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Aleister (Alexander Edward) Crowley: October 12, 1875 to December 1 1947. Poet, Author, magician, philosopher, mountain climber, man-of-the-world, self-proclaimed adventurer and "most evil man in the world". He lived in a time of great social and political changes, a period when the world was frequently in chaos and war where many people were looking for profound answers. After schooling, he left for the U.S.A. in July of 1900 and traveled through Mexico and on to Ceylon in May, 1901. While on a big-game hunting expedition with Eckenstein Crowley began planning a mountain-climbing trip up K2, occupying him for most of 1902. In August, 1903 he married Rose Kelley. Aleister and Rose's four year honeymoon was a trip around the world. During this time Aleister and Rose had a son. The son died in infancy. In 1909 Rose was institutionalized for dipsomania (alcoholism). Aleister and Rose divorced. In 1929 he married Maria de Miramar in Germany. In 1907 Crowley befriends J. F. C. Fuller, founds an esoteric organization and walks across Morocco with Victor Newburg. In 1909 Aleister met Austin Osman Spare where they briefly collaborated on some publications. Aleister left for America on the Lusitania in October of 1914 where he began writing for Vanity Fair and the International. In 1917 he became Editor of the International. In 1919 he returned to Europe, starting a commune in Italy. In 1923, because of the sordid stories coming form the house, Crowley was expelled from Sicily by Mussolini. In 1929 Crowley published Magic in Theory and Practice, also in 1929 he was expelled from France. Between 1930 and 1936, he was visited and financially-supported Karl Germer who succeeded Crowley as Outer Head of the Order of the O. T. O.. In the mid 1930's Crowley filed bankruptcy. In 1938, while traveling in German, he met Aldous Huxley. By the early 1940's he published The book of Thoth with Tarot card designs by Lady Frieda Harris. He retired to Netherwood to work on Magic without Tears. He died on December 1, 1947. |
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