Aleister Crowley

Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced /’krəʊ.li/ i.e. with the first syllable sounding like the bird) was an English occultist, prolific writer, mystic, hedonist, aficionado of chess and mountainclimbing, and sexual revolutionary. Other interests and accomplishments were wide-ranging—he was a chess master, mountain climber, poet, painter, astrologer, drug experimenter, and social critic. He is perhaps best known today for his occult writings, especially The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema. Crowley was also an influential member in several occult organizations, including the Golden Dawn, the A∴A∴, and Ordo Templi Orientis. Crowley gained much notoriety during his lifetime, and was famously dubbed “The Wickedest Man In the World.”