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

289 Pages·1974·315.935 MB·269\289

by  Aleister Crowley

Travel/em’ Edition
THE WORKS
OF
ALEISTER CROWLEY
I/V/ TH POk TRAJTS
VOLUME II
FOYERS
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF
RELIGIOUS TRUTH
1906
[A!! rig/zis reserved]
CONTENTS OF VOLUME 11
ORACLES— ORACLES—szz‘z'nued
PAGE PAGE
THE DEATH OF THE DRUN- THE STORM . 25
KARD . . . . 1 ASSUMPTACANImA 26
A PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES 1 VENUS. 29
LINES ON BEING INVITED TO A LITANY . 30
MEET THE PREMIER IN MARCH IN THE TROPICS 31
WALES, SEPTEMBER 1892 I NIGHT IN THE VALLEY 32
THE BALLOON . . 2 ME’I‘EMPSYCHOSIS 33
SPOLIA OPIMA 2 ADVICE OF A LETTER 33
A WELCOME TO JABEZ 3 ON WAIKIKI BEACH. . 33
ELVINA . . . . . 3 THE TRIADS OF DESPAIR. 34
ADAPTATION OF “ONWARD, THE DANCE OF SHIVA 36
CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS” TO SONNET FOR A PICTURE 36
THE NEEDS OF BRETHREN 3 THE HOUSE . . . . 37
TO MRS.O......NC...T 5 ANIMA LUNAE. . . . 38
THE LITTLE HALF-SOVEREIGN 5 “SABBE PI DIIKKHAM ” 43
ODE TO SAPPHO 6 DHAMMAPADA , 44
IN A LESBIAN MEADOW 7 ST. PATRICK’S DAY, 1902. . 48
“’TIS PITY ” - - 7᾽ THE EARL’S QUEST . . . 49
EPILOGUE TO “GREEN ALPS” 8 EVE , - , 52
TWO SONNETS IN PRAISE OF A THE SIBYL. . . . . 52
PUBLISHER . . 8 LA COUREUSE . . . . 52
MY WIFE DIES - 9 SONNET FOR A PICTURE 52
ODE TO VENUS CALIIPYGE 9 TO =>ELIZABETH” . 53
THE CANNIBALS IO RONDELS (AT MONTE CARLO). 53
THE BLOOD-LOTUS 12 IN THE GREAT PYRAMID OF
THE NATIVITY . . I4 GHIZEH . . . 53
TRANSLATIONS FROM BAUDE- THE HILLS _ . . 55
LAIRE . . . 15
CHALDEAN FOOLS 19 ALICE: AN ADULTERY—
CALL OF THE SVLPHS . . 19
INVOCATION . . . 20 INTRODUCTION BY THE EDITOR 58
HYMN TO APOLLO . 22 WHAT LAY BEFORE—
THE HERMIT’S HYMN TO WHITE POPPY . . . . 61
SOLITUDE . . 23 MESSALINE . . . 62
Vi CONTENTS
PAGE PAGE
ALICE: AN ADULTERY—Contz'mzea’ ALICE: AN ADULTERY—Cam‘mued
CALIFORNIA 63 THE THIRTY-FOURTH DAY 79
MARGARET . .י); THE THIRTY—FIFTH DAY . 79
ALICE: AN ADULTERY . 64 THE THIRTY-SIXTH DAY . 79
THE FIRST DAY 64 LETHE. . . . 80
THE SECOND’DAY 65 THE THIRTY-SEVENTH DAY 80
THE THIRD DAY 65 THE THIRTY-EIGHTH DAY 80
THE FOURTH DAY \ 65 THE THIRTY-NINTH DAY . 8]
REINCARNATION 65 THE FORTIETH DAY .
THE FIFTH DAY 66 THE FOR'I‘Y-FIRST DAY 81
THE SIXTH DAY 66 THE FORTY—SECOND DAY . 82
THE SEVENTH DAY 66 AT LAST . 82
THEEIGHTH DAY 67 THE FORTY-THIRD DAY 82
THE NINTH DAY 67 THE FORTY-FOURTH DAY 82
THE TENTH DAY 67 THE FORTY—FIFTHDAY 83
THE ELEVENTH DAY 68 THE FORTY-SIXTH DAY 83
THE TWELFTH DAY 68 THE FORTY-SEVENTH DAY 83
.
RED POPPY 68 THEFORTY-EIGHTH DAY 84
.
THE THIRTEENTH DAY 69 THE FORTY—NINTHDAY 84
THE FOURTEENTH DAY 70 THE FIFTIETH DAy—ï—
THE FIFTEENTH DAY 70 I. 84
THE SIXTEENTH DAY ..70 II. . 85
ALICE . . . 71 III. . 85
THE SEVENTEENTH DAY 7! AFTER 85
LOVE AND FEAR 72 THE ARGONAUTS—
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY 73 ACTUS PRIMUS—]ASON 86
TTHHEE NTWINEENTTEIEENTTHH DDAAYY 7733 AACCTTUUSS STEECRUTN1UDSU—S—MEADREGAO .. 9928
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY . 73 ACTUS QUARTUS—SIRENAE 104
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY 74 ACTUS QUINTUS—ARES I12
THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY 74
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY 74- AHAB AND OTHER POEMS——
THE TWENTY—FIFTHDAY. 75 DEDICACE ΙΖΙ
THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY 75 RONDEL ΙΖΙ
AHAB—
UNDER THE PALMS 75
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY 76 PART I. 121
THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY 77 ,, II. . 124
THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY 77 NEW YEAR, 1903 127
TTHHEE TDHAYIRTWIIETTHHOUDTAYA NUMBER. 7787 TMHEELUDSIRNEEAM 112287
THE THIRTY-FIRST DAY 7(x THE GOD-EATER».
THE THIRTY-SECOND DAY 78' ACT I. 130
THE THIRTY-THIRD DAY. 78 ,, II. 136
CONTENTS vii
PAGE PAGE
THE SWORD OF SONG . . 140 .-בראשית?
PRELIMINARY INVOCATION—- AN ESSAY IN ONTOL()GY , 233
NOTHUNG . . . . I4I
INTRODUCTION TO “ASCENSION SCIENCE AND ΒΠΒΒΗΙΞΜ-᾽
DAY AND PENTECOST” . 141 I. 244
ASCENSION DAY. . . . 144 II. . . . . . . 244
PENTECOST . . . . . 164 III. THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS . 245
NOTES'10 ASCENSIUN DAY AND IV. THE THREE CHARACTER—
PENTECOST— ISTICS 246
NOIE '1`0 INTRODUCTION . I85 V. KARMA . . . 249
NOTES '10 ASCENSIONDAY . 190 VI. THE TEN FETIERS OR SAN-
NOTES TO PENTECOST. . 203 YOGANAS . . 249
VII. THE RELATIVE REALITY OF
AMBRO, S_ I_I MAG_I I—IORTUS RO-
CERTAIN STATES OF CON—
SARUM . . . . . 212 SCIOUSNESS . 250
THE THREE CHARACTERIS'I'ICS— VIII- MAHASA'l'IPATTHANA- 252
III.. _ _ . . _ _ 222256 ΙΧX.. ATGHNEOSTINCOISBMLE. EIGHTF.OLD. 254
IIIVI.. .. _, .. . .. .. 222266 XI. THPEATHTW-ILIGHT - OF - THE- 256
. _ . . _
VVIVII... _. ͵.. __. ..͵ &.͵ ͵͵_ 222222777 XXIIIII.. CTOHGNEECRLTMUHSARINOESNE REFUGES .. 222556890
VIII): ἕξ THE EXCLUDED MIDDLE;OR,
.' : '. I. :
λ,." . . . . .. . 229 ΤΗΕ SCEPTIC REFUTED 262
XI. . . . . . . 230 TIME 267
XII.
. . . . . . 231'
XIII. . . . . . . 231 EPILOGUE 283 '
PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
WE beg to express regret for the delay in issuing Vol. II. As
originally made up, it was too big, and had to be recast completely.
Mr. Crowley’sWorks to date will thus be complete in three volumes
ofthis edition.
Advance copiesorsetsofproofs of Vol. III. will be sent to þana-
fia’e competitors on their written application The volumeshould be
issuedin December.
Owing to the severe and continuous illness of the artist to whom
the Table of Correspondences was entrusted, we are compelled to
delayitsissue.
The Essay Competition will definitely close three months from
date.
Oct. כ15? 1906.
Crowley’s War/Es, Vol. I].
O RΑ C L E S
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ART*
1905
THE DEATH OF THE DRUNKARD.1 The lupusis overher faceandhead,
Filthy and fouland horrid and dread,
I.
And her shrieks theywouldalmost wake the
TERROR, and darkness, and horrid despair ! dead;
Agonypainted upon the oncefair Rotting away!
Browofthe manwhorefusedtogiveup
The love Of the wine-filled, the o’erflowing
In herhorrible grave shelay,
cup.
“Wine is amocker, strong drink is raging.” RottingRboyttinnigghatw, aaynd! rotting byday,
No wineindeath is historment assuaging.
Rotting away!
In the placeofherfaceis agoryhole,
IL
And the wormsare gnawing the tissuesfoul,
And the devilis gloating overher soul,
Just what the parson had told me when Rotting away!
young:
Just what the peoplein chapel havesung:
“Wine is amocker, strong drink is raging.”
LINES ONBEINGINVITEDTO MEET
Deum!celem. THE PREMIER IN WALES,SEP-
TEMBER 1892.
A PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES. I WILLnot shake thy hand, Oldman,
IN thehospital bed shelay, I willnot shake thyhand ;
Youhear atraitor’s brand, Oldman,
Rotting away! Youbearaliar’sbrand.
Cursingby night and cursingbyday,
Thy talents are profoundand wide,
Rotting away! Apparent powerto Win;
1 This,theearliestpoemever writtenbyme, Itis not everyonehas lied
has perished save the above fragment. Its Anation into sin.
date15 1886.₪-!\. C.
Itshouldbe notedthat this fragmentisofa
wildly revolutionarytendency. It made him And lookthou not so black, myfriend,
tchheapIeblsewneroef caosncshidoeorledwwheitrheathpearrseosnt Oanfdthae Nor seamthat hoary brow;
non-Plymouth-Brethren world as so many Thy deedsareseamier, myfriend,
devils letloose from hell. Thy record blacker now.
* This volume consistsofunpublished poemsdating from 1886—1:903. Concerningthe title
Crowley wr1tes, “The sense is of deadleaves drifting in the dusty cave Of my mind.” He
does notseemto hwe beenawarethat Coleridgegavethetitle “SibyllineLeaves’ toa similar
collection.
VOL.IL A
2 ORACLES
Your ageand sexforbid,016man, Toads aregnawingatmyfeet.
I need not tell youhow, Take them offmequick, I pray!
Or elseI’dknock youdown, oldman, Worms myjuicy livereat.
Like that extremist cow.1 Take the awfulbeasts away!
YoBuy’vpeegrajuinriendgyyoouurresvoeurly;seat, myfriend, VipFeertschmaakceunmnyinbgokwneiflsetahnedirsmlaeya!t.
You’veclimbedtoDowningStreet,myfriend, Kill the tadpoles in mylung,
Averygreasypoll. And the woodliceinmyspine,
Youbear atraitor’sbrand, oldman, And thebeast that gnawsmytongue,
Ι wYIiowlluinlbloentaosrthaaskhleaiakrteh’sythbhyraannhddan,;do.ldman, AnTAdhntadhtetahrheoouwrndedeasmoeflinaadetdemenrystracyiholsiunntewg,ine!
[And]didn't.
Come,dissectme! Rip theskin!
Tear thebleeding fleshapart !
THE BALLOON. Seeyeallmyhellish grin
I/Vrz'z‘z‘en (at t/ze ageoffifz‘eea, andstillunsur- While the straining Vitals smart.
passed) whilein äed wit/z measles az‘ T071- Never mind ! Goinand win,
675438 in Kent. Till youreach mygoryheart !
FLOATING inthe summerair,
What is that formento see? While myheart’ssoftpulsedidgo,
Anywhere and everywhere, Devilshad it intheir bands.
Now abullet, nowatree—— Doctors keep it inarow,
Till we allbegin toswear: Now, onvarnished woodenstands:
What the devilcanit be? And I really donotknow
Ifitis indifferenthands.
Seeitsdisproportioned head,
Tiny trunk and limbslopped bare,
Hydrocephalus the dread
SPOLIA OPIMA.
With asurgeonchoppingthere;
Chopping legsand armsallred MYhomeis setbetween twoivorytowers,
With the stickylumpsofhair. Freshwiththefragranceofathousandflowers.
Likeamaninthiscomplaint And the twin portals ofa rubydoor,
Portcullissedwith the pearlsofIndia’sshore,
Floats thiscreature inthe sky,
Loosed withasmileand opened withakiss,
Till the gaping rustics faint
Bidme ajoyouswelcomethere, I Wis.
And the smirking milkmaids cry, Myhomeis onthe brink ofheaven’sdelight,
Asthe cordand silkand paint,
Butfor that endlessdaya loveliernight
Wood andirondrifteth by.
Isin myhome, that sunset’sarmsenfold,
Floating inthe summersky Lit withthe mellownessofautumn gold.
Like amodelofthe moon:—
How supremeto beso high Pillowed onlinen ofthe purest white,
Inatreacherous balloon, Half-hidden byher locks’ luxuriousnight,
Like the Kings ofDestiny, Maddenedbythosesofteyesofmeltingglow,
All the earth fortheir spittoon. Enamoured ofthat breast ofbreathing snow,
1 Mr. Gladstone was attacked by a cow in Caught inthe meshesofher fine-spunhair,
HawardenParkin 1891. Rocked bythe beating ofherbosomfair,
ADAPTATION
3
Heldbyher lipstootempting and toowarm, Was it sintopressand pressthee
Bewitched byeverybeauty ofher form, Till thy burning lipsat last
The blushupon her cheek is deeper red, Madlykissed me? How I blessthee,
Halfglad, and halfrepenting what shesaid. Now,forthatsuperb repast !
Amoment’sstruggle, as her formI press :—
All-consuming, all-devouring,
Onesoftsadsigh. Loveconquers. Ipossess. All-absorbing, burnt the flame;
Burnt unchecked till, hotly showering,
A WELCOME TO ]ΑΒΕΖ.1 Passion disregarded Shame !
Reprz'ntedfromΜε“Easz‘éourne Chronicle." Wasit sin—that moonlight madness?
GREAT Liberator, comeagain, Was ourpassionso accurst?
Thy country needs thee sadly; Sweetnessdamned tomother Sadness?
In Scotland Yard theyall complain Satisfaction tobring Thirst?
They “want”thee, oh! so badly. Was our lovetobring division?
Thou canst not tell the sighsand sobs Nay! ten thousand devils! nay !
Thatfor thypresence yearn; And adevilinaVision
And thegreat heart ofEngland throbs Hisses as I slumber, “Yea !
With joyat thy return. “Heaven ofyouraccurstcreation
For manyayearprolong thy stay Shallbecomeahell offire;
By Portland’s shadyharbour ; Death forkisses, and damnation
And allexpenseswe willpay— For yourloveshall Godrequire.”
Especially the barber.
A change ofworkis rest, they say,
Sohonest toil shall rest thee; ADAPTATIONOF“ONWARD, CHRIS-
No fearsthat thou mustgoaway TIANSOLDIERS”ΤΟΤΗΕNEEDS
Need haunt thee and molestthee. OFBRETHREN.1
We pray alevel—headed set PREFACE.
Offellowmen, whoknow thee,
In somesmallmeasuregrateful yet, IN response to many suggestions from dear
Maypaythee what is owedthee. wBraentthsreonf,thIe Chahvuercha.dapItnedvieawhoyfmthne gtorostshley
Thejoysofsingleblessedness, unscriptural nature ofthe original hymn (so-
And undisturbed seclusion, called) many changes have been rendered
We envyfor thee, weconfess, necessary,but Ihope and trust that this has
Until thy finalfusion. tbheeenoreifgfiencatle.d2wTitohotuhtisloesfifnogrttohfemgirnaendceeurtrai0n1
“false brethren unawares brought in” have
ELVINA. objected, saying, “Touch not the accursed
thing.” I pass overthe blasphemy of their
Wriz‘z‘en atEastöourne. thusadapting versesofScripture totheirown
vileends.
Tune—"German EveningHymn.”
Let me, however, tell these “wolves in
WAS thy faulttobetootender?
WWasamsythkinisesethrreorchtoiefbeofwfeenadke?r pmoo1sueTtdhh8i1sB16ra1osttshooenmri.sehiwnAegelmkpsioecsinet teohvfeersyhaotiurpesherwaoasfseacuPoslmye—d-
Pressed uponthyblushing cheek? thereinis aquotation, notaparody.
2 See preface to “ Hymns for the Little
1 JabezBalfour, author of the “Liberator’ Flock,” 1856,from which this stupefyingsen-
frauds. tencehasbeenbodilytaken.
4 ORACLES
sheep’s clothing,” these “clouds without Stoney’s scoundrels shiver at Our howls of
water, carried about of winds; trees whose rage,
fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, Brothers,liftYourvoices,Shriekaloud,Ram-
plucked upbythe roots; ragingwavesofthe
sea,foamingouttheirownshame; wandering page!
stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of
darkness for ever(Jude 12, 13), that theyare Like a mighty army moves the Church of
“dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, god.
aannddmaguardine,rerths,atantdheiydolaarteers“”fe(aRrefuv.lxaxnidi. Iu5n)-, Brothers, We are treading where the saints
believing, and abominable, and murderers, have trod.
and whoremongers, and idolaters, and all Weare alldivided, fiftybodiesWe,
liars” (Rev. XXl. 8), and that they “shall Fiftyhopesand doctrines, nary charity.
have their part in the lake which burneth
with fireand brimstone, which is the second
death” (Rev. XXi. 8), “where their worm Church and chapel perish ! Open Plymsto
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” hell !'
(Mark. iX 44). But Our kind of Brethren still in safety
Let meonly add that theyare “a herd of dwell.
ma“nyYsewsienrepefnetesd,inyge”ge(nMeraattti.onviioi.fv3i0p)e.rs, how Raven’s lot can never ’gainst the lord
canyeescapethedamnation ofhell?”(Matt. prevail,
XXiii. 33). We are his brave followers,you are Satan’s
And now, beloved brethren, with every tail.
prayer that this adaptation may prove of
lasting blessing to You all, bringing forth
“thefruitsofthe Spirit” (Gal.V. 22),especi- Come then, outside peoples,join Our noble
ally “faith, hope and charity.” “But the throng !
greatest oftheseis charity”(1 Cor. xiii. I3). Blend with Ours your voicesin the triumph
song!
Glory, praiseand honour unto Usalone!
“CnnvARD,PLYMOUTHLBRETHRENW Christians’necksourfootstool, Heaven itself
Our throne !
Cizoras.
ONWARD,PlymouthBrethren, marching P.S.—BELOVED BRETHREN,—Thespirit
astowar, indeed is willing,but the fleshis weak. For
With the cross ofjesus trampled onthe I, like Balaam (in the oldlegend), wascom-
floor; pelled to express our real feelings and not
Kelly, Lowe orJewell 1 lead against the our pretended ones. This, of course, abso-
foe, lutely ruins the adaptation. In fact, I am
Forward into battle, see their followers not certain as to whether it does not rather
go. giveus away!
Onward, Plymouth Brethren, marching Alas! we are only poor, weak, failing
astowar, creatures !
With the crossofjesus trampled onthe Yourbroken—hearted, broken-winded,broken-
floon kneed brother,
]UDASCDUAPHAS'TRUELOVE.
AtthenameofBarton,Raven’shostdothflee,
On, M‘Arthy’sfollowing, onto victory, [The man Truelove was at once put out
1 These and others mentioned are or were offellowship. Hewillbecertainly damned.
greatnamesamongthecontending“Brethren.” ——PILATE CRfiBSPATCHJ