777 And Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley: Including Gematria & Sepher Sephiroth Review

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777 And Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley: Including Gematria & Sepher Sephiroth ReviewLet me start this review off with a disclaimer: I'm not a huge fan of Aleister Crowley. Crowley was a colossal egotist who brought disharmony and conflict everywhere that he went, who was despised by nearly everybody who knew him well, and whose reputation was only later rehabilitated by associates who were reaping a financial profit from Crowley's collected writings; Crowley was a drug addict, with all of the chaos and upheavals that this lifestyle brings into a person's life, and despite Crowley's pontification about the will he ultimately surrendered his own will to the dread god Opium; Crowley took serious and irrevocable oaths to several Occult orders, seldom staying long enough to be fully initiated into their higher mysteries, and repeatedly violating these solemn oaths by publishing whatever secrets happened to be entrusted to him; Crowley was a charlatan and a fraud, the kind of person who would fake a mountaineering expedition in Mexico in order to bilk his backers out of their sponorship money, as he was once caught red-handed doing by a Mexican newspaper... it just makes you doubt the veracity of Crowley's prophecies, particularly prophecies in which Crowley was to be the sole voice of authority, and especially considering that this status provided Crowley with a meager trickle of income for the remaining days of his miserable life. Crowley simply was not credible as a prophet or as a supposedly "enlightened" human being. This is not a man that I would emulate spiritually, certainly not somebody that I would turn to for advice or guidance, and probably not somebody that I would even want to know or be associated with. The bottom line is that you wouldn't take an estimate from this guy to fix your plumbing or paint your house, yet thousands of people around the world revere Crowley as some sort of demigod! It's sad, and it speaks to how desperate the West is for "spiritual truth," but in my opinion Crowley would have been entirely forgotten by now if he hadn't generated so much controversy and notoriety during his own lifetime.
That said, I'll be the first to admit that '777' is clearly one of the best works of its kind, and rightly merits a place of honor on every occultist's bookshelf. '777' is really a compilation of three of Crowley's published works on Qabalism, and each deserves some discussion on its own merits:
The first chapter or book in '777' is an early essay on Gematria, the Qabalistic art or science of rendering words into numbers and deriving meaning from the result. To give Crowley his due, the man clearly knew his way around Hebrew and Greek Gematria, and this essay contains several examples of Crowley's best Qabalistic work, marred perhaps by Crowley's tendency to obfuscate his meaning when he wanted to sound mysterious. Unfortunately, this defect is characteristic of Crowley's writing, and '777' is replete with this intriguing mumbo-jumbo. There are also several editorial errors which have apparently passed through several successive editions of '777' without notice (one blatant example is the lengthy quotation from Mathers, which lists a first example and a third example, but oddly omits the second example from Mathers' original). Still, this essay on Gematria is one of only a handful of clear, concise introductions to the subject, and Crowley covers the topic with his usual wit and keen insight.
The next chapter in '777' is really the heart and soul of the entire volume. Originally published by itself as 'Liber 777,' this chapter contains page after page of Qabalistic associations and attributions. Although this sort of stuff filled the hand-scribbled grimoires of magicians and Qabalists in the Middle Ages, there haven't been many reliable works of this sort published anywhere in modern times, making 'Liber 777' a real gem. Most of the attributions given in 'Liber 777' probably came directly from Allan Bennett, Crowley's mentor in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, who was known to have compiled his own list of Qabalistic attributions before leaving England for health reasons. Dion Fortune, in "The Mystical Qabalah," confirmed that many of the attributions listed in 'Liber 777' had previously circulated among initiates of the Golden Dawn, and for this reason it can be assumed that much of this material was presented to Crowley when he joined the Order. Crowley clearly enlarged and expanded upon Bennett's work, but some of his attributions are suspect-- and as Fortune went on to point out in her book, many of Crowley's additions to this material are completely at odds with other attributions under the Golden Dawn system. It's almost as if Crowley, in an effort to expand on whatever material had been entrusted to him, compulsively meddled with that material without ever bothering to clearly identify or source any of his contributions. Still, Crowley's list of Qabalistic attributions is the only surviving version to have survived the Golden Dawn's demise, and occultists are indebted to him for preserving this material for posterity. For this reason 'LIBER 777' is an invaluable resource, and one that no occultist should be without!
The final chapter of '777,' SEPHER SEPHIROTH, is a Qabalistic encyclopedia started by Allan Bennett and expanded by Crowley and others throughtout the course of Crowley's life. Crowley's high esteem for Bennett is obvious in that he gave him full credit for authoring the document, instead of following his usual modus operani and claiming sole authorship for himself! Unlike most encylopedias, which list entries in alphabetical order, SEPHER SEPHIROTH arranges its entries in numerological order-- making this book a really handy reference for anybody interested in Gematria. It's a simple matter to render the Gematria value of any Hebrew or Greek word, and then consult SEPHER SEPHIROTH for other words and phrases with the same value. A word of caution, though-- because it was a group project spanning many years, SEPHER SEPHIROTH lacks any sense of focus or editorial consistency. Different dialects of Hebrew are mixed haphazardly throughout the work, the spelling is inconsistent, and several entries appear to be contradictory upon closer examination. (Indeed, Crowley's editors even apologize for their inability to define some entries, stating that the origin and exact meanings of some 'words' had been lost due to carelessness on Crowley's part!). SEPHER SEPHIROTH is a great reference, and a definite time-saver, but I wouldn't rely upon its authority too heavily! I refer to this part of '777' fairly often, but I always cross-reference Crowley's work with STRONG'S CONCORDANCE or another reliable reference before taking it to heart.
I know that, in some occult circles, it's almost an act of heresy to criticize Aleister Crowley. I think that Crowley, ever the iconoclastic rabble-rouser, would have been amused with the sort of hallowed iconic reverence that some people hold him in today. In any case, Crowley reached a sort of zenith with '777,' a lovely reference work that makes a useful addition to any occult library. Taken for what it is, '777' is sort of like having a set of Cliff notes on Qabalistic attributions-- useful, perhaps, for gaining a surface understanding of the subject matter, and valuable as a quick reference, but hardly authoritative on its own. I refer to my own copy several times a week, and I'd strongly recommend '777' to any practicing Qabalist.777 And Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley: Including Gematria & Sepher Sephiroth Overview

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Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia Review

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Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia Review`What Goetia is - is the releasing of yourself from your won fears and illusions by direct confrontation.' (pg 10)
According to tradition, the Goetia is the first book in the Lemegaton attributed to Solomon the King, though likely compiled by a host of authors. Goetic evocation deals with the summoning of the seventy-two lesser spirits and demons. In this edition, based on Crowley's Goetia, DuQuette and Hyatt strip away all unnecessary trappings and cut through most of the `fooltraps' designed to dissuade less astute practitioners.
Traditionally, Goetic evocation calls for strict observance of many details, such as the correct ritual hours, lengthy calls, and an inordinate amount of ceremonial trappings. The authors tell the reader what one can safely do away with, and what can be altered as preference dictates. However, there are some items that the authors do believe are required for the successful (and safer) evocation of the Goetic spirits, including a list of `must haves' with detailed explanations and personal anecdotes as to why they are necessary. Noting `that there is absolutely no necessity (nor particular advantage) to blindly conforming with the Conjuration scripts of the ancient texts. The Spirits are no more impressed of you say "thee" and "thine" than they are if you say "you" and "yours".' (pg 45)
Goetic spirits `will work for anyone who knows how to use them. This is one of the horrors people attribute to Goetic workings. You "don't have to be respectable" for Goetia to work for you. Unlike other magical workings there is no implication that the operator has to be "good" and "holy" to achieve results. This idea in itself violates our model of "right" and "wrong", "just" and "unjust". In the Goetic world like in the real world the "bad" can and do prosper. Thus our belief in the moral orders of the Universe appears violated by the simple existence of Spirits who will do the bidding of anyone.' (pg 14)
Though they will work for anyone, the authors caution that one `must be completely convinced that your demands are absolutely justified. (And don't think we are invoking the great demon "morality" here. An unnecessary motive is an unworthy motive - pure and simple). When you are truly justified in your demands then you have the momentum of the entire universe behind you.' (pg 37)
Further cautioning and confirming that `yes, they are dangerous,' DuQuette and Hyatt explain that `while they remain unmastered they can surface unbidden and wreak all havoc modern psychology blames on "things hidden in the subconscious mind".' (pg 24) As well as a few delightfully thrilling personal anecdotes.
There are a few changes, namely the elimination of lengthy calls in preference for Thelemic invocations from Liber Samech by Crowley, Enochian calls, etc. As well, `for the convenience of the modern reader' the authors have translated information regarding each of the seventy-two Goetic spirits into modern understanding and Crowleyan associations, and `where obvious, returned certain Spirits to their original gender.' (pg 43)
Sketches accompany each of the seventy-two spirits, illustrated by artist-clairvoyant David P. Wilson, a practicing Goetic magickian. `Over a period of 15 years, he has evoked each of the Spirits at least once...But it is very important for you to remember that, because no two people have the same visual-emotional "vocabulary", the images of the Goetic universe will be unique to each of us.' The authors caution the reader not to `think that these sketches are what you must see when evoking any particular Spirit,' instead explaining that `they are intended to serve only as springboards to your imagination.' (pg 72)
Though with such a short section on sex magick, I don't know that it really deserves the `Sexual Evocation' subtitle as there are really only a few pages on it at the rear of the text.
Aimed at those actually interested in actually practicing magick rather than simply reading about it, it gives unambiguous description of what tools are required and the methods of evocation and, briefly, of sexual invocation, cutting through the superfluous and get right to what is necessary. An excellent introduction to Goetic magick as Crowley practiced it.Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia Overview

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Enochian Vision Magick: An Introduction and Practical Guide to the Magick of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley Review

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Enochian Vision Magick: An Introduction and Practical Guide to the Magick of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley ReviewI was hesitant to write this review but felt I owed it to Lon, whom I respect greatly, to do so.
I got into a good law school because of my work with the planetary seniors of the air tablet, using the methods found in this book. Throughout my five-year formal work with ceremonial magick, vision has not been one of my stronger talents. That didn't pose a problem once I began working with the Dee material revived by and presented in "Enochian Vision Magick."
To be sure, I've always gotten relatively spectacular effects working with anything Enochian, but what sets this material apart from other Enochian material--most of which has been filtered through my native Golden Dawn tradition--is its sense of completeness, coherency, and you might even say its more "theurgic" flavor. (I think the latter has a lot to do with the two former.) The mantras at the start of each operation heighten me in the same way and with the same potency as does much of Mantrayana I've worked with, and that's saying a bit.
Thus, my work with the aforementioned seniors was hardly "thaumaturgy" in the pejorative sense of the word: I communed with these seniors, I spoke with them, and they gave me surprisingly precise and thorough advice on how to prepare for the LSAT and, eventually, for law school itself, which I am excited to begin this coming year. Without a doubt, my work with these seniors has made me a better human being, and that is really the point of our Great Work.
I find Lon's book satisfying on multiple levels, but most of all it just WORKS, and it works in a way that will support the work of someone who isn't just interested in magickal bells and whistles (though those are nice too), but who is interested in a strong toolset that will support the path of initiation. Actually, I should qualify this by saying that the Enochian "angels" will show off if you want them to. But each planetary air senior with whom I worked emphasized the same message: The reason why they enjoyed working with me was because I wasn't doing this just for me, but for a greater vision of accomplishing the Great Work, of which they are *also* a part. Thus the work was about sharing, not about appeasement.
That I am able to attribute such loftiness to Enochian magick should not be a surprise when we consider that John Dee was trying almost ridiculously hard to get in touch with God. I'm not a Renaissance Christian, but I do believe that we've inherited in our culture a tragic dualistic attitude toward the universe around us, such that magick seems to be for most people a forceful manipulation of "dead" matter. I think my Golden Dawn predecessors were victim to this in many respects; much of what they cobbled together in the GD work had the flavor of lifeless "technology," which isn't exactly wrong, it's just... myopic. I believe we must mend this dualistic attitude, or at least revise it. The Work supported by and augmented by "Enochian Vision Magick" brings us back to a place where the universe is alive and vibrant and we share in that life and light. Visionary magick begets communion with spirits, which begets a deeper connection to our cosmos and in turn serves as an antidote to short-sighted satisfaction.Enochian Vision Magick: An Introduction and Practical Guide to the Magick of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley Overview

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Angels, Demons & Gods of the New Millennium Review

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Angels, Demons & Gods of the New Millennium ReviewFinally, an advanced book of magick! So much of what we get from the publishers today are works for beginners. In Lon Milo DuQuette's Angels, Demons, and Gods of the New Millennium we are fortunate to receive a work written for those who have more than a passing knowledge of Kabbalah, sorcery, and other arts of magick. Here is a book written with the authority of experience, yet without the overbearing weight of received truth. DuQuette speaks to us as if we were guests in his home who share his love of magick. Knowing the groundwork is already covered, he shares the fruit of long thought about, and experience of, magickal practice.
DuQuette writes with a different voice from those of the greater lights of early in this century. His style has the personal qualities of Israel Regardie's but in the '90s it is just not possible to speak with such certainty. Instead DuQuette writes from experience, from successes and failures. He digests all this down to what he feels is important, even if the outcome doesn't fit the usual interpretations.
For example, DuQuette plays with both conceptions of the AA (Argenteum Astrum): the group of people who worked with Aleister Crowley and his students on the one hand, and, on the other, the body of initiates that has been guiding humanity towards enlightenment since time immemorial. DuQuette raises the logical point that if this organization has been present "since the dawn of consciousness" and has been embodied in such great souls as Lao-Tse, the Buddha, and Pythagoras, then how can access to it be limited to those with pieces of paper signed by Crowley and his heirs? DuQuette moves the AA to a more immediate plane, where any student with right aspiration can find herself in the great chain of initiates.
DuQuette's chapter on the Kabbalah is more basic than most others in this book, but it is pithy enough to give anyone a leg up on the study and practice of the discipline. He avoids the usual formulaic definitions of the sefirot and other components of this tradition by speaking from the distilled essence of his experience. One excellent display of his skill is his presentation of the Shem ha-Mephorash, the 72-fold divided Name of God from which a series of spirit names are generated. DuQuette boils down the abundance of turgid writing on this subject to a few pages accompanied by a chart, which Weiser obligingly prints in color in a foldout sheet. This, combined with the methodology presented in the later chapter "Demons Are Our Friends," provides a sufficient, though sparse, basis for sorcery, the practice of spirit conjuring.
A practice more common in theology than in magick is textual exegesis. DuQuette engages this discipline by explicating the Emerald Tablet of Hermes in light of the doctrine of the Holy Guardian Angel, the practice of seeking contact with the divine through a personal source, one's own angel. In his analysis DuQuette interprets the alchemical process of the Tablet as a way of attaining to knowledge and conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel - a key component of Crowley's magick.
Such analyses are a necessary step in the evolution of magickal thought and practice. We can only improve on our methods by engaging with classical texts and practices in the light of our own experience; doing so illuminates the depths that we have intuited in these sources. Having no formal academy in which to share our insights, we are aided by DuQuette's book. He has moved our understanding of magick forward.
Reviewed by Sam Webster, GNOSIS MAGAZINEAngels, Demons & Gods of the New Millennium Overview

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