THE WORKS OF
ALEISTER CROWLEY
VOLUME I
ESSAY COMPETITION COPY
THE WORKS
OF
ALEISTER CROWLEY
"{variation: WITH PORTRAITS}"
VOLUME I
FOYERS
SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF
RELIGIOUS TRUTH
1905
["All rights reserved"]
Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & Co.
At the Ballantyne Press
{ILLUSTRATION ON PAGE FACING AND JUST BEFORE TITLE in the delux edition:
This is a photo of Crowley in his 20s, frontal with tailed bow tie and signed
"Aleister Crowley" in block below.}
P R E F A C E
IT is not without some misgiving that I have undertaken to edit the collected writings of Aleister Crowley. The task has been no easy one. His numerous reference to the obscurer bypaths of classical mythology, and his not less frequent allusions to the works of Qabalistic writers, have demanded much elucidation. In making the explanatory notes, I have endeavoured to strike a golden mean between the attitude of Browning, when he published "Sordello," and that of Huxley, who took it for granted that his readers were entirely ignorant: and only such passages or phrases have been annotated as were thought likely to present any difficulty to the student of ordinary intelligence.
It is no part of the duty of an editor to assume the role of critic. But I must explain that I am conscious of Crowley's weaknesses. They are in the main the outcome of his astonishing perversity; nowhere more strikingly demonstrated than in "The Poem," throughout which there is a struggle for the supremacy between his sense of the ridiculous and his sense of the sublime.
I am also aware that his views on religious matters will be found unpalatable in some quarters. But it should be remembered that these writings represent the ideas of a man of an unconventional mind brought up in conventional surroundings. When he came to man's estate he not unnaturally revolted: and the result has been, as in many such cases, that his search for the truth has led him to investigate the religious beliefs of many nations; nor have those investigations tended to lessen the gulf which separates him from the orthodox point of view.
The edition is authorized, and, as such, complete: therein are contained all the important works of Aleister Crowley.<<WEH NOTE: To some years before date of publication, limited to poetry and only a part of the prose.>>
I.B.
LONDON, "March" 1905.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
ACELDAMA -
DEDICATION
ACELDAMA.......................................................................................................................2
THE AUTHOR'S BALLADE OF HIS TALE...........................................................................7
PART I................................................................................................................................7
" II......................................................................................................................................10
" III.....................................................................................................................................16
" IV......................................................................................................................................21
EPILOGUE...........................................................................................................................27
DEDICATION......................................................................................................................29
THE GOAD..........................................................................................................................30
IN MEMORIAM A. J. B........................................................................................................31
THE QUEST.........................................................................................................................31
THE ALCHEMIST................................................................................................................32
SONNETS TO NIGHT..........................................................................................................34
THE PHILOSOPHER'S PROGRESS......................................................................................34
SONNET.............................................................................................................................36
AN ILL DREAM...................................................................................................................36
THE PRIEST SPEAKS.........................................................................................................37
THE VIOLET'S LOVE-STORY..............................................................................................38
THE FAREWELL OF PARACELSUS TO APRILE...................................................................39
A SPRING SNOWSTORM IN WASTDALE............................................................................43
IN NEVILLE'S COURT, TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE..................................................44
SUCCUBUS.........................................................................................................................45
A RONDEL...........................................................................................................................45
NIGHTFALL.........................................................................................................................46
THE INITIATION.........................................................................................................46 {viiA}
ISAIAH..................................................................................................................................47
THE STORM..........................................................................................................................48
WHEAT AND WINE................................................................................................................49
A RONDEL.............................................................................................................................49
THE VISIONS OF THE ORDEAL............................................................................................50
POWER..................................................................................................................................51
VESPERS..............................................................................................................................52
BY THE CAM........................................................................................................................53
ASTROLOGY........................................................................................................................53
DAEDALUS..........................................................................................................................54
EPILOGUE...........................................................................................................................55
THE POEM -
SCENE I..............................................................................................................................57
" II.......................................................................................................................................58
" III......................................................................................................................................60
" IV......................................................................................................................................62
JEPHTHAH -
PRELIMINARY INVOCATION..............................................................................................64
JEPHTHAH..........................................................................................................................66
I. AFTER CONFESSION.......................................................................................................90
II. THE FLIGHT...................................................................................................................90
III. THE SPRING AFTER......................................................................................................93
IV. THE VOYAGE SOUTHWARD..........................................................................................95
V. THE ULTIMATE VOYAGE................................................................................................96
I...........................................................................................................................................98
II........................................................................................................................................100
THE LEGEND OF BEN LEDI...............................................................................................101
A DESCENT OF THE MOENCH..........................................................................................102
IN A CORNFIELD......................................................................................................103 {viiB}
DREAMS............................................................................................................................103
THE TRIUMPH OF MAN.....................................................................................................105
THE DREAMING OF DEATH..............................................................................................108
A SONNET IN SPRING......................................................................................................109
DE PROFUNDIS................................................................................................................109
I. "My soul is aching," &c..................................................................................................113
II. "The constant ripple," &c............................................................................................. 113
A VALENTINE.....................................................................................................................113
ODE TO POESY...................................................................................................................114
I. "Self-damned, the leprous moisture." &c.......................................................................115
II. "Lust, impotence," &c....................................................................................................116
BESIDE THE RIVER.............................................................................................................116
MAN'S HOPE.......................................................................................................................116
SONNET..............................................................................................................................117
A WOODLAND IDYLL..........................................................................................................117
PERDURABO.......................................................................................................................118
ON GARRET HOSTEL BRIDGE............................................................................................118
ASTRAY IN HER PATHS......................................................................................................119
SONNET TO CLYTIE...........................................................................................................120
A VALENTINE, '98...............................................................................................................120
PENELOPE...........................................................................................................................121
A SONNET OF BLASPHEMY................................................................................................122
THE RAPE OF DEATH..........................................................................................................122
IN THE WOODS WITH SHELLEY..........................................................................................124
A VISION UPON USHBA......................................................................................................125
ELEGY..................................................................................................................................127
EPILOGUE............................................................................................................................127
JEZEBEL, AND OTHER TRAGIC POEMS -
DEDICACE...........................................................................................................................129
PERDITA..............................................................................................................................129
JEZEBEL. PART I.................................................................................................................129
" " II......................................................................................................................................131
CONCERNING CERTAIN SINS.............................................................................................132
A SAINT'S DAMNATION.......................................................................................................132
LOT.......................................................................................................................................133
EPILOGUE.............................................................................................................................135
AN APPEAL TO THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC................................................................136 {viiiA}
THE FATAL FORCE................................................................................................................141
THE MOTHER'S TRAGEDY.....................................................................................................154
THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST -
PROLOGUE. - OBSESSION.....................................................................................................166
FAME......................................................................................................................................167
THE MOTHER AT THE SABBATH...........................................................................................167
THE BRIDEGROOM.................................................................................................................168
THE ALTAR OF ARTEMIS.......................................................................................................169
THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE.................................................................................................171
ASMODEL................................................................................................................................171
MADONNA OF THE GOLDEN EYES.........................................................................................173
LOVE AT PEACE......................................................................................................................174
MORS JANUA AMORIS...........................................................................................................175
THE MAY QUEEN.....................................................................................................................177
SIDONIA THE SORCERESS.....................................................................................................178
THE GROWTH OF GOD............................................................................................................178
TO RICHARD WAGNER............................................................................................................179
THE TWO EMOTIONS..............................................................................................................179
THE SONNET. I........................................................................................................................180
" II............................................................................................................................................180
WEDLOCK. A SONNET.............................................................................................................180
SONNET FOR GERALD KELLY'S DRAWING OF JEZEBEL.........................................................180
MANY WATERS CANNOT QUENCH LOVE................................................................................181
COENUM FATALE....................................................................................................................181
THE SUMMIT OF THE AMOROUS MOUNTAIN........................................................................181
CONVENTIONAL WICKEDNESS...............................................................................................181
LOVE'S WISDOM......................................................................................................................182
THE PESSIMIST'S PROGRESS.................................................................................................182
NEPHTHYS...............................................................................................................................182
AGAINST THE TIDE.................................................................................................................182
STYX.........................................................................................................................................183
LOVE, MELANCHOLY, DESPAIR...............................................................................................183
II. THE GATE OF THE SANCTUARY -
TO LAURA................................................................................................................................184
THE LESBIAN HELL.......................................................................................................185 {viiiB}
THE NAMELESS QUEST...........................................................................................................186
THE REAPER.............................................................................................................................193
THE TWO MINDS.....................................................................................................................193
THE TWO WISDOMS................................................................................................................194
THE TWO LOVES......................................................................................................................194
A RELIGIOUS BRINGING-UP....................................................................................................194
THE LAW OF CHANGE.............................................................................................................194
SYNTHESIS..............................................................................................................................195
III. THE HOLY PLACE -
THE NEOPHYTE........................................................................................................................196
SIN: AN ODE............................................................................................................................197
THE NAME................................................................................................................................199
THE EVOCATION.....................................................................................................................200
THE ROSE AND THE CROSS....................................................................................................202
HAPPINESS..............................................................................................................................202
THE LORD'S DAY.....................................................................................................................202
CERBERUS...............................................................................................................................202
IV. THE HOLY OF HOLIES -
THE PALACE OF THE WORLD..................................................................................................204
THE MOUNTAIN CHRIST.........................................................................................................205
TO ALLAN MACGREGOR.......................................................................................207 {end col. A}
THE ROSICRUCIAN.................................................................................................................207
THE ATHANOR................................................................................................................................208
THE CHANT TO BE SAID OR SUNG UNTO OUR LADY ISIS....................................................211
A LITANY..................................................................................................................................211
PROLOGUE - THE EXILE..........................................................................................................214
"CARMEN SAECULARE"...........................................................................................................215
IN THE HOUR BEFORE REVOLT...............................................................................................218
EPILOGUE.................................................................................................................................220
DEDICATION............................................................................................................................222
PREFACE..................................................................................................................................223
TANNHAUSER..........................................................................................................................226
ACT I........................................................................................................................................226
" II............................................................................................................................................230
" III...........................................................................................................................................239
" IV...........................................................................................................................................247
" V..........................................................................................................................259 {end col. B}
{full page below}
EPILOGUE.................................................................................................................................263
APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................265
TABLE OR CORRESPONDENCES . . . . "End of volume"<<WEH NOTE: This table is not included in the editions used to enter this text.>>
THE WORKS OF ALEISTER CROWLEY Vol. I, Original key entry (ASCII version) - February 18, 1993 e.v. key entry by Bill Heidrick, T.G. of O.T.O.December 11, 1993 e.v. proofed and conformed to the "Essay Competition Copy" edition of 1905 e.v. by Bill Heidrick T.G. of O.T.O. Descriptions of portraits retained, even though they are not in this edition.
(The winner of the competition was J.F.C.Fuller's "The Star in the West")
Copyright (c) O.T.O.
O.T.O.
International Headquarters
PO Box 684098
Austin, TX 78768 USA
This work was originally published in two parallel columns. Where such
columns are found in the original, they have been rendered as a single text
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page left column. B = end page right column. On many pages a prefatory
paragraph or a concluding group of sentences is full across the page. These
instances are noted in curly brackets.
Pages in the original are marked thus at the bottom: {page number} or {page
number A} and {page number B}.
Comments and descriptions are also set off by curly brackets {}
Comments and notes not in the original are identified with the initials of the
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illustrations are not so identified, but are simply in curly brackets.
Text Footnotes have been expanded at or near the point of citation within double angle brackets, e.g. <<footnote>>. For poems, most longer footnotes are cited in the text to expanded form below the stanzas.
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