General question for whomever wants to answer. What is everyone's thoughts on alistar crowley? I'm not a fan. I think he preformed a lot of spirit abuse. Same reason I dont like solomonic or abrahamic magick. I think its extremely disrespectful and abusive. I do however think he had some really good insights. I just think he went haywire later on and got power crazed and let his lusts ruin him. Among other things. He did some messed up shite. Imo. What do you all think?
And I'll admit up front I'm not very deducted on him. I've only read a little bit of his stuff and then found out what he was like behind the masquerade and was totally put off from reading more of his works. So I'm biased.
Quoting: Venittempus777 I never studied Crowley in depth. My family tradition and style of practice predates Crowley and the men he influenced like Gerald Gardner and Israel Regardie etc. These guys were all about ceremonial magick or high magick. Ceremony was everything to these guys.
I am not a fan of Crowley or guys like him. He was a brilliant man when it came to selling himself and his ideas.
He intentionally pushed the idea of himself being called the antichrist and "the most wicked man on earth"
But his practices were dubious. Like Gardner who came later, Crowley just invented a lot of stuff and mixed it with ceremonial traditions, middle eastern magick and other ancient sources.
With Crowley you get a unique system of practice which is half Abrahamic magick and half ceremonial Mish mash.
My problem with Crowley type practice is that the goal is to summon and command forces to do your bidding. Whereas in a practice such as my own, you work with those forces. They guide you and help you. You don't bind and command them.
Crowley sought power to the exclusion of everything else and his system commanded spirit forces to do his will.
That is something you never, ever want to attempt.
