Aleister Crowley, a noteworthy and contentious figure of the early 1900s left behind a deep legacy through his writings and teachings, especially in the realms of occultism and mysticism.
Crowley’s works explore the philosophical, spiritual, and practical elements of magic and the human experience.
His quotes, often stirring and insightful, still fascinate and challenge readers and followers. By exploring his quotes, you are offered a peek into the complex mind of a man who sought to exceed the boundaries of the conventional and the sacred.
Top Aleister Crowley Quotes
Aleister Crowley’s words often challenge us to confront the complexity of our own beliefs and the mysteries of the universe. Here are ten notable quotes from Crowley that encapsulate his provocative and often controversial viewpoints.
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” – Aleister Crowley
“Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every man and every woman is a star.” – Aleister Crowley
“Love is the law, love under will.” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad.” – Aleister Crowley
“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience.” – Aleister Crowley
“May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early!” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people.” – Aleister Crowley
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Aleister Crowley Quotes on Magic and the Occult
Delving into the esoteric, Aleister Crowley’s reflections on magic and the occult reveal his profound engagement with the mystical aspects of existence. Here are ten quotes that provide insight into his complex views on these subjects.
“Magic is the highest, most absolute, and most divine knowledge of natural philosophy.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every intentional act is a magical act.” – Aleister Crowley
“The spells and curses used in ancient Egypt by the magician are clear proof of the powers that he claimed to possess.” – Aleister Crowley
“The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing.” – Aleister Crowley
“In the absence of willpower the most complete collection of virtues and talents is wholly worthless.” – Aleister Crowley
“A man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of the Universe to assist him.” – Aleister Crowley
“It is my Will to inform the World of certain facts within my knowledge. I do not pretend to teach, but to arouse the consciousness of mankind.” – Aleister Crowley
“The key of the rituals is to look for them in the law of the phenomena.” – Aleister Crowley
“Real magick is not merely an assortment of skills and techniques. It’s a stance of the soul; a way of living.” – Aleister Crowley
“The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Will and Purpose
Aleister Crowley often spoke of the profound significance of will and purpose in shaping our destinies. These quotes reflect his belief in the power of individual will to transcend mundane existence.
“The most necessary step in the development of a person is to become the master of his own will.” – Aleister Crowley
“True Will is to express oneself in conformity with the way things are.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every man has a right to fulfill his own will without being afraid that it may conflict with that of others, for if he is in his proper place, it is the fault of others if they interfere with him.” – Aleister Crowley
“Intolerance is evidence of impotence.” – Aleister Crowley
“The word of Sin is Restriction.” – Aleister Crowley
“There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.” – Aleister Crowley
“Thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that, and no other shall say nay.” – Aleister Crowley
“Know thyself through thy way! Calculate well the formula of thy way!” – Aleister Crowley
“To refuse one’s own impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human.” – Aleister Crowley
“It is a lie, this folly against self. The exposure of innocence is a lie.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Love and Relationships
In his exploration of love and relationships, Crowley’s thoughts are both challenging and enlightening, advocating for a deeper understanding of love as a spiritual and magical force.
“For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.” – Aleister Crowley
“Love is the only principle which makes life tolerable.” – Aleister Crowley
“The ordeal of love is to receive as purely as possible the influx of one’s angel.” – Aleister Crowley
“There is a secret door that I shall make to establish thy way in all the quarters, these are the adorations, as thou hast written, as it is said: The light is mine; its rays consume me: I have made a secret door into the House of Ra and Tum, of Khephra and of Ahathoor.” – Aleister Crowley
“Love stories are only fit for the solace of people who have not enough imagination to conceive a world of some sort of orderly happiness.” – Aleister Crowley
“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!'” – Aleister Crowley
“Pity not the fallen! I never knew them. I console not: I hate the consoled & the consoler.” – Aleister Crowley
“I am the snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs whereof I will tell my prophet, & be drunk thereof!” – Aleister Crowley
“Balance every thought with its opposition. Because the marriage of them is the destruction of illusion.” – Aleister Crowley
“Love is the law, love under will. Nor let the fools mistake love; for there are love and love. There is the dove, and there is the serpent. Choose ye well!” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley’s Quotes on Thelemic Principles
Aleister Crowley’s Thelemic principles form a foundation for a philosophy of personal freedom and self-discovery. These ten quotes encapsulate his vision of Thelema, emphasizing will, liberty, and the pursuit of true purpose.
“Every man and every woman is a star.” – Aleister Crowley
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” – Aleister Crowley
“Love is the law, love under will.” – Aleister Crowley
“There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.” – Aleister Crowley
“The word of Sin is Restriction.” – Aleister Crowley
“Let my servants be few & secret: they shall rule the many & the known.” – Aleister Crowley
“Thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that, and no other shall say nay.” – Aleister Crowley
“For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.” – Aleister Crowley
“The word of the Law is Θελημα.” – Aleister Crowley
“Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Religion and Spirituality
Crowley’s views on religion and spirituality often challenge conventional beliefs, offering a perspective that blends mysticism with a deep inquiry into the nature of the divine. Here are ten quotes that reflect his philosophical and spiritual insights.
“The spirits of the Goetia are portions of the human brain.” – Aleister Crowley
“The first condition of membership in the O.T.O. is a sound mind in a sound body.” – Aleister Crowley
“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal.” – Aleister Crowley
“All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.” – Aleister Crowley
“Science is always discovering odd scraps of magical wisdom and making a tremendous fuss about its cleverness.” – Aleister Crowley
“A man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of the Universe to assist him.” – Aleister Crowley
“I regard religion as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race.” – Aleister Crowley
“My observation of the Universe convinces me that there are beings of intelligence and power of a far higher quality than anything we can conceive of as human; that they are not necessarily based on the cerebral and nervous structures that we know; and that they are the arbiters of the Universe.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every star must calculate its own orbit. All is foreseen by the divine nature of things.” – Aleister Crowley
“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you; and whosoever shall know himself shall find it.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Society and Government
Aleister Crowley’s perspectives on society and government often provoke thought about the nature of freedom and authority. His insights challenge us to reconsider the structures that govern our lives and the essence of personal sovereignty.
“The state is to be regarded as an aggregate of individuals who agree to cooperate in order to produce certain results.” – Aleister Crowley
“The government of every country should be entrusted to those who have no desire to govern.” – Aleister Crowley
“Democracy doubtless is a very amusing thing, but it has one defect: it does not work.” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“The word of sin is restriction. Again: if any man forbid love, he is a tyrant; and his tyranny cramps not only his own soul, but the souls of those associated with him.” – Aleister Crowley
“Liberty stirs once more at the trumpet call of reason.” – Aleister Crowley
“Independence is for the very few; it is a privilege of the strong.” – Aleister Crowley
“A nation that neglects the dictates of its own survival commits itself to oblivion.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every man and woman is a star and has a right to fulfill that orbit as the star has a right to its course.” – Aleister Crowley
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Art and Creativity
Aleister Crowley believed deeply in the transformative power of art and creativity, viewing them as vital expressions of the human spirit and integral to the practice of magick. These quotes reflect his vision of art as a profound vehicle for personal and cosmic revelation.
“Art is Magick; because all Art presupposes a change in consciousness.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every artistic gesture has magickal effect.” – Aleister Crowley
“To the artist, expression is the only mode under which he can conceive life at all. To him, what is not expression is not life.” – Aleister Crowley
“What is genius but the power of expressing a new individuality?” – Aleister Crowley
“In the absence of willpower the most complete collection of virtues and talents is wholly worthless.” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all. And often enough our faith beforehand in an uncertified result is the only thing that makes the result come true.” – Aleister Crowley
“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die.” – Aleister Crowley
“A real artist passionately enjoys a beautiful thing, and his enjoyment expresses itself in some corresponding creation.” – Aleister Crowley
“Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Science and Mysticism
Aleister Crowley’s thoughts blend the empirical with the esoteric, demonstrating a unique perspective that science and mysticism are complementary, not conflicting. Here are ten quotes that reflect his integration of these realms.
“Science is always discovering odd scraps of magical wisdom and making a tremendous fuss about its cleverness.” – Aleister Crowley
“The method of science—the aim of religion.” – Aleister Crowley
“A miracle is not a violation of the laws of nature, except for ignorant people.” – Aleister Crowley
“The first essential in any civilization is that the males must be warrior-priests; and the second, that the females must be mothers, at whatever cost; and the third, that other interests must be subsidiary to these things.” – Aleister Crowley
“Magic is merely to be and to do.” – Aleister Crowley
“It is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by nature.” – Aleister Crowley
“The student of Magick applies himself to control his thoughts, to direct his studies, to discipline his actions.” – Aleister Crowley
“There is a single main definition of the object of all magical ritual. It is the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm.” – Aleister Crowley
“The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.” – Aleister Crowley
“Your greatness will not be your science, not your knowledge of facts, but your profound penetrative insight into sympathy with Nature herself.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Philosophical Quotes
Crowley’s philosophical musings are deeply reflective and often provocative, offering insights into the human condition and the pursuit of knowledge. These quotes explore his philosophical stance.
“The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and wilfully to reject truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.” – Aleister Crowley
“To me a book is a message from the gods to mankind; or, if not, should never be published at all.” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“Balance every thought with its opposition. Because the marriage of them is the destruction of illusion.” – Aleister Crowley
“The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more certain it is that I only assert a limitation.” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people.” – Aleister Crowley
“Intolerance is evidence of impotence.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every man and every woman is a star.” – Aleister Crowley
“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!” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley Quotes on Self-Discovery and Inner Journey
Aleister Crowley emphasized the importance of self-discovery and the inner journey, viewing them as essential to personal evolution and magical practice. These quotes reflect his perspective on the profound journey within.
“Thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that, and no other shall say nay.” – Aleister Crowley
“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience.” – Aleister Crowley
“Know thyself through thy way! Calculate well the formula of thy way!” – Aleister Crowley
“Man has the right to move as he will on the face of the Earth.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every man and every woman is a star.” – Aleister Crowley
“To the eyes of a god, mankind must appear as a species of bacteria which infects the surface of the Earth.” – Aleister Crowley
“The mind must make the heart its apprentice.” – Aleister Crowley
“Every man must do Magick each time that he acts or even thinks, since a thought is an internal act whose influence ultimately affects action, though it may not do so at the time.” – Aleister Crowley
“The single supreme ritual is the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.” – Aleister Crowley
“It is a lie, this folly against self. The exposure of innocence is a lie.” – Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley’s Controversial Quotes
Aleister Crowley’s work is rife with statements that challenge societal norms and provoke controversy. Here are ten quotes that showcase his capacity to shock, provoke, and unsettle.
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“The pious pretense that evil does not exist only makes it vague, enormous and menacing.” – Aleister Crowley
“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.” – Aleister Crowley
“Ordinary morality is only for ordinary people.” – Aleister Crowley
“One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad.” – Aleister Crowley
“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!” – Aleister Crowley
“The key of joy is disobedience.” – Aleister Crowley
“There is a secret door that I shall make to establish thy way in all the quarters, these are the adorations, as thou hast written.” – Aleister Crowley
“All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.” – Aleister Crowley
“Intolerance is evidence of impotence.” – Aleister Crowley
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Final Thoughts
Aleister Crowley’s words, despite being over 100 years continues to inspire, perplex, and provoke.
His perspectives on magic, love, society, and the self push the boundaries of conventional norms and invite a deeper reflection on life’s mysteries and personal sovereignty.
Whether you views him as a mystic, a madman, or a misunderstood genius, Crowley’s quotes serve as a powerful proof to his lasting influence on magical philosophy and the endless quest for spiritual and existential meaning.