Grant, Kenneth

Founder of a branch of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), a ceremonial "magick" group in the tradition of Aleister Crowley, in Great Britain. Grant was initiated into Crowley's own order, the A ∴ A ∴ , and the OTO.

After Crowley's death in 1947 he was succeeded by Karl Germer as outer head of the order. Germer was at that time living in the United States. He presented Grant a charter to open theNew Isis Lodge of the OTO in 1955. Grant was limited to teaching the first three OTO grades. After Germer died in 1962 Grant claimed leadership of the OTO. While members in America did not acknowledge him, there was no one in England to oppose his authority. Grant began to accept initiates for all ten working degrees of the order (the eleventh being purely administrative).

Grant worked with John Symonds, Crowley's literary executor, to produce The Confessions of Aleister Crowley (1969). Grant also published The Magical Revival (1972), an informative survey of occult theory and practice in modern times. A particularly valuable chapter is concerned with the work of occult artist Austin Osman Spare. Grant also published Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare (1975), a study of the work of this strange and talented artist.

Grant's wife, Steffi, contributed beautiful illustrations to five Carfax Monographs issued by the Grants in London in a limited edition, dealing with The Tree of Life, The Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley, Austin Osman Spare, and Vinum Sabbati.

Sources:

Grant, Kenneth. Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God. London: Muller, 1973.

——. Cults of the Shadow. New York: Samuel Weiser, 1976.

——. Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare. London: Muller, 1975.

——. The Magical Revival. New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972.

——. Nightside of Eden. London: Muller, 1977.

——. Outside the Circles of Time. London: Frederick Mueller, 1980.

Symonds, John, and Kenneth Grant. The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. New York: Hill & Wang, 1969.