Awful Aleister

People say Aleister Crowley was evil.

Certain newspapers said it and now people assume it was true. Editors know that shock and scandal boost sales. My father was no bootlicker and he made many enemies, particularly among the Freemasons. Even so, he operated as a British Secret Agent in both World Wars, and became privy to information that could affect the Royal Family. Lest the truth should ever come out, advanced patriots chose to assassinate his character beforehand. Aleister Crowley is now recognised as the greatest Magus of his time, but he was also an inveterate practical joker and a dreadful self-publicist.

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Are Aleister Crowley's views still respected?

Yes, but not always followed. We have to distinguish between the nub of his teaching, and his way of putting it across. My methods are different. I have stripped away the ornament, and I avoid unnecessary mystification. He liked that kind of thing, as is clear in his fondness for Egyptian flavours. Back then, of course, Egypt was all the rage and the world was agog, but none of it meant that Egyptian religion concealed anything of spiritual value. Aleister's followers read too much into it. They produce films, music, and books that say nothing new, but do it in a grand impressive style. Some folk seek truth, others want profit, prestige, and revenge.

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Are you faithful to Aleister Crowley?

Yes. My method and my emphases differ, but the goals are the same. I am his son and he taught me. This puts me in a good position to say what he would have approved of. We should always bear in mind though that Aleister Crowley was not the founder of Occultism; he was just one of its servants. His authority lasted only as long as he lived. Because he has been a long time dead, his views are out-of-date. If he were alive today, he would be expressing new ideas, but he has quit the scene. His curtain fell. His name is inscribed in the great mausoleum of magic, but I am alive. I teach, and so the work goes on.

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Are you proud to be Aleister Crowley's son?

I am neither proud nor ashamed. I feel, like the Prince of Wales, that I did not choose my parents, yet because of them, I was lined up for a particular job. When I first met my father, I knew absolutely nothing about him and, his size apart, I was quite unimpressed. Even today, other people's reaction to his name-it is either one of reverence or revulsion-always takes me aback. It is difficult to judge how Prince Charles feels about his mother, but I do not suppose he sees her as other people do.

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The story sounds far-fetched.

Truth is stranger than fiction, but you cannot test it by asking how probable it sounds. Leave that sort of thing to statisticians. The important point about my story is that I have told it consistently since I was seven years old. Either it is true or I was a blooming infant phenomenon.

I did once fall down a tree while visiting my father, so I might still be suffering from what Aleister called 'delayed percussion', but not even Tibetan gongs reverberate for seventy years. I once let doctors question me under the truth drug, sodium pentothal, and guess what: I am the man I say I am.

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Is there an advantage in being Crowley's son?

Not as far as I can see. I cannot help feeling that life would have been easier if I had been born someone else. I resemble my father physically, but I am more like my mother in character. Well, I was raised by her and not by him. I will let you into a secret though: all my life, I have avoided getting drunk in case I lost self-control and 'spilled the beans'. Since becoming a Master, I am even more nervous of letting the astral Rottweilers loose. Instead of wondering about this, you should ask why I stayed hidden for so long, and only came out of the closet when I was sixty.

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Why did you come out of the closet at sixty?

Having retired from my professional career, there was no longer any call to be discreet. However, I did not unveil myself in Trafalgar Square or perform a ceremony at the London Palladium. I just poked my head above the battlements and invited the nutters to start attacking me, which they did. I simply announced that I was now available – Cooee! Amado Crowley is alive and well – and immediately the Occult Highway was filled with the patter of retreating feet.

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Does that discourage you?

No. Krishnamurti was unhappy to be adopted by Theosophists, and I would have been miserable if thelemite groups had sponsored me. While they honour Aleister Crowley, none wants his son around, cluttering up rehearsals. They like Masters to be dead so they can control the sacred flame, and look after the museum shop. The last thing they want is a spiritual successor. There are financial considerations too. Aleister Crowley's work has generated millions since his death, but his family do not see a penny. In contrast, my own stance has been never to exploit my name or seek to make money from it. I earn nothing from my books. They sell well, but I foreswore all royalties. As I get older, it is more difficult to stick with my principles.

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Why was Aleister anti-Semitic?

He detested Zionism, but was not anti-semitic. I would not wear dreadlocks, but I have no bad feelings about Rastafarians. Since I am not a Jew, it is quite in order for me to doubt that Jews are a chosen people with a special destiny. I do not throw my opinions in their face, or scream my denial in their ears. One can tolerate their beliefs without subscribing to them. My father was more outspoken and believed that Jews themselves were racist. He said that the two myths-Aryan supremacy and Jewish elitism-were incompatible points of view and were bound to clash. We see something similar taking place between Israelis and Palestinians, but this is not an occult matter.

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So Aleister Crowley was a model of virtue?

Does sarcasm help your argument? Aleister had few Christian virtues, yet both my parents were true to their beliefs and were people of honour and integrity. What prompts your question? The man has been dead for half a century. May we have a reasonable discussion and not get personal? If you make innuendos, perhaps you are not ready to set out on the sacred quest. Aleister's parents had strict, repressive views, and the school atmosphere was one of repressed rebellion. He sided with an open-minded search for truth. My mother was born in poverty and grew up in a climate of gypsy freedom. Her spirit drew Aleister's eye and both of them have influenced my writings. Neither was a saint, but I am not a notorious sinner. Your question gets ten out of ten for cheek, but zero for tact.

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Did Aleister favour American Occultism?

Many American people can claim to be of European descent, but this cut very little ice with Aleister. I think he was outwardly charming towards them while inwardly he had many reservations. As we know, Americans are rather shocked to find that much of the world detests them. Probably this is due in no small way to their uninhibited manner and apparent rudeness. I can accept that they do not mean any of this. Nevertheless, they come across as "loud, obnoxious and over here". The USA has an advanced economy steeled by sheer belligerence, and putting Number One first. It is not a spiritual nation. There is a world of difference between deeply held piety on the one hand, and the orchestrated razzmatazz that marks American civic ritual. Much American Occultism ties in either with politics or organised crime. Also, the USA is famous for the 'Americanisation process' that does not just modernise, it vulgarises too. It reduces matters to the lowest, common denominator-minimum refinement, quickest turnover, maximum profit.

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Are you hostile?

Yes, and I am afraid that it shows. I am not hostile to the people so much as a way of life, but my hostility is deeply felt. I am happy to report that no one is hurt or the least bit affected by my opinions. This much one can say: Americans are a resilient people. They can laugh at their own flaws and shortcomings, and ignore any outside opinion.

I am more scathing about American Occultists. They attacked me without cause and were so incensed by my presence that they accused me of trying to enrich myself by using the Crowley name. This was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. If Jews are the Chosen People, then Americans are the forgotten people. Having said that, I must remember that some of my best friends are Americans.

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