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===Youth: 1875–1894=== | ===Youth: 1875–1894=== | ||
Crowley was born as Edward Alexander Crowley at 30 Clarendon Square in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on 12 October 1875. His father, Edward Crowley (1829–1887), was trained as an engineer, but his share in a lucrative family brewing business, Crowley's Alton Ales, had allowed him to retire before his son was born. His mother, Emily Bertha Bishop (1848–1917), came from a Devonshire-Somerset family and had a strained relationship with her son; she described him as "the Beast", a name that he revelled in. Crowley's father had been born a Quaker, but had converted to the Exclusive Brethren, a faction of a Christian fundamentalist group known as the Plymouth Brethren. Crowley's father was particularly devout, spending his time as a travelling preacher for the sect and reading a chapter from the [[Bible]] to his wife and son after breakfast every day. | Crowley was born as Edward Alexander Crowley at 30 Clarendon Square in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on 12 October 1875. His father, Edward Crowley (1829–1887), was trained as an engineer, but his share in a lucrative family brewing business, Crowley's Alton Ales, had allowed him to retire before his son was born. His mother, Emily Bertha Bishop (1848–1917), came from a Devonshire-Somerset family and had a strained relationship with her son; she described him as "the Beast", a name that he revelled in. Crowley's father had been born a Quaker, but had converted to the Exclusive Brethren, a faction of a [[Christianity|Christian]] fundamentalist group known as the Plymouth Brethren. Crowley's father was particularly devout, spending his time as a travelling preacher for the sect and reading a chapter from the [[Bible]] to his wife and son after breakfast every day. | ||
At the age of 8, Crowley was sent to H.T. Habershon's evangelical Christian boarding school in Hastings, and then to Ebor preparatory school in Cambridge, run by the Reverend Henry d'Arcy Champney, whom Crowley considered a sadist. | At the age of 8, Crowley was sent to H.T. Habershon's evangelical Christian boarding school in Hastings, and then to Ebor preparatory school in Cambridge, run by the Reverend Henry d'Arcy Champney, whom Crowley considered a sadist. | ||
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Crowley had ideas of forming a community of Thelemites, which he called the [[Abbey of Thelema]] after the Abbaye de Thélème in François Rabelais' satire Gargantua and Pantagruel. After consulting the [[I Ching]], he chose Cefalù (on Sicily, Italy) as a location, and after arriving there, began renting the old Villa Santa Barbara as his Abbey on 2 April. | Crowley had ideas of forming a community of Thelemites, which he called the [[Abbey of Thelema]] after the Abbaye de Thélème in François Rabelais' satire Gargantua and Pantagruel. After consulting the [[I Ching]], he chose Cefalù (on Sicily, Italy) as a location, and after arriving there, began renting the old Villa Santa Barbara as his Abbey on 2 April. | ||
Crowley described the scenario as "perfectly happy ... my idea of heaven." Members wore robes and performed rituals to the sun god [[Ra]] at set times during the day. He offered a libertine education for the children, allowing them to play all day, freely use drugs, and witness acts of [[sex magic]]. | Crowley described the scenario as "perfectly happy ... my idea of [[heaven]]." Members wore robes and performed rituals to the [[sun]] god [[Ra]] at set times during the day. He offered a libertine education for the children, allowing them to play all day, freely use [[recreational drug|drugs]], and witness acts of [[sex magic]]. | ||
In February 1922, Crowley returned to Paris for a retreat in an unsuccessful attempt to kick his heroin addiction. He then went to London in search of money, where he published articles in ''The English Review'' criticising the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920 and wrote a novel, ''Diary of a Drug Fiend'', completed in July. | In February 1922, Crowley returned to Paris for a retreat in an unsuccessful attempt to kick his heroin addiction. He then went to London in search of money, where he published articles in ''The English Review'' criticising the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920 and wrote a novel, ''Diary of a Drug Fiend'', completed in July. | ||
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Crowley has remained an influential figure, both amongst [[occultist]]s and in popular culture, particularly that of Britain, but also of other parts of the world. In 2002, a BBC poll placed Crowley seventy-third in a list of the 100 Greatest Britons. | Crowley has remained an influential figure, both amongst [[occultist]]s and in popular culture, particularly that of Britain, but also of other parts of the world. In 2002, a BBC poll placed Crowley seventy-third in a list of the 100 Greatest Britons. | ||
[[Thelema]] continued to develop and spread following Crowley's death. In 1969, the O.T.O. was reactivated in California under the leadership of Grady Louis McMurtry; in 1985 its right to the title was unsuccessfully challenged in court by a rival group, the Society Ordo Templi Orientis, led by Brazilian Thelemite Marcelo Ramos Motta. | [[Thelema]] continued to develop and spread following Crowley's death. In 1969, the [[Ordo Templi Orientis|O.T.O.]] was reactivated in California under the leadership of Grady Louis McMurtry; in 1985 its right to the title was unsuccessfully challenged in court by a rival group, the Society Ordo Templi Orientis, led by Brazilian Thelemite Marcelo Ramos Motta. | ||
Several Western esoteric traditions other than Thelema were also influenced by Crowley, with Djurdjevic observing that "Crowley's influence on twentieth-century and contemporary esotericism has been enormous". [[Gerald Gardner]], founder of [[Gardnerian Wicca]], made use of much of Crowley's published material when composing the Gardnerian ritual liturgy. [[L. Ron Hubbard]], the American founder of [[Scientology]], was involved in Thelema in the early 1940s (with [[Jack Parsons]]), and it has been argued that Crowley's ideas influenced some of Hubbard's work. | Several Western esoteric traditions other than Thelema were also influenced by Crowley, with Djurdjevic observing that "Crowley's influence on twentieth-century and contemporary esotericism has been enormous". [[Gerald Gardner]], founder of [[Gardnerian Wicca]], made use of much of Crowley's published material when composing the Gardnerian ritual liturgy. [[L. Ron Hubbard]], the American founder of [[Scientology]], was involved in Thelema in the early 1940s (with [[Jack Parsons]]), and it has been argued that Crowley's ideas influenced some of Hubbard's work. | ||