In 1946, Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard attempted to usher a mystical, feminine goddess into the world through a magical fornication ritual. Known as the Babalon Working, these ceremonies drew inspiration from Aleister Crowley's novel, Moonchild, and attempted to use intimate magic between Parsons and a woman to conceive a spirit-world child who could thus usher in the otherwordly goddess, Babalon.
The story of the Babalon Working almost seems like a myth in itself - more unbelievable than Crowley's Thelema religion or the rituals of the Ordo Templi Orientis organization. While the notion is far-fetched, a rocket scientist and the eventual creator of Scientology did partake in a two-week ritual, using chants and reproductive fluids to marshal Babalon into creation. Though Scientologists have attempted to scrub Hubbard's involvement in black magic from public memory, he was not only present at the ceremonies but presided over them. And though Parsons may not receive proper credit for being the father of modern-day rocket science, the black magician was also responsible for launching rockets into space.
Babalon, 'The Mother Of Abominations,' Was Created By Aleister Crowley
Babalon, the mystical goddess Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard ultimately hoped to conjure, was mostly a creation of English occultist Aleister Crowley, who was inspired by Babylon, an entity in the biblical book of Revelation. The mystical belief system Crowley created, known as Thelema, claimed Babalon was - or at least represented - Earth itself.
The Gnostic beliefs to which Parsons ascribed referred to Babalon as "Sophia" and believed her to be the personification of wisdom. According to this system, she played a pivotal role in the creation of both the universe and humankind.
In summary, the myth of Sophia claims she birthed many evil beings while trapped in the underworld. One of these beings was the demiurge, who created the world and imbued all its evil qualities. Sophia helped return light to the world, and when the demiurge created Adam, she concealed the first man's consciousness, only returning it to the world through the first woman, Eve.
In the book of Revelation, Babylon is portrayed very differently - her forehead bears the words, "Babylon the Great: the Mother of [Harlots] and of the Abominations of the Earth." Though Sophia was indeed the mother of "abominations" on the Earth, Gnosticism paints her as a wise and benevolent maternal figure. The Christian Bible claims that, in the end of days, Babylon will be left unclothed, and her flesh will be eaten and burned with fire.
L. Ron Hubbard Controlled The Babalon Working - And Jack Parsons
While Parsons was preparing for the occultish rituals of the Babalon Working, Hubbard entered the scene. Parsons told Crowley that, although Hubbard lacked magical training, "he [had] an extraordinary amount of experience and understanding in the field. [Hubbard appeared] to have some sort of highly developed astral vision."
Parsons and Hubbard's friendship soon soured, however, when Hubbard became involved with Parson's girlfriend. Despite this conflict, the two proceeded with their plans for the Babalon Working from January 4-15, 1946. Hubbard conducted the rituals with Parsons allegedly under his complete control.
Hubbard wroteDianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health in 1950, only four years after the Babalon Working. In 1954, he infamously founded the Church of Scientology based on his writings.
The Ritual Itself Involved Many Occult Symbols And A 'Sexual Frenzy'
The Babalon Working rituals - which sought to conceive a child of the astral plane who would eventually usher in the goddess, Babalon - began on March 1, 1946, in Parsons's home, known as "the Parsonage." Parsons penned a fairly detailed account of the events, which began with Hubbard stating, "The Year of Babalon is 4063. She is the flame of life, power of darkness, she destroys with a glance, she may take thy soul. She feeds upon the [ends] of men. Beautiful-Horrible."
On the third day of the proceedings, Hubbard and Parsons integrated reproductive fluids into the rituals: "Lay out a white sheet. Place upon it blood of birth... think upon the lewd, lascivious things thou coulds't do. All is good to Babalon... The lust is hers, the passion yours. Consider thou the Beast [violating]."
The following day, Hubbard presided over a "sexual frenzy" between himself and a woman they had recruited for the ceremonies. Over the course of two weeks, Hubbard and Parsons attempted to usher the astral child into the world - "the two of them engaged in ritual chanting, drawing occult symbols in the air with swords, dripping animal blood on runes, and [pleasuring themselves] in order to 'impregnate' magical tablets."
Crowley Considered Hubbard And Parsons's Endeavors 'Idiocy'
When Parsons claimed to Crowley that the Babalon Working was successful, Crowley wrote to the American head of Thelema, saying, "Apparently Parsons or Hubbard or somebody is producing a Moonchild. I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these louts."
Crowley's 1917 novel Moonchildwas the inspiration for the Babalon Working rituals. The book details a conflict between white magic and black magic over an unborn child - hence why the Babalon Working sought to usher in a child from the astral world. Those who practiced white magic wanted to produce a "Moonchild" who would eventually save humanity. Creating the Moonchild would require a series of rituals, much like those Hubbard and Parsons attempted.
The Babalon Working Was Meant To Initiate The Aeon Of Horus
Crowley's Thelema religion divided history into three Aeons: Isis (matriarchal, mother earth, simple), Osiris (paternal, suffering, mortality), and Horus (self-realization). Crowley claimed the Aeon of Horus began in 1904, though no consensus exists regarding the official length of an Aeon - some claim they may last anywhere from 100 to 2000 years.
Despite the Aeon of Horus allegedly having already begun, the Babalon Working's attempted conception of the Moonchild sought to "bring to fruition the Aeon of Horus." Parsons seemingly believed the Babalon Working would immediately produce the divine child, but the rituals were unsuccessful, and Hubbard left with Parson's girlfriend - as well as a great deal of his money - soon after the ceremonies' completion.
The Rituals May Have Foretold Parsons's Tragic Demise
Hubbard told Parsons during the rituals that he would become "living flame" before Babalon would appear - unfortunately, this prophecy reached tragic fruition several years later. On June 17, 1952, when Parsons was 37 years old, his home lab combusted.
Half of his face did not survive the blast, and though he was alive when police arrived, he passed not long after.
