kaos

published in The Equinox. It is possible, therefore, that this particular spelling originated
with someone other than Crowley himself, at a date much earlier than 1909 (in his
introductory remarks, he says that he inherited the material in 1899).
The mp3 recordings of Crowley’s Enochian are hypnotic, aren’t they? They are much
better than I remember them. I tend to “vibrate” the god names embedded in the Keys
a bit like he does, it seems.
SATYR
Hi Satyr—Re: “Here the Spirit simulated the voice of Frater P., which also appeared to
come from his station and not from the triangle.” This sentence still appears in the
Weiser 98 edition, but it goes uncommented upon. I agree, if the diagram wasn’t present
then it wouldn’t be too clear that Choronzon was the possessed Crowley in the Triangle.
The intro has the Seer retiring to a “secret place”, indicating that perhaps they simply
didn’t originally want to let on that he was in the Triangle. The text doesn’t make this
clear at all, but the diagram does. Strikes me that Crowley was attempting to preserve
ambiguity on the fact that Choronzon was himself possessed, thus putting at arms
length how exactly Choronzon manifested without actually lying about it (it’s a “secret
place” because without the diagram you don’t realise he is actually in the Triangle).
Surprisingly this is not commented on in the Weiser 98 edition, despite the fact that
the diagram is there making it clear. I guess they are just leaving it to the readers to
work out for themselves. Interesting you say that this was regarded as a kind of oto
insider’s secret back in 1990. I can’t even remember what I thought was going on in that
Æthyr back when I read it in Gems from the Equinox in the late 80s, but the Weiser 98
edition is a great improvement and it has certainly become lately one of my most thumbed
through books.
Actually, thumbing through it once again, reading the 10 th most carefully for the
umpteenth time, I notice a note of Crowley’s concerning his retiring to a secret place
and secretly invoking the Æthyr sitting within his black robe, p 160 n3:
The greatest precautions were taken at the time, and have since been yet further fortified,
to Keep Silence concerning the Rite of Evocation. The Major Adept is warned most
seriously against attempting to emulate this operation, which is (in any case) improper
for him to perform. To call forth Choronzon, unless one be wholly above the Abyss, is to
ensure the most appalling and immediate catastrophe.
So this appears to explain why Crowley didn’t spell out that he was sitting in the Triangle
of Art, he presents himself as wishing to conceal the precise manner in which Choronzon
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