Customer Reviews

The Ladder Of Lights

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4 star:		(1)
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Hands down, this is one of the best books on modern Qabala ever written! Gray takes a step-by-step look at the Ten Sephiroth and their traditional attributions in each of the Four Qabalistic Worlds. A relatively simple, no-nonsense approach to modern Qabalism.

In some ways, I view this book as a companion piece to Dion Fortune's much better-known work, "The Mystical Qabalah," since both books provide the reader with a fairly straightforward approach to this challenging subject. Where Fortune starts at the top of the Tree of Life and works her downward, however, Gray starts at the bottom of the Tree and works his way to the top. Although Grey's interpretation of the Tree is similar to Fortune's, by approaching the material from a completely different perspective he is also able to provide new insight.

This book's greatest strength is that it analyzes each of the ten Sephiroth from each of the Four Qabalistic worlds, providing the reader with something sorely missed in Dion Fortune's classic book on the subject. This book's greatest weakness is that, unlike Fortune, Gray pays almost no attention to the organization of the Sephiroth upon the Tree, or to the relationships between them. Without a word of explanation Gray also reverses the traditional Yetziratic attributions of Malkuth and Yesod, assigning them to the angelic choirs of Cherubim and Ashim respectively, although I do see the logic and consistency of this attribution.

Overall, this is a good, solid title for somebody interested in approaching modern (non-rabbinical) Qabalism for the first time. I'd recommend reading Dion Fortune's book first, if you haven't already, and then tackling this book immediately afterwards for a different take on the same material.

This is by far the best book I've ever seen on the Qabalah and its philosophy. William Gray has a feel for the technical nuances of the Qabalah that few others possess. While the Qabalah is indeed "mystical" as Dion Fortune states in her excellent book (a perfect companion to Ladder of Lights), it is also a living thing, growing, changing, and redefining itself as time passes and human culture changes. Gray's technical approach appeals especially to me as a professional engineer - as above, so below, especially with his excellent analogies that ring true today. Grey is not afraid of looking at the Qabalah in new ways, even ways that contradict "tradition". Again, Qabalah is a living thing and living things that don't change are, well, dead.

I've re-read this book every year for many years, and I always find new things in it. Few books come close to the sheer density of insight that this one possesses.

You can't go wrong with this book if you're looking for a way to cut through the veils and get a true understanding of what makes Qabalah the best-ever method of getting a handle on the way the universe works.

Unlike most books on the subject, William Gray's 'The Ladder of Lights' speaks to the reader personally in a simple and sane way, without any obstruction to meaning.

His writing style is very different to other authors who produced books around the same period or earlier and his approach is very down to earth.

He also has a clever capacity to put simple meanings into short phrases which are designed to illuminate and assist the reader in understanding concepts which in other books are consistently given obscure meanings.

He is frequently able to bring fresh meanings and contemplation to Quabalistic symbols and ideas in a way that is very matter of fact which provides the reader with ample room for contemplation.

A very good book that should be on the shelf of any serious Western Magician.

This is by far the best book I have seen which explains the Qabballah. It uses simple language, and very clever symbolism to explain the workings of it. Well worth it.

Like most books on Hermetic Qabalah this one discusses the 10 spheres in the 4 worlds. Gray begins with Malcuth onward to the Negative Veils, which is sort of the way to climb the tree in practice. This book should be supplemented with his other book The Talking Tree which discusses the paths in the four worlds and also their associations with the various tarot cards. Gray is very clear in his writing so you won't get confused about what he's talking about.

Really enjoying this Book, explains things, very well,Basic information given, as well as further The Ladder Of Lights Knowledge quite in depth.Well worth a re-read over.

Some people may not like me for saying this, but I think people would be better off if they read this book instead of the Bible because this book explains the universe we live in. The Bible does not.

This is the best book on the Kaballah I have ever read. William G. Gray is one of the best, if not the best writer on occult subjects. He is an honest and highly spiritual person. I say this because there are a lot of people out there writing books on the occult today, especially magic, who are leading people in the wrong direction, not always intentionally, but still doing it, in my opinion. Gray tells you the truth, and all of it. Most of the other writers give me the feeling they are holding something or a lot back. A person could save him or herself a lot of trouble by reading Gray's books before they read any others on the occult.

Gray's writing style is friendly and makes me feel that I am reading the words of a kindly teacher who wants me to succeed. VERY VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND this and the other books of his I am reading, Magical Ritual Methods and The Language of the Gods. I definitely want to acquire all of his writings.

This is by far the best book I have seen which explains the Qabballah. It uses simple language, and very clever symbolism to explain the workings of it. Well worth it.