Moonchild

About this book

A secret magical operation is planned around the conception of a child. Two rival groups of occultists begin manoeuvring to influence the outcome, drawing a young woman into a conflict whose rules she only gradually understands.

Aleister Crowley's novel uses fiction to dramatise ritual magic, competing philosophies and the rivalries of his own esoteric world. Lisa la Giuffria becomes central to an experiment that treats the unborn child as a vessel for spiritual forces. The book has moments of dark comedy amid its ceremonies and elaborate plots, with the author clearly enjoying his portraits of fellow occultists.