RedHanded ShortHand: Aleister Crowley – The Beast 666
March 13, 2026
Episode Overview
In this ShortHand episode, the RedHanded hosts, Hannah McGuire and Josephine, dive into the life and legend of Aleister Crowley—occultist, poet, mountaineer, infamous provocateur, and self-styled “The Beast 666.” With signature wit and dark humor, they unpack Crowley’s journey from a strict religious upbringing to becoming the world’s most notorious practitioner of “magick with a K,” touching on his magical misadventures, sexual exploits, literary infamy, and lasting cultural influence. The episode blends macabre fact with myth, never shying away from Crowley’s wildest antics and most memorable scandals.
Major Themes and Key Discussion Points
1. Death and Mythology Around Crowley
- The End Before the Beginning
- The episode opens with Crowley’s death in 1947 at Netherwood House, Hastings, with final words: “I am perplexed.” (02:16)
- The hosts highlight local legends about his curse on Hastings and myths around his cremation and burial.
- Quote (Hannah):
“As Aleister Crowley slipped from this life to the next, the heavens opened in a mighty thunderclap to welcome Aleister Crowley home.” (02:44)
- Discussion of Crowley allegedly cursing his doctor, who died mysteriously the next day.
Quote (Josephine):
“Right, enough with the curses, Crowley.” (05:03)
2. Crowley’s Early Life and Formation
- Born Edward Alexander Crowley in 1875 to a strictly religious Plymouth Brethren family despite a fortune from brewing.
(06:15)
- He rebelled against his pious upbringing after his father’s sudden death in 1887.
- Notorious at boarding school, expelled for contracting gonorrhoea from a sex worker—a recurring theme.
- Quote (Hannah):
“They’re basically the pilgrims who didn’t leave.” (06:15)
- Hosts discuss the correlation between strict religious upbringings and later rebellion, noting Crowley’s early anti-authoritarian defiance.
3. Sexuality and Artistic Life
- At Cambridge, Crowley’s passions were “fucking bitches and reading Arabian Nights.” (08:32)
- Significant relationship with Jerome Pollitt, a drag queen, who drew Crowley into the decadent movement.
- His poetry is described as shockingly graphic, featuring “farts, gonorrhea, sodomy and earth-shattering orgasms… and fisting.” (10:26–10:28)
- “If you can think about it, he’s already done it.” (10:28, Josephine)
4. Occult Societies and Magical Rivalries
- The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (11:49–13:36)
- Crowley’s intense involvement with the secret society.
- Noted alumni include W.B. Yeats, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A.E. Waite, and Pamela Colman Smith.
- WB Yeats reportedly hated Crowley; Crowley attributed this to “poetic jealousy.”
- Crowley’s growing obsession with black magic split the group, leading to his dramatic expulsion after an “astral siege” involving a kilt and Osiris mask.
5. Egyptian Mysticism and the Book of the Law
- Marriage to Rose Edith Kelly & The Great Pyramid Incident (13:36–16:41)
- On honeymoon in Egypt, Rose trances and channels the god Horus, dismissing Crowley as “too arrogant” for divine contact.
- She identifies the Egyptian god Horus in a museum, on artifact number 666, much to Crowley’s awe and irritation. (15:11–16:04)
- Quote (Hannah):
“Crowley was outraged. He had done years of work and the gods spoke to his dumb wife and not him.”
- Under Horus’s guidance, Crowley writes The Book of the Law, birthing the maxim: “Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”
- Begins his own magickal order: the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.).
6. Mountaineering, Abuse, and the Loch Ness House
- Crowley’s extreme mountaineering expeditions—including pioneering attempts on K2 and Kangchenjunga—are discussed as a parallel universe in which he might have been a famous climber instead of an occultist. (17:49–18:44)
- Purchase of Boleskine House by Loch Ness (19:55)
- Infamous ritual abuse of Victor Neuberg (beating with nettles, magical “retirement”).
- Attempts to summon “the Twelve Kings and Dukes of Hell.”
- Mysterious and sinister local tragedies attributed to Crowley’s tenure at the house.
- Later bought by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, who claimed it remained haunted.
7. Magical Sexcapades in the Desert (Algiers)
- Neuberg and Crowley conduct elaborate desert rituals involving sex magick, “ego death,” and encounters with “demons.”
- Neuberg is transformed into a demon with a horned haircut and becomes the god Pan in ritual. Crowley is “receiver” in ritual sex.
- Quotes:
“I understand that Neuberg was the giver and Crowley was the receiver, and that Neuberg actually became the God Pan.” (24:25)
“There was an animal in the wilderness, but it was not I.” (Crowley, quoted by Hannah, 24:25)
“A total ego death… Crowley had crossed the abyss, something he’d always wanted to do.” (25:26, Hannah)
8. Publicity Stunts and Infamy
- Crowley fakes his suicide in Portugal’s “Mouth of Hell” caves—his “suicide note” is more of a dramatic break-up text—with subsequent dramatic reappearance. (26:50–27:21)
- Quote (Josephine):
“He wrote a letter claiming to have taken his own life at the Boca da Inferno caves, which means… The mouth of hell.”
9. The Abbey of Thelema: Orgies and Scandal
- Founds a commune in Sicily—“the Abbey of Thelema”—where free love, drugs, and rituals were the norm. (27:47–29:01)
- Notorious “Chamber of Nightmares” with explicit satanic frescoes still visible today.
- Scandal after a resident, Raoul Loveday, dies of typhoid; wife claims Crowley forced cat blood ritual on him (the story hits the British press).
- Birth of Crowley’s “wickedest man in the world” reputation, to his delight.
- The Abbey is closed when Mussolini expels Crowley from Italy.
- Documentary crews find “dead cats on the doorstep” as omens (29:54).
10. Legacy, Influence, and Final Years
- Crowley’s waning years marked by more heroin, sexual exploits, and a tender late-life fixation on his final son, Ataturk.
- After death, Crowley is adopted by 1960s and ’70s counterculture as a subversive sage (e.g., appears on Sgt. Pepper album). (30:27–31:10)
- “He was seen in the 60s and 70s as an icon of counterculture, a symbol of rebellion and ancient wisdom.” (30:27, Hannah)
- Posthumous claimants: musician Graham Bond, who founded his own O.T.O. chapter and later died by suicide at Finsbury Park. (31:10–31:47)
- Enduring legacy: “Do what thou wilt.”
Notable Quotes & Highlights (with Timestamps)
- “Aleister Crowley, the most wicked man in the world. The beast 666, the magician, the poet, the perpetual catcher of STDs, and the inventor of magic with a K, died by the sea in Hastings in 1947.” (02:16, Hannah)
- “If a person has ever lived [in Hastings], they will never be able to leave. Even if one tries, they will always return. Legend has it that the only way to circumvent this Crowley curse... is to carry a hagstone.” (03:24, Josephine)
- “[Crowley’s poetry] is so graphic that he had to publish it all abroad under a fake name... It’s full of farts, gonorrhea, sodomy and earth shattering orgasms.” (10:10, Hannah)
- “Crowley tried a great deal of other nonsense at Boleskine House. His main purpose was to call forth the Twelve Kings and Dukes of Hell. Please see the Lesser Key of Solomon for further reference. Or you can watch Hereditary. One of them is in there as well. What’s he called? Paimon.” (21:19, Hannah)
- “Rituals. I’m getting to the fisting. This is a shorthand, so we’re only going to tell you about one of these rituals and one of them only. Crowley and Neuberg, deep in the desert, drew a circle of protection and a triangle of invocation. Then they had sex...” (24:25, Hannah)
- “Crowley was a wonderful climber, but a terrible leader. There was dissension in the ranks that led to an almost mutiny. Crowley left his party on the mountain to die. Some survived and some didn’t.” (18:44, Hannah)
- “He’s just a teenage boy.” (32:27, Josephine, on Crowley’s signature as a phallic doodle)
- “After he was gone, the British subculture scene embraced Aleister Crowley with open arms... He was seen in the 60s and 70s as an icon of counterculture, a symbol of rebellion and ancient wisdom. He’s on the cover of Dr. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, for God’s sake.” (30:27–31:10, Hannah)
Memorable Moments and Tangents
- The ‘Thunderclap’ Sound Effect Mishap (01:27–01:49): Failed attempt to kick off the episode with a dramatic sound, echoing the theatricality of Crowley’s life.
- Crowley Curse on Hastings and the legend of the hagstone as an escape charm. (03:22–03:57)
- Ongoing Jokes About Sex and Gonorrhoea: Recurring reference to Crowley’s various sexual adventures and STDs—“the perpetual catcher of STDs.”
- Sardonic commentary on Yeats, Cambridge admissions, and Prince Harry: Playful digressions about upper-class privilege and poetic rivalries (08:28–12:18).
- Desert Sex Magic and Ego Death: The sexual ritual with Neuberg, the “God Pan” transformation, and crossing the “abyss”—presented with shocking casualness and irreverent humor (24:25–25:29).
- Drawn-Out Conclusion: Hannah reveals Crowley’s signature as a “giant dick” doodle—joking that he is, in essence, a “teenage boy” at heart. (32:27–32:55)
Timeline of Major Segments
- 00:00–01:27 – Ads & banter (skip)
- 01:38 – Introduce Aleister Crowley and episode theme
- 02:16 – Crowley’s death, curses, and local lore
- 05:26 – Transition to Crowley’s early life and religious upbringing
- 06:15 – Family background, rebellion, sexual awakening
- 08:03 – School scandals, sexual exploits, Cambridge entry
- 09:01 – Relationship with Jerome Pollitt and the decadent movement
- 11:49 – Occult societies: Golden Dawn, internal feuds & expulsion
- 13:36 – Marriage, Egyptian rituals, Book of the Law
- 17:49 – Mountaineering achievements, disasters, and O.T.O.
- 19:55 – Boleskine House madness, rituals, and legacy
- 23:13 – Neuberg, horned haircut, desert sex magick, “crossing the abyss”
- 26:50 – Portugal, faked suicide, dramatic returns
- 27:47 – Abbey of Thelema: Sicilian commune, scandal, downfall
- 29:54 – Abbey’s closure, return to obscurity, drugs, late-in-life son
- 30:27 – Crowley’s countercultural afterlife and pop culture icon status
- 31:47 – Graham Bond, later claimants, and Crowley’s motto
- 32:03–32:55 – Crowley’s phallic signature, closing jokes, episode wrap-up
Final Thoughts
This episode of RedHanded’s ShortHand offers a rollicking, irreverent ride through the dark, eccentric life and mythos of Aleister Crowley. The hosts blend solid research with caustic, playful commentary, giving listeners both essential facts and memorable, darkly comic anecdotes. From Atlantic orgies to curses on unsuspecting English towns to enduring rock-and-roll influence, Crowley’s legacy is as bizarre as it is unforgettable—cemented best in the episode’s closing image: a signature as a giant cock.
Listen for:
- The recurring motif of curses, both literal and metaphorical
- The wild, overlapping lives of artists, poets, and occultists in Crowley’s orbit
- Hilariously frank asides about sex, drugs, and elitism
- The “as above, so below” spirit—equal parts high weirdness and cultural curiosity
For more in-depth or uncensored Crowley content (or a drawing of his signature cock!), check the hosts’ socials.
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