The Daily Express

London, England

23 December 1937

(page 6)

These Names Make News

An Englishman, a Jew, an Indian, a Negro, A Malayan—no, it's not one of those saloon-bar jokes—assembled on the Embankment by Cleopatra's Needle, soon after 6 a.m. yesterday.

They were certainly the most oddly-assorted party out & about at that hour. Their reason for being there was odd, too.

They were there to assist at the publication of a book by 62-year-old magician Aleister Crowley.

Publication occurred at 6.22 sharp, when the Sun entered Capricornus.

Crowley made a short speech; as "the Priest of the Princes," proclaimed the Law of Thelema; handed out copies of book to white, red, brown, black, yellow representatives.

Representative of the "black" race was a dancing-girl. Indian was a non-English-speaking Bengall Muslim, who seemed rather puzzled by the whole business.

Book contains message dictated to Crowley in Cairo in 1904 "by Aiwass, a Being whose nature he does not fully understand, but who described Himself as 'The Minister of Hoor-Paar-Kraat' (the Lord of Silence)."

Prospectus of book says it's been published three times before; adds sinisterly, that first publication was nine months before outbreak of Balkan was, second nine months before outbreak of world war, third nine months before outbreak of Sino-Japanese war.

No coincidence, it says: "the might of this Magick burst out and caused a catastrophe to civilization."

Well, we'll see next September.

"It's a bit hard of you to wish another was on us," I said to Crowley.

"Oh, but if everyone will only do as I tell them to," he replied, "the catastrophe can be averted."

Somehow I fear they won't.