Who Was Aleister Crowley Really?…Occultist? Satanist? British Spy?

An otherwise auspicious birth in 1875 brought forth into the world Aleister Crowley who defied all acceptable standards of his time. His arrogance matched his defiance and bordered on grandiose. He founded the religion of Thelema, practiced sex magic, and may have worked as a double agent for the British. Based on the legends about Crowley, it would be easy to sum him up as the perverse, drug-addicted, satanic, wickedest man in the world. However, it seems that he was much more than any one of those things. Exactly who was Aleister Crowley – the person who could evoke respect and devotion in some people but disgust, hatred, and fear in others?

Early Years

Edward Alexander Crowley, better known as Aleister, was born in Warwickshire, England, on October 12, 1875. His parents were Edward and Emily Crowley, both devout Christians. His father was a preacher and raised Aleister as a Christian. In fact, Edward read to him and his mother from the Bible every day after breakfast. Thus, from a young age, Aleister was admittedly a Christian as well.

Although Crowley adored his father, his relationship with his mother was difficult at best. She was exceedingly strict in a puritanical sense and called him “The Beast” whenever she was unhappy with his behavior. But he appeared to revel in this association rather than resent it. In fact, later in life, Crowley would refer to himself as “The Great Beast 666.”