Aleister Crowley ( [ ˈkroʊli ] born Edward Alexander Crowley ; 12 October 1875 -- 1 December 1947 ) was an English occultist , ceremonial magician , poet , painter , novelist , and mountaineer . Born to a wealthy Plymouth Brethren family in Royal Leamington Spa , Warwickshire , Crowley rejected this fundamentalist Christian faith to pursue an interest in Western esotericism .
Aleister Crowley was an English citizen.