Also, I was looking at the litany of the saints of the Mass. I noticed that both Buddha, Muhammad, and Lao Tzu are mentioned along with a horde of Gnostic leaders but Jesus isn't mentioned at all. Is there any specific reason for this?
Yes, I'm sure there is.
I'll give you my best interpretation, but will check with am EGC Bishop at the next opportunity
It all comes down to what is happening in the Gnostic Mass at the time of the reading of the list of Saints.
I've often heard people accuse the Gnostic Mass of being male dominated - "look at the Saints! not one woman!"
However one has to understand that during the Collects (of which one is the Saints) the Priest has fallen into a trance at the sight of the Goddess Nuit, and is on his knees unable to continue... call it a kind of stage fright, he's starstruck by the goddess
During the reading of the Saints, the Deacon makes a cross after each name, each cross is visualised as shooting forth and entering the Priest, empowering him with the virilaty these great men, real or imaginary. It ends with the line: "May their
Essence be here present, potent, puissant and
paternal to perfect this feast."
Its this "Super-MAN charge" that gives the Priest the power to make love under will with the Goddess.
So back to Jesus, I reckon he was left out because Crowley didn't see him as a virile force, one that was capable of communing with the Goddess. If we were to take the stories as read, Jesus was a virgin was he not? The other likely possibiliy is that Crowley just couldn't bare getting Christianity anywhere near the Mass. It is understandable given the complete ommision of the feminine principle within its cosmogamy.
What do you think?