Was Aleister Crowley really as bad as depicted?

gregory

String you up? I will do no such thing. :) Although John Symonds had no qualms when it came to telling tall tales of Crowley stringing up Rose in a wardrobe while he entertained a mistress. Symonds book is entertaining, but not all that informative.

Also, though, NOT that shocking - and I did actually learn a lot which - other than the wardrobe thing (and Kaczynski hasn't said it DIDN'T happen :D) - has not been contradicted in Perdurabo (past half way now, and I STILL think about half of it would have been better in footnotes..! I shall overtake Leffy soon....)
 

Aeon418

(and Kaczynski hasn't said it DIDN'T happen :D)
How can he? There's no evidence beyond a yarn related by Symonds himself. And his source was?
 

Zezina

In Magick in Theory and Practice chapter 12, Crowley claims that between 1912 and 1928 he sacrificed roughly 150 male children per year. That's a grand total of 2550 baby boys!!! How did he ever get away with it? The mind boggles. :rolleyes: The whole thing is an elaborate blind meant to disguise the fact that Crowley performed repeated acts of sex magick without getting his partner pregnant. The ejaculated semen is the sacrifice.

In the Thoth Tarot this "secret" is represented by Atu XII The Hanged Man.

At last, an explanation that makes a bit of sense about Crowley's 'child sacrifice' reputation. It would also appear to fit with what I've gleaned about Crowley's sense of humour, as well, perhaps, of his irony.

Than you, Aeon.
 

Aeon418

I KNOW, I was just ....

- never mind :D :*
Wondering where he got that wardrobe? The cheap, flimsy, rubbish they sell at IKEA these days just isn't up to the job. They don't make 'em like they used too. :laugh: ;)
 

Zezina

But you could try some (more ?) reputable sources: Kaczynski (on the dry side, to put it mildly); Sutin, or Churton. I gather the last is the most readable of the three - it is, of course the only one I don't have.

That's reassuring information for me Gregory, because Kaczynski and Churton are already the post to me from Amazon.

Thank you.

*Z*
 

Zephyros

I guess it depends who's doing the depicting, and why. Like I said in another thread, if one would concoct a story about Mother Teresa sacrificing children, it would be dismissed and laughed at, but Crowley had (and fueled) just enough notoriety to make people at least buy books about him, even if they are yellow and cheap tabloids of books. I don't think he was as bad as "traditional" depictions, especially since he made a career of making people mad.

In a sense, I could equate him with Kim Kardashian, only he sought out his celebrity and notoriety for other reasons than she does. I suppose it could get a little tiresome, the "let's get them mad" approach he took for everything. So, although I admire his work, I'm not sure I would invite him to dinner; he would probably dully drone on and on about his exploits, make a mess on his plate and take the last breadstick.
 

Zezina

Who on earth is David J Stewart?

Le Fanu, you prompted me to put in a search for David J. Stewart, and if what I've read is true, I'm surprised someone hasn't strung HIM up in a wardrobe!

*Z*