Shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding, Aleister Crowley is one of the 20th century’s most revered occult figures. With The Weiser Concise Guide to Aleister Crowley, readers are given a careful, comprehensive overview of Crowley’s life from poet to practicing magician as well as his life’s work, including the basic principles and rituals of his magical practices. Set aside your preconceptions and dismiss the rumors. Crowley was certainly a complex, controversial, and colorful man, but the truth is far more interesting than the legend.

Yoga today connotes many images and ideas -- from holy men on a high mountaintop to throngs of young women toting designer mats. Yoga, meaning 'union,' is actually a many-layered discipline designed to help an individual attain health, serenity, focus, and ultimately, union with the Divine. Aleister Crowley was one of the first Europeans to practice yoga and believed the practice was essential to spiritual growth, stating that 'Magick is a Pyramid built layer by layer. The work of the Body of Light -- with the technique of Yoga -- is the foundation of the whole.' This succinct and uniquely helpful book explores the frequently overlooked importance of bringing a healthy body and a clear-thinking mind to the practice of ceremonial magick or Wicca. While many books on magick discuss the importance of ritual, almost none point to the physical, spiritual, and moral quality necessary to make those rituals effective. Spiritual power demands physical health and the contemporary western practitioner can learn much from the ancient tradition of yoga.

In The Weiser Concise Guide to Practical Astrology, Priscilla Costello introduces the reader to the basic principles of modern astrology and unveils the secrets of this elegantly developed language of symbols. Costello shares with the reader both the philosophical and esoteric world view of astrology, while exploring the meanings of signs, planets, houses, and aspects on many levels, as well as its connection to psychology, religion and spirituality, and related esoteric studies. The Weiser Concise Guide to Practical Astrology serves as both a primer for the new student of astrology and a handy reference for the more seasoned practitioner. As complete as it is concise, this course of study delves deeply into the history and true spirit of astrology, making it accessible to all.

A rigorously researched biography of the founder of modern magick, as well as a study of the occult, sexuality, Eastern religion, and more The name “Aleister Crowley” instantly conjures visions of diabolic ceremonies and orgiastic indulgences—and while the sardonic Crowley would perhaps be the last to challenge such a view, he was also much more than “the Beast,” as this authoritative biography shows. Perdurabo—entitled after the magical name Crowley chose when inducted into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—traces Crowley’s remarkable journey from his birth as the only son of a wealthy lay preacher to his death in a boarding house as the world’s foremost authority on magick. Along the way, he rebels against his conservative religious upbringing; befriends famous artists, writers, and philosophers (and becomes a poet himself); is attacked for his practice of “the black arts”; and teaches that science and magick can work together. While seeking to spread his infamous philosophy of, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law,” Crowley becomes one of the most notorious figures of his day. Based on Richard Kaczynski’s twenty years of research, and including previously unpublished biographical details, Perdurabo paints a memorable portrait of the man who inspired the counterculture and influenced generations of artists, punks, wiccans, and other denizens of the demimonde.

"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

The ultimate herbalist's bible. Herbalism is one of the cornerstones of magical work, and The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick presents this vast subject in an accessible, practical manner. While it includes those plants classically associated with magick, such as mugwort, mandrake, and nightshade, it also provides lore and usage of more common plants, such as olive, coconut, tiger lily, orchids, and palms. Other herbs include heliotrope, lotus, mallow, nettle, oak, yew, and willow. This groundbreaking book offers a broad overview of the art of herbalism, along with specific practical instruction in using herbs in magick. It also provides a thorough overview of the historical relationship between herbs and the practice of magick. This uniquely helpful guide supplies the novice with a solid foundation of herbal magick knowledge and history, and more experienced practitioners will benefit from the author's unique and erudite perspective and skill. No other herbal magick book offers this level of information in such a concise form.

Henrik Bogdan and Martin P. Starr offer the first comprehensive examination of one of the twentieth century's most distinctive occult iconoclasts, Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), one of the most influential thinkers in contemporary western esotericism.