Author: Esoteric Order of Beelzebub
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1329830970
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 85
Book Description
The Esoteric Order of Beelzebub is an Order of the Temple of Set approaching the work of initiation from the perspective of an esoteric school. The Sirius Workings Volume 1 documents the first three annual simultaneous workings conducted by the Order in conjunction with the Dog Days of Sirius. The aim of the EOB is toward the question of self-consciousness, in congruence with the Aeonic Word Xeper. To 'Come into Being' may be taken as 'to become conscious.' From the point of view of the EOB consciousness results only from an effort by the totality of one's being, to include not only one's thoughts, but as well one's feelings, sensations, and presence. Internal self-integration is a precondition for consciousness.
Sirius Workings Vol 1
Author: Esoteric Order of Beelzebub
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1329830970
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 85
Book Description
The Esoteric Order of Beelzebub is an Order of the Temple of Set approaching the work of initiation from the perspective of an esoteric school. The Sirius Workings Volume 1 documents the first three annual simultaneous workings conducted by the Order in conjunction with the Dog Days of Sirius. The aim of the EOB is toward the question of self-consciousness, in congruence with the Aeonic Word Xeper. To 'Come into Being' may be taken as 'to become conscious.' From the point of view of the EOB consciousness results only from an effort by the totality of one's being, to include not only one's thoughts, but as well one's feelings, sensations, and presence. Internal self-integration is a precondition for consciousness.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1329830970
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 85
Book Description
The Esoteric Order of Beelzebub is an Order of the Temple of Set approaching the work of initiation from the perspective of an esoteric school. The Sirius Workings Volume 1 documents the first three annual simultaneous workings conducted by the Order in conjunction with the Dog Days of Sirius. The aim of the EOB is toward the question of self-consciousness, in congruence with the Aeonic Word Xeper. To 'Come into Being' may be taken as 'to become conscious.' From the point of view of the EOB consciousness results only from an effort by the totality of one's being, to include not only one's thoughts, but as well one's feelings, sensations, and presence. Internal self-integration is a precondition for consciousness.
Satanism
Author: Faxneld
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199913536
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
Satanism is a phenomenon that has existed as a prominent trope since very beginning of Christianity, when the Church Fathers entertained fantasies about people worshipping the Devil and indulging in macabre rituals. In the early modern period, similarly unfounded ideas led to the infamous witch trials which transpired primarily between 1400 and 1700. In the 1980s and 1990s, what has been labelled a "Satanic Panic" swept the United States and parts of Europe, with again, unfounded rumors about secret Satanist networks committing gruesome murders, kidnappings and ritualistic child abuse. Today, the so called Pizzagate and QAnon conspiracy theories in the United States again draw on these motifs, this time postulating that left-wing Satanists are secretly manipulating politics and doing nefarious deeds in the shadows. This book, however, is only indirectly concerned with the purely fictional Satanism of such paranoid fantasies. It does not deal directly with the literary tradition of Satanism either, where Satanists can appear as antagonists (or, more rarely, protagonists) in the plot of a story, or authors express Satanic sympathies in a poem or two. Rather, our selection of source texts focuses on actual, existing Satanic groups, and thinkers of importance to the emergence of a Satanic milieu that forms part of a broader landscape of alternative religion. Some of the texts do in a sense belong to the above-mentioned categories, e.g., Léo Taxil's spoof on conspiracy theories, or the quite literary pseudo-histories of Satanism - in fact Satanic tracts in disguise of Jules Michelet and Stanislaw Przybyszewski, but we have aimed to concentrate on 1. self-designated Satanic groups and ideologists, 2. groups and ideologists who prominently revere a figure they identify with Satan, even though they may not self-designate as Satanists, and 3. groups and ideologists mostly excluding, however, literary texts and conspiracy theories whose re-interpretations of Satan were crucial to the growth of such ideas--
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199913536
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
Satanism is a phenomenon that has existed as a prominent trope since very beginning of Christianity, when the Church Fathers entertained fantasies about people worshipping the Devil and indulging in macabre rituals. In the early modern period, similarly unfounded ideas led to the infamous witch trials which transpired primarily between 1400 and 1700. In the 1980s and 1990s, what has been labelled a "Satanic Panic" swept the United States and parts of Europe, with again, unfounded rumors about secret Satanist networks committing gruesome murders, kidnappings and ritualistic child abuse. Today, the so called Pizzagate and QAnon conspiracy theories in the United States again draw on these motifs, this time postulating that left-wing Satanists are secretly manipulating politics and doing nefarious deeds in the shadows. This book, however, is only indirectly concerned with the purely fictional Satanism of such paranoid fantasies. It does not deal directly with the literary tradition of Satanism either, where Satanists can appear as antagonists (or, more rarely, protagonists) in the plot of a story, or authors express Satanic sympathies in a poem or two. Rather, our selection of source texts focuses on actual, existing Satanic groups, and thinkers of importance to the emergence of a Satanic milieu that forms part of a broader landscape of alternative religion. Some of the texts do in a sense belong to the above-mentioned categories, e.g., Léo Taxil's spoof on conspiracy theories, or the quite literary pseudo-histories of Satanism - in fact Satanic tracts in disguise of Jules Michelet and Stanislaw Przybyszewski, but we have aimed to concentrate on 1. self-designated Satanic groups and ideologists, 2. groups and ideologists who prominently revere a figure they identify with Satan, even though they may not self-designate as Satanists, and 3. groups and ideologists mostly excluding, however, literary texts and conspiracy theories whose re-interpretations of Satan were crucial to the growth of such ideas--
Infernal Geometry and the Left-Hand Path
Author: Toby Chappell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620558173
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 460
Book Description
A comprehensive guide to the history and practice of Angular Magic • Details the development of the magical system of the Nine Angles by the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set, as well as its internal body, the Order of the Trapezoid • Analyzes the 3 key rites of Angular Magic: Die Elektrischen Vorspiele, the Ceremony of the Nine Angles, and the Call to Cthulhu • Explores historical influences on Angular Magic, including Pythagorean number mysticism, John Dee’s Enochian magic, and the writings of H. P. Lovecraft • Includes practical examples, daily practices, and guidance on creating your own rituals Revealing the magical uses of number and geometry as tools for introspection, self-development, and creating change in both the inner and outer worlds, Toby Chappell explores the rites, history, and potent practices of Angular Magic and Infernal Geometry, the Left-Hand Path of Sacred Geometry. Focusing on the advanced magical system of the Nine Angles, he details the system’s development by the early Church of Satan and later the Temple of Set, as well as its internal body, the Order of the Trapezoid. He shows how the system first emerged in the Ceremony of the Nine Angles, written by Michael Aquino and published in Anton Szandor LaVey’s The Satanic Rituals. He explores historical influences on Angular Magic, including Pythagorean number mysticism, John Dee’s Enochian magic, the theories of William Mortensen, and, most importantly, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft as well as other contributors to his Cthulhu mythos. The author analyzes the 3 key rites of Angular Magic: Die Elektrischen Vorspiele, the Ceremony of the Nine Angles, and the Call to Cthulhu, expanding upon them to demonstrate how readers can craft their own rituals. He examines the Nine Angles individually, detailing their keywords, powers, and related deities, and explains how each can be used in magical practices and as part of an ongoing initiatory process. He offers practical examples, including use of Angular Magic in divination, sigils, and magical symbols, and guidance on creating your own practices--a core component of the ever-evolving Left-Hand Path. Offering a self-directed path of magic and empowerment, previously unavailable to those outside the Temple of Set, Chappell shows how the Nine Angles must be worked with and experienced personally in order to effect true transformation and change.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620558173
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 460
Book Description
A comprehensive guide to the history and practice of Angular Magic • Details the development of the magical system of the Nine Angles by the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set, as well as its internal body, the Order of the Trapezoid • Analyzes the 3 key rites of Angular Magic: Die Elektrischen Vorspiele, the Ceremony of the Nine Angles, and the Call to Cthulhu • Explores historical influences on Angular Magic, including Pythagorean number mysticism, John Dee’s Enochian magic, and the writings of H. P. Lovecraft • Includes practical examples, daily practices, and guidance on creating your own rituals Revealing the magical uses of number and geometry as tools for introspection, self-development, and creating change in both the inner and outer worlds, Toby Chappell explores the rites, history, and potent practices of Angular Magic and Infernal Geometry, the Left-Hand Path of Sacred Geometry. Focusing on the advanced magical system of the Nine Angles, he details the system’s development by the early Church of Satan and later the Temple of Set, as well as its internal body, the Order of the Trapezoid. He shows how the system first emerged in the Ceremony of the Nine Angles, written by Michael Aquino and published in Anton Szandor LaVey’s The Satanic Rituals. He explores historical influences on Angular Magic, including Pythagorean number mysticism, John Dee’s Enochian magic, the theories of William Mortensen, and, most importantly, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft as well as other contributors to his Cthulhu mythos. The author analyzes the 3 key rites of Angular Magic: Die Elektrischen Vorspiele, the Ceremony of the Nine Angles, and the Call to Cthulhu, expanding upon them to demonstrate how readers can craft their own rituals. He examines the Nine Angles individually, detailing their keywords, powers, and related deities, and explains how each can be used in magical practices and as part of an ongoing initiatory process. He offers practical examples, including use of Angular Magic in divination, sigils, and magical symbols, and guidance on creating your own practices--a core component of the ever-evolving Left-Hand Path. Offering a self-directed path of magic and empowerment, previously unavailable to those outside the Temple of Set, Chappell shows how the Nine Angles must be worked with and experienced personally in order to effect true transformation and change.
Daimonosophy
Author: Sakaki
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781453816073
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Representing the central teachings of the Esoteric Order of Beelzebub, Daimonsophy approaches the questions of consciousness, the Black Flame, the origins of human life on Earth and the possibility of humankind's forgotten past with beings of a higher cosmic order. Sakaki 4, a Magister Templi and Grand Master of the Order shares many of his ideas, practices, and personal experiences gathered over an 23 year-long career in the Temple of Set.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781453816073
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Representing the central teachings of the Esoteric Order of Beelzebub, Daimonsophy approaches the questions of consciousness, the Black Flame, the origins of human life on Earth and the possibility of humankind's forgotten past with beings of a higher cosmic order. Sakaki 4, a Magister Templi and Grand Master of the Order shares many of his ideas, practices, and personal experiences gathered over an 23 year-long career in the Temple of Set.
Mysticism in the 21st Century
Author: Connell R. Monette
Publisher: Sirius Productions
ISBN: 9781940964102
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
A mystic tradition can be considered a path or school of spirituality in which ones seeks a direct, personal experience of the Divine Presence - in whatever form that may be - without barriers or intermediaries. It could be said that while religions offer believers a system of belief, mystic traditions offer practitioners a system of experience. In Mysticism in the 21st Century (2nd edition), Monette examines eight contemporary spiritual movements: African Traditional, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Sufism, Tantra, Witchcraft, and Yoga, providing the reader with an introduction to this branch of the study of religion. In additional to detailed notes, each chapter also includes a recommended reading list for further study, online sources, and review questions at the end of each chapter. Dr. Connell R. Monette is Associate Professor of Religion at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (Morocco), where he also serves as Mohammed VI Library Associate Director. He has a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from University of Toronto, and his major areas of research are medieval literature and religion.
Publisher: Sirius Productions
ISBN: 9781940964102
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
A mystic tradition can be considered a path or school of spirituality in which ones seeks a direct, personal experience of the Divine Presence - in whatever form that may be - without barriers or intermediaries. It could be said that while religions offer believers a system of belief, mystic traditions offer practitioners a system of experience. In Mysticism in the 21st Century (2nd edition), Monette examines eight contemporary spiritual movements: African Traditional, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Sufism, Tantra, Witchcraft, and Yoga, providing the reader with an introduction to this branch of the study of religion. In additional to detailed notes, each chapter also includes a recommended reading list for further study, online sources, and review questions at the end of each chapter. Dr. Connell R. Monette is Associate Professor of Religion at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (Morocco), where he also serves as Mohammed VI Library Associate Director. He has a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from University of Toronto, and his major areas of research are medieval literature and religion.
The Book of Smokeless Fire
Author: S Ben Qayin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780998708102
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The work that is being presented in "The Book of Smokeless Fire" is based on a very little known and overlooked Solomonic text simply known as "Miscelaneo de Salomon," which amazingly mirrors that of Lovecraft's, "Necronomicon" both in content and history.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780998708102
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The work that is being presented in "The Book of Smokeless Fire" is based on a very little known and overlooked Solomonic text simply known as "Miscelaneo de Salomon," which amazingly mirrors that of Lovecraft's, "Necronomicon" both in content and history.
Overthrowing the Old Gods
Author: Don Webb
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 162055190X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 316
Book Description
New commentaries on Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law reveal how it is connected to both Right- and Left-Hand Paths • Examines each line of the Book of the Law in the light of modern psychology, Egyptology, Gurdjieff’s teachings, and contemporary Left-Hand Path thought • Explores Crowley’s identification with the First Beast of Revelations as well as his adoption of the Loki archetype for becoming a vessel of love for all humanity • Recasts the Cairo Working as a text of personal sovereignty and a relevant tool for personal transformation • Includes commentary on the Book of the Law by Dr. Michael A. Aquino, who served as High Priest of the Temple of Set from 1975 to 1996 Received by Aleister Crowley in April 1904 in Cairo, Egypt, the Book of the Law is the most provocative record of magical working in several hundred years, affecting not only organizations directly associated with Crowley such as the Ordo Templi Orientis but also modern Wicca, Chaos Magic, and the Temple of Set. Boldly defying Crowley’s warning not to comment on the Book of the Law, Ipsissimus Don Webb provides in-depth interpretation from both Black and White Magical perspectives, including commentary from Dr. Michael A. Aquino, who served as High Priest of the Temple of Set from 1975 to 1996. Webb examines each line of the Book in the light of modern psychology, Egyptology, existentialism, and competing occult systems such as the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff and contemporary Left-Hand Path thought. Discarding the common image of Crowley formulated in a spiritually unsophisticated time when the devotee of the Left-Hand Path was dismissed as a selfish evil doer, Webb unveils a new side of Crowley based on his adoption of the Loki archetype and his aim to become a vessel of love for all humanity. In so doing, he shows how the Book of the Law is connected to both Right- and Left-Hand Paths and reveals how Crowley’s magical path of mastery over the self and Cosmos overthrew the gods of old religion, which had kept humanity asleep to dream the nightmare of history. Providing in-depth analysis of Crowley’s sources and his self-identification with the First Beast of Revelation from a profound esoteric perspective, Webb takes his views out of the Golden Dawn matrix within which he received the Book of the Law and radically recasts the Cairo Working as a text of personal sovereignty and a relevant tool for personal transformation.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 162055190X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 316
Book Description
New commentaries on Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law reveal how it is connected to both Right- and Left-Hand Paths • Examines each line of the Book of the Law in the light of modern psychology, Egyptology, Gurdjieff’s teachings, and contemporary Left-Hand Path thought • Explores Crowley’s identification with the First Beast of Revelations as well as his adoption of the Loki archetype for becoming a vessel of love for all humanity • Recasts the Cairo Working as a text of personal sovereignty and a relevant tool for personal transformation • Includes commentary on the Book of the Law by Dr. Michael A. Aquino, who served as High Priest of the Temple of Set from 1975 to 1996 Received by Aleister Crowley in April 1904 in Cairo, Egypt, the Book of the Law is the most provocative record of magical working in several hundred years, affecting not only organizations directly associated with Crowley such as the Ordo Templi Orientis but also modern Wicca, Chaos Magic, and the Temple of Set. Boldly defying Crowley’s warning not to comment on the Book of the Law, Ipsissimus Don Webb provides in-depth interpretation from both Black and White Magical perspectives, including commentary from Dr. Michael A. Aquino, who served as High Priest of the Temple of Set from 1975 to 1996. Webb examines each line of the Book in the light of modern psychology, Egyptology, existentialism, and competing occult systems such as the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff and contemporary Left-Hand Path thought. Discarding the common image of Crowley formulated in a spiritually unsophisticated time when the devotee of the Left-Hand Path was dismissed as a selfish evil doer, Webb unveils a new side of Crowley based on his adoption of the Loki archetype and his aim to become a vessel of love for all humanity. In so doing, he shows how the Book of the Law is connected to both Right- and Left-Hand Paths and reveals how Crowley’s magical path of mastery over the self and Cosmos overthrew the gods of old religion, which had kept humanity asleep to dream the nightmare of history. Providing in-depth analysis of Crowley’s sources and his self-identification with the First Beast of Revelation from a profound esoteric perspective, Webb takes his views out of the Golden Dawn matrix within which he received the Book of the Law and radically recasts the Cairo Working as a text of personal sovereignty and a relevant tool for personal transformation.
Devoted to Death
Author: R. Andrew Chesnut
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190633352
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
R. Andrew Chesnut offers a fascinating portrayal of Santa Muerte, a skeleton saint whose cult has attracted millions of devotees over the past decade. Although condemned by mainstream churches, this folk saint's supernatural powers appeal to millions of Latin Americans and immigrants in the U.S. Devotees believe the Bony Lady (as she is affectionately called) to be the fastest and most effective miracle worker, and as such, her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, two other giants of Mexican religiosity. In particular, Chesnut shows Santa Muerte has become the patron saint of drug traffickers, playing an important role as protector of peddlers of crystal meth and marijuana; DEA agents and Mexican police often find her altars in the safe houses of drug smugglers. Yet Saint Death plays other important roles: she is a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and angel of death. She has become without doubt one of the most popular and powerful saints on both the Mexican and American religious landscapes.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190633352
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
R. Andrew Chesnut offers a fascinating portrayal of Santa Muerte, a skeleton saint whose cult has attracted millions of devotees over the past decade. Although condemned by mainstream churches, this folk saint's supernatural powers appeal to millions of Latin Americans and immigrants in the U.S. Devotees believe the Bony Lady (as she is affectionately called) to be the fastest and most effective miracle worker, and as such, her statuettes and paraphernalia now outsell those of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude, two other giants of Mexican religiosity. In particular, Chesnut shows Santa Muerte has become the patron saint of drug traffickers, playing an important role as protector of peddlers of crystal meth and marijuana; DEA agents and Mexican police often find her altars in the safe houses of drug smugglers. Yet Saint Death plays other important roles: she is a supernatural healer, love doctor, money-maker, lawyer, and angel of death. She has become without doubt one of the most popular and powerful saints on both the Mexican and American religious landscapes.
With Lucifer On My Side
Author: Henry Panic
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781733446204
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 286
Book Description
"In his ground-breaking book, With Lucifer On My Side, Henry Panic reveals the truth about life as a 21st-century Luciferian? Never preachy and unconcerned with missionary zeal - there is no intention of converting the reader - and told in direct, everyday language, this book will shine light on what is to the author an ancient truth."-Lynn PicknettWith Lucifer On My Side dives into the upbringing, life, and Luciferian practice of the author, Henry Panic. From Catholic roots he found LaVeyan Satanism. From there he discovered various pagan belief systems, ultimately finding Luciferianism, a Gnosticism derivative. This book goes through the trials of a man attempting to self-deify and gives a detailed insight into the life and practice of a Luciferian in the 21st-century.Panic's approach is daringly honest, humorous, and thought provoking. Challenging you to visit his reality and decide for yourself - can a person become like God?
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781733446204
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 286
Book Description
"In his ground-breaking book, With Lucifer On My Side, Henry Panic reveals the truth about life as a 21st-century Luciferian? Never preachy and unconcerned with missionary zeal - there is no intention of converting the reader - and told in direct, everyday language, this book will shine light on what is to the author an ancient truth."-Lynn PicknettWith Lucifer On My Side dives into the upbringing, life, and Luciferian practice of the author, Henry Panic. From Catholic roots he found LaVeyan Satanism. From there he discovered various pagan belief systems, ultimately finding Luciferianism, a Gnosticism derivative. This book goes through the trials of a man attempting to self-deify and gives a detailed insight into the life and practice of a Luciferian in the 21st-century.Panic's approach is daringly honest, humorous, and thought provoking. Challenging you to visit his reality and decide for yourself - can a person become like God?
Lords of the Left-Hand Path
Author: Stephen E. Flowers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 159477692X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 286
Book Description
Examines the left-hand path and reveals the masters of the tradition • Explores the practices and beliefs of many left-hand path groups, including the Cult of Set, the Hell-Fire Club, and heretical Sufi, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Muslim sects • Investigates many infamous occult personalities, including Helena Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley, the Marquis de Sade, and Anton LaVey • Explains the true difference between the right-hand path and the left-hand path--union with and dependence on God versus individual freedom and self-empowerment From black magic and Satanism to Gnostic sects and Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way, the left-hand path has been linked to many practices, cults, and individuals across the ages. Stephen Flowers, Ph.D., examines the methods, teachings, and historical role of the left-hand path, from its origins in Indian tantric philosophy to its underlying influence in current world affairs, and reveals which philosophers, magicians, and occult figures throughout history can truly be called “Lords of the Left-Hand Path.” Flowers explains that while the right-hand path seeks union with and thus dependence on God, the left-hand path seeks a “higher law” based on knowledge and power. It is the way of self-empowerment and true freedom. Beginning with ancient Hindu and Buddhist sects and moving Westward, he examines many alleged left-hand path groups, including the Cult of Set, the Yezidi Devil Worshippers, the Assassins, the Neoplatonists, the Hell-Fire Club, the Bolsheviks, the occult Nazis, and several heretical Sufi, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Muslim sects. Following a carefully crafted definition of a true adherent of the left-hand path based on two main principles--self-deification and challenge to the conventions of “good” and “evil”--the author analyzes many famous and infamous personalities, including H. P. Blavatsky, Faust, the Marquis de Sade, Austin Osman Spare, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, Anton LaVey, and Michael Aquino, and reveals which occult masters were Lords of the Left-Hand Path. Flowers shows that the left-hand path is not inherently evil but part of our heritage and our deep-seated desire to be free, independent, and in control of our destinies.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 159477692X
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 286
Book Description
Examines the left-hand path and reveals the masters of the tradition • Explores the practices and beliefs of many left-hand path groups, including the Cult of Set, the Hell-Fire Club, and heretical Sufi, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Muslim sects • Investigates many infamous occult personalities, including Helena Blavatsky, Aleister Crowley, the Marquis de Sade, and Anton LaVey • Explains the true difference between the right-hand path and the left-hand path--union with and dependence on God versus individual freedom and self-empowerment From black magic and Satanism to Gnostic sects and Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way, the left-hand path has been linked to many practices, cults, and individuals across the ages. Stephen Flowers, Ph.D., examines the methods, teachings, and historical role of the left-hand path, from its origins in Indian tantric philosophy to its underlying influence in current world affairs, and reveals which philosophers, magicians, and occult figures throughout history can truly be called “Lords of the Left-Hand Path.” Flowers explains that while the right-hand path seeks union with and thus dependence on God, the left-hand path seeks a “higher law” based on knowledge and power. It is the way of self-empowerment and true freedom. Beginning with ancient Hindu and Buddhist sects and moving Westward, he examines many alleged left-hand path groups, including the Cult of Set, the Yezidi Devil Worshippers, the Assassins, the Neoplatonists, the Hell-Fire Club, the Bolsheviks, the occult Nazis, and several heretical Sufi, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Muslim sects. Following a carefully crafted definition of a true adherent of the left-hand path based on two main principles--self-deification and challenge to the conventions of “good” and “evil”--the author analyzes many famous and infamous personalities, including H. P. Blavatsky, Faust, the Marquis de Sade, Austin Osman Spare, Aleister Crowley, Gerald Gardner, Anton LaVey, and Michael Aquino, and reveals which occult masters were Lords of the Left-Hand Path. Flowers shows that the left-hand path is not inherently evil but part of our heritage and our deep-seated desire to be free, independent, and in control of our destinies.