Commentaires client les plus utiles
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5.0étoiles sur 5
Not for the Profane, Sep 28 2007
I am not particularely a "Crowley" fanatic, like those that hang his pictures on the wall and worship his holy name...666....That being said I am not a Thelemite, I am as regardie is coined as saying, "A Golden Dawn man!!" That being said, i believe the man was brillient and what the profane would consider drival...(This is the whole point, it is not meant for the status quo), are in fact incredibly profound works. Unfortunately, as one would be unable to explain the feeling of intence euphoria without the hearer actually ever experiencing it for themselves, one can never understand the deeper things of magick without actually spending an incredible amount of time repeatedly practicing this great work. The profane, or ones who would find this work drival, are simply not capable of serious personal development on a higher plane, and if i may be so presumptuous as to say neither would they be inclined to do the work nesessary to acomplish what it is they would want to accomplish. pardon my ambiguity, but as hyatt would say, it would all depend on the person and what they want to accomplish.
Now the book.....A nesessary work for the magickal practitioner, period. There are no substitutes that have what this volume covers in at least one volume for the work nesessary for beginning a proper foundation in the western tradition.
Cheers,
Frater N
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3.0étoiles sur 5
Book 4 Parts I - IV, Jui 13 2004
Having read the lively debate/reviews below, I think some important points have been missed through what appear to be fairly 'knee jerk' reactions.It should be noted that Crowley was one of the first 'Westerners' to bring the teachings of Yoga and Buddhism to the UK & USA during a time of strict formal religious discipline. He was the first to spend serious time and money investigating the mysteries of the mind and the subconscious, using drugs (then legal) and meditation, which was unheard of at that time (1900's). Just as 'The Beatles' (Crowley appears on the front cover of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearst Club Band) and many other 'Society changing' bands experimented with mind altering drugs and alternative reality in the 1960's - he also wrote about his experiences with painful truth and applied his findings to the way we perceive existence. Such people are rarely accepted by their social group. Anyone who breaks with convention (and he broke many) will be reviled and attract a certain amount of infamy. To disregard him entirely is wrong. To worship him is also wrong. His achievements create open debate on alternative religious belief systems - allowing people to question their own inherent faith and to explore others. His greatest achievement is not so much 'Magick', but the fact that all spiritual belief should have the same overall goal, that of an infinite broader view of our own reality in life and death, and to attempt to achieve this without the hindrance of conditioned guilt/sin/love/hate/ego - as well as social/religious taboo's. However, Crowley did attempt to increase his own wealth via magical practice and this failed. Crowley also wanted (at one point) to 'renounce his role as Magus' and stated he ..'could not go on with his work' due to lack of belief in his own powers, although he continued with his practice's for some time after this. But his ground breaking work in detailing Buddhism/Yoga (featured in this book) and creating open interest, and greater tolerance for, alternative belief systems is valid. The book, like most of his output, is a product of its time. He did attempt to ritualise his beliefs and it shares the same instructional 'symbolic' style of the bible. A better read for those who have an interest in his work would be 'Do what thou wilt - A Life of Aleister Crowley' by Lawrence Sutin, also sold by Amazon. Its well written and researched - providing an objective view of his life and work.
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5.0étoiles sur 5
Highly Complex, Stylized, Substantive, Sep 5 2003
Be prepared: The presentation can seem incredibly obscure, obtuse and allegorical... but this is an occult book after all(!) If you aren't prepared to appreciate this, and to explore deeply to get to the underlying substance, you wil certainly hate this book and get absolutely nothing from it but irritation. This isn't the latest pop Llewellyn "Celtic Love Spells" production. Crowley's work is serious, smart, original, highly relevant religious/magickal philosophy, which can be very liberating. One further comment: The pitifully ignorant, tiresome and homophobic review several down should speak for itself.
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