Thelema Defense Against The Dark

As I've mentioned briefly before, I've written a book called "Defense Against the Dark" that's coming out in the middle of March. Here's my obligatory post telling you all about it and asking that you buy it and tell all your friends to buy it. Pretty please with sugar on top? Ok, here goes.

When I first entered the world of magick and metaphysics I was delighted to find the spiritual and philosophic satisfaction that I had never found in more mainstream systems of belief. In my na"ive eagerness I dove in head first, with little thought to the strange and dangerous creatures that might be lurking beneath the surface. I learned the hard way that some old wives tales are true and that there are things that go bump in the night. At the time I had a very hard time finding information on how to deal with and protect myself against such things. Now, many experiences later, I've written the book I wish someone had handed to me all those years ago.

My book introduces the reader to the darker denizens of the magickal world and the dangers they present (yes, there are plenty of friendly creatures out there but you hardly need me to tell you how to deal with friendly creatures that want to help you - do you?). In "Defense Against the Dark "you learn the common lore surrounding malevolent creatures and malicious magick and how to deal with them should you encounter them. For each entity or magickal occurrence detailed in the book you will find information on how common they are, how dangerous, what other names it might be called, the common symptoms that give evidence of their presence, and concrete, practical methods for alleviating the danger they present. In other words, this book tells you all about things that go bump in the night and then tells you how to bump back.

Beyond stating what negative entities and magick do, this book also clarifies what they do not do. Unfortunately, the magickal world is full of misconceptions and misinformation. Common misconceptions, and how to avoid them, are included in the lore for many entries. Learn how curses actually work, that faeries aren't always nice (Red-Caps, need I say more?), and that modern vampires do exist but really aren't all that dangerous.

One of the features of the book of which I am most proud is the Index of Symptoms. There is an index in the back of the book that lists all of the common symptoms that malevolent magick and creatures create and list what might be responsible. With this tool you can readily identify the most likely magickal culprit in any situation and then just flip to that entry for information on what to do about it. However, use this with caution and don't let yourself be carried away. Just because you experience symptoms commonly caused by a goblin doesn't mean that it isn't just bad curry and lack of sleep. Most of the time there is a rational mundane explanation for what you experience. This book is for the times when the rational explanations fail.

Knowledge is power and with this book that is my gift to you.

Suggested ebooks:

Howard Phillips Lovecraft - The Haunter Of The Dark
Anonymous - The Lawes Against Witches

Thelema Shadow Magick Everyday

People who have been practicing magick for more than a little while will often say that the practice of magick is a lifestyle. Sure, there are folks out there for whom magick is just a hobby of sorts - we tend to equate them to Sunday Christians (those who only practice when it's convenient for them rather than every day). The best practitioners live and breathe magick at every moment of every day, or at least try to. Every action you perform can be imbued with intent and mindfulness that makes it magick. This is as true for Shadow practitioner as it is for anyone else, and is perhaps even more important.

Shadow Magick is serious work. It requires the practitioner to be absolutely honest with themselves: to pay attention to what they do and why, to examine their own motivations and feelings, and to own up to the consequences of their actions. Shadow Magick doesn't work if you do a ritual with absolute honesty and intent and then bugger off and start lying to yourself and others. Shadow Magick is designed to change the way you look at and interact with the world. You "have" to integrate it in your everyday life for it to work properly. Shadow practice is always going to be more effective when integrated into your life than otherwise. The bulk of Shadow Magick's formal practice is made of rituals and exercises to recognize our shadow selves, to see ourselves and our world more clearly, to integrate our shadows, and to transform ourselves. These practices need to be supported by our everyday actions, but it isn't easy.

Living shadow every day means being very, very self aware. Self-destructive habits, meaningless routines, and self-deception can all kill shadow work. You need to be able to step back out of the every day and look at what you're doing and why, and whether or not your actions are really supporting you. Too many of us are trapped in routines and habits that just take up time for no real benefit or, even worse, that actually send us backwards. Living shadow means looking critically at every action you take and asking yourself if it gives you a benefit. Your actions can help you earn a living, gratify your senses, make you feel good, help you improve yourself, help someone else, etc. Are there things that you do that don't actually benefit you? Why do you do them? ("Because you always have" is not a sufficient answer.) If you can't answer that, then it's time to stop doing it. Living shadow means acting mindfully.

Even more difficult than being aware of what you do is being aware of what you think and feel. Yes, living shadow means looking at your feelings under a microscope. It's not exactly a comfy process, but it's necessary. Are your thoughts and feelings based on truth, or are you twisting the facts to fit the way you want them to? Are you angry at your friend because she actually wronged you or just because she did something totally benign that made you feel threatened or did you just misinterpret what she did? Look at the facts of a situation objectively before you make decisions. Get an outside objective opinion if you need one (someone who has their own experience of the situation, not just your [probably biased] description). This examination is most important when you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or experiencing negative emotions because they have such tremendous power to color your entire experience. What a waste to spend all day angry because of a simple misunderstanding. Even worse, how are you supposed to do magick to see yourself more clearly when you've spend eight hours in self-delusion - that's energetic moment that will ruin the most carefully planned working. Being mindful of our thoughts and actions helps us to sustain the magickal momentum we begin in our workings and makes it more effective.

Of course, being mindful of our emotions does not mean we don't feel them. We all have moments when we feel things that we'd rather not or that seem counterproductive to our plans. There's nothing wrong with that - we're just regular human beings not bodhisattvas. The trick is to experience our emotions and then let them go, rather than hanging on to them and stewing in our own juices. For example, when I get cut off in traffic I get furious and that anger will stay with me for a while, depending on just how close the bastard got to hitting me. When I step back from the situation I realize that I get angry because someone has endangered me for no good reason and forced me to modify my behaviour unexpectedly. What I'm really feeling is a flash of fear and panic, and being forced to feel those negative emotions makes me angry. Knowing that my anger is really caused by fear will allow that anger to dissipate once I'm secure in my physical safety. My anger is a defense mechanism that fills me with adrenaline so that I can deal with danger. It's a useful emotion that serves a purpose, but it can be destructive if I don't truly understand it. I'm not actually angry with the other driver, I'm afraid for myself - that's a big distinction. Shouting at the other driver or getting road rage, while oddly satisfying, does nothing to satisfy my need for safety and thus won't actually help deflate my anger. I can feel the fear and anger, recognize them for what they are, and then let them go. Unfortunately, it's hard to step back when we're in the midst of strong emotions and if you can't do it at first that's ok. When you've calmed down a little take some time to examine what you were feeling and try to identify the root causes. Once you learn to do this after having strong feelings it will become easier to do so while you're feeling them. Much of the practice of meditation is designed to help people do just this, and for many people it can take a lifetime.

Living shadow means being mindful in your everyday life and making choices that continue the energetic momentum of your workings. Having the courage to be truly honest with yourself during your everyday life and not just in circle is difficult. In circle we know we're in a safe space and we usually have the time to take care of ourselves if we have disturbing realizations, in our workaday lives we rarely have this luxury. Make this level of awareness a goal and work towards it slowly. Allow yourself to progress at whatever pace you need and just see what happens.

A few resources that I found helpful:

Suggested ebooks:

Sirona Knight - The Cyber Spellbook Magick In The Virtual World
Joseph Ennemoser - The History Of Magic Vol 1
Anonymous - The Basics Of Magick

Essential Condition Of Peace

The cards are not to be sold without the book.
If the book can be printed without illustrations it need not
cost more than [L]300.
If Lady Harris likes, she can give it away with the cards, I do
not want any money out of it: and she can say she wrote it, I don't
care.
But I will not allow the cards to be issued so that they can be
used only for gambling or fortune-telling.
The new catalogue, full of grotesque blunders which discredit
the scholarship of the Work, must be withdrawn.
.PA

[Actually written by Crowley, to himself; the "Society" is
fictitious as such.]

An open letter to Alestair Crowley

SOCIETY OF HIDDEN MASTERS

Dear Sir

For many years we have watched your career with benevolent
interest; wile we have been unable to approve many of your
activities in particular your policy of revealing secret knowledge
which we consider dangerous if in the possession of untrained and
uninitiated people. We have always respected your passionate
integrity, your fanatical (and in our opinion, indiscreet) love of
Truth.

I our view, this mistaken policy has been responsible for many
of your own personal mishaps. For this reason we re surprised that
you should acquiesce, even by silence, in so blatant and impudent a
hoax as the exhibition of Tarot Cards at the Royal Society of
Painters in Water Colours, 26/7 Conduit Street, W.1. beginning 4th
August 1942.

We hereby challenge you to deny any of the statements here
following:--

1. During the winter of 1898/9 you were entrusted by the Order of
A..A.. with the Secret Lecture on the Tarot, giving the initiated
attributions.

2. You published these attributions at the command of the Secret
Chiefs of the order in a Book of Reference numbered 777 in 1909.

3. You issued the Official Lecture of the Order on the Tarot, in the
Equinox Vol. I Nos VII and VIII, March and September 1912.

4. You have made the Tarot your continual study and used it daily,
since the Winter of 1898/9.

5. You have made the Tarot the skeleton or schema of all your
writings on mystical and magical subjects. We would instance
particularly "Ambrosia", "Magi Hortus Rosarum" (The Wake-World),
"The Vision and the Voice", "Theory and Practice of Magick".

6. You have been recognized everywhere in Europe and America (even,
to a less extent, in India) as the supreme Authority on the Tarot;
that is, by serious students of the subject.

7. You have contemplated the construction and publication of a
properly designed and executed pack, based on the Equinox
information ever since the issue of the grotesque and falsified
parody which appeared under the auspices of the later A.E. Waite.

6. In a series of conversations in 1937 beginning at Mr. Clifford
Bax' chambers in Albany St., W.1., you suggested to Lady Harris that
she might be able to carry out this work. Although she very rightly
protested that her knowledge of the subject hardly extended beyond
the name, you, with the imbecile optimism characteristic of you,
persuaded her that the descriptions of the cards given in the
Equinox would be sufficient guide, and persuaded her to make the
attempt.

9. It became obvious almost at once that the Equinox designs were
artistically impracticable. Lady Harris very properly asked you to
take the whole subject in hand ab ovo esque ad umbilicum. You
thereupon agreed to devote your whole knowledge to the work of
designing an entirely original pack of cards, incorporating the
results of your 39 years of constant study of the subject with your
profound--if at times unacceptably unorthodox--knowledge of
comparative religion, mathematical physics, philosophy and Magick.
Also nthat you should compose a Treatise explaining the subject in
full. It appears from a notice in the Exhibition that there is a
proposal to publish the cards as a pack without this book. To do so
would limit their use to fortune-telling, a form of fraud against
which you have constantly set your face your whole life long. We
refuse to believe that you have now consented to prostitute the
Sacred Wisdom of Thoth to this base and dishonest purpose and we
insist upon this point being made clear.

10. On May 11, 1938, Lady Harris became officially your disciple,
and was permitted to affiliate to the other Order of which you are
Head, the O.T.O.

11. You made an agreement with Lady Harris by which you were to have
a 66 2/3% interest in the work.

12. For the next four years approximately, Lady Harris prepared
water-colours of the cards. She did this from your rough sketches
and descriptions under your continual direction, subject to your
constant and repeated corrections. In some cases you made her redraw
and re-paint a card which you found unsatisfactory as many as five
or six times. She has, when left to herself, no sense of dignify or
congruity; one of us has seen some attempts which you rejected, for
instance, her ideal figure for "The Fool", the Holy Ghost, was Harpo
Marx. Did you really pass this and Trump I? She gave the Sphinx in
Trump X a French cabahy sabre! And her first conception of "The Lord
of the Winds and the Breezes; the King of the Spirits of the Air",
was a clown in plate armour, waving rapier and dagger, sprawling
over a demented nag, diving through a paper screen in a circus!

13. You left Lady Harris a comparatively free hand in respect of
insignificant details; but at no time did she contribute a single
idea of any kind to any card, and she is in fact almost as ignorant
of the Tarot and its true meaning and use as when she began. We
cannow however, blame you for this.

14. You have followed with as much fidelity as was possible the
traditional designs of the mediaeval packs; but you have notably
enriched and revivified some of them, especially the Trumps, with
your scholarship, as observed above in paragraph 9.

15. In every trump you have not only incorporated symbols
illustrating the doctrines of Payne Knight, Hargrave Jennings,
Arthur Eddington, J.G. Frazer, Bertrand Russell, J.W.N. Sullivan,
Eliphaz Levi and how many others! --but introduced very many ideas
purely personal to yourself and based on your own personal magical
experience--see "The Vision and the Voice", "The Paris Working" etc.

16. In certain cases, in order to make sure that your doctrine of
the New Aeon is clearly manifest as the spiritual-magical basis of
the whole work, you have given new names to the cards. Notably
Trumps XI, XIV, and numerous "small" cards. You have made the final
correction to the attributions--Trumps IV and XVII, according to the
Book fo the Law given to you in Cairo April 8, 9, and 10 1904. You
have used "The Stele of Revealing" (see "The Book of the Law" Chap.
I 49, III 19) to replace "The Last Judgment" (Trump XX) to affirm
the supersession of the Aeon of Osiris the Dying God by that of
Horus the Crowned and Conquering Child. The entire composition is
soaked in and reeks of your own private and personal point of view
with regard to Magick.

17. You undertook this Work with two main motives:--

1. That it should serve as a Magical Atlas of and Guide to the
Universe, for this "New Aeon of Horus", that is, for the next
2,000 years.
2. That its undeniable beauty and majesty should be an
intelligible vindication of the whole of your life's work.
You rightly foresaw that sooner or later it would be clear
that you are the sole responsible author of the Work and Lady
Harris only your more or less docile and intelligent
instrument.

18. You and Lady Harris were at first agreed that the Work should be
put forth anonymously. She wrote to a friend "I intend to remain
anonymous when the cards are shown". You had, of course, pointed out
that any student of the subject would recognise your authorship at a
glance.

19. Too well aware that in the past your work has been stolen and
exploited by unscrupulous rascals and also that doctrinal argument
of a lightly technical kind may all too frequently prove rather hard
for a jury, you took the precaution of introducing certain symbols
into the designs of susch a character that the most stupid would be
compelled to acknowledge your authorship of the Work.

Your conduct is abominable and inexcusable to allow Lady Harris
to issue a catalogue crammed with the grossest errors of fact,
blunders of scholarsip, irrelevancies and absurdities; to allow her
to make herself the laughing-stock of London by larying claim to the
authorship of pictures of which all artists know her to be utterly
incapable, her work having been that of a wealthy amateur persistent
enough to acquire a good technique but with no personality, no
"message" groping in Bloomsbury forgs for the parasitic adulation of
a gaggle of sycophants.

We can understand your passionate wish to get these cards
exhibited, even by a subterfuge, but you had no right to sacrifice
Lady Harris and you have no right to lend yourself, even by silence
to the perpetration of a hoax transparent and nausient as it must
naturally be, which affects the honour of the Fraternity of Art and
Letters.

We repeat that we are surprised; for whatever your faults, you
have always been honourable and truthful with more than ancient
Roman rigour. You must speak now.

for the Society of Hidden Masters.

Justus M.
Sic vos non vobis.
Sunur evique.
.PA

[1st page of letter missing--this is Crowley's "reply" to the letter
from the Society of Hidden Masters.]

Their estimate in paragraph 6 is exaggerated: it depends on the
definition of "serious students."
Nor would it be useful to deny them, as in every case their
truth is guaranteed by evidence independent of my asseveration,
internal evidence of documents easily accessible.

"I do however most strenuously deny participation in the hoax.
This was perpetrated by Lady Harris without my knowledge or consent;
I only learnt of the exhibitions, in the first case several days
after the opening, from information supplied by loyal friends.
This letter is to authorize and to request you to publicize its
substance, either by a letter addressed to the Times and other
newspapers, or as you in your best judgment may see fit.

Believe me,
Gentlemen,
Yours faithfully,
Aleister Crowley

Freemason Letter On Crowley Status

Book: Freemason Letter On Crowley Status by Aleister Crowley

Letter from the Supreme Council of Freemasonry about Crowley's supposed status in the Masonic Order.

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Freemason Letter On Crowley Status

Books in PDF format to read:

Anonymous - Healing Gemstones And Crystals
John Moore - Aleister Crowley A Modern Master Extract
Thomas Voxfire - What Was Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley - Freemason Letter On Crowley Status

Liber 412 A Vel Armorum

Book: Liber 412 A Vel Armorum by Aleister Crowley

An instruction for the preparation of the Elemental Instruments. See also: Equinox I iv, p. 15

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Liber 412 A Vel Armorum

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Liber 570 Vel Ararita
Aleister Crowley - Liber 671 Vel Pyramidos
Aleister Crowley - Liber 231 Liber Arcanorum
Aleister Crowley - Liber 813 Vel Ararita
Aleister Crowley - Liber 412 A Vel Armorum

What Aleister Crowley Says About Ordinary Life

"Am I right in suggesting that ordinary life is a mean between these extremes, that the noble man devotes his material wealth to lofty ends, the advancement of science, or art, or some such true ideal; and that the base man does the opposite by concentrating all his abilities on the amassing of wealth?'

Exactly; that is the real distinction between the artist and the bourgeois, or, if you prefer it, between the gentleman and the cad. Money, and the things money can buy, have no value, for there is no question of creation, but only of exchange. Houses, lands, gold, jewels, even existing works of art, may be tossed about from one hand to another; they are so, constantly. But neither you nor I can write a sonnet; and what we have, our appreciation of art, we did not buy. We inherited the germ of it, and we developed it by the sweat of our brows. The possession of money helped us, but only by giving us time and opportunity and the means of travel. Anyhow, the principle is clear; one must sacrifice the lower to the higher, and, as the Greeks did with their oxen, one must fatten and bedeck the lower, so that it may be the worthier offering." — aleister crowley (Moonchild)

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Kenneth Grant - Aleister Crowley And The Hidden God
Aleister Crowley - Letters Between Aleister Crowley And Frieda Harris
Tupman Tracy Ward - Theatre Magick Aleister Crowley And Rites Of Eleusis
Michael Osiris Snuffin - Aleister Crowley And The Legend Of Pasiphae
Thomas Voxfire - What Was Aleister Crowley

Liber 414 Agape De Arte Magica

Book: Liber 414 Agape De Arte Magica by Aleister Crowley

De Arte Magica Secundum ritum Gradus Nonae O.T.O. Baphometi Epistola anno belli universalis ne perdat arcanum scripta. Written between Sep 6 and Oct 8, 1914

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Liber 414 Agape De Arte Magica

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Liber 412 A Vel Armorum
Aleister Crowley - Liber 633 De Thaumaturgia
Aleister Crowley - Liber 414 Agape De Arte Magica

Magick Without Tears

Book: Magick Without Tears by Aleister Crowley

In 1943 aleister crowley met a lady who, having heard of his wide knowledge and experience, asked his advice on occult, spiritual, and practical matters. This chance connection resulted in a stimulating exchange of letters.

Crowley then asked others to put similar questions to him. The result was this collection of over eighty letters which are now being issued over the title that he chose, "MAGICK WITHOUT TEARS". Crowley did not keep copies of his early letters to the above-mentioned lady, so was unable to include them in the collection that he planned to publish. Fortunately they have been preserved and are now included in the introduction to this book. Their original form has been retained with the opening and closing formulae which Crowley used in all his letters.

Crowley at first intended to call the book "ALEISTER EXPLAINS EVERYTHING", and sent the following circular to his friends and disciples asking them to suggest subjects for inclusion.

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Magick Without Tears

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Magick In Theory And Practice
George Moir - Magic And Witchcraft
Samael Aun Weor - Magic Runes
Aleister Crowley - Clouds Without Water
Aleister Crowley - Magick Without Tears

Thelema Is Religion Or Philosophy

No, I don't intend to give you a deep scourging in answering this perennial question. In fact, the question was once again asked a few weeks ago on a Facebook group, and I answered it concisely, and in a manner I thought might be helpful to people wanting to cut to some kind of chase.

So, I will repost it here:

This question gets asked a lot, and the same answers given:

1. Religion.
2. Philosophy.
3. Both.
4. Neither.
5. Something else (additionally or instead)).

So, what gets learned or settled?

What makes something a religion?
What makes something a philosophy?

Greek philosophers were rejecting or avoiding a religious worldview and adopting another brand, which invited skeptical inquiry and disputation.

I think most philosophers would be bothered and find dubious a commandment such as "Do what thou wilt", especially given its alleged origin, a praeternatural entity. They would not only want to know why such a commandment is correct for humans to follow, but they would question its authority per se.

Crowley of course answered that objection. He said if Aiwass said do something, it doesn't matter what you think about it. It's the Law.

And that isn't a philosophical attitude. It's religious.

Thelema is fundamentally a religion. It does incorporate a lot of aspects of Nietzschean philosophy (as Crowley understood that), but the only reason these have any authority in Thelema is because they align with something Aiwass said about the nature of the Law.

Someone asked in reply what I could cite in support of Aiwass saying do what you're told.

And I replied:

"Magick Without Tears", in a letter entitled "Morals of Liber AL" (Crowley is answering regarding moral "difficulties" of Liber AL):

"You disagree with Aiwass—so do all of us. The trouble is that He can say: 'But I'm not arguing. I'm telling you.'"

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

John Arnott Macculloch - The Religion Of The Ancient Celts
Henry Cornelius Agrippa - Three Books Of Occult Philosophy Book I
Irv Slauson - The Religion Of Odin

Liber 335 Adonis An Allegory

Book: Liber 335 Adonis An Allegory by Aleister Crowley

Adonis an Allegory. A short play. Set in the hanging gardens of Babylon in classical times with classical characters. An account in poetic language of the struggle of the human and divine elements in the consciousness of man, giving their harmony following on the victory of the latter.

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Liber 335 Adonis An Allegory

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Liber 052 Manifesto Of The Oto
Aleister Crowley - Liber 013 Vel Graduum Montis Abiegni
Aleister Crowley - Which Things Are An Allegory
Aleister Crowley - Liber 335 Adonis An Allegory

Thelemic Mysticism

Thelemic mysticism is a complex mystical path designed to do two interrelated things: to learn one's unique True Will and to achieve union with the All. The set of techniques for doing so falls under Crowley's term Magick, which draws upon various existing disciplines and mystical models, including Yoga, Western ceremonial ritual (especially invocations and eucharistic ceremony), the Qabalah, and several divination systems, especially the tarot and astrology.

The path to mystical attainment or enlightenment was initially developed by Crowley largely based on the meditation/mystical techniques found in Buddhism and also the Tree of Life, especially as it was examined by Eliphas Levi in the 19th century and later by various members in the occult society, the Golden Dawn. In 1904, Crowley claimed to have transcribed, via "direct-voice transmission" from a "praeternatural intelligence" named Aiwass, The Book of the Law, which he eventually called the central sacred text of Thelema, heralding a new Aeon for mankind.

Between 1907 and 1911, Crowley wrote a series of other small texts which he considered to be "inspired" in that they were written through him rather than by him, which were afterwards collected together and termed the Holy Books. The final text added to the list was The Vision and the Voice, a vivid account of Crowley's astral travels through the thirty Enochian Aethyrs. These texts formed the final mystical backbone of Crowley's system.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Arthur Edward Waite - The Hermetic Museum
Frederick Hadland Davis - The Persian Mystics Jami
Roman Tertius Sibellius - De Vermis Mysteriis
Reynold Nicholson - The Mystics Of Islam

Liber 074 Testis Testitudinis

Book: Liber 074 Testis Testitudinis by Aleister Crowley

Liber Testis Testitudinis vel ty sub figura LXXIV

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Liber 074 Testis Testitudinis

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Liber 044 The Mass Of The Phoenix
Aleister Crowley - Liber 051 Atlantis The Lost Continent
Aleister Crowley - Liber 079 Testis Testitudinis Vel Thtz
Aleister Crowley - Liber 074 Testis Testitudinis

Liber 004 Or Magick Liber Aba

Book: Liber 004 Or Magick Liber Aba by Aleister Crowley

Magick, Liber ABA, Book 4 is widely considered to be the magnum opus of 20th century occultist Aleister Crowley, the founder of Thelema. It is a lengthy treatise on Magick, his system of Western occult practice, synthesized from many sources, including Eastern Yoga, Hermeticism, medieval grimoires, contemporary magical theories from writers like Eliphas Levi and Helena Blavatsky, and his own original contributions. It consists of four parts: Mysticism, Magick (Elementary Theory), Magick in Theory and Practice, and the Law (The Equinox of The Gods). It also includes numerous appendices presenting many rituals and explicatory papers.

In November 1911, Crowley carried out a ritual during which he reports being commanded to write Book 4 by a discarnate entity named "Abuldiz". This was duly accomplished at a villa in Posilippo near Naples, Italy, and was published in the winter of 1912-3.

Liber ABA refers to this work being a part of Crowley's system of libri. In most systems where letters are given numerical value, ABA adds up to 4 (thus the name Book 4).

Much of the book was dictated to several of Crowley's students, who would also ask questions to get clarification. The principal collaborators were Mary Desti (Soror Virakam), Leila Waddell (also known as Laylah), and Mary Butts, all of whom were given coauthorship credit. (from wikipedia.org)

Download Aleister Crowley's eBook: Liber 004 Or Magick Liber Aba

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Liber 084 Liber Chanokh
Aleister Crowley - Liber 064 Israfel Or Liber Anubis
Aleister Crowley - Liber 004 Or Magick Liber Aba

Aleister Crowley Vs Neo Con Morality

When the work of Aleister Crowley, the most infamous Satanist of the 20th century, is the governing policy and spirit of a so-called "Christian" movement, you get what it is known as a Republican party. Here, now, the parallels between Neo-Con Christianity and Crowley's Book of the Law...
"You know what, I don't have any problem taking his head sticking it underwater and scaring the living daylights out of him and making him think we're drowning him, and I'm a Christian."

A lot of you thought I was kidding when I said there were parallels between Glen Beck's 9-12 Project and the principles embraced by Satanist Aleister Crowley's Book of the Law. Crowley, as you might recall, was a British Satanist who called himself the Beast of Revelation, and signed all of his letters with the number 666. What makes his claim credible enough for Britain's MI6 and the CIA, however, can be found below and in detail here.

I wasn't kidding about Glen Beck, as you'll soon see. But before we start I'd like to discuss the issue of the only unforgivable sin mentioned in the bible: blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. It is a sin that trumps murder itself, as even Paul, who persecuted and murdered Christians before his conversion to Christianity, found forgiveness and became one of the most important martyrs in the Bible.

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is to deliberately misrepresent good as evil, the very thing the Pharisees and and Sadducees engaged in when they called the miracles of Jesus evil and said that they were done through Satan. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is to imply Jesus approves of torture, when he committed no sin, and never struck a man in anger. It is the act of a television anchor, i.e. Sean Hannity, going on his show, calling himself a Christian, and telling his naive viewers that torture is compatible with Christianity; this when Jesus Himself was tortured to death. After all, isn't that what crucifixion is? death by the cruelest torture imaginable? And that's aside from the 39 lashings. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the sin of every Klansman who burns a cross, the symbol of Christ's sacrifice to atone for the sins of humanity. Is it not obvious? They do it for hate. Christ never stood for hate, but for love and tolerance. For the forgiveness of enemies.

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the hallmark of the Satanist. They encourage it in their followers to burn any bridges should they attempt to renounce Lucifer. They encourage it in people who know nothing about them, to make their paths towards Christianity impossible. If a major media or political figure, it is incited in millions of people at once. If you consider the following verse, you might see how it could easily apply to television and film...

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Revelation 13:15

We will discuss some individuals whose actions encourage the commission of the Only Unforgivable Sin. We will compare their life's work to the teachings and principles of Crowley's ode to Satan.

The following, in italics, are excerpts from Crowley's Book of the Law. For the full version, click here.

Crowley claimed to have channeled the Templar god Baphomet when writing this book. Much of it involves Egyptian mysticism and rituals.

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Gender Meaning In Thelema

The emergence of gender issues into public discourse within the O.T.O. is a sign of progress. While much discussion has gone on behind closed doors or in the spoken word, until the Address was published there was no serious discussion of these issues in the public record. Gender issues are community issues and it is only in public deliberation that change occurs in the community.

Gender studies are intellectually challenging. In any society, gender roles are pillars of the underlying and largely unconscious matrix of assumptions about social righteousness, which the ancient Egyptians called Ma’at. These roles are so deeply ingrained from infancy on that they are often difficult or impossible to understand from within. For this reason, the field demands careful and critical attention. Researchers in the field need to be familiar with established methodologies and paradigms, whether they accept them or not, and they need to pay careful attention to the methodological and historical errors of the past. With proper caution, the field can be very rewarding.

In the popular imagination, the sexist (like the racist) is a mythical beast, easily recognized but now rarely seen. Leaving the popular mind and taking a few steps down the feminist path, the beast appears everywhere, and self-righteousness becomes one’s bosom companion. The budding feminist is secure in the knowledge of personal superiority to the sexist rabble. Just a few steps farther, though, the student comes across a mirror set in the path. The cherished critique wraps around, and we realize that the beast is just as much a part of ourselves as it is part of any other. We are all raised sexist and we all bear assumptions that we may never be able to fully transcend. The path is longer than any of our lives.

Because of this I feel no hesitation in saying that aleister crowley was a sexist, any more than I would hesitate to say that I am a sexist, or any other person. The questions in each case revolve around how sexism manifests in the particular case and what can be done to improve the situation. For me, I do less than I could but more than I might. Crowley is dead and I will leave it to spiritualists to help him. I am more concerned with the here and now. Crowley has left us with a legacy colored by his sexism. We can only improve the situation by facing up to these problems and trying to solve them, not by waving them aside.

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The Equinox Vol Iii No Ii The Gospel According To St Bernard Shaw

Book: The Equinox Vol Iii No Ii The Gospel According To St Bernard Shaw by Aleister Crowley

A fascinating study of Christianity by Crowley, built around a critique of Shaw's Androcles and the Lion. Published by Crowley's follower, Karl Germer.

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Liber 194 An Intimation With Reference To The Constitution Of The Order

Book: Liber 194 An Intimation With Reference To The Constitution Of The Order by Aleister Crowley

Any Province of the O.T.O. is governed by the Grand Master and those to whom he delegates his Authority, until such time as the Order is established, which is the case when it possesses eleven or more Profess-houses in the province. Then the regular constitution is automatically Promulgated. The Quotation is slightly adapted from an address in one of the Rituals. See also: Equinox III i; III x. This is an O.T.O. document.

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Liber 018 The Fountain Of Hyacinth

Book: Liber 018 The Fountain Of Hyacinth by Aleister Crowley

Liber Tzaddi Beth Aleph vel Nike A diary of the use of cocaine and heroin and the relations of the Magician therewith. See Liber Al vel Legis: Chapter Two, verse Twenty Two.

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Crowley Spiritual Retreat In The Wilds Of China

Nevertheless, the magus continued his world travels and adventures. For several months during 1905-1906 he undertook a dangerous trek on pony through the wilds of southern China. Amazingly, Rose joined him. Even more amazingly, they brought their one-year old daughter! For Crowley the journey became a lengthy, intense spiritual retreat. For it he sought inspiration from two major sources. The first was a grimoire (magical book) titled The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Malin the Mage, which had been translated from French by Mathers and included diverse prayers, ceremonies, and magical techniques. The second was the “Bornless Ritual”, an invocation (purportedly of ancient origins) used by Golden Dawn members.

Crowley’s goal was what the Abra-Malin grimoire and Golden Dawn members called “Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel”, i.e., mystical union with one’s Guardian Angel (or “Higher Self”). During the journey he doggedly performed the invocation daily. Even after the journey he continued to perform it regularly. Finally, after approximately three months he began to enjoy results. He reported in his diary in May 1906, “Vision quite perfect; I tasted the sweet kiss and gazed in the clear eyes of the Radiant One [i.e., his Guardian Angel or Higher Self]. My own face became luminous.” Such was Crowley’s determination, dedication, and self-discipline with regard to spiritual development.
The Crowley family

Following the trek through China, Crowley left Rose and Nuit in India. The plan was for him to return to England via the Pacific and United States, and Rose and Nuit to return via a more direct route which would include the Suez Canal and Mediterranean. Arriving home, Crowley learned that his daughter had died of typhoid in India and Rose had descended into alcoholism. Crowley, grief stricken, unfairly blamed the death on his wife. Nevertheless, in the summer of 1906 Rose gave birth to the couple’s second child, Lola Zaza (see illustration, above). However, their marriage was doomed. For years Crowley had been having affairs, which took their toll on Rose. He agreed to allow her to divorce him on grounds of adultery. Their marriage ended in 1909.

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Liber 811 Energised Enthusiasm

Book: Liber 811 Energised Enthusiasm by Aleister Crowley

An essay developing the idea of creativity - and genius - as a sexual phenomenon. Specially adapted to the task of Attainment of Control of the Body of Light, development of Intuition and Hatha yoga. See also: Equinox I ix, p. 17

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