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New Aeon Magick : Thelema Without Tears
Gerald del Campo began his inward travels in 1975 utilizing the various methods prescribed by Dion Fortune, Paul Foster Case, William Gray, Eliphas Levi, Arthur Waite, Helena P. Blavatsky and others. Most of this work was rewarding, yielding profound results. In 1982 he experienced a life changing event which altered his perception of the Universe and his relationship to A complete stranger handed him Liber AL vel Legis, The Book of the Law. After over two decades of traveling this road, Gerald del Campo released the first edition of his field guide to the Thelemic path, New Aeon Magick. Filled with deep insight, practical instruction, and a very down-to-earth style, this volume became an instant success. New Aeon Magick helps decipher many of the puzzles that confront the modern What is Qabalah and how do I use it? Where do I get my Magical tools? What is yoga? What makes Thelema different? These and many other questions are addressed in this "magical travel guide." This is the second revised edition of New Aeon Magick. In it del Campo has expanded and enlarged this unique work by adding more on Qabalah, Gematria, God forms, the Thelemic path, magical ceremonies and much more. Where ever your path leads you to, New Aeon Magick shows the art of magical living and is presented in a realistic, easy to understand and practical fashion. This book is intended for those that want to focus on "Practice" rather than "Theory." It will encourage you to find your own path so that you may open up a road not previously charted. Discovering your path is a very difficult task. Ranging from what groups to join, to how to obtain proper magical tools. The path is filled with trials and pitfalls. All such paths are said to originate from one source, making the philosophical choices we must make even more difficult. New Aeon Magick helps avoid these obstacles. New Aeon Magick is a unique book, and the details of a Thelemic magical life are candidly shared by a magician who has been said to "wear his heart on his sleeve." This is not a book you will put away on your shelf to collect it is a manual and a glimpse into the private life of a Thelemic magician.
213 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1995
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 1, 2017
Quite a few years ago I was given this book by the author, with the inscription, “Read it! Damn it!” Since then he and I have drifted apart (not, I think, on bad terms), but being how I am, I never removed it from my reading list, and finally have gotten around to obeying his injunction. Let this be a lesson in the gifting of books to librarians.
The book gets three stars from me, because in my opinion Gerald accomplished what he set out to in writing it, but it doesn’t really do all that much for me. A lot of the experience of reading it was a re-affirmation of why I am not, and have never been, a Thelemite myself. That said, it was a pleasant read – probably pleasanter than any other text I have read that attempts to explain the Thelemic approach. Gerald says in the Introduction that when he started the book, he intended it as a future study guide for his children, and I think his informal, even affectionate style reflects his imagined audience. I responded well to this style, because it reminded me of pleasant evenings of conversation with the author.
Just a bit earlier in the introduction, he states that the book “will give you a foundation from which to create your own unique methods.” To me, however, the dependence on the established “correspondences” of the Western co-optation of the Qabalah and various other colonially appropriated mythic systems undermines this premise. Anyone who follows the guidelines of this book will be stuck in the same set of assumptions and limitations that defined Crowley and his contemporary occultists of the Golden Dawn and other pseudo-Masonic or post-Masonic orders. This is not a foundation for originality, but for conformity.
Obviously, this approach continues to have a genuine appeal for many, and for that reason this book may well be an excellent primer for many aspiring Magicians and Thelemites. For others like myself it does at least use plain language (much plainer than that the original Magus used) to express ideas such as True Will and Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. The fact that Gerald avoids purple prose and jargon and (for the most part) explains what he has to say as he might to an intelligent child makes it a breath of fresh air within the body of occult literature.
The book gets three stars from me, because in my opinion Gerald accomplished what he set out to in writing it, but it doesn’t really do all that much for me. A lot of the experience of reading it was a re-affirmation of why I am not, and have never been, a Thelemite myself. That said, it was a pleasant read – probably pleasanter than any other text I have read that attempts to explain the Thelemic approach. Gerald says in the Introduction that when he started the book, he intended it as a future study guide for his children, and I think his informal, even affectionate style reflects his imagined audience. I responded well to this style, because it reminded me of pleasant evenings of conversation with the author.
Just a bit earlier in the introduction, he states that the book “will give you a foundation from which to create your own unique methods.” To me, however, the dependence on the established “correspondences” of the Western co-optation of the Qabalah and various other colonially appropriated mythic systems undermines this premise. Anyone who follows the guidelines of this book will be stuck in the same set of assumptions and limitations that defined Crowley and his contemporary occultists of the Golden Dawn and other pseudo-Masonic or post-Masonic orders. This is not a foundation for originality, but for conformity.
Obviously, this approach continues to have a genuine appeal for many, and for that reason this book may well be an excellent primer for many aspiring Magicians and Thelemites. For others like myself it does at least use plain language (much plainer than that the original Magus used) to express ideas such as True Will and Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. The fact that Gerald avoids purple prose and jargon and (for the most part) explains what he has to say as he might to an intelligent child makes it a breath of fresh air within the body of occult literature.
November 25, 2015
I made a mistake a thought this was the earlier version of Gerald's book which I also have. Recently, Gerald sent me this one, the Luxor edition and so now i'm reading this and comparing notes! Where I thought the original was a classic, this just brings it up a whole another notch! ;-)
December 20, 2018
This will probably be my go to for anyone interested in Thelema and what the system itself means. While it doesn't touch much on Crowley himself, it is a damn good overview of the basic ideas and concepts within Thelema and also spells out some of the more standard rituals as well.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews