Knowra Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, and writer who founded Thelema, a religious philosophy centered on discovering and following one's True Will.
Ceremonial magic : A form of ritual magic that uses prescribed ceremonies, symbols, names, and invocations to pursue spiritual or magical aims. Crowley adapted this ritual tradition into systems such as the rituals of the Golden Dawn.
Cambridge University : A public research university in Cambridge, England, founded in 1209. Crowley studied at Trinity College, though he left without taking a degree.
Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers : A British occultist who co-founded the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and translated key works on ceremonial magic. As a Golden Dawn leader, Mathers initiated Crowley and later clashed with him.
A∴A∴ : An initiatory magical organization founded by Aleister Crowley and George Cecil Jones in 1907. Crowley designed it as a graded system for spiritual training and magical attainment.
Modern paganism : A diverse set of contemporary religions that revive, reconstruct, or adapt pre-Christian traditions. Crowley’s writings and ritual innovations influenced some modern pagan and magical movements.
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn : A late nineteenth-century initiatory society devoted to ceremonial magic, Western esotericism, and occult study. Crowley learned much of his ritual practice as a member before breaking with the order.
Edwardian era : The period of British history associated with Edward VII’s reign, from 1901 to 1910. Crowley’s travels and early Thelemic writings unfolded amid this era’s changing religious and social climate.
Allan Bennett : A British occultist and Buddhist monk who introduced Aleister Crowley to meditation and taught him magical practices. Bennett was Crowley’s close mentor during his early involvement in occultism.
Ordo Templi Orientis : An initiatory fraternal organization that adopted Thelema under Aleister Crowley’s leadership. Crowley revised its rituals and made it a vehicle for Thelemic practice.
Thelema : A religious philosophy founded by Aleister Crowley, centered on the principles “Do what thou wilt” and “Love is the law, love under will.” Crowley’s religion continued as an organized movement after his death.
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