Living Thelema

“The most thorough and understandable exposition of the underlying theories and the practical applications of the spiritual disciplines of Thelema currently available. A landmark work.” —Lon Milo DuQuette, author of The Magick of Aleister Crowley The system of spiritual attainment developed by Aleister Crowley is notoriously challenging in its scope. Living Thelema, adapted from the popular podcast of the same name, brings a welcome approachability to Crowley’s material, without diminishing the depth of the system. The author focuses on the practical and experiential aspects of the path of Thelema, allowing the reader to grasp the true transformative power of the system. Beginners and advanced practitioners alike will find much useful advice here, as Shoemaker brings his characteristic down-to-earth style to bear on topics such as ritual and meditation practices, sex magick, astral projection, psychotherapy for magicians, the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, and that pinnacle of attainment known as the crossing of the Abyss. The author’s background as a practicing psychotherapist allows an entirely unique fusion of esoteric wisdom and cognitive science. “In this entertaining and (dare I say it?) lively book, David Shoemaker reminds us that Thelema is not just a philosophy or a study but a spiritual practice. From applied ‘how to’ advice to thought-provoking ‘how about’ posers, Dr. Shoemaker offers his personal take—informed by twenty years of walking the talk, along with his incisiveness as a professional therapist—on how to get the most out of the fundamental Thelemic practices of yoga and ritual, both inside and outside of the temple.” —Richard Kaczynski, author of Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley

In this important new book, renowned Thelemic teacher Dr. David Shoemaker sheds light on the dense and often misunderstood world of Aleister Crowley's teachings. Beginners and advanced practitioners alike will find much useful advice here, as Shoemaker brings his characteristic down-to-earth style to bear on topics such as ritual and meditation practices, sex magick, astral projection, psychotherapy for magicians, the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, and that pinnacle of attainment known as the crossing of the Abyss. A popular lecturer and podcaster, Shoemaker has been a student and teacher of Aleister Crowley's system of magick and mysticism for decades. Living Thelema is designed to be a helpful resource for aspirants at any stage of the Thelemic path, drawing on Shoemaker's many years of supervising students in A.'.A.'., Crowley's magical order, as well as other related systems. This book presents a truly unique, 21st century synthesis of magick and depth psychology, and will serve as a useful reference at every stage of the aspirants path of attainment.

The Life and Legacy of One of History's Most Fascinating Magicians Thelema is one of the most powerful and influential systems of magick the world has ever known. But to truly understand the philosophy and practice of Thelema, you need to understand its charismatic founder, Aleister Crowley. Thelema reveals this enigmatic figure in all of his provocative and brilliant glory, providing a biography of Crowley and showing how his work evolved to become a paradigm-shifting system of magick. This book also explores the texts and writings that form the basis of Thelema, and it provides step-by-step instructions for practicing the basic rites and rituals of this often-misunderstood tradition. Thelema provides a multifaceted method for spiritual attainment that focuses on manifesting your true will. Discover how Crowley developed his remarkable techniques, and learn how to begin or deepen your own magical practice with elements of Qabalah, Gnosticism, Eastern philosophy, Egyptian spirituality, tarot, and more. Along the way, you'll learn about Crowley's involvement in the Golden Dawn and the O.T.O., his clandestine activities during both world wars, and the nature and influence of his personal relationships. Includes photos Foreword by Lon Milo DuQuette Praise: "Colin Campbell's earlier works have shown him to be one of the most thorough and thoughtful Thelemic authors of our era. In Thelema, Campbell brings this same acumen and clarity of expression to the life and work of Aleister Crowley. The book covers a wide range of territory—historical, theoretical, and practical—and will be a useful resource for beginners and more advanced students alike."—David Shoemaker, author of Living Thelema

A comprehensive presentation of group-oriented rites for modern magicians inspired by the occult works of Aleister Crowley. Group ritual has been a cornerstone of spiritual practice since time immemorial, yet its history and importance have often been overlooked by occultists of the modern age. This book is an essential resource on the topic, featuring rituals written by Aleister Crowley for his own magic circles—many of them unpublished during his lifetime, plus rare ancient texts that were Crowley’s own inspiration. The rituals are newly edited and explained by practicing magician Rodney Orpheus, drawing on his wealth of experience performing and teaching them within Crowley’s magical order, Ordo Templi Orientis. Orpheus introduces each ritual, explaining its historical context and its function and mode of operation. He also includes detailed notes on each ritual’s proper setting and performance. Whether absolute beginner or seasoned expert, magicians of all paths will find this volume to be an eminently workable and extremely powerful grimoire spanning centuries from ancient Mithraic and Bacchanalian rites, Goetia, and Gnosticism, right up to present day Crowleyan invocations and sexual magick.

Georgina Rose (also known as "Da'at Darling") brings Aleister Crowley's spiritual path of Thelema to life for a new generation of spiritual seekers. There are few occult paradigms that have the mystery and allure of Thelema, the religious system, philosophy, and magickal framework founded by Aleister Crowley. While Crowley himself is surrounded by controversy and intrigue, Thelema has a life well beyond Crowley's influence. Over the past century, Thelema has attracted a community represented by various thinkers, sects, and schools of thought. While often considered a ceremonial practice of initiates, Thelema is now being sought out by practitioners who want to pursue it as solitary spiritual practice, an approach made possible by the internet. Begin with True Will speaks to this audience of spiritual seekers, offering an inclusive approach to Thelema that has been adapted to the conditions of the modern world. Here, she introduces an approach to Thelema that is fit for the new generation of Thelemites. She explores every aspect of Thelema from philosophy, metaphysics, and everyday living, ritual work, and history, and explains what it means to be a solitary Thelemite. She also outlines how every Thelemite's path is different and suggests that readers should use their discretion and follow their own True Will--realizing their own life in Thelema.

A practical and in-depth manual on integrating Thelemic spiritual principles into daily life by a prominent writer and teacher of the occult and the work of Aleister Crowley. In The Way of the Will, David Shoemaker explores how the spiritual discipline of Thelema, founded by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), can be utilized to enhance your psychological and spiritual growth. The book grew out of the author’s own teaching and experience—podcast episodes, classes, and of course, many years of personal practice and supervision of other initiates. It is a compendium of useful tools and perspectives designed to serve as one of many useful guides in the magician’s library. Part one of the book, “Thelema and the Life Within,” reflects on the ways your inner experience can be enhanced by tools such as the Qabalistic Tree of Life, Qabalistic psychology, and the symbolic world of astrology. In part two, “Thelemic Practice in Detail,” several important (but rarely discussed) libers in the Thelemic corpus are reviewed, with an eye toward strengthening the use of these powerful practices with no-nonsense advice. Tips are shared for constructing powerful, customized magical invocations and coping with the inevitable ordeals that can impact you along the path of your Great Work. Part two will also examine the deeper, personal magick accessible via attendance of the Gnostic Mass and the ways the symbolic frameworks of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn can be (and have been) adapted to express and enhance Thelemic principles and practices. Part three, “Thelema in the Wider World,” reviews the ways in which the Thelemic path can inform your health, your creativity, your sense of connectedness and meaning, and your experience of the nature of life itself. Various opportunities for community engagement and training in Thelemic magick and mysticism that exist in today’s world are explored, as well as the ways in which these have evolved since Crowley’s time. David also offers a personal memoir of his own path toward awareness of True Will, including his experience of the “Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel”—the term often used by Crowley to describe the pivotal spiritual awakening potentially available to every human being.

This is the masterpiece of occultist, magician and philosopher Aleister Crowley, introduced for the first time by one of the world's leading experts on Western esoteric traditions, Stephen Skinner. "Do what thou wilt." Written in the early twentieth century, the four books contained within this collection make up one of the most complete and groundbreaking works on the practice of magick ever written. They are considered to be the masterpiece of occultist, magician and philosopher Aleister Crowley and the core texts for the religion of Thelema. Their influence on alternative western thought and philosophy cannot be exaggerated. Also known as Book Four, or Liber ABA, the four parts bring together many rituals, received texts, theorems and unequalled insights into the practice of magick, culminating in The Book of the Law, the central, sacred text dictated to Crowley by a preternatural entity. Anyone interested in yoga, ceremonial magic, esoteric thought, invocation, divination and beyond, or those looking to delve into the fascinating, playful and illuminating writings of a unique man, will find inspiration. For the first time, one of the world's leading experts on Western esoteric traditions and magic, Dr. Stephen Skinner, introduces the text, sharing his insights into Crowley's take on yoga, ceremonial magick and Thelema. His long involvement with magick, both as an academic and as a practitioner, enabled Dr. Skinner to highlight the differences between the psychological and the spirit-orientated approaches to magick, and to show how that dilemma shaped Crowley's practice and his founding of Thelema, enlightening the reader to many previously unknown connections.