Books with title Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons

John Whiteside Parsons (born Marvel Whiteside Parsons on October 2, 1914 - died June 17, 1952), better known as Jack Parsons, was an American rocket propulsion researcher at the California Institute of Technology. He was one of the principal founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Aerojet Corp. He was also an occultist and one of the first Americans to take a keen interest in the writings of English author and Thelema's founder Aleister Crowley. In this capacity, he joined and eventually led an American lodge of Crowley's magical order, Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.).Parsons saw no contradiction between his scientific and magical pursuits. Before each rocket test launch, Parsons would chant Crowley's hymn to the Greek god Pan. In 1942 Parsons was chosen by Aleister Crowley to lead the Agapé Lodge of OTO in California following Crowley's expulsion of Wilfred Smith from the position. Sara Northrup (aka "Sarah Elizabeth" or "Betty" Northrup), began living with Parsons and Parsons' wife, Sara's half-sister Helen Northrup; later, Parsons and Sara became involved in an affair, which caused strife with Helen and eventually led to Helen leaving with Wilfred Smith. Sara Northrup would later marry author L. Ron Hubbard, the future founder of the Church of Scientology. Before that time, Hubbard would serve as occasional magical partner of Parsons