Crowley and 333
I worked out why Aleister Crowley had such a negative relation to “333”. He first mentions the number in ‘Essay upon number’ (1910)—he describes it has “ChVRVNZVN” (Choronzon) “that mighty devil”.
And yet the Gematria for the number was entirely positive—it was “Aleph spelled three times in full”.
Crowley noted: “It is surprising that this large scale 3 should be so terrible a symbol of dispersion. There is doubtless a venerable arcanum here connoted, possibly the evil of Matter summó. 333 =37 x 9 the accurséd.”
The reason Crowley was puzzled is that he didn’t do his initiation properly, hence entering a Satanic state—and he relied on Enochian (Hebrew) magic. “333” just refers to the highest awakening in tantra—it’s samahadi. The reason it’s associated with “dispersion” is that when this state is attained your ego has dispersed and you have attained your true self (“selbst”, in Jungian terms)—you have attained union with purusha.
Crowley was identified with “666”—the heart chakra, the chakra of earthly rule (as with the Jews and the Christians). So for him “333” looked “evil”—it meant to eliminate the ego (his was huge).
Hence when he encountered the “beast Choronzon” he was shown a powerful flux-creature that almost broke into his magical circle to attack him. This was because when Crowley attempted to traffic with it he was shown all his sins—all his egotistic activities and all the people he’d dragged into them.
“Traveling down a long gold-purple column that opened into a scarlet cavern, the student found his astral body besieged by lost souls attempting to break through the protective barrier of his magic circle.
Among these, he recognized Pollitt’s face. ‘Who are these?’ Crowley asked.
A voice said: ‘They are the souls of those whom thou hast caused to sin.’
Truth or lie, it was an ugly sight. He raised an imaginary sword in outrage, and as he did, a hideous deformed giant lunged out the of the shadows and threw its black form repeatedly at the circle. To AC’s disbelief, the barrier nearly yielded, and he prepared to smite the creature. But a voice interrupted and warned that the monster was his own evil persona, and he ought not to banish it.
…
Crowley mournfully considered his dark half, extended his left arm, and instructed the beast to kiss his hand and repent. However, the wary magician extended his hand only part way, and the monstrosity bent only slightly toward it. Aleister Crowley’s two sides confronted each other that night and could not meet halfway.”
Crowley used “YHWH” to banish the beast—YHWH being the material demiurge associated with “666”, whereas “333” is the highest awakening (it’s related, being half—or double). Naturally, Crowley associated “333” with “dispersion” and “dissolution” as in “drunken dissolution”—but it means to clear away the ego, it’s nothing terrible (except if you’re a massive egomaniac like A. Crowley).
It’s actually purusha—“cosmic awakeness or self, awareness, and the universal principle”. It was sacrificed at the beginning of time by the gods to create life. It is “eternal, indestructible, without form, and is all-pervasive.”
This is Crowley’s “formless one” and “Key to the Abyss” met as “the Dweller on the Threshold” (sounds Lovecraftian). He refused to humble himself to it, tried to make it kiss his ring, because he could not dissolve his ego.
As noted, my phone number ends in “333”. It’s the number no one ever calls, although, if they did, it could solve everything. I made this little video yesterday—as I started to play the remix of Blondie’s ‘Call Me’ the stereo at the Dark Horse Cafe started to play the original ‘Call Me’ (syn-chron-icity). As the song goes…”You can call me any day or night…Anytime, anyplace, anywhere, any way…”. That’s Choronzon, baby—dare you dial?