Aleister Crowley’s classic essay “The Soldier and
the Hunchback” (1909) is a fun read that provides some interesting insights
into Crowley’s take on skepticism and how it relates to Thelema. Throughout the
piece, Crowley’s wit is on full display, as is his keen intellect. Students
would do well to familiarize themselves with the ideas set forth in this short
document.
The goal of this blog post will be to serve as a
guide to Crowley’s essay in order to facilitate study of it. Below the cut, I
provide an overview of the essay’s argument, along with some close readings of
important pieces of the essay. It is my hope that a beginner will come away
from this blog post with a greater understanding of Crowley’s essay and be
better prepared to tackle the source material, which may be confusing to those
who encounter it for the first time.
Read on for more.
