Aleister Crowley and G.M. Kelly:
An Astrological Report

In comparing the horoscopes of Aleister Crowley and G.M.Kelly I expected to find many interesting links.  By the time my analysis was complete I was amazed at the implications.  What follows is a summary of the major points of the comparison. 

A predominance of cardinal signs, 10th house influences and the fire element is immediately apparent in comparing the two nativities.  This indicates a vital, high-energy relationship.  Aries and Libra emphasise the polarity of Mars and Venus in particular, an appropriate combination of love and will.  The strong 10th house favors public recognition of their allied ambition.

The aspects of Crowley's planets to Kelly's Sun are all plainly supportive and positive.  Kelly's Sun is only two degrees away from Crowley's midheaven and within five degrees of his North Node.  Considering the Nodes as "karmic" links there is an important destiny seen in this pattern.

In turn, Crowley's Sun appears, intercepted, in Kelly's 7th house, the home of partnerships--another highly significant combination.  The natives often mirror each other, together achieving total vision by balancing each other's expressions with complimentary views.  This is also a potent spiritual link.  Crowley's Sun opposite Kelly's Mars adds plenty of energy, which can be applied to understanding the meaning of the relationship and putting this understanding into vigorous action.  A conjunction of Crowley's Sun and Kelly's Neptune represents spirituality and idealism, empathy and intuitive understanding.  This is very helpful to Kelly in interpreting Crowley's works.  Crowley's Sun also square Kelly's midheaven, showing that clashes in self-expressions and practical concerns can threaten each other's security needs or public images--not unexpected considering such controversial careers.

Pluto and the Sun are in harmonious sextile to each other in both charts, doubly favorable for stimulating the will to work for rebirth, reform and transformation both on personal and transcendental levels.

The Moon's position in both horoscopes is equally significant.  Kelly's Moon is in Crowley's 4th house, where the Moon is "at home."  A deep emotional bond is shared, where similar family backgrounds or early childhood conditions form the basis for psychic attunment of feelings.  Crowley's Moon falls neatly into Kelly's 1st house, reflecting and fortifying this powerful emotional link between the angular houses.

Conjunctions of Crowley's Moon with Kelly's Jupiter, Ascendant and North Node augment the harmony of emotional attitudes.  Jupiter's influence adds a common spirituality, supporting ethical and moral values, philosophies and educational activities with emotional fervor.  Aided by the resourcefulness found through Crowley's Pluto trining his Moon, Kelly can successfully provide a regenerative base of operation for Crowey's occult and magical endeavors.  Some emotional conflicts may be unavoidable, with Crowley's Moon square Kelly's midheaven and Kelly's Moon squaring Crowley's Ascendant.  Perhaps it is well that these men are not currently co-existent on the physical plane since their personal mannerisms, habits and domestic or emotional tendencies would probably be mutually irritating.

Communication is obviously an important factor in this relationship, with Kelly's Mercury tranposing into Crowley's 10th house.  Through his own practical ideas and communication skills, Kelly can accurately convey Crowley's own intentions, improving their efficiency and effectiveness with ingenious flair.  This partnership is focussed through writing, journalism, teaching, publishing, travel, the media in general, research and education.  What better indications for a messenger of the New Aeon?

All major aspects of Kelly's Mercury to Crowley's chart are brilliantly supportive.  A sextile of Crowley's Saturn is a classically excellent teacher/student combination which also shows connexions through fraternal organizations.  Constructive mental discipline and experience is carried out with care and precision.  Kelly's Mercury trine Crowley's Uranus adds a sparkle of originality and creativity to Kelly's expressions, proving that he is capable of finding many practical applications for Crowley's advanced mental concepts.  The combination of Saturn and Uranus with Mercury generally points to a fine balance of new and old, avant-garde and traditional, inspiration and earthiness.  This is communicated to the world with disciplined intensity.

Crowley's Mercury in Kelly's 8th house is not as strong as any of the previously mentioned positions, but maintains the theme of carrying on the message of Thelema.  Crowley's "communications" with Kelly (through written works) have all been after his own death, so it is fitting that his Mercury should be in Kelly's house of inheritances.  His writings, indicated by Mercury, can be seen as what is passed on to Kelly as an entrusted legacy.  The 8th house also signifies the realm of the occult in general. 

A square between Kelly's Pluto and Crowley's Mercury compliments the 8th house influence, adding a friction-produced energy to their combined occult and mental endeavors.  The purpose of Pluto/Mercury contacts is to promote necessary intellectual confrontations so that rigid, fixed ideas can be reformulated, transformed and expanded.  This aspect forces a rethinking of cherished concepts through an intensely penetrating type of concentration.  It also provides a mental compulsion to delve into areas considered secret or taboo by society.  Challenges to strongly held ideas occur during this intellectual probing, with all due stubborn debate, until the concept in question is eventually transformed through Plutonian osmosis. 

Two trines from Crowley's Mercury mitigate this mental combat somewhat.  A trine to Kelly's ascendant smooths difficulties through a psychological understanding of the relationship, and a trine to the North Node further assists positive communications. 

The 10th and the 7th houses are highlighted by the presence of Venus in the respective horoscopes.  Kelly's Venus in Crowley's 10th house enables him to apply his characteristic charm and diplomacy to advancing Crowley's public recognition and reputation.  Through doing this Kelly can gain some recognition for his own creative talents.  Crowley's Venus is intercepted in Kelly's 7th house, indicating an enjoyment of the same pleasures and generally harmonious interactions. 

A shared conjunction between the natives' Venuses and Neptunes is a deeply spiritual aspect of creative working.  Again, a psychic and emotional rapport is emphasized.  The relationship manifests highly idealistic goals, encompassing expressions of ethereal beauty, celestial harmony and divine love that may be too far-flung for worldly application--although every soul yearns for the perfected union of spirit and self. 

Crowley's Venus sextiles Kelly's midheaven, a benevolent factor in the advancement of his career.  Kelly's Venus is square Crowley's ascendant, another clash of mundane habits and social expressions which may have produced trivial squabbles if these two ever met fact to face.  With Kelly's Venus opposite Crowley's Jupiter, however, they probably would have tactfully laid their mutual minor irritations aside in favor of shared religious, artistic, philosophical, educational and pleasurable interests.  The spiritual basis of compatability outweighs the chafing of personal idiosyncracies. 

Indeed Crowley and Kelly together would make an excellent team, with Kelly's Mars in Crowley's 10th house--an energetic, ambitious combination.  The warrior aspect is much in evidence here, with a competitive edge exerted in promoting common campaigns.  This influence carries political overtones and the promise of high position and honors.

Mars interacts in several strong aspects between these two horoscopes.  Saturn is involved through a sextile to Kelly's Mars and a trine to Crowley's Mars.  Any Mars/Saturn combination adds constructive will and militant discipline, careful organization and courageous, energetic actions.  The sextile lends the necessary determination and persistence to endure challenges, over-coming fear and negativity.  The trine allows Kelly to bring Crowley's bold concepts down to earth, obtaining practical results.  The combined effect provides patience and dilligence, along with the wisdom to build on a solid foundation of experience and good organization. 

The somewhat plodding, workhorse aspect of Saturn and Mars are lightened by a trine in Kelly's Mars with Crowley's Uranus.  This prevents discipline from becoming overly dull or monotonous. Uranus always brings lively inspiration and dynamic creative insights into a relationship, along with adventure and excitement.  It is the planet ruling the scientific facets of the occult, such as astrology, as opposed to the more intuitive arts.  Crowley was an expert astrologer and through this Mars/Uranus contact Kelly can learn how to better channel his own energies.

Crowley's Mars sextile Kelly's Jupiter favors intelligent action in religious, educational, social and charitable group activities.  Kelly can find constructive outlets for Crowley's expressions through travel--either actual physical travel or else journeys of an intellectual nature.  These two share a crusading zeal for a common cause and both uphold the same goals and principles.  Involvment in works to aid the less fortunate may relate to schools, colleges, retreats or other institutions. 

The influence of Crowley's Mars square Kelly's Neptune is perhaps the most potentially disturbing aspect.  This can be treacherous and coercively deceptive in a relationship, causing confusion, vacillation and repression.  Although generally the compared horoscopes support each other's strengths, likewise do they negatively reinforce each other's weaknesses with this aspect.  The relationship presents some issues that neither Crowley nor Kelly can decide how to face.  Evasive action is no solution because these problems will not simply vanish if ignored.  Dangerous self-destructive or escapist practices may be evident, such as drug abuse or alcoholism.  The main issues focus on partnerships, work and health, and these could present the most important challenges entailed in the relationship. 

Kelly's Jupiter in Crowley's 10th house is another especially strong influence.  Official support can be gained for educational, religious or philosophical goals and purposes.  This is an excellent combination for activities involving religion, publishing, travel and lecturing, gain of public recognition and career advancement. 

Like a benevolent legacy, Crowley's Jupiterstands in Kelly's 8th house.  This is a good indication of the richness of Crowley's spiritual gifts Kelly rightfully claims as inheritance.  It is also testimony that Kelly will appreciate and handle these gifts wisely.

The aspect of Kelly's Jupiter sextile Crowley's Pluto favors cooperative spiritual, educational and cultural self-improvment. Kelly can take Crowley's ideas about reform and apply these to the larger social order.  Under Crowley's influence, Kelly is more dynamic, resourceful and focussed in accomplishing worthwhile educational, religious or cultural goals.  Naturally this is another aspect which underlines shared interests in reincarnation, life after death, and the use of one's will for personal, spiritual and social change, which is close to Crowley's own definition of magick.

The influence of a trine with Kelly's Uranus and Crowley's Jupiter brings the combined reformative and religious tendencies together, capable of producing a new kind of Thelemic Abbey.  The urge to combine group activities with home life is definitely evident.  While Crowley's original Abbey concept may have been quite expansive in his day, Kelly can, through Uranian inspiration, find ways to improve and modernize the concept.

Saturn represents seriousness, responsibilities and discipline.  With his own Saturn in Crowley's 3rd house, Kelly can apply Crowley's ideas and communications in very practical ways.  He takes this work as a serious duty, as anybody can see from perusing the pages of The Newaeon Newsletter.  He does a thorough and well organized job--painstaking, patient, and with all the positive virtues of Saturn at work.

With his Saturn sextile Crowley's ascendant, Kelly can take the Master Therion's expressions, mellowed with time, and interpret them with added poise, maturity and organization.  Through his Thelemic studies, Frater Keallach finds the energy to support serious ambitions in his own life. 

Pluto, the planet of death and re-birth, has been very active in producing powerful contacts between these two horoscopes.  Crowley's Pluto makes a useful trine to Kelly's Saturn.  This aspect favors research, especially having to do with energy, physics, recycling and the occult--in other words, what lies at the core of life itself, behind all superficial manifestations.  Crowley's Pluto provides the deep, penetrating insights while, with Saturn's help, Kelly can put these metaphysical truths into constructive and practical applications. 

The 12th house rules karma, sacrifice and the subconscious.  Crowley's Saturn in Kelly's 12th house shows serious interactions regarding psychic and occult pursuits, psychology, behind-the-scenes research and secret investigations.  A sextile between Kelly's midheaven and Crowley's Saturn indicates that Crowley has a stabilizing, steadying influence on Kelly's attitude toward achievement, evoking discipline and responsibility.  Crowley's Saturn is also trine Kelly's Neptune, helping Kelly find adequate outlet for his own creative and spiritual urges using Thelemic philosophy as a basis.  Saturn and Neptune together make an effective combination of the ideal and the practical, the ethereal and the mundane. 

Again, Pluto demonstrates its importance, as Kelly's Pluto opposes Crowley's Saturn.  Kelly can regenerate the institutions Crowley established, rebuilding these with added strength.  Pluto/Saturn contacts basically involve expressions and assertions of authority and power, usually through sheer willpower.  Leadership potential is evident, but must be carefully directed because of the powerful combination of planets.  Saturn/Pluto aspects demand that time be spent learning or preparing for specific roles through developed systems and discovering where this role fits into the system.  From an evolutionary point of view, the primary lesson here is to learn how to subjugate, conform or align personal authority to the larger authority and divine Will.  Being more concerned with the position of authority itself and maintaining that role--rather than focussing on the real lesson--results in ultimate downfall because the capabilities of others are recognized only as a threat, and as something to be undermined in order to maintain "authority".

The position of Uranus in these horoscopes is characteristic of a strongly occult-based relationship.  Kelly's Uranus is intercepted in Crowley's 12th house, which indicates that Kelly may bring to the surface many of A.C.'s hidden spiritual insights, introducing new, fresh viewpoints.  Crowley's Uranus lies in Kelly's 6th house, illustrating how Crowley's influence has brought Kelly special awareness of occult forces which Kelly can apply to both his health (perhaps through yoga, healing methods, diet and meditation/visualization) and his work.

Crowley's Uranus is conjunct Kelly's Pluto, an extremely high-frequency aspect.  The outermost planets tend to involve higher vibrations, and in this particular combination the effects can be radically transformative, both on a personal and cosmic scale.  Both Uranus and Pluto relate to the urge to change inner as well as outer environment, eliminating all attachments to the past, based on a desire to be totally free.  This can produce various effects:  total rebellion against all traditions or limitations from the past; the urge to create totally new conditions or lifestyles which transform a collective group together; or simply an identification with future-oriented changes as society naturally progresses, always being somewhat "ahead of one's time."  The purpose of Uranus/Pluto aspects is to quicken evolutionary cycles on a very broad, collective level, which coincides with the entire New Aeon concept.

A mutual Uranus sextile Neptune aspect further extends this transformative urge to include mystical attitudes.  Mutual interest in religious, cultural and scientific evolution sparks an avid curiosity about historical trends which have influenced the world's destiny.  Utopian goals and group ideals are shared with respect to occult objectives.  With Kelly's Uranus square Crowley's Nodes and midheaven, his methods, means and approaches may make Crowley seem relatively conservative and conformist, but such is the tide of evolution and history.  Crowley's Uranus trine Kelly's midheaven supports this fresh approach to his original ideas and techniques.  Although the Master Therion may have passed the torch reluctantly, he would do so with awareness of the need to adapt to the changing world views.

One more karmic connexion can be found in Kelly's Neptune appearing in Crowley's 4th house.  This intensifies the previously mentioned emotional link, raising it to a more spiritual and subtle level.  Crowley's Neptune shows up in Kelly's 2nd house, his idealism strongly affecting Kelly's value systems and his attitude towards the material side of life.

In turn, Kelly's Pluto is in Crowley's 2nd house, which can be interpreted as Kelly's skillful recycling of Crowley's resources, executed with an eye to all due responsibility to the larger social order.  Kelly knows instinctively how to re-use what Crowley has left behind, getting rid of what is no longer useful while preserving and revitalizing the essential.

Lastly, Crowley's Pluto in Kelly's 3rd house deepens the urge for study and research so that it delves through to the very innermost causes behind outer events.  Penetrating, resourceful thinking is characteristic, and the communication of discoveries is compulsive.  Through sharing the results of his intense probings with us through The Newaeon Newsletter, Kelly fulfills only a small but important part of his and Aleister Crowley's interlaced destinies. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Aleister Crowley was born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England on October 12, 1875 E.V., at 10:52 P.M., while G.M.Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. on March 23, 1951 E.V., 5:50 A.M. In considering the house positions and aspects of the planets to each other I have used, generally, a five-degree orb of influence. 

Goldie Brown
November 1986 E.V.

(TNN.V.6.3-5, JANUARY 1987 E.V.)