The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema

I picked up this book because I was looking to convert my pentagram and hexagram rituals that I learned from Donald Michael Kraig's book into their Thelemic equivalents. I was also looking to fill in some missing pieces in my basic knowledge of Thelema. And this book has mostly been useful for completing those tasks. LMD accomplishes all this in his usual humorous, down-to-earth style, which makes the book not only immensely useful but also a pleasure to read. That being said, I have some criticisms.One of the problems with this book is that it's a little perfunctory in spots. Maybe it's because I'm used to Kraig's presentation, where he spends 15 pages just on the LBRP, but I like to have a lot of detail when the rituals are described. For instance, in the chapter on Liber Resh, there's no explanation of the signs of the grades at the four quarters. (There are pictures of the grade signs in the chapter on the pentagram rituals, but which sign goes with which quarter is not explained.) This is an important detail, because I've seen different versions of this ritual done where different signs are given. It would be nice to know what Crowley intended here. You can find that out, just not in this book.I like that the author included Crowley's notes on the LBRP. But again, if I hadn't already read Kraig's presentation on the LBRP, I'd probably be missing some of the power of this ritual, as LMD does not go into the visualization aspect, which in my opinion is important. One could easily be left with the impression here that you're just yelling Hebrew at your walls.I have some issues with the organization of the book. Why are the NOX signs given in the chapter on the LBRP when they're not needed until you do the Star Ruby? That means when you're learning the Star Ruby, you have to keep flipping back to the previous chapter. And it's not even all the NOX signs. I was completely confused when I watched demonstrations of the Star Ruby on youtube as everyone seemed to be including a 5th NOX sign that's not in the book. I did a bit of internet research, and indeed, there are 5 NOX signs, not just 4 as in LVX. So not only am I flipping back and forth between chapters to get the necessary information, but the information is not complete.Speaking of the Star Ruby, the transliteration of the Greek is incorrect, at least in the Kindle version. Twice, ΑΣΤΗΡ is transliterated as ASTHR - which, the first time I read it made me wonder "can I buy a vowel, Pat?" "Η" (eta) should be replaced with an Ê (usually pronounced like a long A). The fact that this is one of the letters in θέλημα (Thelema) makes this error ironic. Yes, it's just one letter, but ceremonial magicians are artistic and intellectual and picky about details. They want to pronounce things properly. Speaking of which, how much trouble would it have been to include phonetic spellings for these Greek words? It would have sped up the time it took me to go from yelling Hebrew at my walls to yelling Greek at my walls, which I'm sure everyone reading the book wants to do as well.I enjoyed the section on the Mass of the Phoenix. It made this ritual seem a lot more approachable as it got rid of the sense that it requires any form of self-mutilation. I have yet to practice it, but I feel encouraged by the explanation and also by Lon's very funny (though gruesome) account of the first time he did it.In all, I can recommend the book, just with some reservations. If you already have a strong foundation in ceremonial magic and are looking to make inroads into the Thelemic versions of rituals you know and love, this is a useful book. Or, if you're just looking to get an idea of what the Thelemic rituals are like without necessarily practicing them, this book will give you a good overview. But if you're unreasonably anal retentive like I am, and you like to know EXACTLY what you're doing each and every step of the way, with as many details as possible, this book is going to frustrate you a little. Or maybe it will delight you, but only if you're the sort of person who likes doing some extra research or filling in the gaps however you choose. Personally, I like to get off the ground as fast as possible after reading something, so I was annoyed by these gaps and (in the case of the Greek) errors.

I adore this book!Those who are interested in Thelema should definitely put this at the top of their lists. It is a must-have for all libraries as it not only provides a fantastic crash-course in Thelema (and the man who is Aleister Crowley), but it also is handy as a quick reference for essential Thelemic texts and rituals. A group of my friends considers this to be their Thelemic study-guide and I definitely agree with that sentiment.In addition to being a great little quick-reference, this book is handy for a couple of other reasons as well. It cleverly houses both the image of the Stele and The Book of the Law, making it a great little item for a beginning Thelemite's altar space.Definitely check out this book and share it with your like-minded friends! Take a look at Lon Milo DuQuette's other titles too. He is truly a treasure of our time.

What I liked: the book clarifies much that in Crowley's writings was obscure.

Good Thelemic Ritual resource.

Good o.t.o knowledge.

Great book to start with! I have some of his other works but found a lot of hard to follow. A friend suggested this one. Thank You!!! It makes a big difference and helps pull all the pieces together. The quality is terrific. Solid paperback, well made. A must have in any library.

Great. Breaks down and describes ACs work in detail.

I highly encourage anyone interested in this type of activity to purchase this book. Lon Milo Duquette has a unique ability to bring these concepts down to earth and make them accessible.

If you already know something about ritual magick but you're still looking for a path, and you're curious about the Great Beast and all his Works, this is probably the very best book to start with. Lon Milo du Quette is a Thelemite of many years experience. He writes clearly and in detail about Crowley's magical system, how the rituals (all given here) should be performed and what they mean. And - wow - unusually for a ritual magician, he has a sense of humour too. (Happily more accessible than Crowley's!)Crowley has been dismissed as over-complicated, verbose, or just barking mad. He was - and in many ways still is - way ahead of his time. His magic has a pattern and logic all of its own, but it isn't for dabblers. There is enough information in this book to occupy an aspirant for years.If you want to be a Thelemite, this should be in your library.

This appears to be a compendium of his early work, its a good read if your interested in the occult

Anyone who is teaching, or perhaps studying Thelema will love this guide. It's written in a modern manner, so it's easy to understand. The perfect magick revision guide, as it were. Honest, open and full of information. The best book n Crowley's magick I have come across so far.

A great book to dispel the bloated misconceptions surrounding the man and the order. Insightful and well prepared. Easy to read.I recommend this book.

Excellent book, i bought it on kindle version and it is very nice the way that Lonn it is explaining all the architecture of the Thelema and the Aleister Crowley path, of course we extend this recomendation for the serious readers!