SYMHC Classics: Aleister Crowley

Summary

Stuff You Missed in History Class

SYMHC Classics: Aleister Crowley (Original Air Date: October 4, 2021 / Rebroadcast: October 25, 2025)

Hosts: Tracy B. Wilson and Holly Frey
Theme: The controversial life, influence, and enduring legacy of Aleister Crowley—occultist, writer, “The Beast 666,” and cultural lightning rod.

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the life and mythos of Aleister Crowley, a figure often associated with the occult, ritual magic, and cultural rebellion. Tracy and Holly provide a nuanced look at Crowley’s upbringing, spiritual journey, scandals, creative output, and the lasting impact of his ideas on everything from modern religious movements to pop culture. The discussion is rich with details and places Crowley in the context of late Victorian and early modern esoteric revivals, while also not shying away from the wild (sometimes scandalous) stories that shaped—and often distorted—his reputation.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Crowley’s Early Life and Religious Context

• Birth and Upbringing
  • Born Edward Alexander Crowley in England, 1875—the same year that French occultist Eliphas Levi died and the Theosophical Society was founded by Helena Blavatsky (06:00-06:35).
  • Raised in a strict Plymouth Brethren household during the height of the "Satanic Panic" (04:25).
• Impact of Religion on Young Crowley
  • Fascinated by biblical figures like "the Beast" and the imagery of Revelation (07:08).
  • Father’s death at age 11 was traumatic; Crowley rebelled against school, Christianity, and family expectations (07:29-08:03).

2. Education and First Steps into the Occult

• Cambridge Years
  • Entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1895; did not complete a degree.
    • Immersed himself in studies of medieval magic and Rosicrucian mysticism (08:03-09:05).
• Name Change
  • Adopted the name “Aleister” after Shelley’s poem Alastor and the Gaelic Alexander (08:28).
• First Mystical Experiences
  • Crowley described his experiences as soul-altering, writing:

    “My animal nature stood rebuked and kept silent in the presence of the imminent divinity of the Holy Ghost...”
    —Aleister Crowley [11:06]

3. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

• Initiation and Progression
  • Joined 1898; quickly ascended through its esoteric ranks using the motto “Perdurabo” (“I will endure”) (12:17-13:37).
  • His rapid advancement caused friction with other members (14:19).
• Controversy and Schism
  • Crowley was controversially inducted into the Inner Order by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers in Paris after being blocked in London (19:18-19:49).
  • Dramatic showdown at the Isis-Urania temple (“Battle of Blyth Road”); Crowley was removed—possibly physically—by the likes of William Butler Yeats, who thought him “indescribably mad” (20:41-21:42).
    • Quote:

      “It is said that Samuel McGregor Mathers died in 1918 as a result of a magical duel with Aleister Crowley.”
      —Tracy quoting Richard Ellmann’s Partisan Review [22:15]

  • Ultimately expelled (or withdrew) from the Order; the group itself later dissolved (23:34).

4. Developing His Own Traditions: Ritual, Thelema, and Controversy

• Magical Experiments and Writings
  • Lived at Boleskine House on Loch Ness conducting rituals; attempted difficult Himalayan climbs including K2 (24:23-25:33).
• The Birth of Thelema
  • 1904: Key mystical experience in Cairo with wife Rose Edith Kelly, who, in trance, received “the Book of the Law” through the entity Aiwass (25:33-27:06).
    • Rose is the first “Scarlet Woman,” believed to channel higher powers (27:06).
    • The book became the core of Thelema:

      “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” [28:24]

• Embracing the ‘Beast’
  • Began identifying with the number 666 and biblical Beasts, eventually penning additional “holy books” under spirit influence [29:09].

5. Sex Magic, Rituals, and Ongoing Scandal

• Argentum Astrum (AA) and Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO)

  • Founded AA in 1909; published The Equinox (30:03).
  • Inducted into OTO; instrumental in its development of sexual magic rites, authoring the Gnostic Mass [31:13].
    • Quote:

      “When you have proved that God is merely a name for the sex instinct, it appears to me not far to the perception that the sex instinct is God.”
      —Crowley [31:13]

• Personal Life and Substance Use

  • Maintained open relationships of varying gender and identity; used drugs as part of rituals (39:06-39:45).
  • Wrote Diary of a Drug Fiend (1922), Magick in Theory and Practice (1929), with “magick” intentionally spelled with a ‘k’ to distinguish his work (39:45-40:48).

6. Later Years, Spying, and Legacy

• World War I Era
  • Lived in the US, wrote pro-German/pro-Irish sentiment, claiming to be an undercover agent for the British Secret Service—though his true motivations remain disputed (35:44-37:21).
• Abbey of Thelema and Further Exile
  • Founded the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily (1920); expelled after the death of follower Raoul Loveday under mysterious circumstances (38:16-38:39).
• Final Years and Death
  • Broke, addicted, and largely obscure by the end, Crowley died in 1947 in a boarding house (42:24).
  • His notoriety revived during the 1960s counterculture, as his ideas resonated with movements of “free love,” drug use, and New Age spirituality (43:01-43:30).

7. Enduring Influence on Religion and Pop Culture

• Roots of Modern Witchcraft and Satanism
  • Influenced Gerald Gardner (Gardnerian Wicca) and Anton LaVey (modern Satanism), though Crowley was not a Satanist himself (44:25-44:45).
  • His “Baphomet” rituals and imagery were later adopted by Satanic groups [44:45].
• Scientology Links
  • Possible indirect influence on L. Ron Hubbard and the Babylon Working rituals with Jack Parsons; Crowley himself apparently disapproved (“I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these goats.” —Crowley, 46:31).
• Cultural References and Tributes
  • Fictionalized as cultists and villains (e.g., Somerset Maugham’s The Magician, Bond’s Blofeld).
  • Referenced by Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper cover), and David Bowie.
  • Inspiration for characters such as Crowley in Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens (47:40-48:32).
• Evolving Scholarship
  • Crowley’s life oscillates in interpretation between “egomaniacal charlatan” and profound occultist; recent scholarship seeks a more balanced context (48:32-end).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On otherworldly October themes:
  “Crowley does seem particularly suited for a more seasonal October episode, which on this show has become traditionally associated with things that are otherworldly in some way.”
  —Tracy [04:20]

• On mystical experience:
  “My animal nature stood rebuked and kept silent in the presence of the imminent divinity of the Holy Ghost...”
  —Aleister Crowley [11:06]

• On Golden Dawn controversy:
  “Yates described him as indescribably mad and also thought Crowley’s poetry... was terrible.”
  —Tracy [21:12]

• On Thelema’s central tenet:
  “Do what you will shall be the whole of the law.”
  —Crowley [28:24]

• On sex and the divine:
  “When you have proved that God is merely a name for the sex instinct, it appears to me not far to the perception that the sex instinct is God.”
  —Crowley [31:13]

• Crowley’s self-aware spelling:
  “I swore to rehabilitate magic, to identify it with my own career.”
  —Crowley, on “magick” [40:48]

• Crowley's dismissal of Parsons and Hubbard’s “Moonchild” efforts:
  “I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these goats.”
  —Crowley [46:31]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and context: [02:25-05:54]
• Early life and education: [05:57-09:05]
• Cambridge and mystical awakening: [09:05-11:45]
• Golden Dawn involvement and schism: [12:17-23:34]
• Rise of Thelema: [25:33-29:09]
• Crowley’s occult movements and sex magic: [30:03-31:48]
• WWI, espionage rumors: [35:44-37:21]
• Abbey of Thelema, addiction, personal identity: [38:16-40:48]
• Death, rediscovery, and modern legacies: [42:24-47:40]
• Pop culture and modern influences: [47:40-48:32]

---

Final Thoughts

Tracy and Holly close the episode by reflecting on Crowley’s complicated legacy: once the “wickedest man in the world,” now a subject of both occult fascination and responsible academic study. Today, Crowley’s blend of libertinism, mysticism, and countercultural protest continues to echo in everything from neopaganism and Satanism to modern witchcraft and popular entertainment—his legend as strange and varied as the stories that once surrounded him.

---

Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive, lively review of Crowley and his continued influence on culture, magic, and myth.

Transcript

[Tracy B. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Kal Penn]

Hey audiobook lovers. I'm Kalpen, I'm Ed Helms. Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from audible.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Earsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Earsay and start listening listening on the free iHeartradio app today.

[Misti]

Listen to your elders, honey.

[Old Gays (Robert, Mick, Bill, Jesse)]

You might know them from their viral videos, but now the old gays are pulling back the curtain with their new podcast, Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Veeve Healthcare. Hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse serve their lifetime of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. So check out Silver Linings with the old gays on the iHeartRadio video app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

A new era of power has arrived with the Alienware Area 51 gaming laptops, intentionally engineered to push more power to the CPU and GPU for maximum performance. Combined with Intel Core Ultra 9 processors merging CPU, NPU, and integrated GPU into one AI optimized chip, it delivers fast, smart and seamless performance across everything you do. So no matter what you are playing, Alienware ensures every game runs precisely as its developers intended. A new era of power is here. All you have to do is take it. Discover Area51 today at www.alienware.com area-51 laptops.

[Mario Lopez]

Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor. Check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to [e-mail] blue campaign.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Happy Saturday. Alistair Crowley plays a role in one of our upcoming episodes this week, so we are breaking out our episode on him as today's Saturday classic.

[Misti]

This one originally came out on October 4th, 2021. Enjoy. Welcome to Stuff youf Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy B. Wilson And I'm Holly Fry. Aleister Crowley is somebody I've been considering for an October episode for quite a while. But the thing is, I would kind of stumble across his name in some totally random other part of the year and has nothing to do with October, and kind of go, oh, yeah, I was thinking about him for an October episode, but then I'd never made note of that anywhere. And then it would be November. We don't only cover these types of subjects around October. But Crowley does seem particularly suited for a more seasonal October episode, which on this show has become traditionally associated with things that are otherworldly in some way. I grew up in a pretty conservative Methodist household in the 1980s and early 90s. In other words, in the middle of Satanic panic, that meant there were some subjects my mom felt very strongly that I should not be exposed to. And that included sex, drugs and Satanism. And this episode is going to touch on pretty much all of those things because Aleister Crowley was a truly prolific and deliberately transgressive occultist whose practices included sex and drug use. He went on to influence things like modern Satanism, as well as various other new religious movements. And also, just a note on pronunciation. If you've ever listened to Ozzy Osbourne, or if you're just an American, or if you speak English with various specific accents, you have probably gotten really used to the pronunciation. Alistair Crawley. I know that's how I always said it. That's how I think you and I both said it in last year's episode on Tarot.

[Misti]

Crowley is mine.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Crowley.

[Misti]

Yeah.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

I think it's how I grew up. That was what I was even trying to say in that moment when I. More. I said it more.

[Misti]

Crawley.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

I think I've always said it Crowley. He said it Crowley, though the brewery that his family owned even had crows on the labels. Like, I don't know entirely how it became more like Crowley. So it's totally possible at some point during this episode, I will regress to saying it the way I've said it my entire life before learning that he said it Crowley over the last four days. Also, I just wanna note that this episode is wild. I kept feeling like this must be the strangest thing that's gonna happen this entire episode. And then I would find another even stranger thing. But at the same time, I feel like his life and his work were just so prolific and so varied that it just really scratches the surface. If you're a devotee of Aleister Crowley, you may find 10 million things that you think we left out.

[Misti]

I think that's true of any subject.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

We do, right, yeah.

[Misti]

Aleister Crowley was born Edward Alexander Crowley in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, on October 12, 1875. This was the same year that French occultist Eliphaz Levi died. He was the author of books like the History of Magic, Transcendental Magic, Its Doctrine and Ritual and the Key to the Great Mysteries. We talked about him in our Tarot episode.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

I forgot.

[Misti]

It was also the same year that past podcast subject Helena Blavatsky co founded the Theosophical Society, which pulled together religious, philosophical and mystical traditions from all over the world. Crowley felt that it was significant that these two things happened in the year of his birth.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

This would not have resonated in that way with his parents, though. They were Edward and Emily Crowley, who were part of an evangelical Christian movement known as the Plymouth Brethren. Its founders included John Nelson Darby, whose teachings included the idea that humanity was progressing through a series of ages that would culminate with the end of the world, as it was described in the Book of Revelation. Before that point, Christians would be taken to heaven through the Rapture.

[Misti]

Plymouth Brethren don't really have a hierarchy of clergy and laity, but Edward was an evangelist and all of this was a big part of Crowley's upbringing. From a young age, he was fascinated by some of the more vivid figures from the Book of Revelation, including the Dragon, the Scarlet Woman, the False Prophet and the Beast.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Thanks to the Crowley's long involvement with the brewing industry, the family was pretty well off. They called their son Alec, and in his words, his childhood was almost abnormally normal. He was educated in private schools, most of them affiliated either with the Plymouth Brethren or with other evangelical sects. His father died when he was 11 and this was really traumatic. Alec had really idolized his father, and an uncle who played a much bigger role in his life from that point was really pretty cruel to him.

[Misti]

Eventually, Alex started to rebel against school, against Christianity, against and against his family. He also experienced chronic illnesses, including asthma, that sometimes kept him from being able to attend school, and during those periods he worked with private tutors. He spent some time in both Malvern College and Tonbridge School before entering Trinity College, Cambridge in 1895.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Crowley changed his name from Edward Alexander to Alistair. At about this time. This change probably had a couple of inspirations. One was Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem Alastor or the Spirit of Solitude. And the other was the Gaelic version of the name Alexander, although that is usually spelled A L, A S D A I, R. Not a, L, E, I, S T, E, R. A name I spelled wrong a lot of times while typing this. I had to add it to my word dictionary so I could keep it straight.

[Misti]

Although Crowley didn't finish a degree at Trinity, the three years that he did spend there were formative. He played chess and wrote poetry, and he did well in his courses in spite of not really paying attention to them. His parents had always expected him to excel at his schoolwork, but they were also really strict about what he was allowed to read. The only book he could have at home was the Bible. So while he wasn't all that focused on his formal course of study at Trinity, he still studied a lot, immersing himself in things like medieval magic, magic and Rosicrucian mysticism. Rosicrucianism dates back to the 17th century, and it's focused on the idea that its members are maintaining and passing down ancient esoteric secrets and wisdom.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Curley's time at Trinity was also happening well into a renewed interest in the occult that started in the late 19th century. Sometimes this is described as the occult revival. It had some common elements with the Spiritualist movement that was evolving at about the same time. Like the Theosophist movement that was also part of this whole landscape, the occult revival brought together a range of influences, including a Victorian understanding of the religious and mythical traditions of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and Asia.

[Misti]

Just as a side note, if you get into academic work about this whole period, there are a lot of different and sometimes slightly contradictory definitions in use for terms like occult and esoteric. Some draw a distinction between occult meaning hidden knowledge and esoteric meaning, knowledge that is revealed only to specific people, like initiates of a specific order. But there is some overlap there, and some people use these terms kind of interchangeably. We aren't going to try to draw a huge distinction between them, especially since a lot of what Aleister Crowley did could really be described using both terms, just kind of depending on what we're talking about.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Crowley had his first mystical experience on New Year's Eve, 1896, while he was on winter break in Stockholm. He later said that this experience, quote, put me on the road to myself. A year later, the same thing happened again. And he described it this way, quote, my animal nature stood rebuked and kept silent in the presence of the imminent divinity of the Holy Ghost, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, yet blossoming in my soul as if the entire forces of the universe from all eternity were concentrated and made manifest in a Single Rose Crowley.

[Misti]

Left Trinity College in 1898. His first poem was published that same year, titled Academa, A Place to Bury Strangers in, which was credited to a gentleman of the University of Cambridge. Thanks to Crowley's inheritance, he was able to pretty much do what he wanted after leaving college. This included mountaineering and big game hunting, and he traveled extensively for both of those pursuits. But he also traveled in pursuit of knowledge, seeking out mystical and spiritual guidance.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Yeah, as he started developing whole systems of ritual magic, this travel would also include going to places and like doing these very prolonged involved like mystical rituals and incantations and things. On November 26, 1898, Crowley was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the golden dawn, which had been established 10 years earlier by William Wynn Westcott and Samuel Liddell McGregor Mathers. This was one of several Hermetic orders that trace their teachings back to writings that were attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. That's a figure who combined the Egyptian deity Thoth with the Greek deity Hermes.

[Misti]

In addition to its Greek and Egyptian influences, the Hermetic Order of the golden dawn drew on Christian mysticism, Kabbalah and paganism, as well as Hinduism and Buddhism, plus the work of Queen Elizabeth the first court advisor and astronomer John Dee. On my short list folded into all of these influences was a focus on ritual magic. The Hermetic Order of the golden dawn was one of the most prominent and influential esoteric orders of the day. And its influence spread as former members went went on to establish their own orders.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Initiates into the Hermetic Order of the golden dawn adopted a name or a sort of motto. Crowley's was Perderabo or I will endure. And then, having been initiated, they progressed through 10 levels of esoteric knowledge, with each grade being mastered before the person moved on to the next one, revealing a new body of knowledge they had access to. And it wasn't just that a person had to learn everything from one stage before being allowed to advance. The order's members also believed that as you mastered each level, you really evolved and progressed spiritually and psychically.

[Misti]

Crowley had a really good memory and was also deeply interested in all of this. And he rose through the grades of the London chapter really quickly. But that did not sit well with everyone else in the order. We're going to talk about that more after a little sponsor break.

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

Time for a sofa upgrade. Visit washablesofas.com and discover Annabe, where designer style meets budget friendly prices. With sofas starting at $699, Annabe brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your spaces effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop [e-mail] Authors are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Misti]

Listen to your elders, honey.

[Old Gays (Robert, Mick, Bill, Jesse)]

You might know them from their viral videos, but now the old Gays pull back the curtain on their brand new podcast Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHearts, Ruby Studio and Veeve Healthcare. With over 300 years of experience between them, hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse serve four lifetimes of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. Listen in to these fabulous friends, swap stories exploring how queer life has evolved over the decades and the silver linings they've collected along the way. Each episode dives into hot topics from safe sex and online dating to untangling Gen Z lingo, as well as insights on how music, art and fashion show up in queer culture. So check out Silver Linings, a show about how pride ages like fine wine. Available on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Misti]

Hey, what's up?

[Mario Lopez]

It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor. Check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to [e-mail] Blue Campaign.

[Ed Helms]

Hey everyone, Ed Helms here.

[Kal Penn]

And hi, I'm Kal Penn and we're the hosts of Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

You know what?

[Old Gays (Robert, Mick, Bill, Jesse)]

I can see you as Mr. Darcy.

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett. Here, listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

The Hermetic Order of the golden dawn had some pretty prominent members, and it was enormously influential in Aleister Crowley's life. Its progression through a series of increasingly secretive progressive degrees and its focus on ritual magic performed using specific regalia that all formed a template for a lot of Crowley's later writing and work. But his involvement with the organization was also pretty contentious. Some of its more advanced members, including Alan Bennett, took an interest in him and they personally tutored him and its rituals and its secrets. But other people really questioned his morals. He had developed a reputation as a libertine who abused drugs, and his sex partners included other men. At this point, homosexuality was outlawed in Britain. Oscar Wilde's homosexuality trial had taken place just a few years before.

[Misti]

In 1900, Samuel Liddell McGregor Mathers was head of the Order, but had gone to France. Florence Farr was temporarily leading the Order in London. In his place, Crowley reached the point where he expected to be inducted into the Golden Dawn's Inner Order. But Farr refused to do it, citing his, quote, sexual intemperance. So Crowley went over her head, traveling to Paris and taking it up with Mathers. Mathers inducted Crowley into the Inner Order himself.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

The relationship between Mathers and the rest of the Order was already contentious. Since he was in France, he was out of regular contact with most of the Order, and a lot of people found his behavior to be increasingly erratic and dictatorial. Allegations had also arisen that some of the Order's foundational manuscripts, which were supposed to be ancient secrets that had been passed down and protected for centuries, were really 19th century fakes. So when Crowley arrived at the Order's Isis urania temple at 36 Blythe Road in London and announced that Mathers had inducted him into the next degree of the Order and demanded to be shown the manuscripts he was supposed to be able to access at that level, people were upset and they again refused to do it.

[Misti]

Crowley went right back to France, where Mathers told him to take over the temple entirely. So Crowley went back to London again, talked the landlord into letting him into the temple, and then he changed the locks. He said Mathers had designated him as his envoy, and he summoned each member of the Inner Order to be questioned. When they arrived, Crowley was wearing Scottish Highland dress, a black mask, a large gold cross, and a dagger at his waist.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

With the assistance of a police officer, several members of the Order physically removed Crowley from the premises. One of those members was William Butler Yates. In some accounts, Yates and others physically threw Crowley down the stairs. Yates and Crowley really did not like each other. Yates described him as indescribably mad and also thought Crowley's poetry, which he had written a lot of at this point, was terrible.

[Misti]

This incident became known as the Battle of Blyth Road, and some accounts of it are fairly straightforward. It was a schism within an organization, followed by each side trying to retain control of its documents and other materials. But others are increasingly fantastic. Crowley biographer Richard Kaczynski describes Crowley determining he was under a magical attack during all of this, as street lamps and hearth fires behaved strangely when he passed by, and his raincoat is said to have spontaneously combusted.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Yates biographer Richard Elman published an account in the partisan review in 1948 that describes Crowley and Yates attacking each other, with Crowley using black magic and Yates using white magic. In this account, Yates used some of Crowley's hair to perform an exorcism at the request of poet and artist Althea Giles, who was in a tumultuous relationship with him. Him being Crowley, not Yates. This piece describes the exorcism as causing a vampire to torment Crowley in the night, and another experienced magician had to help him get rid of this vampire. Elman's biography of Yates also mentions that quote. It is said, which is one of those words that you can, like, say to say a thing that maybe you believe or maybe you don't believe. It is said that Samuel McGregor Mathers died in 1918 as a result of a magical duel with Aleister Crowley. I'm telling you, this Partisan Review piece is so weird that I am just not confident whether he meant it to be factual or not. Like, he's talking about a literal vampire being in bed with Aleister Crowley and picking at him in the night. And I'm just like, it's for real.

[Misti]

Though I have thoughts, they're not terribly kind. Crowley withdrew from the Hermetic Order of the golden dawn. Or if you look at this from the Order's point of view, he was expelled. The order continued to fracture, eventually changing its name to Stella Matutina, and then dissolving in the 1920s, William Butler Yeats, who described magic as the most important pursuit of his life next to poetry, went on to be regarded as one of the greatest English language poets of the 20th century. His widely quoted poem, the Second Coming is sometimes read as alluding to Aleister Crowley in its last lines, which read, and what rough beast, its hour come round at last slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

[Tracy B. Wilson]

I had to memorize this poem in, I guess probably high school. We definitely did not have any conversations about William Butler Yeats having a magical duel with anybody or with Aleister Crowley having anything to do with this. Crowley was 24 when he tried to take over the Isis Urania temple, and the previous year he had bought bullskine house on the shore of Loch Ness and was using it to study and do research and to perform arcane rituals, some of which really took months to complete. In the early 1900s, he also traveled extensively, going to Mexico in July of 1900 with mountaineer Oscar Ekenstein and studying yoga in Sri Lanka, which was known as Ceylon at the time. He did that in 1901. He also studied Buddhist meditation practices with mentor and former golden dawn member Alan Bennett. In 1902, Crowley and Ekenstein were part of the first formal attempt to reach the summit of the mountain K2. They got to an elevation of 18,600ft, which is 5,670 meters. This is just a little snapshot of all of his traveling. There was a ton of it.

[Misti]

He was a busy bee. After returning to the UK in 1903, Crowley married Rose Edith Kelly, the widow of Frederick Thomas Skerritt. They honeymooned in India and Egypt. Alistair claimed that Rose had never had any kind of interest in the occult and had no knowledge of Egyptian deities, but that while they were in Cairo in the spring of 1904, she went into a trance repeating, quote, they are waiting for you. He described her as being possessed by an entity known as Aiwas, who was an agent of Horus and whose name was the true name of the God of Yezidees.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

So the Yezidees are an ethnically Kurdish people who have historically been extremely persecuted and that is carrying through until today they continue to be extremely persecuted. It is possible that Crowley had read about them in the work of past podcasts subject Helena Blavatsky. Her work about them is honestly pretty offensive and mischaracterized them as just straight up devil worshipers.

[Misti]

Alistair really didn't believe his wife. She relayed instructions on how to invoke Horus, and he thought that what she said was absurd. He took her to the nearby Egyptian Museum to see if she could identify Horus in any of the objects there. She was drawn to one particular stele, saying it identified the God who was talking to her. That object was labeled as catalog number 666, and Alistair later called it the Stele of Revealing.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Alistair eventually came to believe that she was telling him something genuine, and he did various incantations and invocations over a period of weeks in March and early April. Eventually, Rose instructed him to enter the room where he had been working at noon on April 8th, 9th and 10th, and then for about an hour over those three days, still reporting that she was directly transmitting the words of Iwas, she dictated what became known as the Book of the Law. This made Rose the first woman to fill the role that Crowley would call his Scarlet Woman. This was meant to be manifestation of the goddess Babylon, who could channel or transmit messages to him from higher beings. That's not spelled quite like Babylon. It is B, A B A L O n instead of B A, B Y, L O n. Because the spelling with an A instead of a Y was numerologically more important in Crowley's mind, various women filled this role of the Scarlet Woman. Over the next decades, typically after having had various sexual encounters, including performing sexual magic rituals with Crowley, the Book of.

[Misti]

The Law became the central text of the philosophy and religious movement known as Thelema. The book contains the Law of Thelema, quote, do what you will shall be the whole of the law, which is often followed by quote, love is the law, love under will, and every man and woman is a star. Rose had also told Alistair that he was to be the prophet of a new eon which would see the world move from the age of Osiris to the Age of Horus. This was to be an almost apocalyptic time of struggle and strife, and Crowley later suggested that four printings of the Book of the Law had each preceded the Balkan war, World War I, the Sino Japanese War, and World War II. By a period of nine months after.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

These events in Cairo, Aleister Crowley started associating himself with the number 666 and the Beast from the biblical Book of Revelation. Calling himself the Beast 666 or the Great Beast 666, he would go on to write 12 more holy books between 1907 and 1911, describing himself as under the direct influence of a single spirit or some kind of other elevated being. While writing each of them.

[Misti]

In May of 1905, Rose gave birth to a daughter. That daughter died as a baby. Aleister and Rose later had two more children and then eventually divorced. Crowley also continued to indulge his love of mountaineering and led a team in an attempt to Summit Kunchenjunga in 1905. After a climber and three porters were killed in an avalanche, he ended the expedition.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

In 1909, Crowley established a religious order that's often called by the name Argentum Astrum or Silver Star. This order's name, though, is typically written as two A's, each of them followed by a symbol of three dots arranged in a triangle. That symbol is used as an abbreviation symbol in Freemasonry. As part of this, he established a periodical called the Equinox, which was dedicated to publishing things about magic and the occult. When he printed materials that had originated with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Samuel MacGregor Mathers tried unsuccessfully to sue him.

[Misti]

A few years later, Theodore Royce of the Ordo Temple Orientis made a similar allegation about the OTO's secrets appearing in Crowley's writings. The OTO had been founded sometime around the turn of the 20th century and it drew from both Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism, with some of its practices also involving sex magic. Crowley claimed to have had no knowledge of the OTO and that he must have learned those secrets directly from the entities that he was channeling when he wrote his holy books.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Royce inducted Crowley into the OTO and Crowley became deeply involved and really influential in this organization, including writing its Gnostic Mass in 1913. The rituals and practices that he developed for the OTO expanded on its existing use of sex magic and involved both sexual symbolism and ritual sex. In his words. Quote when you have proved that God is merely a name for the sex instinct, it appears to me not far to the perception that the sex instinct is God.

[Misti]

We're gonna move on to some more mundane, but we promise still controversial parts of Crowley's life after we pause for another sponsor break.

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

There's nothing like sinking into luxury. At washablesofas.com, you'll find the Annabe sofa which combines ultimate comfort and design at an affordable price. And get this, it's the only sofa that's fully machine washable from top to bottom. Starting at only $699, the stain resistant performance fabric slipcovers and cloud like frame duvet can go straight into your wash. Perfect for anyone with kids, pets or anyone who loves an easy to clean spotless sofa with a modular design and changeable slipcovers. You can customize your sofa to fit any space and style. Whether you need a single chair, loveseat or a luxuriously large sectional, Annabe has you covered. Visit washablesofas.com and to upgrade your home. Right now you can shop up to 60% off store wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Shop [e-mail] Add a little to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Misti]

Listen to your elders, honey.

[Old Gays (Robert, Mick, Bill, Jesse)]

You might know them from their viral videos, but now the Old Gays Pull back the curtain on their brand new podcast Silver Linings with the Old Gays, brought to you in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Veeve Healthcare. With over 300 years of experience between them, hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse serve four lifetimes of wisdom when it comes to love, sex, community and whatever else they've got on the gay agenda. Listen in to these fabulous friends swap stories exploring how queer life has evolved over the decades and the silver linings they've collected along the way. Each episode dives into hot topics from safe sex and online dating to untangling Gen Z lingo, as well as insights on how music, art and fashion show up in queer culture. So check out Silver Linings, a show about how pride ages like fine wine. Available on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Misti]

Hey, what's up?

[Mario Lopez]

It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor. Check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to [e-mail] blue campaign.

[Ed Helms]

Hey everyone, Ed Helms here and hi.

[Kal Penn]

I'm Kal Penn and we're the hosts of Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Aust classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

You know what?

[Old Gays (Robert, Mick, Bill, Jesse)]

I can see you as Mr. Darcy.

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet, I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad I'm not Mr. Bennet here. Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audio Book Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Aleister Crowley spent most of World War I in the United States, and during that time he contributed to a pro German newspaper called the Fatherland. He also wrote a lot of material that was both pro German and anti British and more broadly, anti Allies. He claimed that he did all of this because he was working for the British Secret Service to help the Allied war effort. In his account, he had used his surname, which, although he was English, there are plenty of Irish people who have some variation on Crowley as their surname. And he had also used his past connection to Irish poet William Butler Yeats to convince German American poet and journalist George Vierich that he was an Irish nationalist. And he had done this so that he could infiltrate a secret network of German operatives in New York. As part of this entire ruse, on July 3, 1915, he and nine other people sailed all around New York harbor under an Irish flag, calling themselves the Secret Revolutionary Committee of Public Safety of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic and declaring war on England.

[Misti]

Whether Crowley was really working for the British Secret Service isn't entirely clear. His accounts make it sound like he took all this upon himself and then went to the British authorities to get their buy in, basically repeatedly offering his services as a spy, only to be ignored. He also claimed that his pro German writing was intentionally over the top so that it would make Germany look ridiculous.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Crowley's activities in the United States naturally raised suspicions, and at one point, British Consul Charles Clive Bailey confirmed to U.S. investigators that Crowley was working with Britain. But other British officials contradicted this. Although the British press was scathing about Crowley's wartime behavior, when he went back to the UK after the war, he never faced any sort of official inquiry or charges for any of the actions that really would have been considered treasonous unless he really was doing them as some kind of covert operation for British intelligence. There is a whole book about this whole idea. I did not read the whole book, but I did read some papers and articles by the author and I. I don't know where I. I have thoughts about where I land on it, but I don't feel like I have here backing up of them.

[Misti]

In 1920, Crowley started a religious community in Sicily called the Abbey of Thelema. This was meant to be a utopian community as well as a spiritual community for members of the Argent Astrum and the oto. This community became associated with drug use sexual excesses and strange rituals and faced increasing hostility from neighbors.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Crowley was accused of murder after one of the thelemites, Raul Loveday, died in 1923. Loveday had probably drunk some contaminated water, not totally clear, but his wife, Betty May, said that her late husband had been forced to to drink the blood of a cat in a ritual. Not long after that, all of this controversy surrounding him, Crowley was expelled from Sicily.

[Misti]

By this point, Crowley had pursued relationships with various people, regardless of their gender, both within and outside the context of sex magic. Crowley had also started to describe himself as androgynous or as having both masculine and feminine traits, calling himself both Alistair and a feminized version of Alice. Over the years, he also took on just a ton of pseudonyms and identities drawn from an assortment of ethnicities and religious identities. At times, Crowley used language coined by Carl Heinrich Ulrichs to describe a range of sexual orientations and gender identities.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

By this point, Crowley had also become addicted to heroin. We haven't really gotten into it here, but like a lot, a lot of the rituals that he would do and the like, his mystical work would be done under the influence of various drugs. In 1922, he wrote diary of a Drug Fiend, which was a novel that he said was based on personal experience. In 1925, he was named outer head of the order of the OTO. And then in 1929, he got married again, this time to Maria Teresa Ferrari de Miramar. They separated not long after that. Also in 1929, he wrote Magic in Theory and Practice. This outlined, quote, the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will. Crowley explained that he spelled magic with a K at the end because, quote, I chose therefore the name magic as essentially the most sublime and actually the most discredited of all the available terms. I swore to rehabilitate magic, to identify it with my own career.

[Misti]

In 1930, Crowley faked his own death in Portugal, leaving a suicide note for 19 year old Hanni Jaeger, who was the latest to be appointed his scarlet woman. This letter said he was going to be swallowed by the Boca do Inferno, or the Mouth of Hell, which is a dramatically arched cliff formation over rushing seawater not far from Lisbon. He did not die. He resurfaced in Berlin, where his artwork, which we have not gotten into at all, was being shown at the Newman Nirendorf Gallery in 1931.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Yeah, this 19 year old, who was acting as a scarlet woman, apparently after his disappearance, insisted that she had seen his ghost. The next day. Crowley, once again apparently offered his services as some kind of spy during World War II, but was apparently again denied. There are also some reports that he tried to personally meet with Adolf Hitler, but those are really unsubstantiated. In the 1940s, he wrote the Book of Thoth, a short essay on the tarot of the Egyptians, and he worked on a tarot deck with Frieda Harris. That's something we talk about more in our episode on Tarot, which came out last year.

[Misti]

In the last years of his life, Aleister Crowley became friends with writer John Simmons, who essentially filled the role of literary executor after Crowley's death. He also met Kenneth Grant, who started working as Crowley's secretary and assistant. In one letter, Crowley called Grant, quote, a definite gift from the gods. Many of Crowley's many posthumously published works were curated and edited by Simmons and Grant.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Aleister Crowley died on December 1, 1947. He had spent the last of his inheritance many years before this, and by the time he died, he was penniless and living in a boarding house in Hastings. Although he had been the subject of just scandalous newspaper reports in earlier years, by the time he died, he was not nearly so infamous. His obituary in the New York Times simply read, edward Alexander Crowley, better known as Aleister Crowley, author and poet who was an alleged practitioner of black magic, died today in Hastings at the age of 72.

[Misti]

But Crowley's popularity and infamy skyrocketed during the 1960s in tandem with the counterculture movement. This wasn't really a defined movement, but more of an overlapping group of movements and interests and organizations that were all, in one way or another, a rejection of the values and norms of earlier decades. This included, of course, the free love movement, the psychedelic drug movement, and a resurgence in interest in spiritualism and the occult.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

All of which makes total sense for people to bring Aleister Crowley into it a ripe time. Yeah, Aleister Crowley is one of the people on the COVID of the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which came out in 1967. He's in the back row, second from the left. Crowley was also one of the first Westerners to write about a number of Eastern disciplines and practices, including Tantra and Hatha and Raja Yoga. These writings found a new audience as interest in Eastern practices really spread in the 1960s and 70s. All those since. Crowley's understanding of all this was definitely skewed through his very specific lens. That unfortunately means that his perspective on some of this has become pretty entrenched in the Western understanding of these disciplines, even when it does not represent them accurately at all.

[Misti]

The OTO went through its own resurgence in the 1960s, and Crowley's work influenced other new religious movements in the mid 20th century as well as today. Crowley's name is almost synonymous with Satanism, although his work wasn't really about worshiping the devil. But his work did influence the development of modern Satanism.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Yeah, among other things he, he extensively used the like the deity of Baphomet, which is the one with the goat head, which has become a symbol associated with some with Satanism. He was not the only person that was using that deity obviously, but like, that's one of the many ways. Crowley also knew and worked with Gerald Gardner, who's the namesake of Gardenerian Wicca. And Gardner's early writing on witchcraft draws pretty heavily from Crowley's work on ritual magic and from the OTO, which Gardner tried to revive after World War II. Gardner's work in witchcraft eventually did move away from these roots, but Crowley's work also influenced modern witchcraft more broadly, outside of the scope of gardenary and Wicca. Starting at about the 1950s and 60s.

[Misti]

It is not entirely clear whether Crowley and L. Ron Hubbard ever personally met, although Hubbard described him, meaning Crowley, as his quote, very good friend in various lectures. But it does seem as though Crowley's work had an influence on Hubbard which may have influenced his development of Dianetics and Scientology. Hubbard had worked with rocket engineer and OTO leader Jack Parsons on a series of magical rituals known as the Babylon. Working in 1946, that is once again not Babylon like the place, but B A, B, A, L, O, N. These were based on Crowley's teachings and were centered on the idea of conceiving a child that would be known as the Moon child, which would allow the deity Babylon to take a human form. Hubbard served as parson, seer or scribe during these rituals, dictating the voice of Babylon from the astral plane.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

Crowley himself does not seem to have been too eager about all this. In a 1946 letter he wrote, quote, apparently Parsons or Hubbard or somebody is trying to produce a moon child. I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these goats.

[Misti]

The collaboration between Parsons and Hubbard did not last long though. Parsons wife left him for Hubbard and Parsons lost most of his life savings in a failed project that he, his sister in law and Hubbard started to try to buy yachts and resell them for a profit.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

The Church of Scientology is notoriously secretive and has denied that Crowley influenced its doctrines in any way. But in the paper the Occult Roots of Scientology, which was published in the journal Nova Religio, the Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, and then also in the book Aleister Crowley and Western Esotericism, hugh B. Urban argues that the idea of a guardian or a guardian angel, which was present in Crowley's work all the way back to the Book of the Law, also appears in a nearly identical way in some of Hubbard's Scientology writing.

[Misti]

Aside from that, Aleister Crowley also became a recognizable and notorious figure in popular culture. He had already been reimagined in fiction decades before his death, including in William Somerset Maugham's 1908 novel The Magician. Later, Ian Fleming modeled the Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld after him. Crowley's work influenced psychologist and psychedelic drug advocate Timothy Leary and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, whose Aleister Crowley collection included Boleskine House, which is currently slated for renovations after it was badly damaged by two fires. In the last few years, Crowley has appeared in that Ozzy Osbourne song we mentioned at the top of the show, and in David Bowie's Quicksand. The demon Crowley in the novel Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, was also of course named for him. The list goes on and on.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

In terms of writing about Crowley, for a long time there were pretty much two modes. There was the work of believers who uncritically accepted everything he said as fact, and people who saw him as more of an egomaniacal charlatan libertine, whose work was a lot more about self aggrandizement and intentionally scandalizing people than it was about occult beliefs and practices. But there's been some really more nuanced and thoughtful work about Crowley and about the 19th century occult revival more generally just in the last couple of decades, which honestly, I took some pleasure in reading all of those things, even though sometimes there was whiplash involved, because I would read one person that was like just making it sound like all of these things that happened were a hundred percent real, and then a different person would describe the exact same scenario and be like, and of course you can see Alice, Mr. Crowley was totally absurd. And then, you know, some more nuanced writing that has been happening more recently that's more like, okay, this is the context that all of this was happening in. These are the many things that it has contributed to that kind of stuff. Thanks so much for joining us on this Saturday. Since this episode is out of the archive, if you heard an email address or a Facebook URL or something similar over the course of the show that could be obsolete now. Our current email address is historypodcastradio.com you can find us all over social media mistinhistory and you can subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, and wherever else you listen to podcasts. Stuff youf Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Misti]

Hey, what's up?

[Mario Lopez]

It's Mario Lopez. Back to school is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffic traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or neighbor. Check in, ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to [e-mail] blue campaign.

[Kal Penn]

Hey audiobook lovers, I'm Cal Penn.

[Ed Helms]

I'm Ed Helms.

[Kal Penn]

Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from Audible.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to hearsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Irsay and start listening on the free iHeartradio app today.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Get ready to power up your play with Nintendo Switch 2. Power up the visuals with 4K support and a bigger, more vivid screen. Power up the fun with exclusive new games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bonanza, Nintendo Switch 2 all together anytime anywhere games rated E to E10 plus games and systems sold separately. Compatible TV required for 4K display. We finally switched to T Mobile because.

[Ed Helms]

With them we can be connected here and there. Dad, the cousins in Mexico have a surprise for you.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

And enjoy the gift of staying connected.

[Ed Helms]

Switch and start saving today. Get four Samsung Galaxy S25 phones with Galaxy AI on up us and four lines for just 25 bucks per line plus nonstop talk, text and data between us and Mexico. Visit a store t mobile.com or call 1-800-t-mobile 1-800-t-MOBILE. See details@t mobile.com.

[Tracy B. Wilson]

This is an iHeart podcast.