The ‘Worst Man in the World’ Tells the Astounding Story of His Life in Articles by Aleister Crowley.

“In fact, these words ‘selfish’ and ‘personal’ cease to mean anything to the initiate. He develops himself, and finds himself by losing his old limited self in all that is: for ‘everything that lives is holy.'” [via, also]

Consider also:

  1. “But these are only superficial things. Magic transcends space and time. All things are possible to an adept, but the virtue of his knowledge and power would desert if he used them for selfish ends or personal gain.”
  2. “He cried again and again that every thing that lives is holy, and that nothing is unholy except things that do not live–lethargies, and cruelties, and timidities, and that denial of imagination which is the root they grew from in old times.”
  3. “Let me say here that it is impossible for a magician to be a man of bad character. He cares nothing for conventions, but he needs the sternest virtues. His powers are limited by himself.”
  4. “Every nursery rime contains profound magical secrets which are open to every one who has made a study of the correspondences of the Holy Qabalah. To puzzle out an imaginary meaning for this ‘nonsense’ sets one thinking of the Mysteries; one enters into deep contemplation of holy things and God Himself leads the soul to a real illumination.”
  5. New post “Words, words, words… a meditation on meaning” by Beth Kimbell on her blog.