Full Description
To truly understand the philosophy and practice of Thelema, you need to understand its charismatic and influential founder, Aleister Crowley. Thelema demystifies this enigmatic figure, providing a biography of Crowley and showing how his work evolved to become a paradigm-shifting system of magick. This book also explores the texts and writings that form the basis of Thelema, and it provides step-by-step instructions for practicing the basic rites and rituals of this misunderstood tradition. With this accessible guide, you will discover how Crowley and Thelema were influenced by Qabalah, the GoldenDawn, Egyptian deities, sex magick, tarot, Gnosticism, Eastern philosophy, yoga, and much more.
Contents
Contents
Foreword by Lon Milo Duquette xvii
Introduction 1
Onion Peelings 5
1. Man, Myth, and Legend 7
Birth and Early Childhood 8
Early Adulthood 11
Aleister Arrives 13
The Dawn of the Magician 17
Mr. & Mrs. Crowley 23
The Equinox of the Gods 26
The Magus and the Equinox 32
The Temple of the East 38
The Great War and the Great Work 42
The Abbey 46
Late Masterpieces: Thoth and Tears 50
A Greater Feast 54
Legacy 57
2. Philosophy 59
The Philosophy of Thelema 60
Do What Thou Wilt 60
Love Is the Law 61
Individuation 61
The Religion of Thelema 63
Do Thelemites Worship? 65
The Stele of Revealing 67
Sin 68
Evil (So Called) and Black Magick 69
Death 72
The Great Work 74
Magick 75
The Magick of Abramelin 79
Into the Abyss 81
The Great Work (Redux) 83
The Book of the Law 84
The Aeon of Horus 88
The Beast and the Scarlet Woman 90
Boleskine House 91
Qabalah 92
Gematria 92
The Tree of Life 93
The Four Worlds 95
Magical Formulæ of the New Aeon 96
The IAO Formula 97
FIAOF 98
ABRAHADABRA 99
LASHTAL 100
AUMGN 101
3. Practices and Observations 103
Thelemic Greetings 104
Saying Will 106
The Magical Diary 107
The Thelemic Calendar 110
Holy Days 111
Feasts of the Times 112
The Prophet and His Bride 112
The Three Days 112
A Feast for Tahuti 113
The Supreme Ritual 113
The Equinox of the Gods 113
Fire and Water 113
Life 113
Death 114
Calendar 114
Yoga 115
Yama and Niyama 115
Asana 116
Pranayama 117
Pratyahara 118
Dharana 118
Dhyana 119
Samadhi 120
The Basics of Thelemic Ritual 121
Pentagrams 121
Hexagrams 123
God Forms and Signs 125
Liber Resh vel Helios 131
At Sunrise (Ra) 132
At Midday (Ahathoor) 133
At Sunset (Tum) 133
At Midnight (Khephra) 133
The Star Ruby 134
The Qabalistic Cross 134
Formulation of the Pentagrams 135
Liber V vel Reguli 136
The First Gesture 138
The Second Gesture 140
The Final Gesture 145
The Gnostic Mass 147
Dieu Garde 149
Step and Sign of a Man and a Brother 150
Hailing Sign of a Magician 150
Flame of Adoration 150
Attitude of Resurrection 150
Striking the Breast 151
Of the Furnishings of the Temple 152
Of the Officers of the Mass 153
Of the Ceremony of the Introit 153
Of the Ceremony of the Opening of the Veil 157
Of the Office of the Collects Which are Eleven in Number 161
Of the Consecration of the Elements 166
Of the Office of the Anthem 167
Of the Mystic Marriage and Consummation of the Elements 169
4. Modern Thelema 173
Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) 173
A A 176
The Order of the Silver Star 176
The Order of the Rosy Cross 177
The Order of the Golden Dawn 177
Bibliography 181
Index 185
