Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowleywas an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion and philosophy of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionReligious Leader
Date of Birth12 October 1875
order understanding enlightenment
Morality can muddle mystical understanding and virtue is only necessary in so far as it favours success. All wisdom must be encompassed in order to achieve enlightenment.
circles firsts tasks
The first task of the Magician in every ceremony is therefore to render his Circle absolutely impregnable.
views ego world
A single ego is an absurdly narrow vantage point from which to view the world.
liberty individual function
The absolute rule of the state shall be a function of the absolute liberty of each individual will.
sex names perception
When you have proved that God is merely a name for the sex instinct, it appears to me not far to the perception that the sex instinct is God.
vendetta universe
By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.
love people insanity
Love stories are only fit for the solace of people in the insanity of puberty. No healthy adult human being can really care whether so-and-so does or does not succeed in satisfying his physiological uneasiness by the aid of some particular person or not.
determination destiny ideas
Destiny is an absolutely definite and inexorable ruler. Physical ability and moral determination count for nothing. It is impossible to perform the simplest act when the gods say no. I have no idea how they bring pressure to bear on such occasions; I only know that it is irresistible.
stars light sky
If you examine the highest poetry in the light of common sense, you can only say that it is rubbish; and in actual fact you cannot so examine it at all, because there is something in poetry which is not in the words themselves, which is not in the images suggested by the words 'O windy star blown sideways up the sky!' True poetry is itself a magic spell which is a key to the ineffable.
compassion understanding spells
Their false compassion is called compassion and their false understanding is called understanding, for this is their most potent spell.
weakness doe cry
30. If Will stops and cries Why, invoking Because, then Will stops an does naught. 31. If power asks why, then power is weakness.
struggle self long
I was in the death struggle with self: God and Satan fought for my soul those three long hours. God conquered — now I have only one doubt left — which of the twain was God?
education memories philosophical
I was asked to memorise what I did not understand; and, my memory being so good, it refused to be insulted in that manner.
belief made infantile
I have never grown out of the infantile belief that the universe was made for me to suck.