Helen Parsons Smith

Helen Parsons Smith
TitlePriestess
Personal
Born
Mary Helen Northrup

February 6, 1910
DiedJuly 27, 2003(2003-07-27) (aged 93)
ReligionThelema
Spouse
  • (m. 1935; div. 1946)
  • (m. 1946; died 1957)
Children1
DenominationEcclesia Gnostica Catholica
Other namesHelen Parsons, Helen Smith
Monastic nameSoror Grimaud
OccupationPriestess, editor, publisher, entrepreneur
Organization
Temple
OrderOrdo Templi Orientis
Founder of
  • Church of Thelema (co-founder)
  • Thelema Publications
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Helen Parsons Smith (born Mary Helen Northrup, February 6, 1910[1] – July 27, 2003[2]) was an American occultist, entrepreneur,[3] book editor, and publisher. She served as Priestess of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica at Agape Lodge of Ordo Templi Orientis in Pasadena, California, during the 1940s,[4] and the independent Church of Thelema in Malibu, which she co-founded with her second husband Wilfred Talbot Smith, during the 1950s.[5]

Parsons Smith was the sister of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's wife Sara Northrup Hollister, and was the first wife of Jack Parsons, a prominent figure in both rocket engineering and occultism. She married Parsons in 1935, becoming involved in his pursuits in both realms. Their marriage coincided with Parsons' significant contributions to rocket propulsion technology in the United States, including his involvement with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the founding of Aerojet Engineering Corporation. She participated in his interest in the occult, particularly in the teachings of Aleister Crowley's Thelema movement. Alongside Parsons, she engaged in various rituals and practices associated with Thelema, acting as Priestess in The Gnostic Mass.

During the 1970s, Parsons Smith played a role in the dissemination of Thelemic teachings and practices within the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) community. She became involved in the editorial process of The Equinox, a seminal serial publication associated with O.T.O. Under her imprint, Thelema Publications,[6] she oversaw the publication of several issues of The Equinox (Volume III).

As a publisher, Helen Smith played a role in not only ensuring the continued publication of The Equinox but also in fostering the growth and dissemination of Thelemic teachings. Her dedication to preserving and promoting the legacy of Thelema through the publication of these works contributed to the expansion of the Thelemic literature during the 1970s.

  1. ^ Hedenborg White (2019).
  2. ^ "Thelema Lodge Calendar for October 2003 e.v."
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Starr (2003), p. 276.
  5. ^ Starr (2003), pp. 275–290.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Weiser was invoked but never defined (see the help page).