Ruud Vermeer
Aleister Crowley
Life and work of one of the greatest magicians of our time
152 pages
illustrated in B/W
Aleister Crowley was undoubtedly the most controversial magician of the twentieth century. He called himself the Great Beast 666 or Master Therion and revelled in the loathing and horror he induced because of his suspected associations with Satan.
Aleister Crowley was a man with many faces. He saw himself as the world greatest teacher and put himself at the same level as Jesus Christ and Mohammed. According to himself he was chosen to save the world, regardless in which way or in which guise. He enjoyed ridiculing all taboos. Magic was his goal, his message to society.
Other than a great magician he was among other things a respected poet, a talented writer, satiric, chess master and mountain climber. He was constantly in search for the ideal female (sexual) partner with whom he thought to make the best of his magical rituals. For the greater part of his life he was a drug addict. Before all however, he was a secularist and an expert in the art of living.
The public opinion about this controversial character was very diverse; some were disgusted by his view of life, others adored, even worshipped him. Whatever is being said, written or thought about Aleister Crowley, he surely was a fascinating personality who formed the basis of modern magic and magical thought as it is being lived and practised today by many.
This illustrated biography of Aleister Crowley by Ruud Vermeer is the first work in the Dutch Language which offers a vivid story about this fascinating personality whose only and ultimate goal was to steer human kind to a higher spiritual and social level.