Thelema ScholarTHE ALEISTER CROWLEY COLLECTION
FOLLOW A WORD THROUGH THE COLLECTION

Search the corpus.

Phrase search ignores case and repeated whitespace. All-words search finds whole words anywhere on the same page. OCR errors can affect results.

14 matching pages

Page 1 of 1
1898 · PDF PAGE 20

Songs of the Spirit

…l mother !) The triple light my path divides To twain and fifty sudden sides Each perfect as each other. Now backwards, inwards still my mind Must track the intangible and blind, And seeking, shall securely find Hidden in secret places Fresh feasts for every soul that strives, New life for many mystic lives, And strange new forms and faces. My mind still searches, and attains By many days and many pains 10

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 27

Songs of the Spirit

…ely spied Through doubtful crannies of the Universe, Unseen, intangible, eluding sense And poor conception, halting for a phrase Of weak mind-language, O Eternity, Hear thou the feeble world, the lame desire, The dubious crying of the pinioned dove, The wordless eloquent emotion That speaks within a man, despite his mind ! Hear, who can pray for naught, unknowing aught Whereof, for what to pray. But hear me, thou ! Hear me, thou God, who fettered the bleak winds Of North and East, and held in silken rein The golden steeds of West and South, who…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 91

Songs of the Spirit

THE VISIONS OF THE ORDEAL. THE mind with visions clouded, (Asleep ? Awake ?) By bloodless shades enshrouded, (By whom, and for whose sake ?) With visions dimly lighted, By its own shade affrighted, In its own light benighted, The doors of hell may shake. Unbidden spring the spectres (Whence come, where bound ?) To baffle those protectors Whose wings are broad around. Uprise they and upbraid, Till life shrinks back afraid, And death itself dismayed Sinks back to the profound. 81

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 76

Songs of the Spirit

…heir hold upon the perfect prize. My hands no longer write : Communion with the night Is built, a bride of fiery truth across the subtle mind. God’s angels, and His fire, Consume the soul’s desire, And strike a lighter lyre. I seek ; the angels lead me on, all light and truth to find. 66

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 89

Songs of the Spirit

…good cheer To foemen, grew one clear Concept, ideal, divine, Of a god of light and laughter, of a god of wheat and wine. Work on, strong mind, devise The outer life aright ; Dream, subtle soul, and arise To noblest litanies That pierce the mask of night— In a man work lifts his eyelids, but his dreams lend eyes their light. So dreams and days are wed, And soul and body lie Ambrosial in Love’s bed. See, heaven with stars is spread— So glad of life am I If an angel came to call me I am sure I would not die. 79

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 30

Songs of the Spirit

…d trust in Night ; My realm is the eternal, and my power The absolute. My child, gird on thy strength ; Clothe limbs with lustiness, and mind with might, That, communing with me, though for an hour, Thou mayest conquer when day comes at length.” 20

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 36

Songs of the Spirit

…eep water where the pebbles gleam. I rouse the force persistent of my will To compel matter to the soul’s desire, To make Heaven aid the mind that would aspire To touch its borders, and to drink their fill At those far fountains whence one drop of dew Descends upon my head from yonder blue. 26

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 25

Songs of the Spirit

…anger. [Making as to leave room.] E’en this rocky isle Shall prove a friend—— A Voice. Stand still. Ph. Again ! Is this The warning of a mind o’er-strained ? [Moving towards door.] Voice. Stand still And see salvation in Jehovah’s hands. Ph. Is this the end of life ? Voice. Thy Life begins. Ph. Strange Voice, I hear thee, and obey. Perchance I have not lived so far. Perchance to-day, Like a spring-flower that slowly opens out Its willing petals to the tender dawn, My soul may open to the knowledge of A dawn of new thought that may lead—— Voice.…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 6

Songs of the Spirit

…e the unexpressed delight To hold high commune with the wind That sings, in midnight black and blind, Strange chants, the murmurs of the mind, To grasp the hands of heaven and find the lords of light. Mine was the holy fire that drew Its perfect passion from the dew, And all the flowers that blushed and blew On sunny slopes by little brooks. Mine the desire that brushed aside The thorns, and would not be denied, And sought, more eager than a bride, The cold grey secrets wan and wide of sacred books. Thine was the hand that guided me By moor and…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 7

Songs of the Spirit

… found, except in sleep. Thy presence was as subtle flame Burning in dawny groves ; thy name Like dew upon the hills became, And all thy mind a star most bright ; And, following with wakeful eyes The strait meridian of the wise, My feet tread under stars and skies ; My spirit soars and seeks and flies, a child of light. Thus eager, may my purpose stand Firm as the faith of honest hand, Nor change like castles built of sand Until the sweet unchanging end. Happy not only that my eye Single and strong may win the sky, But that one day the birds th…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 54

Songs of the Spirit

… shaken earth ; Who holds the lightning in His holy hand, And binds the stars in adamantine band, And yearns towards the children of His mind. I left their summer and their dewy strand To pass a life of work, alone, unkind, To fight a way toward heaven, mute, desolate and blind. The dusty desert glimmers in the night, A solitary palm-tree shades the well ; I am alone, a weary eremite Striving the secrets of the stars to tell, And every blade of grass that makes the dell Is counted and divined by me, who stare With eyes half blinded by the fires…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 49

Songs of the Spirit

“ Within my heart one slow sweet whisper stole Consuming and destroying all my soul Lest, if the pure cold mind should conquer it, I might not know, although it still were sweet. “ My pure desires arose and cast out love That flew away, most like a wounded dove, Only the drops were mine its bosom bled, Now the last time it hovers by my head : “ Now the last time I turn and go to her.” The violet smiled at him : his fingers fair Plucked the sweet blossom to his breast ; his eyes Mused like delight, and like desire were wise. There was a maiden l…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 44

Songs of the Spirit

Lay them together, breast to maiden breast, Limb linked with limb, and lips to pallid lips, So beautiful in death—the moth o’ th’ mind Tells the grief-numbed senses ’tis but sleep— See ! the pale glimmer of a ghostly arm Flashes a spot of light !—Ah ! weary day ! ’Tis but the flickering of the candle-light And the unmanning sorrow of the heart That lends the reins to fancy’s charioteer. Lay them together, let us leave them there ! There comes a vision to my mortal eyes Of things immortal. Hark ! the growing swell Of some wild clarion through th…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →
1898 · PDF PAGE 71

Songs of the Spirit

… of spirit tense with angel’s tread Close, and all the gates of sense swing wide instead, When the will of men is sleeping, and when the mind Hears no sobs of spirits weeping above the wind, All the subtle paths are clear for wicked breath, And no angel warns the ear that this is death ? Is this fiend the Love that came when youth rose up Purple with its holy flame, and flower-fair cup, Gave me of his burning wine to fire my heart, Filled me with desires divine toward my art ? Is he then the Love who robs me of my aim, Doubts me if my heart sti…

original embedded textRead original & transcription →