People

Aleister Crowley

English occultist and leader of the Ordo Templi Orientis who claimed his Book of the Law was dictated to him by an entity called Aiwass, and whose Los Angeles circle later drew in rocket engineer Jack Parsons and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO); Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite · Occultist; leader of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO)

Aleister Crowley was an English occultist who proclaimed himself the wickedest man in the world¹ and led the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO). He was a member of numerous secret societies, including a 33rd-degree Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemason.² He expressed his principal magical invocations in the Enochian language, which he held had to be pronounced in a specific way to be effective, and which are still used today by his many disciples.³ According to Dark Mission, Crowley claimed that his Book of the Law (Crowley) had been dictated to him by an entity named Aiwass.⁴

Jacques Vallée noted that occultists from John Dee and Giacomo Casanova to Crowley have often doubled as spies.⁵ Vallée said Crowley was himself a minor espionage figure, and that his file at the Intelligence Service is said to have read “Use only with the most extreme caution”.⁶ According to Dark Mission, Crowley was considered a possible Nazi spy.⁷ Vallée said Crowley’s influence on Adolf Hitler was more imaginary than real.⁸

Jack Parsons, a rocket engineer at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), fell in with Crowley’s OTO at their temple in Los Angeles in December 1938.⁹ He was initiated into the OTO in 1939 and made a strong impression on fellow members, including Jane Wolfe, an actress who had spent time with Crowley.¹⁰ After several years as a member of Crowley’s Pasadena lodge, Crowley appointed Parsons to head Crowley’s Southern California centre while Parsons was simultaneously employed by Caltech to develop rockets for the US Army.¹¹ By the early 1940s Parsons was a rising figure in the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) and exchanged frequent correspondence with Crowley,¹² and the two worked together to expand the membership of the Los Angeles lodge.¹³

According to Dark Mission, Crowley and Parsons believed mankind was living in the Aeon of Osiris, a dark time when men were ruled by arbitrary laws that denied them their proper birthright.¹⁴ The same source states that in a letter dated 1946-02-23, Parsons wrote to Crowley that he had obtained his “elemental”, referring to Marjorie Cameron.¹⁵ It further states that Crowley became alarmed when he learned that L. Ron Hubbard and Parsons were attempting to produce a “Moonchild”,¹⁶ and that he considered neither man experienced enough in the methods and consequences of his Thelemic sex magick to safely raise one.¹⁷ Paul Rydeen wrote that Parsons claimed the mantle of Antichrist for himself as the magickal heir prophesied by Crowley in the Book of the Law.¹⁸

Crowley wanted to remove Parsons as head of the OTO in America after the Babalon Working episode, but Parsons continued to lead the OTO for a few more years because of his strong support among the Pasadena members, before eventually quitting.¹⁹ Karl Germer reported directly to Crowley.²⁰ Right after World War II, a branch of Crowley’s OTO flourished in Los Angeles.²¹ Parsons collaborated with Crowley and Hubbard while both launching rockets and engaging in provocative rituals in the Los Angeles desert.²² Mike Bara said the Church of Scientology was most concerned with conveying that none of its teachings are based on Crowley’s Thelemic beliefs,²³ and that it deserved the benefit of the doubt on that claim.²⁴

References (24)

Crowley proclaimed himself the wickedest man in the world.
“Parsons took many of his most bizarre occult ideas from the equally controversial Aleister Crowley [Fig. 5-20], the self-proclaimed "wickedest man in the world."”
Dark Mission ch12:74475-74629
Crowley was a 33rd-degree Scottish Rite Freemason among other secret societies.
“a member of a multitude of secret societies (he was a 33º Scottish Rite Freemason, for one)”
Dark Mission ch12:80877-80964
Crowley's Enochian-language invocations are still used by his disciples.
“Aleister Crowley, for instance, expressed his greatest magical invocations in the Enochian language, which has to be pronounced in a certain way in order to be effective, and these are still used today by his many disciples.”
THE INVISIBLE COLLEGE: What a Group of Scientists Has Discovered About UFO Influences on the Human Race ch11:32015-32229
Crowley claimed the Book of the Law was dictated to him by an entity named Aiwass.
“such as the Book of the Law (which he claimed was dictated to him by an extraterrestrial named "Aiwass")”
Dark Mission ch12:81120-81218
Vallée: occultists from Dee and Casanova to Crowley have often doubled as spies.
“From John Dee and Casanova to Aleister Crowley, occultists have often doubled as spies.”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch11:64739-64820
Vallée: Crowley was a minor espionage figure whose intelligence file carried a warning.
“Aleister Crowley, by the way, was himself a minor espionage figure (his file at the Intelligence Service is said to have read, "Use only with the most extreme caution"), whose influence on Hitler was more imaginary than real.”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch13:9681-9901
Crowley was considered a possible Nazi spy.
“Crowley was also considered a possible Nazi spy”
Dark Mission ch5:20789-20833
Vallée: Crowley's influence on Hitler was more imaginary than real.
“whose influence on Hitler was more imaginary than real.”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch13:9851-9901
Parsons fell in with Crowley's OTO at its Los Angeles temple in December 1938.
“It was around December 1938, that Parsons fell in with Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) at their temple in Los Angeles.”
Dark Mission ch12:79342-79466
Parsons was initiated into the OTO in 1939 and impressed Jane Wolfe.
“Initiated into the Order in 1939, Parsons made a major impression on his fellow members, including Jane Wolfe, an actress who had spent some time with Crowley.”
Dark Mission ch12:79475-79626
Crowley appointed Parsons head of his Southern California centre while Parsons worked at Caltech.
“After Parsons spent several years as a member of Crowley's Pasadena lodge, Crowley ultimately appointed Parsons to head this Southern California center of Crowley's world-wide organization—while, simultaneously, Parsons was still employed by Cal Tech to develop rockets for the U.S. Army.”
Dark Mission ch12:74637-74924
By the early 1940s Parsons was a rising OTO figure corresponding frequently with Crowley.
“By the early 1940s, Parsons was a rising star in the OTO, and he and Crowley were exchanging letters with great frequency.”
Dark Mission ch12:80655-80767
Parsons and Crowley worked to expand the Los Angeles lodge's membership.
“He and Parsons set about expanding the membership of the OTO lodge in Los Angeles”
Dark Mission ch12:81547-81621
Parsons and Crowley believed mankind was living in the Aeon of Osiris.
“Parsons and Crowley believed that mankind was muddled in the so-called "Aeon of Osiris"—in their view, a dark time when men were ruled by arbitrary laws that denied them their proper birthright.”
Dark Mission ch12:86792-86975
Parsons wrote to Crowley on 1946-02-23 that he had obtained his elemental, Marjorie Cameron.
“in a letter dated February 23, 1946, wrote to Crowley "I have my elemental! She turned up one night after the conclusion of the Operation, and has been with me since."”
Dark Mission ch12:84260-84420
Crowley became alarmed on learning Hubbard and Parsons were attempting a Moonchild.
“when Crowley caught wind of what Hubbard and Parsons were attempting, he became alarmed. "Apparently Parsons and Hubbard or somebody is producing a Moonchild. I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these louts."”
Dark Mission ch12:87184-87403
Crowley considered neither Hubbard nor Parsons experienced enough to safely raise a Moonchild.
“Crowley evidently considered the actual raising of a "Moonchild" to be an incredibly risky endeavor. In his view, neither man was experienced enough in the methods (and consequences) of using Crowley's "Thelemic sex magick" in this way.”
Dark Mission ch12:87411-87643
Rydeen: Parsons claimed the mantle of Antichrist as Crowley's prophesied heir.
“In effect, Parsons also claimed the mantle of Antichrist for himself, as the magickal heir of Crowley prophesied in Liber AL”
Dark Mission ch12:85992-86114
Crowley wanted Parsons removed as US OTO head after the Babalon Working, but he stayed on for years.
“The whole episode soured Crowley on Parsons, to the point that he wanted to remove him as the head of the OTO in America. Because he had strong support among the Pasadena members, Parsons continued to lead the OTO for a few more years, but eventually quit.”
Dark Mission ch12:89362-89613
Karl Germer reported directly to Crowley.
“It was also known that Germer reported to Crowley directly”
Dark Mission ch5:20725-20775
A branch of Crowley's OTO flourished in Los Angeles right after World War II.
“Right after World War II, when a branch of Aleister Crowley’s O.T.O. [Ordo Templi Orientis...] flourished in Los Angeles”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch13:9589-9671
Parsons collaborated with Crowley and Hubbard on rocketry and rituals in the Los Angeles desert.
“Jack Parsons was uniquely American in that he collaborated with Aleister Crowley and L. Ron Hubbard and spent time both launching rockets and engaging in provocative rituals in the Los Angeles desert.”
American Cosmic ch1:35097-35290
Bara: Scientology was concerned to convey its teachings are not based on Crowley's Thelemic beliefs.
“They were most concerned with conveying the message that none of their teachings are based in any way on the Thelemic beliefs of Aleister Crowley.”
Dark Mission ch5:18074-18212
Bara: Scientology deserves the benefit of the doubt on that claim.
“From my limited knowledge of the practices of the Church of Scientology, it is my opinion is that the Church deserves the benefit of the doubt on this point.”
Dark Mission ch5:18221-18372

Aleister Crowley

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