Regardie, Francis Israel

Francis Israel Regardie (1907–1983) was a magician, psychiatrist, and onetime companion of Aleister Crowley. It is said that no one person knew the Beast, as Crowley called himself, better than Israel Regardie. Francis Israel Regardie (he later dropped use of his first name in favour of the middle name) was born in England on November 17, 1907.

He was 13 when his family emigrated to the United States where he spent most of his life. He became fascinated with occultism and especially Crowley and in 1928 secured a position as the great magician’s secretary. Regardie travelled around Europe with Crowley until 1934 when he met the eventual fate of most of Crowley’s friends and associates and suffered a falling out with him.

Regardie wrote numerous books on occultism, the first of which were The Tree of Life and The Garden of Pomegranates, both of which were published in 1932. In 1934, the year of his falling-out with Crowley, he joined the Stella Matutina temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

He left after a few years and violated his oath of secrecy by publishing the complete rituals of the Golden Dawn, which appeared in a four-volume encyclopedia, The Golden Dawn; an Encyclopedia of Practical Occultism, between 1937 and 1940. The work has been revised and reissued several times, including a single volume edition in 1986.

Regardie said that he broke his oath because he believed that the teachings of the Golden Dawn should be revealed to the public. The Stella Matutina, no longer a secret society, went into decline. Golden Dawn material forms the foundation of most modern ceremonial Magic. Professionally, Regardie became a chiropractor. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and then settled in southern California where he worked as a psychotherapist.

He authored a definitive biography of Crowley, The Eye in the Triangle, and coauthored with P. R. Stephensen, another Crowley associate, The Legend of Aleister Crowley, both of which appeared in 1970. Regardie always acknowledged Crowley’s faults, but he also defended Crowley as “a great mystic, sincere, dedicated and hard-working.”

Regardie’s other books include: My Rosicrucian Adventure (1936); Middle Pillar (1945); The Romance of Metaphysics (1946); The Art of Healing (1964); Roll Away the Stone (1964); What is the Qabalah? (1970); To Invoke Your Higher Self (1973); and Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment (1975).

FURTHER READING:

• • Hyatt, Christopher S., ed. An Interview with Israel Regardie: His Final Thoughts and Views. Phoenix: Falcon Press, 1985.

SOURCE:

The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley Copyright © 2006 by Visionary Living, Inc.

Francis Israel Regardie (1907–1983) Occultist, psychotherapist and one-time secretary of Aleister Crowley.

Born in England on November 17, 1907, Francis Israel Regardie (he dropped the use of his first name later on) spent most of his life in the United States, emigrating there at age 13. He became fascinated with occultism and the activities and writings of Crowley and secured a position as Crowley’s secretary in 1928. From that year to 1934, Regardie travelled around Europe with Crowley. Like many of Crowley’s friends and associates, Regardie eventually suffered a falling out with him.

Regardie’s works are important influences in Witchcraft and Paganism. He wrote numerous books on occultism, the first of which were The Tree of Life and The Garden of Pomegranates, both of which were published in 1932. In 1934, the year of his falling-out with Crowley, he joined the Stella Matutina temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He left after a few years and violated his oath of secrecy by publishing the complete rituals of the Golden Dawn in a four-volume encyclopedia, The Golden Dawn: an Encyclopedia of Practical Occultism, between 1937 and 1940. The work has been revised and reissued several times. Regardie broke his oath because he believed the teachings of the Golden Dawn should be revealed to the public. The Golden Dawn material has been incorporated into numerous Pagan and Wiccan rituals.

Regardie became a chiropractor. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, then settled in southern California, where he worked as a psychotherapist. He authored a biography of Crowley, The Eye in the Triangle, and coauthored, with P. R. Stephenson, another Crowley associate, The Legend of Aleister Crowley, both of which appeared in 1970. Regardie always acknowledged Crowley’s faults but defended Crowley as “a great mystic, sincere, dedicated and hard-working.”

Regardie’s other books include: My Rosicrucian Adventure (1936; 1971); Middle Pillar (1945; 1970); The Romance of Metaphysics (1946); The Art of Healing (1964); Roll Away the Stone (1964); Tree of Life; A Study in Magic (1969); What is the Qabalah? (1970); To Invoke Your Higher Self (1973); and Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment (1975).

SOURCE:

The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca – written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley – Copyright © 1989, 1999, 2008 by Visionary Living, Inc.

NOTE:

Edited and revised for the Web by Occult Media, the 28th of November 2020. We use British English spelling.