Magick/Liber Aba and Mysterium Coniunctionis: A Comparison of the Writings of Aleister Crowley and C.G. Jung by Lloyd Kenton Keane, B.A. A thesis submitted to the faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Religion Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario March, 31 1999 ©copyright 1999, Lloyd Kenton Keane Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 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Neither the droit d’auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes reproduced without the author’s ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. 0 - 612 - 43310-2 Canada Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Thesis Acceptance Form M A Canidate The undersigned recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research acceptance of the thesis Xfagick/Liber Aba and Afysterium Coniunctionis: A Comparison of the Writings of Aleister Crowley and C.G. Jung submitted by Lloyd K. Keane, B.A. in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master o f Arts John P. Dourley, Thesis irvtsor hair, Department o f Religion Carleton University - l l - Re produced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT This thesis is a comparison of the works o f two seemingly dichotomous individuals. The first work, M a gick/L ib er A b a , is by Western Esotericist (Occultist) Aleister Crowley [1875-1947]. Magick/Liber Aba sets out the major thrust o f this prolific author’s theories concerning Magick as a process towards spiritual attainment. The second work, Mysterium Coniunctionis, presents psychologist C.G. Jung’s [1875-1961] interpretation of the alchemical tradition as a method toward individuation. These two men were individuals who were dissatisfied with the predominantly m onopha sic world­ view of “Western” culture. Both Crowley and Jung can be seen as pioneers who attempted to foster a p o fyp h a sic world-view in which various states of consciousness such as dreams, fantasies, visions, and drug-induced experiences were not only valid but essential for the completion of the Great Work and the acquisition of ever deepening and widening g n o sis in the quest to become fully human. Lama Anagarika Govinda’s theory of Multidimensional Consciousness and anthropology’s Cycle of Meaning are used throughout the present work in order to facilitate a more in-depth understanding of these two diverse traditions; Magick and alchemy. Included in the appendices of this thesis are five figures, a comparative chronology of Crowley and Jung and a text copy of Crowley’s “channeled” work: Liber AL vel Legis. - m - Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments I would like to thank several people who helped me through the course of researching and writing this thesis. First I would like to thank my parents (Fintan and Donna) and my fiancee Beth for their unending support not only in regards to this thesis but to my choice of academic discipline (sorry about the Business degree dad!). Second, I would like to thank my close friends (Catherine, Ariel, Nalini, and Sandeep) for helping me keep grounded in “the real world.” Thirdly, I would like to thank Martin P. Starr (Secretary to the Chancellor of the A. .A ..) and William Heidrick and Hymenaeus Beta X° of the Caliphate O.T.O for their excellent editorial and academic work on Crowley (and for Bill’s prompt answers to my e-mail questions!). Finally, I would like to thank my advisor, Professor John Dourley, for his indespensable encouragement, editorial wizardry, and assistance in elucidating the nuances of Jung’s theories. -IV - Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................I Chapter One: Two Theories on the Nature of Symbols and Their Role in Personal Transformation ................................ 10 Multidimensional Consciousness and Symbols ..............................................11 The Cycle of Meaning and the Nature of Symbols ........................................ 15 Chapter Two: Aleister Crowley and the Western Esoteric Tradition ......................20 The Fundamentals of the Western Esoteric Tradition. ................................. 22 The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Tree of Life ................... 25 A Brief Biography of Aleister Crowley......................................................... 37 Crowley as Anti-Christ ....................................................................................39 Crowley and the Golden Dawn ...................................................................... 41 The Book of the Law......................................................................................44 Liber Legis and the New Aeon .......................................................................45 Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit: The Trinity of Liber Legis........................47 M agick Liber Aba of Aleister Crowley......................................................... 53 Part One: Mysticism ............................................................................ 54 Part Two: Magick............................................................................... 58 Part Three: Magick in Theory and Practice .......................................65 Part Four: S e A r jfia ............................................................................ 70 Summary of Chapter Two .......................................................... 72 Chapter Three: The Conjunction of Carl Gustav Jung ........................................... 74 The Fundamentals of Analytical Psychology ................................................ 75 A Brief Biography of C.G. Jung......................................................................80 The Alchemical Conjunction as Psychological Process .................................85 The Conjunction .............................................................................................. 86 The Three Stages of the Conjunction.............................................................90 The Symbolic Ingredients of the Mixture ......................................................95 Summary of the Three Stages of the Conjunction ....................................... 100 The Drive Toward Wholeness and Active Imagination. ..............................104 Summary of Chapter Three............................................................................108 Chapter Four: Crowley and Jung: A Comparison .................................................I l l The Magician and theAlchemist ....................................................................112 Magick and Analytical Psychology ............................................................... 122 The Stages of the Great Work...................................................................... 124 The Role of Sexuality in the Great Work .................................................... 128 The Quest for G nosis and the Path Toward Wholeness: Conclusion 131 Bibliography............................................................................................................... 135 Figure One...................................................................................................................141 Figure Two..................................................................................................................142 Figure Three............................................................................................................... 143 Figure Four..................................................................................................................144 - v - Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Figure Five.................................................................................................................... 145 Figure Six (a-c).............................................................................................................146 Appendix One ............................................................................................................... 147 Appendix Two ..............................................................................................................154 - Vi' Reproduced with permission