Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons

The first in-depth look at the life of John Whiteside Parsons

The first in-depth look at the life of John Whiteside Parsons--pioneering rocket scientist, and ardent disciple of the notorious magus, Aleister Crowley--is finally available courtesy of Feral House in Sex and Rockets by John Carter. The release of this book, in my opinion, is an event long overdue, as I see in Parsons one of the most fascinating and important figures of the late 20th century; a man of great promise, who somehow fell short of his staggering potential. What makes this book all the more fascinating is the shift in focus that takes place throughout, as the author demarcates between 'John Parsons' the brilliant rocket engineer, and 'Jack Parsons' the failed magician, who in his attempt to cross the Abyss, fell into it instead, fulfilling a fiery destiny, which Parsons himself prophesied. Parsons, in many ways, possessed two separate selves--rocket scientist and magician--and this literary device is used throughout Sex and Rockets to illustrate the many contradictions that personified the life of a truly gifted, though equally flawed human being. For those not in the know, Jack Parsons was a founding member of Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) back in the late 30's, and one time head of the California branch of the magical order the Agape Lodge of the Ordo Templi Orientalis (O.T.O.). Parson's infamous reputation was fueled by several nefarious undertakings and associations, notwithstanding his alliance with the self-proclaimed 'Wickedest Man Alive!'--Aleister Crowley--who directed O.T.O. operations from his base in England. Another of Parsons' claims to infamy was the mansion he owned at 1003 S. Orange Grove Ave. in Pasadena, CA, which hosted a menagerie of bohemians and other assorted social outcasts of the day, as well as serving as O.T.O. Headquarters. From there, rumors of drug intoxicated orgies and black magic ritual sacrifices abounded, not to mention tales of pregnant women dancing naked through hoops of ceremonial fire, and of innocent children being buggered by black robed brutes, under the aegis of occult forces. Although these legends continue to persist, police reports from the period suggest that the LAPD did not take any the allegations seriously, as documented in Sex and Rockets. Going back to the original documents, Carter outlines Parsons' numerous technical achievements, and his key role in the pre-NASA development of space technology. This, in itself, makes Sex and Rockets an invaluable resource for those interested in a broader historical perspective of John Whiteside Parsons. Starting in late 30's, Parsons was an early pioneer in Rocket Engineering, a member of a group funded by the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (GALCIT), which later evolved into JPL. This group's contribution to the war effort--as Carter points out--cannot be overlooked; nor can their early efforts in rocket engineering, which provided much of the impetus for later NASA projects in the late 50's and 60's, and the eventual landing of men on the moon. Although Parsons has been memorialized by his peers with a statue at JPL--as well as the singular distinction of having a crater on the moon named after him (on the dark side, no less)-- he still remains an obscure figure in the halls of academia. (In a recent discussion with an aeronautical engineer, I mentioned the name 'Jack Parsons', and he had no clue as to whom I was referring!) In Sex and Rockets, Carter brings a measure of much needed clarity to the life and times of the enigmatic Parsons; an enigma that has been compounded over the years by varying degrees of misinformation and exaggeration as to just who Parsons was, and exactly what he was trying to accomplish with the Babalon Working rituals, performed in part with L.Ron Hubbard, the future founder of Scientology. The end result of the Babalon Working was to birth an elemental being; a 'Moonchild' that--a

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Again...

I only downloaded the sample, and I'm glad I did before I committed to the whole book; the type is corrupted. Spaces and typos. If you spend $10-$20 on an *ebook* (ridiculous, and I understand the dynamic fine) it should at least be proofread... I have no comment on the book itself, I'm sure it's fine, it's just too distracting and infuriating to bother with like this...

An Instant Classic !

It is A Great Bio -- Parsons was a very weird man... He did some things that i could only dream of -- and some others that were speculated.. which were downright creepy -- this book is SO convincing... When Jack and Marjorie Cameron conjure the Holy Whore .. it is just really Creepy -- But beautiful. Too Bad the He ultimately meets a bizarre yet unfortunately fitting End, i will NEVER forget this Book!

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