Gems from the Equinox [Hardcover]

Aleister Crowley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992

Edited with an Introduction by Israel Regardie. Foreword by Hymenaeus Beta.This is a compendium of selections from the 4,000+ pages of the ten numbers of the first volume of The Equinox, and is supplemented by papers from other sources. It was designed to afford the introductory student a reliable and convenient digest of the essential papers of Crowley’s system, and to serve the more advanced student as a handbook and ready reference. It is smyth-sewn and Illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), also known as 'The Great Beast' was one of the most profound students of Magick, Qabalah and yoga psychology. His vast influence reaches through all modern occultism. He is widely recognized as the first Western investigator to give initiation a truly scientific method. In reconciling occultism to physical science, mathematics and philosophy, Crowley achieved a lasting synthesis that remains unsurpassed for depth of insight and comprehensiveness.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1184 pages
• Publisher: Thelema Media (June 1992)
• ISBN-10: 0972658335
• ISBN-13: 978-0972658331
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,249,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensible Magickal Compendium., December 29, 1999

By 

"shedona" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gems from the Equinox (Hardcover)

_Gems from the Equinox_ has probably been the most important item in my personal library, as well as the one most often used. _Gems_ is not only practical, but also highly inspiring in its collection of key Thelemic and A.'.A.'. class A-E documents. It contains all the major rituals: Resh, Star Ruby (pentagram), Star Sapphire (hexagram), Reguli, Gnostic Mass, Samekh (Crowley's version of the HGA invocation), and more. Liber LXXXIX vel Chanokh offers the basic components of the Enochian system (watchtowers, the SDA, the 91 governors & the Keys or Calls) and precedes the original "The Vision and the Voice" account of Crowley's scrying adventure into the 30 aethyrs. The instructional sections are a goldmine, as are the practical disciplines offered in Libers E, O, Nu, Had, Thisarb, Yod and others. The A.'.A.'. syllabus, One Star in Sight, Khabs Am Pekht, Liber AL vel Legis (the Book of the Law), De Lege Libellvm and more are also included in this indispensible compendium of magick. In my opinion, this is THE one book to have on the shelf, or better yet, on the home or temple altar, for daily reference and praxis in magick and mysticism. The only way to make it more complete as a reference work would be to add the material found in _777_.

(Note: The version I own is the 1974-1982 publication by the Israel Regardie Foundation in conjunction with Falcon Press. Very well bound and has held up to a great deal of stress and use; however, I am not at present in a position to comment upon the quality of physical construction of any newer version.)

--Shedona Chevalier--

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars made to stand next to your 'Golden Dawn' volume..., December 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gems from the Equinox (Hardcover)

Let us tersely and conveniently sum up the virtues...

1. For Golden Dawn people, Regardie describes this volume as the companion to his 'Golden Dawn' collection, whether you prefer the Llewellyn, or the more complete New Falcon Press edition. He does so in his newer introduction to his 'The Tree of Life,' and in another book, no doubt soon to be reprinted, called 'The One Year Manual.'

2. Regardie saw 'Gems' as a permanent addition to the Golden Dawn students shelf. Along with Crowley's original 'Magick in Theory and Practise,' he saw these two volumes as containing an immense amount of worthy material that could take the student a lifetime to assimilate and use. He makes this observation at the beginning of a volume entitled 'Ceremonial Magic,' hopefully soon to be reprinted.
The new edition of Crowley's 'Magick' isn't quite what Regardie had in mind for the student. He used to recommend the inexpensive Castle Books edition of 'Magick,' which still occasionally can be found (there is also a smaller paperback Dover books edition floating around, currently out-of-print.) Regardie really wasn't interested in seeing sincere students 'loading themselves down with lots of expensive books.'
(Regardie also write a short introduction for an edition of the first 2 parts of the currently available blue covered edition of 'Magick,' back in 1969. I am unaware if this smaller book is still in print.)
(Part 4 of Book 4 was 'The Equinox of the Gods.' I am unaware of Regardie ever writing any introduction to this book, in any edition. Sangraal Press may have released one in the late 60s/ early 70s. In any event, Regardie does not seem to consider it absolutely essential to understanding the most useful parts of the Crowley corpus. Regardie mentions 'The Equinox of the Gods' but little in his writings.)

3. 'Gems' distinguishes itself, as is noted above on this web page in the 'Book Description,' as enabling 'the student to find his way through the maze more easily.' It does this by dividing the different materials from the original Equinox into seperate sectioned subject areas within the same volume.

4. It is to be noted that Regardie has pointed out that Crowley's personality (!) made his material difficult to properly assimilate for the beginning student - and perhaps for a few advanced students as well. One will find that, in many cases, this is also true for the way Crowley composed much of the magickal material in 'Gems.' Separating the fiery and uneven Crowley from his material becomes part of the difficulty of the project: 'herein the task, herein the toil.'

5. New Falcon, at one point in the 80s, reprinted 'Gems' minus a certain amount of Regardie's introductory material. I think this is a mistake. I hate to sound purist, but we ultimately have little enough Regardie material as it is. We are all thankful, however, for New Falcon's Regardie efforts. See my recent review for 'The Complete Golden Dawn' volume published by New Falcon.

6. Thelemites will no doubt find 'Gems' useful. The bulk of them, however, will probably opt, at least eventually, for the full set of 'The Equinox' volumes entire.

7. As he reprinted much of Crowley's work, Regardie was often consulted or referred to as a Thelemite. Regardie objected to this, and clarified: 'I'm a Golden Dawn man !'

8. Many will be glad to know ahead of time, that the version of 'The Vision and the Voice' reprinted in 'Gems,' is not the annotated one that was released later, both in a smaller Regardie edition with intro., and in the later, oversized Weiser Publishers edition ( probably with intro. by the OTOs Hymenaeus Beta.)

9. Finally, some of the magick material reprinted in 'Gems' is actually available in the back of the different editions of Crowley's edition of 'Magick.' This makes no difference, as 'Gems' will organize the material more effectively, in the long run, for many students.

The above should serve, along with the rest of the present reviews, in encouraging the Golden Dawn student to procure this book as soon as he can, and gradually study it as he would his 'Golden Dawn' material.

Remember : sorting out the material is the real challenge here, and gradually assimilating it. One shouldn't rush the process.

So, forewarned is forearmed! Get a copy !

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem Indeed, May 7, 2005

By 

Michael A. Effertz (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gems from the Equinox (Hardcover)

If you can only own three books associated with Crowley and his teachings, they would have to be "Magick: Liber ABA," "Magick Without Tears," and "Gems from the Equinox." This is a well organized synthesis of the most highly regarded contents of The Equinox. The reviews at the end are also good reading if you're looking for books on the occult or a good laugh.