleister Crowley.
I. B.
LONDON, March
1905.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME
I.
ACELDAMA- SONGS OF THE SPIRIT—Continued
PAGE , PAGE
'
DEDICATION . . . . . I IsAlAH - - I - - - 47
ACELDAMA _ _ , _ _ 2 I' THE STORM . . . . . 48
v WHEAT AND WINE . . . 49
A R0NDEL _ _ ' _ ,
THE AUTHOR’S BALLAIIE OF HIS THE VISIONS OF THE ORDEAL . 50
TALE . . . . . 7 ' POWER . . . . . . 5I
THE TALE OF ARCHAIS~ VESPERS . . . . . 52
PART I. . . . . . 7i BY THE CAM . . . . 53
,, II. . . . . . IO§ ASTROLOGY . . . . . 53
,, III. . . . . . I6| DEDALUS . . . . . 54
,, IV. . . . , . 21f EPILOGUE . . . . . 55
EPILOGUE 7 l
. THE POEM—
SONGS OF THE SPIRIT—
i SCENE L _ _ _ _ _ 57
TTDINHHEDEEMICEGAMOTOAIODRNIAM.. A...J. B... ... ... 331029?; ”"” IIIv1L_L ___ ___ ___ ___ _._ 662580
QUEST . . . . . 31
THE ALCHEMIST . . . . 32 JEPHTHAH—
SONNETS T" NIGHT - - - 34‘ PRELIMINARY INVOCATION . . 64
THE PHILOSOPHER'S PROGRESS
. 34 JEPHTHAH _ _ _ , _ 66
SONNE'r. . . . . . 36
AN ILI. DREAM . . . . 36 MYSTERIES_
THE PRIEST SPEAKS . . . 37 THE FIVE KISSES—
THE VIOLET’S LOVE-STORY. . 38 I. AFTER CONFESSION . . 90
THE FAREWELL OF PARACEI.SUS II. THE FLIGHT
. . . 90
TO APRILE . . . . 39 III. THE SPRING AFTER . . 93
A SPRING SNOWSTORM IN WAST- IV. THE VOYAGE SOUTHWARD
95
DALE . . . . . 43 V. THE ULTIMATE VOYAGE . 96
IN NEVILLE’S COURT, TRINITY THE HONOURABLE ADULTERERS—
COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE . . 44 I. . . . . . . 98
ASucRcOuNnDuEsI. .. .. .. .. .. 4455 THIEI. LEG.END. OF .BEN .LEDI. .. 1IO00l
NIGl-ITFAIJ. . . . . . 46 A DESCENT OF THE MOENcH [02
THE INITIATION . . . . 46 IN A CORNFIEIJ). . . .. 103
VOh I. vii
viii CONTENTS
FAG! FAG!
MYSTERIES—Cminwd THE FATAL FORCE
. . . 141
TDR“EAMS . . . . . 103
TR‘UMP" °F MA" ~ -‘ '°$ THE MOTHER’S TRAGEDY.
. 154
THE DREAMING DEATH . . 108
A SONNET IN SPRING. . . 109 THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY
DE PROFUNDIS ‘ l . _ [09
GHOST—
Two SONNE'I‘S—
1_ “My soul is aching," 81¢. _ "3 I. THECOURTOF THE PROPANE
II. “The constant ripple," 81c. . 113 PROLOGUE.-—OBSESSION . . 166
A VALENTINE . . ._ . 113 FAME. . . _ . . . I67
ODE To POESY . . . .. 114 THE MOTHER AT THE SABBATH 167
Two SONNETS— THE BRIDEGROOM . . . I68
I. “Self-damned, the leptons THE ALTAR OF ARTEMIs . I69
n10istu1e,"&c. . . . 115 THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE . 171
II. “ Lust, impotence," &c. . 116 ASMODEL . . . . . I71
BESIDE THE RIvER . - . . 116 MADONNA OFTHEGOLIIEN EYES 173
MAN’s HOPE . . . . 116 Low AT PEACE . . . I74
SONNET. . . . . . 117 MORS JANUA AMORIS . . 175
A WOODLAND InYLI. . . . 117 THE MAY QUEEN . . . 177
PERDURABO . . . . . 118 SIDONIA THE SORCERESS. . 178
ON GARRET HOSTEL BRIDGE . 118 THE GROWTH OF GOD . . I78
AsTRAY IN HER PATHS . . 119 To RICHARD WAGNER . . 179
SONNET TO CLYTIE . . . 120 THE TWO EMO'I‘IONS . . 179
A VALENTINE, '98 . . . 120 THE SONNET. I. . . . I80
PENELOPE . . . . . 121 ,, II. . . . 180
_
A SONNET 01-“ BLASPHEMY . . 122 WEDLOCK. A SONNET . . 180
THE RAPE OF DEATH. . . 122 SONNET FOR GERALD KELLY’s
IN THE WOODS WITH SHELLEY. I24 DRAWING 0F JBZEBEL . . 180
A VIsION UPON USHBA . . 125 MANY WA'I'ERS CANNOT
ELEGY . .. , . , _ 127 QUENcH LOVE . . . 181
EPILOGUE . . . . _ 127 CTO“ENUM FATAL°E" ".‘2 A.M”. I81
JEZEBEL, AND OTHER TRAGIC _*"M“'_,'
POEMS_ ous . . . I81
MOUNTAIN
CONvEN'IIONAL WIcKEDNI-zss . 181
Démmcz _ _ _ . u '29
LOYE’s WISDOM . . . 182
PERDITA . . . . . 129 THE PESSIMISHI,s PROGRESSN . 182
JEZE"EEL. PA”RTnI'. '. .' -' 1'3219 ANGLP_AHINI‘,SHTYSTHE T.1DE .. .. .. 1I8822
CONCERNING CERTAIN SINs . I32 wa .
' . ' _ _ _ .83
A SAINTS DAMNAIHON ' ' '32
LOVE. MELANCHOLY, DESPAIR 18;;
LOT ' ' ° ' ' ° '33 II. THE GATE 01" THE SANCTU
EPILOGUE . . . . . 135 A“__
AN APPEAL TO THE AMERICAN Tu LAURA . . I84
REPUBLIC. . . . . 136 THE LEsRIAN HELL . . I85
CONT ENTS ix
E PAGE
THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLYMG THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY
GHOST—Continued GHOST—th‘nued
THE NAMBLESS Quzs'r . . 186 THE ROSICRUCIAN . . . 207
TH! REAPER . . . . 193 THE ATHANOR. . . . 208
TH]; Two MINDS _ _ _ 193 THE CHANT To an sun on
THE Two w|SD0Ms_ _ , 194 sum: UN'ro oun LADY Isrs. 2|:
THE Two Lovgs _ _ , 194? A Li'rANY. . . . . an
A RELIGIOUS BRINGING-UP . 194;
THE LAW OF CHANGE . . CARMEN SAECULARE—
1941
SYNTHESIS . . . . 195 . PROLOGUE—THE EXILE ' . 214
III. THE Hour P1.AcE— “CARMEN SAECULARE” . . 215
THE NEOPHYTE . . . 196 IN THE HOUR BEFORE REVOLT . 218
SIN: AN ODE . . . . 197 EPILOGUE . . . . . 220
THE NAME . . . . |99
THE EVOCA'I‘ION . . . 200 TANNHAUSER—
THE Rosa AND THE Cnoss 202 DEDICATION _ _ _ . . 222
THHAEPPILNoExSnS's DA.v .. .. .. 220022 TPARNEFNAHCAEUSER_ __ __ _. .. 222236
CERBERUS. . . . . 202 AC1- L . _ , . . 226
IV. THE Hour or Houm-
TTTHoHEEALPMLAOALNUANCTEMAAIoCNrGRTCEHHGEROIRSWT.O.RLD... 222000574 n"“,, 111IvvIL_., ,_._ __.. __.. ,... ,... 222234539790
EPILOGUE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
APPENDIX
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
TABLE OF CORRESPONDENCES
. . . . > . . Endafz'o/ulne

ACELDAMA,
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS IN.
A PHILOSOPHICAL POEM.
1898.
[The poems collected in Volume I. comprise thewhole ofthe first period ofCrowley’s life ;
ntoamcelalys,s tthhaetmoafss iurviteunaillia.andAmfyeswticotehnetrhuseiaarslmy.poeTmhse appopeetarhiminsel“f Owroauclldes,b"eVionlc.linIeId.,
chosen as Illustrative ofthe progress ofhis art. The great bulk of the early MSS. from I887
to I897 have been sedulously sought out and destroyed. They were very voluminous.]
ACELDAMA. DEDICATION.
"I
contemplate myself in that dim sphere DIVINE PHILOSOPHER ll Dear Friend !'
WT\VhhietohsbelbauchrkonlilncogiwrcuecymeenfsterrienetneIcneat.mtaonsdtpaennfidentidnragtoeuattGod." TLohvaetrmaanrdchLeosrdlike!3aacscoempbtrtehehevaerrssee,
Bearing Truth's cofiin, to the end.
“ Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it Let man's distorted worships blend
bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth In this, the worthier and the worse,
his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his And penetrate the primal curse.
lile in this world shall keep it unto life Alas ! They will not comprehend.
eternal.”—ST. JOHN xii. 24, 25.
IT was a windy nightI that memorable seventh Accept this gospel ofdisease
night of December, when this philosophy was In wanton words proclaimed, receive
born in me. How the grave old Professorl The blood-wrought Chaplet that I weave.
wondered at my ravings! I had called at his
house, for he was a valued friend of mine, Take me, and with thine infamies
and I felt strange thoughts and emotions shake Mingle my shame, and on my breast
within me. Ah! how I raved! I called to
Let thy desire achieve the rest.
him to trample me, he would not. We passed
together into the stormy night. I was on
horseback, how I galloped round him in my
phrenzy, till he became the prey of a real ACELDAM A.
physical fear! How I shrieked out I know
not what strange words! And the poor good "
Six months and I sit still and hold
old man tried all he could to calm me; he
thought I was mad! The fool! I was in the In two cold palms her cold two feet;
Her hair, half grey half ruined gold,
death struggle with self: God and Satan
fought for my soul those three long hours. Thrills me and burns me in kissing it.
God conquered—now I have only one doubt
left—which of the twain was God? Howbeit, Love bites and stings me through to see
I aspire I Her keen face made of sunken bones.
Her worn-out eyelids madden me.
"And falling headlong, he burst asunder in That were shot through with purple once.”
the midst. and all his bowels gushed out. . . . SWINBURNE, “The Leper,”
Insomuch as that field is called in their proper Poem: and Balladx, 1866.
tongueI Aceldama, that is to say—the field of
1 Von Eckartshausen.
blood."—ACTs i. 18, 19. 2 An adept who was in correspondence with
1 C. G. Lamb,Demonstrator of Engineering the author.
atCambridge. 3 Christ.
VOL. I. A