It is very unfortunate that some Thelemites have not kept up with the evolution of the New Aeon, but have preferred to interpret Aleister Crowley and the Law of Thelema in an isolated and anti-intellectualist context which undermines their real message. Thus, some professed Thelemites­and the public at large­still seem to think that Thelema is a sex and drug cult which advocates nothing more than hedonism and "doing your own thing." The advent of the "New Age" has resulted in a whole host of excellent books, and the increasing awareness of Oriental and Traditionalist spirituality provides the cultural context without which the purpose, nature, and significance of Crowley's work cannot possibly be understood. In order to rectify this deficit we offer the following as an introductory course of reading for every Thelemite. These books have been carefully chosen for the light they shed on the Law of Thelema, and are highly recommended. Thelemites who have found other modern works which shed light on the profundity and depth of the Thelemic revelation are welcome to e-mail to the original creators of this list at shri@globalserve.net, or to the maintainer of this current copy, blister@winternet.com, stating the reasons for their selections.

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Atkin, Ron. Multidimensional Man. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin, 1981.

Assagioli, Roberto. Transpersonal Development. London: Crucible, 1991.

Aurobindo. The Destiny of Man. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Society, 1969.

Berman, Morris. Coming to Our Senses: Body and Spirit in the Hidden History of the West. New York: Bantam, 1990.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~. The Reenchantment of the World. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1981.

Brennan, J. H. Ancient Spirit: An Exploration of Magic. London: Warner Books,1993.

Brown, Norman O. Life against Death: The Psychoanalytical Meaning of History. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1970.

Cirlot, J. E. A Dictionary of Symbols. New York: Dorset Press, 1971.

Cohn, Norman. Cosmos, Chaos, and the World to Come: The Ancient Roots of Apocalyptic Faith. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1993.

De Gourmont, Remy. The Natural Philosophy of Love. Trans. Ezra Pound. New York: Collier, 1961.

Eliade, Mircea. Patterns in Comparative Religion. New York: New American Library, 1963.

~~~~~~~~~~~, Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton: Princeton University Prss, 1964.

Evans-Wentz, W. Y., ed. The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation. London: Oxford University Press, 1968.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ , ed. Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines. London: Oxford University Press, 1935.

Evola, Julius. The Doctrine of Awakening. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1996.

~~~~~~~~~~~. The Path of Enlightenment in the Mithraic Mysteries. Edmonds, WA: Alexandrian Press, 1994.

~~~~~~~~~~~. Revolt against the Modern World. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions International, 1995.

~~~~~~~~~~~. The Yoga of Power: Tantra, Shakti, and the Secret Way. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1992.

Feuerstein, Georg. Holy Madness: The Shock Tactics and Radical Teachings of Crazy-Wise Adepts, Holy Fools, and Rascal Gurus. New York: Arkana, 1992.

Gillette, Douglas. The Shaman's Secret: The Lost Resurrection Teachings of the Ancient Maya. New York: Bantam, 1997.

Govinda, Anagarika. Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1969.

Green, Marian. The Path through the Labyrinth. Londmead, England: Element Books,1988.

Heisenberg, Werner. Physics and Philosophy. New York: Harper and Row, 1962.

Heisler, Roger. Path to Power. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1990.

Kripal, Jeffrey J. Kali's Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Huxley, Aldous. The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell. London: Granada,1977.

Leary, Dr. Timothy. Neuropolitique

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ with Dr Ralph Metzner and Dr Richard Alpert. The Psychedelic Experience. Secaucus, New York: The Citadel Press, 1964.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flashbacks

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Leonard, George B. The Transformation: A Guide to the Inevitable Changes in Humankind. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1972.

Maeterlinck, Maurice. The Great Secret. New York: University Books, 1969.

Martino, Ernesto. Primitive Magic: The Psychic Powers of Shamans and Sorcerers.Dorset, England: Prism Press, 1988.

Marcuse, Herbert. Eros and Civilization. Boston: Beacon Press, 1966.

Masters, R. E. L., and Jean Houston. The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience.New York:, Dell, 1966.

McKenna, Terence. Food of the Gods. New York: Bantam, 1992.

Mead, G. R. S. The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tradition. Motocombe, England: Solos Press, n.d.

Richards, Steve. The Traveller's Guide to the Astral Plane. Wellingborough, England: Aquarian Press, 1983.

Rogo, D. Scott. Leaving the Body. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983.

Sannella, Lee. The Kundalini Experience. Lower Lake, CA: Integral Publishing, 1987.

Shah, Idries. The Sufis. New York: Doubleday, 1964.

Soleri, Paolo. The Omega Seed: An Eschatological Hypothesis. Garden City, NY:Anchor Books, 1981.

Suares, Carlo. The Cipher of Genesis. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1992.

Thompson, William Irwin. The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1981.

Von Eckartshausen, Karl. Magic: The Principles of Higher Knowledge. Scarborough,ON: Merkur Publishing Company, 1989.

Van Lysebeth, Andre. Tantra: The Cult of the Feminine. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1995.

Vivekanada. Jnana-Yoga. Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1955.

Waite, Arthur Edward. Azoth, or, the Star in the East. Secaucus, NJ: University Books, 1973.

Weil, Andrew. The Natural Mind. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1986.

Wilson, Robert Anton. The Illuminatus Trilogy. New Falcon Publications

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, The Cosmic Trigger: Final Secret of the Illuminati. New Falcon Publications

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, Sex and Drugs. New Falcon Publications

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, Quantum Psychology. New Falcon Publications

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, Ishtar Rising. New Falcon Publications, 1989. (aka The Book of the Breast ?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, Prometheus Rising. New Falcon Publications,

Wolf, Fred Alan. Star Wave: Mind, Consciousness, and Quantum Physics. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1984.

Zukav, Gary. The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics. New York: Bantam, 1980.