The Tree of Life: An Illustrated Study in Magic [Paperback]

The premise of the book is a study of magic as a technical system, stripped of cultural baggage, but that is where it fails slightly. For all the claims that they were free of religion, the Golden Dawn bunch really did seem obsessed with a form of monotheism, and one based in the Jewish faith. It's almost as if they want to keep that tie with traditional teachings, just in case! They obsess with Egypt as the cradle of religion, which it was in the sense that it spawned the Coptic church (from whence came the edited down version of the bible as we know it) & later on embraced Islamic tradition, but before all of that Egyption religion was not monotheistic in the sense that this book revels in.

However, if one ignores that & the rather absurd idea that we are the ultimate beings, whose next step is to become God, then it is possible to find a whole range of useful material. This book includes a discussion of the nature of the astral light, the qabalah (very briefly, but concisely), the symbolism & procurement of tools & the mechanics of ritual.

Of course, most of what can be found in this book can also be found in the likes of Crowley, but this has the added boon that Regardie doesn't spend half of the time pulling your leg with stories of baby sacrifice and that the material that is presented isn't obscured by dubious prose (a la Magick in Theory & Practice).

After reading this I am quite tempted to read his Garden of Pomegranates to see what he makes of the Qabalah. In short I would say that this book is worth getting for a study of how the Golden Dawn & many ritual magicians view magic (but of course in their eyes there is no other type of magic!), and also for some of the technical aspects of practice. Despite it being far from a stripped down version of magic, with quite an unacknowledged basis on Judaic teachings, the amount of information contained in it is nealry unparalelled. Worth the cover price ten times over (how very malkuth of me!).

The book is divided into two major sections. The first is basically more theoretical, covering the theory of the Tree of Life... a topic that perpetually reveals more and more depth intricate layers. The second (and much larger) part is more practical, though it really deals with the theory behind magical practices. This section really helps to demystify the meanings behind magical practice, and has helped give me a more clear direction in my own path.
Particularly valuable are the treatments of WILL and IMAGINATION, the two key ingredients in practical magic... many exercises are weaved into the text, and the reasons as to why these and other elements are essential is very clearly covered. The best part of this book was definitely the chapter on the astral plane and exercises to develop abilities for astral projection... I would have paid for this chapter alone!

This book has immense benefit for both the "armchair magician" (stuck in theory with no practice) and the practicing magician. It is a great overview for aspiring magicians, and I sense it would only reveal more as readers become more experienced. I will come back to it again and again...

Regarding the connection with Crowley... I was wary of Regardie for a while, because of the association with Crowley, but after reading this book I realize the extreme importance Regardie placed on spiritual aspiration. I actually find he has a lot in common with Samael Aun Weor (look him up), which really surprises me. Definitely, it seems Regardie is on the side of "white magic", and now that I am rereading Crowley I am sensing that his reputation is skewed. Parts of his writing seem to really glorify self indulgence, but I think there is more spiritual value to his work than he is often given credit for by his detractors.
Despite all of this, doing a bit of research suggests their connection was thinner than it may at first appear... Regardie was only Crowley's secretary, Crowley refused to give him any practical teaching in magic. And, later in life Regardie seemed a bit pissed off about his association with Crowley, because he considered himself a Golden Dawn member and not a Thelemite. Although the back of my edition says the book is "the most comprehensive introduction to the... writings of Aleister Crowley", I find this insulting almost. The publisher probably put it on to increase sales, because the book really has very little to do with Crowley.
At the very least, reading The Tree of Life helped expand my perspective and open my mind. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

It is true that Regardie was the secretary of Crowley and sought instruction from him. However, Regardie developed along his own paths after his split with Crowley and became an esoteric teacher in his own right, mainly along Qabalist lines.

Regardie was instrumental in reviving the interest in Crowley and Thelema after the former's death. His publication of "The Eye in the Triangle" and his consistently well-done editing work on many books by Crowley kept many of them in print. All his life, Regardie thought of Crowley as a great teacher and a man the world should not miss out on.

Just as it is unfair to call Regardie a Thelemite, it is unfair to reproach him with wagging fingers for his admiration of Aleister Crowley. If you want stupid, vitriolic, and totally bogus accounts of Crowley's philosophy and the effect it might have on those assosciated with him, go read one or two of the other reviews. You're not material for this kind of stuff if you are low enough to describe a man's kind of death as a consequence of his occult tecnhique--even more so, when you're wrong with regard to those circumstances, seeing as the only person to witness his death completely contradicts everything you say.

All of that is evident from this book. Regardie admired Crowley, defended Crowley, and was deeply influenced by him.

Regardie's book, when it comes to essentials, is a particularly good account of the magickal tradition. The only other book worth as much consideration is "Book 4" by that nasty, evil, no-good Aleister Crowley who so many people hate without having the slightest clue what they are talking about (after all, we all know eastern mysticism and the tarot is *terrible* for the soul). The primary difference between Book 4 and The Tree of Life is that Regardie's book is designed for a more general audience (also a heck of a lot less expensive).

Regardie, at least for myself, can be a torture to read. Not that it's difficult--actually, he gets kind of "gushy" if I may be excused the word. There's too much of the picturesque and sentimental in Regardie, it can hamper his reading even if it leaves his knowledge and philosophy well enough alone.

The illustrations included were a nice touch: mostly Alchemical symbolism, and Christian ecstasies.

The Ciceros are, as usual, total hacks. (Warning, warning, the author despises the Ciceros). Somebody besides those two should start editing Regardie books; maybe they could provide real insight into the man and his noble work.

Until then, buy this book, wade through the completely frivolous endnotes of the Ciceros (there are over 500 and maybe 10 of them are interesting), who once again seem to want to use Regardie as an excuse to show how much esoteric "wisdom" and "personal insight" they have. Maybe I'm too harsh on them--maybe they just have some bizarre "foot" (excuse the terribly stupid pun) fetish. But, my God! they're determined to ruin the book for you!

In short: Ignore comments about Crowley that you may have seen on this site or elsewhere. If you want to know what was true about him, I'd suggest buying "Do What Thou Wilt" by Sutin, a good biography. If you don't care either way (which you shouldn't, if you're a Regardie follower), buy this book for a very good, detailed, discussion on the principles of esoteric philosophy. There *are* disputable philosophic points in this book...but I leave those up to the reader to find for him or herself.