The Tradition, Innovations and Fundamentals in Western Esotericism: Aleister Crowley’s Case
Pushkin Leningrad State University Journal January 1, 2024 K.a. Mozhajskaya
Religious fundamentalism, modernism, and traditionalism are paradigmatically and dialectically connected phenomena requiring systemic study, and Western esotericism is an area where they intertwine. Examining Aleister Crowley's occult system Thelema—a pronounced example from the 'occult revival' that includes ceremonial magic, theosophy, and integral traditionalism—the article finds that Crowley constructs an 'Ancient Tradition' through intercultural symbol translation based on Christian Kabbalah, comprehended philosophically, scientifically, and gnostically. In the conceptual field of fundamentalism-tradition-modernism, Thelema occupies a unique configuration with characteristics of each vertex, a conclusion potentially applicable to Western esotericism as a whole.