Aleister Crowley or Edward Alexander Crowley (12th October 1875 – 1st December 1947) was an English occultist, ritual magician, writer, artist, author, and hiker.
Crowley founded the religion of Thelema and became a highly debated fellow of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, where he was famous by the mystic name of Frater Perdurabo.
In the 20th century, Aleister Crowley identified himself as the prophet who has delegated the task of controlling humanity into the Æon of Horus and his writings were published over his entire lifespan.
Biography and Teachings of Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley dad was an inheritor to a brewing wealth who became an evangelist for the Plymouth Brethren, a Nonconformist sacred institute. The younger Aleister, though, formed hate to Christianity early in life.
He gained the reputation as Aleister in the Trinity College, the University of Cambridge for his skills in chess.
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However, he dropped from the university without taking any degree in the year 1898. He wanted a publication for his writings and therefore his legacy left his to travel; across the world.
In the year 1898, he published his first book, followed by numerous other poetry books.
As a climber, Aleister Crowley refined his skills on rock faces in Great Britain before taking part in revolutionary efforts to climb Earth’s 2nd and 3rd highest mountains, K2 and Kanchenjunga.
The K2 trek of 1902 stretched an altitude of 18,600 feet (5,670 meters), while the Kanchenjunga trek 3 years later was tainted by disaster when 4 of Crowley’s fellow hikers were killed in a slide.
It was believed that Crowley, who had directed them contrary to taking the deadly road, overlooked cries for aid from the survivors of the mishap.
Aleister Crowley, like other religious sceptics, became keen in occultism during the 19th century. In the year 1898 he entered the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a group originated from the Rosicrucian’s.
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The poet William Butler Yeats who was also a member of the London Golden Dawn group was often considered as one of the core rivals of Crowley.
On a visit to Egypt in 1904, Crowley stated mystic practices and wrote The Book of the Law, a prose poem which he appealed had been spoken to him by a discarnate being called Aiwass.
In it, he framed his most renowned lessons: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”
The emotion was not new as the French author François Rabelais had uttered it more than 300 years earlier in Gargantua and Pantagruel but Crowley made it the base of a novel religion he called Thelema, Thelema being the Greek word for “will.”
A mystical group of German origin, known as the Ordo Templi Orientis, accepted the book of law as scripture.
Later Aleister Crowley, in the year 1907, created his order, A∴A∴, using initials that were put up for the Latin words for “silver star.” Starting in 1909 he scattered his wisdom in the journal The Equinox.
His associate in the initial years of this work was J.F.C. Fuller, later a renowned armed planner and historian.
Crowley during World War one contributed to the Pro-German Newspaper called the fatherland while residing in the United States.
Later at the end of the war, he converted a house to a sanctuary, when he moved to Cefalù, on the Italian island of Sicily, and he named it as the Abbey of Thelema.
It was during the year 1922, he published a novel called The Diary of a Drug Fiend which was written on his personal experiences.
The demise of a young disciple in Sicily, apparently after joining in heretical rituals, led to criticisms of Crowley in the British standard press as the “wickedest man in the world” and to his removal from Italy in 1923.
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Having shattered his legacy on travel and luxuries, Crowley moved back to England in the early 1930s.
His last prominent feat was the publication of The Book of Thoth (1944), in which he took a new tarot card deck, called the Thoth, that he had intended in alliance with the artist, Frieda Harris.
Crowley croaked in scarcity and oblivion in an English rooming household in 1947, but after his demise, he became a symbol of charm in prevalent ethos.
The Beatles put his image on the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. Led Zeppelin Guitarist Jimmy Page bought a house earlier owned by Crowley near Loch Ness in Scotland.
Controversial Lifestyle of Aleister Crowley
The lifestyle of Aleister Crowley was completely shocking in the era he lived. At the time when homosexuality was banned in Britain, he was often considered to be sexually immoral.
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Besides his curiosity in the occult, he visited prostitutes, was outspokenly bold against Christianity and Victorian and post-Victorian stuffiness toward sexual topics, and was a drug enthusiast.
What were the religious beliefs of Aleister Crowley?
Aleister Crowley considered himself as an immensely spiritual and religious person, although he completely detested Christianity.
His texts highlight events of feeling god and Thelemites consider him to be a prophet.
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In 1904, he met a being known as Aiwass, defined as a “minister” to Horus, the dominant god in Thelema, and as a Holy Guardian Angel.
Aiwass verbalized the Book of the Law, which Crowley wrote down and printed, becoming the essential Thelemic text.
Crowley’s views comprised chasing the Great Work, which involved gaining self-awareness and tying with the entire cosmos.
He also exhilarated looking for out one’s final purpose or drive usually denoted to as one’s True Will.
Crowley studied numerous different sacred and mystic faith structures with Buddhism, yoga, Kabbalah, and Hermetic-ism, as well as Judeo-Christian magic systems.
Even though he out-and-out excluded Christianity and printed numerous anti-Semitic reports, as was a mutual outlook of his time.
Why is Aleister Crowley called the Wickedest Man in the World?
The media named Crowley the “Wickedest Man in the World” and frequently printed activities both factual and imaginary.
Crowley cherished dispute, often labeling his previously immoral conduct in even more violent jargon’s.
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For example, he appealed to martyr 150 kids a year, denoting in fact to ejaculations that had not caused in pregnancy.
He also denoted to himself as “the Beast 666,” referencing the being stated in Revelations, as well as on behalf of himself with the digit 666.
Crowley’s Link to Satanism
Opponents usually labelled Crowley as a Satanist, and that mistake remains to the common day. The mistake stems from numerous issues including:
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- Flawed rumour.
- Christian balance of the Beast of Revelations with Satan.
- The mutual insight that all occult works must involve Satan.
- Crowley’s hold of the idea of Baphomet, usually jumbled with Satan.
- The fact that Crowley did write about calling and imposing of demons, which he reflected a study of the self rather than a working with factual beings.
What was the link of Crowley with other religious figures?
L. Ron Hubbard, the creator of Scientology, labelled Crowley as a respectable friend, while there’s no sign the two ever truly met.
They did have an associate in common, Jack Parsons, and all 3 were members of the O.T.O.
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Gerald Gardner, the originator of Wicca, was surely inspired by Crowley’s writings, going so far as to now and then copy Crowley’s verses and rites.
(Most of the patently Crowleyesque material was later revised.)
There is a record of the 2 men meeting only twice, both within the last few months of Crowley’s life. No sign backs the proposal that Crowley formed Wicca as a joke.
Conclusion
Crowley added prevalent disrepute during his lifetime, being a leisure drug alchemist, bisexual, and a rebel societal critic.
He has been called “the wickedest man in the world” and branded as a Satanist by the prevalent press.
Crowley has continued a highly powerful character over Western esotericism and the counterculture and continues to be reflected a prophet in Thelema.
He is the topic of various life histories and theoretical lessons.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Where did Aleister Crowley die?
He died in Hastings, United Kingdom due to Chronic bronchitis.
Where did Aleister Crowley live?
He lived in Royal Leamington Spa.
What does 93 mean in Thelema?
It means: Love is the law, love under will.
In informal written correspondence, one often finds the number singularly at the head of a letter, representing “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” and in the form “93 93/93” at the end, which stands for “Love is the law, love under will.” Crowley often used this form himself within his own letters.
Does Crowley become human?
“He’s a villain fans love to hate,” Knight wrote, “and no matter how difficult he makes Dean and Sam’s lives, viewers are always thrilled by Crowley’s devilish ways”, adding to Carver’s warning that Crowley had not become truly human over the course of his Season 9 story arc, that, “A truly human Crowley is something supernatural”.
Who is demon Crowley?
Aleister Crowley. Aleister Crowley, original name Edward Alexander Crowley, (born October 12, 1875, Royal Leamington Spa, England, died December 1, 1947, Hastings), British occultist, writer, and mountaineer, who was a practitioner of “magick” (as he spelled it) and called himself the Beast 666.
What is the difference between Magic and Magick?
Magick, in the context of Crowley’s Thelema, is a term used to show and differentiate the occult from performance magic and is defined as “the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will”, including “mundane” acts of will as well as ritual magic.