The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: An Autohagiography

Before I read this book (years ago - it was at a bookstore in the clearance section for $4.95!), Aleister Crowley seemed pure myth. He was but a cryptic, faceless personality surrounded by what I'd later find out to be gross misrepresentation and ignorance - which, incidentally, I fell for, hook, line and sinker. But upon reading his 'autohagiography,' the man was finally fleshed out and rendered human. And what a colorful and fascinating character! Hardly the evil scumbag people considered (and occasionally STILL consider) him to be. I found that he harbored views and opinions similar to my own about mob psychology and the like, and he had a way of expressing his thoughts, feelings and views which was nothing short of amazing. This is one of the most quotable books in the world, I feel. Crowley doesn't mince words, and he has a wonderful command of the English language (among other languages). His accounts of mountain climbing and world travels are fascinating. His magical experiences are equally so. He approaches these subjects with great wisdom - often tinged with a priceless sardonic humor (which is what I appreciate most about the book). Crowley was a great wit. I find that I can open this book to any page at random and start reading - and every time I'm hooked. I have breezed through this review, so it isn't as incisive as I originally planned it to be. But the above is how I feel in a nutshell. If you are at all interested in this man, this book is a must. I recommend it very highly.

Aleister Crowley is one of the most fascinating underground characters of the 19th Century. This "autohagiography," as it is not so modestly called, is a more than 900 page account of his life, at least up to the time of his writing the Confessions, when he was in his mid-forties. An autobiography can never be objective, and this is especially the case when it is written by a figure as controversial as Crowley. Reviled by many as a satanist, admired by others as a prophet, your own beliefs and predilections will color the way you view this man and his unconventional ideas. Crowley was surely a man with a large ego; at times he comes across like a meglomaniac, comparing himself with Buddha and Mohammad. He authored, among many other works, The Book of the Law, allegedly channelled (as we would say now) by a superior intelligence called Aiwass. Crowley maintained that this book marked the beginning of a new aeon, of which he was the prophet. Claims such as this might, to some, be enough to discredit Crowley. Yet his actual influence on culture cannot be denied. He inspired many occult, new age and countercultural thinkers, including Timothy Leary; His Thoth tarot deck has become very popular; his commentaries on the Qaballah are among the most complete by modern authors; He wrote quite a bit of lyrical poetry, much of which is quoted in this book. The Confessions gives the reader a multifaceted look at Crowley. There are long descriptions of several mountaineering expeditions to exotic places such as the Himalayas. Anyone interested in travelogues should appreciate this book, which covers much of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Crowley's main calling was magick (he invented this spelling to differentiate it from stage magic). Although he is commonly referred to as a black magician or satanist, this is far from clearcut. His early years of being raised by fundamentalist Christians (his own mother actually gave him the nickname, The Beast) set off a lifetime of rebellion against conventional religion. His often outlandish behavior and conflicts with authority figures contributed to his reputation as a dark magician. There is no doubt that he dabbled with demonic forces, yet reading his memoirs his basic intention seems to have been the progress and spiritual freedom of humanity. Crowley was a complex character, and this comes across in the Confessions. Parts of this long book are a little confusing; in some chapters, he rattles off one name after another, and he sometimes refers to people by their magickal names, which makes the cast of characters at least as challenging to keep up with as those in a Russian novel. His account of his actions in America during World War l, where he was accused of spying for the Germans (but insisted he was really a double agent for the British and Americans) is especially sketchy and made me wonder if he was telling the truth. On the other hand, he gives some very intelligent (if often condescending) commentaries

Because his folowers have granted him godlike status while his critics have dismissed him as a crackpot, it's a bit difficult to explain to those who have not heard of A.C. why this book is such a great read.Aleister Crowley(1875-1947) recounts his life and the pride he took in being a genius (he had memorized The Bible before he was seven), a poet, an adventurer, a world renowned mountain climber, a blindfold chess master, a lover, a sorcerer, and The Chosen Prophet of the Ancient Gods of Egypt!But, above all: an English Gentleman.Unfortunately his compatriots, like queen Victoria on a celebrated occasion, were not amused. The newspapers depicted him as a satanic, devil worshipping maniac. A charge which was somewhat unfounded and rather ironic since this was the man that satanic devil worshipping maniacs were too scared to mess with.He was a passionate artist with a flair for danger, an extreme of the spiritual and the sensual, a cross between between St. John of the Cross and the Marquis de Sade. Only Rasputin could match him as a true historical figure that seems too improbable to have existed.Neither man would be 'believable', even in lurid work of fictional melodrama. Yet they lived. And A.C. topped Rasputin in possesing (or being possed by) a savagely sarcastic sense of humor which took no prisoners. Say what you will of him but one must grant him a remarkable talent for making enemies everywhere.W.B. Yeats wanted him expelled from The Golden Dawn (The most influential Rosicrucian/Freemasonic lodge of the 19th century) on the grounds that 'a mystical society should not have to serve as a reform school for juvenile delinquents.' For his part, The Magus informs us that Yeats was full of black, bilious rage, because he, Crowley was by far the greater poet. He once remarked that it was interesting that such a small county as Stratford had given England her two greatest poets, for one must not forget Shakespeare . . . A.C. founded his own temple of 'life, love, and liberty' after his wife had a vision while visiting a museum in Cairo. The year was 1904 and the gods were ready to annoint an English Gentleman to bear forth their message to humanity and usher in a new era which would replace Christianity, as Christianity had replaced the crumbling faiths of the Roman Empire. Thus 'The Book of the Law' came to be written (or dictated?) Its main tenet was "Do What Thou Wilt.'Apparently Isis or Horus were fans of the novels of Rabelais, since that was the motto inscribed in his fictional abbey. And, in all likelihood Rabelais probably got it from St. Augustine's maxim: "Love, and do what you will". And if you can name which Greek philosopher thought it up first, treat yourself a trip to Cairo and listen closely to your inner voice. . .It would hardly be surprising to be told that AC was reared in an ultrafundamentalist Christian sect and thus, he rebelled with vengeance. What is surprising is that the quest for 'The Holy Grail' never left

Regardless of other reviewers comments about Crowley's mountain-climbing adventures, and other travels, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute detail ! Obviously, his mountain climbing experiences and world travel helped him to develop his "Will," which enabled him to become the most famous Occultist in history. Every time I had a spare moment, I sat down with this "Autohagiography" and poured over the pages until I found myself in a delimma.....only 6 pages until it is finished. More ! More !Two years ago, I would not have imagined I would be reviewing Crowley books. Most of the information about this man seems to have been written by people who took all the myths surrounding Crowley seriously, or preferred to inform the reading public of the Controversial / Tabloid exploits Crowley was *supposedly* involved with. However, despite various Occult Researchers' whimsical attitude toward truth vs. tabloid money-making rumors, this book reveals Crowley as a MAN, not a "Beast."To read the Confessions is to read of a Poetic Young man, who happened to be born into a society Indoctrinated with ridiculous concepts that his level of Intelligence simply could not submit to. The Subversive, Slave-like religion of his birth pushed him to explore other fields of interest and to study Comparative Religion. Reading his autobiography, it is obvious that he was simply too intelligent to be kept down in the mire of "Because."This man thought for himself and lived for himself--despite society's ridiculous posturing and false "morality."Basically, Crowley "tells it like it is," instead of adopting the complacent, indoctrinated attitude of his era and contrymen.There is very little "Occult" information in this book--in fact, he mostly writes about his Mountaineering, Poetry and World Travel throughout most of these "Confessions." The occult-related incidents often seem to be thrown-in as an after-thought, as-if he would much-rather be remembered as a Poet.Personally, I learned quite a lot about Anthropology from this collection of Travels in India, China, South America, etc. It is such a shame that the intellectual level of society (or lack thereof) cannot comprehend Great Men. Crowley was extremely well-educated--therefore, it is unlikely that younger generations will comprehend even a fourth of the material in this autobiography. Well-read individuals will be thrilled to add the Confessions to their library !Don't be frightened by propagandists and money-mongers--this book was written straight from the Horus' mouth and sets the record straight.

The notorious Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666. Magician, Mountaineer, Poet, Author, Gentleman, Entrepreneur, etc. etc. This book, written by the Beast himself, will unmask this Sphinx of a man. He will take you along on the ride of his life, from the boy growing up under religious lunacy to the man proclaiming the Word of his Aeon. I shall let Crowley himself be the guide to his story, urging you thereby to buy this book. Everybody should read this book, whether aspiring to the man or not. Between the lines of his life-story he covers his view on just about every subject, giving his candid, arrogant, yet astutely accurate foliage of human behavior. Only one person that I know of has ever dared to step so completely outside the collective consciousness (and folly) of the human race and observe it like his own little science-project, and that is the author of this book. And he will share it all with you, while joyfully always being the first to remind you that he is no less of a fool. All throughout, he invites you to relive his adventures of mountaineering, wordly travels, and Magick experimentation using the most exquisite use of language I have ever witnessed. This work is in no way the ramblings of a man hopelessly lost to drugs. If he truly was the Beast 666, then let me bow and give my sympathies unto Him, for the man who wrote this book was as true to himself and others as they come. If being this sincere and unfettered by hypocrisy is diabolic, then I am first in line to join that family! Sure, Crowley had his fix ideas, not all of them uncontroversial, but he always either admitted his prejustice or backed them up with lucid reasoning. Buy this book, read it once -or better, twice- and judge for yourself. For Do what Thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law!