Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (pronounced /?kro?li/), (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947), was an English occultist, writer, mountaineer, poet, spy and yogi.[1] He was an influential member of several occult organizations, including the Golden Dawn, the A?A?, and Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.),[2] and is best known today for his occult writings, especially The Book of the Law, the central sacred text of Thelema. He gained much notoriety during his lifetime, and was dubbed "The Wickedest Man In the World."[3]

Crowley was also a chess player, painter, astrologer, hedonist, bisexual, drug experimenter, and social critic.