Zan and BC's Excellent Thoth Adventure: Crowley Biographies

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.

Thanks Le Fanu, sounds like it would be good to check out

Grigori said:

Thanks Le Fanu, sounds like it would be good to check out

Click to expand...

It's a nice little book and a great introduction to Crowley and his ideas. It's the sort of book you would be happy to recommend to someone who was just getting started, was scared of Crowley, or was curious about Thelema and magick.

I doubt there's all that much there for you though, Grigori.

I don't know, you always get something good out of reading from a new perspective I think I got a lot of use out of Orpheus's book on Thelemic magick, though nothing in it was new, but the presentation opened up ideas for me

Unleashing the Beast: Aleister Crowley, Tantra and Sex Magic in Late Victorian Englan

http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/VolumeV/Unleashing_the_Beast.htm

This seems really like an intelligent read and assessment from someone who not only read Sutin, but analyzed esoteric thinking and yoga/tantra for Western Occultists during late Victorian England.

It may be limited to some, but it was a good starting point for me. For me, it explained to me why I found some limitations in the text when I looked at Crowley's Eight Lectures of Yoga...

Hope it is a helpful perspective.

Cerulean

Thanks for sharing that link Cerulean, I found that a very useful bit of reading It's interesting to see that specific part of Crowley's ideas put into perspective like that.

I'm so glad Kaczynski did the guide for Weiser, but if you're wanting a full meal, buy Perdurabo. You want Perdurabo. Trust me; it makes all these other books look like people clearing their throats. It'll be reprinted in a few months and then you want to swoop in and snap up a copy. It was already a masterpiece before the edits.

I've considered getting a bio on Crowley for ages now and have never got around to it. I see it's only a short time now until the re-release of 'Perdurabo' so I expect it's worth waiting for.

Scion, if you are around, or anyone else, I'd be keen to hear more on why this book is the must read. I'd really like an objective bio and yet it seems that they are either anti-Crowley or written by those who essentially follow Crowley and subscribe to his philosophies. It would be great to know there is a book that can deal objectively with such an obviously complex person. Is 'Perdurabo' that book? Is there another that is?

Le Fanu, how did you go with the Weiser Guide? Given that I'm quite time poor there is something about it that is quite appealing for me right now. Nothing like getting your info in a nutshell, often that's what motivates me to start exploring properly.

For those new to the Thoth who HAVE read one or more of the bios, I'd love to hear if, or how, doing so has helped with your understanding of the deck.

Thanks

I am currently reading DWTW and I am quite enjoying it. It gives the whole study a little 'context'.

Thanks BT. Still not sure what I'll do yet, I expect I'll eventually read one though.