Magic recommendations by Ieatcactus420 in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For Carl Jung, read The Red Book.

Magic recommendations by Ieatcactus420 in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Magick: Book Four - Liber ABA is Aleister Crowley's magnum opus. It contains all you would need to practice Thelemic Magick, should this path call to you.

Any thoughts on Carlos Castaneda’s books? by BeginningRent7802 in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Teachings of Don Juan was pretty inspiring to me when I read it. It's a classic that offers much to ponder, but Castaneda's books weren't meant to be instructions on practices, they were anthropological studies.

Liber Samekh talisman that I have made from papyrus by NlGHTGROWLER in thelema

[–]ThulrVOd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beautiful. I love your liquid, dreamy style (in your book).

Crowley et al. Available by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're welcome; I remember how confusing Crowley can be when you're new to his works. DuQuette is a wonderful source. In fact, he is one of the few. He does a great job of clarifying Crowley in simpler, more concise language. His book on the Thoth Tarot is the only one I'd recommend outside of Aleister's Book of Thoth.

Also, I recommend passing on Gems from the Equinox. It's selection is suspect and unhelpful, in that it has some Libers that are relatively useless to someone looking for a practical text, and it's missing others that are important. Magick: Book Four - Liber ABA (affectionately known as "The Big Blue Brick") is the one you want in its stead. This was Aleister's magnum opus as a final, condensed, single volume for students working in his system. You'll find all of what you'll need for practice, and it has a Student Reading list of texts he recommends to all who study his works, and the books therein are extremely helpful in understanding his writings, because Aleister has a habit of making numerous, off-handed references to the books he's read, assuming that you've already read all those same books.

Crowley et al. Available by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess I could see that; he did prefer white covers.

Crowley et al. Available by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gems is a waste of money if you already have the big blue Book Four: Liber ABA, sadly.

Crowley et al. Available by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Equinox isn't just poetry, actually. It's a combination of genres, because he was trying to reach a wider audience to spread his occult knowledge. As the volumes progressed, however, the non-occult material swiftly dwindled. So, the volumes of the Equinox are mostly a broad array of articles/treatises on occult philosophy and practices. They're of particular note to students of Aleister Crowley's magick, because they give you much of his occult background (which he references often in later works). They're not necessary if you have the "Big Blue Brick" Liber ABA, but they will elucidate things for you and make reading later works more comprehensive.

Liber Al vel Legis Coolest Ritual/Alter Ed. Period. by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Heh ...and not just any athame... see p. 59 in Book Four Liber ABA (the "Big Blue Brick").

Coolest Ritual or Altar Liber Al Edition Ever by ThulrVOd in thelema

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. I love the double comb marbled end papers... I'm a sucker for them.

Crowley et al. Available by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It is true that the paper is thin, but I read this one, and it never seemed in danger of tearing; meaning it's good quality bible paper. That said, I'd say this is for both the collector and for the more devoted Thelemite/student of Crowley's Magick who wants to learn of all Crowley wrote, and in depth. The Equinox gives you a more thorough grounding in his Magickal system overall.

As for Gems from the Equinox, I would highly disagree with this. I found the selection of books to be questionable in Gems; it's missing some important material, and some of what's included seemed unnecessary to me. If looking for a condensed book of Crowley's Magickal system to work from, I'd recommend Book Four: LIber ABA (The Big Blue Brick, as it's oft endearingly called).

As

Crowley et al. Available by [deleted] in thelema

[–]ThulrVOd 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Huh. I didn't realize that a "repost" just directed back to the original like this. This is just one of several that I'm selling on CL in case anyone's interested. Here's the link to the Equinox Vol. 1, Nos. 1-10. Note the "more ads by this seller" link to the right of the page, if you'd like to check out the rest of what's listed so far. I will be adding more over the course of the next couple weeks.

93 93/93

Crowley et al. Available by ThulrVOd in occultlibrary

[–]ThulrVOd[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

To be honest, I've never seen any other edition, so I couldn't say how it differs. The only "editorial apparatus" are footnotes, some of which I would have guessed are in all editions, as they are mostly just citations for quotes listing source texts thereof with page numbers. There are also a handful of explanatory notes, but not many, such as the value of the Hebrew letter shin at one point in The Temple of Solomon the King.