Book Four, Part II: Magick (Theory) (c. 1913) - Aleister Crowley & Mary d'Este Sturges

What do the magician’s wand, sword, cup and sacred circle really represent?

Enter the extraordinary world of Aleister Crowley in Book Four, Part II: Magick (Theory), a landmark 1913 exploration of ceremonial magic, mystical symbolism and the discipline of the will.

Writing as Frater Perdurabo, with the assistance of Soror Virakam (Mary d’Este Sturges), Crowley strips back the outward spectacle of ritual to examine the meaning behind its objects and gestures. The wand becomes the will; the cup, understanding; the sword, reason; and the pantacle, the material foundation of the magician’s work. The temple itself reflects the universe, while the magic circle becomes an emblem of infinity, balance and dedication to the Great Work.

Across the volume, Crowley considers the altar, holy oil, lamp, crown, magical record and ritual fire, weaving together Qabalah, sacred geometry, Hermetic thought and Eastern contemplative ideas. Among its most intriguing details are the symbolism of oak and acacia wood, the geometry of the ritual circle, and the remarkable illustrations of magical instruments and designs.

The introductory note by Soror Virakam offers an unusual glimpse behind the text: she describes recording Crowley’s conversations during her studies with him in Naples and presents his teachings as an invitation to investigate rather than believe blindly.

Inside this historical volume

• The meaning of the magical circle, temple and altar
• The wand, cup, sword and pantacle as symbols of human faculties
• Ritual tools, consecration, aspiration and the magical record
• Qabalistic correspondences, sacred geometry and ceremonial symbolism
• Historical illustrations, diagrams and a portrait of the magician

Title: Book Four, Part II: Magick (Theory)
Authors: Frater Perdurabo (Aleister Crowley) and Soror Virakam (Mary d’Este Sturges)
Original publication: London, Wieland & Co., 1913
Format: Downloadable historical scanned PDF, 224 pages

This download contains Part II, Magick (Theory), not the complete four-part Book Four.

An absorbing primary source for collectors and readers of ceremonial magic, Hermeticism, esoteric philosophy and the history of Western occultism.