Ab-ul-Diz
Ab-ul-Diz, Abuldiz
“Virakam's vision contained elements perfectly familiar to me. This was clear proof that the man in her vision, whom she called Ab-ul-Diz, was acquainted with my system of hieroglyphics, literal and numerical, and also with some incidents in my magical career. Virakam herself certainly knew nothing of any of these. Ab-ul-Diz told us to call him a week later, when he would give further information.”—Chapter 70
“Ab-ul-Diz himself constantly demanded that I should show “faith” and warned me that I was wrecking my chances by my attitude. I prevailed upon him, however, to give adequate proof of his existence and his claim to speak with authority. The main purport of his message was to instruct me to write a book on my system of mysticism and Magick, to be called Book Four, and told me that by means of this book, I should prevail against public neglect. It saw no objection to writing such a book; on quite rational grounds, it was a proper course of action, I therefore agreed to do {677} so. But Ab-ul-Diz was determined to dictate the conditions in which the book should be written; and this was a difficult matter.”—Chapter 70
“However, we crossed the passes in a sleigh to Chiavenna, whence we took the train to Milan. In this city we had a final conversation with Ab-ul-Diz. I had exhausted his patience, as he mine, and he told us that he would not visit us any more. He gave us his final instructions. We were to go to Rome and beyond Rome, though he refused to name the exact spot. We were to take a villa and there write Book Four.”—Chapter 70
“The stupid coincidence angered me, and yet some irresistible instinct compelled me to take out my notebook and pencil and jot down the name written over the gate — Villa Caldarazzo. Idly, I added up the letters 6 + 10 + 30 + 30 + 1 and 20 + 1 + 30 + 4 + 1 + 200 + 1 + 7 + 7 + 70. Their sum struck me like a bullet in my brain. It was 418, the number of the Magical Formula of the Aeon, a numerical hieroglyph of the Great Work! Ab-ul-Diz had made no mistake.”—Chapter 70
Book 4 “has about the most convoluted history of anything Crowley ever wrote. To begin the story, late in 1911 Crowley began an affair with Mary d’Este Sturges (1871 - 1931). She is also known as Mary Desti and an account of their first meeting, only slightly fictionalised, forms the first chapter of Crowley’s novel, Moonchild. They were disporting themselves in Switzerland when she turned suddenly oracular on him and claimed to be in contact with an Adept called Ab-Ul-Diz—you can read the record of their dealings with that entity in Equinox IV-2. As a result of this communication they went to Italy, rented a villa outside Naples, and sat down to write what became the basis of Book Four.”—A Beginner’s Guide to Crowley Books
“Is Ab-ul-Diz an Adept who can project himself into the aura of some woman with whom I happen to be living, although she has no previous experience of the kind, or any interest in such matters at all? Or is He a being whose existence is altogether beyond this plane, only adopting human appearance and faculties in order to make Himself sensible and intelligible to that woman?”—Chapter IX: The Secret Chiefs
Book 4 “was then, according to Ab-Ul-Diz, to achieve worldly success.”—Chapter L: A.C. and the "Masters"; Why they Chose him, etc.
“The only favourable suggestion was Cefalu.” “It fulfilled all my conditions; from possessing a well of delicious water to a vast studio opening northwards. The gods took no chances. They meant me to live there and guarded against any possible perversity on my part by planting two tall Persian nuts close to the house. They might have been the very same trees as those in the garden of the Villa Caldarazzo, which, as I have told, I had taken for a token in the days of Ab-ul-Diz. I struck a bargain on the spot, sent for the family, and the furniture with all our belongings were installed the same day.”—Chapter 89
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References
- Liber LX The Ab-ul-Diz Working (An ACCOUNT of a Communication made to Fra. Perdurabo in 1904 - X. through the seer Ouarda is to be found in “The Equinox” No. VII of Vol. I.)
External references
- Richard Kaczynski, Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley 9781556438998 1556438990