The first documentary study of Aleister Crowley's contemporary followers in North America, told through the life of their de facto leader, Wilfred Talbot Smith (1885-1957). Smith ('Frater 132'), the unacknowledged offspring of a prominent English family, emigrated to Canada where he encountered Charles Stansfeld Jones ('Frater Achad'), and through him, the works of Aleister Crowley ('Baphomet 'and 'Therion'). Although Crowley and Smith met only once, their twenty year correspondence proved to be a major link to the few and the faithful attracted to Crowley's work in the USA and Canada. THE UNKNOWN GOD is a fascinating and complex human story, intimately interwoven with the lives of most of Crowley's American disciples including C F Russell, Jane Wolfe, Max R Schneider, Jack Parsons, Louis T Culling, Frederic Mellinger and Grady L McMurtry as well as occult teachers like H Spencer Lewis (AMORC), Paul Foster Case (BOTA), and Wayne Walker (OM), Hollywood actors such as John Carradine and even the founder of the Mattachine Society, Harry Hay. Students of 19th and 20th century esoteric movements, including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society and the Crowleyan Orders, will find THE UNKNOWN GOD worth reading.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"An illuminating, thorough, and well researched book, this is a truly sobering account and an irreplaceable resource" -- Thelema Community Calendar, May 2004
"a captivating, well written and carefully documented book" -- Agape, October 2003/February 2004
"a captivating, well written and carefully documented book" -- Agape, October 2003/February 2004
From the Publisher
THE UNKNOWN GOD is a fascinating and complex human story, intimately interwoven with the lives of most of Crowley's American disciples including C.F. Russell (G.·.B.·.G .·. aka the Choronzon Club) Jack Parsons and Grady McMurtry of Agape Lodge OTO, as well as occult teachers like H. Spencer Lewis (AMORC) and Paul Foster Case (BOTA), Hollywood actors such as John Carridine and even the founder of the Mattachine Society, Harry Hay.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Landmark Work on Crowley and Company.,
By Hannes K (Portsmouth. NH) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Unknown God: W.T. Smith and the Thelemites (Hardcover)
The Unknown God stands out as one of the most important and insightful books on Aleister Crowley and his circle written to date. It recounts in fascinating detail the history of W. T. Smith and what might be termed 'the first generation' of Crowley's North American followers. What unfolds is truly an extraordinary story, which follows Smith and his small group as they slide from the pinnacles of mystical aspiration to the depths of human folly in their quest for individual and personal fulfilment.The book's author, Martin Starr, is already well known for his skilful introductions to the Teitan Press editions of Crowley's works, and The Unknown God exhibits the same clear prose and depth of research that are their hallmark. Starr's rigorous scholarship is complemented by a genuine empathy for the people whose lives he explores, and a profound understanding of the mechanics of Thelemic occultism. As such The Unknown God transcends the divide between 'academic studies' and 'insider's accounts' into which such works usually fall. In short it is a well-written, lucid, and often amusing study of an until-now neglected aspect of spiritual and social history. It is sure to appeal to anyone with an interest in the subject, and I commend it to them without reservation.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating,
By ranmasan "ranmasan" (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Unknown God: W.T. Smith and the Thelemites (Hardcover)
I've been studying magick for the last 20 or so years, and have long felt that Crowley was witty, insightful, inspired, etc. I usually end up defending his work, when I discuss it with people who aren't that familiar with him (no, he REALLY wasn't advocating human sacrifice hehe).So I was looking forward to reading this. And boy is the book depressing. Crowley, for as inspired as his works are, was clearly the single worst influence on the Thelema movement during his lifetime. His constant greedy begging for money, his participation in the silly little drama-filled spats by long distance letter-writing, his incomprehensible telegrams, his unhealthy obsession with defaming Annie Besant & co, his obsession with suing people left and right, his obsession with the various Masonry groups...it's amazing that the Los Angeles Thelemites got anything done at all, with all of that going on. Heck it's amazing CROWLEY got anything done at all! Crowley himself drove more people to leave the Order, just based on hearsay and misunderstandings. It is depressing, because this man was supposedly an Ipsissimus, and yet in his personal and business life, he behaved like some crack addict on the Rikki Lake Show! It's all the more disconcerting, because you know that Crowley is working with Freida Harris on the Book of Thoth while a lot of this soap opera is unfolding, which is probably his most enduring legacy. Smith comes across as very sympathetic, though certainly not perfect. Most of the other people come across as very human, flawed people trying to better themselves. A few are clearly insane, and not in a good way. I must agree with the other reviewer, that it appears to have been more of a personality cult, than anything else. Whether the modern OTO is still like this, I wouldn't know. Though having read this book, I'm inclined to give any magick order a wide berth, and continue with solo work. (In fairness, every order I've read about has been plagued with similar problems). I'm afraid the book will be nearly incomprehensible to anyone already not thoroughly versed in what Thelema is all about. But then anyone not thoroughly versed in the subject would probably not buy the book in the first place. The book is copiously sprinkled with footnotes; it was clearly well researched. I give it a 4 out of 5 only because it could have used more/better editing...it's a little hard to follow at times. Fortunately the author doesn't ramble on as much as I do!
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A definitive history of the OTO in America,
By
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This review is from: The Unknown God: W.T. Smith and the Thelemites (Hardcover)
Martin Starr has written the definitive history of the OTO in North America. The fascination for us in examining this history is the observing the inner nobility and often mundane outer lives of those who tread the esoteric way. Biographies of occultists in general are not often "exciting" in terms of events in their outer lives, but rather in the viewing of the rich inner landscape such persons possess and what motivates them to pursue such arcane studies with little compensation as to what many would consider edifying ones life in the world. This work goes toward a psychological/sociological study of esoteric subcultures.What one comes away with from reading this expensive but worthy book is the sheer middle class pedestrian qualities of these Thelemites. The OTO comes across as a distincly pseudo- Masonic organization, led by a bullying petulant Aleister Crowley. This reinforced my idea that the OTO is essentially a Crowley personality cult. Most of the characters that inhabit the landscape of this book are not terribly sympathetic, lechery amd egos litter this landscape. Some of the insights we gain is an examination of the North American occult scene through the mid-20th century, the alliances both tried and attempted by members of the OTO with Theosophical, Masonic, and Wandering Bishop bodies & tributaries make for fascinating reading. To see the toadying love/hate relationship Crowley had for Theosophy is amusing. Crowley attempting character assasination of C.W. Leadbeater by accusations of homosexuality & sodomy is the height of absurdity and hypocrisy. For those that read & enjoyed the biography of Jack Parsons, "Sex and Rockets" published by Feral House and came away wanting more, this book is for you. Does this book motivate my WILL to become a member of the OTO, absolutely not. But of course a reading of the Bible, the book of Mormon & L. Ron Hubbard does not make me want to join those personality cults either. Be that as it may, this is a valuable contribution to the history of 20th century spirituality and Mr. Starr is to be commended.
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