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Aleister Crowley: Magick, Rock and Roll, and the Wickedest Man in the World
This definitive work on the occult’s “great beast” traces the arc of his controversial life and influence on rock-and-roll giants, from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath.
When Aleister Crowley died in 1947, he was not an obvious contender for the most enduring pop-culture figure of the next century. But twenty years later, Crowley’s name and image were everywhere. The Beatles put him on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band . The Rolling Stones were briefly serious devotees. Today, his visage hangs in goth clubs, occult temples, and college dorm rooms, and his methods of ceremonial magick animate the passions of myriad occultists and spiritual seekers.
Aleister Crowley is more than just a biography of this compelling, controversial, and divisive figure—it’s also a portrait of his unparalleled influence on modern pop culture.
When Aleister Crowley died in 1947, he was not an obvious contender for the most enduring pop-culture figure of the next century. But twenty years later, Crowley’s name and image were everywhere. The Beatles put him on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band . The Rolling Stones were briefly serious devotees. Today, his visage hangs in goth clubs, occult temples, and college dorm rooms, and his methods of ceremonial magick animate the passions of myriad occultists and spiritual seekers.
Aleister Crowley is more than just a biography of this compelling, controversial, and divisive figure—it’s also a portrait of his unparalleled influence on modern pop culture.
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 17, 2014
152 people are currently reading
1246 people want to read
About the author
Gary Lachman
65 books445 followersGary Lachman is an American writer and musician. Lachman is best known to readers of mysticism and the occult from the numerous articles and books he has published.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
April 21, 2015
My 666:th book on Goodreads.
April 26, 2016
I read this book as someone with a passing interest in Aleister Crowley who knew little about the detail of his life.
Gary Lachman is an ex-Crowley obsessive who is now more ambivalent and dispassionate, which resulted in a balanced view of Crowley’s life and achievements. So, certainly no hagiography, but still a sympathetic and thorough trawl through the life of an original, and highly influential occultist, and how his legacy and influence have slowly increased since his death in 1947.
Aleister Crowley packed a lot into his 72 years and as such this book is packed with incident and intrigue. Ultimately though, it could be read as something of a cautionary tale.
The final chapter explores how Crowley’s reputation enjoyed an unlikely renaissance throughout the second half of the twentieth century, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.
A great introduction to the life and legacy of a controversial and divisive man.
I enjoyed it so much that, upon finishing, I immediately bought three more books by Gary Lachman.
Gary Lachman is an ex-Crowley obsessive who is now more ambivalent and dispassionate, which resulted in a balanced view of Crowley’s life and achievements. So, certainly no hagiography, but still a sympathetic and thorough trawl through the life of an original, and highly influential occultist, and how his legacy and influence have slowly increased since his death in 1947.
Aleister Crowley packed a lot into his 72 years and as such this book is packed with incident and intrigue. Ultimately though, it could be read as something of a cautionary tale.
The final chapter explores how Crowley’s reputation enjoyed an unlikely renaissance throughout the second half of the twentieth century, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.
A great introduction to the life and legacy of a controversial and divisive man.
I enjoyed it so much that, upon finishing, I immediately bought three more books by Gary Lachman.
September 17, 2014
For a long time, I've been somewhat familiar with Aleister Crowley and who he was. For the most part, I thought of him as a relatively eccentric man who climbed mountains, dabbled in magic rituals, and got name checked by the occasional musician. In fact, this book is written by a former member of Blondie.
When I finished the book, I can't say I learned a whole lot about the man except for a few small details here and there, including a minor connection to L. Ron Hubbard near the end of Crowley's life. Sure, Lachman got into the specifics of his magic(k) and personal relationships, but there was nothing there that was really all that interesting. My biggest takeaway is that Crowley was more despicable and contemptible than I had originally thought. Not for his practice of the occult, but instead, for his insurmountable arrogance, narcissism, and lack of respect for anyone or anything around him.
In terms of the actual writing, Lachman provided a chronology of events and people in Crowley's life and wrote them down. Also the subtitle of the book is misleading: rock and roll didn't play a part in Crowley's life at all. After he died, a few musicians took interest in him and his writings which lended approval to the hedonistic lifestyle of rock stars in the 60s and 70s. In the final chapter of the book, Lachman tried to validate his subtitle and included every possible reference that linked Crowley to music, from the well-documented interest of Jimmy Page to stretching this thesis to include the likes of Jay Z and Lady Gaga.
This is the only Crowley book I’ve read, and I don’t know a whole lot about the man, but I know enough that someone interested in Crowley and his magick might want to look around a bit before reading this biography.
August 8, 2021
Lachman is very judgmental here, which makes me want to do the same. "Beyond good and evil" is not necessarily something to be frowned upon— one of the goals in Buddhism can be to look at the world without dualism. Interpreting Crowley through the lens of tantric Buddhism one does not reach the same conclusions that Lachman consistently finds. As well, I'm not convinced of Crowley's profound cultural influences — his picture on an album cover could mean as little as a designer being naughty.
Speaking of cultural influence, Lachman repeatedly refers to the writer William S. Burroughs as "William Burroughs Jr." Williams S. Burroughs is not exactly obscure, so perhaps this reference should have been fixed. Made me wonder about the accuracy, and fact-checking, of the rest of the text. Worst of all, Lachman constantly throughout refers to his other books, which is very off-putting.
Speaking of cultural influence, Lachman repeatedly refers to the writer William S. Burroughs as "William Burroughs Jr." Williams S. Burroughs is not exactly obscure, so perhaps this reference should have been fixed. Made me wonder about the accuracy, and fact-checking, of the rest of the text. Worst of all, Lachman constantly throughout refers to his other books, which is very off-putting.
September 29, 2021
This book got much better after the main character died.
November 5, 2015
An honestly amazing story telling of the life of such an eccentric character. The authors offers a critical account of Crowley while at the same time not hating on him whole heartedly. Lachman offers a fairly balanced point of view but also ensures that the reader isn't simply feed more praise of a man with too many flaws to count. a must read for anyone interested in learning more about the Occult, especially since Lachman names a few keystone readings for extended research. Also, for any Crowleyist or Thelemite who needs to understand that following in the laws of Thelema does not equate Crowley glorification. My one critique is that I honestly think the author doesn't "get it." He lists Crowley with the likes of Jim Morrison and Charles Manson. Lachman displays a misunderstanding of Morrison's philosophy so it's not a stretch to believe he may not be able "break on through" and understand what lies beneath Crowley's bullshit. It seems Lachman thinks you must either drink the Kool-Aid or not partake in any way, shape, or form. Overall though, a must read and I look forward to picking up more books by the author, if for no other reason than to ensure a balanced viewpoint on an all too over glorified subject.
January 1, 2017
Lachman clearly dislikes Crowley. To have a biographers own judgement come across so strongly is downright odd, especially when it is negative. The problem with the book was it was too personal - for instance, Lachman seems to have decided for us what elements of the supernatural are to be believed and which are just hocus pocus. In one section he speaks matter of factly about some of Crowley's supernatural magical feats as if these were as plausible as him boarding a plane - only to state in other places that another type of magical feat was obviously made up nonsense. Couldn't finish it as these inconsistencies have the book an overall vibe of inauthenticity.
July 15, 2019
this is why being horny should be illegal
April 24, 2019
Like many young boomers, I must most reluctantly confess that the occult fascinated me. Of course, poking around with the dark arts inevitably leads to Aleister Crowley, black magician, accomplished yogi (the first Westerner to attain this), early mountaineer, and the so-called “wickedest man in the world.” My interest went far enough to try to read his novel, Diary Of A Drug Fiend, at 17 with high hopes of being enthralled by lurid tales of drug fueled sex and magic orgies, only to find it completely unreadable. Some years later, a friend of mine bought a copy of his autobiography at a yard sale for a dollar and gave it to me. Also basically unreadable, probably due in no small part to Crowley actually being on drugs when he wrote this stuff.
Fascination with the Great Beast has continued through his own lifetime into the present day. Crowley’s own works on magick remain in print and videos discussing his theories and practices are pitched to seekers of hidden knowledge throughout the Internet. Numerous writers have used Crowley as a model for sinister black magicians or charlatans in various novels, to include Somerset Maugham. There are also a fair number of biographies written about His Magic Grossness. Gary Lachman’s telling of Crowley’s lifetime career of crap artistry is objective, balanced, and supported by documentary evidence. The author is well qualified to write on Crowley due to his lifelong interest in the occult, an understanding of the subject that has matured and deepened over time so that Lachman can discuss his subject rationally while at the same time grasping the bases and ramifications that underlay Crowley’s magick. He also doesn’t resort to sensationalism, a hard tendency to resist when dealing with someone like Crowley, one other biographers have readily yielded to. The understatement makes his portrait of Crowley all the more damning.
Crowley was a spoiled, upper class, English twit, although one with a decidedly peculiar background, from a family of Plymouth Brethren, an incredibly austere and hermetically sealed sect of Protestant dissenters. Stifled by repression while simultaneously cosseted (an only child, he was privately tutored and never learned to get along with others, much less to consider their needs), he was driven by his rebellious nature to act up as much as possible as soon as he could, at college with whores, alcohol, and general debauchery. His interest in the occult was strong from early adulthood and he soon became a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, a mystical society whose members included the great Irish poet, W.B. Yeats, and the Victorian actress, Florence Farr. It’s interesting that, in his lifetime, Crowley met many notable and interesting personalities of his day, but came away completely uninfluenced by them. Instead, like the narcissist that he was, he recklessly plunged on ahead, pissing his inheritance away on high living, world travel, and occult speculation. He was also a complete heel, a manipulative user of both men and women who left a trail of scandals, suicides, and ruined lives. Crowley burned through friends like he burned through money. Ones with enough sense simply got away from him, like Allan Bennett, who moved to Burma, now present day Myanmar, to become a Buddhist monk. Once he exhausted his own money, Crowley had to spunge off others and was constantly on the prowl for new suckers he could fleece for donations. Among other people he conned was the mother of Preston Sturges, the film director. Eventually, sick and old, with all his bridges burned, Crowley died in a lodging house for crackpots, taken in basically out of charity, an officially registered heroin addict with the British government. You would think that a master of the black arts could do better in life.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the occult or to someone who would just enjoy a good read about a really godawful man.
Fascination with the Great Beast has continued through his own lifetime into the present day. Crowley’s own works on magick remain in print and videos discussing his theories and practices are pitched to seekers of hidden knowledge throughout the Internet. Numerous writers have used Crowley as a model for sinister black magicians or charlatans in various novels, to include Somerset Maugham. There are also a fair number of biographies written about His Magic Grossness. Gary Lachman’s telling of Crowley’s lifetime career of crap artistry is objective, balanced, and supported by documentary evidence. The author is well qualified to write on Crowley due to his lifelong interest in the occult, an understanding of the subject that has matured and deepened over time so that Lachman can discuss his subject rationally while at the same time grasping the bases and ramifications that underlay Crowley’s magick. He also doesn’t resort to sensationalism, a hard tendency to resist when dealing with someone like Crowley, one other biographers have readily yielded to. The understatement makes his portrait of Crowley all the more damning.
Crowley was a spoiled, upper class, English twit, although one with a decidedly peculiar background, from a family of Plymouth Brethren, an incredibly austere and hermetically sealed sect of Protestant dissenters. Stifled by repression while simultaneously cosseted (an only child, he was privately tutored and never learned to get along with others, much less to consider their needs), he was driven by his rebellious nature to act up as much as possible as soon as he could, at college with whores, alcohol, and general debauchery. His interest in the occult was strong from early adulthood and he soon became a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, a mystical society whose members included the great Irish poet, W.B. Yeats, and the Victorian actress, Florence Farr. It’s interesting that, in his lifetime, Crowley met many notable and interesting personalities of his day, but came away completely uninfluenced by them. Instead, like the narcissist that he was, he recklessly plunged on ahead, pissing his inheritance away on high living, world travel, and occult speculation. He was also a complete heel, a manipulative user of both men and women who left a trail of scandals, suicides, and ruined lives. Crowley burned through friends like he burned through money. Ones with enough sense simply got away from him, like Allan Bennett, who moved to Burma, now present day Myanmar, to become a Buddhist monk. Once he exhausted his own money, Crowley had to spunge off others and was constantly on the prowl for new suckers he could fleece for donations. Among other people he conned was the mother of Preston Sturges, the film director. Eventually, sick and old, with all his bridges burned, Crowley died in a lodging house for crackpots, taken in basically out of charity, an officially registered heroin addict with the British government. You would think that a master of the black arts could do better in life.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the occult or to someone who would just enjoy a good read about a really godawful man.
November 11, 2014
I think what I enjoyed most about this book, was it's unbiased look at his early life. Nothing was added to build his mystique, if anything Lachman down played his mysticism, and showed a lot of his P.T. Barnum side. Lawsuits, slander retorts in the media, and how disassociated he was from the world the average man experienced. Thorough, but not wordy. I see Crowley in a much different light than I had ever imagined him before after reading this, and have only learned to appreciate him more.
February 7, 2017
Was this a really long speech someone transcribed? Often how it reads ("as stated," "as previously mentioned…"). That said, very knowledgable, very readable. Took me a year and a half to get through it--mostly because I moved twice during that time and misplaced it both times--so clearly wasn't the biggest page turner for me, but on the other hand, I never wanted to just abandon it. Small LOL shout out to the supposition that Rocawear is Crowleyania.
May 3, 2014
This is a bizarre & somewhat disturbing account of Crowley's legacy. It was indeed informative, although more fact filled than entertaining. Especially enjoyable to my eyes, was the final chapter of his life, as well as his influence on the music world. It's certainly peaked my interest into reading more about the Beast, in the future.
December 28, 2015
Crowleyn hurja ja paheellinen elämä ei riittänyt kannattelemaan innostustani. Mielestäni tämä oli elämänkerraksi melko huono ja Crowleyn värikkäästä elämästä huolimatta jopa tylsä kokonaisuus! Olisipa kirjassa ollut edes muutama kuva mausteeksi.
November 18, 2020
Accurate, thorough, helpful, and sad. An extremely well balanced if not snarky look into this very flawed person’s life.
December 3, 2023
While full of fun and interesting anecdotes, this book doesn't offer much in the way of biographical revelation. It's rambling at times, and fairly inconsistent. The author somehow comes to the conclusion that certain supernatural goings on can be readily accepted, while others he simply dismisses as ridiculous. The book is peppered with passive jabs and mocking derision aimed at the subject, which comes across as bitter... Honestly, the whole thing reads like a letter someone would write to their ex after a bad breakup.
June 28, 2020
I became interested in Crowley years ago when I heard the song Mr. Crowley from Ozzy Osbourne’s album- The Blizzard of Oz. Who was this man that the evil Ozzy Osbourne, as my parents would tell it, would write a song about and admonish. Was he a great magician in black magic and satanist that earned him the title from the British press as the “Wickedest man in the world”?
My thoughts on this are no. I think he was a spoiled rich kid that came from money and never done an actual days work. He was a phony, a fraud, a drug addict, a pervert a racist, and last but not least an asshole. A perpetual kid that did not want to grow up and face responsibility. After wasting away his fortune, he leached from people and left many debts unpaid everywhere he went. The book says he was always serious about magic or magick as he called it. His course work for his followers was equivalent to a college degree. He hated Christianity and embraced the persona of the great beast 666. I do think he truly delved into some sort of black magic but exaggerated his abilities exponentially. After a life of perversion of all things pure and moderated, he died broke, alone, and extremely addicted to heroin. What a great man he could have been if he used his talents for the betterment of mankind. You might be surprised to see the influence he still has in this day and age. The truly sad realization that I had was that the things he did to earn the title “The wickedest man in the world” are now common practice in our society and even celebrated. May God have mercy on us all.
I won’t say the book was poorly written because it wasn’t. I will say that it wasn’t written to my taste and found it hard to follow at times and some of the material just wasn’t that interesting. I’m glad I read it though. It has separated the myth and legend from the real man and took away the curiosity and mystique. The darker side of life has always attracted my attention but the only darkness I found here was the heart of a man who never learned how to love anyone but himself. Just like that the mystique turned to pity.
My thoughts on this are no. I think he was a spoiled rich kid that came from money and never done an actual days work. He was a phony, a fraud, a drug addict, a pervert a racist, and last but not least an asshole. A perpetual kid that did not want to grow up and face responsibility. After wasting away his fortune, he leached from people and left many debts unpaid everywhere he went. The book says he was always serious about magic or magick as he called it. His course work for his followers was equivalent to a college degree. He hated Christianity and embraced the persona of the great beast 666. I do think he truly delved into some sort of black magic but exaggerated his abilities exponentially. After a life of perversion of all things pure and moderated, he died broke, alone, and extremely addicted to heroin. What a great man he could have been if he used his talents for the betterment of mankind. You might be surprised to see the influence he still has in this day and age. The truly sad realization that I had was that the things he did to earn the title “The wickedest man in the world” are now common practice in our society and even celebrated. May God have mercy on us all.
I won’t say the book was poorly written because it wasn’t. I will say that it wasn’t written to my taste and found it hard to follow at times and some of the material just wasn’t that interesting. I’m glad I read it though. It has separated the myth and legend from the real man and took away the curiosity and mystique. The darker side of life has always attracted my attention but the only darkness I found here was the heart of a man who never learned how to love anyone but himself. Just like that the mystique turned to pity.
November 18, 2020
I've heard plenty of things about Crowley over the years, but was curious about how all the pieces fit together. This book did that for sure. I'm satisfied. I know who Crowley was and the general outline of his life and works. So that's good.
As for the book itself, I felt like it could have been half the length. It's pretty exhaustive in detailing each person that Crowley was involved with, men and woman, all the levels he decided that he had attained, the rituals he followed and created, all of his sexual acts, all the drugs and alcohol he consumed, the books and poems he wrote, the children he fathered, the sad fate of most of the people he was close with - most died an early death or wound up in insane asylums. The author tended to use Crowley's language for many things, having sex with someone was "performing an opera" or "opus". The difference between an opera and an opus in this context was lost on me. A XI degree opera was a homosexual act. An opera "per vas nefandum" or "pvn" is anal sex and "per vas manus" is an act performed by the hand. et cetera. It's not just the occasional use of these code words - every single one of the many, many dozens of liaisons is written like this.
There is a constant stream of followers, wives, and sexual partners who appear, have their time and generally end up as enemies, often coming back into the fold one or more times. About half way through the book, I gave up really trying to keep track of names. It just didn't matter.
The author became interested in Crowley through his own interest in magic and the occult and seems to waver back and forth on the reality of the subject. He definitely recognizes that Crowley was a disturbed, addicted, pretty much insane conman. But also speaks matter-of-factly about Crowley conversing with his "Holy Guardian Angel", Aiwass, that he had conjured up, levitation, invisibility, curses, and speaks of many, many other magical acts that he accepts without question.
I was not really shocked by anything I read here. More than anything, it was a depressing story about a pretty messed up dude.
As for the book itself, I felt like it could have been half the length. It's pretty exhaustive in detailing each person that Crowley was involved with, men and woman, all the levels he decided that he had attained, the rituals he followed and created, all of his sexual acts, all the drugs and alcohol he consumed, the books and poems he wrote, the children he fathered, the sad fate of most of the people he was close with - most died an early death or wound up in insane asylums. The author tended to use Crowley's language for many things, having sex with someone was "performing an opera" or "opus". The difference between an opera and an opus in this context was lost on me. A XI degree opera was a homosexual act. An opera "per vas nefandum" or "pvn" is anal sex and "per vas manus" is an act performed by the hand. et cetera. It's not just the occasional use of these code words - every single one of the many, many dozens of liaisons is written like this.
There is a constant stream of followers, wives, and sexual partners who appear, have their time and generally end up as enemies, often coming back into the fold one or more times. About half way through the book, I gave up really trying to keep track of names. It just didn't matter.
The author became interested in Crowley through his own interest in magic and the occult and seems to waver back and forth on the reality of the subject. He definitely recognizes that Crowley was a disturbed, addicted, pretty much insane conman. But also speaks matter-of-factly about Crowley conversing with his "Holy Guardian Angel", Aiwass, that he had conjured up, levitation, invisibility, curses, and speaks of many, many other magical acts that he accepts without question.
I was not really shocked by anything I read here. More than anything, it was a depressing story about a pretty messed up dude.
July 6, 2017
I found this book fascinating. It is an in depth account of Crowley's life and an interesting assessment of his philosophy and influence on the contemporary and modern world. The only flaws the books suffers are an insistent dislike and anti-Crowley bias that permeates the book throughout. I also believe Lachman misrepresents or misunderstands Do What Thou Wilt, as distinguished from "do what you want." Will and want are sometimes antithetical, and certainly not the same thing. Crowley himself certainly didn't always (or arguably usually) live up to this ideal. That said, this book is a good read, and an excellent critique of Crowley, Thelema, and occultism in general. I'd recommend it.
December 30, 2014
Just awful...I skipped through several paragraphs at a time only to read another seemingly non-sensical paragraph, to skip more paragraphs and then pages at a time...found this to be very unreadable and I still do not have any understanding about this man whatsoever... :(
January 7, 2025
Lachman deserves real credit for making his subject compelling for 350 pages, but Crowley is so overwhelmingly vile, it can be a tough read at times. Still, there was enough weirdness here to pull me through.
February 1, 2019
A really great piece for the modern history lover. A well put together story that presents fact and legend of a man who was most certainly both.
February 11, 2019
More like the most insufferable man in the world. Fun fact: the author was in Blondie.
December 10, 2019
Fast and clear, objective
I would like more details in some aspects but i think is objective and is not a thelemite, that is good!
I would like more details in some aspects but i think is objective and is not a thelemite, that is good!
February 11, 2020
Lachman is a great writer and offers a well researched, entertaining, and often times humorous study of Crowley's life.
March 10, 2021
By far, the most interesting, insightful writing about Crowley
May 24, 2024
Kattava ja perehtynyt tutkielma ja viihdyttävästi kirjoitettu teos aikansa kansainvälisen kohuesoteerikon elämästä.
Crowley on todella ristiriitainen ja vaikeasti tulkittava ja analysoitava persoona, joka omisti koko elämänsä Alesteir Crowleyna olemiseen. Suuren pedon elämä on nimittäin täysipäiväistä työtä ja usein tolkutonta sekoilua. You cant make this shit up.
Väärinymmärretty nero, suuri runoilija, seksimaagikko, kulttijohtaja, holtiton öykkäri, egoistinen hyväksikäyttäjä, mitään tai ketään kunnioittamaton irstailija, muiden rahoilla hummaileva manipuloija, Thelema-uskonnon perustaja, itse paholainen, yksi aikansa parhaista vuorikiipeilijöistä. Ja eittämättä varsin lahjakas, ja jatkuvasti itseään uudelleen keksivä, kiistämättä karismaattinen ja vetoava puhuja. Toisaalta Crowley oli myös todella laiska, itsekeskeinen, mukavuudenhaluinen ja valtavan perso kaikenlaisille päihteille ja vallalle.
Seuraajat ja kumppanit vaihtuvat solkenaan, ja Crowleyn oma käytös ja sekoilu kaatoivat kaikki vähäisetkin onnistumisen mahdollisuudet ja hankkeet toinen toisensa jälkeen. Hommat kusee Intiassa, napataan tästä uudet seuraajat mukaan ja aloitetaan alusta Italiassa. Italia menee puihin, hommataan taas uusi lähipiiri ja lähdetään Ranskaan. Tämä kaava toistui kiihtyvällä tahdilla aina Crowleyn elämän loppuun asti. Aina jostain löytyi rahoittajia ja halukkaita seuraajia. Tosin uskollisimpien seuraajien ja kumppaneiden kohtalo oli usein kovin surullinen - suurin osa kuoli enemmän tai vähemmän omituisissa olosuhteissa tai vietti loppuelämänsä psykiatrisissa hoitolaitoksissa.
Mr. Crowleyn loputtomasti materiaalia ja inspiraatiota tarjoavaan perintöön on tarttuneet niin Black Sabbath kuin Hailey Bieber. Jep. Legenda elää edelleen. En edelleenkään ymmärrä mitä herra Crowleyn päässä liikkui - eikä tähän varmasti koskaan saada tyhjentävää, tai edes suuntaa-antavaa vastausta, mutta ehkä hän olisi tyytyväinen Suuren Pedon elämäntyön jatkumiseen, vahvempana ja myyttisempänä kuin koskaan tämä eläessä.
Crowley on todella ristiriitainen ja vaikeasti tulkittava ja analysoitava persoona, joka omisti koko elämänsä Alesteir Crowleyna olemiseen. Suuren pedon elämä on nimittäin täysipäiväistä työtä ja usein tolkutonta sekoilua. You cant make this shit up.
Väärinymmärretty nero, suuri runoilija, seksimaagikko, kulttijohtaja, holtiton öykkäri, egoistinen hyväksikäyttäjä, mitään tai ketään kunnioittamaton irstailija, muiden rahoilla hummaileva manipuloija, Thelema-uskonnon perustaja, itse paholainen, yksi aikansa parhaista vuorikiipeilijöistä. Ja eittämättä varsin lahjakas, ja jatkuvasti itseään uudelleen keksivä, kiistämättä karismaattinen ja vetoava puhuja. Toisaalta Crowley oli myös todella laiska, itsekeskeinen, mukavuudenhaluinen ja valtavan perso kaikenlaisille päihteille ja vallalle.
Seuraajat ja kumppanit vaihtuvat solkenaan, ja Crowleyn oma käytös ja sekoilu kaatoivat kaikki vähäisetkin onnistumisen mahdollisuudet ja hankkeet toinen toisensa jälkeen. Hommat kusee Intiassa, napataan tästä uudet seuraajat mukaan ja aloitetaan alusta Italiassa. Italia menee puihin, hommataan taas uusi lähipiiri ja lähdetään Ranskaan. Tämä kaava toistui kiihtyvällä tahdilla aina Crowleyn elämän loppuun asti. Aina jostain löytyi rahoittajia ja halukkaita seuraajia. Tosin uskollisimpien seuraajien ja kumppaneiden kohtalo oli usein kovin surullinen - suurin osa kuoli enemmän tai vähemmän omituisissa olosuhteissa tai vietti loppuelämänsä psykiatrisissa hoitolaitoksissa.
Mr. Crowleyn loputtomasti materiaalia ja inspiraatiota tarjoavaan perintöön on tarttuneet niin Black Sabbath kuin Hailey Bieber. Jep. Legenda elää edelleen. En edelleenkään ymmärrä mitä herra Crowleyn päässä liikkui - eikä tähän varmasti koskaan saada tyhjentävää, tai edes suuntaa-antavaa vastausta, mutta ehkä hän olisi tyytyväinen Suuren Pedon elämäntyön jatkumiseen, vahvempana ja myyttisempänä kuin koskaan tämä eläessä.
October 22, 2023
In modern times, I think it’s a pretty commonly accepted thought that cult leaders and religious fanatics tend to have a few screws in their head loose and generally aren’t people to be looked up to.
That to say, philosophers like Crowley have left an indelible impression on the psyche of modern culture and changed the way we think about our place.
Not to say he was a good person by any means, but his life was extremely fascinating. What does any of this have to do with the book?
Well, Gary Lachman took one of the most interesting people of the 20th Century and made their life story boring. His preachy writing style rightfully paints Aleister Crowley as a cretin, but its not like Crowley himself hadn’t already confessed to his crimes himself. This book completely misses the mark on the fact that people are enamored by him in SPITE of that.
The book promised rock and roll, and we got a fragmented, rambling rant at the end that only lists people who were inspired by Crowley’s work but does nothing of note to actually make connections as to why. Because of this, I feel like Lachman’s failed career as a rockstar compelled him to spout complaint after complaint of the people he seemingly once emulated.
And good lord. The amount of times he references his OWN work… Are you trying to inform your reader of something or just trying to sell more books?
Do yourself a favor if you’re interested in learning more about Aleister Crowley and the occult: find another biography.
That to say, philosophers like Crowley have left an indelible impression on the psyche of modern culture and changed the way we think about our place.
Not to say he was a good person by any means, but his life was extremely fascinating. What does any of this have to do with the book?
Well, Gary Lachman took one of the most interesting people of the 20th Century and made their life story boring. His preachy writing style rightfully paints Aleister Crowley as a cretin, but its not like Crowley himself hadn’t already confessed to his crimes himself. This book completely misses the mark on the fact that people are enamored by him in SPITE of that.
The book promised rock and roll, and we got a fragmented, rambling rant at the end that only lists people who were inspired by Crowley’s work but does nothing of note to actually make connections as to why. Because of this, I feel like Lachman’s failed career as a rockstar compelled him to spout complaint after complaint of the people he seemingly once emulated.
And good lord. The amount of times he references his OWN work… Are you trying to inform your reader of something or just trying to sell more books?
Do yourself a favor if you’re interested in learning more about Aleister Crowley and the occult: find another biography.
September 26, 2025
Not bad, but not great. A lot of fact information (he went here, he did this), but somehow even after three hundred and fifty pages I felt like I barely understood the impetus behind the life he created for himself. The thread I became most interested in involved how someone who grew up well-off could be reduced to a pauper, burning every possible bridge along the way, and somehow still manage to maintain his lifestyle, moving from one country to another, leaving countless unpaid bills in his wake. It mentions the odd job here or there, mostly related to writing, and the occasional patron supporting his cause, but considering the book covers a life that lasted over seventy years, I'm left baffled as to how he was able to consistently make things happen.
As others have noted, the author's insertion of personal feelings in a lot of the writing here left something to be desired. Also, the long descriptions of magick rituals, which would certainly be fascinating to some, but maybe should have existed in their own volume. As a reader only curious about Crowley the man, I found the in-depth exploration of the magick bits fairly tedious.
As others have noted, the author's insertion of personal feelings in a lot of the writing here left something to be desired. Also, the long descriptions of magick rituals, which would certainly be fascinating to some, but maybe should have existed in their own volume. As a reader only curious about Crowley the man, I found the in-depth exploration of the magick bits fairly tedious.
February 2, 2021
En väldigt bra och lite "poppig" biografi över Aleister Crowley. Författaren är en ex-artist och kopplar Crowley till senare tiders fäbless för det ockulta samtidigt som biografin är en ganska humoristisk skildring. Det ger också insikt i en verklig egoists liv. Personligen ser jag biografin som ett avmaskerande av både Crowley och allt vad ockultism heter. En story om en egoist som gjorde allt utom att döda, helt utan omtanke om andra, och ockultismen var hans metod för att göra det. Crowley lever ett långt liv och lämnar iaf över 20 namngivna personer bakom sig som antigen hamnar i problem med rättvisan, blir utblottade, alkoholister eller galna för att de blivit så gravt utnyttjade av honom. Men man kan inte neka att det är ett intressant och hälsosamt liv.
F.ö. är detta nog den bok av alla jag läst som innehållet mest omnämnande av analsex, givetvis var det Crowleys mest magiska och viktiga ritual. Det får en också att känna att 2000-talet inte är början på allt radikalt. Inte ens 60-talet, med tanke på att Crowley var som mest aktiv mellan 1900-1930.
F.ö. är detta nog den bok av alla jag läst som innehållet mest omnämnande av analsex, givetvis var det Crowleys mest magiska och viktiga ritual. Det får en också att känna att 2000-talet inte är början på allt radikalt. Inte ens 60-talet, med tanke på att Crowley var som mest aktiv mellan 1900-1930.
May 7, 2019
I was hoping for a lot more actual Crowley thought and belief in this and it keep appearing to be around the corner. Lachman is obviously expert in all things esoteric but sometimes the book seemed geared toward an in crowd of thelema informed types with the magickal terms and vocabulary. Yet if it was for the in crowd then why all the (presumably known to this crowd) timeline of major events of Crowley's life? It just could have been done better. It reads like a timeline of life events without the context or explanation in light of Crowley philosophy.
And as a music nerd I was disappointed that only a surface examination of trends starting in the 60s was presented. Much of which even casual fans would already be aware of. Not to mention that this only involved the last chapter of the book so our title is somewhat misleading. But Lachman has researched Crowley's life very well if nothing else and given some of his other titles I'll be back for more.
And as a music nerd I was disappointed that only a surface examination of trends starting in the 60s was presented. Much of which even casual fans would already be aware of. Not to mention that this only involved the last chapter of the book so our title is somewhat misleading. But Lachman has researched Crowley's life very well if nothing else and given some of his other titles I'll be back for more.
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