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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Tuesday, 10 March 1925
Mar 10/25. 8.38 P.M. to 9.30 P.M. Time 42 minutes.
Vision 5. Astrid [Dorothy Olsen].
Don't see anything except a red cross—a Greek cross. It's red like the tin stuff on the rum bottle.
8.42. It's gone. No it isn't. It was a Maltese cross.
8.44. Still have that terrible pounding in my head. It's very dark. I seem to be walking on sand but I'm near the water. The stars are coming out. It looks like the same place as I was in the other night—cactus and palm trees.
8.45. Nothing happens. Keep seeing the number 13 all the time. It seems to flash up on my eyes—I sort of hear it—it's on my mind. Walking in bright starlight nothing happens. (13 connected with Woodrow Wilson—this in answer to 718's [William Barron] question.)
I see a tree—a funny tree—one half dead; the other half full of oranges and funny lights shooting over it like anchors and triangles; curious marks; emblems—something.
8.50. A five-pointed star—changes into head of an ox or a cow—and that changes into figure of a woman. She's in a white mist. She seems to be rising up in the sky. She's going so fast I can't keep up with her. Way up in the clouds, (718 says "Ask her to stop")
Falling down—middle of a desert. Man coming towards me wrapped up in a black cloth.
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He asked me if I am looking for the key. What key? The key is in the little blue box AME ? AMER AMIR ? He won't show his face—he's been to a terrible war. Hiding face—may be afraid of night air. Sorry he can't do anything. I'd better go on.
Camel tracks here. Going on. Letter looks like K with 2 vertical lines in front of it. The sand—letter K between camel tracks—every few steps the same letter.
I can see the city in the distance—must be hundreds of camels—seem to be all alone. Can't tell if it's a big city. It's a sort of wall. High arched square—almost like Chinese—not entirely square—slanted.
Two men stop me—helmets and spears—armour—Arabs or something. They say I can go in. Quite dark. Just see it's white houses; paving stones very like those in Pompeii; very worn; no lights in houses. No people out. Funny things like raised stone—come to one every once in a while. Not a particularly nice place to be in—it's very quiet. No impression, it's too dead.
Gone right through and came out another gate like the one I came in. Two men (black); long spears. Can't tell me—seem to indicate I'm in wrong place and had better go on. Out on sand again. No trees, no camels or anything.
(718 says "Call on someone to help you go on"".)
9.07. Nothing but sand—blown about a bit. A huge eye in the sky; opening and shutting like snapping turtle. See only reflection of myself in it—more or less as I am. Dressed in white burnoose. Everything much slower tonight. Keep getting number 13 in mind.
9.10. Getting near water. I hear it. Something moving on horizon—may be sail of boat. Ocean.
9.11. Waves on water. Quite calm—you know how it beats up on shore. Sandy beach; very flat. Wish my birds would come. Not the same place as other night. A man just ran past me towards the city. Two torches in hand. The torches flaming and forming letter U. Don't think that was a boat. Don't see anything. Men coming from direction I'm going to. I'm walking along shore. Sand very white—like snow, almost.
9.15. Call snake. Number 4 flashes by up. The number is made out of the snake (yellow).
9.17. Nothing happens. Still on shore. Walked so far. Coming back. 9.20.
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