The purpose of the following essay is to explain Crowley’s path toward enlightenment and life mission through a special technique of linking his natal horoscope with the Tree of Life. Kaballah, Astrology and Tarot are three inseparable systems. Understanding them as a whole enables explanation of life and the spiritual path of every individual. Sephiroth on the Tree of Life are attributed to planets. In astrological horoscopes aspects link planets. Every aspect between planets is reflected in paths between two Sephirah. The Paths correlate to Major Arcana. The Path might be closed or opened for individual on her spiritual path. Closed paths are indicated by challenged aspect between planets, which are: square, quincunx, sesquiquadrate and opposition. The Path is opened if planets in the horoscope are in conjunction or have easy aspects: sextile and trine. For the purpose of this essay, Crowley's natal chart was computed using and equal house system. [ Please note this article and its artistic contents are copyright protected. It is a draft. Significant events in Crowley's life interpreted through astrology, kaballah and Thoth are part of a forthcoming book on the Thoth Tarot by Antic and Lerner.]

Aleister Crowley was born in October 12, 1875 in Leamington Spa in England, 11:30 PM, with Sun in Libra and Leo Ascendant. The positions of planets and mutual aspects linked with Tree of Life clearly reveal his work, devotion and highest aims in life.

Aleister Crowley's Natal Chart

His Sun is in Libra in conjunction with Venus also in Libra as her home. If we look at the Tree of Life, we can see that this conjunction refers on the Path XXIV (Nun) - Death. Death joins the Sephiroth Netzach (Venus) and Tiphareth (Sun). On a simplistic level this, for Crowley was an opened Path, which enabled him to face his Ego, deep instincts and sexuality. Death symbolizes metaphorical death and the release of old Ego in ecstasy. It written in the Book of Law: "Think not, o king, upon that lie: That Thou Must Die: verily thou shalt not die, but live. Now let it be understood: If the body of the King dissolve, he shall remain in pure ecstasy forever."
Crowley is known for his passionate nature, which bordered on debauchery. Liberated from fears and prejudices, on this Path Crowley perceived dark secrets of the driving instinctive energies that exist hidden in every individual. Crowley operated with sex-magick. This was one way for complete understanding and uncovering the meaning of sexual power as the most important driving force linked with love: "The word of Sin is Restriction. O man! refuse not thy wife, if she will! O lover, if thou wilt, depart! There is no bond that can the divided but love: all else is curse. Accursed! Accursed be it to the aeons! Hell!"

However, Path of Death is confronted by challenges in Crowley’s natal chart which were reflected in his life and work. Venus is quincunux to Pluto, ruler of Scorpio, the astrological signifier for Death. If Crowley did not have a favorable aspect between the Sun and Venus, such a condition would indirectly close the path. That rises distinct problems for Crowley in his pathwork here.

First, at the time Crowley wrote the Book of Thoth, Scorpio was popularly assigned to Mars. Later astrological science would recognize Pluto as its rightful ruler. Crowley may have had premonition of this, because he was troubled by the Scorpio’s attribution to Death. He wrote in the Book of Thoth, "The card must then be considered as of greater importance and catholicity than would be expected from the plain Zodiacal attribution. It is even a compendium of universal energy in it most secret form." The fact that these two sentences presage later understanding about the energy of Pluto is unmistakable. The fact the Crowley perceives incongruity in the occult science concerning this trump indicates issues that may stem from personal imbalance in this area.

To continue in analyzing Crowley’s difficulty, it is useful to examine how the influence of Pluto on his Venus may have been realized. The challenge most obviously manifests on the level of Netzach (Venus.) Crowley had lifelong difficulty dealing with women. Many accuse him of misogyny. However, “misogyny” in this case may be psychological double-speak for exploration the dark aspect of the eternal feminine. (Crowley hated whitewash simplifications and trite judgments.) His difficulties with Venus are obviously expressed in The Complete Astrological Writings in which he refers to "the essential falsity and worthlessness of the unredeemed and vampire Venus." Obviously, he did have some issues, and the influence of Pluto on Venus informed his work and life.
Crowley did not realize true spiritual rebirth through erotic relations with women. (We will examine later how he attained that through platonic relationship with Lady Frieda Harris when he transcended the Abyss on the level of Path XIV, Daleth, the Empress.) Instead, he was absorbed by a morbid preoccupation with both pleasure and revulsion of the flesh through coitus with the body of woman. “Death” has long been a metaphor for sexual intercourse. Crowley was not able to fully humanize his sexual partners nor recognize his own humanity through them. Therefore he failed to recognize the potential for spiritual regeneration which is part of the glory of the sexual act, and also fulfillment of the potential of the Death Arcana. The fact that such exploration for him lead to vituperation suggests that even though he was able to travel the road between Tiphareth and Netzach, he did not achieve true satisfaction in Netzach. So the Path of Death was at least in part not fully rewarding for him.

He more adequately comes to terms with the demon-face of woman in his exploration of the indirectly opened Path XXVI, (Ayin), The Devil represented by a trine between the Sun and Saturn. The Path unites knowledge, power of intellectual abilities (Hod) with higher awareness and the center of personality (Tiphareth). On this Path Crowley integrated spiritual components into base physical expression. By own strong will, he overcame temptation to conform in the spiritual realm. He released himself from a karmic burden created by his childhood experiences. He was challenged by deep rooted and restrictive Christian dogma in its most extreme form. Crowley’s parents were members of a fundamentalist Christian sect, and they literally followed Bible as their only guide. In his own biography, Crowley wrote that his intensive sexual life was a revolt against all that limited and retarded the superiority of Man’s Will. He glorified Dionysus, Greek god of vine and ecstasy, and Pan, Greek deity of nature, whose name in Greek means "All", and in Sanskrit "Exalted Uniting". Dionysus personifies divine incarnation manifested through humanity. Significantly, he is twice born. The myth of his genesis fits Crowley. Zeus in the form of a snake impregnated his mother, a mortal named Semele. When Semele viewed Zeus in all his glory, she was incinerated because she was unable to face the reality of divine fire. Zeus took the horned child from her womb and placed him in his thigh until Dionysus could emerge as a child-god.

Crowley needed to immolate the influence of his own mother to emerge as a mystic, the Beast. On the Path of the Devil Crowley liberated himself from Christian dogma, no longer to concern himself with people’s narrow-mindedness. His pursuit of sexual extremes liberated him from his mother’s influence. Like Dionysus’ mother, she could not face the true face of divine fire, which was embodied by Crowley’s mystic vision. His vilification of her confirms his departure from the stale Christian principles she embodied. By demonizing her, paradoxically Crowley became his own godly beast. He understood and celebrated the extremes of human nature. This was not evil in itself, and it does not represent Crowley embracing evil. Rather, he shines the light of truth on the full spectrum of existence. Crowley writes of this path: " The formula of this card is then the complete appreciation of all existing things. He rejoices in the rugged and the barren no less than in the smooth and the fertile. All things equally exalt him. He represents the finding of ecstasy in every phenomenon, however naturally repugnant; he transcends all limitations; he is Pan; he is all"

The paths of Death and The Devil are complimented by the indirectly closed Path XXV (Samekh) for Crowley. It is represented by the Trump for Art. It is on the middle pillar on the Tree of Life. Its indirect closure appears in Crowley’s natal chart as the Sun (Tiphareth) Sesquiquadrate to Jupiter. Jupiter is the ruler of Sagittarius and the astrological affiliation of the Art Trump. The challenge Crowley faced to realize Art, spiritual experience through vision of balance with the Machinery of Universe and harmonic interaction between consciousness and subconscious is described at length in his book Vision and Voice. The Paths Death, Devil and Art join Netzach, Hod and Yesod with Tiphareth and they are keys for attaining integrity through insight. Crowley attained on the Path of Death mastery over instinctive and emotional nature and released his own essence through death and transformation of own Self. On the Path of the Devil, he consciously recognized own wholeness. The path Art challenged him to realize a vision of alchemical Gold or God or man’s essence. To walk that path was a far greater challenge for Crowley than the other two. (It is interesting to note that one can see in the Devil Card – as well as many others - Crowley’s legendary hatred and thus conquest of his Mother. Crowley is not so candid about his father. Yet one begins to get a peak at the father-son struggle through his polemics in the Vision and The Voice.) In the 5th Aethyr of The Vision and The Voice, Crowley writes of the arrow central to The Art Trump. His difficulty in mastering it is evident.

" And now there cometh a strange thought; this Arrow is the source of all motion; it is infinite motion, yet it moveth not, so that there is no motion. And therefore there is no matter. This Arrow is the glance of the Eye of Shiva. But because it moveth not, the universe is not destroyed. The universe is put forth and swallowed up in the quivering of the plumes of Maat, that are the plumes of the Arrow: but those plumes quiver not.
And a voice comes: That which is above is not like that which is below.
And another voice answers it: That which is below is not like that which is above.
And a third voice answers these two: What is above and what is below? For there is the division that divideth not and the multiplication that multiplieth not. And the One is the Many. Behold, this Mystery is beyond understanding, for the winged globe is the crown, and the shaft is the wisdom, and the barb is the understanding. And the Arrow is one, and thou are lost in the Mystery, who art but as a babe that is carried in the womb of its mother, that art not yet ready for the light.
And the vision overcometh me. My sense is stunned; my sight is blasted; my hearing is dulled..
And the voice cometh: Thou didst seek the remedy of sorrow; therefore all sorrow is thy portion. This is that which is written: “God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all."

The Open and Indirectly Open Paths for Crowley on the Tree of Life

From Tiphareth’s level Crowley had his Sun (Tiphareth) square Mars (Geburah), which marks the directly closed Path XIX (Lamed) Adjustment. The square stopped emanation from Geburah to Tiphareth, which means that he faced many challenges in reaching Geburah through Adjustment. Venus square Mars also indirectly closes the path of Adjustment, again blocking energy from Geburah to Tiphareth. This Path demands hard work to establish inner balance. However, this path needs to be examined differently than other closed paths because of the fortunate placement of the planets involved in Crowley’s natal chart.
Crowley’s natal Mars is exalted in Capricorn. The strong energy of Mars in this position focuses on attainment of high aims (Capricorn.) This position represents great persistence in all efforts and strenuous work that leads to results. (Let us remember that the astrological characteristic of Three of Discs is Mars in Capricorn. This Minor Arcana lays the foundation for creating all in nature by uniting alchemical Sulfur, Mercury and Salt, which are represented on card with three circles or wheels as a pyramid’s base, symbol of human striving to the summit of heavens knowledge). Crowley’s Mars is in sixth astrological house, which refers to everyday work that may serve others. Crowley’s ambition (Capricorn) and focused energy (Mars in Capricorn) drew him to hard and devoted work, attainment of which would serve others (sixth house). The Mars/Sun Square was a challenge to him to work on establishing balance both in his inner and in outer worlds. His Sun in the third house under Libra, cardinal and airy, strives to unite opposites (Libra-balance.) This leads to expansive of insights about communications (third house and air-communication) and revealing them in public (Libra-publicity). Crowley’s epithet about Adjustment was that of "fulfilled woman." That refers to the Egyptian goddess Maat, goddess of justice and cosmic law, who weighs on her scale souls of mortals against an ostrich feather to define their karma. It also make a reference to the completion of a critical leg of the Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana. The letter Lamed refers to an Ox goad. The letter of the Fool’s Path is Aleph, which means Ox. The dynamic between these Hebrew letters suggests that the undifferentiated energy of the fool is harnessed by Adjustment. Hence a notion of “fulfillment”: feral energy of the naïve male is herein controlled by the authority of the knowing woman. Potential is realized. His insight, said so simply but holding such deep meaning, tells about Crowley’s peek awareness for the necessity for balance on a spiritual level as well as on a worldly one.

Crowley’s Mars trine with Pluto bares on his desire to straighten worldly injustice. It accentuates his leadership ability to demonstrate extraordinary force of personality with great self-confidence. It is illustrated by his great ambition and obsession to work without any break. This led him to the attainment of success through excessive effort. This trine and the position of Mars in Capricorn was helpful in overcoming the squares: Sun/Mars; Venus/Mars (which closed the path of Adjustment). In his mortal life, he faced many ups and downs and obstacles due to his desires, and rashness. Such challenges are emblematic of the squares.

However, the Sun’s conjunction with Venus indirectly opened the path of Adjustment. Venus as attributed to Adjustment shows that Crowley had potential characteristics of this Major Arcana. The archetypal types of experience therein represented were intimate to him due to his well positioned natal Venus. (The Path itself being closed challenged him throughout his life). Crowley’s Sun/Venus conjunction in Libra is beneficial, because the Sun and Venus agree, especially when Venus is in her own home. This conjunction softens the square between the Sun and Mars, and thus helped Crowley face the gauntlet of Adjustment. The conjunction of the Sun and Venus means in his chart that he had very strong natural instinct for balance, and great need for uniting with another side (either with own shadow or a partner). This helped him to forge ahead on this path, even though Mars’ squares with the Sun and Venus made the passage difficult. His strong sex-drive drove him from lover to lover. His lustfulness may be perceived as part of his struggle for balance. Ironically, his prowess as a lothario suggests that he did understand how to make a woman feel "fulfilled."

Essentially, even though the path to Adjustment was closed for him, the benign placement of the planets that formed the closure gave Crowley tools to form significant insight about the path. His lack of adjustment is illustrated by his excessive use of drugs, economic struggles as well his sexual proclivities. But he possessed a rare ability to transcend these physical constraints to attain a vision of balance. As such, his natal chart demonstrates the need for the astrologer to look beyond simple aspects when devoting interpretations. There is more to patterns than their angles.

The next Path Crowley had to navigate was the indirectly open Path XVIII (Cheth), The Chariot. Crowley had Mars (Geburah) sextile his Moon. An attribute of the Chariot is the sign Cancer, whose ruler is the Moon. This path demands interior preparation without disruption of outer influences to move forward in life’s mission (a reference to the search for the Holy Graal). Crowley’s successful passage is revealed by his desert journey, isolating him from people and society, to face his angels and demons. In The Book of Thoth he says of the Charioteer: "Visor of a helmet is lowered, for no man may look upon his face and live." That statement refers to Crowley’s meeting with the demon of chaos Choronzon? The Sephirah Binah on this path emanates divine energy and protection of the Great Mother. Crowley led by her blessing in form of topflight, mystical knowledge, combined with a warrior’s bravery in search for the divine spring of life, reached the level of Binah on the Chariot’s path.

The Closed and Indirectly Closed Paths for Crowley on the Tree of Life

In his horoscope, the Moon appears in Pisces in eighth house. That tells about Crowley’s unlimited intuition (Moon in Pisces) which he used in his occult work (eighth house). The Moon rules his twelfth house, and in this way is under the double influence of Pisces. It tells about his capability to penetrate the most distant and hidden parts of the human psyche, and to understand those areas keenly in his own research (again eighth house). Correspondences between the Moon and Pisces, as well as the eighth and twelfth houses show in his great receptivity to influences from higher levels, the readiness of his soul to sacrifice for high aims, and willingness to fight for principles. He pushed the outermost boundaries of his capabilities. His Moon forms a quincunx with Uranus in the first house, and Venus and the Sun in the third house. In that way, it forms the karmic configuration of Yod or "God’s finger". His revolutionary attempts to reform society as a whole have foundation in Uranus in the first house and sextile with conjunction Sun/Venus in the third house. This sextile bares on his eccentricity, magnetic attractiveness, and impulsive appetite for sensations and feelings. Essentially, it reveals a zealous love for life. Uranus, the Sun and Venus find outlets for their energies through the Moon as the apex of Yod in the eighth house. His life mission was to raise collective awareness (Uranus) and to point out the need for attaining of universal balance (Sun and Venus in Libra, the sign of balance and harmony). His devotion to this aim of universal benefit for humankind is reflected by his Moon in Pisces, which also gives him a way to reach his goals through the practice of magic.

The next Path on the Tree of Life for Crowley is XXVIII (Tzaddi), the Emperor, which joins Yesod (Moon) and Netzach (Venus). The Moon quincunx Venus closes the Path. Both Moon and Venus are symbols for woman and feminine nature. The Emperor expresses the masculine principle and is linked to alchemical Sulfur. Crowley longed whole his life for his Scarlet Woman, alchemical Mercury, with whom he could attain the Great Work. While young (Aries, astrological attribute of the Emperor, is a sign of youth) Crowley saw prostitutes and promiscuous women as his Babalon or Scarlet Woman. By overcoming this Path, and rising above basic instincts, Crowley finally able to find his Scarlet Woman in Lady Frieda Harris, with whom he was in an exclusively spiritual relationship. Their relationship was foretold by the square between Venus in Libra (woman artist) and Mars in Capricorn in sixth house, which fortells of a successful partnership with a woman late in his life. Mars in his sixth house shows hard and long-lasting work, which leads to the results. (Three of Discs, Mars in Capricorn, finally shows results in their great work - the Thoth Tarot).

Interestingly, although both the Emperor and Adjustment were closed paths for Crowley, it seems that the Emperor’s path caused him more trouble. One relates to fatherhood, the loss of his first daughter and numerous bastard children. Another challenge was realizing his desire to be a leader. Of course, an Emperor is one who rules his realm. Crowley attempted to do this through his leadership of OTO and A:.A:. to spread his doctrine. The fact that neither of these organizations enjoyed huge success or impact during his lifetime was perhaps karmatically justified by the closure of the Emperor’s path. Crowley had the vision to lead, but lacked the shrewder skills and discipline in the human realm that would enable him to effectively wield authority.

To overcome closed Paths required great willpower and persistence. Crowley gained substantial insight about both Adjustment and the Emperor. His understanding their essence is revealed by his decision to adjust their positions on the Tree of Life. (Ed. Note: Regarding the correlations between Tarot and the Tree of Life, Crowley assigned Adjustment to Lamed and Lust to Theth, The Emperor to Tzaddi and the Star to Heh. This subverts their numerical order in the Trumps. The full ramifications of this move will be discussed in a future essay on this site.)

Crowley had three opened Paths connected to Tiphareth. These are: Path XVII (Zain) Lovers, shown in his chart in a trine between Sun (Tiphareth) and Saturn (Binah); Path XIII (Gimel) The Priestess, his Sun (Tiphareth) sextile Uranus (Sephirah Daat or abyss); and the indirectly opened Path XV (Heh), the Star, Sun (Tiphareth) sextile Uranus, ruler of Aquarius-the Star’s astrological sign.

The Lovers comments on the dichotomy of public opinions about Crowley: approval and adoration from his supporters versus cruel attacks and slanders, which tried to deny his doctrine, from his enemies. Openness of this path enabled Crowley to establish balance and to go his chosen way. Keen critics could not to stop him. On a spiritual level, this shows that he made the right choice, because his further progress toward the divine triad on the Tree of Life was enabled. The Lovers represents initiation, and Crowley proceeded with great alacrity to high rank in The Golden Dawn. He achieved even higher levels of self-initiation. The Lovers, began a process of enlightenment which was fulfilled through Crowley's trial with the Path of Art. As Crowley observed, "the two cards are so complimentary that they cannot be studied alone." It is interesting to note in this regard that the earliest stages of striving to achieve the Great Work were much easier for Crowley than the later.

The open Path of the Priestess talks about the perilous journey across the abyss. Crowley achieved knowledge, which remains hidden for most mortals, through the shadow Sephirah Daath. He passed over the abyss when he met his Holy Guardian Angel AIWASS and attained mystical union with Divine to write The Book of the Law.

Indirectly opened Path Star XV (Heh) represents man’s highest aims, inspirational artistic gifts or spiritual inspiration, and those qualities enable helping others. His sextile Uranus with Sun shows his originality, consciousness of and concentration upon an aim, a far-seeing mind, love of freedom, the tendency to strive for reforms, and leadership drive. He used these qualities as his creative power to establish his own magic doctrine for New Aeon, through self-sacrifice and courage in his experimentation that show quincunx Uranus/Moon in Pisces, in the eighth house. The Star also represents the culmination of the Vital Triad of the Three Goddesses in the Tarot, represented by the Priestess (Virgin), Empress (Wife), and Star (Mother.) As Mother, she represents the ultimate ability to deliver new forms to the world. The Star is said to provide a transition between two waters: one the cosmos’ (represented esoterically as heavenly water) and the earth’s. Crowley’s purpose in creation was to enable humankind to realize divine potential in the human realm and thus create such a bridge.

All three of the Goddess Paths of the Tarot were open for Crowley. Perhaps he realized perfection in the open which lay beyond the Abyss, Path XIV, Daleth, The Empress. The trine Venus of Saturn, which joins Binah and Chokmah, opens it. To fully understand the ramifications of this path for Crowley it is useful to also examine one of the most challenging closed paths for him, between Chockmah to Chesed, Path XVI, (Vau) The Hierophant. The closure of the Hierophant results from Crowley’s natal opposition of Neptune (Chokmah) and Jupiter (Chesed). Opposition is awareness about needs of others and it enables overcoming one’s selfishness. In Crowley’s chart there is opposition between Jupiter/Neptune representing the Hierophant’s path. He had awareness about what humankind’s needs were, and that is divine knowledge (Neptune). The Hierophant’s task is to convey secret, high knowledge. Now, it is difficult to perceive how this path may have been closed for so great a Sage. But, opposition has a different character than other closed paths. In esoteric Astrology, an opposition shows karmic ends. Crowley’s true recognition comes posthumously. He died in penury. Jupiter or Chesed represents the mercy of God, and Neptune transcendental insights. We can see on the tree of Life that seven of Crowley’s Paths lead to/from Tiphareth, the level unreachable for ordinary mortals. Crowley made connection with the Highest Self or Holy Guardian Angel and accomplished complete devotion to the Great Work. The Middle pillar on the Tree is primary activation. It is the "path of the arrow." His work was mostly mystical and not solely magical. Crowley attained wisdom when he passed across the Abyss. But where were the students and public to receive the fruits of this wisdom? They came to Crowley’s work Largely after he passed, and many of these found him through the Thoth Tarot.

That returns us to Crowley’s open Path the Empress. When he passed abyss, he was still in search of his Scarlet Woman, an Empress who represents most sublime fertile woman and mother. Lady Frieda Harris was that woman with whom Crowley created a pearl of wisdom - the Thoth Tarot - his final major achievement. It was left as a tool to Man to attain genuine insights about self and Universe. On Path of the Hierophant, he ended his life’s mission. He didn’t live to see the publication of Thoth Tarot as working deck. The work which was achieved by the union of an elevated man and woman (whose creativity and vision each in their own ways can be thought to embody aspirations of the two great supernals (Chockmah and Binah.) It represents a mastery of that path, which lies beyond on our reach. His last Great Work was a testament to his successful journey along the Empress Path. (Rumor has it he died in Harris’ arms. Remember that Binah represents in part the principles of Compassion and Understanding.) It is a last will to wise men of New Aeon.

"Treat time and all conditions of Event as Servants of thy will, appointed to present the Universe to the in the form of they Plan. And: blessing and worship to the Prophet of the lovely Star."

FOOTNOTES

*I count Mercury in Crowley’s chart as unaspested, because orb of square
Mercury/Uranus is 6 degree. In Crowley’s horoscope, almost all aspects are
exact (orbs within 1 degree). This is very important indication, because
every aspect was experienced in full impact.

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