Who is Crowley and why was his journal in the box with the Spear of Destiny? We'll answer the first part with a short bio, but you'll have to keep reading for the second! Edward Alexander (Aleister) Crowley (rhymes with "holy") was born October 12, 1875 in Leamington, Spa, England. His parents were members of teh Plymouth Brethren, a strict fundamentalist Christian sect. As a result, Aleister grew up with a thorough Biblical education and an equally thorough disdain of Christianity.
He attended Trinity College at Cambridge University, leaving just before completing his degree. Shortly thereafter he was introduced to George Cecil Jones, who was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn was an occult society led by S.L. MacGregor Mathers which taught magic, qabalah, alchemy, tarot, astrology, and other hermetic subjects. It had many notable members (including A.E. Waite, Dion Fortune, and W.B. Yates), and its influence on teh development of modern western occultism was profound.
Crowley is a fascinating figure who founded a religion based on himself called Crowleyanity, which he claimed would replace Christianity. He also proclaimed himself the anti-christ and the Beast 666, becoming a recurring newspaper gossip piece. He was eventually proclaimed the "Wickedest man in the world" and was thrown out of several countries who did not want him there-including Mussolini's Italy. Crowley is one of the most interesting religious figures of the 20th century and has made an enormous impact on what we call "New Age" movement. He was even featured on the cover of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club album cover and as the subject of a song by Ozzy Osbourne.
Taken from Lady Pendragon Vol.3, #5