-15%

Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light — Thelema

Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light — photo 1

Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light — photo 2

Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light — photo 3

📖 Have you read this book?

Your review can inspire others to read it

🦅 Thelema −15%

Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light

Name: Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light
Price: 33.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Churton, Tobias
ISBN: 9781644114797

✍️ Churton, Tobias

Reader Score

4.7

(1 review) 15 sold

$33.99 ~~$40.00~~ Save $6.01 (15%)

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Tobias Churton meticulously chronicles Aleister Crowley's intricate three-decade connection with Paris, a city that profoundly shaped his magickal and artistic evolution. Drawing on previously unexamined personal archives, this biography illuminates Crowley's immersion in Belle Époque artistic circles, his later interactions with avant-garde figures of the 1920s, and the controversies surrounding his occult practices. Churton also critically investigates the sensational claims of "raising Pan" and "gay sex magick," offering a fresh perspective on Crowley’s dramatic expulsion from the city in 1929, suggesting a deeper, conspiratorial undercurrent.

Churton, Tobias

📚 all books by this author (18) →

🦅

Thelema

Praise for this book

“This final installment of Churton's expansive and detailed exposition on Aleister Crowley's life, work, and milieu is a treasure trove of new information and startling revelations. Scrupulously researched and exquisitely written, Churton's complete six-volume biography of Crowley confirms his position as one of the most insightful, respected, and eloquent scholars on Frater Perdurabo to ever put pen to paper . Aleister Crowley in Paris is a delight.”

— John Zorn, composer

🏛 Inner Traditions International 📅 2022 📖 384 pages 📔 Hardcover 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9781644114797

Fun Fact

Churton's work excels in its meticulous historical reconstruction, leveraging previously unseen materials to present a nuanced portrait of Crowley's Parisian years. It skillfully navigates the sensationalism surrounding the Beast, offering a grounded, scholarly examination of his artistic connections and alleged political adversaries. Those seeking a purely hagiographic account or an introduction to Crowley's broader philosophy might be better served elsewhere. However, for a deep dive into a specific, pivotal period of his life, this book is an indispensable contribution to Crowleyan studies.

📚 This Book in Collections

⚡ Liber AL vel Legis — The Book of the Law

📝 Description: Aleister Crowley in Paris: Sex, Art, and Magick in the City of Light

Examines Aleister Crowley's 30-year-long intimate association with Paris - Investigates the tales of Crowley "raising Pan," going mad, and working gay sex magick in Paris - Uncovers Crowley's involvement in the Belle Époque with sculptor Auguste Rodin and other artists and in the 1920s with Berenice Abbott, Nancy Cunard, Man Ray, André Gide, and Aimée Crocker - Reveals Crowley's "expulsion" from Paris in 1929 as a high-level conspiracy against Crowley Exploring occultist, magician, poet, painter, and writer Aleister Crowley's longstanding and intimate association with Paris, Tobias Churton provides the first detailed account of Crowley's activities in the City of Light. Using previously unpublished letters and diaries, Churton explores how Crowley was initiated into the Golden Dawn's Inner Order in Paris in 1900 and how, in 1902, he relocated to Montparnasse. Soon engaged to Anglo-Irish artist Eileen Gray, Crowley pontificates and parties with English, American, and French artists gathered around sculptor Auguste Rodin: all keen to exhibit at Paris's famed Salon d'Automne. In 1904--still dressed as "Prince Chioa Khan" and recently returned from his Book of the Law experience in Cairo--Crowleydines with novelist Arnold Bennett at Paillard's. In 1908 Crowley is back in Paris to prove it's possible to attain Samadhi (or "knowl-edge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel") while living a modern life in a busy metropolis. In 1913 he organizes a demonstra-tion for artistic and sexual freedom at Oscar Wilde's tomb. Until war spoils all in 1914, Paris is Crowley's playground. The author details how, after returning from America in 1920, and though based at his "Abbey of Thelema" in Sicily, Crowley can't leave Paris alone. When Mussolini expels him from Italy, Paris becomes his home from 1924 until 1929. Churton reveals Crowley's part in the jazz-age explosion of modernism, as the lover of photographer Berenice Abbott and many others, and how he enjoyed camaraderie with Man Ray, Nancy Cunard, André Gide, and Aimée Crocker. The author explores Crowley's adventures in Tunisia, Algeria, the Riviera, his battle with heroin addiction, his relation-ship with daughter Astarte Lulu--raised at Cefalù--and finally, a high-level ministerial conspiracy to get him out of Paris. Reconstructing Crowley's heyday in the last decade and a half of France's Belle Époque and the "roaring Twenties," this book illuminates Crowley's place within the artistic, literary, and spiritual ferment of the great City of Light.

📑 What's inside

FOREWORD by Frank van Lamoen
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ONE
Sir Aleister Crowley Will Be Expelled from France Tomorrow
TWO
One Flame 1883-1898
Mathers in Paris Mina Mathers and Annie Horniman
THREE
The Road to Auteuil 1898-1900
FOUR
Toward the City of Light
Gerald Kelly
FIVE
Paris, November 1902
SIX
Old Threads and New 1902-1903
Eileen Gray and Friends The Star and the Garter Nina Olivier
SEVEN
Where Soul and Spirit Slip 1903
To Nice
EIGHTRodin
NINE
Le Chat Blanc
The Upper Room Maugham on Crowley
TEN
I Piped When You Danced
A Khan in the City of Light Return to Paris-Alone
ELEVEN
Adonai 1907-1908
Paris, 1908
TWELVE
John St. John, or Aleister Crowley's Great Magical Retirement, 1908
The Thirteen Days
THIRTEENRagged and Wilde 1909-1913
Covering Embarrassment
FOURTEEN
Fiery Arrows 1914
Dennis Wheatley and the Legend of Raising Pan in Paris
FIFTEEN
The Fool Is a Card 1920
SIXTEENSpiritual Poison 1921-1923
SEVENTEEN
I Died 1924
EIGHTEENMan Is a Gambler 1925-1927 284
NINETEEN
The Mortal Kiss 1928
Retirement--May 24-August 29, 1928
TWENTYRefus de séjour 1929
TWENTY-ONE
The Last Time He Saw Paris 1929-1930
The Last Dash
NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Tobias Churton delivers a comprehensive and well-researched account that effectively disentangles Crowley’s life from the surrounding sensationalism. The use of previously unexamined archives adds significant value for serious students of Thelema and French cultural history. However, this book is not suitable for casual readers seeking light entertainment or those who prefer purely mythological treatments of occult figures. It may also disappoint individuals looking for a straightforward hagiography, as the author critically examines controversial aspects rather than glorifying them. Those uninterested in the intersection of art, scandal, and magickal theory might find the detailed analysis dense. Ultimately, it is a vital resource for dedicated enthusiasts but lacks the accessibility required for a broader general audience unfamiliar with esoteric contexts.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers deeply fascinated by the hidden layers of Parisian history and the complex persona of Aleister Crowley will find this book indispensable. Churton’s meticulous research offers a fresh, grounded perspective on Crowley’s artistic and magickal evolution during his time in France. This biography is particularly rewarding for those tired of sensationalist myths, as it critically investigates controversial claims with scholarly rigor. It appeals to scholars of the Belle Époque and avant-garde movements who wish to understand the conspiratorial undercurrents that led to Crowley’s expulsion. By illuminating his immersion in artistic circles, this text provides a nuanced portrait of a controversial figure, making it essential for anyone seeking to separate historical fact from legend in the realm of Western esotericism.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.7/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the enigmatic life of Aleister Crowley, particularly his lesser-known European escapades, or if you're drawn to the intersection of occultism, art, and bohemian culture in early 20th-century Paris, this book offers an essential, meticulously researched account.

Reader rating

4.7

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Tobias Churton delivers a comprehensive and well-researched account that effectively disentangles Crowley’s life from the surrounding sensationalism. The use of previously unexamined archives adds significant value for serious students of Thelema and French cultural history. However, this book is not suitable for casual readers seeking light entertainment or those who prefer purely mythological treatments of occult figures. It may also disappoint individuals looking for a straightforward hagiography, as the author critically examines controversial aspects rather than glorifying them. Those uninterested in the intersection of art, scandal, and magickal theory might find the detailed analysis dense. Ultimately, it is a vital resource for dedicated enthusiasts but lacks the accessibility required for a broader general audience unfamiliar with esoteric contexts.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Tobias Churton investigates these dramatic accounts, such as "raising Pan" and "gay sex magick," presenting a nuanced perspective that often debunks or reinterprets them within their historical and magical context, rather than simply confirming them.

The book draws extensively on previously unpublished letters and diaries, providing fresh details about Crowley's personal relationships, artistic collaborations, and the political machinations behind his 1929 expulsion from Paris.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Parisian Bohemian Encounters

Explore Crowley's deep entanglement with the vibrant artistic and intellectual currents of Paris, from his early association with Auguste Rodin and the Salon d'Automne to his later engagement with luminaries like Man Ray and André Gide during the roaring twenties. The book details his social life and creative collaborations.

Magick and Scandal in Montparnasse

Delve into the notorious tales surrounding Crowley's occult workings in the City of Light, including the infamous "raising Pan" incident and the exploration of "gay sex magick." Churton critically examines these sensational narratives, providing context and re-evaluating their historical accuracy and significance within Crowley's broader magical system.

Political Intrigue and Expulsion

Uncover the political machinations and alleged conspiracies that led to Crowley's dramatic departure from Paris in 1929. This work posits that his "expulsion" was not merely a personal failing but rather the result of a concerted, high-level effort to remove the controversial figure from the French capital, hinting at broader geopolitical tensions.

📜 Historical context

Crowley's Paris sojourns unfolded against a backdrop of occult revivalism, including his initiation into the Golden Dawn, and the burgeoning artistic modernism of the Belle Époque and the 1920s. His presence in the city connected him directly to the era's most influential artists and thinkers, positioning his magical and personal evolution within a crucible of cultural innovation and social change.

📚 Glossary

Belle Époque
Golden Dawn
Thelema

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might the vibrant, permissive atmosphere of early 20th-century Paris have influenced Aleister Crowley's development of Thelema and his approach to magick?
Consider the interplay between artistic movements (like those around Rodin or the 1920s avant-garde) and esoteric practices. How do they mutually inform or challenge each other, as seen in Crowley's life?
If Crowley's 1929 expulsion from Paris was indeed a "high-level conspiracy," what does this suggest about the perceived threat of occult figures to established power structures at the time?