Crowley Invokes The Spirit of Mars into Neuburg

Frater Orpheus posted on his FB page:

“On May 9th 1910 e.v. Aleister Crowley along with Leila Waddell, Victor Neuburg and G.M Marston entered a temple aiming to evoke the Spirit of Mars by placing Neuburg inside the triangle of evocation; a technique Crowley had experimented with during his work with the Aethyrs which he called “a startling innovation in tradition.” – but others have considered dangerous.

“G.M. Marston was a Probationer in the A.’.A.’. and an official of Admiralty for the British Navy to whom Crowley dedicated the poem “Ave Adonai”. Apparently the idea for the Bartzabel working stemmed from conversations between the two while Crowley stayed with him at his house in Rempstone, Dorset – located near Corfe Castle in south-western England.

“When recalling this Invocation Crowley recorded the following in his Confessions,

“In the Triangle was Frater Omnia Vincam, to serve as a material basis through which the spirit might manifest. Here was a startling innovation in tradition. I wrote, moreover, a ritual on entirely new principles. I retained the Cabbalistic names and formulae, but wrote most of the invocation in poetry. The idea was to work up the magical enthusiasm through the exhilaration induced by music.”

“Here is an example of this enthusiastic poetry excerpted from this ritual.

“Hail unto Thee, Ra Hoor Khuit, who art the Lord of the Æon!
Be this consecrated Spear
A thing of cheer, a thing of fear!
Cheer to me who wield it!
My heart, its vigour shield it!
Fear to them who face it
Their force, let fear disgrace it!
Be a ray from the Most High,
A glance of His unsleeping eye!
Arm me, arm me, in the fray
That shall be fought this dreadful day!

“Crowley would later dedicate the Rites of Eleusis as published in the Equinox to Marston writing,

“TO MY FRIEND
COMMANDER G. M. MARSTON, R.N.
to whose suggestion
these rites
are due
they are gratefully dedicated.”

Frater Lux Ad Mundi

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