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[[File:Bad Lord Soules.jpg|200px|left]]
[[File:Aleister Crowley.jpg|200px|left]]
'''[[William II de Soules]]''', also known as '''Bad Lord Soules''', was a Scottish border noble during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Scottish lore maintains that a Soules was a practitioner of [[black magic]] being schooled with [[Michael Scot]], the "wizard of the North." He is supposed to have made a [[diabolical pact|pact]] with [[the Devil]], and murdered people in exchange for power and wealth. Soules conducted his rituals in Hermitage Castle and they involved the sacrifice of animals that were the color black.
'''[[Aleister Crowley]]''' was an English [[occultist]], [[magician]], poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of [[Thelema]], identifying himself as the [[prophet]] entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of [[Horus]] in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a [[recreational drug]] user, bisexual, and an individualist social critic.


In his poem, ''Lord Soulis'', poet John Leyden adapted the story of William II de Soules into a villain named Bad Lord Soules. Scott claims Soules had a [[familiar]] named Robin Redcap, a type of malevolent, murderous goblin commonly found in Scottish folklore. In retaliation for a long history of cruelty, locals boiled Lord Soules alive at Ninestane Rig. The more likely culprit would have been Sir Ranulf (Randolph) de Soules of Liddel (born c.1150 and murdered by his servants in 1207/8).
Several Western esoteric traditions other than Thelema were also influenced by Crowley, with Djurdjevic observing that "Crowley's influence on twentieth-century and contemporary esotericism has been enormous". [[Gerald Gardner]], founder of [[Gardnerian Wicca]], made use of much of Crowley's published material when composing the Gardnerian ritual liturgy. [[L. Ron Hubbard]], the American founder of [[Scientology]], was involved in Thelema in the early 1940s (with [[Jack Parsons]]), and it has been argued that Crowley's ideas influenced some of Hubbard's work.


'''([[William II de Soules|Full Article...]])'''
'''([[Aleister Crowley|Full Article...]])'''

Latest revision as of 16:20, 13 December 2025

Aleister Crowley.jpg

Aleister Crowley was an English occultist, magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a recreational drug user, bisexual, and an individualist social critic.

Several Western esoteric traditions other than Thelema were also influenced by Crowley, with Djurdjevic observing that "Crowley's influence on twentieth-century and contemporary esotericism has been enormous". Gerald Gardner, founder of Gardnerian Wicca, made use of much of Crowley's published material when composing the Gardnerian ritual liturgy. L. Ron Hubbard, the American founder of Scientology, was involved in Thelema in the early 1940s (with Jack Parsons), and it has been argued that Crowley's ideas influenced some of Hubbard's work.

(Full Article...)