Since
he was a young man, Crowley's goal had been to set up a new religion
based on what he had learned traveling in the Orient, in India and
as a member of the Temple of the Golden Dawn. Through the support
of a group called The Ordo Templi Orientis, he was able to establish
his notorious Abbey Of Thelema in Cefalu, Sicily.
Once set
up in the Abbey, he spent the next few years developing what is
now called the Thelemic system of Magic. The locals, however, became
upset at the wild parties Aliester threw at his retreat, and his
erratic behavior due to a massive cocaine and heroin addiction did
not help matters. Crowley's time in Sicily reached its climax when
a young man died due to drinking "unpure" water at the Abbey. His
fiancee' began publicly accusing Crowley and his followers of scandalous
behavior and black magic acts. In the resulting uproar the Abbey
was shut down and Crowley was forever banned from Sicily. By this
time, Aliester Crowley had taken on his most famous epithet, "The
Beast" and was reputed to be the "Wickedest Man In The World".
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