Jack Parsons

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For the cricketer of the same name, see Jack Parsons (cricketer).
Jack Parsons on the cover of his book "Freedom is a two-edged sword"

John Whiteside Parsons (born Marvel Whiteside Parsons on October 2, 1914 – died June 17, 1952), was an American rocket propulsion researcher at the California Institute of Technology and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Aerojet Corp.. He was also an enthusiastic occultist, and one of the earliest American devotees of Aleister Crowley.

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[edit] Parsons and the Space Age

While his formal education was limited, Parsons demonstrated tremendous scientific aptitude, particularly in chemistry. His rocket research was some of the earliest in the United States, and his pioneering work in the development of solid fuel and the invention of JATO units for aircraft was of great importance to the start of humanity's space age. The noted engineer Theodore von Kármán, Parsons's friend and benefactor, declared that the work of Parsons and his peers helped usher in the age of space travel.[1]

[edit] Parsons and the Occult

Parsons was also an avid practitioner of the occult arts, and a follower of "Thelema". He saw no contradiction between his scientific and magical pursuits, and before each rocket test launch, Parsons would invoke the Greek god Pan.

Parsons was chosen by Aleister Crowley to lead the "Agape Lodge", the Thelemic "Ordo Templi Orientis" ("O.T.O.") in California, in 1942, after Crowley expelled Wilfred Smith from the position.

Sara Northrup (aka "Sarah Elizabeth" or "Betty" Northrup), began living with Parsons after his wife, Sara's half-sister Helen Northrup, left with Wilfred Smith. Sara Northrup later married L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology and sometime magical partner of Parsons.

Parsons and Hubbard participated in a ritual known as the Babalon Working which is famous in occult circles — loosely, it was an attempt to summon a living goddess and change the course of history.[citation needed] They were aided in this work by Sampson Bennetts of the Rosicrucian Order and his wife Sara Melian Gabriel, a spiritualist from India.[citation needed]. Almost immediately after Parsons declared the ritual successful he met Marjorie Cameron right in his own home. Parsons regarded Cameron as the "Scarlet Woman", the fulfillment of the ritual.

Parsons and Cameron then began the next stage of Babalon Working, with Cameron acting as Parsons magickal partner with whom he could sire a "Moonchild". The Moonchild is traditionally the incarnation of a god, as prophezied in Aleister Crowly's channeled script "The Book of the Law". The creation of this Moonchild was also covered in Crowley's novel "Moonchild". A child was not conceived, but this did not affect the results of the ritual to that point. Parsons and Cameron soon married.

In January 1946, Parsons, Sarah Northrup, and Hubbard started a boat dealing company named Allied Enterprises. Parsons put in the sum of approximately $21,000— and Hubbard put in $1,200. Hubbard eventually abandoned Parsons and their business plans, leaving a port in Florida with the boat and with Sarah. It is said Parsons retreated to his hotel room and summoned a typhoon in retribution (viz., with an evocation of "Bartzabel"[2] - the so-called "intelligence" supposedly presiding over the planet Mars). A Florida court later dissolved the poorly-contracted business, ordered repayment of debts to Parsons, and awarded ownership of the boat to Hubbard.

The Hubbard/Allied Enterprises relationship lasted until 1947, when Hubbard again defrauded Parsons of a sum of money and ran off again with Sarah Northrup. Hubbard used much of this money from Allied Enterprises to research and publish his book Dianetics, whose "teachings" later evolved into and was superseded by "Scientology."

Parsons had resigned his leadership of the "O.T.O." in 1946.

[edit] Death

Jack Parsons died on June 17, 1952 in an explosion of fulminate of mercury at his home laboratory. Unsubstantiated rumors of suicide, murder or magical ritual gone wrong have circulated. Parsons stored many volatile chemicals and compounds in his laboratory and had been working to finish a contract for a special effects firm. Though gravely injured, he survived the immediate explosion, but he died of his wounds a few hours later. Distraught, Parsons' mother killed herself just hours after he died.[1]

[edit] Parsons in Popular Culture

Jack Parsons has an appearance in Anthony Boucher's murder mystery novel "Rocket to the Morgue" (1942) as the character Hugo Chantrelle. The book also includes L. Ron Hubbard as D. Vance Wimpole. His relationship with Hubbard also appears in Paradox's Big Book of Conspiracies, Alan Moore's Cobweb story in Top Shelf asks the big questions, and Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky. He was also one of the characters in the Craig Baldwin collage film Mock Up on Mu.

[edit] Honors

The crater Parsons on the far side of the Moon is named after him.[3]

[edit] Bibliography

The Books on Jack Parsons:

  • Testa, Anthony; The Key of the Abyss, Lulu.com, 2006, ISBN 1430301600
  • Carter, Jack; Sex and Rockets, Feral House, 1999
  • Pendle, George; Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons, Harcourt, 2005

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Pendle, George (2005). Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons. Harcourt. ISBN 0-297-84853-4. OCLC 59352636. 
  2. ^ Alexander Mitchell (October 5, 1969), SCIENTOLOGY: Revealed for the first time..., The Sunday Times 
  3. ^ Carter, John (2000). Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons. Feral House. vii. ISBN 0-922915-56-3. 
  • Rowlett, Curt (2006). Labyrinth13: True Tales of the Occult, Crime & Conspiracy, Chapter 2, The Strange Case of John Whiteside Parsons. Lulu Press. ISBN 1-4116-6083-8.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Parsons"
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