Courtesy of the publisher, Red Wheel / Weiser Books, I recently received at the Reading Room new copies of four books which I will be offering for a social media and Patron giveaway through November 2023.

I will be giving these away to Patrons and on both Mastodon and Bluesky. At the end of the month, I’ll randomly select winners from a pool of entries across all three places for each book and send those out in the next postal exchange mailing. Each person entering in the ‘verse or on Bluesky will need to follow the library’s profile there, both favorite and boost the post about the giveaway, and then reply with at least a comment letting me know which one of the four (yes, if you’re responding only on social media, you’ve got to pick only one of them per platform!) they want. (Each person on social needs to do all four things!) So, I’ll give away all these paperback copies to the random winners, but you could increase your chances to win one by entering in more than one place, or, you know, hey, why not all three?!

The Complete Enochian Dictionary: A Dictionary of the Angelic Language as Revealed to Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley by Donald C Laylock, preface by Stephen Skinner, foreword by Lon Milo DuQuette. [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]

“The complete reference for understanding the Enochian language (“the language of the angels”), the proper pronunciation of the letters of the Enochian alphabet, and the use of evocations to call forth celestial beings and perform Enochian magic.

In 1581, Dr. John Dee, an advisor in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, began a series of scrying experiments intended to explore the ability to contact the spirit world. With Edward Kelley acting as the medium in these experiments, Dee was able to record these communications as they were transmitted in Enochian, the language of the angels. Dr. Dee’s efforts furthered the development of the system of Enochian magic and his methods of invocation have been taken up and expounded upon by Aleister Crowley and many other magicians.

Donald C. Laycock has thoroughly analyzed the work of Dee and Kelley. In this volume, he recounts the history of their experiments. He provides a pronunciation guide for the twenty-one letters, significant to untangling both the meaning and the derivation of the messages handed down from Dee and Kelley, and an essential Enochian/English and English/Enochian dictionary. The result is a fascinating linguistic and magical mystery story integral to any study of the Enochian tradition.

This new edition of Laycock’s work includes a new preface by Stephen Skinner that sets the tone and historical context for today’s readers. Lon Milo DuQuette’s foreword gives a delightful and edifying description of how he and his students put The Complete Enochian Dictionary to the test with astonishing results. This book is a must-have for any serious magician’s library.”

Living Thelema: A Practical Guide to Attainment in Aleister Crowley’s System of Magick by Hermetic Library Anthology Artist David Shoemaker, foreword by Lon Milo DuQuette [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]

“The system of spiritual attainment developed by Aleister Crowley is notoriously challenging in its scope. Living Thelema, adapted from the popular podcast of the same name, brings a welcome approachability to Crowley’s material, without diminishing the depth of the system. The author focuses on the practical and experiential aspects of the path of Thelema, allowing the reader to grasp the true transformative power of the system.

Beginners and advanced practitioners alike will find much useful advice here, as Shoemaker brings his characteristic down-to-earth style to bear on topics such as ritual and meditation practices, sex magick, astral projection, psychotherapy for magicians, the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, and that pinnacle of attainment known as the crossing of the Abyss.

The author’s background as a practicing psychotherapist allows an entirely unique fusion of esoteric wisdom and cognitive science.”

Liber Kaos: Chaos Magic for the Pandaemonaeon (Revised and Expanded Edition) by Peter J. Carroll [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]

“An advanced course in the practice of chaos magic written by one of its most respected practitioners—in a newly revised and expanded edition.

Peter J. Carroll—renowned writer and practitioner of chaos magic—offers a remarkably clear presentation of the practice of chaos magic. His approach combines methods from shamanism, paganism, and chaos science.

Liber Kaos includes:

· a selection of extremely powerful rituals and exercises for committed occultists

· instructions that lead the reader through new concepts and practices of chaos magic

· a magical training course for the individual or for groups, with details of the author’s magical order

· instructions for carrying out the essential rituals of chaos magic

a fresh look at aeonics, cosmogenesis, auric magic, and shadow time, as well as the technical aspects of spells and equations

Originally published by Weiser Books in 1992, this new edition is substantially revised and updated and includes new, previously unpublished material.”

The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema by Lon Milo DuQuette, foreword Jason Louv, foreword Hymenaeus Beta, part for the Weiser Classics Series [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]

“The 30th Anniversary of the Classic Guide to Thelema, Aleister Crowley’s Spiritual System of Ritual Magick, with a New Introduction by the Author.

This is the perfect introductory text for readers who wonder what the works—rather than the myth—of Aleister Crowley are all about.

DuQuette begins by dispatching some of the myths that have surrounded Crowley’s life and legend. He then explores the practice of rituals themselves, unpacking Crowley’s often opaque writing and offering his own commentary. Step by step, and in plain English, he presents a course of study with examples of rituals and explanations of their significance. DuQuette also includes a survey of many of Crowley’s original works with an extensive bibliography and endnotes.

Formerly titled The Magick of Thelema, then released in a revised edition published in 2003, this Weiser Classics edition includes a new introduction by the author.”