UNSOUGHT VISITORS:

A Book of Visitations

By Patrick Mahony

New York, New York, USA

1953

(pages 86-88)

SUPERNORMAL EVIL

Aleister Crowley died on the 1st, December, 1947, his end being heralded in the British Press as that of "England's worst man." During his seventy odd years of life he had created for himself a reputation for genuinely possessing supernormal powers of evil. Only a year ago a full-length biography appeared, trying to whitewash him and claim that he was an exquisite port, misunderstood by the world.

Rumours about this strange being abound and he actually passed into legend many years before his death. It is said that if he glared at a table, it would begin to move toward him; if he warned it off, it would begin to back away. He was said to have been able to increase his stature by five or six inches. He was supposed to be able to hold inert objects, suspended in mid-air, for as long as he desired, and he openly boasted that he practiced a form of physical vampirism.

Whether this was actually true or not, it is a fact that wherever he happened to be, mysterious things happened. That he had the power to bring misfortune to those whom he hated is beyond doubt, and was proved shortly before his death.

Many stories have been told about his so-called Black Mass. At his London home, there used to be a pentagram painted in red letters and it was here that he would hold his vicious conferences. An eye-witness has told of a room of mirrors where he officiated the Mass. Disciples would stand round in a circle, each holding a Crucifix inverted. He, himself, would hold in his right hand a black rod, on one end of which was a cap of silver, the two being joined by a silver chain inscribed with the words "Hail Solomon!" In his left hand he would hold a piece of parchment taken from the skin of a virgin kid killed at full moon.

Orgies of carnal obscenities would then take place and whatever was lacking in bloody sacrifice, was amply made up for in blasphemy. Goblets of black wine mixed with some "magic" potion of Crowley's own concoction were distributed to his followers. Black bread, black wine, black candles, were the order of the evening and the worshipers were forced to confess to every good deed as a sin.

The last few years of Crowley's life were spent acting out the role of a character he wrote about in his novel, Confessions of a Drug Fiend [sic] [The Confessions of Aleister Crowley]. For some time he obtained morphia from Dr. William Brown Thomas, a London physician. Three months before Crowley's death the doctor refused to prescribe any more of the drug for his patient. Whereupon, Crowley summoned a pathetic array of followers and in as black a Mass as he was then able to muster. levied a curse on Dr. Thompson. "May you die within twenty-four hours after I do!" he screamed.

The London Daily Mail reported this incident in its obituary of Crowley. Next day their front page a brief notice: "We regret to announce that the Curse levied on Dr. William Brown Thompson by Aleister Crowley, was unfortunately effective. Dr. Thompson died at 5 p.m. last evening, twenty-three hours after that of Crowley."