Arcana Arcanorum

by Robert C. Stein, Barry William Hale (Illustrator), Aleister Crowley (Contributor)

In 1907, in the midst of a mystical frenzy, Aleister Crowley received a series of arcane sigils. These sigils were said to be the final form of the Major Arcana of the Tarot, as witnessed by Osiris in the Egyptian underworld. For each arcana, there are shown two sigils: the upright form of the card, showing the triumph or virtue, called the "House of Tahuti," and the averse form, showing the downfall or vice, called the "Prison of the Qliphoth". Each sigil was said to represent a spirit which is also given a name, that the spirit might be called.

Published without commentary in The Equinox in 1912, the enigmatic sigils of this work have intrigued and inspired occultists for over a century. Notable explorations include Kenneth Grant's Nightside of Eden (1977) and Robert Fitzgerald's A Gathering of Masks (2010), where practitioners documented their experiences summoning these potent spirits.

In this book, Robert Stein presents an initiate's perspective into the system as a whole. He further explores in depth the significance of each individual sigil and its corresponding name.

Complementing this analysis, Barry William Hale offers a series of 22 mesmerizing drawings, each piece ingeniously merging the upright and averse spirit of each tarot card into a single, unified form.

Arcana Arcanorum is a journey into the depths of occult wisdom, bridging the gap between historical texts and contemporary interpretation. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner, a tarot enthusiast, or a curious seeker of hidden knowledge, this book serves as a vital key to unlocking the mysteries of the Major Arcana and the spirits they represent.

252 pages, Hardcover

Published January 28, 2024

About the author

Robert Carrington Stein was Professor Emeritus of Biology in the NY State University System, whose involvement in the study and practice of Thelema spans three decades and travels on all seven continents.

Reviews

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound interpretation of Liber 231, a mysterious esoteric "poem" channeled by Aleister Crowley, it depicted 22 Mercurial spirits and their Qliphotic genii counterparts, each pair representing, in turn, one of the Major Arcana of the tarot, or ATU. The original manuscript has no much information apart from the verses for each ATU and their sigils, and the aim of this book is to give an interpretation of this complex manuscript, which I think their authors, Robert C. Stein and Barry William Hale give us an excellent work. Barry William Hale also contributed with illustrations for each of the pairs of gods, demons, spirits who represent the mercurial and qliphotic aspects of each ATU.