Britpop Magick: Aleister Crowley and the Klaxons

The idea that occultist, poet, mountain climber, pioneer of consciousness expansion and “wickedest man in the world” Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) has been somewhat of an influence on rock music and its innumerable variations is no secret to those who have an interest in the occult (or read crackpot Christian tracts). The list a veritable who’s who of 20th century rock:
Jimmy Page, The Beatles,
The Doors,
David Bowie, Daryl Hall (?),
Ozzy Osbourne, Marilyn Manson (and a variety of other lesser-knowns). So why was I surprised to find a heavy Crowley influence in the lyrics of “Magick” by the next-big-music-thing in the UK –
The Klaxons? Here, check it out for yourself:

To be fair, they do distance themselves from the idea that they are practicing occultists.

From an interview with Mp3.com:

Now how far do your interests really go in, say, the Ordo Templi Orientis or black magick? Are you just making pop references to them or is this something that you’re very interested in–in your personal life?

… We’re not, in the sense, occultists. And we’re not, in a sense, practicing the works of Crowley. We just wanted to see what we could do…get it into music.

Judging from their song and album titles it’s obvious that The Klaxons have a interest in the more experimental and obscure currents of thought and literature anyway -
“As Above, So Below”, “Atlantis to Interzone”, “Four Horsemen of 2012”,
“Gravity’s Rainbow”, and
“Myths of the Near Future” – so whether they are practicing occultists or not, there seems to be more than a passing interest in these subjects. And in the same interview they say, “We wanted to be popular. I mean, there’s no better way of having an impact really than actually being popular and getting these ideas out into pop culture.” What may be these “ideas” be, pray tell? I think I have some idea … bring on the
Age of Horus, baby!

For those who dig the music, but don’t really know Aleister Crowley from David Blane, here’s a little user guide to the Crowley references in the lyrics of “Magick.”

Magick, without tears
Magick, without tears
Magick, without tears
The magick-al vaneer

Magick Without Tears is a book written by Aleister Crowley later in life consisting of eighty letters to his acolytes. Magick Without Tears is notable because of the clear and lucid way Crowley outlines his ideas and his magical system – Thelema – without the complexity and obfuscation of his other works.

The way to mother noose

The Mother Noose (Goose?) could possibly refer to a section in Book 4 where he illuminates the Qabalistic significance of Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

The way to suck an egg

This line I assume is a reference to
chapter 69 of Crowley’s The Book of Lies: “The Way to Succeed – and the way to Suck Eggs.”

Suck seed and suck eggs, get it?

The way to golden dawn
The way to Koh Phangan

The Golden Dawn was turn of the century magical order of whom Crowley was a member for awhile. Although he eventually left the group, the Golden Dawn was a major influence on his magical philosophy.

The glitter on the snow
the place to always go

“The Glitter on the Snow” is a chapter from Crowley’s 1922 novel of Thelemic rehab, Diary of a Drug Fiend.

Do what you will
Do what you will

“Do what you will” is a shortened version of “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” which is part of the Law of Thelema. This phrase first appears in The Book of the Law – the central text of Thelema- which was dictated to Aleister by a messenger of the God Horus – Aiwass – and forms the basis of Crowley’s magical system and philosophy.