The Book of The Law Study Group 3.52

[Grigori]

52. I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed & blind him.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/oto/index.htm
http://hermetic.com/crowley/index.html
http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0220.html

Other threads in this study group

 

[Always Wondering]

Mohommed only gets a flap in the face. In his commentary Crowley admires the secret tenants of Islam, but not the external creed.

I don't know anything about Islam but I was struck by his comments in Liber 888

But its doctrine will never convince Islam, until a translator arises who can match Mohammed's sonorous and exquisitely balanced prose, with its internal rimes and its incomparable rhythm, that is at once like the thunder, and like the simoom, and like the whisper of the desert wind. And there is many an immoral and indecent book which lives by such virtue; we may admire the manner of such while we reprehend the matter.

Eshelman reminds us to apply 1:56
“All words are sacred and all prophets true; save only that they understand a little....”

A couple of fun correspondences
3+5+2=10
hay aleph dalet-- to dart, to fly swiftly; rapid flier (a bird of prey)
tet aleph-- secrecy, concealment

AW

 

[Zephyros]

The problem with this verse is is that it is difficult for me to tell if there is really some symbolic meaning here, or "just another" Crowleyism saying something along the lines of "the old religions were rubbish, mine is better."

While at first glance this seems to be Horus flipping Islam the bird (excuse the (intended!) pun) this might also hold more meaning. Although practically mirrorring the last verse, I have to agree with Always in that Islam gets a kind of passing snub rather than the vicious treatment Christianity receives. While both religions belong to the Aeon of Osiris, I wonder if Christianity, as a rather more obvious pageant of the dying god formula gets the worse deal.

A point of interest is that you'd think Aiwass would give the finger to Abraham as well, but, for me at least, he is conspicuously absent.

 

[Richard]

......A point of interest is that you'd think Aiwass would give the finger to Abraham as well, but, for me at least, he is conspicuously absent.

Apparently Crowley (and Aiwass) held the Hebrew language and culture (at least certain aspects) in such high regard that I doubt if he would diss such an influential partiarch as Abraham. I suspect that the dispensationalist Plymouth Brethren cult probably emphasized that the Hebrew religion was no longer valid, and so it would have been difficult for AC to appear to be in any way consonant with the theology of the PB.

ETA. Even the title The Book of the Law reflects the original book of the law, the Torah, which Christians generally agree has been replaced by the so-called New Covenant. There is a delightful anti-Christian bias in most of AC's writings, which translates to a silence regarding the Hebrews.

 

[Zephyros]

Apparently Crowley (and Aiwass) held the Hebrew language and culture (at least certain aspects) in such high regard that I doubt if he would diss such an influential partiarch as Abraham. I suspect that the dispensationalist Plymouth Brethren cult probably emphasized that the Hebrew religion was no longer valid, and so it would have been difficult for AC to appear to be in any way consonant with the theology of the PB.

ETA. Even the title The Book of the Law reflects the original book of the law, the Torah, which Christians generally agree has been replaced by the so-called New Covenant. There is a delightful anti-Christian bias in most of AC's writings, which translates to a silence regarding the Hebrews.

Yes, that's what I thought as well.

 

[Aeon418]

Here is Wisdom. Let Him that hath Understaning
count the Number of Our Lady; for it is the
Number of a Woman; and Her Number is
An Hundred and Fifty and Six.

III x 52 = 156 = BABALON.

For some reason I tend to associate the wings in this verse with freedom and liberty. With the 156 connection my thoughts are instantly drawn towards issues of female liberty within Islam. This has been a hot topic in recent years with many debates about human rights and the wearing of Islamic dress - veils, burqa's, etc.

There's a quote in Magick in Theory and Practice where Crowley points out the need for feminine balance in religion. Any one who has read, or even dipped into, the Koran can't fail to miss the top-heavy masculine flavour.

All other magical Rituals are particular cases of this general principle, and the only excuse for doing them is that it sometimes occurs that one particular portion of the microcosm is so weak that its imperfection of impurity would vitiate the Macrocosm of which it is the image, Eidolon, or Reflexion. For example, God is above sex; and therefore neither man nor woman as such can be said fully to understand, much less to represent, God. It is therefore incumbent on the male magician to cultivate those female virtues in which he is deficient, and this task he must of course accomplish without in any way impairing his virility. It will then be lawful for a magician to invoke Isis, and identify himself with her; if he fail to do this, his apprehension of the Universe when he attains Samadhi will lack the conception of maternity. The result will be a metaphysical and — by corollary — ethical limitation in the Religion which he founds. Judaism and Islam are striking examples of this failure.

 

[Aeon418]

ETA. Even the title The Book of the Law reflects the original book of the law, the Torah, which Christians generally agree has been replaced by the so-called New Covenant. There is a delightful anti-Christian bias in most of AC's writings, which translates to a silence regarding the Hebrews.

Crowley did appreciate the inner esoteric doctrines of most world religions. It was the outer creeds and exoteric doctrines that he had little time for. In this resepct Judaism is no exception.

The sum of the matter is that Judaism is a savage, and Christianity a fiendish, superstition.

In the case of Islam Crowley thought it was "magnificent in practice". But then he also said the "external creed is mere nonsense".

Note: Crowley thought that "Din" in verse 53 is a reference to the Judaic Law. But of course the method of attack is different.

 

[Always Wondering]

III x 52 = 156 = BABALON.

Nice. Kind of wish I had gotten there myself. I'll learn to love numbers, eventually.


I read some of the Koran this morning. I have to say I didn't find the prose as pleasing as Crowley did. I haven't spent a lot of time on it, but what I did find was a bunch of do's and don'ts.

I wonder if Crowley was reading an English translation.

AW

 

[Aeon418]

I have to say I didn't find the prose as pleasing as Crowley did.

You may recall Crowley saying this in Liber 888.

The Qu'ran in English is mere ditchwater for the most part; in Arabic it is sublime poetry.

I wonder if Crowley was reading an English translation.

I don't know. But he had this to say in The Confessions, chapter 48.

As to my study of Islam, I got a sheikh to teach me Arabic and the practices of ablution, prayer and so on, so that at some future time I might pass for a Moslem among themselves. I had it in my mind to repeat Burton's journey to Mecca sooner or later. I learnt a number of chapters of the Koran by heart. I never went to Mecca, it seemed rather vieux jeu, but my ability to fraternize fully with Mohammedans has proved of infinite use in many ways.

 

[Always Wondering]

You may recall Crowley saying this in Liber 888.

Or maybe I had another brain fart.

AW