Let me begin by making it very clear that this is neither an instructional manual, historical view of absinthe, or a trashy neo-pagan text equating alcoholism with spirituality. "Absinthe" is a brief and lucid illustration of an absinthe bar in New Orleans in the early part of the 20th century. It captures the psychology of absinthe wonderfully, especially the poisonous absinthe of New Orleans, and the beautiful torment of a person enjoying its spell. The work is typical of a Crowley short story he decided to transcribe from one of his diaries verbatim, and his characteristic oscilating precision tempts the reader into experimentation. "Absinthe" is absinthe from the inside of a drinker's putrefying brain. By no means am I discouraging the exploration of the drink. Like most things worth trying, the risk is negligible.
Author
Writings of British mystic Aleister Crowley on occult practices influenced the development of Neopaganism, various religious movements that arose chiefly in the United Kingdom and the United States in the late 1900s and that combine worship of pagan nature deities, particularly of the earth, with benign witchcraft. Born Edward Alexander Crowley, this mountaineer, philosopher, and poet joined as an member in several organizations, including the Golden Dawn, the A∴A∴, and Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), and people best know today especially his The Book of the Law , the central sacred text of Thelema. Infamously dubbed "the wickedest man in the World," he gained much notoriety during his lifetime. Crowley additionally played chess, painted, experimented with drugs, criticized society and practiced astrology, hedonism, bisexuality. Crowley also claimed a Freemason, but people dispute the regularity of his initiations with the United Grand Lodge of England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleiste...
