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Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley, The (Paperback)

~ Richard Kaczynski (Author), (Editor)
Key Phrases: drug fiend, sex magick, The Book of the Law, The Equinox, Golden Dawn (more...)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In addition to the fascinating biographical sketch drawn by Richard Kaczynski, author of the classic biography Perdurabo, this book offers Crowley’s teachings in his own words. A carefully chosen series of his instructions for concentration, meditation, magick, invocation, even sex magick are included. Crowley’s descriptions of the teaching Orders A:.A:. and OTO are presented, along with the Creed of EGC. In addition, a suggested reading list of Crowley’s “top-eleven” most important books is enhanced by an extensive bibliography for further in-depth research. This is the first and only introductory book that does not pretend to “improve” upon the Master’s writings, but attempts to showcase them into a coherent introduction to his spiritual system.



. A practicing occultist whose mastery of western magick and eastern mysticism was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries, and who continues to be an icon for many of today's practicing magicians.

. The founder and prophet of the new religious movement of Thelema, best known by its oft-misunderstood catchphrase, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

. A prolific poet whose Collected Works, by age thirty, filled three volumes, and whose last published work, Olla, was subtitled Sixty Years of Song.

. A maverick mountaineer whose numerous innovations and world records in the sport are acknowledged by even his most vocal critics.

. An adventurer whose exploits in the far east were serialized by Vanity Fair magazine as "A Burmese River."

. An impresario who took the violin troupe, the Ragged Ragtime Girls, on a tour of Russia.

. A British secret agent who marshaled his literary and occult connections to the service of his country, including (reputedly) the invention of the "V for Victory" sign as a magical antidote to the swastika.

. A ranked chess master who could trounce many players without even looking at the chess board.

. A pioneering entheogenic explorer who conducted psychedelic experiments with mescaline.

. Producer and star of The Rites of Eleusis, a series of ritualistic plays featuring an innovative blend of magick, drama, music and poetry.

. One of the most unjustly vilified men in the history of journalism, garnering headlines like "The Wickedest Man in the World" and "A Man We'd Like To Hang."



More mistruth and rumor has circulated about Aleister Crowley than perhaps any other figure in recent history. When the reporter Henry Hall introduced him to readers of the New York World Sunday Magazine, he wrote, "Some said that he was a man of real attainments, others that he was a faker. All agreed that he was extraordinary." Crowley openly defied social conventions, challenging people to examine what they really believed, and why they believed it. He confronted blind faith with rational skepticism. Yet he likewise challenged the skeptic with scientific illuminism, a systematic approach to spirituality that he described as "The method of science, the aim of religion."


About the Author

Richard Kaczynski, PhD, has been a student of the western mystery tradition—and of Thelema and the works of Aleister Crowley in particular—since 1977. He has been a member of O.T.O. since 1987, and an international lecturer on magick since 1990. He is the author of the critically acclaimed biography Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley as well as the books Perdurabo Outtakes and Panic in Detroit: The Magician and the Motor City. Along with Hymenaeus Beta, he is co-editor of The Revival of Magick and Other Essays. Over the years, his writing has appeared in various magazines (High Times, Different Worlds, The Magical Link, Mezlim, Eidolon, Neshamah, Cheth) and books (Golden Dawn Sourcebook, Rebels and Devils). He currently lives in Maryland with his wife and cat.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Weiser Books (April 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1578634563
  • ISBN-13: 978-1578634569
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #622,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent First Book For Those Interetsed In Crowley , March 2, 2009
By John Hansen (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

It is almost an axiom that if you want to sell a lot of occult books, as you might do if you were a new occult publisher, you need only publish a book about Aleister Crowley. Of all the books about Crowley I have ever read, and this book has a six-page bibliography of them; I believe this is certainly the most informative introduction to Crowley and his works. I highly recommend it along with `Magic Without Tears,' to those interested in Crowley and his magical operations. I would even say these two books should be a prerequisite to any other study of Crowley's works or magical system.

For those who are interested in joining any of the several occult organizations founded by Crowley there is an abundance of contact information, as well as a recommended reading list in the book. A safer introduction to the kind of thing Crowley was involved in may be gained by becoming a Freemason. Most of his organizations have a definite Masonic slant or cast to them. Not all magical organizations are so oriented.

For those who do not know anything about Aleister Crowley, born in 1875, he inherited a goodly sum of money, and like many inheritors, proceeded to throw it away, assuming that their funds would be replaced in some unknown way. By 1905 or so, Crowley was, for all practical purposes, broke. He then lived on what was essentially the charity of others and his ever-expanding reputation as being, `The wickedest man in the world.' This book is a paean of praise for his life and works, one of many written in that regard, but a better written and more informative book than most.

Crowley is one of these people in the occult community you either like or dislike. If you either like him or are indifferent to him, you really should read this book. If you dislike Crowley, it is unlikely this book will change your mind. There have been a few books written opposing Crowley, none of which are as worthwhile as this one. However, this book favors Crowley, and so it was not written with an even hand.

Highly recommended for both admirers and detractors of Crowley.
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