Decades later evidence of Lovecraft and Crowley's Relationship Surface
Over the past few decades there has been a lot of speculation as to whether fiction writer, H. P. Lovecraft, ever had any dealings with Aleister Crowley. This has been a subject of debate for quite some time. There is the rumor that Lovecraft’s wife, Sonia Greene, had a “friendship” with Crowley and information was exchanged between them. There is also a huge comparison between Crowley’s magical thesis and Lovecraft’s fiction in the introductory pages of the Simon Necronomicon. Additionally, we have the works of legendary Kenneth Grant, who was a student of Crowley, and later in life became a big proponent of the occult symbolism behind Lovecraft’s fiction. So what is the real deal behind Crowley and Lovecraft? Well, let’s get to the truth of the matter!
Decades later evidence of Lovecraft and Crowley’s Relationship Surface
Fact #1: Evidence proves that H. P. Lovecraft was an occultist.
Readers should avoid writers who make outlandish claims that Lovecraft was not an occultist. You can’t dictate or know what a man does in his private life, regardless of what he says in public. You have politicians who are indebted to the Klu Klux Klan, but deny it in public. In such cases, we have to look at the history of the person in question to be able to determine if what they are saying in public is true. Occult author, Donald Tyson, in his book, The Dream World of H.P. Lovecraft, wrote concerning Lovecraft:
“He later described the circumstances in his brief essay, “A Confession of Unfaith,” written in 1921. It is worth quoting this passage in full, because it has bearing on the side of Lovecraft we will examine together in later chapters, his esoteric and paranormal side.”
Tyson then goes on to quote Lovecraft as saying the following in the essay A Confession of Unfaith:
“When about seven or eight I was a genuine pagan….I have in literal truth built altars to Pan, Apollo, Diana, and Athena, and have watched for dryads and satyrs…If a Christian tell me he has felt the reality of his Jesus or Jehovah. I can reply that I have seen the hoofed Pan and the sisters of the Hesperian Phaethusa.”
A Confession of Unfaith, which Tyson quotes, is Lovecraft’s own testimony that he at one time engaged in magical practices during his youth. During the tender ages of seven and eight, Lovecraft was doing rituals in his backyard at a time when Crowley was having tantrums over his father’s Christian beliefs. Yes, Lovecraft was doing magic long before Aleister Crowley. A gate opened in his mind.
Fact #2: The Number 93 Is What Brings Lovecraft and Crowley Together
93 is a very important number in Thelema. Under a Wikipedia article entitled 93 (Thelema), we read:
“The central philosophy of Thelema is in two phrases from Liber AL: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” and “Love is the law, love under will.” The two primary terms in these statements are “Will” and “Love”, respectively. In the Greek language, they are Thelema (Will) and Agape (Love). Using the Greek technique of isopsephy, which applies a numerical value to each letter, the letters of each of these words sum to 93″
The number 93 is so important in Thelema that it is often used as a greeting between Thelemites. Now this is how we know that Lovecraft and Crowley used to send messages to each other in code. Let’s take a look at the word Cthulhu.
It is not a coincidence that we find Lovecraft’s Cthulhu to be the sum of 93 in simple gematria. Thus, the Cthulhu Cult is a reference to the Cult of Thelema. The Cthulhu Mythos would be symbolic of a Thelemic Mythos. The Call of Cthulhu is now The Call of Thelema. Now the plot gets deeper when we examine the place where Cthulhu is said the dwell, R’lyeh.
R(18) + L(12) + Y(25) + E(5) + H(8) = 68
CTHULHU (93) + R’LYEH (68) = 161
As seen in our equations above, R’lyeh, the city where Cthulhu is said to reside, Dead but Dreaming, has the simple gematric sum of 68. When added with that of Cthulhu’s we get 161. it seems beyond a coincidence that the sum of Cthulhu and R’lyeh should add up to 161. This number can refer to either, Liber 161: Concerning the law of Thelema, or the “Goetic Demons of Decans by Day,” which falls under the number 161 in Liber 777.
While anybody can be an adherent of Thelema, the guiding hand of its membership uses many tools found in society to fulfill its aims. Fiction being one of these. Most oppressed people used the arts, and the symbolism associated with these talent, to send messages in code. Since the work of an occultist has always come under the fire of religion, Lovecraft used fiction as a means of communicating with Thelemites of a certain rank and order.
While I find the Gematria very interesting, I personally would be more convinced if, say, letters of correspondence emerged. In other words, more direct substantial proof that one source influenced the other. Numerical values and rumors of Lovecraft’s wife are not enough to convince me.
Dark Fool is back! How are you brother? The post is not centered on the rumor of Lovecraft’s wife. I don’t have any feelings one way or another about his marriage and the rumors regarding such. Its more about the value of the Cthulhu word, and its an ongoing subject that I thought best to be broken down into parts. Will have some more info coming soon.
1. Go to https://translate.google.com.
2. In the left-hand box, select English and type Cthulhu fhtagn.
3. In the right-hand box select Arabic (original language of Necronomicon).
4. Click the left/right arrow Swap Languages icon at top right of the left-hand box 7 times.
6. We know why all is hidden in the stone, within the coffin, within the mighty sepulchre, and we too answer Olalám! Imál! Tutúlu! as it is written in the ancient book. – Liber VII vii:6
“You can’t dictate or know what a man does in his private life, regardless of what he says in public.“
Great article but the one thing that stuck with me was this quote you made in the beginning. It seemed to cast a doubt shadow over every point you made. It poisoned your assertions.
Crowley listed ‘The Abbey of Thelema’ and ‘Do What Thou Will’ wholesale out of Rabelais. Lovecraft fantasizing at age 7 is hardly him ‘doing magick or being an occultist. Lovecraft was a staunch materialist.
How can one know for sure what Lovecraft was, especially during a time when occultists were secretive about their work? People say whatever they can in public to save face. Now if their actions state otherwise it is worthy of investigation as we find in this article.
Maybe it is a coincidence. Or maybe not. However, I couldn’t help noticing that in Crowley’s comment to Liber AL III:19, he wrote about his finding that the name of the Stele of Revelation, or Stele 666, totalled the required value of 718 that is mentioned in the verse:
– Greek CTHΛH (CTHLH or stēlē) totals 52;
– Which when added to 666 (the number of the Stele) yields 718.
Gematria is suggestive but by itself cannot be used as proof.
Perhaps Gematria is a coincidence once, but twice and a third time. i doubt it.
Long time, Warlock Asylum!
While I find the Gematria very interesting, I personally would be more convinced if, say, letters of correspondence emerged. In other words, more direct substantial proof that one source influenced the other. Numerical values and rumors of Lovecraft’s wife are not enough to convince me.
Dark Fool is back! How are you brother? The post is not centered on the rumor of Lovecraft’s wife. I don’t have any feelings one way or another about his marriage and the rumors regarding such. Its more about the value of the Cthulhu word, and its an ongoing subject that I thought best to be broken down into parts. Will have some more info coming soon.
Or did he?
1. Go to https://translate.google.com.
2. In the left-hand box, select English and type Cthulhu fhtagn.
3. In the right-hand box select Arabic (original language of Necronomicon).
4. Click the left/right arrow Swap Languages icon at top right of the left-hand box 7 times.
6. We know why all is hidden in the stone, within the coffin, within the mighty sepulchre, and we too answer Olalám! Imál! Tutúlu! as it is written in the ancient book. – Liber VII vii:6
“You can’t dictate or know what a man does in his private life, regardless of what he says in public.“
Great article but the one thing that stuck with me was this quote you made in the beginning. It seemed to cast a doubt shadow over every point you made. It poisoned your assertions.
Crowley listed ‘The Abbey of Thelema’ and ‘Do What Thou Will’ wholesale out of Rabelais. Lovecraft fantasizing at age 7 is hardly him ‘doing magick or being an occultist. Lovecraft was a staunch materialist.
How can one know for sure what Lovecraft was, especially during a time when occultists were secretive about their work? People say whatever they can in public to save face. Now if their actions state otherwise it is worthy of investigation as we find in this article.
Maybe it is a coincidence. Or maybe not. However, I couldn’t help noticing that in Crowley’s comment to Liber AL III:19, he wrote about his finding that the name of the Stele of Revelation, or Stele 666, totalled the required value of 718 that is mentioned in the verse:
– Greek CTHΛH (CTHLH or stēlē) totals 52;
– Which when added to 666 (the number of the Stele) yields 718.
From CTHΛH (CTHLH) to CTHULHU is a single step.