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A pamphlet with the text of the Liber OZ, presumably intended to be posted to new adepts, this example with a manuscript note on the front in the hand of Crowley's secretary Kenneth Grant: "For Rodney, Full Moon, [moon crescent] in [Capricorn]. 14 July '46 E.V. Wishing all success in the Guest of Self. Aossic Magister IX° IBA". It has been sealed with the manuscript Aossic Magister sigil in the same hand. The Liber OZ was written to convey as simply as possible the Ordo Templi Orientis and consists of five succinct paragraphs clearly declaring the rights of man within Crowley's occult philosophy, the majority of the words deliberately monosyllabic. It was "first composed by Crowley during World War One to serve as part of an OTO ritual" (Sutin, p. 392). Crowley planned in late 1941 to publish it "in the form of postcards and broadsides" (ibid., p. 392). Three variants of the resulting pamphlet are known, differing in the portraits of Crowley included within. Only four copies have been traced institutionally worldwide, with one copy at the University of Buffalo, and three copies at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas, who hold a copy of each variant. The portrait in this copy shows Crowley costumed as an "Eastern Mage" with a pipe and turban and comes from a shoot taken circa 1936 intended to attract students (Sutin, p. 280). Kenneth Grant (1924-2011) and Crowley first met in autumn 1944 following months of Grant's attempts to make contact. Grant swiftly became Crowley's secretary and personal assistant, a high initiate of the Ordo Templi Orientis, taking on the motto of Aossic, and in March 1945 moved into a cottage in the grounds of the boarding house where Crowley lived. Grant took over the OTO in Britain at Crowley's death in December 1947; at the time of the inscription in July 1946 Grant was already handling the day to running of the order, as well as handling "procurement of drugs and whiskey and management of the Beast's mundane affairs", and Crowley's day to day correspondence with disciples looking for advice on their ritual practice (Sutin, p. 406). The recipient of this copy, "Rodney", is the presumed artist behind the esoteric art it is accompanied by. The images incorporate classic occult, astrological, and alchemical symbolism, such as incorporating motifs traditionally used to represent Capricorn, the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet , and a horned creature with the mutable alchemical symbol on its forehead, its design similar to the artist's signature glyph, seemingly based on John Dee's own. Alongside biographer John Symonds, whom Crowley befriended in 1946, Grant was responsible for much of the revived interest in Crowley in the latter half of the 20th century. Grant published prolifically, providing both explanations of and expansions to Crowley's own writings, and shaped the OTO in his own ideal. He was key in promoting the occult more broadly, championing the art of Austin Osman Spare and working with ceremonial magician Gerald Gardner. Occultist and author Alan Moore claimed that it is "hard to name any other individual who has done more to shape contemporary western thinking with regard to Magic" than Grant (Moore, p. 162). Alan Moore, "Beyond our Ken", in Joel Biroco (ed.) KAOS 14, 2002; Lawrence Sutin, Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley, 2014. Single leaf (150 x 240 mm), folded twice to create envelope, text of Liber OZ printed on recto with facsimile of Crowley's signature, portrait photograph of Crowley printed to appear on inside panel of envelope. Faintly soiled, evidence of adhesive to closing fold of envelope. Additionally 3 pieces of original artwork: 2 pen and ink drawings (280 x 203 mm) mounted behind glass in large wooden frames painted in green and black (485 x 335 mm). Frames scuffed and marked, images remaining crisp and bright. Unmounted pen, ink, and acrylic drawing titled "Thaïs" (310 x 250 mm). Minor edge creasing and short nick to fore edge.
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