Was Crowley a trickster? Is there power in knowing and hiding facts from others, or am I cracked? I think somewhere I read Crowley actually admitted that he was referring to Sirius in the naming of Argenteum Astrum (Latin: Silver Star, which matches Sirius). However, I think I also read Crowley was into the Greek thing at the time, and I would go with the Greek translation of A.A. Astron Argon or Aster Argos. The reason I think this is because of the constellation of Argo Navis (the ship - the boat of Osiris), contains the star Canopus, which is also sometimes considered the Shou Star, one of the Sanxing three stars in Chinese Astrology - associated with longevity and the deity carries a jar of the elixir of life. Note this A∴A∴ - has three dots on both sides of it.
I'm not a Crowley follower, but I do research things to death.
From Wikipedia
| Greek | Άστρον Αργόν[17] (transliteration: Astron Argon) | silver star James Eshelman gives the true name of the Order as (transliteration: Astron Argon.) By gematria this name enumerates to 451, the value of the Greek words Konx Om Pax, an important mystical phrase interpreted in the old Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as meaning "Light in Extension". Eshelman also points out that 451 also corresponds to the Hebrew phrase Eth ha-Adam, "The Essence of Humanity".[16] A variant on this Greek rendering of the words "Silver Star" is Aster Argos - also a correct Greek rendering of the word "Silver Star". Eshelman states that due to Crowley's use of the phrase "Astron Argon" (once in a note and once in an official document in Crowley's handwriting) that the latter is to be taken as the true Greek name. The gematria of Aster Argos is 489, also the value of Sothis, the Greek name for the star Sirius. Eshelman states that "Sirius commonly is held to be the physical expression of that "Silver Star" after which the Order is named."[18] |
also from Wikipedia: Canopus was described as Shou Xing, the Star of Longevity, in the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) completed in 94 BC by Chinese historian Sima Qian.[74] .
I've found either Sirius or Canopus referred to as the Shou Star in multiple places, though. So, maybe Crowley really did mean to refer to Sirius in Canus Major and not Canopus as part of the constellations making up Osiris' Boat?
Here are source links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%E2%88%B4A%E2%88%B4#Name
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanxing_(deities)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argo_Navis
