 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| After World War One, Aleister and Leah Hirsig (aka The Scarlet Woman) had a child, a daughter, Poupee. In 1920 Crowley began the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily, Italy. The Abbey was far from what one might expect a religious place to be. Heroin and cocaine addictions were out of control. There were sanitary concerns. Rumors and truths spread outside of the Abbey about the sex magick and drug abuse. One of the more damaging involved Leah. It was rumored that a goat was sacrificed while it was penetrating her.This only added to any troubles the members already had. It was under these conditions that Aleister Crowley wrote Diary of a Drug Fiend. The novel about a couple struggling to free themslves from under drug addiction came from his hopes, not reality. |
| While Crowley was traveling Poupee died at the Abbey. Soon after Leah had a nervous breakdown. The end of the Abbey came when one of Crowley's undergraduates dided there from drinking impure water, rumor said cat's blood. Loveday's wife, Betty May sold her stories to the English media. The European Press ran stories mixed of truth and horror story fiction of black magic, sex magick, drugs, sacrifice and other scandalous acts. Crowley was dubbed The Wickedest Man In The World by the press. The Temple was disbanded, many of the followers commited suicide and in 1923, a year after the publicaton of Diary Benito Mussolini had Crowley expelled from Italy. |
| The Abbey of Thelema |
| Crowley's reputation was destroyed. Although he did publish more works, including Magick: In Theory and Practice they were a hard sell. His drug addiction added to his problems. He was finacially broke.He became a wanderer. He lived on and off with various friends and in different boarding homes. Aleister Crowley, The Beast, The Wickedest Man In The World died December 1st. 1947 at the age of 72. It has been reported that his last words were "I am perplexed", but since he died alone, we can assume this is false. |
| Aleister Crowley's works have inspired (to say the least) many religions. One only has to type his name into any search engine to see that. The Ordo Templi Orientis is still in operation. You can find different sects of The Order Of the Golden Dawn. There are small sects and cults dedicated to his teachings, or inspired by them, all over. Every few years there also seems to be a media interest involving Crowley. In 1955 Kenneth Anger shot the documentary Thelema Abbey at the Abbey. Just recently I saw a special on one of Discovery Channels' shows about Aleister Crowley and the Abbey. During his Cambridge years Aleister worked in the Diplomatic Service for a short time. He quit because "the fame of an ambassador rarely outlives a century." He wanted fame, lasting fame. If nothing else, it seems that he has gotten that. |
| Stele of Revealing 666 |