P. R. Stephensen

In the 1968 introduction to second edition of Israel Regardie's The Tree of Life he wrote, “To [Aleister Crowley’s] ultimate vindication from the idiocy of biographers and muckraking journalists I have dedicated many years of my life. His material will never die, it will remain an inspiration to students of the distant future as it has to me." Shortly thereafter he continued the work of that vindication by providing an introduction for the Llewellyn Publications reissue of a book which show more Regardie had also helped to bring out from Mandrake Press in England in 1930. P. R. Stephensen’s Legend of Aleister Crowley was thus able to appear In a vanguard position just ahead of the US release of Crowley’s Confessions as well as in advance of Regardie’s own Crowley biography The Eye in the Triangle.

The byline to this 1990 third printing New Falcon Publications edition of The Legend "by Israel Regardie & P. R. Stephensen" is dubious, though. Regardie's own 1969 introduction says that Stephensen "went to work dictating to me with my Stenotype" (iv). If it weren't obvious that the writer's voice is Stephensen's--decidedly different than Regardie's sampled in the introduction--the narrative supplied there makes it conclusive.

The short book was composed as a defense of Crowley by his publisher against years of prior hostile press, and it is built around Crowley's own collection of clippings. Stephensen is fairly droll, and I appreciated his assertion that the legendary efflorescences from demonizing accounts of Crowley could be useful data for the discipline of comparative theology (13).

The text is organized chronologically, and a high point of Chapter II "The Early Period" is the dialogue between G. K. Chesterton and Crowley, later mischaracterized by the yellow press at third hand. "The Equinox Period" has for its chief offering Jones v. Looking Glass and its coverage. "The War" is of course World War I, and that chapter concerns itself mostly with accusations of treason during this period when Crowley was in America. The final chapter deals with false and hostile press around the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalu.

This edition has a 1983 epilogue by Regardie in the style of the main text, which uses for its fodder the press reviews and reactions to the release of the Hill & Wang edition of Crowley's Confessions. Appended to that is a (1986? 1990? after Regardie's death, at any rate) manifesto for the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn, by Falcon publisher Christopher S. Hyatt and David Cherubim. show less

Stephensen went to some rather dark, Fascist-cum-Nationalist places in his career, and some of that is unsurprising if you read this in detail. But there were also germs here of his idea for an Australian culture, as separate from the British overlords, that resonated with the times, and inspired many, including Rex Ingamells of the Jindyworobaks.

Take it for what its worth.It looks like a whitewash, as I believe the man was posessed.

A close account of Sydney Harbour.