  Rubbish, 2002-01-24
I have bought this book anticipating something that is different from the bible, yet also religious and philosophical. I thought this book to be an clearly formulated, understandable fundament of a religion. Goddamnit was i wrong!!A. Crowley keeps on doing what Christianity and its followers did for aeons: Stating some absurd philosophy in a way that is not understanable so there is plenty of room for interpretation. This way nobody really knows what they want to say and enables the mighty to impose their beliefs and values on other people. If they say thats not true, well have a look at page ... it CLEARLY say that... rubbish.
I thought the bible was some sick, weird stuff, but the book of the law...well after some glasses of wine its quite entertaining and its way shorter than the bible!
If you are into occultism, maybe attracted to Crowley because of curiosity or some fellow satanist told you to buy this book, don't...
The short book which started Crowley on his dark path, 2004-04-11
This is the book supposedly dictated through Aleister Crowley by the ancient Egyptian god Aiwass in 1904. It announces that the world is about to move from the age of the father to the age of the child (or the Age of Horus). In its apocalyptic quasi-King James Bible English it damns reason and compassion while exalting self-centredness.
This is what started Aleister Crowley on the path to modelling himself as “the Beast” and the “Master Therion.” It includes the famous motto “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law…Love is the Law, love under will.”
Gerald Suster cites this book as a premonition of the horrors to come upon an unsuspecting world during the first half of the 20th century.
It’s a small book – 50 pages with the rest taken up with a facsimile of the hand-written original. Written in such obscure language, I find it easier to take Suster’s interpretations rather than try to work out what’s actually trying to be said.
This is a chilling book if you believe in it – either that or fascinating. Whatever else he was or wasn’t, Crowley was an excellent poet.
Perfect edition, 2004-03-11
This is a very good edition of the Book of the Law. It gives a compact description of Thelema and it's principles. This is absolutely a must have for anybody who sees the importance of this law of liberty. This is, I think, the most beautiful copy of the Book of the Law I have seen in years, and all for a very reasonable price.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law., 2001-05-13
"Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong, if he look but close into the word. For there are therein Three Grades, the Hermit, and the Lover, and the man of Earth. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." AL 1.40 'The Book of the Law' is the principal work of one of today's fastest growing magical scenes. Crowley unreservedly declared it his most important work. I personally rate it very highly. However it is forbidden to study it. To be honest the knowledge it contains profits not the body nor the mind - but it does something... Instantaneous connection with certain discarnate intelligences perhaps? For such a small work 'The Book of the Law' seems to say a great deal. It is about four years since I first encountered it and I do not think myself even close to decent comprehension. This is the Grand Prophecy from the Prophet of the New Aeon.... Love is the law, love under will.
Incoherent Curio, 2010-05-03
I read this book some lengthy while ago and found it then a trifle incoherent as well as stylistically melodramatic and poetically victorian as well as a dense and obscure read-But that partly depends on ones background reading...It is very nineteenth century actually and having now heard the writers extraordinarily reedy and weedy voice courtesy of Amazon it would be better read than heard,I think...If you believe alchemy works then you might be instructed by this but there are in fact far more rational reads for the openminded wanderer between the worlds in Bob Munro and Sylvester Muldoon or even in the superb Lethbridge...But I still like it for just that element of berserk Victoriana by that curious combo of Libertine reactionary who could as easily become an aristocratic fascist or found a bohemian commune as Crowley might have been and did with his Thelemic philosophy of sex,drugs and jazz-And occult poetry,of course...The magic of this book,however,is in its its influence that inspired the kind of persons who in turn founded the Waffen SS,Led Zeppelin,psychedelia or who wrote Performance et caetera...I recommend some of Crowleys other works such as The Moonchild and take the suggestive Satanism with a pinch of salt...The book is a wyrd maze but not a handbook,I think,of astral travel or of magic powers or their attainment...I would call it an incoherent curio but then many people are,too,and we still read them.
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