THE OPEN COURT

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

August 1912

(pages 511-512)

MISCELLANEOUS.

BOOK REVIEWS AND NOTES.

A very mysterious volume with some mystical illustrations and elegantly made up, made its appearance at our office some time ago. It announces itself as a review published by the brothers of the A∴A∴ and they declare their principle in a motto on the title page as well as in the editorial introduction to be “The Method of Science—the Aim of Religion.” The book contains an account of the A∴A∴ by the Councillor of Eckartshausen, and we learn that the A∴A∴ is “the society whose members form the republic of genius, the regent mother of the whole world.” Among other contributions to this review we notice a poem entitled “The Magician” which has been translated from Eliphas Levi’s “well-known hymn.” The largest contribution is entitled “The Temple of Solomon the King” and is headed by a quotation from Prof. William James. It is surpassed in length only by “John St. John the Record of the Magical Retirement of G. H. Frater O∴M∴” Other smaller contributions of poetry, short essays and tales form the remaining third of the volume. Most assuredly the whole bears a very curious aspect.

The Occult Review, which is more familiar with the subject and literature of “scientific illuminism” than we, writes as follows of this remarkable periodical: “The genius of this book, Mr. Aleister Crowley, seems at the first blush to be the Panurge of mysticism, and to those who have regarded with delight the amazing adventures of the brilliant Rabelaisian figure, such a modern prototype would appear in anything but an unamiable light. At all events, Mr. Crowley is at once a mystic, a sardonic mocker, an utterer of many languages, a writer of magnificent prose interspersed with passages of coarse persiflage, and also a philosopher of not a little penetration and power of analysis. The expert alone will be able to judge of the scope and meaning of the mystical doctrines and practices contained in this volume, but to the uninformed lay reader the main thesis would appear to be the necessary passage of the soul through all experience, including the depths of iniquity, in order to rise to the serene heights of balanced wisdom and superior life.”

This reviewer speaks with enthusiasm of the literary style of the volume: “Though the imaginative portion is not all on the same level, it may be said that there is no one now writing in the English language who can command a greater splendor of style.”

We agree with the reviewer in The Occult Review that this unusual publication “may be recommended to any one who has a spark of intellectual curiosity.”