Thelema ScholarTHE ALEISTER CROWLEY COLLECTION
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Page 18 of 83
1907 · PDF PAGE 58

Konx Om Pax

…w subtly !—to a statement which I do not wish to support by proofs. I imagine that he who is able to receive it will receive it. This is Truth, that one should be concerned with one’s own busi ness, and with nothing else whatever. If I enter thy laboratory, 0 Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry, who protestest that thou dost aspire to the Great White Brotherhood, and demand of thee, “ What are thou doing?” wilt thou reply, “I am extracting the enzymes from this ferment,” or rather, “I am aspiring to the Great White Brotherhood ”? And if that q…

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1902 · PDF PAGE 52

Tannhäuser

…. I sleep not. Those were Her mysterious words As faded the great vision. And I knew In some forgotten corner of my brain Some desperate truth. Venus. Forget this foolishness ! [ There cometh a shadow. I am afraid, even I ! What moves me thus ? TannhAuser. I saw the mighty vision as before Forming in front of the awakening east, All permeated with the rose of dawn, And pale with delicate green light and shade, 50

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1913 · PDF PAGE 74

The Book of Lies

…since my One Love was torn from me. I cannot work: I cannot think: I seek distraction here: I seek distraction there: but this is all my truth, that Z who love have lost; and how may 1 regain? I must have money to get to America. O Mage! Sage! Gauge thy Wage, or in the Page of thine Age is written Rage! O my darling! We should not have spent Ninety Pounds in that Three Weeks in Paris! . 2. ee we ew wwe eee ewe Slash the Breaks on thine arm with a pole- axe!

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1954 · PDF PAGE 244

Magick Without Tears

…f any ultimate import; nobody can dispute it, but it simply doesn't matter to anybody, apart from the particular case. It is not "Of all Truth." What Hermes means by this it will be well to enquire. May we call it "a truth of Religion"? (Don't be shocked! The original word implies a binding-together-again, as in a "Body of Doctrine"; compare the word Ligature. It was only later, by corruption, that the word came to imply "piety"; re-ligens, attentive [to the gods] as opposed to neg-ligens, neglectful.) I think that Hermes was contemplating a Ru…

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1913 · PDF PAGE 77

Book 4 (Part II)

…y opposing itself to the Universal Will. His Understanding errs passively when it receives influence from that which is not the ultimate truth. F

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1919 · PDF PAGE 118

The Equinox (Volume III, Number I)

THE EQUINOX For know, that all things are masks or symbols of the One Truth, and nature serveth alway to point out the higher per- fection under the veil of the lower perfection. So then all the Art and Craft of human love shall serve you as an hiero- glyphic: for it is written that That which is above is like that which is below: and That which is below is like that which is above. Therefore also doth it behove you to take well heed lest in any manner you fail in this business of purity. For though each act is to be complete on its own plane, …

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1901 · PDF PAGE 126

The Soul of Osiris

… of Life may ope, And call me upwards to unite (Even my soul within the scope) With That Unutterable Light. Steady of purpose, girt with Truth, I pass, in my eternal youth, And watch the centuries wax and wane : Untouched by Time’s corroding tooth, Silent, immortal, unprofane ! My empire changes not with time. Men’s kingdom's cadent as a rhyme Move me as waves that rise and fall. They are the parts, that crash or climb, I only comprehend the All. I sit, as God must sit ; I reign. Redemption from the threads of pain I weave, until the veil be dr…

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1906 · PDF PAGE 110

Gargoyles

…d mutton, bread, and beans! They feed us well, like gentlemen, On chilis, seasoned with cayenne. Worse, one must finish every course. ’S truth, I had rather eat boiled horse! IV. My first friend was an agéd monk, He fed on rice and water. Sunk His cheeks and cold his blood. You see The fool was a damned soul like me; He had starved himself on earth in hope In heaven to banquet with the Pope, With God and Christ on either hand And all the angels’ choral band Playing sweet music. O the fool To treat earth as a baby’s school! 102

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1996 · PDF PAGE 120

The Law is for All

…de of measurement. It is the mark of a mind untrained to take its own processes as valid for all men, and its own judgments for absolute truth. Our two eyes see an object in two aspects, and present to our consciousness a third which agrees with neither, is indeed, strictly speaking, not sensible to sight, but to touch! Our senses declare some things at rest and others in motion; our rea­ son corrects the error, firstly by denying that anything can exist unless it is in motion, secondly by denying that absolute motion possesses any meaning at a…

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1930 · PDF PAGE 131

Magick in Theory and Practice (Section 4)

…abyss for ever; and thou shalt be the lonely one, the eater of dung, the afflicted in the Day of Be-With-Us. 13. Yea! verily this is the Truth, this is the Truth, this is the l'ruth. Unto thee shall be granted joy and health and wealth and wisdom when thou art no longer thou. 14. Then shall every gain be a new sacrament, and it shall not défile thee; thou shalt revel with the wantons in the market place, and the virgins shall fling roses upon thee, and the merchants bend their knees and bring thee gold and spiees. Also young boys shall pour won…

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1954 · PDF PAGE 470

Magick Without Tears

…he prompt reply . His illiteracy had disqualified him when he applied for the job after landing. The story is not only true, but "of all Truth"; see my previous letter on "Certainty ." Books are not the only medium even of learning; more, what they teach is partial, prejudiced, meagre, sterile, uncertain, and alien to reality. It follows that all the best books are those which make no pretence to accuracy: poetry, theatre, fiction. All others date . Another point is that Truth abides above and aloof from intellectual expression, and consequentl…

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1954 · PDF PAGE 186

Magick Without Tears

THE ACT OF TRUTH 153 yourself: I am here to do this Work in accordance with my true Will. The Gods have got to see to it that I'm not baulked by any blinking messenger. (But take care They don't overhear you ; They might mistake it for Hybris, or presumption . Do it all in the Sign of Silence, under the aegis of Harpocrates, the "Lord of Defence and Protection"; be careful to assume his God-form, as standing on two crocodiles.) Then you increase your consumption, and at the same time put in a whole lot of extra Work. If you perform this "Act of…

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1898 · PDF PAGE 117

Songs of the Spirit

…ed, New homes for the fair and the free, Bright breezes in forest-leaves nested, Sweet birds in the flowering tree ; So thoughts that by truth have been tested sing down to the sea. But weak as the flowers of summer Are the flowers that float on my stream ; My song-birds to others are dumber Than voices half heard in a dream ; My muse, louder gods overcome her, the eyes of them gleam. The sorrow that woke me to singing Is deeper than songs that I sing ; The birds that fresh music are bringing 107

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1910 · PDF PAGE 191

The World’s Tragedy

I38 THE WORLD’S TRAGEDY. Had never been. Yet to this keen Sight, to this sleuth-hound scent for subtle truth, The essential youth Of all things is corrupt. I will away Into the mystic palaces of Pan Hidden from day, Hidden from man, Awaiting there the coming of the Sphinx Whose genius drinks The poison of this pestilence, and saves The world from all its lords and slaves. Ho ! for his chariot-wheels that whirl afar ! His hawk’s eye flashing through the silver star ! Upon the heights his standard shall be plant Free, equal, passionate, pagan, do…

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1907 · PDF PAGE 16

Konx Om Pax

…the day! Seek not to imitate the language of the wise ,- ’tis easy. There is no royal road to illumination; that which I say in Light is truth to the children of the Light; to them of darkness is a confusion and a snare. Knew ye what agony the nimble acuteness of mine own dialectic was to me, ye would not envy me, O dullardsl For I fear ever, lest I be replacing truth of thought by mere expertness of mechanic skill. Then, seeing the thought as fear, I quench it masterly. Whence rise other evil things; the thought “ Is this too mere trickery of …

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1907 · PDF PAGE 54

Konx Om Pax

…n who animadvert scomfully upon the circumstance that a poet, a philosopher, an adept, an emancipated man of any sort, rarely speaks the truth in the sense that the witness in a divorce case is expected to, by indicating to them the true nature of those sparks of light shaken ofl" from the invisible Crown of Glory, sparks which they have mistaken for corpse-lights or marsh-vapours, surrounding—they think it an inexplicable paradox l—one who, in all other respects, is so high and pure a being. The first point is, it takes two to make a lie. A. say…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 11

Carmen Saeculare

…phesy, with feet upon a grave, Of death cast out, and life devouring death. * * * * * Of freedom, though all manhood were one slave ; Of truth, though all the world were liar ; of love That time nor hate can raze the witness of.” SWINBURNE, Tiresias. INE voices that raise high the eternal hymn ! Nine faces that ring round the rainbow sky ! Hear me ! The century’s lamp is growing dim ; Saturnian gloom descends and it must die. Fill, fill my spirit to the utter brim With fire and melody ! O nine sweet sisters ! I have heard your song In blue soft…

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1902 · PDF PAGE 125

Tannhäuser

…th ! Death ! Tannhauser. Leap out, Sword of my fathers ! you have heard my harp ! Its music stings your vile hypocrisy Into mere hatred. Truth is terrible ! You, cousin, taken in adultery ! You, Wolfram, lover of the kitchen maids ! You, Jerome —yes, I know your secret deeds ! You, ladies ! Are your faces painted thus Not to hide wrinkles of debauchery .-' To catch new lovers ? Landgrave. Stop the lying mouth ! Friends, your sword-service ! 123

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1905 · PDF PAGE 94

Orpheus

…the life Of the flowers renew, The victorious strife Of the spring run through, The child’s birth rife With loftier dew— I know the deep truth in myself ; see acacia in cypress and yew. Death is not at all! ’Tis a mask or a dream! The things that befall Only slumber or seem ! They fear; they appal— They are not as ye deem! Death died when I dipped my lyre in the sweet Heli- conian stream! Give praise to your lord, All souls that draw breath, All flowers of the sward! For the song of me saith: 95

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1907 · PDF PAGE 70

Konx Om Pax

…ones. Especially as interpreted by followers absolutely wallowing in Ruach. Bowley. Shall we leave it at that? That Bones finds objective truth a Way up the Tree, and a Fruit in the topmost bough? Bones. I am more positive than that. Bowley. Less Zoroaster and more Pyrrho, please Lord, for Brother Bones! else you will fall into the way of Paul, and perish in the gain saying of Mohammed. Bones. You are obstinate about the necessity of scorning the objective results of illumination. But let us consider the perfect man. Bowley. Ob, brother, this is…

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