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Kabbalah, Magic & the Great Work of Self Transformation: A Complete Course
by Lyam Thomas Christopher
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (2006-08-01)
ISBN: 0738708933
EAN: 9780738708935
Dewey Decimal #: 135.4
Binding/Media: Paperback - 384 pages
Edition: annotated edition
SKU: 1002130050
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: clean and unmarked, light sunning top top page edge
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Advancing to higher levels of ritual magic with purpose and power requires an exaltation of consciousness-a spiritual transformation that can serve as an antitode to the seeming banality of modern life.
Based on Kabbalistic techniques, the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and an Hermetic tradition spanning nearly two thousand years, this innovative new work introduces the history of the Golden Dawn and its mythology, the Tree of Life, Deities, demons, rules for practicing magic, and components of effective ritual.
A comprehensive course of self-initiation using Israel Regardie's seminal Golden Dawn as a key reference point, Kabbalah, Magic and the Great Work of Self-Transformation guides you through the levels of the Golden Dawn system of ritual magic. Each grade in this system corresponds with a sphere in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and includes daily rituals, required reading, written assignments, projects, and additional exercises.
Knowledgeable and true to tradition, author Lyam Thomas Christopher presents a well-grounded and modern step-by-step program toward spiritual attainment, providing a lucid gateway toward a more awakened state.
Finalist for the Coalition of Visionary Resources Award for Best Magick/Shamanism Book
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Customer Reviews
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Great Curriculum
Rating  (5)
Date: 2009-12-16
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
First of all, I want to thank the people out there who are doing the Work and also sharing and exchanging their information and experiences for others. This book has provided a great deal of help on my path for self-transformation so far. I highly recommend it. The focus does not deal offer short cuts to becoming some sort of Superman or a super elitist God overnight. The person who works with this book is given a structured and balanced system to apply to their every day life. It will test their discipline, their will-power, and the very aspects of who they are as a person. You learn things about yourself you never expected. It is a challenge and it's not easy.
It seems like the writer really values balance, control, and real change. With magic, many people would like to just pick up books and do advanced rituals for fun, but if magic is suppose to help change a person, inside and out, why rush into levels and avenues that a person may not be ready for? This is a book I'm keeping on my shelf.
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Excellent manual
Rating  (4)
Date: 2009-10-29
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
One reviewer described the author as "unpretentious and humble". Strangely, I found the exact opposite to be the case. The tone is too preachy. I don't know why he randomly chooses the age of 31 years as the cut-off point for people to know what they're talking about when it comes to Magick. As I am 57 years old this isn't a personally motivated comment. Age doesn't matter, but maturity does. He's right about one thing - there are a lot of frauds and charlatans out there, not to mention just plain nutballs. But why spend so much time pointing that fact out? I'd like to see a new edition that sticks more to the lessons with less focus on social commentary.
The lessons themselves are excellent.
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Issues with masculinity
Rating  (3)
Date: 2009-10-28
6 out of 11 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am over halfway through this book (Currently in Practicus), and have already decided to use the exercises within as tools to facilitate Self Actualization. So you may wonder why I gave the book only 3 stars? And so soon at that?
Well, it mainly has to do with this: When the author sticks to MAGICK, it's processes, it's applications within the self and purposes, it's obvious he knows what he's talking about......but when he strays into social commentary and revisionist history...and uses it to TEACH this same magick, well, there are some problems.
I use those 2 sets of words "Social Commentary" and "Revisionist History", because the reviewer beneath me (Regular Joe - 2 stars) used them. I read his review, and thought to myself "Come on, it can't be that bad!"
....Well, it is.
Mixed in with his lessons in magick are his self hating opinions on men and masculine energy in general, blaming it for all the ills of society and our current spiritual predicament of being enmeshed in matter without a conscious realization of Self. You read that last part right. He seriously believes this, and what makes this (and other statements) so serpentine is that he mixes it with truth (such as the feminine side of us, inner mind, subconscious, is the gateway to the soul) He is a Goddess worshiper, which is evident, and this would be fine if he kept it to himself, but he doesn't, and he pushes his Goddess Worship down the readers throat while teaching a system that advocates Union of Opposites.....yet he leans heavily to the Pillar of Form.
Now, under normal conditions, men like the above piss me off (yep), because they remind me of soft "man things" that look like men, but want to run back up into their mother's womb, and even, the spiritual womb, and stay there.....you'll recognize them as men who are either gay, or, they are the "friend" that women like to keep around while they themselves (the women) pursue real men. If those men do enter relationships, they are often led and controlled until the proverbial life is sucked out of them.
At this point, I must say I'm not a Homophobe (If he's gay, so what), I'm not a Misogynist (Equal rights and such are good things, obviously), however I am VERY Male and so I notice the Male bashing as glaringly obvious as if I was at a N.O.W. meeting
It's obvious the author has some sort of unresolved emotional issues regarding masculinity in general, within himself and others.
It's also obvious that the Grade of Adeptus Minor does indeed leave the ego intact, replete with personal faults with the universe. I suppose then, that it isn't until Adeptus Major then, that one has achieved true Union with the Godhead?
Point blank, if you are 1. Gay 2. Female 3. Not in touch with your Masculine side, then what I'm saying will mean nothing, and the book should deserve 5+ stars (Magickally speaking, it's really that good)
Oh, wait, I almost forgot to say something about the revisionist history bit. First, he proclaims evidence of an "Ancient Pervasive Goddess Cult" that was mercilessly cut out from existence.....and all historical records obviously.....even from caveman drawings (lmao, this is ridiculous) He even uses modern science to attempt to prove the subservience of the masculine energy to the feminine (development of the brain/intellect as an outgrowth of the body/feminine), while ignoring the "subservience" of the feminine in all animal life barring insects. (On a side note, this fact can be seen that both energies can be weak and strong, as evidence by the Tree of Life and Yin/Yang symbol...for some reason though, the feminine is only "strong" in some life forms, at least on Earth, but that's an aside) Further, he ignores that both energies, masculine and feminine, serve the One Life.
He gives a slant of the Sumerian/Babylonian religion from a decidedly feminine point of view, demonising the god Marduk for killing Tiamat...and on, and on, and on, LOL Ridiculous.
Make no mistake, I understand what he is communicating, it's just that his message isn't for me, or, anyone proud to be a man...or who at least worships BOTH aspects of Divinity truly...(My patron goddess, ironically, is Artemis)
So, in the end, for you fellow male readers out there that may be off put by the authors opinion's that are stated as fact......ignore them, and get on with the work. The value within is too much to pass by, so you'll just have to sift through the information as if looking for gold. It is worth it. Buy the book.
EDIT: I suppose I should say something positive about the book, because I DO want people to buy it. Well, for one, his clarity is so crystalline that you cannot mistake his meaning, and that is a blessing when he get's into talking about the Great Work.
His use of imposing Tree's of Life from the 4 worlds is beautiful.
Through his writing, he seems to have patience mixed with high standards. He expects you to do the work.
He also seems to have a healthy remembrance of what it was like to go through the grades himself. It shows with how well he communicates, it's almost as if he knows what you're thinking in some cases.
Okay, now, get the book, and make up your own mind.
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Read it and Live it
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-07-16
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I have been reading books on the occult for fifteen years and this is the best book on self initiation that I have ever come across since Modern Magic by Donald Micheal Kraig. Mr. Christopher goes into much more depth and detail than any other author that I have read. I can tell you from personal experience that the format for change that Mr. Christopher prescribes works. If you follow the methods that he discribes you will become more human than human.
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Decent Book but alot of flaws.
Rating  (2)
Date: 2009-06-01
8 out of 11 customers found this reveiw helpful
When I first opened the book I thought "Well here goes another run of the mill GD Book". I looked through the book and read what is never found in many Golden Dawn Books, a solid practical study and practice plan on how work directly with the Golden Dawn current.
Too many books like the Cicero book on Self Initiation is hardly practical and doesn't show how to work with GD rituals and hook up from a personal basis with that energy. This book provides a step by step plan on how to work with pentagram and hexagram rituals in their many elemental and planetary varients and embody those energies in the practioner. It also gives a different Middle Pillar exercise at the end of every Grade to build a tree of life in the magician's aura therefore rendering the magician an embodiement of the tree of life and activating those forces within.
By no means is the GD Current just elemental and planetary forces in an GD initiation. Many other forces are at play in the current. But all to often the individual magician without a lodge has no recourse to self practical work without a lodge this book provides that basis. In my opinion this book is a powerful addition to "Modern Magick" by Donald Kraig.
Now this is the reason I give this book 2 stars.
The problems I have with this book is that when I purchase a book I want it to be about the occult and its study and practice. When I purchase a book on the occult it better be on the occult. If I wanted social commentaries I will spend a couple of dollars and buy the New York Times.
This book is littered throughout with constant social comments about society, revisionist diatribes about history, just plain boring and stupid societal comments, which adds nothing and takes away from what would otherwise be a very good book. You can't escape these stupid social commentaries because they are embedded in every lesson and between what should be explainations of his curriculum.
I hope this book gets revised in the future and these comments are edited out completely and replaced with indepth explanations of his course.
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