Hi, this is William Ramsey. Welcome to William Ramsey Investigates on tonight's show.

It's a discussion between myself and Ken Ami of the website, TrueFreeThinker.com.

We're talking about his new book, Alster Crowley's influence on popa culture,

how an obscure occultist influences culture from beyond the grave.

For the intro, I have Michael Cain reading Redyard Kipling's

poem, If. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowances for their doubting

too.

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

or being hated, don't give way to hating.

And yet, don't look too good nor look too wise. If you can dream and

not make dreams your master, if you can think and not make thoughts your aim, if you can meet

with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.

If you can hear the truth you've spoken, twisted by knaves, to make a trap for fools,

or watch the things you gave your life for broken, and stoop and build them up with worn-out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,

and lose and start again at the beginning,

and never breathe a word about your loss,

if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after

they are done, and so hold on when there is nothing in you, except the will which says to them,

hold on. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

or walk with kings, nor lose the common touch,

...