View source for The Holy Books of Thelema

[[Aleister Crowley]], the founder of the religion of [[Thelema]], designated his works as belonging to one of several classes. Not all of his work was placed in a class by him.

:Class A consists of works that are not to be changed, even to the letter. The Holy Books fall in this category.
:Class B consists of works of scholarship and enlightment.
:Class C consists of material that suggests things other than the obvious.
:Class D consists of official rituals and instructions.
:Class E consists of manifestos, broadsides, epistles and other public statements.

== The Books ==

[[Liber AL vel Legis]] is the foundational text for Thelema. It is the only Holy Book that Aleister Crowley claimed to have had no part in the authorship of. Its primacy is indicated in chapter III, verse 47: ''This book shall be translated into all tongues: but always with the original in the writing of the Beast; for in the chance shape of the letters and their position to one another: in these are mysteries that no Beast shall divine.''

The remaining texts were written between the years 1907 and 1911. According to Crowley, they were not so much written ''by'' him as ''through'' him, and are therefore referred to as inspired works. 

===Publication history===

Some of these works were originally published by Crowley in 1909 under the title "&Theta;&Epsilon;&Lambda;&Eta;&Mu;&Alpha;." In 1983 these original texts, together with a number of additional texts, were published under the new title ''The Holy Books of Thelema'' by [[Ordo Templi Orientis|O.T.O., Inc.]] under the direction of [[Hymenaeus Alpha]].

====Original Contents of &Theta;&Epsilon;&Lambda;&Eta;&Mu;&Alpha;====

*'''Volume I'''
**''Liber LXI vel Caus&aelig;'': Explains the actual history and origin of the present movement. This text, being in [[Class D]], is not technically a ''Holy Book'', but was included in "&Theta;&Epsilon;&Lambda;&Eta;&Mu;&Alpha;" as an Introduction, and is thus listed here.
**''Liber LXV: Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente'': account of the relations of  the aspirant and his [[Guardian angel]].
*'''Volume II'''
**''Liber VII: Liber Liberi vel Lapidis Lazuli'': These are the Birth Words of a [[Argenteum Astrum#Magister Templi|Master of the Temple]]. It's 7 Chapters are referred to the 7 Planets in the following order: Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Sol, Mercury, Luna, Venus.
*'''Volume III'''
**''Liber XXVII: Liber Trigrammaton sub Figura XXVII'': Being a book of [[Trigram]]s of the Mutations of the [[Tao]] with the [[Yin]] and [[Yang]]. An account of the Cosmic process.
**''Liber CCXX: Liber AL vel Legis sub Figura CCXX: [[The Book of the Law]]'': Among the ''Holy Books of Thelema'', the  chief is ''The Book of the Law''. Every [[Thelemite]] is expected to interpret the book, "each  for himself."
**''Liber DCCCXIII vel Ararita'': An account of the [[Hexagram]] and  the method of reducing it to the [[Unity]] and Beyond. This book describes in [[magical language]] a  very secret process of [[Initiation]].

====Additional Texts included in ''The Holy Books of Thelema''====

*''Liber I: Liber B vel  Magi'': An account of the Grade of [[Argenteum Astrum#Magus|Magus]], the highest grade which it is even  possible to manifest in any way whatsoever upon  this plane. 

*''Liber X: Liber Porta Lucis'': An account of the sending forth of the [[Master Therion]] by the [[A.'.A.'.]] and an explanation of his mission.

*''Liber LXVI: Liber Stellae Rubeae'': [[Sex magic|Sexual Magick]] veiled in symbolism.

*''Liber XC: Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus'': An account of Initiation, and an indication as to those who are suitable for  the same.

*''Liber CLVI: Liber Cheth vel Vallum Abiegni'': [[Sex magic|Sexual Magick]] veiled in symbolism.

*''Liber CCXXXI: Liber Arcanorum'': An account of the cosmic  process so far as it is indicated by the [[Tarot]] Trumps. The sequence of the 22 Trumps is explained as a formula of Initiation.

*''Liber CCCLXX: Liber A'ash vel Capricorni Pneumatici'': Analyzes the nature of the  creative magical force in man, explains how to awaken it, how to use it and indicates the  general as well as the particular objects to be  gained thereby. [[Sex magic|Sexual Magick]] veiled in symbolism.

*''Liber CD: Liber Tau vel Kabbalae Trium Literarum'': A graphic interpretation of the Tarot on the plane of Initiation.

===Books listed by class===

==== Class A ====

* Liber I: Liber B Vel Magi Sub Figur&acirc; 1
* Liber VII: Liber Liberi Vel Lapidus Lazuli, Adumbratio Kabbal&aelig; &AElig;gyptiorum Sub Figur&acirc; VII
* Liber X: Liber Porta Lucis Sub Figure&acirc; X
* Liber XXVII: Liber Trigrammaton Sub Figur&acirc; XXVII
* Liber LXV: Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente Sub Figur&acirc; XXVII
* Liber LXVI: Liber Stell&aelig; Rube&aelig; Sub Figur&acirc; LXVI
* Liber XC: Liber Tzaddi Vel Hamus Hermeticus Sub Figur&acirc; XC
* Liber CLVI: Liber Cheth Vel Vallum Abiegni Sub Figur&acirc; XC
* Liber CCXX: Liber Al Vel Legis Sub Figur&acirc; CCXX
* Liber XXXI: Liber Al(Liber Legis), The Book of the Law
* Liber CCXXXI: Liber Arcanorum  &iota;&omega;&nu; ATU &nu; TAHUTI Quas Vidit Asar In Amennti Sub Figur&acirc; CCXXXI Liber Carcerorum &iota;&omega;&nu; Qliphoth cum suis Geniis
* Liber CCCLXX: Liber A'ash Vel Capricoroni Pneumatici Sub Figur&aelig; CCCLXX
* Liber CD: Libe Tau Vel Kabbal&aelig; Trium Literarum Sub Figur&aelig; CD
* Liber DCCCXII: Vel Ararita Sub Figur&aelig; DLXX

==== Class A-B ====

* Liber CCCCXVIII: Liber XXX &AElig;rum Vel Saeculi, Being of the Angels of the Thirty Aethyrs the Vision and the Voice.
* Liber CDXV: Opes Lutetianum

==== Class A-B ====

* Liber DCCCCLXII: &Theta;&Eta;&Sigma;&Alpha;&Upsilon;&Rho;&Omicron;&Upsilon;  &Eta;&Iota;&Delta;&Omega;&Lambda;&Omega;&Nu;

==== Class D ====

* Liber LXI: Liber Causae

==== Notes on the List ====

Liber I originally was a Class B document, but was changed to Class A in 1913.

Liber LXI was originally Class A, then changed to Class B, then changed to Class D.

Liber CCXX and Liber XXXI are essentially the same.  The latter is the handwritten original.  The reason for the two documents comes from Liber Al: III, 74, which states ''Paste the sheets from left to right and from top to bottom: then behold!''

Liber CCCCXVIII has instructions in Aethyr 8 and 18 which are to be regarded as Class D.  As it is a diary, it more properly belongs in Class B, except for the parts that the Angels dictated.  Parts which are not consistently and clearly demarcated.

Liber DCXV, more commonly known as ''The Paris Working'' is a magickal diary.  The Class A material is so intertwined that segregating them apart is extremely difficult.  

Liber DCCCCLXIII is Class A for the introduction only. The rest of the text is Class B.

''The St&egrave;lle of Revealing'' is not part of the Holy Books, despite it being a part of the Gnostic Mass (Liber XV) that is performed by Thelemites as part of their sacred rituals.

[[The Comment of Ankh F N Khonsu]] is sometimes considered to be part of Liber Al vel Legis. At other times, it is considered to be a different document. In either instance, it has been understood by some to mean that no discussion of any of the Holy Books may take place. The purpose of this comment is allow others to interpret Liber Al vel Legis for themselves; in other words, no one is to preach its contents or tell you their understanding of it is the one true understanding.

== See Also ==
[[Aleister Crowley]]

[[Thelema]]

== References ==

*Crowley, Aleister. ''The Holy Books of &Theta;&epsilon;&lambda;&eta;&mu;&alpha;.'' York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, INC; Ordo Templi Orientis: 1983
*Crowley, Aleister. ''Commentaries on the Holy Books and other Papers'' (The Equinox Vol. IV No. 1). York Beach, ME:  Samuel Weiser, INC: Ordo Templi Orientis: 1996
*[http://www.egnu.org/thelema/ Free Encyclopedia of Thelema] (2005). [http://www.egnu.org/thelema/index.php/Holy_Books_of_Thelema Holy Books of Thelema]. Retrieved March 27, 2005.

[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:Thelema]]