Hollywood's new celebrity church

O.T.O. is linked to “the wickedest man in the world” but that hasn’t stopped the rich and famous joining up.

First there was the sci-fi based Scientology, proclaiming the world is polluted by ancient alien souls. Then came Kabbalah, a mystical offshoot of Judaism that promises followers protection from “the evil eye” if they wear red string on their wrists. Now Woman’s Day can reveal the new religion sweeping Hollywood and quickly gaining celebrity followers.

The controversial sect Ordo Templi Orientis – commonly known as O.T.O. – is associated with occultist Aleister Crowley, who dubbed himself “The Great Beast 666” and was often described as “the wickedest man in the world”. Bizarrely, Hollywood’s young and famous are queuing up to follow his teachings. The king and queen of hip hop, Jay-Z and wife Beyonce, have reportedly been linked to O.T.O., as has Sir Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches.

In fact, it’s believed the 24-year-old mother-of-one is among the sect’s most devoted followers. She’s even had “O.T.O.” tattooed on her arm inside a heart, and recently took to Instagram to urge her followers to “buy Aleister Crowley’s books on it, they’re not expensive and super interesting”.

Peaches, who is pregnant with her second child, explains that the religion “teaches you to seek out and follow your true path in life”. Her search for a religion began four years ago, when she dabbled in Scientology, following a painful split from her then-husband. “I felt like I needed a spiritual path,” she said. “I felt I was lacking something when I didn’t have faith.” Perhaps most surprising is Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s daughter Isabella’s hint that she could be interested in O.T.O., sharing a photo of her own Aleister Crowley-inspired tattoo, the Eye of Horus.