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Magick
This new edition of Aleister Crowley's Magick includes annotations and images shedding light on this challenging text.
First published in Liber ABA (Part II), Aleister Crowley's dark masterpiece Magick is essential reading for students of Thelema and the occult. This guide to the principle tenets of black magic is a concise version of the more dense four-book magnum opus Liber ABA or 'Book 4' and is recommended to initiates.
*Includes original footnotes and annotations.
*Includes images.
First published in Liber ABA (Part II), Aleister Crowley's dark masterpiece Magick is essential reading for students of Thelema and the occult. This guide to the principle tenets of black magic is a concise version of the more dense four-book magnum opus Liber ABA or 'Book 4' and is recommended to initiates.
*Includes original footnotes and annotations.
*Includes images.
69 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 1989
About the author
Aleister Crowley
890 books1,897 followersAleister Crowley was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, proclaiming himself as the prophet destined to guide humanity into the Æon of Horus in the early 20th century. A prolific writer, Crowley published extensively throughout his life.
Born Edward Alexander Crowley in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, he was raised in a wealthy family adhering to the fundamentalist Christian Plymouth Brethren faith. Crowley rejected his religious upbringing, developing an interest in Western esotericism. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, focusing on mountaineering and poetry, and published several works during this period. In 1898, he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, receiving training in ceremonial magic from Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Allan Bennett. His travels took him to Mexico for mountaineering with Oscar Eckenstein and to India, where he studied Hindu and Buddhist practices.
In 1904, during a honeymoon in Cairo with his wife Rose Edith Kelly, Crowley claimed to have received "The Book of the Law" from a supernatural entity named Aiwass. This text became the foundation of Thelema, announcing the onset of the Æon of Horus and introducing the central tenet: "Do what thou wilt." Crowley emphasized that individuals should align with their True Will through ceremonial magic.
After an unsuccessful expedition to Kanchenjunga in 1905 and further travels in India and China, Crowley returned to Britain. There, he co-founded the esoteric order A∴A∴ with George Cecil Jones in 1907 to promote Thelema. In 1912, he joined the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), eventually leading its British branch and reformulating it according to Thelemic principles. Crowley spent World War I in the United States, engaging in painting and writing pro-German propaganda, which biographers later suggested was a cover for British intelligence activities.
In 1920, Crowley established the Abbey of Thelema, a religious commune in Cefalù, Sicily. His libertine lifestyle attracted negative attention from the British press, leading to his expulsion by the Italian government in 1923. He spent subsequent years in France, Germany, and England, continuing to promote Thelema until his death in 1947.
Crowley's notoriety stemmed from his recreational drug use, bisexuality, and criticism of societal norms. Despite controversy, he significantly influenced Western esotericism and the 1960s counterculture, and remains a central figure in Thelema.
Born Edward Alexander Crowley in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, he was raised in a wealthy family adhering to the fundamentalist Christian Plymouth Brethren faith. Crowley rejected his religious upbringing, developing an interest in Western esotericism. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, focusing on mountaineering and poetry, and published several works during this period. In 1898, he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, receiving training in ceremonial magic from Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Allan Bennett. His travels took him to Mexico for mountaineering with Oscar Eckenstein and to India, where he studied Hindu and Buddhist practices.
In 1904, during a honeymoon in Cairo with his wife Rose Edith Kelly, Crowley claimed to have received "The Book of the Law" from a supernatural entity named Aiwass. This text became the foundation of Thelema, announcing the onset of the Æon of Horus and introducing the central tenet: "Do what thou wilt." Crowley emphasized that individuals should align with their True Will through ceremonial magic.
After an unsuccessful expedition to Kanchenjunga in 1905 and further travels in India and China, Crowley returned to Britain. There, he co-founded the esoteric order A∴A∴ with George Cecil Jones in 1907 to promote Thelema. In 1912, he joined the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), eventually leading its British branch and reformulating it according to Thelemic principles. Crowley spent World War I in the United States, engaging in painting and writing pro-German propaganda, which biographers later suggested was a cover for British intelligence activities.
In 1920, Crowley established the Abbey of Thelema, a religious commune in Cefalù, Sicily. His libertine lifestyle attracted negative attention from the British press, leading to his expulsion by the Italian government in 1923. He spent subsequent years in France, Germany, and England, continuing to promote Thelema until his death in 1947.
Crowley's notoriety stemmed from his recreational drug use, bisexuality, and criticism of societal norms. Despite controversy, he significantly influenced Western esotericism and the 1960s counterculture, and remains a central figure in Thelema.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 4, 2017
This book contains two things.
1) Some philosophical thoughts, that are great food for thought, yet, nothing that most of people who study the occult have not thought themselves.
2) An extended description of items for ritual use that spans more than half the book, and in all fairness could be written as a list and occupy couple of pages at most.
The contents of the book are written in a silly way, and it even contains a poem about Humpty Dumpty and other silly subjects.
I always had the idea that Aleister Crowley did not do magick, but he did marketing. Majority of hi writings seem extremely childish and I really believe that people who "love" his writings and practices, they simply do so in a "fandom" way. In the same way that someone likes a celebrity.
The more I read his stuff, the more I believe that he might have found some actual magick to use for himself, but all of his published works are simply trolling.
1) Some philosophical thoughts, that are great food for thought, yet, nothing that most of people who study the occult have not thought themselves.
2) An extended description of items for ritual use that spans more than half the book, and in all fairness could be written as a list and occupy couple of pages at most.
The contents of the book are written in a silly way, and it even contains a poem about Humpty Dumpty and other silly subjects.
I always had the idea that Aleister Crowley did not do magick, but he did marketing. Majority of hi writings seem extremely childish and I really believe that people who "love" his writings and practices, they simply do so in a "fandom" way. In the same way that someone likes a celebrity.
The more I read his stuff, the more I believe that he might have found some actual magick to use for himself, but all of his published works are simply trolling.
December 1, 2018
Nothing against the content of this book, but I was a little disappointed at how it was presented: This is an isolated section of a bigger book called Liber ABA. It's mostly a practical guide to magick rituals without the necessary context, so I thought it was a little disrespectful to the original work.
Otherwise, it reminded me of what a friend once told me: "nobody's going to break it down for you, you're going to have to do the work yourself. If you understand 10% of it, it's OK because you got something out of it."This is how I felt with this book. I got out important notions of the Will and the bridge between the symbolism and the actual Magick, but not that much else. But I will read the Liber ABA, though.
Otherwise, it reminded me of what a friend once told me: "nobody's going to break it down for you, you're going to have to do the work yourself. If you understand 10% of it, it's OK because you got something out of it."This is how I felt with this book. I got out important notions of the Will and the bridge between the symbolism and the actual Magick, but not that much else. But I will read the Liber ABA, though.
December 3, 2020
A good place to start if you’re interested in Crowley. Short and not too advanced compared to some of his other works but can also be difficult to take in.
Crowley has a roundabout way with words and there’s probably lots packed in here that will be missed by the untrained eye.
I’ll be revisiting this when I’m a little more learned as I’m sure it’s probably went over my head.
Crowley has a roundabout way with words and there’s probably lots packed in here that will be missed by the untrained eye.
I’ll be revisiting this when I’m a little more learned as I’m sure it’s probably went over my head.
January 15, 2021
This is real!
Alleged Crowley in early life was born into a Plymouth Brethren home. His father was an elder. His mother called him the beast. He lived up to her expectations. I can relate.
Alleged Crowley in early life was born into a Plymouth Brethren home. His father was an elder. His mother called him the beast. He lived up to her expectations. I can relate.
January 3, 2018
Some gems contained within...
Good read for those interested. To those on the outside, this is not the book to begin with. Worth having in your library.
Good read for those interested. To those on the outside, this is not the book to begin with. Worth having in your library.
January 30, 2024
section of a larger work;
If horses were made for men to ride, were not men made for worms to eat?
If horses were made for men to ride, were not men made for worms to eat?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews