John St. John Questions
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Some remarks on the board had me hitting up John St. John again to see what new information I could pull from it's pages. (Someone made the remark it's full of Crowley humor and I'm digging it).
Here are some of the first questions I had and was wondering if anyone could help: (sorry no page numbers - reading online copy)
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Crowley sets out to write a record of a definite working to get a definite result (keeps mentioning the Perfume and Vision). a) Are there examples of records where he set out to get results and didn't get them (not just diary entries of some IX work, but a longer record like do as this is or the Paris Working, etc? (I want to see what the other side looks like) b) What are the Perfume and the Vision? Are they different? Does the Perfume relate to the Voice?
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Crowley mentions the 2 pathways of the Hanged Man and Adjustment (Justice at the time) and refers to them as Free Will and Karma. I'm assuming that Justice = Karma. How does the Hanged Man represent Free Will?
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Crowley mentions doing a ritual that is "Evil" (not evil in truth, etc.). His quote: "For the information of the Z.A.M., I may explain that this ritual pertained to Saturn in Libra;" I was wondering if anyone had any information on what this ritual was (I'm guessing that the Saturn in Libra comment should have me clued in - but I've a head full of rocks. Is this some sort of homosexual reference - the three of swords reference in ALIM chapter which I still don't understand how that represents an XI operation?)
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This record (and me mentions it) seems to show a complete lack of scheduled rituals. Was there ever a period (maybe Cefulu?) in which Crowley rigorously and dogmatically scheduled his art? And hopefully a record of it?
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Who is this based on? Who is John St. John? What did he do?
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@Tinman said
"1. Crowley sets out to write a record of a definite working to get a definite result (keeps mentioning the Perfume and Vision). a) Are there examples of records where he set out to get results and didn't get them (not just diary entries of some IX work, but a longer record like do as this is or the Paris Working, etc? (I want to see what the other side looks like) b) What are the Perfume and the Vision? Are they different? Does the Perfume relate to the Voice?"
Not much. He was a naturally able magician who tended to get results! I suppose the best example would be his initial Abramelin operation which didn't succeed because he abandoned it part way through to respond to Mathers' call to show up in Paris. (Although I argue there were the beginnins of results there - the diary is mostly fairly puerile, like that of an able but overly excited beginner... until the end where it starts sounding like the Crowley of 20 years later.)
Perfume, vision, voice... the phenomena of the HGA don't actually speak to any of our physical senses; however, habituation of the physical senses causes those inner perceptions to manifest as beatific sensations in one or more of the physical senses.
"2. Crowley mentions the 2 pathways of the Hanged Man and Adjustment (Justice at the time) and refers to them as Free Will and Karma. I'm assuming that Justice = Karma. How does the Hanged Man represent Free Will?"
The Path of Mem represents the opening of Hod to Geburah; that is, the opening of the patterned structure of intellect to receive (and be directed by) Volition. For this reason, its Tarot card is given a name that is a pun on "suspended mind," and it represents surrender. Surrender (to True Will) is inseparable from "representing Free Will."
Or something like that!
In the rubric of Temple of Thelema, there is a critical place where Mem is characterized by the word liberation. Same idea.
"3. Crowley mentions doing a ritual that is "Evil" (not evil in truth, etc.). His quote: "For the information of the Z.A.M., I may explain that this ritual pertained to Saturn in Libra;" I was wondering if anyone had any information on what this ritual was (I'm guessing that the Saturn in Libra comment should have me clued in - but I've a head full of rocks. Is this some sort of homosexual reference - the three of swords reference in ALIM chapter which I still don't understand how that represents an XI operation?)"
He's speaking of sodomy. There is an old equation of the 3 of Swords to this (which becomes hysterically evident of you take Waite's card and look at it upside down, i.e., "reversed." Think of it as a proctologist's nightmare.)
"4. This record (and me mentions it) seems to show a complete lack of scheduled rituals. Was there ever a period (maybe Cefulu?) in which Crowley rigorously and dogmatically scheduled his art? And hopefully a record of it?"
I don't have it opened in front of me, but my recollection is that he eventually made the decision to do the Prelminary Invocation daily; and that, in this diary, he mostly stuck to it rigorously and, otherwise, recorded that he did not.
"5. Who is this based on? Who is John St. John? What did he do?"
I suspect I don't understand your first question, since the answer is: Crowley. It's the record of his magical retirement to self-initiate to 6=5.
I always felt that the name was picked mostly to equate him with "Anyman As St. John." However, John St. John (pronounced among Brits, as Regardie was quick to point out to me, essentially "John Sinchen"), if I'm remembering correctly [dredging up from distant scrap data] was a prominent actor of that time. (There was a novel of the same name but I think it wasn't published until about a decade later.) There's also an important British politician and writer by that name from the 18th century.
The main point was that Crowley didn't want to admit that it was his diary, so he needed a fictional name.
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@Tinman said
"Some remarks on the board had me hitting up John St. John again to see what new information I could pull from it's pages. (Someone made the remark it's full of Crowley humor and I'm digging it)."
Crowley was not trying to be funny. That’s what makes it such a laugh. At the end of his retirement he writes:
12th day
1.14. I read through this volume of the Record; and I dissolve my being into quintessential laughter.
The entries are some of them so funny! ... Previously, this had escaped me.