Modern Magick - Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts
Donald Michael Kraig
1997 Llewellyn Publications
This is the clearest and most concise work on Magick I have ever read.
All of the ritual work I perform draws heavily from the material in this book.
You may notice in the terse journal entries present in The Journey of a
Serpent that I have substituted rituals from Aliester Crowley's works in place
of the Golden Dawn rituals, but the overall form of the my rituals follow the
patterns given in this book. It contains excellent introductions into most of
the occult disciplines that a student would need to understand to practice
magick following the Golden Dawn tradition. I cannot recommend it highly
enough. A Short Introduction to the Kabbalah draws heavily from this work.
The Magickal Essance of Aleister Crowley
J. Edward Cornelius
2010, Privately Published by J. Edward Cornelius
This is an invaluable work, tieing together many seemingly seperate strands
of research, and knitting them into a coherent whole. The exegesis on the OTO
system of initiation, and its relation to the Sacred Magic of Abremilin the
Mage, and many other tidbits of information are supremely enlightening,
especially to one who has spent the greater part of his life pursuing this
path. I highly reccomend this work, if you can obtain a copy, it is a limited
publishing to 777 copies. I obtained my copy through Weiser Antiquarian Books.
Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God
Kenneth Grant
1993, Skoob Books
I am still studying, and probably will continue to study, have studied
etc.. this work. It should be pursued by one's self, and all opinions on it
should be formed independantly of any sort of review. I will therefore simply
state that this work is invaluable to students of Thelema.
Cults of the Shadow
Kenneth Grant
1975, Frederick Muller Ltd.
This book really opened my eyes, as I have been studying Tantra for a bit,
via meditation, Mantras and Yantras. My discovery of this book must be via my
HGA and or Ithrel, my work in the third moon and onward with the Abremilin
system and my "discovery" of Ithrel, whom I have been evoking as I go to sleep
via Austin Osmand Spare's method of repeating a name until it looses any
tangable meaning as I go to sleep, have all been occuring simultaneously, so I
couldn't begin to assign causes, which wouldn't be of any value anyway. If you
look at my Etz Chaim Reversus (
https://rishonriza.tripod.com/Zodar/etzchaimreversus.htm ) you'll see that I
have been utilizing the Dasha Maha Vidyas for some time now. Perhaps some
effect of my reading and studying the output of the Nu Isis Working Group ?
Does it matter, really ? Anyway I highly reccomend this book.
Of Occult Philosophy, Book I
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
2000, HTML edition by Joseph H. Peterson
Although steeped in the language of his time, this work is well worth
study. The conjectures on the structure of the universe, the methods of
sympathetic magick, the knowledge scattered throughout, is well worth study. I
have owned a copy of the first book, but the true value was lost on me. I have
all three books and will post a review as I pursue them. I also have the fourth
book, atribbuted to Agrippa. One must understand the divisions of the powers
and planes, their relationship to the planes above and below them, to get the
import of this philosophy.
ABRAHADABRA - A Beginners Guide to Thelemic Magick
Rodney Orpheus
1994 Looking Glass Press
An excellent introduction to the Thelemic system of magick. Contains
concise and clear instructions on the practice of Raja Yoga, a system that is
becoming more and more important to my personal growth. Together with Modern
Magick this book forms the basis of my daily exercises and ritual work. The
type of astral projection present in the later journal entries in The Journey
of a Serpent were drawn from this book.
Magick in Theory and Practice
Aliester Crowley
1929 Lecram Press
A very advanced text arranged according to the 22 paths between the
Sephiroth, and thus the 22 trumps of Golden Dawn derived Tarot decks. This is
a book to be read, re-read, and read again as are most of Aliester Crowley's
works. There are layers upon layers of meaning in the text. The basic
formulas with which any ritual or activity may be understood are presented,
including the formula of the Tetragrammaton touched upon in A Short
Introduction to the Kabbalah. The appendices contain the rituals Liber XXV and
XXXVI referred to in the Journey of a Serpent, and much more.
Kaballah of the Golden Dawn
Pat Zalewski
2000 Castle Books
This is a well researched and initiated view of the occult view of the
Kaballah (I won't bury myself in the transliteration wars here). I originally
became aware of it due to the material on Shem-ha-mephorash contained within,
and was plesently surprised to find that it contains much, much, more.
The Golden Dawn
Israel Regardie
1990 Llewellyn Publications
This vast compendium of the teachings of the Golden Dawn is an invaluable
encyclopedia of occult knowledge. It is not an introduction and I would
recommend that it be studied in conjunction with Modern Magick It is a
reference work and contains very little in the way of explanations.
Occult Psychology
Alta J. LaDage
Ebook by Alladin, October 2006
A well thought out comparison of the Hermetic Quaballa and C.C. Yung (C.
Jung). Certainly a work worthy of serious study.
Kabbalah
Gershom Scholem
1974 Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd.
Published in the US by Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co.
This is the history and basic ideas of the Kabbalah covered in academic
fashion by one of the current leaders in Jewish scholarship. A Short
Introduction to the Kabbalah draws heavily from this work. It provides an
excellent base from which to explore the Kabbalah in greater depth, presenting
the basic concepts and ideas in the context of the original works from which
they were drawn.
777 and other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley
Edited by Israel Regardie
1973 Samuel Weiser, Inc.
Contains introductions to several important aspects of the Kabbalah (the
transliteration of Hebrew words to English is dictated by several major schools
of thought, thus you will find Hebrew words spelled and pronounced in many
different ways) including Gematria. The tables in this book are based on
relationships defined by Gematria and are invaluable for developing a sense of
the "meaning" of the symbols used in the Kabbalah. Most of the lists present
in A Short Introduction to the Kabbalah were drawn from this work.
The Necronomicon - The Book of Dead Names
Edited by George Hay
1978 Skoob Books Publishing Ltd.
This most excellent forgery contains powerful imagery arranged in such a
fashion to make it worthy of study. Keep in mind that many important works of
the Hermetic tradition are also forgeries, just a lot older.
The Starseed Transmissions - An Extraterrestrial Report
Raphael
1982 - A Uni-Sun Book
This channeled material inspired many of the current "models" I use to
define my experiences. I am quite fond of channeled material - little pockets
of chaos in a far to ordered culture.
The Light of the Soul
Alice A. Bailey
1927 - Lucis Publishing Company
An incredible translation and commentary on the yoga sutras of Patanjali, I
cannot recommend this book highly enough. A must read for any serious
student.
The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch
J.J. Hurtak
1977 - The Acadamy for Future Science
I'm still learning from this work, and will continue to learn from this
work. It, like many really good books, should be studied and re-studied with
an open mind. For students of the Kaballah it would help I think to also study
Rebecca Carol Lee's "The Three Ressurections".
The Philosopher's Stone
Israel Regardie
1970 - Lewellyn Publications
An excellent survey and commentary on some very illuminating alchemical works.
The selection of works included alone make this book worth owning.
The Hermetic Tradition
Julius Evola
1971 - Edizioni Meduterranee (1995 - Inner Traditions International)
This work is more of a key than a book.
The Bahir
Translation, Introduction and Commentary - Aryeh Kaplan
1979 - Samuel Weiser
This is the best (and only into English) translation and commentary on an
extremely important Kabbalistic work.
Zohar - Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah
Edited by Gershom Scholem
1949 - Schocken Books
A very enlightening selection of passages from the voluminous Zohar.
The Three Resurrections
Rebecca Carol Lee
1999 - KnightVision Press
This is a masterwork of kaballistic thought, gnostic thought, and thought
in general. This is definitely a book anyone should read, and study.
Incredible Adventures
Algernon Blackwood
1914 - MacMillan and Co., Limited
This group of stories contains many truths so sublime as to be
indescribable.
A Depth of Beginning, Notes on Kabbalah
Colin Low
2001, available freely
This work is a complete description of Kabbalah beginning and building on
essential elements of consiousness, force and form. It explains the concepts in
a framework readily accesable to modern readers. It seems a more practical
approach than my notes from the Kabbalah class I taught, which attempted the
thesis, antithesis, synthesis approach. I was in my late teens when I composed
the notes for my class, so that is my only defence. I highly reccomend this
work.
Enochian Magick
The Enochian Magick of Dr. John Dee
Geoffrey James
An excellent source book, this is a grimoire. It should be related to other
books for usefulness - this original source material really carries the import
of the system in it's purest form. The books I chose to study and found
helpful are:
Book Nine - The Angelic Tablets of "The Golden Dawn" revealed
by Israel Regardie,
Enochian World of Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley, Lon Milo Duquette, Christopher S. Hyatt
This book contains Liber LXXXIV vel Chanokh and commentary - invaluable. Liber
LXXXIV is of course contained in the Equinox, Volume 1 Number 7, but this might
be a little easier to get a hold of and the companion text is quite
enlightened.
Enochian Magic - A Practical Manual
Gerald and Betty Schueller
1996 - Lewellyn Publications
A very inclusive study on the breakdown and use of the names drawn from the
elemental tablets. Truly a practical manual. (although useful, this work has
fallen under some suspicion in the community of Enochian magicians at large,
but the description of the method of obtaining the names is fairly clear.)
Enochian Magic Reference
Benjamin Rowe
1997, 1998 available at
http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Esoteric_and_Occult/Magick/Enochian/
Now these books differ on the methodology and use of this system, my suggestion
is to study them, meditate upon them (this is not an easy road) and use
whatever means of seeking advise from your higher self to piece together a
workable system for yourself. As with all ritual magick of whatever form be
sure you are prepared for the results of your actions as they may well
occur.
Hinduism
Mahanirvana Tantra
Translated by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe
Out of Print, can be found at http://www.hinduwebsite.com/ along with
much, much more that I haven't had time to pursue yet.
Lost, Forgotten and forcibly Suppressed History
Chaldean Magic
Francois Lenormant
Kessinger Publishing Company
A very revealing work concerning some relatively recent archeological
finds. Students of goetic style magic should definitely check this out. Oh,
and there's some history in there you teacher may not have covered.
The Anatomy of the Body of God
Frater Achad
Kessinger Publishing Company
This is a superb revelation of how the Tree of Live can be expanded
infinitely, and the implications provided by this infinite model of the
universe.
Transcendental Magic, it's Doctrine and Ritual
Eliphas Levi
Kessinger Publishing Company
A marvelous book containing many elements of ritual magick we use today,
and some we don't but perhaps should. It certainly sheds much light on the
foundations of current magick (Thelema in particular I think)
The Philosophy of Natural Magic
Henry Cornelius Agrippa
Kessinger Publishing Company
The magick presented in this book may seem quite archaic, but it has
influenced modern magick considerably. The attitude projected, and the
philosophy projected are well worth any magicians study I think. Then again I
am a book worm.
Pistis Sophia
G.R.S. Mead
Kessinger Publishing Company
You can find these books published by Kessinger on Barnes and Noble, Amazon,
etc...
The Hiram Key
Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas
1997 - Element Books
A huge chunk of history that everyone should be aware of. Due to
suppression and mass slaughter in the past few works of this kind exist, and
this is a really good one. It's truly amazing that some rich fellows in Nicea
completely re-wrote history, but history is in the eye of the beholder I
suppose ...
The Second Messiah
Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas
1997 - Element Books
A very enlightening look at the past of Freemasonry and the Knights
Templar. I would suggest that interested parties might want to check out the
Ordo Templi Orientus (I certainly respect the Freemasons, but clearer ideas
more fitted for our time sometimes proceed from newer incarnations of ancient
orders), the Equinox Volume I, Number 6 - "The Scorpion", amd
All things are Lights
Robert Shea
1986 - Ballantine Books
I plan on buying more of Shea's novels, this one changed my whole outlook
in college and indeed the ideas contained within bear relevance to the material
in "The Second Messiah"
Uriel's Machine
Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas
2001 - Fair Winds Press
This book is so revealing and enlightening I cannot say enough about it.
E-mail me if you like, and we can start discussions, from a zillion different
starting points contained within this book, and the other two listed above as
well.
The Sirius Mystery
Robert Temple
1976/1987 - Destiny Books
This book is extremely well investigated, the deep research into the
ancient past alone is worth the price. Some truly amazing connections and
revelations.
The White Goddess
Robert Graves
1948 - International Authors N.V.
Another truly amazing work. Like the book above the source material
dredged up from the distant past to support the authors argument, along with
his amazing views and opinions make this book definitely worth your time.
The Book of Enoch the Prophet
Translated by Richard Laurence
1995 - Wizard's Bookshelf
This book is earth shattering, study of The Three Resurrections by Rebecca
Carol Lee and Uriel's Machine by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas highly
recommended to understand the great value of this book.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Translated from the Coptic and commentary by Jean Yves Leloup
English translation by Joseph Rowe
2002, Inner Traditions International
This is invaluable for understanding the symbolism presented in the Pistis
Sophia, the relationship between this symbolism and the reality we experience
as human beings. It raises the image of Miriam of Magdala to where it should
be, as it has been cast to the dirt and trodden upon for a thousand years. It
raises to prominence a facet of Christian doctrine that has been missing, the
female element, the Gnostic element.
The Gospel of Philip
Translated from the Coptic and commentary by Jean Yves Leloup
English translation by Joseph Rowe
2004, Inner Traditions International
This book, although a translation from a translation, along with the
excellent commentary is invaluable to the understanding of Gnostic tradition
and teachings, and the understanding of the Gospels in the accepted canon of
Gospels.
The Kybalion
Three Initiates1912,Yogi Publication Society, Masonic Temple, Chicago, Ill.
I am just getting started with this work, and like The Secret Doctrine (H.P.
Blavatsky) it will be an ongoing study.
Christian Mysticism
The Cloud of Unknowing
Edited from the British Museum MS. Harl. 674
1922
This work is truly a gem, an encapsulation of Christian Mysticism from A.D. 500
or so, the author chose to call himself Dionysius the Areopagite. I cannot
recommend this work highly enough, but it must be approached with an
understanding of what it represents. The treasures contained within are without
number, and I cannot stress enough that it must be approached from a firm basis
of meditation.
The Silence of the Mind
Elijah Wood, source unknown
Date unknown
Still in the process of absorbing this work, unfortunately I can tell you
nothing about it outside of the fact that the conents ring true. It is very
much of the same vien as the Cloud of Unknowing. Like the Cloud of Unknowing,
the absorbtion of this work will requite quiet meditation, so in the future
watch for this reveiw to grow.