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Underground > Temple >

Temple Book Group?

14:01 / 08.11.05

After a long break from attempting to understand magick (I used to post here a few years ago under a different name) I have recently decided to renew my studies with a more systematic/academic approach, to that effect I found a copy of 'Magick in theory and practice' by Crowley and was wondering if anyone would like to join me in a sort of occult book group.
I picked this book as a good starting point, after serveral chapters I wonder how much I'm actually understanding, and would appreciate the chance to discuss the book chapter by chapter.
Anyone interested?

14:10 / 08.11.05

There was a brief "guide" to it, somewhere. Not that much cop but some use. Will see if I can find a link. Also, you might try and get stuff like the tarot attributions down (see the columns from 777), that might help, plus some background on western recensions off the qabalah and some stuff on Crowley's life (so you can work out who he's slagging off). I sympathise, it's a difficult book. Lon Milo Duquette's stuff is a great guide to Crowley.

Most of all, I'd say have a crack at some of the material in the Libers - the practical stuff. Might bring it alive for you a bit more, but use your common sense (no razors) and work from your own experience, rather than trying to fit Crowley's over austere and arduous demands. Someone commented to me recently that Crowley put a lot of barriers up for his students, as he wasn't really interested unless the student had huge commitment or he fancied them. You might want to bear that in mind.

Don't fancy the book group at the moment, too busy.

20:54 / 08.11.05

Magick bk4 is good to get a feel for Crowley's work, though it's a bit obtuse at times (though not as much as a lot of his stuff).

For me, I started with Liber 333 and the Thoth deck. Did lot's of readings and struggled through Book of Thoth to understand the cards. Inevitably, a lot of the commentary made little sense so I started researching kabbalah and mythology. Basically, they're called the mysteries for a reason - you have to dig and dig to decipher the meaning. Like an onion, each new answer reveals another question. DuQuette's books are a great shortcut but expect it to be a very long path to really get into the depths.

Draw lot's of diagrams. Lay the Thoth deck over the Tree of Life. Work the paths. Meditate on the symbolism. Bull. Cherubs. Eagle. Scorpion. Hermit. Fool. High Priestess. Nuit. Horus. Babalon. Dive into the iconography and invoke each and all.

For ritual, if you want to follow Crowley's path, at least do LRP morning and night as regularly as possible. Many people also recommend Liber Resh daily, though I can't keep my schedule that focused.