In the world of esoteric philosophy and mysticism, the name Aleister Crowley stands as a towering figure, renowned for his controversial yet profound contributions to the occult and spirituality. Quotes by Aleister Crowley encapsulate the enigmatic essence of this British occultist, writer, and ceremonial magician, whose life's work continues to both intrigue and mystify enthusiasts of the arcane.
In this article, we will delve into the wisdom and enigma of Aleister Crowley through a selection of his most thought-provoking and enduring quotes, shedding light on the legacy of a man who continues to inspire and challenge conventional thought.
Quotes By Aleister Crowley (2024)
Aleister Crowley, a towering figure in the world of mysticism and the occult, left behind a legacy of thought-provoking and enigmatic quotes that continue to captivate those exploring the realms of spirituality and self-discovery. His words reflect a deep understanding of esoteric philosophy and the pursuit of one's true will. Here are some unique and compelling quotes by Aleister Crowley that offer a glimpse into his profound and controversial wisdom:
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
"Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will."
"Every man and every woman is a star."
"The word of Sin is Restriction."
"Love is the law, love under will."
"The most important of all magical secrets: discover thy own true will."
"To read a book of poetry for critical purposes is like making love to a porcupine."
"Indubitably, Magick is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts."
"The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience."
"The essence of independence has been to think and act according to standards from within, not without."
"Science is always discovering odd scraps of magical wisdom and making a tremendous fuss about its cleverness."
"The key to joy is disobedience."
"In the absence of willpower, the most complete collection of virtues and talents is wholly worthless."
"It is necessary that we stop, once for all, this ignorant meddling with other people's business."
"Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people."
"I slept with faith and found a corpse in my arms on awakening; I drank and danced all night with doubt and found her a virgin in the morning."
"The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing."
"The essence of greatness is the perception that virtue is enough."
"The mind of man is obsessed by beauty. I have always believed that."
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will."
"I was not content to believe in a personal devil and serve him in the ordinary sense of the word. I wanted to get hold of him personally and become his chief of staff."
"The most important of all possibilities is Man. His most important of all possessions is a free will."
"May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early!"
"The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous, and menacing."
"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man."
"To read a newspaper is to refrain from reading something worthwhile. The first discipline of education must therefore be to refuse resolutely to feed the mind with canned chatter."
"The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine."
"Man has the right to think what he will, to speak what he thinks, and to do what he wills."
"There is no law beyond 'Do what thou wilt.'"
"It is necessary that we stop, once for all, this ignorant meddling with other men's business."
"The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices."
"A man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of the Universe to assist him."
"I was not content to believe in a personal devil and serve him, in the ordinary sense of the word. I wanted to get hold of him personally and become his chief of staff."
"To read a newspaper is to refrain from reading something worthwhile. The first discipline of education must, therefore, be to refuse resolutely to feed the mind with canned chatter."
"The key of joy is disobedience."
"Magick is the art and science of causing change in accordance with the will."
"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."
"One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad."
"May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue, so that I triumph even when I fall!"
"Magick is the art and science of causing change in accordance with the will."
"The most important fact about any man is what he believes in the depth of his being."
"My own experience was my sole guide. I had gone the whole way, and the magical formulae were but maps to tell others the route."
"To read a book of poetry for critical purposes is like making love to a doll."
"I can imagine myself on my death-bed, spent utterly with lust to touch the next world, like a boy asking for his first kiss from a woman."
"Science must not impose any philosophy, any more than the telephone must tell us what to say."
"I am a poet, and I shall die young—but that's not my business. My business is to write, and I wrote."
"I was not content to believe in a personal God, and let it go at that. I wanted to get hold of God personally and become His friend."
"The conscience of the world is so guilty that it always assumes that people who investigate heresies must be heretics; just as if a doctor who studies leprosy must be a leper. Indeed, it is only recently that science has been allowed to study anything without reproach."
"The Christian ideal is a kind of vampire, which feeds on the blood of young men."
"I have never grown out of the infantile belief that the universe was made for me to suck."
"It is necessary that we stop, once for all, this ignorant meddling with other people's business. Each individual must be left free to follow his own path."
"I am in a secret fourfold word, the blasphemy against all gods of men."
"The most important of all possible things is the individual discovery of the Will."
"There is no God but Man."
"To read a newspaper is to refrain from reading something worth while."
"The first condition of success in any magical operation is steadfastly to believe that it will be successful."
"In all systems of religion is to be found a system of Initiation, which may be defined as the process by which a man comes to learn that unknown Crown."
"To me a book is a message from the gods to mankind; or, if not, should never have been published at all."
"The only way to deal with materialistic America is to be materialistic yourself."
"Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition."
"The essence of life is statistical improbability on a colossal scale."
"Falsehood is invariably the child of fear in one form or another."
"A single ego is an absurdly narrow vantage point from which to view the world."
"He who is ignorant of the nature of the soul, he who is ignorant of the nature of God, and of the nature of the Universe, has no right to call himself a Philosopher; he is merely a mountebank."
"I am alone; there is no God where I am."
"The universe is not the meaningless object that the empiricist has too long tried to make of it."
"It is the mark of the mind untrained to take its own processes as valid for all men, and its own judgments for absolute truth."
"Civilization is the encouragement of differences."
"The Christian fear of the pagan outlook has damaged the whole consciousness of man."
"Happiness lies within one's self, and the way to dig it out is cocaine."
"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself."
"We place no reliance on virgin or pigeon; our method is science, our aim is religion."
"It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
"The Christian fear of the pagan outlook has damaged the whole consciousness of man."
"The most interesting thing in the world is another human being who wonders, suffers and raises the questions that have bothered him to the last day of his life, knowing he will never get the answers."
"The most intolerant and evil of men is he who combines the most tender conscience with the quietest deportment, and the freedom of the world with the strictest bond of pink silk."
"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
"The essence of success is that it is never necessary to think of a new idea oneself. It is far better to wait until somebody else does it, and then to copy him in every detail, except his mistakes."
"The ordinary man looking at a mountain is like an illiterate person confronted with a Greek manuscript."
"If one were to take the bible seriously one would go mad. But to take the bible seriously, one must be already mad."
"The mind is a disease of the body."
"We place no reliance on virgin or pigeon. Our method is science, our aim is religion, our motto is independence."
"The most important of all magical secrets is self-deception."
"To practice black magic you have to violate every principle of science, decency, and intelligence."
"May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! My own plan is to swear off every kind of virtue so that I triumph even when I fall!"
"Magicians are priests and poets; they are the original scientists and artists."
"Success is your proof; courage is your armor; go on, go on, in my strength; & ye shall turn not back for any!"
"Man has the right to think what he will; to speak what he will; to write what he will; to draw, paint, carve, etch, mold, build as he will; to dress as he will."
"Every man must be master of his own destiny."
"The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the Sun, in which they put a man whom they call Christ, in the place of the Sun, and pay him the same adoration which was originally paid to the Sun."
"May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun and find your shoulder to land on to bring you luck, happiness, and riches."
"The mind is the great lever of all things; human thought is the process by which human ends are ultimately answered."
"I believe that my own knowledge of this Law, however imperfect, has been of infinite service to me."
"There is no religion higher than Truth."
"One must find out for oneself, and make sure beyond doubt, 'who' one is, 'what' one is, 'why' one is… Being thus conscious of the proper course to pursue, the next thing is to understand the conditions necessary to following it out."
"The only way to deal with materialistic superstition is to be so thoroughly materialistic that nobody will suspect you of being in league with the devil."
"Let the Exempt Adept be armed with his Flaming Sword in the Path of the King which leadeth to the Holy City, and let him direct his work also according to the Symbols of the Portal."
"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn."
"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
In reflection, the profound impact of Aleister Crowley's philosophy and writings on the world of occultism and mysticism cannot be understated. His unapologetic pursuit of spiritual exploration and personal liberation has left an indelible mark on those who have delved into his works. As we navigate the intricate web of human consciousness and spiritual understanding, we must acknowledge the significant role played by Crowley's teachings. His relentless questioning of societal norms and dogmas encourages us all to challenge our own beliefs and explore the depths of our inner selves.
