Path: shell.portal.com!svc.portal.com!sdd.hp.com!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!nntp-hub2.barrnet.net!nntp-ucb.barrnet.net!well!heidrick From: heidrick@well.sf.ca.us (Bill Heidrick) Newsgroups: alt.tarot,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick,alt.divination,talk.religion.misc,talk.religion.thelema,alt.thelema,alt.magick.order Subject: Re: Reading Crowley (Was Re: Zeigler's books on Thoth deck) Date: 30 Nov 1995 15:32:25 GMT Organization: The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA Lines: 41 Message-ID: <49kiq9$npi@nkosi.well.com> References: <48j4vs$s6i@madeline.INS.CWRU.Edu> <48ko4i$sd4@giga.bga.com> <48q71d$91a@dorsai.dorsai.org> <4930hb$675@jobe.shell.portal.com> <49ci49$lss@giga.bga.com> Before a person can read Crowley, he or she has to learn how to read. >Crowley was adamant about study. See his massive list of books (many of >which were more appropriate to the time of his writing than today) that >made of the reading list for his group as published, I believe, in the >Blue Equinox. You seem to have a problem with letting people prepare and >learn the basics. If that's what the original person wants, fine. But if >he is looking for wider depth of understanding of the Tarot, occultism and >Crowley, I think my suggestions will prove helpful. >Bill H., if you're reading this thread, what is your opinion? Crowley requires multiple reads over a span of years. _Confessions_ was my start, and I recommend it for that. _MTP_ and _Book of Thoth_ would be good next, with _Liber AL_ on the side. _Equinox_ v. I, especially "Temple of Solomon the King", fills in most of it. For those who take an interest in either Thelema or sex magick, It would be necessary about then to branch off into the Holy Books and the Commentaries, along with _Vision and Voice_ and the workings for the latter. _Magick without Tears_ and the first two parts of _Book 4_ are helpful on a second run through _MTP_. None of this works without a copy of _Liber 777_ to hand, but the selected tables in _MTP_ are adequate for that purpose. The most important material in _MTP_ is contained in the formula chapters in the first quarter of the book, but that is not intelligible without getting the tables down. Also, to be read with the above, after _Confessions_: Levi's _Key to the Mysteries_ -- three times at least, since it's so damn dense with fiddle-faddle, especially in the first half. Selections as available from the Bibliography of other writers in the middle of _MTP_ will be required to make sense of over half of the assumed knowledge remarks in Crowley. --- The above assumes serious interest. Sans that, just _Confessions_, _Book of Thoth_, a little this and that and either Regardie's or Robert's biography of A.C. 93 93/93 Bill