Timeline
Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Edward Alexander Crowley is born as the only child of Edward and Emily Crowley. His parents are members of the Exclusive Brethren, a Christian fundamentalist group.
12 October 1875
Death of Crowley’s father
The senior Edward Crowley dies in 1887 of tongue cancer when his son is only 11. Crowley later defines this moment as a turning point in his life, not least because he inherits a large fortune. 1887
Changes name to Aleister
Dissatisfied with the name Edward, Crowley adopts the name Aleister and goes up to Trinity College, Cambridge, to study philosophy. Later he switches to English literature. 1895
Order of the Golden Dawn
Crowley is initiated into the Outer Order of the Golden Dawn by the Order’s leader, Samuel Mathers, later Crowley’s close associate. He quickly progresses through the organisation’s ranks.
18 November 1898
Move to Boleskine House
Crowley styles himself as the ‘Laird of Boleskine’ after buying this imposing property on Loch Ness. The house becomes infamous and is purchased in 1970 by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
1899
A spiritual journey
Having visited Mexico, the USA, Japan, Hong
Kong and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), Crowley studies the Hindu practice of raja yoga. He claims to have achieved dhyana, or a state of perfect awareness. 1900
Death on the mountain
Crowley attempts to climb Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas, but his team is fractured by disagreement and the other climbers abandon the ascent; they die in an accident for which Crowley is blamed. 1905
Formation of the A A
Breaking away from the Order of the Golden Dawn, Crowley co-founds the
A A , whose philosophy is a syncretic blend of many schools of thought. Its magazine is called
The Equinox.
November 1907
Fake death of Crowley
After a move to Berlin and then to Lisbon, Crowley fakes his own death. However, this doesn’t stop him continuing his artistic, occult and sexual adventures across Europe. April 1930
Real death of Crowley
Crowley succumbs to chronic bronchitis, exacerbated by lung and heart disease, at the age of 72, a relatively old age for a man of his lifestyle. His funeral is inaccurately labelled a Black Mass by the tabloids.
1 December 1947