Aleister Crowley was a poet.
Aleister Crowley ( [ ˈkroʊli ] born Edward Alexander Crowley ; 12 October 1875 -- 1 December 1947 ) was an English occultist , ceremonial magician , poet , painter , novelist , and mountaineer . He was educated at the University of Cambridge , where he focused his attentions on mountaineering and poetry , resulting in several publications . After an unsuccessful attempt to climb Kanchenjunga and a visit to India and China , Crowley returned to Britain , where he attracted attention as a prolific author of poetry , novels , and occult literature .