Book of the Law

Rating:
Summary: REQUIRED READING!
Review: This was the first book by Crowley that I bought, and I have since ended up kicking myself for not reading Crowley sooner. I own the printing in his 'Liber Aba' as well, but this copy also holds Crowley's commentary and introduction. This, I believe, holds the key to fully understanding the text, giving insight to what Crowley interpreted at the time. It also enlightened me to the fact that not all occultists (at least in Crowley's day) were associated with this or that left-wing movement. The end of the intro. makes it clear clear: socialism in any form is inherently evil and unlawful, since 'do what thou wilt' is just not part of its creed. One will gain new insight to both the terestrial realm and to the greater universe every time the book is read and it is a must for any serious student of the occult.

Rating:
Summary: The *Book of The Law* remains a book for the lawless--
Review: meaning those who find in all laws the flaws of the rule of the particular over the general, and understand the ways of the flesh in it's strength and peculiar weakness--and lack compassion in the degree required to see man for the creature he is and can be. Yes--I'm skeptical of the origins, and recognize Crowley for the mage and social scholar he was. Nonetheless, the book stands the test of time in that it did create a dedicated following, and has lead the way for other thinkers. Yes--Rabelais and the Hellfire Club are part of the inspiration--as are Tantra, Egyptian mythology, Origen (every man and woman is a star), the Book of Revelations, Babylonian myth, the politics of the new (twentieth) century, the astrological import of the equinox of the gods--look, read into it what you must. But recognize what is "the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star." You are earth, water, fire, air, and more, and you may not even know--still, you want to know because?

One may understand best through this book and Experience. Solve et coagula. And things like that.

Rating:
Summary: Essential to Thelema and Crowleyanity
Review: I've read all the reviews for this book (posted here) and in the face of its criticism and its praise (which I won't add anything too) I will say this:

This book (love it or hate it) is the prinicipal text of one of the major branches of modern western mysticism, and that is Thelema. It is everywhere on the internet and is regarded as sacred or holy in a vast number of occult orders and lodges.

Any serious student of the occult or western mysticism or "The Western Tradition" is remiss if they do not have a copy of this book in their library and have not at least read it a couple of times.

Rating:
Summary: More rapt and elegent than the Word, yet full of falling fai
Review: Do What Thou Wilt.

The Law is a book on beauty, of beauty, though mayhap not by beauty. It is as none ever would have it bold, and lusty, full of forces and fires.

More importantly, it is an invitaion. Those who accept find an escape from all pain and sorrow, for the Great Work is but bliss, even the Ordeals. I swear this true. All negitive emotion can be transcended if one gives one's all to the work of Union and Perfection to All.

Yet the book is concealed. Any who would like any help I can provide should contact me, for my blood is BABALON'S.

Skye Earing, [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Nothingness with Twinkles-and bad grammar
Review: The Book of the LAw is perhaps one of the most beautiful, and incomprensible books I've ever read. I'm compelled to believe that Crowley really did recieve his message from the Angel Aiwaiss. Crowley was such a master of letters that he rejected this book simply on the basis that its grammer and general development of ideas was horrible from a strict, editorial standpoint. In any case, wheter you buy this argument or not, read this book. Read it without "lust for result", then read the commentaries in both The Law is For all, and the Equninox of the Gods. Eventually it will all start to come clear.

Rating:
Summary: I'm still not sure what to make of it...
Review: Inspiration? Imagination? The rant of a disgusted young philosopher, or an initiation into a higher plane? Was Aiwass real, or was he just a construct of Crowley's tormented mind?

We may never know, but I encourage anyone reading this to take the trip- if they dare. This book may seem confusing or pointless at first, but it will all make sense to you eventually... But, formost- Do what thou wilt.

Rating:
Summary: The Book of the Law that I really want
Review: I wish I could get a copy of the Book of the Law in Hardback and that didn't have the UPC symbol printed onto the actual book.

Rating:
Summary: Have any of you reviewers actually READ Rabelais?
Review: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I've read several reviews which state that The Book of the Law is simply an unintelligible rehashing of Rabelais. The justification for this stance is that the phrase "Do what thou wilt" can be found in Rabelais' >Gargantua<, which contains an explanation of the government of the citizens of the ABBEY OF THELEME. Theleme. Thelema. Come on, of course Crowley read Rabelais! However, anyone who has carefully studied Rabelais' work and The Book of the Law can tell you that the concept of "Will" in each of these works is quite different. Crowley would not have urged anyone to say "It is George's will to go fishing. Everyone in the community shall go fishing with George." This is the kind of thing that Rabelais suggested. Crowley did not define Will as hapless whim. Clearly, the phrase "Do what thou wilt," just like any other phrase, has a different meaning when placed in a different context. The Book of the Law, among other things, places old phrases and old ideas together with the new in very careful PROPORTION. Meditate on this, if thou wilt, and see if you can get past that well-read but ill-considered cynicism. Love is the law, love under will.

Rating:
Summary: Should you buy this book?
Review: I love this book and read it again and again. Should you buy this book though? Well the entire text is available online all over the place. If you use a decent search engine like Google.com you will have no trouble finding it. So the reason for buying this book is if you wanted a nice bound copy of the text (In which case you have probably already read it a few times and know that's what you want and do not even need to bother reading this review).

If you aren't familiar with this book and you are curious I recommend first taking a look at it online and then purchasing "The Law Is for All : The Authorized Popular Commentary of Liber Al Vel Legis, the Book of the Law". The book of the law was kind of hard for me to read the first few times. "The Law is for All" is the Book of the Law with a Commentary by Aleister Crowleys. Parts of the commentary can really help out in studying the book of the law. Also I recommend visiting some of the thelemic websites out there (search "thelema"). Terms like Thelema, Nuit, Hadit, Khabs, Khu, Ankh-af-na-Khonsu, and Hoor Paar Kraat don't make much sense and are a little intimidating without a little outside commentary. There is also a very short paper called "Duty" by Aleister Crowley available on the internet which I think explains the major concepts of Thelema quite well. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Occult Artifact, Not Much More
Review: I've known so-called "Thelemites" who treat this book as their "Bible," and Aleister Crowley as their prophet. If all you read of Crowleys work is this book, it will be very hard to see why. Indeed, it will probably be hard to see why even if you read more.

This book was supposedly dictated to Crowley on his honeymoon, by a spirit called Aiwaz. It details a "religion" that can only be called hateful--Jews, Christians, Hindus, and Muslims...all condemned! "This is the law of the strong," Aiwaz declares. In other words, might makes right. When Crowley/Aiwaz writes, "Love is the law, love under will," what are we to believe? There is nothing in here, really, about love--Crowley was notorious for his smorgasbord of depraved sexual practices...perhaps this line is what he used to justify them. The most memorable line from "Liber AL," as it is frequently called, is the infamous, "Do What Thou Wilt..." which, contrary to Crowley's wild self-promotion, was plagiarized from Rabelais.

Most of what is here is barely intelligible, and lacks an iota of literary merit by any widely-accepted aesthetic standard. Crowley was a third-rate writer who (believe it or not) honestly believed he was a greater poet than his magical arch-rival, Wm. Butler Yeats, who once referred to Crowley as "that man of unspeakable life." Any reasonable person who reads Crowley's opinions of Jews and blacks (and the frequent ethnic slurs he deploys while talking about them) will be inclined to agree. Some of this is apparent in Liber AL; it is pretty hard to take.

Nevertheless, for anyone interested in Victorian esotericism, this may be an interesting read, as a cultural artifact, if nothing else.