Legacy· Folge 143

Mystics | Aleister Crowley: The Wickedest Man In The World | 3

Dienstag, 5. Mai 2026 · 51 min

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What happens when you raise a child telling him he's the Beast — and he decides to prove you right? Could a man
who genuinely repelled everyone around him have quietly shaped the culture we live in today? And, is the world of
sex, drugs, and rock and roll actually the legacy of a repressed Victorian occultist with a god complex?

Peter and Afua descend into the dark, theatrical, and genuinely troubling life of Aleister Crowley: English occultist,
self-declared Great Beast 666, and the man who may have done more than anyone to wire transgression, desire, and
spiritual hunger into the DNA of modern culture.

The wickedest man in the world — and why he owned it
The Exclusive Brethren: the suffocating sect that made Crowley inevitable
Cambridge, cigars, and erotic poetry: the beast is unleashed
Golden Dawn and the occult underground of Victorian London
Mountaineering, meditation, and the spiritual pick-and-mix
Cairo, 666, and the Book of the Law
Rose Kelly: the woman without whom none of it happens
The Abbey of Thelema and a scandal that shocks even the tabloids
How Crowley became the Beatles' and Led Zeppelin's spirit animal
Jack Parsons: the rocket scientist who performed Crowley rituals by night
Was Crowley a feminist? (Afua has thoughts)
The stain that runs through modern culture straight back to him

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Instagram: @originallegacypodcast
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Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas:
Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com
Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.
legacy.supportingcast.fm

Stay connected with Legacy:
Instagram: @originallegacypodcast
TikTok: @legacy_productions

Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com
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