The Life of Aleister Crowley Quiz | People

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. When and where was Aleister Crowley born?

Answer: 1875, Leamington Spa

Edward Alexander Crowley was born on 12th October 1875 in Leaminton Spa (England). Crowley's family was rich and well thought of in the town, but the young Edward rebelled at an early age and renamed himself Aleister. The reason he later gave was that he did not want to share a name with his father.

He seems to have developed an early and intensely powerful erotic interst in women, apparently losing his virginity at 14 and contracting gonorrhoea three years later from a street prostitute.

2. Where was Crowley studying when formulated his ideas about mysticism?

Answer: Cambridge University

Crowley's father, a brewer at the time of his birth, insisted on a good education for his son. He placed special emphasis on Bible studies and by the time Aleister was ready for university life he was thoroughly disillusioned with the Christianity. His keen intellect had found several inconsistencies within the Bible, which led him to disbelieve the teachings.

In Cambridge he was able to mix with several key literary figures of the age and was drawn to mysticism.

3. After a brief spell in the diplomatic service Crowley joined one of these organisations. Which?

Answer: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Crowley joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn at the age of 23. Joining this society (in 1898) was the beginning of his long and successful journey into mysticism and the occult. Crowley's affiliation with this group did not last long and he succeeded in making several powerful enemies. Among those he offended were the poet William Butler Yeats and Arthur Edward Waite.

4. In 1900 Crowley had completed the studies necessary to be called "Adeptus Minor" within his mystical order. However his English colleagues refused to confer this rank upon him. Why?

Answer: Because of his "dabblings" in homosexuality

Crowley managed to fracture the Order of the Golden Dawn and offend the more powerful members. While popular with the younger members, his scathing (and accurate) criticism of Waite and Yeats led to the elder members finding excuses to prevent his rise through the ranks.

It had come to their attention that Crowley was happy to sleep with almost anything - male - female - rich - poor - prostitute - rent boy! While many of their member undoubtedly harboured homosexual tendencies they were clever enough to hide it. Crowley was forced to travel to Paris and have the ceremony performed there.

This did not improve his standing with the British members and, prompted by Yeats, the expelled him.

5. Crowley firmly believed that he had a "Holy Guardian Angel", and the most important moment of his life was in March 1904 when he finally contacted this entity. Where?

Answer: Cairo, Egypt

Following his expulsion from the HOOTGD (Golden Dawn), Crowley travelled widely touching in at Mexico, India and France. In Ceylon he was reunited with Alan Bennett, a powerful member of HOOTGD, who had departed from England many years earlier. It was in Cairo that, together with his new wife, he received his vision in April, 1904.

6. Crowley's "Holy Guardian Angel" dictated many teachings to him. By what name was this being known to him?

Answer: Aiwass

Aiwass was to become the inspiration for Crowley's writings. He claimed that the Angel spoke to him and dictated many of his teachings. Interestingly, Crowley himself said that he could not understand all that was spoken to him, but that he was recording it for others.

7. Crowley's "Holy Guardian Angel" spoke to him for three days and he recorded it all in a book. Which one was it?

Answer: Liber Al vel Legis

The "Liber Al vel Legis" ("The Book of Law") contains both passages of peace and war. It highlights the need to find magic through both eroticism and through violence. It was from this book that Crowley's most important statement came - " 'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the Law".

8. Crowley encouraged people to approach his works with what?

Answer: Skepticism

Crowley believed that skepticism protected his readers from falling into blind faith. He saw that many seers and prophets had fallen into smug egotism and had stopped searching for answers. He believed that the journey of discovery in search for answers is as important as the answers themselves.

9. After his publications, Crowley was contacted by a German "magickal" order who were upset he had published some of their rituals. Once it was clear he had arrived at the ritual independently he was invited to join. What was this group?

Answer: Ordo Templi Orientis

Crowley was invited to join the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) following the discovery that he practised very similar "erotic magick". In 1910 he first participated in their rituals and then in 1912 became head of the English speaking branch. Later, in 1925, he became head of the World Order of OTO and then published his most influential work "Magick: In Theory And In Practice".

10. Aleister Crowley was a great fan of the Enochean language. He saw it as the purest form of magical language and used it in many of his rituals. Which famous magician is credited with first discovering and popularising the Enochean code?

Answer: John Dee

John Dee was the a member of the court of Elizabeth I of England. He was rumoured to be a very accomplished magician and it was he, with the assistance of Edward Kelley, who first brought the Enochian language into the public domain. He was officially the chief astronomer for the Queen and is also credited with founding the Rosicrucian Order.

Enochian itself is a deeply complex language, with distinctive grammar and syntax. It is said to have been given to Dee (and Sir Edward Kelly) by a preternatural intelligence. The two men identified this intelligence as the voice of angels. Since then the Enochian language and the Enochian Keys have been studied and used by occultists the world over.

11. Crowley believed that he lived in a time of chance and that "Thelema" would be guiding force for the new century (that is, the 20th century). Taken from the Greek, what does "thelema" mean?

Answer: Will

Thelema (pronounced THEL-ay-mah) is a Greek word, meaning 'will' or 'intention'. Crowley believed (correctly) that more and more people would turn away from the established religions and either have no religion or be attracted to "new age" religions. Thelema espouses the idea that every person's destiny is in their own hands, and that it is their responsibility to discover it themselves.

It encourages people to act in their own interests, outside the scope of the law. This was not to encourage them to break the law, but to try and prevent them becoming trapped by the law and moral judgements.

This is summed up in the saying " 'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the Law", which has become the catchphrase of both Crowley and Thelema. The idea of finding your "true will" through absolute personal freedom is one cherished by most true followers of Thelema.

12. Crowley had numerous female partners over the years but seemed to have bad luck with his children. The two most famous died in their early years. In England however a mystic has come to light saying he/she is the illegitimate child of Crowley. What is his/her name?

Answer: Amado Crowley

Amado Crowley has written many scholarly works on the works and beliefs of Aleister Crowley. Amado states that he was trained by his father and he now continues to guide future students. He has done much to remove the "mysteriousness" from Aleister's writings and aims to allow students to find their own path.

13. Although the exact date of Aleister Crowley's death is contested, the circumstances of his death are clear. Which of the following statements is true?

Answer: He died alone and penniless in a Hastings boarding house

Crowley's many failings and bad reputation finally caught up with him, and his lack of funds and followers forced him into poverty. He died in 1947, on either December 1st or December 5th in a boarding house in Hastings. He was addicted to heroin and alone in the world.

14. As well as being a mystic, in which of the following fields was Crowley well respected?

Answer: Mountaineering

In his day Crowley was a notable mountaineer. While not in a drug induced coma, he found the time to climb many of the world's most challenging peaks. However, his attempt to climb K2, the second highest mountain, failed.

15. Aleister Crowley was shown on the cover of which record?

Answer: Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles)

Crowley has been a very influential figure for many pop artists and he is referred to in many songs by artists as diverse as Marilyn Manson, David Bowie and Michael Jackson. His words occasionally crop up as lyrics in songs and he was once voted one of the 100 most influential English people.

Source: Author Gimpess

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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The Life of Aleister Crowley Trivia Quiz

Aleister Crowley, mystic and drug abuser, is one of the more colourful figures from the early 1900s. Learn a little about his life.

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