Eight Lectures on Yoga: Amazon.ca: Aleister Crowley, I. Regardie, Israel Regardie: Books

Product Description

Book Description

Aleister Crowley was among the first Europeans to study, practice and teach Yoga. These lectures set forth some of Crowley's conclusions after a lifelong philosophical investigation. The first series of lectures is entitled 'Yoga for Yahoos.' The elements of Yoga are introduced, examined and demystified with a view to extracting the practical essence of Yoga doctrine. Yoga is also correlated with astrology and the Qabalah. The second series is entitled 'Yoga for Yellowbellies.' Here Crowley weaves Yoga into a conceptual framework the encompasses Western philosophy, magick and mathematical physics. All of these lectures are approached with humor, wit and a minimum of jargon.

About the Author

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), also known as 'The Great Beast' and the 'Wickedest Man in the World,' was one of the most profound students of Magick, Qabalah and yoga psychology. His vast influence reaches through all modern occultism. He is widely recognized as the first Western investigator to give initiation a truly scientific method. In reconciling occultism to physical science, mathematics and philosophy, Crowley achieved a lasting synthesis that remains unsurpassed for depth of insight and comprehensiveness.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand, Jan 5 2003

By

J. Dougherty "Kalimir" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Eight Lectures on Yoga (Paperback)

This book by Crowley is easy to understand. It is written for the beginning and intermediate student. Theres a chapter written for the beginner and another chapter for the intermediate. Aleister Crowley was a great yogi and magician. This book will tell you what yoga is really all about. This is a great book to start out with if you are interested in Yoga. Also Sir Crowley dismisses the misconceptions about yoga. Even if you only plann to learn the basics of yoga this is still a great book to get.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Response to negative review, Nov 8 2002

By

taogoat (the mothership) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eight Lectures on Yoga (Paperback)

I'd like to briefly respond to gsibbery's negative review.

Gsibbery seems to have little understanding of Crowley and the law of Thelema--"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." Yogaic Union and the Thelema are not contradictory in the slightest. "Do what thou wilt" does not mean do whatever your foolish human body desires; it means strive to discover and achieve your True Will, which can be likened to the "voice of god" within you (in religious terms). Yogaic Union with your body and with reality is essential for discovering your True Will and your holy purpose on this planet. No contradiction there.

Beware of people speaking hatefully of the "Great Beast"--it is all too likely that they are christians or narrowminded or both. Crowley was a genius--a flawed genius, sure, but a genius all the same. And besides that, he's entertaining as hell.

I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking an introduction to yoga. The way to learn yoga is to do it. Once you get comfortable doing it and youve read a few introductory books & would like to think more deeply about the philosophy behind yoga, then go ahead & read this book. But you might not enjoy it unless you are familiar with Crowley's works. I'd recommend "Cosmic Trigger" by Robert Anton Wilson as a good introduction to mad Uncle Aleister.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Eight Limbs by Crowley, Oct 5 2001

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rareoopdvds (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eight Lectures on Yoga (Paperback)

In Magick Book 4, Crowley gives a clear and concise commentary on the eight limbs of Raja Yoga. Here, Crowley delivers the message in lecture form (via the printed page)in his own style. Broken into two sections, Yoga for Yahoos and Yoga for Yellowbelly's, the first covering the first 4 steps (yama, niyama, asana and pranayama), while the latter exploring the altered states of pratyahara, dhyana, dharana, and samadhi. But these later chapters are not without Crowley's own interpretation through the Tree of Life and the Kabbalah. While he may expound seemingly on the latest trends in physics and mathematical formulas of the tetragrammaton, it might be well to keep in mind the states of the higher phases of yoga as they cannot be laid out in a clear objective language. This is the same reason mythology is told in a fantasy-like manner, because it is only understood in metaphorical language. Not to mention, if it was told in out everyday vernacular, it would lose its meaning as well as effect.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A down-to-earth voice on yoga.
Crowley has a unique approach, a refreshing departure from most of the literature I've read on yoga. Read more

Published on Jun 22 2001 by Laughingrid

4.0 out of 5 stars Straight to the heart of Yoga
This book is an excellent example of Crowley's two main strengtss as a writer: to get to the heart of an apparently obscure subject, and the use of humor to disarm the audience... Read more

Published on Dec 2 2000 by J. French