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Aleister Crowley

Alternative Religion/ Library /Book of Thoth

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

On 18th November, 1898 e.v., Aleister Crowley was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn; he took the motto "Perdurabo' '---"I shall endure to the end"1

In February of the year following, he attained the grade of Practicus, and was accordingly entrusted with the secret attributions of the Tarot, especially those of the Atu. (See pp.5-10).

He worked daily on these MSS., for the most part under the personal instruction of G.H. Frater 7º=4º, D.D.C.F. (S. Liddell Matters) and V.H. Fratres 5º=6º Iehi Aour (Allan Bennett, later Sayadaw Ananda Mettreya) and Volo Noscere (George Cecil Jones) as host or guest of one of these Adepts.

He continued these studies alone during his first Voyage around the earth in search Of the Hidden Wisdom.

On 8th, 9th and 10th April, 1904 e,v., he received the Book of the Law. Chosen by the Masters to carry out Their sublime plan, he began to prepare the way for the establishment of the New Aeon, as They instructed him. (See The Equinox of the Gods for a very full and detailed account of this, the most important event in his career). He accordingly published the previously secret attributions of the Tarot in the Book 777

vel Prolegomena symbolica ad systemam Sceptico-mysticae viae explicandae, fundamentum hieroglyphicum sanctissimorum scientiae summae.

Following the tradition of Eliphaz Levi, much of his magical writing is modeled on, or adorned by references to, the Tarot. Notable in this connection are:

Ambrosii Magi Hortus Rosarum (The Sword of Song, 1904 e.v.).
The Wake-World (Konx Om Pax, 1907 e.v.).
Liber XXX Aerum vel Saeculi sub figura CCCCXVIII:being of the Angels of the 30 Aethyrs the Vision and the Voice (1911 e.v.).
The Book of Lies (1913 e.v.).
Magick in Theory and Practice (Book 4, Part III) 1929 e.v.

He published a full account of the Tarot, according to the MSS. of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in The Equinox, Vol.1, Nos. 7 and 8 (1912 e.v.).

During all this time the Tarot was his daily companion, guide, and object of research. He succeeded in uniting under the Schema of the Holy Qabalah, of which the Tarot is the greatest single element, all philosophical and magical systems soever, including that of the Chinese. This, and his "Naples Arrangement" are with little doubt his greatest achievements in scholarship.

1To trace his progress in the Order will assist the reader to follow his work. He attained the grade of Adeptus Minor 5º=6º (Era: R.R. et A.C.) in January, 1900 e.v. That of Adeptus Major 6º=5º, taking the motto "OL SONUF VAORESAJI", in April, 1904 e.v. That of Adeptus Exemptus 7º=4º, taking the motto OY MH, in 1909 e.v. (Fra: A.: A. That of Magister Templi 8º=3ºon 3rd December, 1910 e.v. accepting the motto previously (Oct., 1906 e.v.) bestowed upon him, Vi Veri Voiversum Vivus Vici. See Liber 418pp. 73-76 et al. That of Magus 9º=2º taking the motto on October 12, 1915 e.v.

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