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Quiz about Aleister Crowley and Thelema
Quiz about Aleister Crowley and Thelema

Aleister Crowley and Thelema Trivia Quiz


Thelema is the magical system derived from the work of Aleister Crowley. Perhaps ironically, many occultists who blanch in horror at the mention of Crowley's name use concepts and terminology drawn directly from his work.

A multiple-choice quiz by paulhume. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
paulhume
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
334,746
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
9 / 15
Plays
730
Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (8/15), ankitankurddit (4/15), Stonecreek (9/15).
Question 1 of 15
1. Aleister Crowley, born October 12, 1875, was the son of a wealthy family which adhered to the Christian sect known as the Plymouth Brethren. Under what name was he christened? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Thelemites (people who practice Thelema, who "accept" the Law of Thelema) often greet others with the salutation "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." What is the correct response to this greeting? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. The number 93 is significant in Thelema for many reasons. Among these is the gematria - the "numerological" value - of two Greek words. What are they? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. The fundamental text on which all other Thelemic magick, philosophy, and thought is based was written in 1904. Crowley maintained that he was inspired to write it while travelling with his wife in Cairo, and indeed, stated that it was dictated to him in an audible voice by a spirit named Aiwass. What is the title of this work? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Aleister Crowley founded the OTO (Ordo Templi Orientis).


Question 6 of 15
6. Crowley adopted the archaic spelling of magic - "magick" - as the name for his system of attainment, and defined it as "the Science and Art of causing change in conformity with the Will." Which of the following would probably NOT be considered a magical operation under his definition of the art? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. Crowley wrote "The Gnostic Mass," a eucharistic ritual based on Thelemic principles, in 1913. What ritual officer or officers are involved in performing this Mass? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Near the end of his life, Crowley worked with artist Frieda Harris on a monumental project, producing a completely redesigned Tarot deck and accompanying book on the Tarot which refined and crystallized much of his earlier work. What was the name of the deck and book produced by Crowley and Harris? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Besides technical and philosophical works on magick, Crowley wrote two novels and a number of short stories with magical themes. Many of the characters in his novels were based on people he knew. Basil King Lamus (in "Diary of a Drug Fiend") and Simon Iff (in "Moonchild" and several detective short stories) were based on someone Crowley knew well. Who was it? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. Crowley attached great importance to "The Magical Memory." What does this mean? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Crowley had a number of magical names - names/mottoes adopted upon attaining a particular magical initiation, or "grade." Which of the following was NOT one of Crowley's magical names? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Crowley had many sexual partners, male and female, in the course of his life. However, at any given time, beginning with his first legal wife, Rose Kelly Crowley, he would regard one woman as his particular magical partner. What title was conferred upon the woman who formed that bond with Crowley? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. Philosophically, Thelema insists that ethical and spiritual authority over each person derives from... Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Crowley believed that the writing of the Book of the Law marked the beginning of the Aeon of Horus, the era of the Crowned and Conquering Child. The Aeons were periods of human spiritual development governed by a particular Deity, symbolizing a central formula of how humans relate to the spirit, to the Gods, and to themselves. The present Aeon of the Child was preceded by an Aeon of the Father. What was it called? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Which of these choices was NOT (in his opinion) an earlier incarnation of Aleister Crowley? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Aleister Crowley, born October 12, 1875, was the son of a wealthy family which adhered to the Christian sect known as the Plymouth Brethren. Under what name was he christened?

Answer: Edward Alexander Crowley

Crowley was named Edward Alexander, and his family gave him the nickname Alick (which he detested) in his childhood. He adopted the name Aleister in his teens.
2. Thelemites (people who practice Thelema, who "accept" the Law of Thelema) often greet others with the salutation "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." What is the correct response to this greeting?

Answer: Love is the law, love under will.

The response to the greeting "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" is "Love is the law, love under will." Crowley used this when meeting someone, to open and close letters, to open and close lectures, etc. In these lamentably hasty days, especially in electronic media, many Thelemites use the number 93 as shorthand, in place of these sentences, for reasons based on the gematria, or "numerology," of certain key words.

All of the responses in this question, as well as the greeting itself, are from the Book of the Law.
3. The number 93 is significant in Thelema for many reasons. Among these is the gematria - the "numerological" value - of two Greek words. What are they?

Answer: Thelema and Agape

Thelema (Will) and Agape (Love) both have a value of 93 according to the numeric value assigned to the Greek letters with which they are spelled. Thelema refers to the word "Will" in "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Agape to the word "Love" in "Love is the law, love under will."
4. The fundamental text on which all other Thelemic magick, philosophy, and thought is based was written in 1904. Crowley maintained that he was inspired to write it while travelling with his wife in Cairo, and indeed, stated that it was dictated to him in an audible voice by a spirit named Aiwass. What is the title of this work?

Answer: The Book of the Law

On three successive days - April 8, 9, and 10 - in 1904, Crowley received a chapter of the Book of the Law. These were dictated to him by Aiwass, and each chapter represents the utterance of a particular Egyptian God: Nuit, Goddess of the Night Sky, on the first day; Hadit, symbolized by the Winged Disk, on the second; Ra Hoor Khuit, a form of the hawk-headed God Horus, on the third.
5. Aleister Crowley founded the OTO (Ordo Templi Orientis).

Answer: False

OTO was founded in the early 20th century (1900 or 1904) by a German esoteric Mason named Karl Kellner. Kellner was succeeded by Theodor Reuss as head of the Order. Crowley became a member around 1910, but in 1912, having discovered the central secret of the Order by his own researches, he was advanced to the highest degree by Reuss, and chartered to open and direct a section of the Order in Great Britain.

It is now common knowledge that the secret in question was the magical nature of sex, and the use of sex to perform magick (which was a hotter topic, to be sure, in the early 20th century than it is today). Crowley became head of the entire OTO in the 1920's, though there is controversy as to how legitimate that succession was. Be that as it may, Crowley rewrote the initiation rituals of the OTO to teach and to advance the Law of Thelema, and that remains the function of the Order today.
6. Crowley adopted the archaic spelling of magic - "magick" - as the name for his system of attainment, and defined it as "the Science and Art of causing change in conformity with the Will." Which of the following would probably NOT be considered a magical operation under his definition of the art?

Answer: Mindlessly reacting to the actions of others.

In "Magick In Theory and Practice," Crowley writes that he adopted the archaic spelling of the word to distinguish it from less exalted forms of magic (meaning both stage magic and illusions, and occultism aimed at petty or base ends). He refers to it as a system for achieving full awareness of one's existence as a spiritual being.

In the same work, He further posits that "Any willed act can be a magical act." Blowing one's nose, he writes, requires the proper circumstances, i.e. that you have a nose which is capable of being blown, and the proper materials, and that you will to combine these elements to blow your nose. Conjuring up a thunderstorm requires the same basics, though it is technically more challenging, to be sure.

A popular song can be a potent conjuration to find gold (royalties) or love (if you sing it to the right person) or to sway the mind of a whole nation! But magick always operates by combining the proper talents of the magician and the proper elements in the environment, under the direction of the Will.
7. Crowley wrote "The Gnostic Mass," a eucharistic ritual based on Thelemic principles, in 1913. What ritual officer or officers are involved in performing this Mass?

Answer: Priest, Priestess, Deacon, Positive Child, Negative Child.

The Gnostic Mass requires a Priest, a Priestess, a Deacon, and if doing it "by the book," two "Children" who represent the positive and negative forces of Creation. Note that this is positive and negative as in yin and yang. Also known as Liber XV (Book 15), Crowley wrote it while travelling in Russia, inspired by the Orthodox liturgy, though it more closely resembles the Catholic and Anglican Masses than the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom celebrated by the Russian Orthodox church. Many local OTO bodies celebrate the Gnostic Mass as a public ritual, open to all, on a regular basis.

Arguably, one must also have a congregation of one or more persons present, for "The People" have defined roles to play in the Gnostic Mass as well.
8. Near the end of his life, Crowley worked with artist Frieda Harris on a monumental project, producing a completely redesigned Tarot deck and accompanying book on the Tarot which refined and crystallized much of his earlier work. What was the name of the deck and book produced by Crowley and Harris?

Answer: The Book of Thoth

The Book of Thoth is another name for the Tarot, referring to its mythical origins with the ancient Egyptians and their God of Wisdom, Thoth. Crowley adopted the title for this magnum opus, and the Crowley-Harris Tarot, or "Thoth Deck" is one of the most popular tarot decks in the world, along with the famous Rider Tarot deck (often called the Rider-Waite deck) designed some years earlier by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith. Both decks draw some of their designs from the specifications of the Tarot laid down for magicians in the Golden Dawn, though each has its own unique design elements.
9. Besides technical and philosophical works on magick, Crowley wrote two novels and a number of short stories with magical themes. Many of the characters in his novels were based on people he knew. Basil King Lamus (in "Diary of a Drug Fiend") and Simon Iff (in "Moonchild" and several detective short stories) were based on someone Crowley knew well. Who was it?

Answer: Aleister Crowley

King Lamus and Simon Iff (along with the younger magician Cyril Grey, the protagonist of "Moonchild") were all based on Crowley himself. "Moonchild" is famously a roman a clef, with characters based on actual people known to Crowley. Douglas, the main villain, is based on Mathers. Gates, the poet and black magician who opposes Cyril Grey, was Yeats (Yeats and Crowley despised each other). Edwin Arthwaite, another of the black lodge, is a parody of A. E. Waite complete with a stinging satire on Waite's notoriously pedantic writing style.

The Mahathera Phang is erstwhile Golden Dawn adept and Buddhist monk Alan Bennett, one of the few friends with whom Crowley never had a falling out.
10. Crowley attached great importance to "The Magical Memory." What does this mean?

Answer: Memory of past incarnations.

Liber Thisharb (intended to evoke the Hebrew word berashith - "In the beginning" - the first word of the Book of Genesis) provided several meditation techniques by which a magician could recall his earlier incarnations. Today this kind of work is called "past life regression." A Thelemic magician, like a Buddhist mystic, is seeking to transcend karma, the cycle of cause and effect which directs his life, willy nilly. Crowley regarded the ability to recall past lives, and understand how they had contributed to one's present incarnation, as a crucial tool in achieving the enlightenment needed to take control of the cycle or rebirth and to do one's True Will. Crowley felt that the proper role of a magician was as a bodhisattva - one who achieves enlightenment but continues to incarnate in order to help others achieve that same realization.
11. Crowley had a number of magical names - names/mottoes adopted upon attaining a particular magical initiation, or "grade." Which of the following was NOT one of Crowley's magical names?

Answer: John St. John

John St. John is the title of an excerpt from Crowley's voluminous magical diaries, detailing a magical working he performed in Paris. Perdurabo (Latin: "I will endure unto the end") was the motto he adopted on his initiation as a Neophyte in the Golden Dawn. VVVVV (for Vi Veri Vniversum Vivi Vincit, Latin: "I have, while living, conquered the Universe with Truth") was the name he adopted when he attained, in his view, the grade of Master of the Temple. To Mega Therion (Greek: The Great Wild Beast, referring to the Book of Revelation) was the name he adopted when he attained the grade of Magus, one who speaks the Word of an Aeon, the guiding spiritual principle for a period of human history: in this case, the Word was Thelema.
12. Crowley had many sexual partners, male and female, in the course of his life. However, at any given time, beginning with his first legal wife, Rose Kelly Crowley, he would regard one woman as his particular magical partner. What title was conferred upon the woman who formed that bond with Crowley?

Answer: The Scarlet Woman

The Book of the Law states "...and in his woman, called the Scarlet Woman, is all power given." Thus, the woman who was Crowley's chief magical partner at a given time was called The Scarlet Woman. She is indeed related to the figure of Babalon, who represents the Female principle in Thelema, as Therion, the Beast, represents the Male principle. Notable Scarlet Women in Crowley's life include Rose, as aforesaid, Leila Waddell, Leah Hirsig, Roddie Minor, Mary d'Este Sturges and several others.
13. Philosophically, Thelema insists that ethical and spiritual authority over each person derives from...

Answer: ...himself/herself.

If there is one recurrent theme in Thelemic teaching, it is the sovereignty of the individual: "Do what THOU wilt shall be the whole of the Law". Yet this freedom requires the sternest self-discipline. Crowley continuously pointed out that "Do what thou wilt" was not the same as "Do anything you want." The realization of the True Will - why one is in this incarnation at this time, what one's particular role in the Universe is - was the goal of all the magical study, mystical training, and mental exercise prescribed for students of Thelema.
14. Crowley believed that the writing of the Book of the Law marked the beginning of the Aeon of Horus, the era of the Crowned and Conquering Child. The Aeons were periods of human spiritual development governed by a particular Deity, symbolizing a central formula of how humans relate to the spirit, to the Gods, and to themselves. The present Aeon of the Child was preceded by an Aeon of the Father. What was it called?

Answer: Aeon of Osiris

Crowley took his imagery from Egyptian religion, and so posited the Aeon of Osiris, a period of patriarchal religion, where God or the Gods acted as stern father figures, preceded the Aeon of Horus, when individuals learn and grow by the direction of their own Wills.

The Aeon of Isis, a matriarchal period, preceded the Aeon of Osiris. While these Aeons don't map to actual history, they do reflect three primary views of how different religions perceive divinity and the role of humans.
15. Which of these choices was NOT (in his opinion) an earlier incarnation of Aleister Crowley?

Answer: John Dee (Elizabethan magician and scholar)

Crowley believed that he was Edward Kelley, Dee's associate in alchemical and magical workings, rather than Dee himself. He claimed that he had previously been Eliphas Levi (real name: Alphonse Louis Constant), who died six months before Crowley's birth in 1875, and that he reincarnated so quickly to continue Levi's work of making the secrets of magick available to all.

He was, as Alexander VI, charged with bringing the mysteries of paganism into public view within the Renaissance Church, and as Cagliostro his task was to spread illumination in the period leading up to the Enlightenment.
Source: Author paulhume

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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