Books

London: O.T.O., 1937. 4to, v, 137 + [1] pp, + [65] facsimile manuscript sheets laid in at rear, with errata slip tipped in facing p. [138] listing 17 items. With cancel slip to title page changing the date to 1937, with the High Holborn address. Fore edges of text untrimmed. All sheets laid into the card folder which was printed to hold the facsimile sheets. Though not marked as such, from the library of Gerrit Lansing. An unusual state, which matches most points of the Subscriber's edition, which had been limited to 250 copies. However, this copy is not bound in orange paper boards, as usually found, but instead consists of loose sheets laid into a folder which bears the same printed cover as that used to hold the smaller facsimile sheets. The Comment is printed inside the back of the folder. The folder is darkened and chipped at extremities, and cracked and nearly separated at the spine for about half of its height, with a large chip missing from the upper margin of back…

"The Book of the Law" is a foundational text of Thelema, a philosophical and religious system founded by Aleister Crowley. Crowley claimed that he received this text through a series of mystical experiences in 1904. He believed that it was dictated to him by a spiritual entity known as Aiwass. The circumstances surrounding the reception of "The Book of the Law" occurred during Crowley's visit to Cairo, Egypt, with his wife Rose Edith Crowley (also known as Rose Kelly). Crowley was involved in occult practices and seeking spiritual guidance at the time. According to his accounts, between April 8th and April 10th, 1904, while in their hotel room (which he referred to as the "Boulaq Museum"), Rose entered a trance-like state and began channeling messages from an unseen entity. During this trance, Rose purportedly spoke or wrote phrases and sentences that were later compiled into the text of "The Book of the Law." Crowley transcribed these messages, considering them to be a significant revelation and the cornerstone of a new spiritual and philosophical system, Thelema. "The Book of the Law" is divided into three chapters, each allegedly dictated on successive days. It contains verses and cryptic statements that emphasize the central tenet of Thelema: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." The text also introduces other concepts such as True Will, the union of opposites, and the idea of a new spiritual era known as the Aeon of Horus. Crowley considered this text to be of paramount importance, viewing it as a transmission of divine wisdom and a guide for individual spiritual development and self-realization. He subsequently dedicated much of his life to interpreting and disseminating the teachings found within "The Book of the Law" and promoting the principles of Thelema. While some scholars and occultists debate the origins and authenticity of the text, it remains a significant and influential work in occult and esoteric circles, and it continues to be studied and followed by practitioners of Thelema and those interested in Crowley's mystical teachings.