A Very Brief Overview of the Relationship Between G.C. Jones (D.D.S.) and Crowley
Step 1: Eliminate Golden Dawn from the magical picture to prove their connection with the Secret Chiefs was being faked despite their proclamations otherwise.
Step 2: Reception of a holy text, in this case Liber L vel Legis.
Step 3: Acknowledgment of Crowley’s authority by D.D.S.
1. Eliminate the Golden Dawn
In 1904, Crowley performs the “B2 Ritual”, which is a sex magick operation aimed at destroying the G.’.D.’.
2. Receive a Holy Text
In three successive days in April of 1904, with the assistance of Rose Edith Crowley (Ouarda the Seer), Crowley receives Liber L from an entity called Aiwass. He eventually recognizes Him as his own Holy Guardian Angel.
From Equinox of the Gods:
“I had a strong impression’ that the speaker was actually in the corner where he seemed to be, in a body of ‘fine matter,’ transparent as a veil of gauze, or a cloud of incense-smoke. He seemed to be a tall, dark man in his thirties, well-knit, active and strong, with the face of a savage king, and eyes veiled lest their gaze should destroy what they saw. The dress was not Arab; it suggested Assyria or Persia, but very vaguely. I took little note of it, for to me at that time Aiwass was an ‘angel’ such as I had often seen in visions, a being purely astral.“I now incline to believe that Aiwass is not only the God or Demon or Devil once held holy in Sumer, and mine own Guardian Angel, but also a man as I am, insofar as He uses a human body to make His magical link with Mankind, whom He loves, and that He is thus an Ipsissimus, the Head of the A.’.A.’. Even I can do, in a much feebler way, this Work of being a God and a Beast, &c., &c., all at the same time, with equal fullness of life.” (p. 118)
And:
“I lay claim to be the sole authority competent to decide disputed points with regard to the Book of the Law, seeing that its Author, Aiwaz, is none other than mine own Holy Guardian Angel, to Whose Knowledge and Conversation I have attained, so that I have exclusive access to Him. I have duly referred every difficulty to Him directly, and received His answer; my award is therefore absolute without appeal.” (p. 126)
Crowley communicated to Jones a vision in which the Secret Chiefs invited him to “take his place in the Third Order”. (For more details about the spiritual import of the vision, see “Aleister Crowley’s Invitation from the Secret Chiefs”.)
Excerpts from Aleister Crowley: The Biography by Tobias Churton:
“Crowley decamped to George Cecil Jones’ house at Mistley near Basingstoke on 26 July where he went through a crucifixion ritual, vowing to lead a pure and unselfish life, dedicated to achieving my higher and Divine Genius. Crowley lived under the vow for the rest of his life. He then had a ‘Complete and perfect visualization’ of Christ as his magical self. The next day he enjoyed a certain vision of A.’. [Augoeides] remembered only as a glory now attainable. He was now in the 25th week of the Augoeides Invocation. Crowley and Jones discussed establishing a new order. Jones insisted it have a secure link to the supernal will. Crowley opined: ‘Perfect the lightning-conductor and the flash will come.’ Through the trauma and the introspection, Crowley was finding his way to his life’s work. A ceremony of ‘rising in the planes’ stirred a visionary experience in Crowley of crossing the Abyss by the path of the camel (Gimel) from Ruach, the middle part of the soul (= reason), to Kether and Yechidah, the Holy Guardian Angel. At the end of the vision, there was only the memory of having known a glory, but one impossible to pin down or define.
“The date: 27 July 1906. Throughout the summer and autumn came intimations of a climax to the Abra-Melin Operation, even of having somehow, but elusively, attained it, as on 27 July. It is hardly surprising to learn that at this point in his life, Crowley believed himself to have penetrated the mystery of Christ’s teaching, finding his way to the ‘Secret of Jesus’. A deleted diary entry of 5 August reads:
My Revelations book The Arcanum in the Adytum [drawing of a diamond] or the Secret of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, being a Commentary upon the Apocalypse. On the cover The Secret of Jesus.
“On 10 August he felt himself on the threshold of the Augoeides. He experienced doubt, then realized the essential Armageddon’ took place within, when resistance to union with ‘God’ broke down…” (p. 122)
“In December, Crowley experienced…samadhi again – and he knew! The work with Jones, the walk across China: not in vain. In mid-December, Crowley posed an intriguing rhetorical question to Jones: ‘How long have you been in the Great Order, and why did I not know? Is the invisibility of the A.’.A.’. to lower grades so complete?’ Crowley’s revived spiritual dependency on Jones made him look more closely at his old friend. Now he was sure that Jones had himself experienced the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. With Jones’s help, Crowley determined to establish the ideal working order for those who would cross the Abyss: the A.’.A.’.
“The three dots are a masonic conceit referring to spiritual activity, derived from 17th-century Rosicrucian sources. The letters ‘AA’ are usually taken to stand for ‘Astrum Argentinum’, or ‘Silver Star’. Their meaning is an Order secret, though there is a tie in with the silvery star of the High Priestess tarot trump. Her full title ‘The Priestess of the Silver Star represents spiritual perception. Linked directly to the will of the Secret Chiefs, the Order would replace the old Golden Dawn. Soon, he projected, the A.’.A.’.: would initiate the thinking and spiritually active part of humanity.” (p. 124)
Finally, consider the following entries from Crowley’s April 1906 Magickal Record. (You can see a copy of the original typescript at the bottom of “Aleister Crowley’s Invitation from the Secret Chiefs”). Note: A.’.A.’. = Augoeides.
April 23rd, 1906: Could I use Aiwass to help me with A.’. I.’.? I should think yes: I ought to use every power I have. A.’. fair only; though I invoked all these powers of mine. Yet, after, by a strong effort of will, I banished my sore throat and my surroundings and went up in Astral Body. Reached a room, in which a table was spread thus, a naked being nailed thereto. Many venerable men sat around, feasting on his living flesh and quaffing his hot blood. There (I was told) were the adepts whom I might one day join. This I understand to mean that I should get the power of taking only spiritual nourishment – but probably it means much more than this. Next, I came into an apparently empty hall, all being in white ivory, worked in filigree, as the Chinese do. A square [slim] altar was in the midst. I seemed to be questioned as to what I would sacrifice on that altar. I offered all save my will to know A.’. that I would only exchange for its own realization. I now became conscious of vast God-forms of Egypt sitting, so vast I could only see their knees. “Would not knowledge of the gods suffice?” No! Said I. It was then pointed out that I was being critical, i.e. rationalistic and made to see that A.’. was not fashioned in my image. Necessarily, that is. I apologized, and knelt at altar, placing my hands on it, right over left. Then One human, white, self-shining (my idea after all) came forth and put his hands over mine, saying ‘I receive thee into the Order of the Silver Star’. Then, with advice to return, I sank back to earth in a cradle of flame.
April 24th: Yesterday’s vision a real illumination, since it showed me an obvious mistake which I had utterly failed to see. The word in my kamma-work was A.’. and the method ‘invoking often’! Therefore, a Self-glittering One, whether my conscience approves or not, whether my desires fit or not, is to be my guide. I am to invoke often, not to criticize. Am I to lose my grade of 7=4? I cannot go wrong, for I am the Chosen One: that is the very postulate of the whole Work. This boat carries Caesar and his fortunes.