Why Does everyone think Crowley was a Satanist

DoctorArcanus

Goat of Mendes said:
(A stupid war in which no side was "in the right".)

That's the only kind of war I know. Including the war against Satan :)

Marco
 

Lillie

Keldor said:
I was reading up various things today and read that there is a Satanic group that claims to have thelemic philosophy based on Crowley's teachings. Now I know that he was not a Satanist but why does everyone beleieve that hype,

Because of tabloid journalism.
And people believing the rubbish they read.

Saddam had a giant slingshot that fired dinosaurs.

He did have one!
He did!
I read it in The Sun.
He had a big slingshot, but he used up all his dinos and then it wasn't much use any more.
 

ravenest

Goat of Mendes said:
I think a lot of people make the same mistake. Crowley wrote articles for a pro-German newspaper in the time leading up to America's entry into World War 1. (A stupid war in which no side was "in the right".) Many people automatically assume that Crowley was writing pro-German propagander. But if you actually read the articles he wrote you soon realise how ridiculous that is. The articles are so funny and tongue-in-cheek that they must have been counter productive and made the German cause look stupid in the eyes of the American public.

It's a trick that works quiet well. years back we had a fascist, racist, etc political group start up locally. They were atrocious yet had a little appeal with local dim-witts. Some time later all the letterboxes in town had 'their' phamphlet in it which said things 10 times worse than they ever did, Everyone was shocked, and outraged, even though they cried forgery it was too late and they were run out of town.

Good job ... whoever you were ;)
 

ravenest

frelkins said:
If you like Crowley, great! Whatever works for you. But the man courted controversy and shock his entire life. So why is anyone surprised at his reputation?

Shock is one of the best ways to loosen up the mind from restrictive programming. Some form of it is in just about every initiation ritual ever devised. Also check the works of Carlos Castenada, Zen teachers and others. Shock has certain values ... especially when trying to break up Victorian mindsets.
 

ravenest

Goat of Mendes said:
I see Crowley's reputation as a kind of litmus test. If you can't see past the stage show antics you won't get anything out of Crowley or his writings at all.

There you have it! The reason why Crowley treated people this way (as he saw them all as potential students).
 

ravenest

frelkins said:
I notice we supposed "haters" have more tolerance for Crowley and his supporters than his supporters have for us. Which I find instructive in and of itself.
Really? I'm a 'supporter' and have tolerence for your views ... as long as they can be explained rationally and you are not disliking Crowley because he sold out his country to the Nazis in WWI ;)

I also believe he trimmed his ears and shapened his teeth to make him lok like a vampire ... sort of; Nosferatu crossed with Winston Churchill.
 

ravenest

mac22 said:
....And perhaps poor ole Crowley was haunted by Choronzon or his drug addictions... Some say Crowley died shortly after burning his ouija board in an attempt to become possessed by demons.

mac22

Good one mac22! Crowley with a Ouija board! Seeings how he loved that approach to magick so much! I can see him going aroind burning oija boards long before that :laugh:.

Possesed by demons attempt? Nah happened long ago when he jumped in the triangle of Neuburg's Goetic ritual in the dessert. (With resultant lesson in the practical use of the magical dagger.)

What a shame he died old and alone in his bed sit while his minder was out in the garden, much less sensatinal than the version of dying while scrawling curses on a toilet wall. (note the scawling word - better than the writing word ) ;)
 

tantricknite

crowley

Well Crowley is certainly entertaining after all these years !!!! People love him or hate em'. So what if he was a little twisted.At least he was open about it.
He did contribute quite a bit to the western magical tradition.I'm not sure But I believe Crowley wrote a small book about ouija boards. I don't think it covered burning boards and demonic possesen!! lol
 

frelkins

ravenest said:
as long as they can be explained rationally and you are not disliking Crowley because he sold out his country to the Nazis in WWI ;)

i believe you are confusing me with debra, who misspoke in post #22. i simply said "pro german during the war," because i believe were are all aware of what war we were talking about and the basics of C's biography.

you all may apologize for him, as much as you like. it doesn't matter to me. :)
 

ravenest

frelkins said:
i believe you are confusing me with debra, who misspoke in post #22. i simply said "pro german during the war," because i believe were are all aware of what war we were talking about and the basics of C's biography.
No ... I wasn't confusing you with anyone ... my comment wasn't aimed at you (maybe I posted after your post? But it wasn't a response to you it was a response to how a story can mixed up, then pass on and turn into something else ... like 'Chinese' whispers, as they call them).

Crowley seems to have an incredible ability to 'generate' Chinese whispers (purple mokey dishwasher ;) )
frelkins said:
you all may apologize for him, as much as you like. it doesn't matter to me. :)

Apologise? Me? For Crowley ? Good Lord! Where did I do that ... I must be loosing the plot! (Unless you mean my post 1576? Jeeze! Did that come across as an apology!?

I think Crowley doesn't need anyone to apologise for him ... let alone ME! And I'm sure he would consider it an interference in his own buisness. ...