Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Seraphita, that's very cool about rituals and the subconscious. I would LOVE to see that tested with an fMRI machine. Regarding EFT, as you probably know, it involves tapping the meridian points of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). So maybe we could call it Ritual Plus! From: "s3raph...@yahoo.com" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 9:53 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re "I also used EFT tapping to deal with cookie cravings" : Share, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) IS PRECISELY MAGICK in Crowley's sense! Look, you want to achieve some result (say, to stop gorging on cookies). You decide on some ritual (it's arbitrary what you choose - you could have decided to recite backwards the first paragraph of George W. Bush's memoir while standing on your head, but let's say you choose the EFT technique) and you say to yourself: "Performing *this* ritual IS EQUIVALENT TO stopping my craving for cookies." You do the ritual (in your case the EFT routine) and your subconscious (which ignores surface, conscious rationalisation which is thinking: "what the fuck am I doing this idiotic rigmarole for?") automatically follows through. The ritual means: "I don't want cookies"; and afterwards abracadabra you don't want cookies! It is so simple that people naturally dismiss it out of hand as worthless. Those who have actually tried it (like you!) found that it is effective. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: Seraphita, 5 yrs ago the doc told me I was headed for Type 2 diabetes. So the first week of my new diet, I ate no sugar or carbs or dairy. Right away my body looked better and that motivated me to continue dieting, not as strictly as I had, but I return to that strategy when I need to. I also used EFT tapping to deal with cookie cravings. When I stopped smoking about 40 yrs ago, I NEVER wanted another cigarette which I think was just grace. From: "s3raphita@..." To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 11:46 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re Steve Sundur's "Hey Judy, sorry for any nastiness. Seraphita's analysis of the book touched on some of the reasons I did like the book. Addiction issues have always been of interest to me . . . when the discussion of this book came up before, many years ago, I was more confident that the modality put forth in the book could be effective.": If we are still talking about Crowley's Diary of a Drug Fiend, I mentioned above that he himself never lost his heroin habit. The drug was prescribed for his asthma so maybe he never had a fighting chance to stay clean. Curiously, I used the Beast's ideas when I quit smoking. The gist of Crowley's thinking here is that when a man (say) decides to stop a drug habit (let's say smoking) his surface consciousness comes up with lots of reasons - my clothes stink/it's an expensive habit/I'm coughing up phlegm/ . . . - but his deeper nature (his True Will) is actually rather keen on puffing away. The man has set up an uneven contest that he's destined to lose. When I stopped smoking I did two things. First I decided to only stop for a week. That way it couldn't be any worse than having a dose of flu and there wouldn't be that nagging, horrid thought "I will never again know the pleasure of inhaling on a cigarette". Secondly, as I've always been inordinately curious about whatever takes my fancy doesn't that suggest inordinate curiosity is part of my True Will? So I thought, I'll treat the experience of going cold turkey as if I'd just ingested a novel, experimental drug and I had to keep track and report back on what the effects were. In other words, I made the quitting into a game - and a game that would just be a short, sharp shock. At the end of the week I'd (more-or-less) sailed through the adventure and I knew I'd never smoke a cigarette again. Hey, maybe I should set up shop as an addiction counsellor!
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Well I'll be darned! So EFT is magic - who would-a thunk it. Here in the states, EFT is being used by a number of different clinics and programs treating vets with PTSD. From: "s3raph...@yahoo.com" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 10:53 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re "I also used EFT tapping to deal with cookie cravings" : Share, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) IS PRECISELY MAGICK in Crowley's sense! Look, you want to achieve some result (say, to stop gorging on cookies). You decide on some ritual (it's arbitrary what you choose - you could have decided to recite backwards the first paragraph of George W. Bush's memoir while standing on your head, but let's say you choose the EFT technique) and you say to yourself: "Performing *this* ritual IS EQUIVALENT TO stopping my craving for cookies." You do the ritual (in your case the EFT routine) and your subconscious (which ignores surface, conscious rationalisation which is thinking: "what the fuck am I doing this idiotic rigmarole for?") automatically follows through. The ritual means: "I don't want cookies"; and afterwards abracadabra you don't want cookies! It is so simple that people naturally dismiss it out of hand as worthless. Those who have actually tried it (like you!) found that it is effective. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: Seraphita, 5 yrs ago the doc told me I was headed for Type 2 diabetes. So the first week of my new diet, I ate no sugar or carbs or dairy. Right away my body looked better and that motivated me to continue dieting, not as strictly as I had, but I return to that strategy when I need to. I also used EFT tapping to deal with cookie cravings. When I stopped smoking about 40 yrs ago, I NEVER wanted another cigarette which I think was just grace. From: "s3raphita@..." To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 11:46 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re Steve Sundur's "Hey Judy, sorry for any nastiness. Seraphita's analysis of the book touched on some of the reasons I did like the book. Addiction issues have always been of interest to me . . . when the discussion of this book came up before, many years ago, I was more confident that the modality put forth in the book could be effective.": If we are still talking about Crowley's Diary of a Drug Fiend, I mentioned above that he himself never lost his heroin habit. The drug was prescribed for his asthma so maybe he never had a fighting chance to stay clean. Curiously, I used the Beast's ideas when I quit smoking. The gist of Crowley's thinking here is that when a man (say) decides to stop a drug habit (let's say smoking) his surface consciousness comes up with lots of reasons - my clothes stink/it's an expensive habit/I'm coughing up phlegm/ . . . - but his deeper nature (his True Will) is actually rather keen on puffing away. The man has set up an uneven contest that he's destined to lose. When I stopped smoking I did two things. First I decided to only stop for a week. That way it couldn't be any worse than having a dose of flu and there wouldn't be that nagging, horrid thought "I will never again know the pleasure of inhaling on a cigarette". Secondly, as I've always been inordinately curious about whatever takes my fancy doesn't that suggest inordinate curiosity is part of my True Will? So I thought, I'll treat the experience of going cold turkey as if I'd just ingested a novel, experimental drug and I had to keep track and report back on what the effects were. In other words, I made the quitting into a game - and a game that would just be a short, sharp shock. At the end of the week I'd (more-or-less) sailed through the adventure and I knew I'd never smoke a cigarette again. Hey, maybe I should set up shop as an addiction counsellor!
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Seraphita, 5 yrs ago the doc told me I was headed for Type 2 diabetes. So the first week of my new diet, I ate no sugar or carbs or dairy. Right away my body looked better and that motivated me to continue dieting, not as strictly as I had, but I return to that strategy when I need to. I also used EFT tapping to deal with cookie cravings. When I stopped smoking about 40 yrs ago, I NEVER wanted another cigarette which I think was just grace. From: "s3raph...@yahoo.com" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 11:46 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re Steve Sundur's "Hey Judy, sorry for any nastiness. Seraphita's analysis of the book touched on some of the reasons I did like the book. Addiction issues have always been of interest to me . . . when the discussion of this book came up before, many years ago, I was more confident that the modality put forth in the book could be effective.": If we are still talking about Crowley's Diary of a Drug Fiend, I mentioned above that he himself never lost his heroin habit. The drug was prescribed for his asthma so maybe he never had a fighting chance to stay clean. Curiously, I used the Beast's ideas when I quit smoking. The gist of Crowley's thinking here is that when a man (say) decides to stop a drug habit (let's say smoking) his surface consciousness comes up with lots of reasons - my clothes stink/it's an expensive habit/I'm coughing up phlegm/ . . . - but his deeper nature (his True Will) is actually rather keen on puffing away. The man has set up an uneven contest that he's destined to lose. When I stopped smoking I did two things. First I decided to only stop for a week. That way it couldn't be any worse than having a dose of flu and there wouldn't be that nagging, horrid thought "I will never again know the pleasure of inhaling on a cigarette". Secondly, as I've always been inordinately curious about whatever takes my fancy doesn't that suggest inordinate curiosity is part of my True Will? So I thought, I'll treat the experience of going cold turkey as if I'd just ingested a novel, experimental drug and I had to keep track and report back on what the effects were. In other words, I made the quitting into a game - and a game that would just be a short, sharp shock. At the end of the week I'd (more-or-less) sailed through the adventure and I knew I'd never smoke a cigarette again. Hey, maybe I should set up shop as an addiction counsellor!
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
From: "s3raph...@yahoo.com" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2013 11:46 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re Steve Sundur's "Hey Judy, sorry for any nastiness. Seraphita's analysis of the book touched on some of the reasons I did like the book. Addiction issues have always been of interest to me . . . when the discussion of this book came up before, many years ago, I was more confident that the modality put forth in the book could be effective.": If we are still talking about Crowley's Diary of a Drug Fiend, I mentioned above that he himself never lost his heroin habit. The drug was prescribed for his asthma so maybe he never had a fighting chance to stay clean. Curiously, I used the Beast's ideas when I quit smoking. The gist of Crowley's thinking here is that when a man (say) decides to stop a drug habit (let's say smoking) his surface consciousness comes up with lots of reasons - my clothes stink/it's an expensive habit/I'm coughing up phlegm/ . . . - but his deeper nature (his True Will) is actually rather keen on puffing away. The man has set up an uneven contest that he's destined to lose. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" Aleister Crowley (I guess, one his more notable quotes, although I think I've gotten a little fuzzy about its meaning) When I stopped smoking I did two things. First I decided to only stop for a week. That way it couldn't be any worse than having a dose of flu and there wouldn't be that nagging, horrid thought "I will never again know the pleasure of inhaling on a cigarette". Secondly, as I've always been inordinately curious about whatever takes my fancy doesn't that suggest inordinate curiosity is part of my True Will? So I thought, I'll treat the experience of going cold turkey as if I'd just ingested a novel, experimental drug and I had to keep track and report back on what the effects were. In other words, I made the quitting into a game - and a game that would just be a short, sharp shock. At the end of the week I'd (more-or-less) sailed through the adventure and I knew I'd never smoke a cigarette again. Hey, maybe I should set up shop as an addiction counsellor!
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Seraphita, are you sure we're not in a saloon bar. People keep posting about a bear in a bar (-: From: "s3raph...@yahoo.com" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 5:07 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn Re: I'd recommend ignoring any esoteric info that isn't helpful and or comforting.: I see where you're coming from but I'm not sounding off in a saloon bar! To clarify: I don't *myself* believe in reincarnation! I don't *myself* oppose abortion! I'm just exploring the Beast's ideas because they intrigue me. ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: Seraphita, I have not had any direct experience of abortion either in my own life or that of a family member. Nonetheless, I'm sure it must be an awful choice for any woman, maybe even in horrendous situations. And it has got to be one the *hottest* if not the hottest political issue around as well as being an ethical and moral and religious minefield. I'd recommend ignoring any esoteric info that isn't helpful and or comforting. From: "s3raphita@..." To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 12:02 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn The splendid rant by Aleister Crowley I posted originally is ambiguous: "I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest kinds of murder . . ." : is he against all abortion - which happens to be a serious criminal offence at the time? Or is it just "criminal abortion" he's against? That is, he would be happy with legal clinics providing modern, hygienic standards as opposed to back-street walk-ups? Anyway, I only included the quote as a relish. The "reincarnation-karma" aspect is more intriguing. Re "Share's "I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months" : that idea doesn't fly. Some people can recall their experiences in the womb so the soul has to be there at the stage when sense organs are developed enough. The simplest and most obvious implication is that it gets there at the moment of conception. Isn't the idea of a later arrival just too suspiciously self-serving? ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: Seraphita, I remember that the Natural Law Party many years ago was pro choice, recognizing that abortion is a tragedy and also that a woman has a right to choose. Their platform said it in a more expanded and elegant way but that was the gist of it. During my decades around spiritual groups, I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months and that stillbirths, for example, occur when the soul changes its mind about incarnating and or experiencing that particular life path. From: "s3raphita@..." To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 9:00 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] The Beast and the unborn As the magus Aleister Crowley was a sexual degenerate and hoovered up multiple partners during his career I'd rather lazily assumed that he would be in favour of abortion. I was surprised to come across this quote of his: "I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest kinds of murder. Apart from anything else, it nearly always ruins the health of the woman, when it fails to kill her. The vigour of my views on this point strengthens my general attitude on the question of sexual freedom. I believe that very few women, left to themselves, would be so vile as to commit this sin against the Holy Ghost; to thwart the deepest instincts of nature at the risk of health and Life, to say nothing of imprisonment. Yet criminal abortion is one of the commonest of crimes and one most generally condoned by what I must paradoxically call secret public opinion. And the reason is that our social system makes it shameful and punishable by poverty for a woman to do what evolution has spent ages in constructing her to do, save under conditions with which the vast majority of women cannot possibly comply. The remedy lies entirely with public opinion. Let motherhood be recognized as honourable in itself, and even the pressure of poverty would not prevent any but a few degenerate women, with perverse appetites for pleasure, from fulfilling their function. In the case of such it would indeed be better that they and their children perish." So - not pulling any punches there! A lot of what Aleister objects to in the passage above could probably be answered by having the type of child-care provision we have in European-style welfare states. However, he raises a more interesting objection (though I couldn't immediately spot a quote via Google just now) when he claimed that belief in reincarnation implies a belief that abortion must be a crime. Why? Because, according to the doctrine a soul has chosen to incarnate in a particular foetus and to de
RE: Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
noozguru, this makes a lot of sense about the first breath at birth. The reason people think pro choice equals pro abortion IMO is that the Republicans, maybe for decades, have been masters of spin. From: Bhairitu To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 2:17 PM Subject: Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn First off, nobody knows for sure but I go with the "Hindu" concept that the soul enters the body on the first breathe at birth. That's when the prana enters the body with the shakti which is the power that drives the body and consciousness. Anything else is just an offshoot of the mother and genetic memory. Problem with the anti-abortion people in this country is they are so stupid they think that "pro choice" is "pro abortion." It isn't nor has it ever been. Once you are in "unity consciousness" you will realize that we are all just "one being" and duality was just an illusion. It's just the Self enjoying ItSelf in many ways we can't even beging to comprehend. On 09/27/2013 10:02 AM, s3raph...@yahoo.com wrote: >The splendid rant by Aleister Crowley I posted originally is ambiguous: "I >consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest >kinds of murder . . ." : is he against all abortion - which happens to be a >serious criminal offence at the time? Or is it just "criminal abortion" he's >against? That is, he would be happy with legal clinics providing modern, >hygienic standards as opposed to back-street walk-ups? > > >Anyway, I only included the quote as a relish. The "reincarnation-karma" >aspect is more intriguing. > > >Re "Share's "I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months" : >that idea doesn't fly. Some people can recall their experiences in the womb so >the soul has to be there at the stage when sense organs are developed enough. >The simplest and most obvious implication is that it gets there at the moment >of conception. Isn't the idea of a later arrival just too suspiciously >self-serving? > > >---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: > > >Seraphita, I remember that the Natural Law Party many years ago was pro >choice, recognizing that abortion is a tragedy and also that a woman has a >right to choose. Their platform said it in a more expanded and elegant way but >that was the gist of it. During my decades around spiritual groups, I've also >heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months and that stillbirths, for >example, occur when the soul changes its mind about incarnating and or >experiencing that particular life path. > > > > > > > > From: "s3raphita@..." >To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com >Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 9:00 AM >Subject: [FairfieldLife] The Beast and the unborn > > > > >As the magus Aleister Crowley was a sexual degenerate and hoovered up multiple >partners during his career I'd rather lazily assumed that he would be in >favour of abortion. I was surprised to come across this quote of his: > > >"I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the >foulest kinds of murder. Apart from anything else, it nearly always ruins the >health of the woman, when it fails to kill her. The vigour of my views on this >point strengthens my general attitude on the question of sexual freedom. I >believe that very few women, left to themselves, would be so vile as to commit >this sin against the Holy Ghost; to thwart the deepest instincts of nature at >the risk of health and Life, to say nothing of imprisonment. Yet criminal >abortion is one of the commonest of crimes and one most generally condoned by >what I must paradoxically call secret public opinion. And the reason is that >our social system makes it shameful and punishable by poverty for a woman to >do what evolution has spent ages in constructing her to do, save under >conditions with which the vast majority of women cannot possibly comply. The >remedy lies entirely with public opinion. Let motherhood be recognized as honourable in itself, and even the pressure of poverty would not prevent any but a few degenerate women, with perverse appetites for pleasure, from fulfilling their function. In the case of such it would indeed be better that they and their children perish." > > > >So - not pulling any punches there! A lot of what Aleister objects to in the >passage above could probably be answered by having the type of child-care >provision we have in European-style welfare states
RE: Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
First off, nobody knows for sure but I go with the "Hindu" concept that the soul enters the body on the first breathe at birth. That's when the prana enters the body with the shakti which is the power that drives the body and consciousness. Anything else is just an offshoot of the mother and genetic memory. Problem with the anti-abortion people in this country is they are so stupid they think that "pro choice" is "pro abortion." It isn't nor has it ever been. Once you are in "unity consciousness" you will realize that we are all just "one being" and duality was just an illusion. It's just the Self enjoying ItSelf in many ways we can't even beging to comprehend. On 09/27/2013 10:02 AM, s3raph...@yahoo.com wrote: The splendid rant by Aleister Crowley I posted originally is ambiguous: "I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest kinds of murder . . ." : is he against all abortion - which happens to be a serious criminal offence at the time? Or is it just "criminal abortion" he's against? That is, he would be happy with legal clinics providing modern, hygienic standards as opposed to back-street walk-ups? Anyway, I only included the quote as a relish. The "reincarnation-karma" aspect is more intriguing. Re "Share's "I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months" : that idea doesn't fly. Some people can recall their experiences in the womb so the soul has to be there at the stage when sense organs are developed enough. The simplest and most obvious implication is that it gets there at the moment of conception. Isn't the idea of a later arrival just too suspiciously self-serving? ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: Seraphita, I remember that the Natural Law Party many years ago was pro choice, recognizing that abortion is a tragedy and also that a woman has a right to choose. Their platform said it in a more expanded and elegant way but that was the gist of it. During my decades around spiritual groups, I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months and that stillbirths, for example, occur when the soul changes its mind about incarnating and or experiencing that particular life path. *From:* "s3raphita@..." *To:* FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com *Sent:* Friday, September 27, 2013 9:00 AM *Subject:* [FairfieldLife] The Beast and the unborn As the magus Aleister Crowley was a sexual degenerate and hoovered up multiple partners during his career I'd rather lazily assumed that he would be in favour of abortion. I was surprised to come across this quote of his: "I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest kinds of murder. Apart from anything else, it nearly always ruins the health of the woman, when it fails to kill her. The vigour of my views on this point strengthens my general attitude on the question of sexual freedom. I believe that very few women, left to themselves, would be so vile as to commit this sin against the Holy Ghost; to thwart the deepest instincts of nature at the risk of health and Life, to say nothing of imprisonment. Yet criminal abortion is one of the commonest of crimes and one most generally condoned by what I must paradoxically call secret public opinion. And the reason is that our social system makes it shameful and punishable by poverty for a woman to do what evolution has spent ages in constructing her to do, save under conditions with which the vast majority of women cannot possibly comply. The remedy lies entirely with public opinion. Let motherhood be recognized as honourable in itself, and even the pressure of poverty would not prevent any but a few degenerate women, with perverse appetites for pleasure, from fulfilling their function. In the case of such it would indeed be better that they and their children perish." So - not pulling any punches there! A lot of what Aleister objects to in the passage above could probably be answered by having the type of child-care provision we have in European-style welfare states. However, he raises a more interesting objection (though I couldn't immediately spot a quote via Google just now) when he claimed that belief in reincarnation implies a belief that abortion must be a crime. Why? Because, according to the doctrine a soul has chosen to incarnate in a particular foetus and to deny that life a chance to grow you have thwarted the true will of that soul. But this view is, I see, a commonplace one for those who hold to reincarnation. The following passage is lifted from the BBC website. "The doctrine of reincarnation, which sees life as a repeating cycle of birth, death and rebirth, is basic to Hindu thinking. The doctrine of reincarnation can be used to make a strong case against abortion: If a foetus is aborted, the soul within it suffers a major karmic setback. It is deprive
Re: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn
Seraphita, I have not had any direct experience of abortion either in my own life or that of a family member. Nonetheless, I'm sure it must be an awful choice for any woman, maybe even in horrendous situations. And it has got to be one the *hottest* if not the hottest political issue around as well as being an ethical and moral and religious minefield. I'd recommend ignoring any esoteric info that isn't helpful and or comforting. From: "s3raph...@yahoo.com" To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 12:02 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] RE: The Beast and the unborn The splendid rant by Aleister Crowley I posted originally is ambiguous: "I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest kinds of murder . . ." : is he against all abortion - which happens to be a serious criminal offence at the time? Or is it just "criminal abortion" he's against? That is, he would be happy with legal clinics providing modern, hygienic standards as opposed to back-street walk-ups? Anyway, I only included the quote as a relish. The "reincarnation-karma" aspect is more intriguing. Re "Share's "I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months" : that idea doesn't fly. Some people can recall their experiences in the womb so the soul has to be there at the stage when sense organs are developed enough. The simplest and most obvious implication is that it gets there at the moment of conception. Isn't the idea of a later arrival just too suspiciously self-serving? ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: Seraphita, I remember that the Natural Law Party many years ago was pro choice, recognizing that abortion is a tragedy and also that a woman has a right to choose. Their platform said it in a more expanded and elegant way but that was the gist of it. During my decades around spiritual groups, I've also heard that the soul enters the foetus at 3 months and that stillbirths, for example, occur when the soul changes its mind about incarnating and or experiencing that particular life path. From: "s3raphita@..." To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 27, 2013 9:00 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] The Beast and the unborn As the magus Aleister Crowley was a sexual degenerate and hoovered up multiple partners during his career I'd rather lazily assumed that he would be in favour of abortion. I was surprised to come across this quote of his: "I consider criminal abortion in any circumstances soever as one of the foulest kinds of murder. Apart from anything else, it nearly always ruins the health of the woman, when it fails to kill her. The vigour of my views on this point strengthens my general attitude on the question of sexual freedom. I believe that very few women, left to themselves, would be so vile as to commit this sin against the Holy Ghost; to thwart the deepest instincts of nature at the risk of health and Life, to say nothing of imprisonment. Yet criminal abortion is one of the commonest of crimes and one most generally condoned by what I must paradoxically call secret public opinion. And the reason is that our social system makes it shameful and punishable by poverty for a woman to do what evolution has spent ages in constructing her to do, save under conditions with which the vast majority of women cannot possibly comply. The remedy lies entirely with public opinion. Let motherhood be recognized as honourable in itself, and even the pressure of poverty would not prevent any but a few degenerate women, with perverse appetites for pleasure, from fulfilling their function. In the case of such it would indeed be better that they and their children perish." So - not pulling any punches there! A lot of what Aleister objects to in the passage above could probably be answered by having the type of child-care provision we have in European-style welfare states. However, he raises a more interesting objection (though I couldn't immediately spot a quote via Google just now) when he claimed that belief in reincarnation implies a belief that abortion must be a crime. Why? Because, according to the doctrine a soul has chosen to incarnate in a particular foetus and to deny that life a chance to grow you have thwarted the true will of that soul. But this view is, I see, a commonplace one for those who hold to reincarnation. The following passage is lifted from the BBC website. "The doctrine of reincarnation, which sees life as a repeating cycle of birth, death and rebirth, is basic to Hindu thinking. The doctrine of reincarnation can be used to make a strong case against abortion: If a foetus is aborted, the soul within it suffers a major karmic setback. It is deprived of the opportunities its potential human existence would have given it to earn good karma, and is returned immediately to the cycle of birth,