Liber Oz- an Aleister Crowley passage..

[SEVERUSMAX]

....Liber Oz

There is no god but Man.
Man has the right to live by his own law --
to live in the way that he wills to do:
to work as he will:
to play as he will:
to rest as he will.
to die when and how he will:

Man has the right to eat what he will:
to drink what he will:
to dwell where he will:
to move as he will on the face of the earth.

Man has the right to think what he will:
to speak what he will:
to write what he will:
to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as he will:
to dress as he will.

Man has the right to love as he will: ---
"take your fill and will of love as ye will,
when, where and with whom ye will!" -- AL. I. 51.

 

[3113]

Ah, good ole' number-of-the-beast Aleister. Always trying to be so shocking and bad. I heard a recording of him once. He sounded like someone's little old English grandmother: "And the blood of the lamb...."

I've a fond spot in my heart for Aleister.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

If you reach past his imagery to his philosophy, it is very profound but simple. It is straightforward secular humanism at its best.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Dying strung out, penniless, and alone probably wasn't the best advertisement for his philosophy. He also has the distinction of being possibly the only person in history to have his ass kicked by William Butler Yeats. I'd have thought that the wickedest man alive would have put up more of a struggle.

Shanglan

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Hey, no one is perfect. I still think that his was a personal "Declaration of Independence" from the synthetic mores of society (Victorian in his case). It is a liberating viewpoint. It sums up my worldview fairly well. After all, gods are made in Man's image, for his own purposes.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I was once stuck in the Canary islands- I know, that sounds funny, but it wasn't much fun really- and dying for some sort of human commerce, as most of my companions were German-speaking Germans
Nerdy me goes to the Hotel gift shop, hoping against hope and there, on the book rack, was one single English language book: "The Great Beast" a Life of Crowley, by, I think, Sykes?
I still have it somewhere.
He, much like Cat Stevens, assumed so much about the good will of man- It's all that CofE background, IMO. The sweetest devil worshipper on record!

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Well, most of them don't sacrifice pets to Lucifer, or any such nonsense from urban legends.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well, most of them don't sacrifice pets to Lucifer, or any such nonsense from urban legends.

I know.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

I am trying to convince my slave of that, without any real success. I finally just told her to "research it better" before assuming such things.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I tend to see Satanism as primarily a reactive new religion. I like parts of the creed as I've read it, it all hangs together nicely. But I can only assume the name came from an adolescent desire to thumb the nose at the mommies and daddies.
I know, I know, Satanisst will argue the point till the cows come home. But it quacks like a duck, you know-
and then they get to claim "no one understands us"

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Well, if you are rebelling against an existing religious establishment, the perfect symbol is the enemy of their god.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well, if you are rebelling against an existing religious establishment, the perfect symbol is the enemy of their god.

And is that any reason to wear those funny clothes? Look at you, like a bum! I'm ashamed to go out in the street with you. What will your Aunt Norah say?

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

I avoid all of that shit by observing the rites and worship of PRE-Christian deities.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I avoid all of that shit by observing the rites and worship of PRE-Christian deities.

What's the difference? Your Aunt Norah will plotz with those dresses you wear.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

In my case, I am glad that I only wear robes, not dresses. I have a million aunts and uncles, not to mention my parents (my dad had no fewer than 9 siblings). I even still have a grandmother, though her chain smoking has cut short her remaining time of life. My immediate family will tolerate NOTHING not permitted in Sunday School. My extended family will tolerate drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco, dipping snuff, bigamy, screwing around on your husband or wife, or anything else, but they WILL NOT tolerate cross-dressing, or anything that reminds them of that. Hillbillies don't do that kind of shit. They just make moonshine on Friday, sleep around on Saturday, and go to church on Sunday morning.

 

[3113]

He also has the distinction of being possibly the only person in history to have his ass kicked by William Butler Yeats. I'd have thought that the wickedest man alive would have put up more of a struggle.

Oh, I hadn't heard this! Do tell! What was the argument about and in what particular way did Yeats kick Aleister's butt?

Though I must say, it dosen't sound like a fair fight to me at all. Al was a bit on the scrawny side.

 

[3113]

And is that any reason to wear those funny clothes? Look at you, like a bum! I'm ashamed to go out in the street with you. What will your Aunt Norah say?

I'm SO on the same page with you! Pagans and other non-mainstream religions really have to do better in that respect. All these other religions have these cool robes and habits and headcloths, vestaments and raiments and turbans....

And there the pagans are dressing up in black, shapeless garments or nothing...or looking really silly. I say, hire a fashion designer and made up some clerical garments that have style. Time to get cool and chic. Stop looking like something out of a Monty Python movie.

Crowley in full regalia was pretty silly looking.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm SO on the same page with you! Pagans and other non-mainstream religions really have to do better in that respect. All these other religions have these cool robes and habits and headcloths, vestaments and raiments and turbans....

And there the pagans are dressing up in black, shapeless garments or nothing...or looking really silly. I say, hire a fashion designer and made up some clerical garments that have style. Time to get cool and chic. Stop looking like something out of a Monty Python movie.

Crowley in full regalia was pretty silly looking.

Oh, I don't know, there's something fresh and invigorating about a clowder of Goths in their black-on-black....
Yep, black is good.

 

[BlackShanglan]

Oh, I hadn't heard this! Do tell! What was the argument about and in what particular way did Yeats kick Aleister's butt?

Though I must say, it dosen't sound like a fair fight to me at all. Al was a bit on the scrawny side.

It must have been quite a match-up; Yeats, on the other side, was the stereotypical bespectacled poet-boy. No doubt some throw rugs were seriously disarranged before it was all through.

It happened during the big April 1900 Golden Dawn schism if memory serves me right. WBY was over at the London (Isis-Urania) lodge and MacGregor Mathers (the dear old nut job) sent Crowley over to try to re-establish Mathers' control of the lodge. Willy had his people in the lodge straightening out what they perceived as the mess Mathers and his set had created, and he was in no great temper to receive Mr. Crowley, whom he ejected personally and quite preremptorily.

Shanglan

 

[Stella_Omega]

T'sk.
Good form, Willie, good form!

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

I look forward to bringing in good old Greek tunics.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I look forward to bringing in good old Greek tunics.

I have a thing for folded fabric, like Kilts and Saris.

I once put a man in an Indian Sari- He truely looked like a Prince, which was not the intent, actually especially considering that it was purple with yellow daisies

Later, I dressed three tarot readers for an event where they were to be the Three Graces. I made Sari's for them out of cream silk- they looked perfectly Greek.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Ah, so you have a talent for clothes! Makes mental note for future rituals.....

 

[Stella_Omega]

Ah, so you have a talent for clothes! Makes mental note for future rituals.....

Yes, and especially ritual clothing.
I like to say that can I make anything- except money

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Damn, that's a tough exception! Well, if you ever make any neat outfits for any rituals under my auspices, I can help you with a little of that cash flow problem in the future.