Black magic is not a myth. It is a totally unscientific and emotional form of magic, but it does get results - of an extremely temporary nature. The recoil upon those who practice it is terrific. It is like looking for an escape of gas with a lighted candle. As far as the search goes, there is little fear of failure! To practice black magic you have to violate every principle of science, decency, and intelligence. You must be obsessed with an insane idea of the importance of the petty object of your wretched and selfish desires. I have been accused of being a 'black magician.' No more foolish statement was ever made about me. I despise the thing to such an extent that I can hardly believe in the existence of people so debased and idiotic as to practice it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Crowley describes black magic as an unscientific, emotionally driven practice that yields temporary results but harms the practitioner.
- In plain terms
- He says black magic is a dangerous, short‑lived trick that hurts the user.
- What can you take from it?
- Pursuing shortcuts rooted in superstition can be self‑destructive.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do people turn to black magic despite risks?
- What alternatives exist for seeking power?
Another view
The description is anecdotal and lacks objective verification.
More from Aleister Crowley
There seems to be much misunderstanding about True Will ... The fact of a person being a gentleman is as much an ineluctable factor as any possible spiritual e…
Permalink to quote #3 Sit still. Stop thinking. Shut up. Get out! The first two of these instructions comprise the whole of the technique of Yoga. The last two are of a sublimity wh…
Permalink to quote #5 I am certainly of opinion that genius can be acquired, or, in the alternative, that it is an almost universal possession. Its rarity may be attributed to the c…
Permalink to quote #2
Related quotes
Nor is it any longer possible for you to give up this empire ... Your empire is now like a tyranny: it may have been wrong to take it; it is certainly dangerou…
PericlesPericles quote #1 A human exposed without protection to the conditions required to support Affronter life would be dying in at least three excitingly different and painful ways …
Iain BanksIain Banks quote #2 [The world may end up] under a Sword of Damocles : on a tightrope over the abyss.
Andrei GromykoAndrei Gromyko quote #2