Aleister Crowley became famous as an occultist and kabbalist. At one time he was seriously interested in psychology and economics. Then he became interested in English literature. But Crowley never managed to focus on the sciences. He perfectly learned how to spend his father's fortune and enjoy the joys of life available to wealthy people.
From the biography of Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley was born on October 12, 1875. The place of his birth was the city of Leamington Spa (Great Britain). At birth, the boy was given the name Edward Alexander. The father of the future occultist was an engineer by profession, but he never worked in this capacity. He was active in commerce, with a stake in the family business, the Crowley Beer brewery. The business brought enough profit to live comfortably. Crowley's father was a member of the Plymouth Brothers Christian sect and even preached in this religious brotherhood.
Alistair's mother, Emily, also attended the Plymouth Brothers meetings, but spent most of her time in housekeeping. From childhood, young Crowley was surrounded by theological books. He spent much of his time listening to sermons.
When Alistair was 11 years old, his father passed away. The boy received a solid inheritance.
Growing up, Crowley began to notice inconsistencies in the Bible more and more. On this basis, he often had clashes with his devout mother. During one of the quarrels, the mother called Alistair a beast - it was about the messenger of Satan. For this reason, later Crowley signed a number of his works as "The Beast 666".
Crowley received his education at the school of the religious community. However, he did not manage to finish his studies - the boy was expelled for violation of discipline. Subsequently, he continued his studies at Eastbourne College.
Crowley's hobbies include chess, mountaineering and poetry. The boy began to write poetry at the age of 10.
Crowley's personal life
In 1903, Crowley married Rose Edith Kelly. She was the sister of his friend. The marriage was originally built only on a clear calculation. However, Crowley soon realized that he was madly in love with his wife. The wife tried to support Alistair in all his dubious endeavors.
In 1904, the couple had a daughter. However, the girl died at the age of three. A few years later, fate gave Crowley a second daughter.
Crowley's second wife was the Nicaraguan Maria Ferrari de Miramar. He and Alistair were married in 1929.
Aleister Crowley: mystic and occultist
In 1896, Alistair delved into the study of mysticism, occult sciences and alchemy. Religion disappointed him more and more.
In 1898, Alistair met a certain Julian Baker. His new acquaintance turned out to be a chemist. It was Baker who brought Crowley into an occult organization called the Order of the Golden Dawn. Members of the order were engaged in alchemy and magic. Becoming a neophyte to the order, Crowley acquired himself a luxurious apartment. He set aside two rooms for occult studies.
Crowley's mentor in ceremonial magic was Alan Bennett, who shared an apartment with him. However, over time, Aleister was disappointed. He lost faith in the capabilities of his mentor and became skeptical of the order itself. In 1904, Crowley broke with the Golden Dawn and headed to Mexico. There he continues to master magic on his own.
For several years, Crowley has traveled the world. He visited Ceylon, Japan, Hong Kong. One of his main works, The Book of the Law, Alistair wrote in Egypt.
In 1907, the occultist creates his own order, calling it the "Silver Star". Later, Crowley organized an abbey in Sicily, which became a kind of commune. As the leader of a religious community, Crowley leads a dissolute lifestyle. Countless orgies entered his life, Alistair became addicted to drugs. Numerous scandals have caused a stir in the newspapers. As a result, Alistair was ordered to get out of the island along with his commune.
Crowley embarks on a journey again. He visited several European countries, visited Africa. During his wanderings, Alistair managed to publish a number of books on magic and the occult. Gradually he gained a reputation as a sectarian and Satanist. Some researchers of Crowley's work argue that his books influenced the formation of the views of Adolf Hitler.
Aleister Crowley passed away in 1947. Asthma drove him to the grave. The great magician and occultist was at that time 72 years old.
