In Magick Without Tears Aleister Crowley suggested that artists engage in gnostic experience during their acts of creati0n: “…all true Art is spontaneous, is genius, is utterly beyond all conscious knowledge or control…” He also defined magick as:the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.” And when is such change more marvelous than when the artist manifests beauty, passion, horror or enlightenment in paint on canvas, sculpture, moving pictures or music, summoned up from the imagination – literally making something out of nothing. So many would concede the connection between the magician and the artist. And indeed there have been artists who acknowledge or actually practice thaumaturgy including the likes of filmmaker Kenneth Anger, comic book creators Alan Moore and Grant Morrison more recently. And past cross-practicioners would include painter/avant-garde film pioneer Harry Smith (a Bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica) as well as… surrealist painter Salavador Dali.

During his life, Dali produced a gorgeous tarot deck [http://www.amazon.com/Dal%C3%AD-Tarot-Universal-Johannes-Fiebig/dp/3836543877/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423755303&sr=1-1&keywords=Salvador+dali+tarot+deck], a grimoire 50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship [http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Magic-Craftsmanship-Dover-History/dp/0486271323] and the novel Hidden Faces (which includes description of astral sex) [http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Faces-Salvador-Dali/dp/0720613043/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423755220&sr=1-1&keywords=Salvador+dali+hidden+faces]. There are many individuals, including artists that make use of occult imagery without being actual practitioners but when questioned by our OHO as to the seriousness of Dali’s magical work, Harry Smith replied, “It was big business — but nobody talked about it.”

Thanks to Hymenaeus Beta for the tip!