Aleister Crowley is defined as many things by followers and critics -- prophet, hedonist, satanist, magician. In a characteristically egotistical fashion, he even labeled himself "The Beast 666." If a man's notoriety can be measured by the myths and anecdotes that surround him, Crowley may be among the most notorious people who ever lived. Naturally, much of what is alleged about him is the product of fantasy and rumor; and he certainly contributed to his own mythicization.
Crowley was born to a fundamentalist Christian family, but quickly rejected the faith of his parents. He attended Cambridge, and took an interest in mountaineering and poetry. Soon after, he joined an occult group known as the Golden Dawn, which taught Hermetic philosophy -- a system of western mysticism that promoted astrology, alchemy and theurgy.
His world travels exposed him to Hinduism and Buddhism, which strongly influenced his own formation of a new religion, which he called Thelema. Its primary tenet was "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." This is often misconstrued as "Do whatever you wish," but instead is an affirmation of the hermeticist's ideal of connecting with a "higher self," in hopes of discovering one's singular purpose. Crowley's semi-autobiographical novel Diary of a Drug Fiend allegorizes the journey to discover one's True Will; in the story, after carousing through Europe on a drug binge, the protagonist discovers Thelema, and sobers up after discovering his passion for aircraft engineering (his "Anti-Drug," as it were).
It is difficult to take an interest in a prolific historical figure while avoiding our natural tendency to define ourselves as "for" or "against" that person. We can study Hitler with fascination, yet remain repulsed by his actions. What do I think of Crowley? I can't say I'm a fan or a critic; he was what he was.
I believe Crowley to have been the product of a rare alignment of catalytic circumstances. He lived during an era of new Romanticism. Westerners had become fascinated with the occult; the spiritualist movement was peaking. Crowley himself possessed a massive ego, likely distorted by his copious use of mind-altering drugs. His socially deviant personality may have been partly borne out of a repressive upbringing, then bolstered by the pride of having seen many exotic parts of the world. He was surely intelligent enough to cast a critical eye on superstition and miracles; but he is living proof that intelligence is no guarantee against credulity. Marry credulity with ego, and don't be surprised if you get a self-proclaimed prophet.
Crowley spent years collaborating with artist Lady Frieda Harris on a revised Tarot deck. The resulting Thoth Deck is less centered on Judeo-Christian symbolism, and incorporates images drawn from Eastern and Egyptian myth. He also claimed to draw ideas from science and philosophy.
There are hundreds of Tarot Decks that have been published throughout the centuries. I personally chose the Thoth deck for this project mostly because I happened to have it handy, but I also like the more culturally inclusive symbolism. For the benefit of the reader, in my readings I will compare cards drawn from the Thoth Deck to the perhaps most commonly known Rider-Waite deck.
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