Originally posted by Hobbes
Aliester Crowley was a pervert that credited many immoral behaviours to himself. The man had quite the imagination, and knew how to get people going.
But he was not a Mason. Just a quack with ADD.
I personally don't consider Crowley a quack, nor did he seem to have ADD. He was definitely neurotic, but most geniuses in history have had a touch
of madness.
I would also argue that Crowley was not any more immoral than the average Joe: he just despised the hypocrisy he found in the self-styled "moral
majority".
Aleister Crowley was initiated, passed, and raised in Anglo-Saxon Lodge No. 343 (named so because it was an English-speaking Lodge) in Paris, France
in 1904, receiving the degree of Master Mason on December 17 of that year. The Lodge was under jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of France at the time,
and was consider irregular. However, several years after Crowley's death, the Lodge was rechartered by the National Grand Lodge of France, the
legitimate body, and is now a regular one. Nevertheless, the Grand Lodge of France, although still irregular, is regular in its workings, and adhere
to the Antient Landmarks.
Crowley became involved with John Yarker soon afterward, who recognized Crowley's spurious 33° that he received from a Cerneau Consistory in Mexico.
This is rather odd because Crowley purchased his 33° patent from the Cerneau Rite in 1900, 4 years before he became a Mason, even an irregular one,
which should have shown Yarker that it was bogus. Yarker nevertheless conferred upon Crowley the 90° of the Rite of Mitzraim and 96° of the Rite of
Memphis, and appointed Crowley his successor as Grand Hierophant 97° of the Oriental Rite of Memphis for the United Kingdom upon his retirement.
Crowley invoked this questionable authority when he was made Frater Superior of the O.T.O.
