Society for Academic Study of Magic sounds off on K2 Aleister Crowley
Agu 24, 2004 11: 03 EST
Last week we received a correction on Aleister Crowley (first expedition to K2). The mail arrived from the Journal for the Academic Study of Magic.
"Very interesting piece on K2 but sadly a few hoary old chestnuts about Aleister Crowley have resurfaced.
You might consider mentioning that Crowley was "prescribed" heroin for decades by his doctors as that as the time was the favoured treatment for the chronic asthma and bronchitis from which he suffered.
Ironically, it was those health conditions which drove him into the mountains in search of clear air in the first place, and led him to become the climber he became."
Short rerun on Crawley
Aleister Crowley, the ‘wickedest man on Earth’ had many important solo climbs in the Western Alps, including a couple of firsts.
For several years he had been moving swiftly up the ranks of the occult orders much to the dismay of the senior members. After offending just about every person involved in black magic at the turn of the 20th century and incurring several ‘attacks’, Crowley left his home in London. An accomplished climber, he found his way on to the K2 expedition.
The expedition was unsuccessful, one of the incidents involved Crowley threatening expedition members to prove a point regarding the choice of route.
Soon after the expedition Crowley began a long descent into heroin addiction. His behavior became more bizarre and iconoclastic and his activities more infamous each day, until his death.
About the Society for Academic Study of Magic
SASM are "postgraduate students and tenured academics working on studies of magic, occultism, alternative spirituality etc."
Established at Bristol, England in 2002 by two postgraduates, Alison Butler and Dave Evans, the Society for the Academic Study of Magic (SASM) was created to further communication and exchange among scholars interested in the study of magic throughout the world and encompassing all eras.
Its range of concerns includes, but is by no means limited to, the history, sociology, philosophy, psychology, anthropology of magic, magical practices and theories of magic, as well as magical objects, artifacts and texts. "We are avowedly cross-disciplinary and thus would be interested to hear from anyone in ANY academic discipline, and freelance researchers involved in studies of such subjects.
Photo courtesy of the Thelemic Dawn Society
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