As someone who's largely unfamiliar with Crowley

[decode reality]

(Aleister, not Gary...)....I have to ask, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS QUOTE?

"Question your beliefs, your reason for existence. Question your will. What will become of you in the end? This is necessary for all of humanity, but most of us do not seek out an answer. We merely continue on, conforming to a society that creates a perpetual state of depression and increases the tendency towards suicide....".

Crowley-ites will know it in full. Well as I see it, the man is 100% on the money....so why is he demonised?

Answers on a postcard please to 'Confused' of West Yorkshire.:)

[jojo]

i wonder how long this thread will last before its filed in the rant room!

I agree though, the quote above seems bang on the money.

[decode reality]

That may well be so but I also look forward to learning a thing or two.:D

[decode reality]

Bump

(I'll try again)

[lady_oblivion]

Crowley in my opinion anyway was a great man. I've read his work and a adhear to most of it LOL. The reason why he was demonised was because he challanged people so stuck in there own pardigms they couldnt even see the end of there nose. He was a great occultist and an inspriration.

[mauviene]

There was nothing wrong with Crowley. Though I must say a lot of his philosophy comes from other sources. I think his major front is that he was an entertaining writer.

If people say Crowley was "Illuminati" or whatever the hell they get you to believe think twice..because he was actually just a drug induced nutcase with intellectual talents.

[supertzar]

I think most people have an aversion to things like attempting to sacrifice a goat as it shot its' load inside his woman.

[merlincove]

Crowley was an ingenious individual and a complete stone bonker both at the same time. i think he was a bogey man when a bogey man was needed, though much of his work makes a great deal of sense, intelectually and spiritually, though i am not widely read of his writtings.

i have yet to read his book of law, it is on my list of books to read, funilly enough along with the bible and the koran :eek:

[curtaincat]

i think he was a member of the "new dawn", or the movement, that went on around the turn of the century, madame blavaski, etc. dont know much about him, he said 'do what thou will" or something about doing your own thing and not getting sucked in to society lies.

not sure.

[kasalt]

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?p=499724&highlight=crowley#post499724

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?p=513037&highlight=crowley#post513037

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1080342&highlight=crowley#post1080342

[eternal_spirit]

Could take years for someone new to him, there's so much and so many topics, connections with groups and people.
Read some of his writings.
Read what others say about him.

[kasalt]

"There is an incident that occurred young Crowley’s life that changed him which is usually overlooked by all but a few people doing research on Crowley. I feel it was this incident that started poor Crowley on his path to ruin. When he was 14 years old, he was knocked unconscious after a mishap with a homemade firework on Guy Fawkes night, 1891. The homemade "roman candle" consisted of a large glass jar with almost two pounds of gun powder. The explosion shattered nearby windows, left Crowley with pieces of gravel embedded in his face, and knocked Crowley unconscious. He remained in a coma for four days, and had to wear a blindfold for two weeks for fear he would go blind from the flash. After he came out of the coma, or so it is said, Crowley had a marked change in his personality and behavior. Some of his followers believe that this accident opened up what Colin Wilson might call "faculty X", giving Crowley "mystical powers". In reality, what it probably did was give him minor brain damage. People who suffer head injuries involving brain damage often exhibit a change in personality and psychotic behavior, and any trained psychologist or psychiatrist will tell you this is so. Psychotic behavior can include extreme impulsiveness, aggressiveness and a disregard for the law and the rights of others. There is no one more important in the world of the psychotic than himself. Crowley exhibited these behaviors after his mishap. It was on that Guy Fawkes Night that Edward Alexander Crowley ended and Aleister Crowley began."
Source: http://usminc.org/crowley
"Crowley divorced Rose in 1909. She succumbed to alcoholic dementia and was placed in an asylum. Crowley's second wife also went insane, and five of his numerous mistresses committed suicide."
Source: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biblianazar/antichrist02.htm

[eternal_spirit]

Interesting.

[nectars]

It was mainly the later part of his life which becomes problematic morally.

[decode reality]

Informed and amused in a good way by the responses, thanks.

Cheers especially for sharing that, Kasalt.

I had thought of reading his work a long time ago to see what he's all about. I may at some point.