What is Aleister Crowley's main claim to infamy?

Question

I have a brief understanding of Crowley's history, but I'm still curious: what is the main reason for all his infamy? Why was he considered so wicked?

Answer 1

If I recall correctly, Aleister Crowley claimed to have psychic or magical powers and was involved in spirtual and occult societies. While I have heard that Crowley's philosophy and writings on free will and love have been interpreted by some as just a thin veil on his orgy habits reputedly with young men, I do not know of any work that proves this definatively. Probably by out present standards his villainy would be seen as delusional, predetory, homosexuality and / or pediphelia, but this is reputation not fact that was a provable part of his biography. Here is an exerpt from Wikipedia that give a good impression of how Crowley was viewed by one, Mr Justice Swift, in 1934:
"I have been over forty years engaged in the administration of the law in one capacity or another. I thought that I knew of every conceivable form of wickedness. I thought that everything which was vicious and bad had been produced at one time or another before me. I have learnt in this case that we can always learn something more if we live long enough. I have never heard such dreadful, horrible, blasphemous and abominable stuff as that which has been produced by the man (Crowley) who describes himself to you as the greatest living poet."
As far as his reputation, the stories of Crowley's debautchry were related to me by a college aquaintance who was active in the Aleister Crowley Society and was President or Grand Magi or some such thing of the American chapter of that organization.

Answer 2

He founded Thelma a mystical religion. His infamy can be attributed too a few things. He was known for a quote in which he called himself the "anti-christ" and the "great beast". He enjoyed the negative attentions that his statements got. Some other reasons would be his abusement of drugs and sexual promiscuity that he practiced with both men and women. He also was at one time a member of the mystical secretive organizations the OTO and the most famous of all being the Hermetic Order Of the Golden Dawn

Answer 3

He was also a tool of the British Secret Service. He used his overseas contacts to get a made to order horoscope to Rudolf Hess, Hitler's Second in Command. Through a process Hess took to his grave, he (Hess) bought it and flew to Britain. Was it to meet Crowley? Churchill? Cliff Richards?

Or is it that Jimmy Page bought his house?

Answer 4

Because the subject matter he dealt with (witchcraft and occultism) was and is a very taboo subject, even today. His studies were considered nothing short of demon or devil worship. While today Wicca, Neo-Paganism, and ceremonial magick are less taboo, and are actually experiencing a surge of popularity as alternatives to mainstream religions, back in the day this was considered to be treading on dangerous ground.

Answer 5

One of the main reasons was the fact that he used sex magick in the Order of the Silver Star and other temples, and people in the Victorian age, when the"spiritual movement" was taking place, didn't seem to agree with the way he went about things.

Answer 6

If it wasn't for Mr. Crowley we would not have Scientologists.

Read up on Jack Parsons, the 'Babalon Working' and L. Ron Hubbard.

Answer 7

Because of his fascination to sex magic and degradation, drug-taking and hedonism He even tortured a cat very badly to test the theories of nine lives Click on the link below for some on info

Answer 8

he was a witch and a satanist - a sadist too - into torture bondage wounding mutilating