Aleister Crowley

One of the most significant occultists-mystics of the 20th century, Edward Alexander (Aleister) Crowley was born on October 12, 1875, in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. His parents were members of the Plymouth Brethren, a strict Christian sect, which meant Crowley grew up in an environment of oppression and religious intolerance. As a result, he rebelled to such an extent that his mother called him "the beast," a moniker for the Antichrist. He retained this title throughout his life as "the great beast." Crowley became fascinated with the occult at a relatively young age and was introduced to it at Trinity College, Oxford, where he studied. In 1898, he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, quickly rising to its higher ranks. While on his honeymoon with his first wife, Rose (Kelly) Crowley, in Cairo, Egypt, Crowley received the famous Book of the Law (Liber Al vel Legis), which became the cornerstone of Thelemic Philosophy and is considered one of the most important works in the field of occultism today. In 1992, he took leadership of the Ordo Templi Orientis. He lived for many years in the East, primarily in India and China, where he was initiated into yoga and Eastern mysticism. He died on December 1, 1947, in England.