Keith Rowley has studied Magick and Qabalah for thirty years. He has deep interests in the limitations of science and mathematics and holds advanced degrees in engineering and business.
An expatriate Welshman, he lives in Centurion, South Africa with his wife Hettie. The Aquarius Key is his first published work.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't read late at night,
By
This review is from: The Aquarius Key: A Novel of the Occult (Paperback)
Upon meeting Keith Rowley, one cannot help being struck by his alertness, articulacy, and alacrity. He is a pragmatic, no-nonsense person, a good engineer, a successful businessman, and probably the last person one would associate with a novel of the occult. He doesn't keep a goat's head in the fridge (at least, I don't think he does), nor does he creep around at night wearing a hood with holes and sucking the blood of virgins. So where does this fascinating, sometimes frightening and shocking, book come from?
Despite the health warnings on the cover (words such as `Novel' and `Fiction'), Rowley admits that The Aquarius Key is `not wholly a work of fiction'. Does that mean that his descriptions of satanic rape, magical mind control, and astral travel are based on personal experience? I should be surprised if that were so, although he quite clearly takes a keen interest in the possibility of such things; if truth be told, so do most of us. However, Aleister Crowley - once described as the wickedest man in the world - was very real, and The Aquarius Key draws on the little that is known of this enigmatic character and his work for its key theme: he was the prophet chosen to usher in the new age of Aquarius, an alternative or successor to Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, or even Joseph Smith. There is another way in which this book overlaps definitions: the extensive and informative appendices at the back of the book, which address issues such as `Magick' and the limits of science, the life and legacy of Aleister Crowley, `Magickal' theory, elementary cabbala (Rowley spells it with a `Q'), Tarot, and other esotericisms, lend the flavour of an academic paper to an otherwise entertaining yarn. Which is it to be: a story or a lecture? As it is, it is a mishmash of both: a tale that attempts both to educate and to entertain, as well as a thesis that masquerades as science. Not even Dan Brown presumed that he could make The Da Vinci Code into such an improbable creature. Rowley's best writing is reserved for the appendices. That is not to say that his story is poorly written, but rather that I suspect that the reader is meant to treat it more seriously than he or she would a late-night horror movie. Rowley argues that, since the average person has insufficient education to interpret or understand science, he or she is forced into `believing' science, as they would religion or the paranormal. It's a compelling argument, although I suspect he is mistaken in ignoring the possibility that most people `believe', not in science, but in the rigorousness of the scientific method, which keeps scientists honest in the withering crossfire of peer review and continual, Popperian attempts at falsification. What should I recommend, then? The story is gripping, drawing on our human susceptibility to irrational fears, the very things that give breath and life to our major religions. Those who find a thrill in the possibility of a conspiracy of secret, mysterious, and powerful world leaders beyond the ken of the ordinary political elite will have much to think about. Appropriately, the dominant colours of this novel are dark - grey, midnight blue, and mahogany - and the feelings it invokes are similarly gloomy. After reading it, I was forced to reconsider my opinion of the occult, as well as wonder whether there really was anything to Rowley's implication that, with sufficient practice, we too could access the long-lost, frightening powers of our deep psyche. I made a nice cup of tea, walked into the sun, had a quiet lie down, and soon felt better.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A work of excellence,
This review is from: The Aquarius Key: A Novel of the Occult (Paperback)
Sue and Bill Williams live normal contented lives: Sue is a handsome woman in love with her husband, and Bill, a successful, hard-driving businessman. In the blink of an eye, everything changes. They are thrown into a reality where they come face-to-face with true evil. People they've known and trusted for years suddenly become their greatest peril--and neither of them would have ever guessed that they would play an integral role in bringing evil into their world. Bill not only discovers that an occult group is responsible for this madness, but that his brother Peter is part of it all.
I never give the 5-medallion rating easily; however every blue moon you come across a book that just knocks your socks off for the quality of writing and the complexity and magnetism of the story. I've stumbled onto one right here. The Aquarius Key is in my opinion, the technical standard to which all self-published authors should aspire. The writing is clean and as sharp as a blade and the story tight and cohesive, with that incredible pull that makes you wish your day would go faster so you can go home and read it some more. There are some scenes of a violent sexual nature in this book, as well as other themes that are appropriate for adult readers only. This book touches on the darker nature of the occult and esoteric practices that may not be palatable to certain people. I will openly admit that many parts of this book just screeched right over the top of my head; I claim no great knowledge of the esoteric practices, nor do I pretend to understand it all in great depth; however the well-researched glimpses Mr. Rowley paints of the ceremonies and teachings of Kabbalah and magic were vivid and enlightening. He showed with credibility what a fine line it can be between good and evil, using fiction, history, science and fact in a graceful dance of words. Keith Rowley introduces the reader to the dark history of Aleister Crowley, to the Thelemic texts, and to the darker side of the practices. He follows the spiritual schooling of a young Peter throughout the book, giving his reader a cursory edification into the practices of magic. It was fascinating but the flow of information was a bit overwhelming at times, which is the only criticism I have of this book. I give The Aquarius Key five medallions. It is an excellent read; and I recommend it to anyone who likes an intelligently presented novel and a thrilling, hair-raising story.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very dark.,
By NR (Brighton, CO) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Aquarius Key: A Novel of the Occult (Paperback)
Well written, just a bit darker than I was thinking it would be. More of a "Rosemary's Baby" thing than an enjoyable jaunt into the occult, but well researched. Probably the best part of the book is the appendix at the end - thoughtful and balanced.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
