Customer Reviews

776 1/2: Tables for Practical Ceremonial

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Wow - it is great to finally have a hardcover version of one of my favorite reference books ( and this book was obviously manufactured to last for centuries ). The engraved gold stamping is really something special - I have no idea how so much detail is preserved on a mass produced book. You simply do not see books made like this one very much if at all these days...

EDIT: I PICKED UP A LIMITED EDITION LEATHERBOUND COPY OF THIS BOOK ( CHECK OUT THE AMAZON.COM MARKET SELLERS ON THE UPPER RIGHTHAND CORNER OF PRODUCT PAGE ) - UN'BELIEVABLE. THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING TO CHERISH. THIS DELUXE EDITION IS GOING ON THE SHELF WHILE I USE THE STANDARD EDITION FOR EVERYDAY USE.

This book is "almost 777" in that it does not include all of the tables but focuses on those most applicable for the creation of a ceremonial ritual; it also includes many tables not found in Crowley's 777. The print is very clear and much easier to read than every edition of 777 that has been published to date.

Even more valuable is a chapter devoted to the "how to" of ritual creation and ten sample rituals to get you started right away. Particularly interesting is Eshelman's adaptation of Liber XV The Gnostic Mass in which he places more emphasis on gender balance and removes O.T.O. specific elements but retains all of the beauty and power of the Crowley version. We finally have a Mass that is truly "for all" to celebrate.

I highly recommend this to all thelemites and non-thelemites alike for a reliable, easy to read, "must have" reference that you will use and reuse for many years.

This is a required work for any ceremonial magician. Not only does it present the contents of Crowley's 777 in a more workable - and more logical - format, but it expands on that work with additional tables and attributions. The appendices on ritual work included at the back of the book are both well thought out and well presented.

Eshelman's writing is well thought out and written for everyone to understand. It puts 777 in a more modern perspective and provides plenty of examples of ceremonial magic one might use. I found myself often thinking, "Aha!" as opposed to, "Hmm.". However, I reccomend a good basis of Crowley's work before reading (or at the very least, as you read) the book, as there are plenty of references throughout. The book is very clean, and attractive and very well put together. I would reccomend it to any Thelemite or someone interested in ceremonial magick.

Unlike other correspondence table books, this book has tables of correspondences you actually need to do ritual work, and is logically organized and printed such that they are easy to locate and read. Other such books seem to have every correspondence there is, making finding what you need for ritual difficult at times.

Aside from the tables, there is a commentary on the tables, and a most excellent section on ritual construction. Following that, are 10 sample rituals, again written with the conciseness and clarity as the rest of the book. These are not just samples, but are rituals that can be performed right away, with well defined purpose and meaning. The 10 rituals not only server as samples of ritual design, but form almost a magickal curriculum that can be incorporated into a magicians normal Work of attainment.

The author also points out, that this book can be used as a study guide for Crowley's Magick in Theory and Practice. Crowley's Magick in Theory and Practice is not a beginners book, and makes assumptions that the reader has some magickal training, often leaving gaps or areas needing clarification for the new magician. While certainly Crowley's book is a masterpiece, having a companion like 776 1/2 which can act as a study guide is invaluable, and the author cites specific references and sections where the student can dive deeper using 776 1/2 as a reference, after providing the needed clarification.

The only issue I have with this book, is that it was not part of my library from day 1. A must have for any serious practitioner or student of the Art.

This thing is a bit overrated here. If you are a young Thelemite much better is Skinner's "Complete Magicians tables". This author switches Heh and Tzaddi as Crowley (in a heroin induced stupor in old age) suggested, but this correspondence is bunk. If you look at Emperor in Thoth deck you can clearly see the light descending from Chokmah. Crowley was hedging his bets. Why is there no mention of Al:1.57 in the Emperor or the Star card descriptions in Book Of Thoth, if you were going to make a major change would you state the reason why? Crowley does not. And as it is written in Al:1:57 "All these letters" not every letter but one, all. But Tzaddi is NOT the star. Not here is Nuit. Why is this letter singled out, because the Natural Intelligence corresponds to meditation and meditation is the key to the revelation of Nature, of Nuit. Look it up. This book is nonessential, the author has nothing new to say and is rehashing well worn paths.

I found the softback spiral bound edition of this book incredibly useful. So much so, that my copy had been utterly thrashed through use. So I was excited that a hardback edition was coming out. I had no idea... I thought it was just going to be a simple reprint in a longer lasting medium. Boy was I amazed!! Not only was it at the amazingly high level of quality as "Mystical Magickal System of the A.'.A.'.", but they added over 80 pages of hardcore, experiential, and practical advice on designing ritual. The unassuming section on tattwa calculations alone made this purchase worthwhile for me personally! There are so many nuggets of wisdom packed into the second half on ritual construction, I don't know where to begin. One definite impression I got though, after reading through the 10 sample rituals and thier breakdown, was that a student of magick at ANY level will be inspired to perform these or self-designed rituals with assurance of competency. The magickal theory is laid down so soundly and simply and demonstrated so practically that it gave me a great boost in confidence! I highly recommend this book to sit proudly on your shelf within reach!

I was very excited for this book to come out and I was not dissapointed in the least. It was very easy to read and understand with 10 extremely useful ceremonies explained and mapped out. A must have for every level of study.