Aleister Crowley's Magickal Retirement

Born in 1875 in England, Aleister Crowley managed to make an international name for himself in occultism as the “Wickedest Man in the World.” He spent much of his life traveling in the pursuit of that often including drug and sexual experimentation. He wrote about his experiences in both fiction and non-fiction, including Diary of a Drug Fiend, The Magick of Thelema, and The Book of the Law, in which he articulated the maxim, “Do What Thou Wilt.”

Crowley has a connection to New England as well, and it involves a small cottage in the barely larger town of Hebron, New Hampshire, on the tip of Lake Newfound. Between 1913 and 1918, the house was owned by a medium named Evangeline Adams who had co-authored some astrology books with Crowley. In 1916, Crowley stayed at that house for four months as part of his infamous “magick retirement,” in which he professed to do all kinds of secret and arcane things.

The original, and still private, 200-year-old house still exists. There are two white buildings on the property, the main house, and a second smaller one that Adams herself had built for use as a study. Ironically enough, the house is situated directly beside a church. 

Adapted with Permission from: The New England Grimpendium by J.W. Ocker