Magick: Book 4, Liber Aba (Magick Bk. 4)

http://www.amazon.com/Magick-Book-Liber-Aba-Bk-4/dp/0877289190/


I just recieved my copy of this yesterday and I must say I am very very impressed with what I have seen. This book is over 900 pages long and is the lifes work of Crowley. It is a big book.

This is the book that I was waiting to get to truly teach me about the work
of Crowley. It is the ultimate resource to Thelema and contains many of his literary works. The Book of Lies is included in the book which is good because I havent read it yet and will do so now.

I was amazed at all the diagrams and how extensive his teachings are.
A lot instructional papers from the OTO are included as well. I definitely can benefit from the information on Yoga that is in the book.

Has anyone else purchased this book? I see that most of the people on this fourm are well versed with Crowley so you guys likely are already VERY familar with his materials.

I have studied Crowley in the past but I am by no means a expert,in fact not EVEN close. In fact I am now ready to dig into his life and teachings 100%.
Book 4 is not light reading and definitely requires research to fully understand it. Or least it does on my part because I am now just learning. I am sure that some of you guys are well versed with Crowley and his life.

Question: Is there any Crowley book or article I should read before I really get into Book 4. Is there anything that can give me further understanding
before I dig into his really serious teachings.

I am thinking of reading his Berashith paper before I start into Book 4.

Perhaps someone else on here has this book and can give me advice on certain things I can learn from in the book.

Any help or advice will be apprciated. Thanks.

Professor X said:

Question: Is there any Crowley book or article I should read before I really get into Book 4. Is there anything that can give me further understanding before I dig into his really serious teachings.

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I don't know if Book 4 is really the best place to start with, its quite technical in places, and deficient in others and would I think be overwhelming on its own. Having said that though its a great resource and worth referring to often, so it worthwhile having. I've been studying parts of it again the last few days that I've read several times before, and finding so much more in it with some increased understanding from the study we've been doing in the forum here.

What you should read before it really depends on what you want to learn about I think, and what you hope to get out of the book. It might help if you could clarify what your wanting to get from the book, but here's some general ideas.

Book 4 has 4 sections:

Part 1: Yoga. If you want to pursue study according to Crowley's suggested method, this would be the place to start. Aeon418 recommend this book to me and I found it really useful, and much easier to start in than what Crowley has in Part 1.
Yoga for Magick: Nancy and James Wasserman
http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Magick-W...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262335788&sr=8-1

I've also been going to regular yoga and meditation classes recently, which has been excellent for me as I struggled to put theory into practice.

Part 2 & 3: Maybe something more basic on magical thinking would be useful. Some of the GD history and structure is in The Essential Golden Dawn by the Cicero's which is a good place to start.
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Gol...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262337839&sr=1-1
Or for something more specific to Crowley's approach, there is Orpheus's Abrahadabra and DuQuette's Magick of Aleister Crowley, both very recommended beginners books on Thelemic philosophy and magick.
http://www.amazon.com/Abrahadabra-U...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262337889&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Magick-Aleist...=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262337921&sr=1-9
http://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Ceremon...r_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262337941&sr=1-14 (if you can find the book that would be really useful too)

For a beginners book on Ceremonial Magic (not Thelemic specific) you could try Modern Magic from Donald Kraig. http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Magick...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262338581&sr=1-4

Part 4 is on the Book of the Law. You could start with our study group here, and the general discussions would be useful also. There are also some commentaries in the links.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=1698733&postcount=7

http://www.amazon.com/Law-All-Autho...=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262338078&sr=1-7

A good Crowley book to start with would be Magick Without Tears,
http://www.amazon.com/Magick-Withou...r_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262338099&sr=1-15.

In Book 4 itself are recommended reading lists for the A.A. and OTO systems. If you were starting out in the A.A. system, for the first year your advised to read all of these and also do things that interest you (and keep a journal about it). Here is an online version of the reading list. http://www.the-equinox.org/sectionone.html Though how anyone would finish all these books in 1 year is beyond me LOL

Professor X, what kind of stuff have you already read? It's very difficult to advise you further without knowing that. In a way you're question is kind of like asking how long is a piece of string?

On the theory side of things a good grounding in the works of Regardie and Fortune are a definite advantage. Without some kind of preparatory ground work in the fundamentals of qabalah and the Golden Dawn, Book 4 is going to be hard work.

Lon Milo DuQuette's, The Magick of Aleister Crowley, is a good beginners guide to some of the practical material found the appendicies of Book 4.

Here's Bill Heidrick's MTP* study guide.
http://www.billheidrick.com/tlc1986/tlc1186.htm

*MTP = Part 3 + Appendix material.

similia said:

What you should read before it really depends on what you want to learn about I think, and what you hope to get out of the book. It might help if you could clarify what your wanting to get from the book, but here's some general ideas.

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Similia what I hope to get is a in depth look inside the practices of Crowleys teachings and what he taught. I have been studying occult subjects for a while. For example right now I have plans to study to become a professional
Astrologer. I say that to say to that I like to fully understand anything I start reading. It doesnt matter whether it is the Tarot or Crowley. I try to get the most out of any subject I get involved with.

I have indeed read books from Crowley before. I bought Magick without Tears back 2002 I think. I also had his 777 book as well (which I must rebuy) so I am indeed familar with the qabalah. In fact the Tree of Life is what I first learned about when I started studying the occult back in 1999. I am also familar with Hebrew and its varied occult usages.

Since Book 4 is considered to be the magnum opus of Crowleys I figured it is definitely something I would want to read. From what I have read so far it has not dissapointed me one bit.

Thank you for the links,they provide good places to start.
I can DEFINITELY utilize the discussions about the Book of Law to help
me understand it better.

Aeon418 said:

Professor X, what kind of stuff have you already read? It's very difficult to advise you further without knowing that. In a way you're question is kind of like asking how long is a piece of string?

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I am VERY familiar with the teachings of the Golden Dawn. Prior to getting Book 4 I have been intently studying Regardies Golden Dawn book. Plus I have known about a LOT of different magical techniques for years now. I am well versed on subjects such as the astral plane,astral travel,human aura,the chakras etc etc etc. But as of late my head has been inside of Golden Dawn stuff. If you study the Golden Dawn then at some point you are going to run across Crowley and his work as well. At that point some people reject Crowley altogether. However I am inclined to see their is MUCH value in what he taught.

I have read various books on the Tree of Life,I have read Manly P Halls Secret Teachings of all Ages just to name one book. I have read heavily into Rosicrucianism as well.

MTP looks pretty damn good. I will have to pick that book up.

Professor X said:

MTP looks pretty damn good. I will have to pick that book up.

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You've already got it. MTP (Magick in Theory and Practice) is the third part of Book 4.

Part 1: Mysticism (Meditation)

Part 2: Magick - Elementary Theory

Part 3: Magick in Theory and Practice (and all the appendices)

Part 4: The Equinox of the Gods

Aeon418 said:

You've already got it. MTP (Magick in Theory and Practice) is the third part of Book 4.

Part 1: Mysticism (Meditation)

Part 2: Magick - Elementary Theory

Part 3: Magick in Theory and Practice (and all the appendices)

Part 4: The Equinox of the Gods

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Wow you are right. Book 4 is so extensive I havent even seen everything that was in it. Thanks.

Professor X said:

Similia what I hope to get is a in depth look inside the practices of Crowleys teachings and what he taught.

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From a tarot perspective, it might also be helpful to get a more classical Golden Dawn deck, as the differences between it and the Thoth deck will explain a lot. Unfortunately there is only one in print at the moment, and its not the prettiest deck, but it would be the best I think for this purpose.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/golden-dawn/

The book Wang's Qabalistic Tarot is by the same person who did this deck, and it specifically compares the Thoth to the GD deck (as well as to RWS and TdM).
http://www.amazon.com/Qabalistic-Ta...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262478174&sr=8-2

I found the book that is the companion for Duquette's Tarot of Ceremonial Magick which is also very valuable to understand how the GD/Crowley saw the tarot. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

You may find Duquette's "Angels, Gods and Demons of the New Millennium" useful also.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Book 4 really is huge in its scope, and though Crowley intended it for beginners, he failed miserably at making it a book suitable for getting into his system at the start. It's the kind of book that needs a library to go along with it, hence the many links

similia said:

From a tarot perspective, it might also be helpful to get a more classical Golden Dawn deck, as the differences between it and the Thoth deck will explain a lot. Unfortunately there is only one in print at the moment, and its not the prettiest deck, but it would be the best I think for this purpose.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/golden-dawn/

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Thanks for the advice. My local occult shop has a copy of that deck. Noone is ever interested in buying it. I will have to stop by the shop and purchase it.

similia said:

Book 4 really is huge in its scope, and though Crowley intended it for beginners, he failed miserably at making it a book suitable for getting into his system at the start. It's the kind of book that needs a library to go along with it, hence the many links

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Book 4 is most definitely not for beginners. If it wasnt for the fact I was already well familar with the Tree of Life and the Golden Dawn I wouldnt be able to recieve any of it as well as I have now. Someone not knowing anything about Crowley would not do well with reading Book 4. Even advanced occultists might have trouble digesting the contents.

I also see I need to rebuy myself a copy of his 777 book once again. That book is a invaluable research tool.

Professor X said:

Book 4 is most definitely not for beginners.

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This probably applies more to Part 3, Magick in Theory and Practice, than any other. I reckon most people should be able to get something out of the first two parts. And part 4 is accessable to almost everyone.

Professor X said:

I also see I need to rebuy myself a copy of his 777 book once again. That book is a invaluable research tool.

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The most important tables from 777 are included in the appendix to Book 4.

Aeon418 said:

This probably applies more to Part 3, Magick in Theory and Practice, than any other. I reckon most people should be able to get something out of the first two parts. And part 4 is accessable to almost everyone.

The most important tables from 777 are included in the appendix to Book 4.

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I have read through the Yoga part and I am getting into the magical stuff. This is just the stuff I needed to know. Book 4 is a good education to add to what I already know about Magick and Tarot. The part about how you can construct your own altar is excellent. I saw the tables and the different trees of life in the appendix. Very well done.

I read your explanation on what Nuit and Hadit is on one of the older Book of Law threads. Your explanation explained it perfectly for me. I was always a bit confused by that part. I will reading the Book of Law piece by piece to absorb whatever I can. It seems to be best to me to read it a little at a time rather than absorbing it all at once.