The Master Therion Speaks! [Restored]
from archive.org
An attempt at restoring the surviving
voice recordings of Aleister Crowley,
drawn primarily from rare wax-cylinder
sessions of the early 1910s and 1920s, later transferred to 78 RPM discs. These
fragments--scratchy,
fragile, and historically invaluable--capture Crowley reading selections from his own works, including The Gnostic Mass, and offer a rare
auditory glimpse into the cadence and character of the infamous occultist's
voice. Though the recordings are exceedingly scarce, they remain essential
artifacts for anyone studying Crowley's
life, writings, and ritual practice.
While the audio has been cleaned and
enhanced where possible, its quality inevitably reflects the limitations of
early 20th-century
wax-cylinder
technology.
Content
of the Recordings
The surviving materials preserve Crowley reciting a range of texts and
reflections, including:
o Excerpts from The Gnostic Mass
Among the most notable items is a rare
1920 wax-cylinder
recording made in London, in which Crowley reads passages from The Gnostic Mass--a demonstration of early
audio technology pressed into service to capture his voice for posterity.
Details of the 1920 recording:
o Year:
1920
o Location:
London
o Medium:
Wax cylinder
o Content:
Readings from The Gnostic Mass
This cylinder is one of the few
authenticated examples of Crowley's
voice from that era and is frequently circulated among occult researchers and
enthusiasts.
o Recitations of the First Two Enochian
Keys (Calls)
Crowley's
recordings also include renditions of the Enochian Keys--invocations originating
with John Dee and Edward Kelley.
The
Call of the First Aethyr
This call represents the threshold of the
30 Aethyrs, a visionary map of consciousness central to Enochian magic. The First Aethyr is invoked as a self-sustaining force
of immense power, one that overcomes opposition without exertion.
Key aspects:
o The
Aethyrs: Spiritual realms accessed through specific Calls or Keys.
o Nature
of the First Call: A proclamation of inherent might, in which adversaries
collapse without the Aethyr's direct intervention.
o Content:
The text describes overwhelming spiritual force and the humiliation of those
who oppose it.
o Crowley's Role: He recorded, performed,
and popularized the Call, embedding it deeply into modern occult practice.
o Purpose
in Ritual: Used to explore spiritual planes, gain insight, and induce altered
states of consciousness.
In essence, the First Aethyr Call
functions as a foundational Enochian formula for invoking a supreme, autonomous
divine power.
o Original Poetry, Incantations, and
Songs
Crowley's
own creative works--lyrical, ritualistic, and experimental--appear throughout the
surviving recordings.
o Reflections on Contemporary Events
These include musings on subjects ranging
from the sinking of the Titanic to American independence.
o Additional Materials
The collection also incorporates:
o A
digital realization of Leila Waddell's Thelema: A Tone Testament (from The
Equinox I:8). Waddell, an Australian violinist and one of Crowley's Scarlet
Women, was a key collaborator in his ritual and artistic work.
o A
recitation from The Book of the Law.
o Audio
recorded at Boleskine House, including atmospheric field recordings from the
grounds surrounding the estate on Loch Ness.
o A
curated selection of Crowley photographs and excerpts from several of his
books, including:
o Diary
of a Drug Fiend
o White
Stains
o The
Confessions of Aleister Crowley
o The
Star in the West by Captain J.F.C. Fuller (a critical essay on Crowley's works)
o Material
relating to the Abramelin Operation
o The
Book of the Law
Tracks
01. The Call of the 1st Aethyr
(Enochian)
02. The Call of the 1st Aethyr
(English)
03. The Call of the 2nd Aethyr
(Enochian)
04. The Call of the 2nd Aethyr
(English)
08. The Poet
09. At Sea
10. The Fingernails
11. The Titanic
12. Hymn to the American People
13. Excerpt from the Gnostic Mass
14.
Vive La French Republic
15.
Thelema: A Tone Testament (Leila Waddell)
16.
La Gitana
17. from The Book of the Law
18. The Significance of 666 Beast's
Number (CFNY '81)
22. Dawn at Loch Ness
23. Boleskine
26. Foyers Power Station
27. Boleskine-house Flooded Basement
28. The Beast of Boleskine (BBC Radio
Scotland Documentary)
- The Call of the 1st Aethyr (Enochian) (2.5Mb)
- The Call of the 1st Aethyr (English) (1.4Mb)
- The Call of the 2nd Aethyr (Enochian) (1.7Mb)
- The Call of the 2nd Aethyr (English) (1Mb)
- La Gitana (2.8Mb)
- The Pentagram (1.3Mb)
- One Sovereign for the Woman (0.9Mb)
- The Poet (0.8Mb)
- At Sea (2Mb)
- The Fingernails (0.7Mb)
- The Titanic (1.9Mb)
- Hymn to the American People (2.7Mb)
- Excerpt from the Gnostic Mass (1.2Mb)
- Vive La French Republic (2.8Mb)
- Thelema A Tone Testament (1.2Mb)
- La Gitana (0.9Mb)
- from The Book of the Law (1.4Mb)
- The Significance of 666 Beast's Number (CFNY '81) (1.7Mb)
- Boleskine House (Jimmy Page-Aleister Crowley) (10.4Mb)
- The Evil in Aleister Crowleys Boleskine House (5.5Mb)
- Boleskine House destroyed by fire (0.3Mb)
- Dawn at Loch Ness (7.8Mb)
- Boleskine (4.2Mb)
- Woodpecker (2.3Mb)
- Boleskine forest brook (3.7Mb)
- Boleskine Power Station (4Mb)
- Boleskine-house Flooded Basement (8.1Mb)
- The Beast of Boleskine (BBC Radio Scotland Documentary) (16.6Mb)
MP3 files hosted by archive.org.