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Aleister Crowley: His Life & Published Works

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Written by: Morningbird & MS Team

Aleister Crowley was born Edward Alexander Crowley on October 12, 1875 in Warwickshire, England.

His Life and Works

He was trained in ceremonial magick through the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn where he took the magical name “Frater Perdurabo” (Brother I shall endure to the end) and traveled the world exploring spiritual practices everywhere he went.

He explored Hindu and Buddhist practices in India and spent some time in Mexico, where he was initiated into Freemasonry.

In 1904, he traveled to Egypt on his honeymoon (his wife was Rose Edith Kelly) and there he claimed he was spoken to by an incorporeal spirit named Aiwass who dictated to him what he would later publish as The Book of the Law which would serve as the basis for Thelema his own magico-religious spiritual practice.

In 1912, Crowley was inducted into the Ordo Templi Orientis and quickly rose through its ranks to leadership bringing Thelemite philosophy with him and leaving a permanent mark on the order. He also founded the A∴A and the ill-fated Abbey of Thelema, which appeared to be the beginning of the end of Crowley. 

Crowley was a prolific writer and his many works of both prose and poetry have been significant sources of inspiration for many magical practitioners. He is a somewhat controversial figure as he was an unapologetic drug user who enjoyed frequent sex with both men and women. He was by many reports, something of a douche and he led a libertine lifestyle that was offensive to many.

He was accused in his lifetime of being a Satanist and of promoting human sacrifice and he encouraged such speculations with apparent glee, though they were untrue. He has also been criticized for his overly public promotion of magick and accused of being a money-hungry charlatan.

But Crowley started his journey with a great deal of his own money, which he spent largely on travel, education, and less savory pursuits. When his family fortune was exhausted, he was forced to live on membership fees, royalties, and his followers’ goodwill and died virtually penniless.

His rather colorful life story and questionable moral character notwithstanding, his work is hugely influential on many magical systems today and is considered required reading by many.

Famous Quotes

“There is no god but man.”

“Love is the Law, Love under Will.”

Crowley also wrote that “We of Thelema say that ‘Every man and every woman is a star.’ We do not fool and flatter women, we do not despise and abuse them. To us, a woman is herself, absolute, original, independent, free, self-justified, exactly as a man is.” (Crowley, 1904)

Published Works

Aleister Crowley created The Thoth Tarot Deck based on his The Book of Throth.

And he wrote:

Bestseller No. 1
Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666
16 Reviews
Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Donna Zuckerbrot (Director) – Donna Zuckerbrot (Writer) – Donna Zuckerbrot (Producer)
Bestseller No. 2
The Aleister Crowley Manual: Thelemic Magick for Modern Times
20 Reviews
Bestseller No. 3
The Writings of Aleister Crowley: The Book of Lies, The Book of the Law, Magick and Cocaine
749 Reviews
SaleBestseller No. 4
Magick in Theory and Practice
128 Reviews
Magick in Theory and Practice
  • Audible Audiobook
  • Aleister Crowley (Author) – Benjamin Regan (Narrator)
Bestseller No. 5
The Witch of Kings Cross
289 Reviews
The Witch of Kings Cross
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Sonia Bible (Director) – Sonia Bible (Writer) – Sonia Bible (Producer)
SaleBestseller No. 6
The Book of the Law
1,807 Reviews
The Book of the Law
  • Crowley, Aleister (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
SaleBestseller No. 7
777 And Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley: Including Gematria & Sepher Sephiroth
650 Reviews
SaleBestseller No. 8
Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4
426 Reviews
Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4
  • Hardcover Book
  • Aleister Crowley (Author)
Bestseller No. 9
In Search of the Great Beast 666: Aleister Crowley
169 Reviews
In Search of the Great Beast 666: Aleister Crowley
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Joss Ackland, Paul Bellamy, Thomas Bewley (Actors)
Bestseller No. 10
In Search Of The Great Beast 666
169 Reviews
In Search Of The Great Beast 666
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Joss Ackland, Paul Bellamy, Thomas Bewley (Actors)

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Further Reading

About Morningbird (Witchipedia's Founder)

I am a homesteading hearth witch who grew up along the shores of the Hudson River and has lived among the Great Lakes for the past 20 years. Together with my musical husband and youngest child, I steward a one-acre mini homestead with herb, vegetable and flower gardens, chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits, and areas reserved for native plants and wildlife. 

I have three children; two are grown, and I have been practicing magick alone and with family and friends for over 30 years.

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