Phobos wrote:
My study of the writings of Aleister Crowley began, years ago, when I came across an official OTO copy of his 1904 'Book of the Law' in an occult bookstore. It caught my attention as its cover was the same dark red ("blood red') as the covers of the Scientology Technical Volumes.
That's an interesting association, Phobos. I'm certainly not a Crowley expert, but I see in
777, that in the King scale of Color (Column XV), crimson does represent blood, and also associates with the third sephira of Binah, Babalon, etc.
[Crowley, A., Regardie, I., & Crowley, A. (1973). 777 and other Qabalistic writings of Aleister Crowley: Including Gematria & Sepher sephiroth (1st pb. edition 1986, p. 67). York Beach, Me: S. Weiser.] In this connection Crowley refers to "the Scarlet Woman and her Cup in Liber 418." (hermetic.com:
Liber 418.)
On the Scientological side of that path, the Red Vols contain Hubbard's "technical" "
Understandings" (associating with Binah, Babalon, Understanding, etc.) that Scientologists must "duplicate and apply."
L. Ron Hubbard wrote:
UNDERSTANDING, 1. understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication. (SH Spec 79, 6609C01) 2. knowingness could simply be a potential understanding. It could be an ability being carried forward, an action taking place; understanding is an action. Understanding is knowingness of life to a certain direction and object and thing or action. The understanding is knowingness in action. We break down this and we get affinity, reality and communication. (5411CM05) 3. understanding is a sort of a total solvent, it’s the universal solvent, it washes away everything. (SH Spec 79, 6609C01)
Hubbard, L. R. (1975). Dianetics and Scientology Technical Dictionary. Los Angeles: Church of Scientology of California Publications Organization.
Scientology training and processing attacks peoples' previous "understandings" from parents, teachers, religious authorities, etc. Starting with initial contact such as through a
Way to Happiness pamphlet, or
Universal Declaration to Human Rights handout, an after-school tutoring program, a Criminon course, or Narconon detox, Scientology begins to "wash away" all our supposedly wrong understandings and "false data" from "earlier" sources and replace these with Hubbard's superior "understandings" and life "solutions." Only by
KSW #1 and compliance with Hubbard's orders do Scientologists create a world without insanity, TOTAL FREEDOM, etc.
Interestingly, Heinlein mentioned a "Red Grimoire," in
Magic, Inc.. In his illuminating letter to John W. Campbell of 27 September 1940, Heinlein claimed it was "an actual book, located in the Library of Paris." (Heinlein archives:
CORR218-1)