What do you think?
Rate this book
The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley
In addition to the fascinating biographical sketch drawn by Richard Kaczynski, author of the classic biography Perdurabo, this book offers Crowley's teachings in his own words. A carefully chosen series of his instructions for concentration, meditation, magick, invocation, even sex magick are included. Crowley's descriptions of the teaching Orders A∴A∴ and OTO are presented, along with the Creed of EGC. In addition, a suggested reading list of Crowley's "top-eleven" most important books is enhanced by an extensive bibliography for further in-depth research. This is the first and only introductory book that does not pretend to "improve" upon the Master's writings, but attempts to showcase them into a coherent introduction to his spiritual system.
.A practicing occultist whose mastery of western magick and eastern mysticism was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries, and who continues to be an icon for many of today's practicing magicians.
.The founder and prophet of the new religious movement of Thelema, best known by its oft-misunderstood catchphrase, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
.A prolific poet whose Collected Works, by age thirty, filled three volumes, and whose last published work, Olla, was subtitled Sixty Years of Song.
.A maverick mountaineer whose numerous innovations and world records in the sport are acknowledged by even his most vocal critics.
.An adventurer whose exploits in the far east were serialized by Vanity Fair magazine as "A Burmese River."
.An impresario who took the violin troupe, the Ragged Ragtime Girls, on a tour of Russia.
.A British secret agent who marshaled his literary and occult connections to the service of his country, including (reputedly) the invention of the "V for Victory" sign as a magical antidote to the swastika.
.A ranked chess master who could trounce many players without even looking at the chess board.
.A pioneering entheogenic explorer who conducted psychedelic experiments with mescaline.
.Producer and star of The Rites of Eleusis, a series of ritualistic plays featuring an innovative blend of magick, drama, music and poetry.
.One of the most unjustly vilified men in the history of journalism, garnering headlines like "The Wickedest Man in the World" and "A Man We'd Like To Hang."
More mistruth and rumor has circulated about Aleister Crowley than perhaps any other figure in recent history. When the reporter Henry Hall introduced him to readers of the New York World Sunday Magazine, he wrote, "Some said that he was a man of real attainments, others that he was a faker. All agreed that he was extraordinary." Crowley openly defied social conventions, challenging people to examine what they really believed, and why they believed it. He confronted blind faith with rational skepticism. Yet he likewise challenged the skeptic with scientific illuminism, a systematic approach to spirituality that he described as "The method of science, the aim of religion."
.A practicing occultist whose mastery of western magick and eastern mysticism was unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries, and who continues to be an icon for many of today's practicing magicians.
.The founder and prophet of the new religious movement of Thelema, best known by its oft-misunderstood catchphrase, "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
.A prolific poet whose Collected Works, by age thirty, filled three volumes, and whose last published work, Olla, was subtitled Sixty Years of Song.
.A maverick mountaineer whose numerous innovations and world records in the sport are acknowledged by even his most vocal critics.
.An adventurer whose exploits in the far east were serialized by Vanity Fair magazine as "A Burmese River."
.An impresario who took the violin troupe, the Ragged Ragtime Girls, on a tour of Russia.
.A British secret agent who marshaled his literary and occult connections to the service of his country, including (reputedly) the invention of the "V for Victory" sign as a magical antidote to the swastika.
.A ranked chess master who could trounce many players without even looking at the chess board.
.A pioneering entheogenic explorer who conducted psychedelic experiments with mescaline.
.Producer and star of The Rites of Eleusis, a series of ritualistic plays featuring an innovative blend of magick, drama, music and poetry.
.One of the most unjustly vilified men in the history of journalism, garnering headlines like "The Wickedest Man in the World" and "A Man We'd Like To Hang."
More mistruth and rumor has circulated about Aleister Crowley than perhaps any other figure in recent history. When the reporter Henry Hall introduced him to readers of the New York World Sunday Magazine, he wrote, "Some said that he was a man of real attainments, others that he was a faker. All agreed that he was extraordinary." Crowley openly defied social conventions, challenging people to examine what they really believed, and why they believed it. He confronted blind faith with rational skepticism. Yet he likewise challenged the skeptic with scientific illuminism, a systematic approach to spirituality that he described as "The method of science, the aim of religion."
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
22 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Richard Kaczynski
27 books88 followersRichard Kaczynski is an American writer, musician, research scientist, and lecturer in the fields of social psychology, metaphysical beliefs and new religious movements. He is known for his biography Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley (North Atlantic Books, 2010), acclaimed by the Times Literary Supplement as "the major biography to date" of the Edwardian enfant terrible, and regarded by the Norwegian daily Aftenposten as the best biography of Crowley.
He has lectured internationally since 1990, and over the years his writing has appeared in magazines ranging from High Times to the Lovecraftian role-playing journal Different Worlds. He has also appeared on television in the documentaries Secrets of the Occult and Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666.
Kaczynski has also played keyboards for the progressive rock bands House of Usher, Page, and Celestial Serenity.
Dr. Kaczynski earned his Ph.D. in social psychology, with a minor in measurement and statistics, in 1993 with a dissertation on metaphysical beliefs and experiences among occult practitioners in New Religious Movements. He works professionally as a research scientist and biostatistician on studies ranging from clinical trials of psychiatric medications to program evaluation of compensated work therapy.
He has lectured internationally since 1990, and over the years his writing has appeared in magazines ranging from High Times to the Lovecraftian role-playing journal Different Worlds. He has also appeared on television in the documentaries Secrets of the Occult and Aleister Crowley: The Beast 666.
Kaczynski has also played keyboards for the progressive rock bands House of Usher, Page, and Celestial Serenity.
Dr. Kaczynski earned his Ph.D. in social psychology, with a minor in measurement and statistics, in 1993 with a dissertation on metaphysical beliefs and experiences among occult practitioners in New Religious Movements. He works professionally as a research scientist and biostatistician on studies ranging from clinical trials of psychiatric medications to program evaluation of compensated work therapy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 4, 2016
Wish I would have read this one earlier in my career. Also, tables.
January 23, 2019
It's difficult to criticise the book too harshly for being precisely what it says on the cover: a concise guide. It could be argued that it's perhaps a little too concise, or perhaps more precisely that the balance of contents is not quite right.
The short biographical section is quite good and does the job if you just want an overview of Crowley's life. It's not really a life to be summarised, though, as it was so full and over the top. It's no substitute for a fuller biography, or best of all the brilliant 'Confessions'.
The weakest section concerns his actual system of Magick. This part is far too scant to get any real sense of what Crowley was about either practically or philosophically.
On the other hand, the sections on the A.'.A,', and the O.T.O. go into far too much depth and become a bit tedious. The Orders Crowley was involved with are far less interesting than his actual teachings and practice. This section could have done with being considerably shorter and donating some of its page count to the real meat of his Magick.
The short biographical section is quite good and does the job if you just want an overview of Crowley's life. It's not really a life to be summarised, though, as it was so full and over the top. It's no substitute for a fuller biography, or best of all the brilliant 'Confessions'.
The weakest section concerns his actual system of Magick. This part is far too scant to get any real sense of what Crowley was about either practically or philosophically.
On the other hand, the sections on the A.'.A,', and the O.T.O. go into far too much depth and become a bit tedious. The Orders Crowley was involved with are far less interesting than his actual teachings and practice. This section could have done with being considerably shorter and donating some of its page count to the real meat of his Magick.
June 3, 2020
After reviewing a few options for quickly and efficiently learning about Crowley, I chose this book and am happy I did. I heard about it from the editor James Wasserman on the Duncan Trussel Family Hour podcast. It's short, ~100 pages, well-written, and informative.
I'd easily recommend it as an intro to Crowley, his Magick, and the western occult during the early 1900s.
Here's a bullet-point summary:
- Crowley was a high-volume guy. Mountaineer and world Traveller who explored many wisdom traditions including Buddhism, tantra, Vedanta, yoga, and others. Also a proscribed heroin user on and off for pain. Vilified and misunderstood and also a massive ego.
- He started or lead two major occult groups A.A. And OTO and became a prophet of the occult.
- He channeled a number of teachings (his class A writings) from entities (angels, beings, spirits, etc), the most interesting of which yielded the law “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
- The law has to be understood with the notion of True Will — it’s not do anything impulsive (though you can) but instead find your life’s purpose, your true will, and do that and let nothing stop you. It’s antinomian like Tantra. Deep individual freedom and total moral relativism.
- Crowley coined the spelling Magick and fused eastern and western mystical traditions into it.
And some quotes:
I'd easily recommend it as an intro to Crowley, his Magick, and the western occult during the early 1900s.
Here's a bullet-point summary:
- Crowley was a high-volume guy. Mountaineer and world Traveller who explored many wisdom traditions including Buddhism, tantra, Vedanta, yoga, and others. Also a proscribed heroin user on and off for pain. Vilified and misunderstood and also a massive ego.
- He started or lead two major occult groups A.A. And OTO and became a prophet of the occult.
- He channeled a number of teachings (his class A writings) from entities (angels, beings, spirits, etc), the most interesting of which yielded the law “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
- The law has to be understood with the notion of True Will — it’s not do anything impulsive (though you can) but instead find your life’s purpose, your true will, and do that and let nothing stop you. It’s antinomian like Tantra. Deep individual freedom and total moral relativism.
- Crowley coined the spelling Magick and fused eastern and western mystical traditions into it.
And some quotes:
Although embittered by his experience of the Brethren faith, Crowley did not reject religion outright. "I did not hate God or Christ, but merely the God and Christ of the people whom I hated." In his early college years, an existential crisis led him to the realization that all ambitions and careers are ultimately lost in the sands of time. He concluded the only thing that mattered, that endured, was the spirit. His quest for spiritual truth led him to mysticism and occultism and the search for the Great White Lodge, an invisible college of enlightened teachers offering guidance to those determined enough to find its door. So the stage was set for this sheltered, spiritual, wealthy, handsome, and profoundly rebellious young man to become Aleister Crowley. (p17)
Rose described a ceremony (later called the Supreme Ritualı for Crowley to perform on March 20, 1904, the vernal equinox. He was subsequently instructed to go into his Cairo flat at precisely noon on April 8, 9, and 10 and, for the next hour, write down the words he heard. This he did, and the result is The Book of the Law. It is a text that exhilarated, bewildered, and even shocked him. It not only declares the beginning of a new era for humanity, but names Crowley its prophet as the Beast 666. It spells out a doctrine of joy, empowerment, and individual liberty, and calls on all people to discover and fulfill their true nature. Its central tenet is "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." Crowley would ultimately devote his life to spreading its word. (p22)
Will is the soul of Aleister Crowley's magical philosophy; his famous definition of magick is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." He named his system Thelema after the Greek word for Will. Everyone has a Will—a purpose, unique talent, calling, or function in the smooth running of that magnificent cosmic machine which is the Universe. Magick provides the tools to accomplish two things: First is to “know thyself"—to use techniques like journaling, meditation, ritual, and invocation to identify your personal strengths and successes-and thereby discover your true Will. The second is to use these same tools to accomplish your Will. (p53–54)
Crowley also united the various systems of the East and West into a cohesive package. Magick recognizes certain universal truths contained within all religious and spiritual systems. Crowley attempted to extract that essence from the teachings of the world's varied schools of spiritual attainment. Building on an idea common in esoteric groups like the Theosophical Society and the Golden Dawn, he forged a particularly effective integration of Western magic, Eastern yoga, Qabalah, Hermeticism, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and other mystery traditions throughout history. (p54)
June 13, 2024
A great overview and very decent place to start for beginners and those looking for a short overview of an often overwhelming set of topics. Very highly recommended.
October 1, 2025
Richard Kaczynski's The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley is a crisp, well-organised primer that distils a sprawling life and system into an accessible overview. Kaczynski brings scholarly rigour without losing readability: key texts, dates, and concepts are laid out cleanly, his signposting is genuinely helpful, and the overview of Thelema's aims and practices is balanced and fair.
The trade-off for brevity is compression. The practical arc of A∴A∴/O.T.O. work is sketched rather than unpacked; controversies receive only a glancing treatment, and Crowley's worst behaviours—cruelty, exploitation, and serial boundary-breaking—are often glossed over or explained away, which blunts the book's critical edge. Later receptions are softened, and the book assumes a little prior knowledge; absolute beginners may wish for a thicker glossary and more context.
Still, as a map before tackling Crowley's own sprawling corpus or deeper biographies, it's excellent—clear, reliable, and even-handed. Recommended as a first stop, or a quick recalibration, on the path into the Western Mystery Tradition, with deeper dives to follow.
The trade-off for brevity is compression. The practical arc of A∴A∴/O.T.O. work is sketched rather than unpacked; controversies receive only a glancing treatment, and Crowley's worst behaviours—cruelty, exploitation, and serial boundary-breaking—are often glossed over or explained away, which blunts the book's critical edge. Later receptions are softened, and the book assumes a little prior knowledge; absolute beginners may wish for a thicker glossary and more context.
Still, as a map before tackling Crowley's own sprawling corpus or deeper biographies, it's excellent—clear, reliable, and even-handed. Recommended as a first stop, or a quick recalibration, on the path into the Western Mystery Tradition, with deeper dives to follow.
April 7, 2012
Decent book about Crowley but a bit fawning. Exaggerates his involvement in British intelligence during WWII
June 20, 2018
It is concise and covers a lot of bases. But who wants to read of Crowley as a saint/genius all round great guy who founded a couple of esoteric religious orders?
November 15, 2018
Concise alright, but too loaded with praise for Crowley. I expected a more neutral, academic introduction from which I could draw my own conclusions on this controversial character. The deification of a man who branded a new doctrine and religious movement is problematic.
The author also emphasises at every chapter "how difficult" it is to master Crowley's teachings. Nothing is difficult for those who are curious and ready to learn. The book aims to obscure rather than illuminate. The irony is that Crowley preached liberty, above all, and opposed the idea of having a medium between the believer and god. At the same time, he creates a new organised sect with himself as the medium/prophet. You can tell he has had difficult parting ways from his fundamentalist Christian parents, whose religion he rejected in name.
While Crowley incorporated interesting topics into his new esoteric cult, Thelema is basically cultural traditions from India, Egypt etc reappropriated and blended together, Crowley then declares he severs ties from the original texts. I’d rather recommend those with an interest in esotericism read directly from texts like the sutras of Patanjali.
The author also emphasises at every chapter "how difficult" it is to master Crowley's teachings. Nothing is difficult for those who are curious and ready to learn. The book aims to obscure rather than illuminate. The irony is that Crowley preached liberty, above all, and opposed the idea of having a medium between the believer and god. At the same time, he creates a new organised sect with himself as the medium/prophet. You can tell he has had difficult parting ways from his fundamentalist Christian parents, whose religion he rejected in name.
While Crowley incorporated interesting topics into his new esoteric cult, Thelema is basically cultural traditions from India, Egypt etc reappropriated and blended together, Crowley then declares he severs ties from the original texts. I’d rather recommend those with an interest in esotericism read directly from texts like the sutras of Patanjali.
April 25, 2021
This is a decent primer on Crowley, Thelema, Scientific Illuminism, The OTO, EGC, and AA for the beginning student. The appendix is pretty decent including papers and addresses on the above mentioned orders and a fairly large bibliography on Crowley's writings, books on Crowley, and others.
November 29, 2024
A nice and concise guide to Crowley’s life, the tenets of Thelema and the nature of Thelemic orders.
February 22, 2017
As the author said "it is the book I wish I had when I was 15" perfect basic introduction with some practical exersise's without getting lost in the story of crowley
January 14, 2023
Interesting biography of the man. The details about grades, hierarchies, and rituals left me numb. I was hoping for a bit more about the philosophy (if any) the integrates the hodge-podge of gods, rites, phrases, and exercises. Not too much was said about this, other than the idea that each person has a Will (which takes great effort to understand in oneself), and that heeding one's own Will is holy. I would rather learn more on this topic, as opposed to Greek phrases, Kabbalah utterances, astrological signs, and Egyptian gods; all taken out of context. Indeed, after reading this short book, I'm not really sure there is much of a context at all.
February 24, 2014
Little version of Richard's bigger book :)
Read the whole thing with only a a few packs of beer on my terrace. Nice read.
Easy and fun read.
So grab a beer and this book and then give it to someone who doesn't know about Crowley yet.
This way its gonna be a guaranteed fun afterwards too!
Read the whole thing with only a a few packs of beer on my terrace. Nice read.
Easy and fun read.
So grab a beer and this book and then give it to someone who doesn't know about Crowley yet.
This way its gonna be a guaranteed fun afterwards too!
Read
July 30, 2011a decent companion to crowley's works, and a great introduction.
July 5, 2015
The book delivers exactly what it promises: a short but thorough introduction to Aleister Crowley and Thelema.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews