Download or read book Aleister Crowley s Influence on Pop Occulture written by Ken Ammi and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-08-20 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magickian Aleister Crowley referred to himself as Baphomet, The Beast 666, To Mega Therion, Frater Perdurabo and even Little Sunshine. He, in turn, was referred to as "the wickedest man in the world." Find out how he has been influencing music, books, comics, cartoons, TV shows, and movies for decades-even from beyond the grave. "I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs whereof I will tell my prophet, & be drunk thereof!"-Aleister Crowley supposedly channeling Aiwass

Download or read book High Culture written by Christopher Partridge and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History is littered with evidence of humanity's fascination with drugs and the pursuit of altered states. From early Romanticism to late-nineteenth-century occultism and from fin de siècle Paris to contemporary psychedelic shamanism, psychoactive substances have playedcatalyzing people. Yet serious analysis of the religious dimensions of modern drug use is still lacking. the use of drugs and the pursuit of transcendence from the nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with the Romantic fascination with opium, it chronicles the discovery of anesthetics, the psychiatric and religious interest in hashish, the bewitching power of mescaline and hallucinogenic fungi, the more recent uses of LSD, as well as the debates surrounding drugs and religious experience. This fascinating and wide-ranging sociological and cultural history fills a major gap in the study of religion in the modern world and our understanding of the importance of countercultural thought, offering new and timely insights into the controversial relationship between drugs and mystical experience.

Download or read book Exploring the Spiritual in Popular Music written by Georgina Gregory and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-01-28 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights how the diverse nature of spiritual practices are experienced and manifest through the medium of popular music. At first glance, chapters on Krishnacore, the Rave Church phenomenon and post-punk repertoire of Psychic TV may appear to have little in common; however, this book draws attention to some of the similarities of the nuances of spiritual expression that underpin the lived experience of popular music. As an interdisciplinary volume, the extensive introduction unpacks and clarifies terminology relating to the study of religion and popular music. The cross-disciplinary approach of the book makes it accessible and appealing to scholars of religious studies, cultural studies, popular music studies and theology. Unlike existing collections dealing with popular music and religion that focus on a specific genre, this innovative book offers a range of music and case studies, with chapters written by international contributors.

Download or read book Aleister Crowley written by Gary Lachman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-05-15 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This definitive work on the occult’s “great beast” traces the arc of his controversial life and influence on rock-and-roll giants, from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath. When Aleister Crowley died in 1947, he was not an obvious contender for the most enduring pop-culture figure of the next century. But twenty years later, Crowley’s name and image were everywhere. The Beatles put him on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Rolling Stones were briefly serious devotees. Today, his visage hangs in goth clubs, occult temples, and college dorm rooms, and his methods of ceremonial magick animate the passions of myriad occultists and spiritual seekers. Aleister Crowley is more than just a biography of this compelling, controversial, and divisive figure—it’s also a portrait of his unparalleled influence on modern pop culture.

Download or read book The Re Enchantment of the West Vol 2 written by Christopher Partridge and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2006-06-20 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Challenging some assessments of religion in the West, this study argues that, although much organized religion, particularly Christianity, is in numerical decline, in actual fact we are witnessing an alternative spiritual re-enchantment of society and culture.

Download or read book The Fatal Force written by Aleister Crowley and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2015-10-21 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This early work by Aleister Crowley was originally published in 1899. Born in Royal Leamington Spa, England in 1875, Crowley was raised by Christian fundamentalist parents. He attended Trinity College at Cambridge University, but left before graduating. After leaving the college, he devoted his time to studying the occult, and travelled extensively throughout the world in persuit of its secret knowledge. He went on to become a prolific writer, producing essays, prose and poetry on a wide range of subjects. To this day he remains a highly influential figure, both in occult circles and popular culture. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

Download or read book Moonchild written by Aleister Crowley and published by . This book was released on 2020-12-11 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aleister Crowley (pronounced /ˈkroʊli/; 12 October 1875 - 1 December 1947), born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. Through this belief he came to see himself as the prophet who was entrusted with informing humanity that it was entering the new Aeon of Horus in 1904, a time when old ethical and religious systems would be replaced. Widely seen as one of the most influential occultists of all time, he was a member of the esoteric Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, as well as a co-founder of the A∴A∴ and eventually a leader of Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.). He is known today for his magical writings, especially The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema, although he also wrote widely on other subjects, including a large amount of fiction and poetry. Crowley was also a bisexual, recreational drug experimenter and social critic. In many of these roles he 'was in revolt against the moral and religious values of his time', espousing a form of libertinism based upon the rule of 'Do What Thou Wilt'. Because of this, he gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, and was denounced in the popular press of the day as 'the wickedest man in the world.' Alongside his esoteric activities, he was an avid chess player, mountaineer, poet and playwright, and it has also been alleged that he was a spy for the British government. Crowley has remained an influential figure right up till this day, and in 2002, a BBC poll described him as being the seventy-third greatest Briton of all time. References to him can be found in the works of numerous writers, musicians and filmmakers, and he has also been cited as a key influence on many later esoteric groups and individuals, including Kenneth Grant, Gerald Gardner and, to some degree, Austin Osman Spare.

Download or read book The Court of the Profane written by Aleister Crowley and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2015-10-20 with total page 53 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This early work of poetry, by Aleister Crowley, was originally published in 1898. Born in Royal Leamington Spa, England in 1875, Crowley was raised by Christian fundamentalist parents. He attended Trinity College at Cambridge University, but left before graduating. After leaving the college, he devoted his time to studying the occult, and travelled extensively throughout the world in persuit of its secret knowledge. He went on to become a prolific writer, producing essays, prose and poetry on a wide range of subjects. To this day he remains a highly influential figure, both in occult circles and popular culture. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

Download or read book The Occult Imagination in Britain 1875 1947 written by Christine Ferguson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-12-15 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1875 and 1947, a period bookended, respectively, by the founding of the Theosophical Society and the death of notorious occultist celebrity Aleister Crowley, Britain experienced an unparalleled efflorescence of engagement with unusual occult schema and supernatural phenomena such as astral travel, ritual magic, and reincarnationism. Reflecting the signal array of responses by authors, artists, actors, impresarios and popular entertainers to questions of esoteric spirituality and belief, this interdisciplinary collection demonstrates the enormous interest in the occult during a time typically associated with the rise of secularization and scientific innovation. The contributors describe how the occult realm functions as a turbulent conceptual and affective space, shifting between poles of faith and doubt, the sacrosanct and the profane, the endemic and the exotic, the forensic and the fetishistic. Here, occultism emerges as a practice and epistemology that decisively shapes the literary enterprises of writers such as Dion Fortune and Arthur Machen, artists such as Pamela Colman Smith, and revivalists such as Rolf Gardiner

Download or read book Transhumanism written by David Livingstone and published by David Livingstone. This book was released on 2015-09-02 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transhumanism is a recent movement that extols man’s right to shape his own evolution, by maximizing the use of scientific technologies, to enhance human physical and intellectual potential. While the name is new, the idea has long been a popular theme of science fiction, featured in such films as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, the Terminator series, and more recently, The Matrix, Limitless, Her and Transcendence. However, as its adherents hint at in their own publications, transhumanism is an occult project, rooted in Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry, and derived from the Kabbalah, which asserts that humanity is evolving intellectually, towards a point in time when man will become God. Modeled on the medieval legend of the Golem and Frankenstein, they believe man will be able to create life itself, in the form of living machines, or artificial intelligence. Spearheaded by the Cybernetics Group, the project resulted in both the development of the modern computer and MK-Ultra, the CIA’s “mind-control” program. MK-Ultra promoted the “mind-expanding” potential of psychedelic drugs, to shape the counterculture of the 1960s, based on the notion that the shamans of ancient times used psychoactive substances, equated with the “apple” of the Tree of Knowledge. And, as revealed in the movie Lucy, through the use of “smart drugs,” and what transhumanists call “mind uploading,” man will be able to merge with the Internet, which is envisioned as the end-point of Kabbalistic evolution, the formation of a collective consciousness, or Global Brain. That awaited moment is what Ray Kurzweil, a director of engineering at Google, refers to as The Singularly. By accumulating the total of human knowledge, and providing access to every aspect of human activity, the Internet will supposedly achieve omniscience, becoming the “God” of occultism, or the Masonic All-Seeing Eye of the reverse side of the American dollar bill.

Download or read book Prem Rawat and Counterculture written by Ron Geaves and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-12-12 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ron Geaves demonstrates how the convergence of Prem Rawat, formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji, and Glastonbury Fayre in 1971 was a key event in understanding the jigsaw that came to be known as 'New Age' spirituality. The book charts the discovery of Prem Rawat in India in 1969 by a small number of British and North American 'hippies', and explores how his arrival in Britain in June 1971, as well as his speech from the pyramid stage at the Fayre at just 13 years old, escalated his activities to make him one of the key influencers of 1970s counterculture spirituality. Both Glastonbury and Prem Rawat have gone on to re-emerge in significantly different identities to the ones presented in 1971. The meeting between the two demonstrates how alternative spiritualities were being formed in the 1960s and how some strands went on to develop into the 'New Age' counterculture that eventually permeated mainstream cultures in Britain and the USA.

Download or read book The Sacred in Fantastic Fandom written by Carole M. Cusack and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To the casual observer, similarities between fan communities and religious believers are difficult to find. Religion is traditional, institutional, and serious; whereas fandom is contemporary, individualistic, and fun. Can the robes of nuns and priests be compared to cosplay outfits of Jedi Knights and anime characters? Can travelling to fan conventions be understood as pilgrimages to the shrines of saints? These new essays investigate fan activities connected to books, film, and online games, such as Harry Potter-themed weddings, using The Hobbit as a sacred text, and taking on heroic roles in World of Warcraft. Young Muslim women cosplayers are brought into conversation with Chaos magicians who use pop culture tropes and characters. A range of canonical texts, such as Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Sherlock--are examined in terms of the pleasure and enchantment of repeated viewing. Popular culture is revealed to be a fertile source of religious and spiritual creativity in the contemporary world.

Download or read book The Garden of Janus written by Aleister Crowley and published by Obscure Press. This book was released on 2012-11-01 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This early work of poetry, by Aleister Crowley, was originally published in 1909. Born in Royal Leamington Spa, England in 1875, Crowley was raised by Christian fundamentalist parents. He attended Trinity College at Cambridge University, but left before graduating. After leaving the college, he devoted his time to studying the occult, and travelled extensively throughout the world in persuit of its secret knowledge. He went on to become a prolific writer, producing essays, prose and poetry on a wide range of subjects. To this day he remains a highly influential figure, both in occult circles and popular culture. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.

Download or read book One Truth and One Spirit written by Keith Readdy and published by Ibis Press. This book was released on 2018-12 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based upon academic research at the University of Amsterdam's Center for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, One Truth and One Spirit is a much-needed work that covers a previously unexplored history of the modern religious movement known as Thelema. This work details the theoretical framework of Aleister Crowley's spiritual legacy in the O.T.O. and the A.A. and covers the years of Thelema since Crowley's death in 1947. One Truth and One Spirit approaches a complex topic with a complex history, with exhaustive citations and sources, but it is written for anyone interested in the subject of Thelema. The author utilizes published source material as well as previously unavailable information, which makes this a unique contribution to the available literature. One Truth and One Spirit is expected to be of interest to the novice, the scholar, and the seasoned practitioner of Thelema. The work provides a general historical overview of Thelema from a theoretical vantage point, explores the historical development of the movement from the 1960s to the 1990s, and applies the author's own critical discussions on the topic itself.

Download or read book The Two Novels of Aleister Crowley written by Aleister Crowley and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aleister Crowley is best known for his work in the occult, his writings on Magick, and creating the religion of Thelema. He was a giant of his time with many talents and, some argue, many flaws as well. Of all his gifts, his writing was the vehicle that drove his genius. His Book of the Law and other mystical works are widely read by students of occult philosophy. Few, however, are familiar with his more artistic endeavors, including his two literary novels: Diary of a Drug Fiend & Moonchild.For whatever reason, stories help readers integrate and understand larger themes and ideas present in the narrative. Perhaps that is why people look to allegories like Cain and Abel when trying to understand the nature of murder, or recite The Boy Who Cried Wolf when teaching their children not to lie. The truths appearing in fiction take no intellectual effort to grasp; they work subtly on the reader's mind in a way that is easier to digest than the cold, hard philosopher's stone. The great religions of the world understand this. Crowley took note as well. His two novels carry the message of Thelema. The characters and themes in the books were imagined and created to dramatize and illustrate its practice. The reader sees Thelema in action and learns of Crowley's broader beliefs and philosophy as the drama unfolds. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law; Love is the law, love under will." A short phrase with monumental import. In Diary of a Drug Fiend, Crowley shows its power to bring two hopeless addicts out of a pit of hell. In Moonchild, he demonstrates the fate of those who would misinterpret its meaning and be seduced by the temptations of Black Magick. Whether intended or not, The Two Novels of Aleister Crowley provide a more compelling case for his beliefs than his other works ever could.

Download or read book Aleister Crowley in America written by Tobias Churton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-12-05 with total page 768 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of Crowley’s relationship with the United States • Details Crowley’s travels, passions, literary and artistic endeavors, sex magick, and psychedelic experimentation • Investigates Crowley’s undercover intelligence adventures that actively promoted U.S. involvement in WWI • Includes an abundance of previously unpublished letters and diaries Occultist, magician, poet, painter, and writer Aleister Crowley’s three sojourns in America sealed both his notoriety and his lasting influence. Using previously unpublished diaries and letters, Tobias Churton traces Crowley’s extensive travels through America and his quest to implant a new magical and spiritual consciousness in the United States, while working to undermine Germany’s propaganda campaign to keep the United States out of World War I. Masterfully recreating turn-of-the-century America in all its startling strangeness, Churton explains how Crowley arrived in New York amid dramatic circumstances in 1900. After other travels, in 1914 Crowley returned to the U.S. and stayed for five years: turbulent years that changed him, the world, and the face of occultism forever. Diving deeply into Crowley’s 5-year stay, we meet artists, writers, spies, and government agents as we uncover Crowley’s complex work for British and U.S. intelligence agencies. Exploring Crowley’s involvement with the birth of the Greenwich Village radical art scene, we discover his relations with writers Sinclair Lewis and Theodore Dreiser and artists John Butler Yeats, Leon Engers Kennedy, and Robert Winthrop Chanler while living and lecturing on now-vanished “Genius Row.” We experience his love affairs and share Crowley’s hard times in New Orleans and his return to health, magical dynamism, and the most colorful sex life in America. We examine his controversial political stunts, his role in the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania, his making of the “Elixir of Life” in 1915, his psychedelic experimentation, his prolific literary achievements, and his run-in with Detroit Freemasonry. We also witness Crowley’s influence on Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and rocket fuel genius Jack Parsons. We learn why J. Edgar Hoover wouldn’t let Crowley back in the country and why the FBI raided Crowley’s organization in LA. Offering a 20th-century history of the occult movement in the United States, Churton shows how Crowley’s U.S. visits laid the groundwork for the establishment of his syncretic “religion” of Thelema and the now flourishing OTO, as well as how Crowley’s final wish was to have his ashes scattered in the Hamptons.

Download or read book Contemporary Esotericism written by Egil Asprem and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-09-11 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of contemporary esoteric discourse has hitherto been a largely neglected part of the new academic field of Western esotericism. Contemporary Esotericism provides a broad overview and assessment of the complex world of Western esoteric thought today. Combining historiographical analysis with theories and methodologies from the social sciences, the volume explores new problems and offers new possibilities for the study of esoterica. Contemporary Esotericism studies the period since the 1950s but focuses on the last two decades. The wide range of essays are divided into four thematic sections: the intricacies of esoteric appeals to tradition; the role of popular culture, modern communication technologies, and new media in contemporary esotericism; the impact and influence of esotericism on both religious and secular arenas; and the recent 'de-marginalization' of the esoteric in both scholarship and society.