A controversial occult order founded by Aleister Crowley, combining mysticism, ritual, and radical individualism
What Is the A∴A∴?
The A∴A∴ — whose triangular dots denote a sacred abbreviation — most commonly stands for Astrum Argentum, Latin for “Silver Star.” It is a Western esoteric magical order dedicated to the systematic spiritual development of the individual through a rigorous curriculum of mystical and magical practice. Unlike fraternal or social occult organizations, the A∴A∴ is fundamentally a one-on-one initiatory system: a student (called a Probationer) works under the direct supervision of a single Teacher who has achieved a higher grade.
The order operates under the spiritual law of Thelema — the philosophical and religious system revealed through Aleister Crowley in 1904 — whose central axiom is: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,” which commands each individual to discover and fulfill their deepest, truest spiritual purpose, known as the True Will.
The A∴A∴ is not a lodge, club, or congregation. It has no temples, no collective rituals in the conventional sense, and no social hierarchy of membership. Its structure mirrors the ancient model of a master-disciple lineage, prioritizing inner attainment over outward ceremony.
History and Origins
The Golden Dawn Connection
To understand the A∴A∴, one must first appreciate its predecessor: the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in London in 1888. The Golden Dawn was arguably the most influential Western magical order of the 19th century, synthesizing Qabalah, Tarot, Enochian magic, astrology, and ceremonial ritual into a coherent grade system. Its membership included poets, scholars, and artists — most famously William Butler Yeats.
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) was initiated into the Golden Dawn in 1898. By 1900, the order had collapsed into bitter factional disputes. Crowley parted ways with its remnants, embarking on an independent path of exploration that took him across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
The Cairo Working: 1904
The pivotal event in the A∴A∴’s prehistory occurred in Cairo, Egypt, in April 1904. While on honeymoon with his new wife Rose Kelly, Crowley claimed to have received a dictated transmission from a praeterhuman intelligence identifying itself as Aiwass, the messenger of the Egyptian god Horus. Over three consecutive days — April 8, 9, and 10 — Crowley wrote down the received text, which became The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis). This brief but dense scripture announced the dawning of a new spiritual aeon, the Aeon of Horus, and laid out the foundational principles of Thelema.
Founding of the A∴A∴: 1907
In 1907, Crowley partnered with George Cecil Jones (Frater Devemast), a fellow ex-Golden Dawn member, to formally establish the A∴A∴. Their aim was to create a new magical order that:
- Preserved and systematized the best techniques from the Golden Dawn and other traditions
- Transcended sectarian limitations by grounding its work in universal mystical principles
- Demanded verifiable results, not mere belief or social affiliation
- Operated within the spiritual current of Thelema
The first official publications of the A∴A∴ appeared in The Equinox, a journal Crowley launched in 1909 with the motto “The Method of Science, the Aim of Religion.” The Equinox served as the order’s official organ, publishing its rituals, curriculum, and magical instructions with unprecedented transparency — a radical departure from the secrecy jealously guarded by previous occult societies.
Key Historical Figures
| Name | Role | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Aleister Crowley | Co-Founder | Received Liber AL, systematized the grade structure, authored the curriculum |
| George Cecil Jones | Co-Founder | Early organizational partner and initiator |
| J.F.C. Fuller | Early member | Military historian who wrote the first systematic study of Crowley’s magic |
| Victor Neuburg | Student | Participated in the Paris Working and Enochian sex magic experiments |
| Israel Regardie | Later affiliate | Preserved and published Golden Dawn and Thelemic materials widely |
| Karl Germer | Successor | Maintained the order after Crowley’s death in 1947 |
The Philosophical Foundation: Thelema
The A∴A∴ cannot be understood apart from Thelema, the word derived from the Greek θέλημα (thelema), meaning “will” or “intention.” Thelema is simultaneously a religion, a philosophy, and a magical system.
The Three Primary Axioms
- “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” This is not hedonism or moral relativism. The will referenced here is the True Will — the deepest, most essential purpose of a being, aligned with the cosmos itself. Discovering and executing the True Will is the supreme task of every Thelemite.
- “Love is the law, love under will.” Love (Agapé in Greek, numerologically equivalent to Thelema) is the force that connects all things. The union of opposites — called the Great Work — is the goal of all magical practice.
- “Every man and every woman is a star.” Each individual is a sovereign, self-contained unit of consciousness moving in an orbit determined by their True Will. No external authority — religious, political, or social — has the right to impose its will upon another.
The Aeons
Thelema operates within a cosmological framework of successive spiritual ages, or Aeons:
- The Aeon of Isis: The age of the Mother goddess, matriarchal religion, and the worship of nature
- The Aeon of Osiris: The age of the dying-and-rising god, patriarchal religion, sacrifice, and suffering (roughly corresponding to the last 2,000 years)
- The Aeon of Horus: The present age, beginning in 1904, characterized by the sovereignty of the individual, the Child as archetype, and the union of opposites
The Grade System
The A∴A∴ grade structure is one of its most distinctive and sophisticated features. Organized along the Tree of Life of the Qabalah — a diagram of ten Sephiroth (divine emanations) and twenty-two connecting paths — the grades map the aspirant’s journey from ordinary consciousness to divine union.
The Three Orders
The A∴A∴ is divided into three nested orders, each presided over by different spiritual principles:
The Order of the Golden Dawn (Outer Order)
This is the preparatory tier, focused on building the foundational skills of magical practice: concentration, visualization, ritual technique, and intellectual understanding of occult theory.
Grades:
| Grade | Title | Sephirah | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0° = 0° | Probationer | None assigned | Introduction; keeping a magical diary |
| 1° = 10° | Neophyte | Malkuth | Earth; foundation; basic ritual work |
| 2° = 9° | Zelator | Yesod | The astral plane; the unconscious mind |
| 3° = 8° | Practicus | Hod | Intellect; mental training; the Qabalah |
| 4° = 7° | Philosophus | Netzach | Emotion; desire; Venus; artistic creation |
| 5° = 6° | Adeptus Minor (Portal) | Tiphareth (approach) | Crossing the threshold to the inner order |
The Order of the Rose Cross (Inner Order)
The intermediate tier, where genuine magical attainment — including Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel — is achieved.
Grades:
| Grade | Title | Sephirah | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5° = 6° | Adeptus Minor | Tiphareth | The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (KCHGA) — the central initiation of the entire system |
| 6° = 5° | Adeptus Major | Geburah | Mastery over the self; the destruction of the ego’s illusions |
| 7° = 4° | Adeptus Exemptus | Chesed | Total self-mastery; preparation to cross the Abyss |
The Order of the Silver Star (Third Order)
The supreme tier, corresponding to the supernal triangle of the Tree of Life above the Abyss. These grades are not achieved through conventional human effort but represent transcendence of the individual ego entirely.
Grades:
| Grade | Title | Sephirah | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8° = 3° | Magister Templi | Binah | Crossing the Abyss; dissolution of the ego; mastery of Sorrow |
| 9° = 2° | Magus | Chokmah | The Will as pure force; the Magus speaks a Word that reshapes reality |
| 10° = 1° | Ipsissimus | Kether | Identity with the All; beyond human comprehension |
The Abyss and the Ordeal of the Crossing
Between the grades of Adeptus Exemptus and Magister Templi lies the Abyss — a metaphysical void corresponding to the hidden Sephirah of Daath on the Tree of Life. The crossing of the Abyss is the most demanding and dangerous initiation in the A∴A∴ system. The aspirant must surrender the last vestiges of ego-identity, allowing the self to dissolve into the universal. Those who fail to cross authentically become what the system calls a “Black Brother” — an adept who clings to the illusion of a separate self and becomes spiritually stagnant.
The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel
The supreme attainment of the inner order — and arguably of the entire A∴A∴ curriculum — is the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (KCHGA). Drawn originally from the medieval grimoire The Book of Abramelin the Mage, this practice involves establishing conscious, reliable communication with one’s own Higher Self or divine genius. In Thelemic terms, the Holy Guardian Angel is the individual’s truest, most exalted aspect — the divine spark that knows the True Will with perfect clarity.
The primary magical operation prescribed for this goal is the Abramelin Operation, a multi-month regimen of prayer, purification, and ritual retirement.
Core Texts and Sacred Literature
The A∴A∴ maintains a vast and carefully organized curriculum of texts, many written or compiled by Crowley himself. The following are among the most essential.
Primary Scripture
- Liber AL vel Legis (The Book of the Law) — The foundational scripture of Thelema, dictated in Cairo in 1904. Three chapters correspond to the three Thelemic deities: Nuit (infinite space), Hadit (the point of view), and Ra-Hoor-Khuit (the lord of the Aeon).
The Holy Books of Thelema
A series of inspired texts that Crowley received or wrote in an elevated state of consciousness, considered equivalent in authority to Liber AL:
- Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente (The Book of the Heart Girt with a Serpent)
- Liber Liberi vel Lapidis Lazuli (The Book of the Sapphire Stone)
- Liber Stellae Rubeae (The Book of the Red Star)
- Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus (The Book of the Hermit)
- Liber Ararita (Unity)
Instructional Texts
- Book 4 (Magick: Book 4, Parts I–IV) — Crowley’s comprehensive manual of magical theory and practice, covering meditation, ceremonial magic, the Qabalah, and the philosophy of Thelema. Its fourth part, Magick Without Tears extended as Magick in Theory and Practice, remains a landmark of Western occult literature.
- The Equinox, Volume I (10 issues, 1909–1913) — The original journal of the A∴A∴, containing grade rituals, magical papers, and instruction.
- 777 and Other Qabalistic Writings — Crowley’s encyclopedic reference work correlating the Qabalah with other world mythologies, magical systems, and symbols.
- Liber O vel Manus et Sagittae — Practical instructions for astral projection, ritual posture, and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
- Liber Resh vel Helios — Four daily adorations to the Sun, recited at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight.
Practices and Disciplines
The A∴A∴ curriculum is systematic, demanding, and empirical. Every practice is to be recorded in a Magical Diary (Liber E vel Exercitiorum), which serves as both a tool for self-analysis and a record of attainment submitted to the aspirant’s Teacher.
Meditation and Concentration
The foundation of all A∴A∴ work is the development of mental control. The prescribed sequence, drawn from Hindu and Buddhist sources and systematized by Crowley, includes:
- Asana: The adoption of a fixed physical posture held without movement for extended periods, training the body’s stillness as a prerequisite for mental stillness.
- Pranayama: The regulation of breathing using techniques from Hatha Yoga, designed to control the flow of prana (life-force) and purify the nervous system.
- Dharana: One-pointed concentration on a single object, image, or thought without interruption. The aspirant records how many seconds elapse before the mind wanders, and works to extend this duration.
- Dhyana: The spontaneous state of mental fusion with the object of concentration, arising naturally from perfected Dharana. This is a genuine mystical state, analogous to the Hindu Samadhi.
- Samadhi: Complete absorption; the dissolution of subject-object duality.
Ceremonial Magic
The A∴A∴ preserves and employs the full toolkit of Western ceremonial magic:
- The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP): A daily banishing ritual used to purify the magical space and the operator’s aura.
- The Middle Pillar Exercise: A visualization practice energizing the central column of the Tree of Life within the body.
- The Star Ruby and Star Sapphire: Crowley’s Thelemic replacements for the traditional pentagrams and hexagrams.
- Liber Resh: The four daily solar adorations mentioned above.
- Invocations and Evocations: The formal calling of divine forces, angels, and spirits using traditional and Thelemic ritual forms.
Astral Projection and Skrying
Aspirants at the Zelator level and above practice astral projection — the deliberate displacement of consciousness into a subtle body that can travel independent of the physical form. This is used to explore symbolic inner landscapes, communicate with spiritual entities, and develop the capacity for non-physical perception. The tool of skrying in the spirit vision — using a mirror, crystal, or the mind’s eye to receive symbolic visions — is closely related.
Sex Magic
At the higher grades, the A∴A∴ system intersects with sexual-magical practices that use the powerful energies generated by sexual arousal and orgasm as a vehicle for magical intention. This represents one of the most closely guarded and frequently misunderstood dimensions of Thelemic magic. The system treats sexuality not as a sin or a mere pleasure, but as a sacred force — the primal creative energy of the universe — that can be consciously directed through trained will and visualization.
The Magical Diary
Perhaps no practice is more central to the A∴A∴ than the Magical Record. The aspirant is required to record every significant experience: dreams, magical operations, meditations, synchronicities, emotional states, dietary habits, and anything that may bear on their spiritual development. The diary is not a private journal but a scientific instrument — a log of experiments from which results can be analyzed, confirmed, or revised. It is periodically reviewed by the Teacher as evidence of work performed.
The Tree of Life and Qabalistic Framework
The Qabalah — specifically the Hermetic or Western Qabalah, as distinct from the Jewish mystical tradition — forms the primary organizational framework of A∴A∴ teaching. At its heart is the Tree of Life (Otz Chiim), a diagram of ten Sephiroth (singular: Sephirah) connected by twenty-two Paths.
The Ten Sephiroth
| Number | Name | Translation | Principle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kether | The Crown | Pure being; the Absolute |
| 2 | Chokmah | Wisdom | Dynamic, masculine force; pure Will |
| 3 | Binah | Understanding | Receptive, feminine form; structure |
| 4 | Chesed | Mercy | Expansion; Jupiter; the law-giver |
| 5 | Geburah | Severity | Contraction; Mars; the destroyer |
| 6 | Tiphareth | Beauty | Harmony; the Sun; the Higher Self |
| 7 | Netzach | Victory | Desire; Venus; the imagination |
| 8 | Hod | Splendour | Intellect; Mercury; the rational mind |
| 9 | Yesod | Foundation | The astral plane; the Moon; the ego-self |
| 10 | Malkuth | Kingdom | The physical world; the body; Earth |
Between the supernal triad (Kether, Chokmah, Binah) and the lower seven Sephiroth lies the Abyss, patrolled by Choronzon — a chaotic, dissolutive force that the aspirant must confront and transcend when crossing from Adeptus Exemptus to Magister Templi.
A∴A∴ vs. Other Esoteric Orders
A∴A∴ vs. Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.)
The O.T.O. (Order of Oriental Templars) is the other major Thelemic order, reorganized by Crowley in the 1910s. The two orders are distinct in structure and purpose:
| Feature | A∴A∴ | O.T.O. |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | One-on-one master-student lineage | Lodge-based, collective initiations |
| Focus | Individual mystical attainment | Social fraternity, collective ritual |
| Ritual Work | Primarily solitary | Group ceremonial |
| Grade System | Qabalistic, internal | Masonic-style, organizational |
| Scriptural basis | Thelema (Liber AL) | Thelema (Liber AL) |
The A∴A∴ and O.T.O. coexist within the Thelemic community and many members participate in both, but they are operationally separate organizations.
A∴A∴ vs. The Golden Dawn
The A∴A∴ was built on the ruins of the Golden Dawn but departed from it in several important ways:
- The Golden Dawn operated as a lodge with group initiations; the A∴A∴ is a personal lineage.
- The Golden Dawn maintained strict secrecy; the A∴A∴ published its curriculum openly in The Equinox.
- The Golden Dawn drew on multiple traditions eclectically; the A∴A∴ is grounded specifically in Thelema.
- The Golden Dawn’s grade system was more social; the A∴A∴’s grades must be earned through verifiable attainment.
Legacy and Modern Influence
Influence on Western Occultism
It is difficult to overstate the A∴A∴’s influence on 20th and 21st century Western esotericism. Crowley’s systematization of magical practice — his synthesis of yoga, Qabalah, Enochian magic, ceremonial ritual, and Thelemic philosophy — became the primary intellectual framework through which subsequent generations engaged with occultism.
The chaos magic movement of the 1970s and 1980s (associated with Peter Carroll and Ray Sherwin) explicitly built on Crowley’s foundational techniques while stripping away Thelemic theology. Wicca, through its co-founder Gerald Gardner’s documented contact with Crowley, absorbed elements of the A∴A∴’s magical framework into what became the world’s most widely practiced contemporary Pagan religion.
The Order Today
The A∴A∴ continues to exist in the 21st century, though its decentralized, lineage-based structure means it operates very differently from conventional membership organizations. Multiple lineages claim descent from the original order through different successors. The primary lineage traces from Crowley to Karl Germer to Phyllis Seckler (Soror Meral), who founded the College of Thelema to preserve and transmit the curriculum.
The A∴A∴’s teachings are today more accessible than ever. Crowley’s works — once scarce and expensive — are available through publishers such as Weiser Books and Thelema Publications. Online communities, study groups, and esoteric schools now transmit the curriculum to students worldwide.
Cultural Impact
The A∴A∴ and its founder have left fingerprints across modern culture:
- The Beatles famously included Crowley’s image on the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover (1967).
- Led Zeppelin’s guitarist Jimmy Page was a devoted student of Crowley’s work and purchased Crowley’s Boleskine House in Scotland.
- Artists, writers, and filmmakers from Kenneth Anger to Alan Moore have drawn directly on Thelemic and A∴A∴ symbolism.
- Crowley’s phrase “Do what thou wilt” has entered popular culture as a symbol of radical individualism and counter-cultural rebellion, however distant from its original meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does A∴A∴ stand for?
The most widely accepted expansion is Astrum Argentum, Latin for “Silver Star.” However, Crowley was deliberately coy about the abbreviation’s meaning, and alternative expansions exist within the tradition. The triangular dots (∴) are themselves a Masonic convention indicating abbreviation.
Is the A∴A∴ a secret society?
The A∴A∴ is not secret in the conventional sense. Its curriculum, rituals, and methods were published openly in The Equinox and in Crowley’s books. What remains private is the identity of individual members and the details of the personal teacher-student relationship.
Is the A∴A∴ satanic or dangerous?
No. The A∴A∴ is a system of spiritual development with no worship of the Christian devil. Its theology derives from ancient Egyptian religion and Greek philosophy as refracted through Thelema. The order explicitly condemns the “Black Brother” — the aspirant who selfishly clings to personal power — which is precisely the antithesis of Satanic individualism as popularly imagined.
How does one join the A∴A∴?
The traditional method involves finding a Teacher who holds a recognized lineage and who is willing to accept a student as a Probationer. Because the order has no central address or membership database, contact is typically made through Thelemic communities, O.T.O. lodges, and esoteric study groups. The official starting point is submitting an application letter to a recognized Teacher and beginning the practices prescribed in Liber E vel Exercitiorum.
Do you have to believe in Thelema to practice A∴A∴ magic?
The A∴A∴ frames itself as empirical rather than dogmatic. Aspirants are not required to believe anything before beginning; they are asked only to perform the prescribed practices and record their results honestly. Thelema functions as a working hypothesis, not a catechism. Many practitioners find that their understanding of Thelemic concepts deepens organically through practice rather than preceding it.
What is the relationship between the A∴A∴ and the Holy Guardian Angel?
The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (KCHGA) is the supreme goal of the outer grades and the central initiation of the inner order. The Holy Guardian Angel is understood variously as the Higher Self, the divine genius, the soul’s guardian spirit, or the individual’s direct link to the divine. Regardless of the metaphysical interpretation, the practical attainment of reliable contact with this principle is considered the most important achievement possible for an aspirant.
“The method of science — the aim of religion.” — Motto of The Equinox, the official organ of the A∴A∴
Further Reading
Biographies & Scholarly Works
- Richard Kaczynski — Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley — The most rigorously researched and balanced Crowley biography available
- Lawrence Sutin — Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley — Accessible and well-sourced; excellent for general readers
- Marco Pasi — Aleister Crowley and the Temptation of Politics — Academic analysis of Crowley’s thought in historical context
- Henrik Bogdan — Western Esotericism and Rituals of Initiation — Places the A∴A∴ within the broader history of initiatory orders
Instructional & Companion Works
- Israel Regardie — The Golden Dawn — Essential background on the order that directly preceded and shaped the A∴A∴
- Israel Regardie — The Eye in the Triangle — A psychological and magical analysis of Crowley’s system
- Lon Milo DuQuette — The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema — The most accessible modern guide to applying Crowley’s methods practically
- J.F.C. Fuller — The Star in the West — The first systematic study of Crowley’s magical philosophy, written by an early A∴A∴ member
Academic & Contextual Reading
- Wouter Hanegraaff — Esotericism and the Academy — Situates Thelema and the A∴A∴ within the broader history of Western esoteric thought
- Aleister Crowley & the Practice of the Magical Diary (ed. James Wasserman) — Focuses specifically on the diary practice central to A∴A∴ work
- Ellic Howe — The Magicians of the Golden Dawn — Historical study of the Golden Dawn that contextualizes the A∴A∴’s origins
Online Resources
- Thelema.org — Maintains digital editions of many official A∴A∴ and Thelemic texts
- The Hermetic Library (hermetic.com) — One of the largest free archives of Crowley’s writings and Thelemic literature online
Focus Keyword: A∴A∴ | Secondary Keywords: Astrum Argentum, Aleister Crowley magical order, Western esotericism, Thelema, mystical grades, Great White Brotherhood
image via thelemicunion.com
