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Aleister Crowley was an English occultist, magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prophet entrusted with guiding humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, he published widely over the course of his life. Crowley gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime, being a recreational drug user, bisexual, and an individualist social critic.

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.

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Did you know...

The Ninth Gate film poster

• ... that The Ninth Gate influenced the creation of The Demon-Possessed Tarot?
• ... that Archangel Michael rules over the choir of Virtues?
• ... that Saturday was named by the Romans in honor of Saturn?
• ... that there are nine different types of Pyromancy?
• ... that the Eight of Cups tarot card indicates chaos?
• ... that earliest textual reference to the Shem HaMephorash is from 1150?
• ... that Kabbalistic angel Achaiah signifies patience?
• ... that the summer solstice varies slightly each year?

This month in history Occultist Damien Echols December - The Rider-Waite Tarot is published for the first time. (1909) 1 December - Czech occultist and author Franz Bardon is born. (1909) 1 December - Occultist and author Aleister Crowley dies of chronic bronchitis. (1947) 5 December - Pope Innocent VIII issues the Summis desiderantes affectibus, a papal bull that deputizes Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger as inquisitors to root out alleged witchcraft in Germany. (1484) 6 December - Transit of Venus, second and last of the 19th century. (1882) 6 December - Birth of Dion Fortune, a Welsh occultist, psychologist, and author. (1890) 9 December - The Virgin of Guadalupe first appears to Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico City. (1531) 9 December - Birth of Hélène Smith, a French psychic and occultist. (1861) 11 December - Author and occultist Damien Echols is born. (1974) 13 December - Occultist Johannes Trithemius is born. (1516) 17 December - The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome. (497 BC) 17 December - The tomb of Marie Laveau in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is vandalized by an unknown person. (2013) 19 December - Edward Kelley performs his first alchemical transmutation. (1586) 21 December - A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs, with the two planets separated in the sky by 0.1 degrees. This is the closest conjunction between the two planets since 1623. (2020) 21/22 December - Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. 25 December - A temple to Sol Invictus is dedicated in Rome by Emperor Aurelian. (274) 30 December - Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin is murdered by a group of nobles led by Prince Felix Yusupov. (1916) 31 December - Birth of Simon Forman, an English occultist and astrologer. (1552)

Featured image Satan, also known as The Devil is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or "evil inclination." In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel that has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons. Author: Herman the Recluse (More Images)

Featured Quote "This natural life of ours is but a pilgrimage from this wandering world, and exile from our own country." - Mary I of England

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