Le Fanu
Well I have just received this book, the Weiser Guide to Aleister Crowley. It looks very interesting and genuinely concise (at under 100 pages, then Appendices). From the back;
More than just a fascinating biographical sketch, author Richard Kaczynski's guide offers Crowley's teachings in his own words with a carefully chosen series of instructions for concentration, meditation, invocation, even sex magick. Crowley's descriptions of the teaching orders A:A and OTO are presented, along with the creed of EGC...[...]... This is the first and only introductory book which does not pretend to improve upon the Master's writings, but attempts to showcase them into a coherent intoduction to his spiritual system.
"An excellent answer to the question, "where do I begin?"
(J. Daniel Gunther, author of Initiation in the Aeon of the Child)
"With this concise guide, Dr Kaczynski offers us for the first time a truly proper overture to the amazing and important spiritual figure - a Crowley digest that is delightfully digestible"
(Lon Milo DuQuette)
"Dr Kaczynski's contribution to the canon of beginner's guides to Thelema & Magick stands apart from its predecessors in that it sets forth a simple yet comprehensible map to the Crowley universe"
(Grand Master General OTO)
It contains an introduction by James Wasserman, a 20 page biography of Crowley's life, then
Part I; Mystical & Magickal Societies
A:A (can't do the funny dots they use for punctuation!)
OTO
Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica EGC
Part II Mysticism & Magick
Overview of Magick
Basic Mystical Exercises
Base Magickal Exercises
Sex Magick
Appendices; selection of texts by Crowley (approx 25 pages)
I've been dipping in this afternoon and it is very accessible... No explicit mention of the Thoth deck so far (there will be, I'm sure) but it is very much a primer on where Crowley was coming from.
More than just a fascinating biographical sketch, author Richard Kaczynski's guide offers Crowley's teachings in his own words with a carefully chosen series of instructions for concentration, meditation, invocation, even sex magick. Crowley's descriptions of the teaching orders A:A and OTO are presented, along with the creed of EGC...[...]... This is the first and only introductory book which does not pretend to improve upon the Master's writings, but attempts to showcase them into a coherent intoduction to his spiritual system.
"An excellent answer to the question, "where do I begin?"
(J. Daniel Gunther, author of Initiation in the Aeon of the Child)
"With this concise guide, Dr Kaczynski offers us for the first time a truly proper overture to the amazing and important spiritual figure - a Crowley digest that is delightfully digestible"
(Lon Milo DuQuette)
"Dr Kaczynski's contribution to the canon of beginner's guides to Thelema & Magick stands apart from its predecessors in that it sets forth a simple yet comprehensible map to the Crowley universe"
(Grand Master General OTO)
It contains an introduction by James Wasserman, a 20 page biography of Crowley's life, then
Part I; Mystical & Magickal Societies
A:A (can't do the funny dots they use for punctuation!)
OTO
Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica EGC
Part II Mysticism & Magick
Overview of Magick
Basic Mystical Exercises
Base Magickal Exercises
Sex Magick
Appendices; selection of texts by Crowley (approx 25 pages)
I've been dipping in this afternoon and it is very accessible... No explicit mention of the Thoth deck so far (there will be, I'm sure) but it is very much a primer on where Crowley was coming from.