THE SUN

Sydney, South Wales, Australia

28 January 1911

(page 15)

“ELEUSIS.”

POET CROWLEY’S MYSTIC RITES.

LONDON SOCIETY’S FREAK RELIGION FAD.

MISS LEILA WADDELL.

The Bathurst violinist, who acts as

High Priestess of the Rites of Eleusis.

The titled beauties of England and for that matter beauties without titles and titles without beauty, have taken up most earnestly the pursuit of the higher “Black Art,” the conjuration of spirits evil and otherwise, the revival of ancient mysteries, such as those of Eleusis, for profanation of which beautiful Grecian Phryne was condemned to death and saved only by her advocate snatching aside her garments and dazzling her judges.

Not perhaps since the days of Cagliostro and of the beginnings of the Spiritualistic era has such a fever for occultation and weird rites that flourish best at midnight seized upon aristocratic and literary London. Perhaps the cause is the dullness of the court of George and Mary, as contrasted to the always something-doing-reign of Edward. Perhaps it is only the natural progress from mind healing, Indian Swamis, Theosophy, and ghost hunting. At any rate, as the witty Countess of Warwick said the other day, “Everybody seems to have the hearts’ set on raising the devil!”

The leader of the movement is Alister [sic] Crowley, a distinguished English poet and literatear. He leads a society which, in 1888, revived the old order of the Rosicrucians, that medieval society of mystics, which even up to the end of the eighteenth century had for its members all the astrologers and alchemists, and most of the great scholars, chemists, and sages. If it had remained as it was two decades ago—a staid community of enthusiasts and dreamers—there would have been no occasion now to remark upon it, save as a curious reappearance of mysticism a modern time.

MR. ALISTER CROWLEY.

The English poet who is running a fresh religion,

“The Mysteries of Eleusis,” in London.

But in the last five years the society has spear amazingly, and its adherents are in every country. Within the last year the soulful branch of the English aristocracy has embraced it, and chapters are soon to give demonstrations in the United States.

Even Sir Oliver Lodge has not been above attending various séances in a scientific effort to discover if the old incantations could really raise anything. The beautiful and eccentric Lady Marjorie Manners, the daughter of the equally eccentric Duchess of Rutland, is said to be among the foremost of the Rosicrucians.

Meetings of the Rosicrucians for the purpose of conjuration and of invoking “forbidden knowledge” have been secret until last week. Then the Eleusinian rites were performed openly in a London hall. The original rites were celebrated in ancient Greece, in honor of Demeter or Ceres, the earth mother or goddess, and to Persephone of Proserpine, her daughter, who was captured by Pluto, god of the underworld.

These modern Rosicrucians admit frankly that their purpose is to attain religious ecstasy, and to get into communication with spirits, not disembodied common spirits which on earth were plain John Jones or William Smith, but spirits that were powerful when Lilith flirted with Adam and haven’t any place in a respectable Church of England heaven.

The Rosicrucians are of more than ordinary interest to Australians from the fact that Miss Leila Waddell, late of Bathurst, acts as High Priestess.