Editing Aleister Crowley (section)

===Second World War and death: 1939–1947===
[[File:Grady Louis McMurtry 1941.JPG|thumb|right|upright|alt= 1941 photograph of Grady Louis McMurtry|Crowley specified that Grady McMurtry succeed his chosen successor as Head of O.T.O., Karl Germer.]]
When the [[Second World War]] broke out, Crowley wrote to the [[Naval Intelligence Division (United Kingdom)|Naval Intelligence Division]] offering his services, but they declined. He associated with a variety of figures in Britain's intelligence community at the time, including [[Dennis Wheatley]], [[Roald Dahl]], [[Ian Fleming]], and [[Maxwell Knight]],{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1pp=471–72|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3pp=506–07|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=376–78}} and wrote that he originated the "[[V sign|V for Victory]]" sign first used by the [[BBC]]; this has never been proven.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=511–12|2a1=Churton|2y=2011|2pp=380–83, 392–96}}
In 1940, his asthma worsened, and with his German-produced medication unavailable, he returned to using heroin, once again becoming addicted.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1p=476|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3p=508}} As [[the Blitz]] hit London, Crowley relocated to [[Torquay]], where he was briefly admitted to hospital with asthma, and entertained himself with visits to the local chess club.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=509–10|2a1=Churton|2y=2011|2p=380}} Tiring of Torquay, he returned to London, where he was visited by American Thelemite [[Grady Louis McMurtry|Grady McMurtry]], to whom Crowley awarded the title of "Hymenaeus Alpha".{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1p=527|2a1=Churton|2y=2011|2p=403}} He stipulated that though Germer would be his immediate successor, McMurty should succeed Germer as head of O.T.O. after the latter's death.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1pp=478–79|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3pp=512, 531–32, 547|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=408–09}} With O.T.O. initiate [[Lady Frieda Harris]], Crowley developed plans to produce a [[Tarot|tarot card]] set, designed by him and painted by Harris. Accompanying this was a book, published in a limited edition as ''[[The Book of Thoth (Crowley)|The Book of Thoth]]'' by [[Chiswick Press]] in 1944.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1pp=473–74|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3pp=501, 503–04, 510, 522, 530–21|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=370, 406}} To aid the war effort, he wrote a proclamation on the rights of humanity, "[[Liber OZ]]", and a poem for the liberation of France, ''Le Gauloise''.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=517–18, 522|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4p=397}} Crowley's final publication during his lifetime was a book of poetry, ''Olla: An Anthology of Sixty Years of Song''.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1pp=474–75|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3pp=519–20, 542|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4p=410}} Another of his projects, ''Aleister Explains Everything'', was posthumously published as ''[[Magick Without Tears]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1p=474|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3p=528|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4p=404}}

In April 1944 Crowley briefly moved to [[Aston Clinton]] in Buckinghamshire,{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1p=475|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3p=530|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=403–04}} where he was visited by the poet [[Nancy Cunard]],{{sfnm|1a1=Churton|1y=2011|1pp=407–08}} before relocating to [[Hastings]] in Sussex, where he took up residence at the Netherwood boarding house.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1p=475|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3pp=532–33}} He took a young man named [[Kenneth Grant (occultist)|Kenneth Grant]] as his secretary, paying him in magical teaching rather than wages.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=533–35|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=409, 411}} He was also introduced to [[John Symonds]], whom he appointed to be his literary executor; Symonds thought little of Crowley, later publishing unfavorable biographies of him.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1p=481|2a1=Kaczynski|2y=2010|2pp=540–41|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=413–14}} Corresponding with the illusionist [[Arnold Crowther]], it was through him that Crowley was introduced to [[Gerald Gardner]], the future founder of [[Gardnerian Wicca]]. They became friends, with Crowley authorising Gardner to revive Britain's ailing O.T.O.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=542–44}} Another visitor was [[Eliza Marian Butler]], who interviewed Crowley for her book ''The Myth of the Magus''.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=536–37|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4p=412}} Other friends and family also spent time with him, among them Doherty and Crowley's son Aleister Atatürk.{{sfnm|1a1=Kaczynski|1y=2010|1pp=544–55|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4p=416}}

On 1 December 1947, Crowley died at Netherwood of [[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease|chronic bronchitis]] aggravated by [[pleurisy]] and myocardial degeneration, aged 72.{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1p=483|2a1=Sutin|2y=2000|2pp=417–19|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3p=548|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4pp=417–18}} His funeral was held at a [[Brighton]] crematorium on 5 December; about a dozen people attended, and [[Louis Wilkinson]] read excerpts from the [[Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass|Gnostic Mass]], ''The Book of the Law'', and "Hymn to Pan". The funeral generated press controversy, and was labelled a [[Black Mass]] by the tabloids. Crowley's body was [[Cremation|cremated]]; his ashes were sent to [[Karl Germer]] in the US, who buried them in his garden in [[Hampton, New Jersey]].{{sfnm|1a1=Booth|1y=2000|1pp=484–85|3a1=Kaczynski|3y=2010|3pp=549–51|4a1=Churton|4y=2011|4p=418}}{{sfn|Lachman|2014|p=182}}