37 replies to this topic

[kats_god]

Does anybody know the story of this guy? I have heard this and that about him but I don't really know what is true and what is blown up. I have heard that he was one of the most evil men of all time. I know he was deeply into black magic and tarot, ect. What did he do to be known as being evil? I know Ozzy Osbourne wrote a song about him, so he had to be somebody big.

[spooksareus]

One look at this guy's signature would send chills up and back down your spine..
(Shudder)

Evil, nasty and wicked....

I have a book around here somewhere.....

I'll get back to you,
Spooks

[MoonChild]

http://www.exposings...org/crowley.htm


Crowley, I assume, was a rebel in the dark europe. Nothing more than that. I assume there are more "evil" people around in our times.

[boris]

Does anybody know the story of this guy? I have heard this and that about him but I don't really know what is true and what is blown up. I have heard that he was one of the most evil men of all time. I know he was deeply into black magic and tarot, ect. What did he do to be known as being evil? I know Ozzy Osbourne wrote a song about him, so he had to be somebody big.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have read of Crowley, and have read Crowley. Interestingly, he once wrote a novel called 'Moonchild'. He was a prolific, if bizarre, writer. He lived in England in the late 1800's and early 1900's, although he traveled widely and spent large periods of time in exile. He was a mountaineer who made some dangerous treks and lead expeditions on some of the world's tallest peaks. He had at least three wives and a mistress throughout his life. He was a self-proclaimed satanist, although I believe Crowley railed against what he perceived as religious corruption and oppression by creating his own myth. My take is that he was a showman who drew attention to himself as a means of mocking the authority he despised. In essence he became larger than he really was; larger than life. His motto was "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." An extremely independent thinker, he did tend to go overboard at times, creating enemies unnecessarily. He was a member of a cult called "The Order of the Golden Dawn" and an advocate of what he called "Sex magick." He was also known to do things like find some remote cliff, suspend himself from it and create an elaborate carving. Few people would see it, but he did it anyway. Probably the most famous rock star association with Crowley is that of Jimmy Page (guitarist, mentor, and producer of Led Zeppelin). Page remains mum about the subject and resents, justifiably so, insinuations that his interest in Crowley is derived from a fascination with the occult. Rumors flew around Zeppelin in their final years, largely charged by a ratings starved media, that all but one of the band members had sold their soul to the devil in return for their quickly achieved success. The truth of the matter is that Page and Jones had done studio musician work for nearly twenty years by the time Zeppelin was formed out of the ashes of the Yardbirds. Plant and Bonham were working class blokes who played dive joints and worked laboriously at jobs for low wages before being picked up by Page. So far as the bands demise and all the tragedies that afflicted them, stuff happens! I know non-celebrities that have that much drama in their lives. Jimmy Page once owned Boleskine house on the shores of Loch Ness, which Crowley once owned and supposedly performed black art rituals in. The place was rumored to be haunted, particularly because of its reputation to be covered in shadows regardless of . But then, Nessie makes the area weird enough! Page also owned an occult bookstore called Equinox, after the name of Crowley's publisher. I learned from a lady who actually had concert photos she had taken of Zeppelin, including one of her standing with Jimmy Page with his arm around her - a celebrity posing with a fan and a "true gentleman" according to the source - that Page sold Boleskine House and the bookstore. According to her, and I have several of the concert photos on the walls of my garage, Page only owned the bookstore to get access to Crowley's books, which were extremely rare at the time. And he was into Crowley because, like Page, he was in some ways a very private person, and fiercely independent. Sometimes those traits can get one into trouble though. Crowley was among the first to experiment with Mescaline as a means of "expanding one's consciousness". He became a heroin addict and died a destitute man. He certainly was fascinating though.

[MoonChild]

I have read of Crowley, and have read Crowley.  Interestingly, he once wrote a novel called 'Moonchild'.

Thanks for that info Boris.

Probably the most famous rock star association with Crowley is that of Jimmy Page (guitarist, mentor, and producer of Led Zeppelin).

I have heard of this too. But I would still say that Crowley was more a misunderstood man, than a satanist. And when we look at the history of Europe of his times, it is more than evident that people who were not going with the church were branded satanists, just to take them away from general public.

Edited by MoonChild, 11 November 2005 - 07:59 AM.

[cheercoach05]

I saw a tv show about this guy not too long ago. I can't remember what the show was, but some journalist was investigating this. He was roaming around the area where Crowley was from, and came across this couple who were Crowley followers, or worshipers. They were willing to speak on camera about it, and they even showed the journalist a video they made of themselves performing some sort of ritual at the place where Crowley used to "worship". They told the journalist where the place was, since it was a secret to most people. He went there, and if I recall correctly, he found the guy who owns the land or something, and he showed the journalist the building. It was a small "house", that had been all boarded up. But, it had been broken into repeatedly by Crowley followers, including the earlier couple. The guy let the journalist look around inside, and it was all a MESS from the years of neglect. But all over the place there was evidence that people had been performing different rituals there; wine bottles, candles, symbols on the walls. It was quite an interesting show! But he was defintely portrayed as an evil, satanic man! I had never heard of him before, or since, so it's interesting to see what other information people are putting on here about him!

[Vampchick21]

Crowley eventually started billing himself as the most evil man in the world. And, for the record, the Order of the Golden Dawn is NOT a cult, but rather an occult society that focused on the Western Estoric. Much ritual that can be found today in terms of modern occult practices can find it's roots in the Golden Dawn, and they are very much active today. Some of the greatest names of the late 19th century were members of the Golden Dawn. It's very easy to find information about the Order, not particularly secretive.

Crowley had a very large ego, was a drug addict, but a brilliant mind. A lot of stuff that is still whispered about him was actually started by him. He had a falling out with the Golden Dawn during a period of leadership struggles, in addition to his growing drug problem, and he left the Order to do his own thing.

[Vampchick21]

Here's a few additional websites about Aleister Crowley.

http://www.geocities...6/crowpage.html

http://en.wikipedia....leister_Crowley

http://www.cix.co.uk...ake/crowley.htm

[Willow]

http://www.exposings...org/crowley.htm

Crowley, I assume, was a rebel in the dark europe. Nothing more than that. I assume there are more "evil" people around in our times.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly it, to quote the headline of the link I'm posting "Sometimes the legend is greater than the reality"

Crowley

I could of swore this was discussed alittle on the RS Board but for the life of me I cant find it

[Vampchick21]

I could of swore this was discussed alittle on the RS Board but for the life of me I cant find it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL!!! I had been thinking the same thing myself! I think it may have been, but as a portion of another discussion rather than it's own topic. I just can't remember what that topic was!

But he does have one heck of a legend surrounding him, and he's a very interesting figure in Western Tradition.

[MoonChild]

I assume it was the Black Magic thread? Even I searched and couldn;t find though.

[Willow]

*cries* I've been searching for the topic all of last night and this morning and still cant find it, I do believe you're right about it being a mix of discussion rather than its own topic.I know it was due to Moon asking about the meaning of the name Moonchild, know I replied, just cant remember the topic!

Moon, he was discussed on that thread also, must of missed that one

Black Magick

[NocturnalCantaloupe]

I used to have a link to it, but that got deleted with several computer changes over time. He's an interesting fellow.... was said to have fought his own summoned demons throught his life.... metephor or not, was a genious, had many things right, but was MAD.

[petunia4998]

You know. people are so pathetic. The minute someone is secretive, it's immediately thought that they have something to hide and everyone wants to know what it is.

When someone achieves fame, fortune and celebrity, it's because they've sold their soul to the devil. Not because they have worked hard for it or because they have earned the right to have these things.

Whenever someone deviates from the norm, they are immediately branded "satanic" and "evil" when all they are is different. People cannot stand the fact that someone might know more than they do or that they can enjoy different things.

Boris, I'm glad to meet a Zeppeliner. I am in awe of Jimmy Page. What that man can do with a guitar, well, I can see how some people think he might have Satanic help. He's amazing.

[Vampchick21]

I cannot speak for the cases of other individuals who have been labeled bad or evil over the years, but you seem to be missing the very point of Aleister Crowley.

He called HIMSELF that long before the rest of the world caught wind of it. It was HE that came up with the association between him and the Beast, not the rest of the world.

To be short, his entire mystic and legend was created by him.