Good beginner book on Qabalah?
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What is a good baby beginner book on Qabalah (western hermetic) ?
Something that explains all the basics in bitty baby steps.Thank you.
93 93/93 -
I really don't think there's a better intro than The Mystical Qabalaah by Dion Fortune; except, the (understandable) mistake most people make is sludging through the introductory chapters first. Skip them (as much as you want), and jump straight to the chapters on the 10 Sephiroth.
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Hmmm, a reviewer on amazon.com says that the new edition of The Mystical Qabalaah by Dion Fortune, has many errors in it. Guess I will have to look for an old copy. Here's the review:
When examining this new edition in order to consider it as a course text I found several problems within the edition itself. At first I thought that, maybe, it had been a very long time since I'd read it as some things didn't seem as clear as I'd remembered them. Upon comparison to the '84-'89 edition I found the source of the problem, the text has not been faithfully reproduced. For example the following two quotes are from the end of Chapter 2, Paragraph 4.
2001 Edition: "Nor am I impressed by a dedication to the higher life which by peculiarities of clothing and bearing and by the manner of cutting, or omitting to cut, the hair."1984 Edition: "Nor am I impressed by a dedication to the higher life which manifests itself by peculiarities of clothing and bearing and by the manner of cutting, or omitting to cut, the hair."
This is only a single example and I have yet to find an entire chapter devoid of such mistakes, some of them leaving out entire sentences.
The Mystical Qabalah is, without a doubt, one of the best books on Qabalah ever written. It is a shame that Weiser, a formally respected publisher, could make such a mess of it.
-Greg Wotton
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The Mystical Qabalah, Dion Fortune
The Kabbalah Unveiled, Knorr von Rosenroth (translated by S. L. McGregor Mathers)
Course of Hidden Philosophy, Eliphas Levi& then
Sepher Yetzirah
777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley (published by Israel Regardie)
Sepher Sephiroth -
"Quote Tornado93: What is a good baby beginner book on Qabalah (western hermetic) ?
Something that explains all the basics in bitty baby steps."
The Qabalistic Tarot by Robert Wang might help. This book weaves the Qabalah and the Tarot with one another. It helped my understanding of the Western Mystery system. -
Thank you everybody.
Some other people have also recommended "The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford" by Lon Milo DuQuette -
Much more of a shepherd and humorist's explanation than a scholar's. But don't let him fool you that way.
Well... yeah... like a good rabbi's explanation.
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How do people rate Regardie's "Garden of Pomegranates"?
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Complete other direction. So dryly comprehensive as to be more of an encyclopedic text - a scholarly history and faithful record of his understanding of the Tree of Life and literal qabalah. The current edition also has Chic and Tabitha Cicero's Skrying on the Tree of Life: A textbook for pratical work with the Qabalah added at the end.
You could go in as a beginner, but it's intimidatingly large and dry. I definitely recommend owning it, but I'd also recommend Fortune's Mystical Qabalah first. Add to that the Chicken Qabalah, and you might keep a balanced head about it all... lol...
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For an absolute beginner, I'd recommend at least the first half of this book:
After that, you'll know the kind of thing Fortune is talking about.
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@Poe said
"How do people rate Regardie's "Garden of Pomegranates"?"
I see it as a handy book of tables. More or less 777 Rearranged.
I didn't recommend it as a beginner book because I think the first introduction needs to be with discussion and explanation (a la Fortune), not just a list of facts.
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I'd just picked up the Cicero's commented version of Regardies book from Amazon based on recommendations.
Thanks for the info. -
Dion Fortune's The Mystical Qabalah.
Read it with ZERO knowledge of the Qabalah and became a faithful student of the Western Hermetic tradition after I read it. It absolutely changed my life.
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Also, for a great and very friendly primer on Tarot, or the paths between the sephiroth on the Tree of Life, try Jason Lotterhand's [www.amazon.com/Thursday-Night-Tarot-Weekly-Wisdom/dp/0878771476:1yvjmxqs]](http://www.amazon.com/Thursday-Night-Tarot-Weekly-Wisdom/dp/0878771476:1yvjmxqs).
Excellent, grandfatherly, and very wise discussion of the meaning of the Tarot.
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I would recomend also Will Parfitt 's Books on the subject they helped me understand a lot.
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FWIW:
I recommend buying several books listed here (any that appeal to you), and just skimming them all simultaneously in any particular order; slowly, the essentials will begin to stick, and eventually you'll be able to read any of the books straight through without having too many issues.
I started on A Garden of Pomegranates and just banged my head into it repeatedly until it stuck.
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"Qabalah, Qliphoth and Goetic Magic" by Thomas Karlsson. It is a great book about alot of central issues within Qabalah and also its darker aspects; the Qliphoth and the Tree of Knowledge.
If one is interested in Qabalah or Gnosticism it is a must read. It is informative, historically sound and contains alot of perspectives from different Qabalists.Information from the publisher:
ajnabound.com"
Qabalah, Qliphoth and Goetic Magic is a unique practical introduction to magic. The main thread of the book is the exploration of the Qliphoth and the dark mysteries which have for so long been a repressed part of western esotericism. Instead of ignoring and denying the dark side, the author reveals, step by step, how man can get to know his Shadow and, through this, reach a deeper knowledge of the Self. By exploring and not by repressing the Shadow it can be transformed from a destructive force into a creative power.The book deals with the problem of evil, the symbolism behind the fall of Lucifer and man’s creation process according to Qabalistic philosophy.
The theories that are presented in this book are also linked to practice. Several examples of rituals, meditations, magical exercises and occult correspondences can be found within. Qabalah, Qliphoth and Goetic Magic contains more than one hundred demonic sigils and pieces of art that were created specifically for this book. A unique collection of all the sigils from the classic grimoires Lemegeton: The Lesser Key of Solomon and the infamous Grimorium Verum are also included.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas Karlsson has studied and practiced the occult sciences for more than fifteen years and is the founder of the esoteric order Dragon Rouge. He is a doctoral candidate in the History of Religion and holds a M. A. in the History of Ideas. Thomas Karlsson authored the book Uthark—Nightside of the Runes (Ouroboros Produktion, 2002) and gives seminars and lectures on a regular basis." -
""Qabalah, Qliphoth and Goetic Magic" by Thomas Karlsson. It is a great book about alot of central issues within Qabalah and also its darker aspects; the Qliphoth and the Tree of Knowledge."
Is it a beginner's book though? IMO, it sounds like that book covers stuff more appropriate for an adept rather than a beginner.
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Yes, I definitely think it's a book for (far) more advanced Magicians.
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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I've found that Achad's book (QBL or the Bride's Reception) on the subject is very concise and colloquial. The appendix has to do with attributions that were, to my knowledge, never accepted by Crowley. However, the work as a whole shouldn't be discounted in the slightest.
Fortune's book is also very helpful. Lots of great insight.
It's nice to see the different subjective interpretations of the Qabalah, how they relate to each author individually, and how that relates to the collective "ideas" of the Spheres and Paths.
In any event, the information found in both books hold many Keys, IMHO.
Love is the law, love under will.