The astrology of Aleister Crowley has always fascinated me, as has the Western Hermetic tradition. “He was called the wickedest man in the world by some and one of the greatest mystics of our age by others.”Astrodatabank.
Was he really such an evil person? It seems he was cursed by more than your average dark demons from looking at his chart. All the dark stars, Liliths and planets figure. He saw himself as a prophet for a new religion based on “Do what thou wilt” called Thelema.
Crowley experimented with homosexuality, taking the female role. He said he was straight though. For him the Magick power came from it being taboo. That’s a refreshing take, one that allows for sexual experimentation without the guilt. It makes him an interesting candidate for Lilith/Dark Goddess examination in my view.
Crowley’s Horoscope
The first thing I wasn’t surprised to see is that he had a double yod. One from the vertex sextile Venus to apex Pluto. Pluto is on Capulus, extreme male sexual energy, and still within orb of Algol, the star with the worst reputation in the sky, responsible for all manner of evil. This winking Medusa star Algol is at the apex of a Yod. Pluto on Capulus in a Yod is very phallic and potent. It suggests sadism which could be cathartic and exorcising for him.
The other Yod is from Moon sextile Pluto back to apex Venus, this one is actually a Boomerang Yod with the reaction point being Chiron in opposition to Venus. I do see Yods as being wands of energy. The first Yod is more like a sword, the destroyer. The second more like a wand, the creator.
Pluto being involved in both is fitting being the lord of the underworld and all things dark and taboo especially with the Perseus stars Algol & Capulus. To have Pluto sextile the Moon in the occult 8th too fits him very well and Venus quincunx Pluto also accounts for his obsessive and intense sex life.
Venus is said to be Lucifer, the bringer of light in Babylonian myth. Chiron being the reaction point in the second Yod is very fitting also. It therefore is the midpoint of his taboo Hades Moon. Sexual healer, maverick and mystic.
Minor Grand Trine
Pluto is also involved in a minor grand trine to the Moon at the apex. This is trined Mars on the star Facies= ruthlessness or the victim. He is the victim of demonization for sure. Mars on Facies, trine Pluto on Capulus looks like he needed to be ruthless to live the unconventional life he led.
But the Moon is the midpoint of Mars trine Pluto, the intuitive, compassion of the Moon brings the best out of these two along with Algol. (The Lilith star) This is just a very occult and magical combination. Crowley, like Mary Magdalene or any strong, sexual, spiritual person who makes themself a“god” will always be branded as evil.
He has a good Mercury, the symbol of Hermeticism, on the star Zuben Elgenubi, in the claws of the Scorpion. This is said to give positive social reform. He certainly wanted to reform religious practice. His Mercury quincunx MC (11′) and trine Eris (33′) For the establishment he was (like Eris), a kind of uninvited 13th fairy who stirs up trouble.
He also had a tight Uranus/Saturn opposition (23′) with rebellious, eccentric Uranus in his first house. He is closer to the innovative Uranus, but he successfully marries these two with his sensitive 4th house Sun which trine’s Saturn (17′) and sextiles Uranus (06′)
Lilith On Antares
Of course exiled Black Moon Lilith had to be important. This “Mary Magdalene” is trined his destiny path North Node (22′) But the big deal is Lilith is both conjunct AND parallel Antares. This is like a double whammy.
Extra strong here in the heart of the Scorpion, one of the mighty 4 Archangel stars, Ariel. This Scorpionic star is constantly regenerating itself, going to extremes of life and death, purging itself, like the Phoenix from the flames.
With Lilith this would certainly mean a no holds barred attitude. Whole heartedly throwing himself into each new life experience, unafraid of being burnt. It gives great success, but warn’s if you get carried away with the thrill-seeking you can loose everything.
Despite Crowley’s hedonistic life, he lived well till the age of 72, so he must’ve been doing something right. Other aspects of interest: Sun conjunct Asteroid Lilith (73′) Pluto trine Dark Moon (46′), Jupiter trine Hekate (30′) Hekate square Nodes (48′) Part of Fortune (on another Archangel star Fomalhaut) sextile Neptune (26′)
*I have used the 11.30pm time given in “Astrology, Aleister & Aeon” by Charles Kipp. Rather than the 11.42pm given in Astrodatabank. It is believed Crowley rectified the 11.30pm time himself and as the Vertex is important I will stick with this one. Though if we DO take Astrodatabanks time, instead of the second Yod we a get a grand trine with Lilith/AC and North Node. But I see Crowley as very much a dynamic Yod person rather than a harmonious trine one.