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Ceremonial magic

Ceremonial magic (ritual magic, high magic or


learned magic)[1] encompasses a wide variety of rituals
of magic. The works included are characterized by
ceremony and numerous requisite accessories to aid the
practitioner. It can be seen as an extension of ritual
magic, and in most cases synonymous with it.
Popularized by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn,
it draws on such schools of philosophical and occult
thought as Hermetic Qabalah, Enochian magic, Thelema,
and the magic of various grimoires. Ceremonial magic is
part of Hermeticism and Western esotericism.

The synonym magick is a term revived by Aleister


Crowley to show and differentiate the occult from
performance magic and he defined it as "the Science and
Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will",
including "mundane" acts of will as well as ritual magic.
Crowley wrote that "it is theoretically possible to cause in
any object any change of which that object is capable by
nature".[a] John Symonds and Kenneth Grant attach a
deeper occult significance to this preference.[b] Aleister Crowley in Golden Dawn garb

Crowley saw magic as the essential method for a person


to reach true understanding of the self and to act according to one's true will, which he saw as the
reconciliation "between freewill and destiny."[2] Crowley describes this process in his Magick,
Book 4.[c]

Contents
Definitions and general purpose
History
Renaissance magic
Francis Barrett
Éliphas Lévi
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Aleister Crowley
Dion Fortune
Jack Parsons
Phyllis Seckler
Kenneth Grant
James Lees

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Nema Andahadna
Components
Grimoires
Magical formulae
Magical weapons
Vibration of god-names
Techniques
Banishing
Purification
Consecration
Invocation
Evocation
Eucharist
Divination
Other magical practices
Qabalah and the Tree of Life
Body of light
Magical record
See also
Notes
References
Citations
Works cited
Primary sources
Secondary sources
Further reading

Definitions and general purpose


The term magick is an Early Modern English spelling for magic, used in works such as the 1651
translation of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophia, Three Books of Occult
Philosophy, or Of Magick. Aleister Crowley chose the spelling to differentiate his practices and
rituals from stage magic (which may be more appropriately termed "illusion") and the term has
since been re-popularised by those who have adopted elements of his teachings. Crowley defined
Magick as "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will."[3][4]

History

Renaissance magic

The term originates in 16th-century Renaissance magic, referring to practices described in various
Medieval and Renaissance grimoires and in collections such as that of Johannes Hartlieb. Georg
Pictor uses the term synonymously with goetia.

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James Sanford in his 1569 translation of Heinrich Cornelius


Agrippa's 1526 De incertitudine et vanitate scientiarum has
"The partes of ceremoniall Magicke be Geocie, and Theurgie".
For Agrippa, ceremonial magic was in opposition to natural
magic. While he had his misgivings about natural magic, which
included astrology, alchemy, and also what we would today
consider fields of natural science, such as botany, he was
nevertheless prepared to accept it as "the highest peak of
natural philosophy". Ceremonial magic, on the other hand, Woodcut illustration from an edition
which included all sorts of communication with spirits, of Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia
including necromancy and witchcraft, he denounced in its (1582)
entirety as impious disobedience towards God.[5]

Francis Barrett

Among the various sources for ceremonial magic, Francis Barrett, a


late 18th-century Englishman, called himself a student of chemistry,
metaphysics, and natural occult philosophy.[6] Barrett was
enthusiastic about reviving interest in the occult arts, and published a
magical textbook called The Magus. The Magus dealt with the natural
magic of herbs and stones, magnetism, talismanic magic, alchemy,
numerology, the elements, and biographies of famous adepts from
history. It was a compilation,[7] almost entirely consisting of
selections from Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult
Philosophy, the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy attributed to
Portrait of Francis Barrett, Agrippa, and Robert Turner's 1655 translation of the Heptameron of
author of the book The Peter of Abano. Barrett made modifications and modernized spelling
Magus (1801) and syntax. Possibly influencing the novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton,
the book gained little other notice until it influenced Eliphas Levi.

Éliphas Lévi

Éliphas Lévi (1810–1875) conceived the notion of writing a treatise on


magic with his friend Bulwer-Lytton. This appeared in 1855 under the
title Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, and was translated into
English by Arthur Edward Waite as Transcendental Magic, its
Doctrine and Ritual.

In 1861, he published a sequel, La Clef des Grands Mystères (The Key


to the Great Mysteries). Further magical works by Lévi include Fables
et Symboles (Stories and Images), 1862, and La Science des Esprits
(The Science of Spirits), 1865. In 1868, he wrote Le Grand Arcane, ou
l'Occultisme Dévoilé (The Great Secret, or Occultism Unveiled); this,
however, was only published posthumously in 1898.
Éliphas Lévi
Lévi's version of magic became a great success, especially after his
death. That Spiritualism was popular on both sides of the Atlantic
from the 1850s contributed to his success. His magical teachings were free from obvious
fanaticisms, even if they remained rather murky; he had nothing to sell, and did not pretend to be
the initiate of some ancient or fictitious secret society. He incorporated the Tarot cards into his
magical system, and as a result the Tarot has been an important part of the paraphernalia of

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Western magicians. He had a deep impact on the magic of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
and later Aleister Crowley, and it was largely through this impact that Lévi is remembered as one
of the key founders of the twentieth century revival of magic.

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (founded 1888) was a secret
society devoted to the study and practice of the occult, metaphysics,
and paranormal activities during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. Known as a magical order, the Hermetic Order of the
Golden Dawn was active in Great Britain and focused its practices on
theurgy and spiritual development. Many present-day concepts of
ritual and magic that are at the centre of contemporary traditions,
such as Wicca[8] and Thelema, were inspired by the Golden Dawn,
which became one of the largest single influences on 20th century
Western occultism.[d][e]

The three founders, William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Samuel Liddell MacGregor
Westcott, and Samuel Liddell Mathers, were Freemasons. Westcott Mathers (1854–1918), in
appears to have been the initial driving force behind the Egyptian costume, performs
establishment of the Golden Dawn. a ritual of Isis in the rites of
the Golden Dawn
The "Golden Dawn" was the first of three Orders, although all three
are often collectively referred to as the "Golden Dawn". The First
Order taught esoteric philosophy based on the Hermetic Qabalah and personal development
through study and awareness of the four classical elements, as well as the basics of astrology, tarot
divination, and geomancy. The Second or Inner Order, the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, taught
magic, including scrying, astral travel, and alchemy.

Aleister Crowley

English author and occultist Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) often


introduced new terminology for spiritual and magical practices and
theory. For example, he termed theurgy 'high magic' and thaumaturgy
'low magic'. In The Book of the Law and The Vision and the Voice, the
Aramaic magical formula Abracadabra was changed to
Abrahadabra, which he called the new formula of the Aeon of Horus.
He also famously spelled magic in the archaic manner, as 'magick', to
differentiate "the true science of the Magi from all its counterfeits."[9]
He also stated that "The spirits of the Goetia are portions of the
Aleister Crowley, c. 1912
human brain."[10]

His book Magick, Liber ABA, Book 4, is a lengthy treatise on magic in


which he which also presents his own system of Western occult practice, synthesised from many
sources, including Yoga, Hermeticism, medieval grimoires, contemporary magical theories from
writers like Eliphas Levi and Helena Blavatsky, and his own original contributions. It consists of
four parts: Mysticism, Magick (Elementary Theory), Magick in Theory and Practice, and
ΘΕΛΗΜΑ—the Law (The Equinox of The Gods). It also includes numerous appendices presenting
many rituals and explicatory papers.

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Dion Fortune

Dion Fortune (1890–1946) was a Welsh occultist,


ceremonial magician, novelist and author. She was a co-
founder of the Fraternity of the Inner Light, an occult
organisation that promoted philosophies which she
claimed had been taught to her by spiritual entities
known as the Ascended Masters. A prolific writer, she
produced a large number of articles and books on her
occult ideas and also authored seven novels, several of
which expound occult themes.

Fortune was a ceremonial magician.[11] The magical An illustration of Fortune's hometown,


principles on which her Fraternity was based were Llandudno, in 1860
adopted from the late nineteenth century Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn, with other influences coming
from Theosophy and Christian Science.[12] The magical ceremonies performed by Fortune's
Fraternity were placed into two categories: initiations, in which the candidate was introduced to
magical forces, and evocation, in which these forces were manipulated for a given purpose.[13]

The Fraternity's rituals at their Bayswater temple were carried out under a dim light, as Fortune
believed that bright light disperses etheric forces.[13] An altar was placed in the centre of a room,
with the colours of the altar-cloth and the symbols on the altar varying according to the ceremony
being performed. A light was placed on the altar while incense, usually frankincense, was
burned.[13] The senior officers sat in a row along the eastern end of the room, while officers—who
were believed to be channels for cosmic forces—were positioned at various positions on the floor.
The lodge was opened by walking around the room in a circle chanting, with the intent of building
a psychic force up as a wall.[14] Next, the cosmic entities would be invoked, with the members
believing that these entities would manifest in astral form and interact with the chosen officers.[14]

Fortune was particularly concerned with the issue of sex.[15] She believed that this erotic attraction
between men and women could be harnessed for use in magic.[16] She urged her followers to be
naked under their robes when carrying out magical rituals, for this would increase the creative
sexual tension between the men and women present.[17] Although sex features in her novels, it is
never described in graphic detail.[18] The scholar Andrew Radford noted that Fortune's
"reactionary and highly heteronormative" view of "sacralised sexuality" should be seen as part of a
wider tradition among esoteric currents, going back to the ideas of Emanuel Swedenborg and
Andrew Jackson Davis and also being found in the work of occultists like Paschal Beverly
Randolph and Ida Craddock.[19]

The religious studies scholar Hugh Urban noted that Fortune was "one of the key links" between
early twentieth-century ceremonial magic and the developing Pagan religion of Wicca.[15]
Similarly, the Wiccan high priestess Vivianne Crowley characterised Fortune as a "proto-
Pagan".[20] The scholar and esotericist Nevill Drury stated that Fortune "in many ways anticipated
feminist ideas in contemporary Wicca", particularly through her belief that all goddesses were a
manifestation of a single Great Goddess.[21] Graf agreed, adding that Fortune's works found
"resonance" in the work of the later feminist Wiccan Starhawk, and in particular in the latter's
1979 book, The Spiral Dance.[22]

In researching ceremonial magic orders and other esoteric groups active in the London area
during the 1980s, Luhrmann found that within them, Fortune's novels were treated as
"fictionalized ideals" and that they were recommended to newcomers as the best way to

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understand magic.[23] The Pagan studies scholar Joanne Pearson added that Fortune's books, and
in particular the novels The Sea Priestess and Moon Magic, were owned by many Wiccans and
other Pagans.[20] The religious studies scholar Graham Harvey compared The Sea Priestess to the
Wiccan Gerald Gardner's 1949 novel High Magic's Aid, stating that while neither were "great
literature", they "evoke Paganism better than later more didactic works".[24]

Fortune's priestesses were an influence on the characters of Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of
Avalon,[25] and her ideas were adopted as the basis for the Aquarian Order of the Restoration, a
ceremonial magic group led by Bradley.[26] Her works also influenced Bradley's collaborator and
fellow Order member Diana Paxson.[27] As of 2007, Fortune's latter three novels remained in print
and had a wide readership.[28]

Jack Parsons

John Whiteside Parsons (1914–1952) was an American rocket


engineer, chemist, and Thelemite occultist. Parsons converted to
Thelema, the new religious movement founded by the English
occultist Aleister Crowley. Together with his first wife, Helen
Northrup, Parsons joined the Agape Lodge, the Californian branch of
the Thelemite Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) in 1941. At Crowley's
bidding, Parsons replaced Wilfred Talbot Smith as its leader in 1942
and ran the Lodge from his mansion on Orange Grove Boulevard.

Parsons in 1941 Parsons identified four obstacles that prevented humans from
achieving and performing their true will, all of which he connected
with fear: the fear of incompetence, the fear of the opinion of others,
the fear of hurting others, and the fear of insecurity. He insisted that these must be overcome,
writing that "The Will must be freed of its fetters. The ruthless examination and destruction of
taboos, complexes, frustrations, dislikes, fears and disgusts hostile to the Will is essential to
progress."[29]

In 1945, Parsons separated from Helen, after having an affair with her sister Sara; when Sara left
him for L. Ron Hubbard, Parsons conducted the Babalon Working, a series of rituals intended to
invoke the Thelemic goddess Babalon on Earth. The Babalon Working was a series of magic
ceremonies or rituals performed from January to March 1946 by Parsons and Scientology founder
L. Ron Hubbard.[f] This ritual was essentially designed to manifest an individual incarnation of the
archetypal divine feminine called Babalon. The project was based on the ideas of Crowley, and his
description of a similar project in his 1917 novel Moonchild.[g]

When Parsons declared that the first of the series of rituals was complete and successful, he almost
immediately met Marjorie Cameron in his own home, and regarded her as the elemental that he
and Hubbard had called through the ritual.[30] Soon Parsons began the next stage of the series, an
attempt to conceive a child through sex magic workings. Although no child was conceived, this did
not affect the result of the ritual to that point. Parsons and Cameron, who Parsons now regarded
as the Scarlet Woman, Babalon, called forth by the ritual, soon married.

The rituals performed drew largely upon rituals and sex magic described by Crowley. Crowley was
in correspondence with Parsons during the course of the Babalon Working, and warned Parsons of
his potential overreactions to the magic he was performing, while simultaneously deriding
Parsons' work to others.[31]

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A brief text entitled Liber 49, self-referenced within the text as The Book of Babalon, was written
by Jack Parsons as a transmission from the goddess or force called 'Babalon' received by him
during the Babalon Working.[30] Parsons wrote that Liber 49 constituted a fourth chapter of
Crowley's Liber AL Vel Legis (The Book of the Law), the holy text of Thelema.[32]

Phyllis Seckler

Phyllis Seckler (1917–2004), also known as 'Soror Meral', was a ninth degree (IX°) member of the
Sovereign Sanctuary of the Gnosis of Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.), and a lineage holder in the
A∴A∴ tradition. She was a student of Jane Wolfe, herself a student of Aleister Crowley.[33]

Sekler was a member of O.T.O. Agape Lodge, the only working Lodge of the O.T.O. at the time of
Aleister Crowley's death. Seckler was also instrumental in preserving important parts of Crowley's
literary heritage, typing parts of his Confessions, and the complete texts of The Vision and the
Voice and Magick Without Tears during the 1950s. Seckler was also instrumental in re-activing
the O.T.O. with Grady Louis McMurtry, during the early-mid 1970s, following the death of
Crowley's appointed successor, Karl Germer.

Seckler continued her lifelong work with the A∴A∴, founding the College of Thelema and co-
founding (with James A. Eshelman) the Temple of Thelema, and later warranting the formation of
the Temple of the Silver Star. Seeking to guide her students to an understanding of the Law of
Thelema, especially deeper understanding of oneself and of one's magical will, Sekler published
the bi-annual Thelemic journal In the Continuum which featured her essays on Thelema and
initiation as well as instructional articles for the students of the A.:.A.:., illustrations and essays
which help to clarify some of Crowley's thoughts and aid in the understanding of Thelemic
principles expressed in Liber AL. Printed for 20 years from 1976 through 1996, In the Continuum
also published rare works by Aleister Crowley which at the time were out of print or hard to
find.[34]

Seckler served as a master of 418 Lodge of O.T.O. in California from its inception in 1979 until her
death.

Kenneth Grant

Kenneth Grant (1924–2011) was an English ceremonial


magician and advocate of the Thelemic religion. A poet,
novelist, and writer, he founded his own Thelemic
organisation, the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis—later
renamed the Typhonian Order—with his wife Steffi Grant.

Grant was fascinated by the work of the occultist Aleister


Crowley, having read a number of his books. Eager to meet
Crowley, Grant wrote letters to Crowley's publishers, asking Grant in the library of his Golders
that they pass his letters on to Crowley himself. [35] These Green home (taken by Jan Magee
eventually resulted in the first meeting between the two, in in 1978)
autumn 1944, [35] at the Bell Inn in Buckinghamshire. [36] After
several further meetings and an exchange of letters, Grant
agreed to work for Crowley as his secretary and personal assistant. Now living in relative poverty,
Crowley was unable to pay Grant for his services in money, instead paying him in magical
instruction.[37]

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In March 1945, Grant moved into a lodge cottage in the grounds of Netherwood, a Sussex boarding
house where Crowley was living.[38] He continued living there with Crowley for several months,
dealing with the old man's correspondences and needs. In turn, he was allowed to read from
Crowley's extensive library on occult subjects, and performed ceremonial magic workings with
him, becoming a high initiate of Crowley's magical group, the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.).[39]
Crowley saw Grant as a potential leader of O.T.O. in the UK, writing in his diary, "value of Grant. If
I die or go to the USA, there must be a trained man to take care of the English O.T.O."[40]

Grant drew eclectically on a range of sources in devising his teachings.[41] Although based in
Thelema, Grant's Typhonian tradition has been described as "a bricolage of occultism, Neo-
Vedanta, Hindu tantra, Western sexual magic, Surrealism, ufology and Lovecraftian gnosis".[42]
According to Djurdjevic, Grant's writing style is notorious for being opaque with "verbal and
conceptual labyrinths".[43] The historian of religion Manon Hedenborg White noted that "Grant's
writings to not lend themselves easily to systematization".[44] She added that he "deliberately
employs cryptic or circuitous modes of argumentation",[45] and lacks clear boundaries between
fact and fiction.[41]

Grant promoted what he termed the Typhonian or Draconian tradition of magic,[46] and wrote
that Thelema was only a recent manifestation of this wider tradition.[47] In his books, he portrayed
the Typhonian tradition as the world's oldest spiritual tradition, writing that it had ancient roots in
Africa.[48] The religious studies scholar Gordan Djurdjevic noted that Grant's historical claims
regarding Typhonian history were "at best highly speculative" and lacked any supporting evidence,
however he suggested that Grant may never have intended these claims to be taken literally.[49]

Grant adopted a perennialist interpretation of the history of religion.[50] Grant's wrote that Indian
spiritual traditions like Tantra and Yoga correlate to Western esoteric traditions, and that both
stem from a core, ancient source, has parallels in the perennial philosophy promoted by the
Traditionalist School of esotericists.[51] He believed that by mastering magic, one masters this
illusory universe, gaining personal liberation and recognising that only the Self really exists.[52]
Doing so, according to Grant, leads to the discovery of one's true will, the central focus of
Thelema.[49]

Grant further wrote that the realm of the Self was known as "the Mauve Zone", and that it could be
reached while in a state of deep sleep, where it has the symbolic appearance of a swamp.[53] He
also believed that the reality of consciousness, which he deemed the only true reality, was formless
and thus presented as a void, although he also taught that it was symbolised by the Hindu goddess
Kali and the Thelemic goddess Nuit.[54]

Grant's views on sex magic drew heavily on the importance of sexual dimorphism among humans
and the subsequent differentiation of gender roles.[55] Grant taught that the true secret of sex
magic were bodily secretions, the most important of which was a woman's menstrual blood.[48] In
this he differed from Crowley, who viewed semen as the most important genital secretion.[56]
Grant referred to female sexual secretions as kalas, a term adopted from Sanskrit.[57] He thought
that because women have kalas, they have oracular and visionary powers.[45] The magical uses of
female genital secretions are a recurring theme in Grant's writings.[58]

James Lees

James Lees (August 22, 1939[59] – 2015) was an English magician known for discovering the
system he called English Qaballa.

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Lees was born in Bolton, Lancashire. He established a career


as an analytic chemist. In his search for truth, he also studied
psychology. Not finding the answers he wanted from science,
he turned to the study of astrology, even making a living for a
time as a horary astrologer.[59]

Still resolved to discover further answers, Lees decided to


study Kabbalah and the Tree of Life. From here he proceeded
to experiment with invocations from the Key of Solomon.
Satisfied with the results, he proceeded to perform the 18-
month working described in The Book of Abramelin by means
of the Bornless Ritual. Having successfully invoked his Holy
Guardian Angel, he turned his attention to ascending the
'Middle Pillar' of the Tree of Life, culminating with an
experience known as crossing the abyss.[59]
The mysterious 'grid' page of Liber
Then, in November 1976, Lees discovered[60] the "order & AL's manuscript. "for in the chance
value of the English Alphabet."[61] Following this discovery, shape of the letters and their
Lees founded the O∴A∴A∴ in order to assist others in the position to one another: in these are
pursuit of their own spiritual paths.[59] The first public report mysteries that no Beast shall divine.
of the system known as English Qaballa (EQ) was published in ... Then this line drawn is a key:
1979 by Ray Sherwin in an editorial in the final issue of his then this circle squared in its failure
journal, The New Equinox. Lees subsequently assumed the is a key also. And Abrahadabra."
role of publisher of The New Equinox and, starting in 1981,
published additional material about the EQ system over the
course of five issues of the journal, extending into 1982.[60]

In 1904, Aleister Crowley wrote out the text of the foundational document of his world-view,
known as Liber AL vel Legis, The Book of the Law. In this text was the injunction found at verse
2:55; "Thou shalt obtain the order & value of the English Alphabet, thou shalt find new symbols to
attribute them unto" which was understood by Crowley as referring to an English Qabalah yet to
be developed or revealed.[62]

The "order & value"[61] discovered by James Lees lays the letters out on the grid superimposed on
the page of manuscript of Liber AL on which this verse (Ch. III, v. 47) appears (sheet 16 of Chapter
III).[61] Also appearing on this page are a diagonal line and a circled cross. The Book of the Law
states that the book should only be printed with Crowley's hand-written version included,
suggesting that there are mysteries in the "chance shape of the letters and their position to one
another" of Crowley's handwriting. Whichever top-left to bottom-right diagonal is read the
magickal order of the letters is obtained.[63]

Little further material on English Qaballa was published until the appearance of Jake Stratton-
Kent's book, The Serpent Tongue: Liber 187, in 2011.[64] This was followed in 2016 by The
Magickal Language of the Book of the Law: An English Qaballa Primer by Cath Thompson.[65]
The discovery, exploration, and continuing research and development of the system up to 2010, by
James Lees and members of his group in England, are detailed in her 2018 book, All This and a
Book.[59]

Nema Andahadna

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Nema Andahadna (1939-2018) practiced and wrote about magic (magical working, as defined by
Aleister Crowley) for over thirty years. In 1974, she channelled a short book called Liber Pennae
Praenumbra.

From her experience with Thelemic magic, she developed her own system of magic called "Maat
Magick" which has the aim of transforming the human race. In 1979, she co-founded the Horus-
Maat Lodge. The Lodge and her ideas have been featured in the writings of Kenneth Grant.[66][67]

Her writings have appeared in many publications, including the Cincinnati Journal of Ceremonial
Magick, Aeon, and Starfire. According to Donald Michael Kraig:

Nema has been one of the most influential occultists of the last quarter century
although most occultists have never read her works. What Nema has done is influence
those who have been writers and teachers. They, in turn, influenced the rest of us.[68]

Components

Grimoires

A grimoire is a textbook of magic, typically including


instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans
and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and
divination, and how to summon or invoke supernatural
entities such as angels, spirits, deities, and demons.[69] In
many cases, the books themselves are believed to be
imbued with magical powers, although in many cultures,
other sacred texts that are not grimoires (such as the Bible)
have been believed to have supernatural properties
intrinsically. The only contents found in a grimoire would
be information on spells, rituals, the preparation of magical
tools, and lists of ingredients and their magical
correspondences. In this manner, while all books on magic This design for an amulet comes from
could be thought of as grimoires, not all magical books the Black Pullet grimoire.
should be thought of as grimoires.[70]

While the term grimoire is originally European—and many Europeans throughout history,
particularly ceremonial magicians and cunning folk, have used grimoires—the historian Owen
Davies noted that similar books can be found all around the world, ranging from Jamaica to
Sumatra.[71] He also noted that in this sense, the world's first grimoires were created in Europe
and the Ancient Near East.[72]

Magical formulae

A magical formula or 'word of power' is a word that is believed to have specific supernatural
effects.[73] They are words whose meaning illustrates principles and degrees of understanding that
are often difficult to relay using other forms of speech or writing. It is a concise means to
communicate very abstract information through the medium of a word or phrase.

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These words often have no intrinsic meaning in and of themselves.


However, when deconstructed, each individual letter may refer to
some universal concept found in the system that the formula appears.
Additionally, in grouping certain letters together one is able to display
meaningful sequences that are considered to be of value to the
spiritual system that utilizes them (e.g., spiritual hierarchies,
historiographic data, psychological stages, etc.)

A formula's potency is understood and made usable by the magician


only through prolonged meditation on its levels of meaning. Once
these have been interiorized by the magician, they may then utilize
the formula to maximum effect.

Classic magic words


Magical weapons

The practice of ceremonial magic often requires tools made or consecrated specifically for this use,
called magical weapons, which are required for a particular ritual or series of rituals. They may be
a symbolic representation of psychological elements of the magician or of metaphysical concepts.

In Magick (Book 4), Part II (Magick), Aleister Crowley lists the tools required as a magic circle
drawn on the ground and inscribed with the names of god, an altar, a wand, cup, sword, and
pentacle, to represent his true will, his understanding, his reason, and the lower parts of his being
respectively. On the altar, too, is a phial of oil to represent his aspiration, and for consecrating
items to his intent. The magician is surrounded by a scourge, dagger, and chain intended to keep
his intent pure. An oil lamp, book of conjurations and bell are required, as is the wearing of a
crown, robe, and lamen. The crown affirms his divinity, the robe symbolizes silence, and the lamen
declare his work. The book of conjurations is his magical record, his karma. In the East is the
magic fire in which all burns up at last.[74]

Vibration of god-names

In magical rituals involving the invocation of deities, a vocal technique called vibration is
commonly used. This was a basic aspect of magical training for Crowley, who described it in "Liber
O."[75] According to that text, vibration involves a physical set of steps, starting in a standing
position, breathing in through the nose while imagining the name of the god entering with the
breath, imagining that breath travelling through the entire body, stepping forward with the left
foot while throwing the body forward with arms outstretched, visualizing the name rushing out
when spoken, ending in an upright stance, with the right forefinger placed upon the lips.
According to Crowley in "Liber O", success in this technique is signaled by physical exhaustion and
"though only by the student himself is it perceived, when he hears the name of the God
vehemently roared forth, as if by the concourse of ten thousand thunders; and it should appear to
him as if that Great Voice proceeded from the Universe, and not from himself."

In general ritual practice, vibration can also refer to a technique of saying a god-name or a magical
formula in a long, drawn-out fashion (i.e. with a full, deep breath) that employs the nasal passages,
such that the sound feels and sounds "vibrated'.

Techniques

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According to Crowley, there is a single definition of the purpose for ritual magic: to achieve Union
with God through "the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm."[76] Since this process is so
arduous, it is also acceptable to use magic to develop the self (i.e. one's body of light) or to create
ideal circumstances for the Work (e.g. having access to a place in which to do ritual undisturbed).
There are many kinds of magic, but the categories of ritual that are recommended by Crowley
include:

1. Banishing—the elimination of unwanted forces. "The Magician must therefore take the utmost
care in the matter of purification, firstly, of himself, secondly, of his instruments, thirdly, of the
place of working."[74]
2. Invocation, where the magician identifies with the Deity invoked. There are three methods:
Devotion —where "identity with the God is attained by love and by surrender, by giving up
or suppressing all irrelevant (and illusionary) parts of yourself."[74]
Calling forth—where "identity is attained by paying special attention to the desired part of
yourself: positive, as the first method is negative."[74] (e.g. assumption of godforms)
Drama—where "identity is attained by sympathy. It is very difficult for the ordinary man to
lose himself completely in the subject of a play or of a novel; but for those who can do so,
this method is unquestionably the best."[74] (e.g. many initiations and the Gnostic Mass)
3. Evocation—which is bringing a spiritual being before, not into, the magician (e.g. goetia)
4. Eucharistic ritual—which "consists in taking common things, transmuting them into things
divine, and consuming them."[74]
5. Consecration—"the active dedication of a thing to a single purpose."[74]
6. Divination—such as the use of the Thoth Tarot or other tools used to gather information.

Banishing

The purpose of banishing rituals is to eliminate forces that might interfere with a magical
operation, and they are often performed at the beginning of an important event or ceremony
(although they can be performed for their own sake as well). The area of effect can be a magic
circle or a room. The general theory of magic proposes that there are various forces which are
represented by the classical elements (air, earth, fire, and water), the planets, the signs of the
Zodiac, and adjacent spaces in the astral world. There are many banishing rituals, but most are
some variation on two of the most common—"The Star Ruby" and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of
the Pentagram.

Crowley describes banishing in his Magick, Book 4 (ch.13):

[...] in the banishing ritual of the pentagram we not only command the demons to
depart, but invoke the Archangels and their hosts to act as guardians of the Circle
during our pre-occupation with the ceremony proper. In more elaborate ceremonies it
is usual to banish everything by name. Each element, each planet, and each sign,
perhaps even the Sephiroth themselves; all are removed, including the very one which
we wished to invoke, for that forces as existing in Nature is always impure. But this
process, being long and wearisome, is not altogether advisable in actual working. It is
usually sufficient to perform a general banishing, and to rely upon the aid of the
guardians invoked. [...] "The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" is the best to use.[77]

He further states:

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Those who regard this ritual as a mere devise to invoke or banish spirits, are unworthy
to possess it. Properly understood, it is the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the
Wise.[78]

Purification

Purification is similar in theme to banishing, but is a more rigorous process of preparing the self
and her temple for serious spiritual work. Crowley mentions that ancient magicians would purify
themselves through arduous programs, such as through special diets, fasting, sexual abstinence,
keeping the body meticulously tidy, and undergoing a complicated series of prayers.[77] He goes on
to say that purification no longer requires such activity, since the magician can purify the self via
willed intention. Specifically, the magician labors to purify the mind and body of all influences
which may interfere with the Great Work:

The point is to seize every occasion of bringing every available force to bear upon the
objective of the assault. It does not matter what the force is (by any standard of
judgment) so long as it plays its proper part in securing the success of the general
purpose [...] We must constantly examine ourselves, and assure ourselves that every
action is really subservient to the One Purpose[77]

Crowley recommended symbolically ritual practices, such as bathing and robing before a main
ceremony: "The bath signifies the removal of all things extraneous or antagonistic to the one
thought. The putting on of the robe is the positive side of the same operation. It is the assumption
of the frame of mind suitable to that one thought."[77]

Consecration

Consecration is an equally important magical operation. It is essentially the dedication, usually of


a ritual instrument or space, to a specific purpose. In Magick, Book 4 (ch.13), Crowley writes:

The ritual here in question should summarize the situation, and devote the particular
arrangement to its purpose by invoking the appropriate forces. Let it be well
remembered that each object is bound by the Oaths of its original consecration as such.
Thus, if a pantacle has been made sacred to Venus, it cannot be used in an operation of
Mars.[77]

Invocation

Invocation is the bringing in or identifying with a particular deity or spirit. Crowley wrote of two
keys to success in this arena: to "inflame thyself in praying"[79] and to "invoke often". For Crowley,
the single most important invocation, or any act of magic for that matter, was the invocation of
one's Holy Guardian Angel, or "secret self", which allows the adept to know his or her true will.

Crowley describes the experience of invocation:

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The mind must be exalted until it loses


consciousness of self. The Magician must be carried
forward blindly by a force which, though in him
and of him, is by no means that which he in his
normal state of consciousness calls I. Just as the
poet, the lover, the artist, is carried out of himself
in a creative frenzy, so must it be for the
Magician.[79]

Crowley (Magick, Book 4) discusses three main categories of


invocation, although "in the great essentials these three
methods are one. In each case the magician identifies himself
with the Deity invoked."[80]

Devotion—where "identity with the God is attained by love


and by surrender, by giving up or suppressing all irrelevant An example of the magic circle and
(and illusionary) parts of yourself." triangle of King Solomon
Calling forth—where "identity is attained by paying special
attention to the desired part of yourself."
Drama—where "identity is attained by sympathy. It is very difficult for the ordinary man to lose
himself completely in the subject of a play or of a novel; but for those who can do so, this
method is unquestionably the best."

Another invocatory technique that the magician can employ is called the assumption of godforms
— where with "concentrated imagination of oneself in the symbolic shape of any God, one should
be able to identify oneself with the idea which [the god] represents."[81] A general method involves
positioning the body in a position that is typical for a given god, imagining that the image of the
god is coinciding with or enveloping the body, accompanied by the practice of "vibration" of the
appropriate god-name(s).

Evocation

There is a distinct difference between invocation and evocation, as Crowley explains:

To "invoke" is to "call in", just as to "evoke" is to "call forth". This is the essential
difference between the two branches of Magick. In invocation, the macrocosm floods
the consciousness. In evocation, the magician, having become the macrocosm, creates
a microcosm. You invoke a God into the Circle. You evoke a Spirit into the Triangle.[80]

Generally, evocation is used for two main purposes: to gather information and to obtain the
services or obedience of a spirit or demon. Crowley believed that the most effective form of
evocation was found in the grimoire on Goetia (see below), which instructs the magician in how to
safely summon forth and command 72 infernal spirits. However, it is equally possible to evoke
angelic beings, gods, and other intelligences related to planets, elements, and the Zodiac.

Unlike with invocation, which involves a calling in, evocation involves a calling forth, most
commonly into what is called the "triangle of art."

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Eucharist

The word eucharist originally comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. However, within
magic, it takes on a special meaning—the transmutation of ordinary things (usually food and
drink) into divine sacraments, which are then consumed. The object is to infuse the food and drink
with certain properties, usually embodied by various deities, so that the adept takes in those
properties upon consumption. Crowley describes the process of the regular practice of eucharistic
ritual:

The magician becomes filled with God, fed upon God, intoxicated with God. Little by
little his body will become purified by the internal lustration of God; day by day his
mortal frame, shedding its earthly elements, will become in very truth the Temple of
the Holy Ghost. Day by day matter is replaced by Spirit, the human by the divine;
ultimately the change will be complete; God manifest in flesh will be his name.[82]

There are several eucharistic rituals within the magical canon. Two of the most well known are The
Mass of the Phoenix and The Gnostic Mass. The first is a ritual designed for the individual, which
involves sacrificing a "Cake of Light" (a type of bread that serves as the host) to Ra (i.e. the Sun)
and infusing a second Cake with the adept's own blood (either real or symbolic, in a gesture
reflecting the myth of the Pelican cutting its own breast to feed its young) and then consuming it
with the words, "There is no grace: there is no guilt: This is the Law: Do what thou wilt!" The other
ritual, The Gnostic Mass, is a very popular public ritual (although it can be practiced privately)
that involves a team of participants, including a Priest and Priestess. This ritual is an enactment of
the mystical journey that culminates with the Mystic Marriage and the consumption of a Cake of
Light and a goblet of wine (a process termed "communication"). Afterwards, each Communicant
declares, "There is no part of me that is not of the gods!"

Divination

The art of divination is generally employed for the purpose of obtaining information that can guide
the adept in his Great Work. The underlying theory states that there exists intelligences (either
outside of or inside the mind of the diviner) that can offer accurate information within certain
limits using a language of symbols. Normally, divination within magic is not the same as fortune
telling, which is more interested in predicting future events. Rather, divination tends to be more
about discovering information about the nature and condition of things that can help the magician
gain insight and to make better decisions.

There are literally hundreds of different divinatory techniques in the world. However, Western
occult practice mostly includes the use of astrology (calculating the influence of heavenly bodies),
bibliomancy (reading random passages from a book, such as Liber Legis or the I Ching), Thoth
Tarot (a deck of 78 cards, each with symbolic meaning, usually laid out in a meaningful pattern),
and geomancy (a method of making random marks on paper or in earth that results in a
combination of sixteen patterns).

It is an accepted truism within magic that divination is imperfect. As Crowley writes, "In
estimating the ultimate value of a divinatory judgment, one must allow for more than the
numerous sources of error inherent in the process itself. The judgment can do no more than the
facts presented to it warrant. It is naturally impossible in most cases to make sure that some
important factor has not been omitted [...] One must not assume that the oracle is omniscient."[83]

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Other magical practices

Qabalah and the Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a tool used to categorize and organize various mystical concepts. At its most
simple level, it is composed of ten spheres, or emanations, called sephiroth (sing. "sephira") which
are connected by twenty two paths. The sephiroth are represented by the planets and the paths by
the characters of the Hebrew alphabet, which are subdivided by the four classical elements, the
seven classical planets, and the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Within the western magical tradition,
the Tree is used as a kind of conceptual filing cabinet. Each sephira and path is assigned various
ideas, such as gods, cards of the Tarot, astrological planets and signs, elements, etc.

Crowley considered a deep understanding of the Tree of Life to be essential to the magician:

The Tree of Life has got to be learnt by heart; you must know it backwards, forwards,
sideways, and upside down; it must become the automatic background of all your
thinking. You must keep on hanging everything that comes your way upon its proper
bough.[84]

Similar to yoga, learning the Tree of Life is not so much magic as it is a way to map out one's
spiritual universe. As such, the adept may use the Tree to determine a destination for astral travel,
to choose which gods to invoke for what purposes, et cetera. It also plays an important role in
modeling the spiritual journey, where the adept begins in Malkuth, which is the every-day material
world of phenomena, with the ultimate goal being at Kether, the sphere of Unity with the All.

Body of light

The body of light, sometimes called the 'astral body'[h] or the 'subtle body,'[i] is a "quasi
material"[85] aspect of the human body, being neither solely physical nor solely spiritual, posited
by a number of philosophers, and elaborated on according to various esoteric, occult, and mystical
teachings. Other terms used for this body include body of glory,[86] spirit-body, radiant body,[87]
luciform body, augoeides ('radiant'), astroeides ('starry' or 'sidereal body'), and celestial body.[88]

Crowley referred to the augoeides, a Greek term for the body of light, and connected it with 'the
Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel' associated with each human being.[89][90]
He stressed that the body of light must be built up though the use of imagination, and that it must
then be animated, exercised, and disciplined.[91] According to Asprem (2017):

The practice of creating a "body of light” in imagination builds on the body-image


system, potentially working with alterations across all of its three modalities
(perceptual, conceptual, and affective): an idealized body is produced (body-image
model), new conceptual structures are attached to it (e.g., the doctrine of multiple,
separable bodies), while emotional attachments of awe, dignity, and fear responses are
cultivated through the performance of astral rituals and protections from "astral
dangers" through the simulation of symbols and magical weapons.[91]

Magical record

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A magical record is a journal or other source of documentation containing magical events,


experiences, ideas, and any other information that the magician may see fit to add. There can be
many purposes for such a record, such as recording evidence to verify the effectiveness of specific
procedures (per the scientific method that Aleister Crowley claimed should be applied to the
practice of magic) or to ensure that data may propagate beyond the lifetime of the magician.
Benefits of this process vary, but usually include future analysis and further education by the
individual and/or associates with whom the magician feels comfortable in revealing such
intrinsically private information.

Crowley was highly insistent upon the importance of this practice. As he writes in Liber E, "It is
absolutely necessary that all experiments should be recorded in detail during, or immediately
after, their performance ... The more scientific the record is, the better. Yet the emotions should be
noted, as being some of the conditions. Let then the record be written with sincerity and care; thus
with practice it will be found more and more to approximate to the ideal."[92] Other items he
suggests for inclusion include the physical and mental condition of the experimenter, the time and
place, and environmental conditions, including the weather.

See also
Astrotheology
The Book of Abramelin
Bornless Ritual
Chaos magic
Folk religion
Greater and lesser magic
Greek Magical Papyri
Magic and religion
Magic in the Greco-Roman world
Initiation#Religious and spiritual
Magic and religion
Magical organization
Medieval European magic
Rosicrucianism

Notes
a. Crowley (1997), p. 127: "What is a Magical Operation? It may be defined as any event in
nature which is brought to pass by will. We must not exclude potato-growing or banking from
our definition. Let us take a very simple example of a Magical Act: that of a man blowing his
nose."
b. Symonds & Grant (1973), p. : "The Anglo-Saxon k in Magick, like most of Crowley's conceits,
is a means of indicating the kind of magic which he performed. K is the eleventh letter of
several alphabets, and eleven is the principal number of magick, because it is the number
attributed to the Qliphoth - the underworld of demonic and chaotic forces that have to be
conquered before magick can be performed. K has other magical implications: it corresponds
to the power or shakti aspect of creative energy, for k is the ancient Egyptian khu, the magical
power. Specifically, it stands for kteis (vagina), the complement to the wand (or phallus) which
is used by the Magician in certain aspects of the Great Work."

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c. Crowley (1997), p. 134: "One must find out for oneself, and make sure beyond doubt, who one
is, what one is, why one is ...Being thus conscious of the proper course to pursue, the next
thing is to understand the conditions necessary to following it out. After that, one must
eliminate from oneself every element alien or hostile to success, and develop those parts of
oneself which are specially needed to control the aforesaid conditions."
d. Jenkins (2000), p. 74: "Also in the 1880s, the tradition of ritual magic was revived in London by
a group of Masonic adepts, who formed the Order of the Golden Dawn, which would prove an
incalculable influence on the whole subsequent history of occultism."
e. Smoley (1999), pp. 102–103: "Founded in 1888, the Golden Dawn lasted a mere twelve years
before it was shattered by personal conflicts. At its height, it probably had no more than a
hundred members. Yet its influence on magic and esoteric thought in the English-speaking
world would be hard to overestimate."
f. Urban (2011), p. 39–42: "The aim of Parson's 'Babalon Working' was first to identify a female
partner who would serve as his partner in esoteric sexual rituals; the partner would then
become the vessel for the 'magical child' or 'moonchild,' a supernatural offspring that would be
the embodiment of ultimate power... According to Parson's account of March 2–3, 1946,
Hubbard channeled the voice of Babalon, speaking as the beautiful but terrible lady..."
g. Urban (2006), pp. 135–137: "The ultimate goal of these operations, carried out during
February and March 1946, was to give birth to the magical being, or 'moonchild,' described in
Crowley's works. Using the powerful energy of IX degree Sex Magick, the rites were intended
to open a doorway through which the goddess Babalon herself might appear in human form."
h. n.b. however, this term may refer instead to the Theosophical concept of the astral body.
i. n.b. however, this term may refer instead to the subtle body of Eastern esotericism.

References

Citations
1. Davies (2003), p. ix.
2. Crowley (1998), p. 207.
3. Crowley (1973), ch 1.
4. Crowley (1973b), Part III, "Introduction".
5. Nauert (1957), p. 176.
6. King (1992), p. 29.
7. Priddle (2013), p. .
8. Colquhoun (1975), p. .
9. Crowley (1997), p. 47.
10. Crowley (2008), p. 17.
11. Sadovsky (2014), p. 31.
12. Fanger (2006), pp. 377, 378.
13. Richardson (2007), p. 224.
14. Richardson (2007), pp. 224–225.
15. Urban (2006), p. 167.
16. Hutton (1999), p. 182.
17. Hutton (1999), p. 231.
18. Chapman (1993), p. 147.
19. Radford (2018), p. 166.

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20. Pearson (2002), p. 29.


21. Drury (2003), p. 179.
22. Graf (2007), p. 50.
23. Luhrmann (1989), p. 88.
24. Harvey (2007), p. 179.
25. Sadovsky (2014), p. 88.
26. Sadovsky (2014), p. 86.
27. Sadovsky (2014), p. 120.
28. Graf (2007), p. 48.
29. Parsons (2008), pp. 69–71.
30. Pendle (2006), pp. 263–271.
31. Sutin (2002), pp. 412–414.
32. Nichols, Mather & Schmidt (2010), pp. 1037–1038.
33. Starr (2003), p. .
34. "Essay on Sister Phyllis Seckler aka Soror Meral" (http://zeroequalstwo.net/great-essay-on-ph
yllis-seckler/). 22 March 2019.
35. Evans (2007), p. 286.
36. Bogdan (2015), p. 2.
37. Evans (2007), p. 286; Kaczynski (2010), p. 533–534; Bogdan (2015), p. 2.
38. Evans (2004), p. 227; Evans (2007), p. 286; Kaczynski (2010), p. 534.
39. Evans (2007), p. 287.
40. Evans (2004), p. 227; Evans (2007), p. 287.
41. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 161.
42. Bogdan (2015), p. 1.
43. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 91.
44. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 181.
45. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 169.
46. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 95.
47. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 106.
48. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 96.
49. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 109.
50. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 159.
51. Djurdjevic (2014), pp. 92–93.
52. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 98.
53. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 99.
54. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 100.
55. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 168.
56. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 174.
57. Djurdjevic (2014), p. 107.
58. Hedenborg White (2020), p. 165.
59. Thompson (2018).
60. Lees (2018).
61. Crowley (2004), ch. 3, v. 47.
62. Crowley (1974).

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63. Stratton-Kent (1988).


64. Stratton-Kent (2011).
65. Thompson (2016).
66. Grant (1980), p. .
67. Grant (1999), p. .
68. Kraig (n.d.).
69. Davies (2009), p. 1.
70. Davies (2009), pp. 2–3.
71. Davies (2009), pp. 2–5.
72. Davies (2009), pp. 6–7.
73. Lecouteux (2015), p. .
74. Crowley (1997), p. .
75. Crowley (1997), "Liber O".
76. Crowley (1997), ch. 1.
77. Crowley (1997), ch. 13.
78. Crowley (1997), p. 690.
79. Crowley (1997), ch. 15.
80. Crowley (1997), p. 147.
81. Crowley (1979), ch. 26.
82. Crowley (1997), ch. 20.
83. Crowley (1997), ch. 18.
84. Crowley (1973), ch. IV.
85. Samuel & Johnston (2013).
86. Behun (2010).
87. Mead (1919).
88. Mead (1919), pp. 34–35.
89. Michael (2005).
90. Sutin (2002).
91. Asprem (2017), p. 40.
92. Crowley (1997), "Liber E".

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Crowley, Aleister (1973). Magick Without Tears. Crowley, Aleister (1990). Magick in Theory and
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Weiser. ISBN 978-0-7100-7423-2. Crowley, Aleister (1997). Magick: Liber ABA,
Crowley, Aleister (1974). Magical and Book 4, Parts I-IV (Second revised ed.).
Philosophical Commentaries on the Book of Boston: Weiser. ISBN 0877289190.
the Law. Montreal: 93 Publishing. Crowley, Aleister (1998). The Revival of Magick
Crowley, Aleister (1979). The Confessions of and Other Essays (Oriflamme). United
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Crowley, Aleister (2004). The Book of the Law: Grant, Kenneth (1999). Beyond the Mauve
Liber Al Vel Legis. Red Wheel Weiser. Zone. London: Starfire. Contains a photo
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Further reading
Bogdan, Henrik (2012). "Introduction: Modern Hanegraaff, Wouter (2012). Esotericism and the
Western Magic". Aries. 12 (1): 1–16. Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western
doi:10.1163/147783512X614812 (https://do Culture. Cambridge, England: Cambridge
i.org/10.1163%2F147783512X614812). University Press. ISBN 9780521196215.
Evans, Dave (2007b). Aleister Crowley and the Thompson, Cath (2017). A Handbook of Stellar
20th Century Synthesis of Magick. United Magick. West Yorkshire: Hadean Press.
Kingdom: Hidden Publishing. ISBN 978- ISBN 978-1907881718.
0955523724.

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