Lon Milo DuQuetteReviews

I don't know what made me get this book but now my brain feels funny.

Relates Masonry to Templers and their probable magic learned in Jerusalem. Has brief guide to goetic magic. Postulates that Templers trampled the crucifix as a rejection of the doctrines of original sin and vicarious redemption. This does make sense and also relates to Gnostic doctrines that Greer thinks they absorbed. Seven secrets of Solomon 1. The individual is the fundamental unit. 2/ Human beings are inherently good 3. Human beings evolve, and with intent, can accelerte the evolutionary process 4. All is consciousness 5. Deity, archangels, angels, intelligences, spirits, demons and you and I are personifications of a hierarchy of consciousness. 6. It is our duty to master and redirect the lower forces to constructive ends. As we are raised -- so must we raise.

It was an okay read and the information provided didn't stand out too much for me but then again I'm not a novice or beginner so this would be better for them. Otherwise I enjoyed the fact that many "experts" contributed to the novel by going in-depth with the magick origins and practice. I must say it was informative and detailed, and because of that, I would definitely recommend this read for those who what to get a sense of where the practice originated from and to get a better understanding of of magick.

4.3 stars

I wish that this book was an actual master class in a university setting because there is A LOT of information here from authors that seem to have a plethora of knowledge to pull from. I was in awe of the amount of information in this book. I loved all the history that was included in this book and how each of these experts gave an analysis of the various texts terms associated with magic. It was very well done.

Again, I seriously wished that there was a class that I could take or someplace that I could meet these individuals in person and just pick their brains. Anything metaphysical always intrigues me because there is something fascinating in the unknown. Even with evidence and, sometimes lack of evidence, that it makes it intriguing of the "how" and "why" something is. There is power in discovering the things that are tangible and the things that cannot be explained. I think that if I was around these amazing experts that I might just become even more of a believer than I already am.

A friendly warm-up to the Book of Thoth. A blend survey of Crowley's writing, Golden Dawn, Kabbalah which better help the novice user of the Thoth Tarot decode it's rich esotericism and divergences from other Tarot decks. Best recommendation is get the cards.

I find Baba Lon's 'trickster' attitude a bit annoying, like it's more of a defense mechanism than a actual sense of humor. I also find his whole "Rabbi Lamed" persona and "Chicken Qabalah" vaguely culturally insensitive and again, defensive. That said the man is a scholar and impressive practitioner who tries his very best to lay some heavy concepts down. I always get something important out of his books.

Very quick impressions: It comes across mainly as a pretty dry textbook, heavy on history and theory and light (if at all) on the practical. The advanced people probably know the content, and it may be better for beginners to take notes of sources the book mentions and look for those instead.

(Link to my full review on my blog: https://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2020/02/booknote-llewellyns-complete-boo...

Over the years Lon Milo DuQuette has written more than enough introductions to occult books, both new and old, to fill a book and also serve as a guide for beginners. Allow Me to Introduce is the cleverly titled compilation of these selected introductions.

For the beginner to the occult, ceremonial magick, or other related topics, you would definitely do well assembling a library from picking out the books referenced should they pique your interest.

For anyone past this stage of research, well you've probably read a few of these introductions already. However, there may still be one or two books that might be helpful and you overlooked in previous study.

For anyone looking for a delightful reading experience on the occult that won't bog you down with too much nonsense, then Lon DuQuette is your author of choice. His writing style as always, is filled with humor and autobiographical tales that make for easy reading.

The foreword/introduction to these introductions also introduces (say that five times fast) a new favorite author of mine. Brandy Williams has written a few books that I have found helpful, specifically on the practice of Theurgy. I can see why Lon chose her, as her practical and no nonsense approach mirrors his own in a way and sticks with the theme of this book; to introduce readers to other authors and books.

There isn't a lot of specific magical theory and practice, or anything of much depth, which is just fine for a book that advertises itself as a guide. Lon has been around and certainly seen enough to be a very helpful guide to the subject matter. Allow him to introduce you to a few things worth your time.½

So I've been going to Lon's Monday Night Magic classes for oh... about a month now? And I'm like, "Oh shit, what kind of crazy cult have I joined now?"

Turns out they are not so crazy. This book, more than any other new agey or occulty book I have come across, emphasizes that the differences between say, the spirituality (or worldview or whatever you want to call it) the average person creates using bits of myth/religion/pop culture/pop psychology they like and the spirituality of pagans/witches/occultists are superficial and mostly vocabulary based. Which is my incredibly roundabout way of saying the "woo-woo" are average people who use weird words and are about as crazy as the average person.

I am a tiny little bit more crazy than the average person, so this is working for me so far. Despite my pretensions of rationality I am incredibly suggestible and illogical (again, pretty much like the average person), so using magick to attempt to psych out my animal brain and get it to work for me instead of ignoring it seems like a worthy experiment.

The world is full (and fuller all the time) of grimoires, technical manuals on one or another school of esoteric technique, and primers on beginning magical practice. To the credit of author Lon DuQuette, Low Magick is none of these. It is instead a brief collection of mini-memoires, true stories of occult practice that demonstrate the contexts and motives for magical operation, as well as their means and effects. As such, it is something of a sequel to his earlier book My Life with the Spirits, although it presumes no familiarity with the previous volume.

The "Low" in the title is not to distance the work detailed in this book from the ceremonial style of magick, of which it is a signal, if slightly unorthodox, demonstration. It is rather "Low" in order a) to embrace an indictment once leveled against him by his mentor (15), and b) to place his practical engagement in counterpoint to the theoretical "High Magic" of Alphonse Louis Constant, one of his spiritual ancestors (9, 16-17). The magick in this book is the sort that gets its (suitably consecrated) hands dirty, and doesn't worry too much about what the neighbors think.

Consistent with his other recent books in the field, DuQuette here delivers both entertainment and sound instruction. This may be one of his best.

An in depth look into the mechanics of European Occult societies usage of the Tarot as a means of divination.

In this little tome, Lon Milo DuQuette offers a palatable primer on the domestic practicalities of ceremonial magick. As is customary for this author's homespun style, there is a lot of autobiographical content to illustrate the principles he's setting forth, as well as simply to amuse the reader. In this particular case, however, the approach raises some opportunities for confusion.

Brother DuQuette is now an eminent senior member of the occult fraternity Ordo Templi Orientis, a fact about which he is humbly honest. His work as master of an O.T.O. lodge, and in coordination with other initiates, has been central to his development and history as a magician. And, as this book documents, most of that work was performed in his home. A reader could be forgiven for thinking that O.T.O. initiate bodies are supposed to be organized and operated in residential settings. In fact, as the Order has grown in the US over the last few decades, it has established non-residential facilities for lodges and oases, to the point where DuQuette's Heru-Ra-Ha was the last remaining US lodge of the Order to be sited in residential premises.

Still, most O.T.O. camps (the Order's most tenuous official level of local organization) continue to hold their activities in members' homes, and many other occult groups, formal and informal, operate mostly in residential spaces. DuQuette's account of his AMORC involvement is an important example in this regard, highlighting a different intersection of esoteric initiation and home ceremony. Ultimately, though, no one can become a magician if his or her magick is something that only happens at the lodge hall, the book shop, or the camping festival.

Anyway, read the book. Experienced magicians will enjoy the wealth of anecdote and personal history, while there is a lot of basic orientation to magical practice for beginners, and anyone can enjoy the glimpses of modern occult life. "There's no place like home" may be a sentimental tautology to the unthinking profane, or a profound insight into alienation for the neophyte. Meanwhile, for the adept, there's no place but home.

A must have handbook for Enochian practice

"An in-depth and entertaining look at the magickal mysteries and the secrets of sexual alchemy hidden in the stunning imagery of the 78 cards of the Thoth Tarot."

Ask Baba Lon is Lon DuQuette's entry in the microgenre of occult collected instructional correspondence, following such classics as Eliphas Levi's Letters to a Disciple and Aleister Crowley's Aleister Explains Everything (published as Magick Without Tears). A significant difference is that Baba Lon's book covers answers to a wider number and variety of correspondents than those addressed by Constant and Crowley. He does not even scruple to bar a little representative "crank mail."

Baba Lon boasts that he has improved on the format established by his predecessors, because he includes the letters from querents along with his own responses. He fails, however, to include the dates of his own letters. This information would be of interest because he has been teaching about magick for three decades, and he freely admits that his opinions change over time. What's more, he repeatedly emphasizes that the virtue of magick (and freemasonry) involves the gradual improvement in the perspective of the effective aspirant.

The omission of dates is also significant in that the letters are not arranged in chronological sequence, but rather by topic. A peculiar feature of this scheme is the last section consisting of a single letter on the topic of "Reincarnation." Although that arrangement may look a bit goofy in the abstract, the final letter itself is especially wonderful and deserves its privileged position. Besides, the various portraits of Baba Lon by his wife St. Constance of the Well demonstrate that looking a bit goofy is in fact part of his magical modus operandi.

While Baba Lon's answers are not always the ones I would give (and I confess to answering questions at least as often as I ask them in recent years of occult correspondence), they all show the sort of wisdom and humanity that his readers and students have come to expect of him. "It's funny because it's true" so often here. Readers of this book who have not met Lon DuQuette or heard him speak should seek out one of the YouTube videos that show him in informal conversation, to get a sense of his voice and pacing, so as to be able to mentally construct the whole "Baba Lon" effect.

I recommend this book heartily to all Thelemites, and to any sincere students of the occult. It provides constructive replies (if not always "answers") both to questions we are repeatedly asked, and to those we should perennially ask.

I'm not much for ceremonialism, but I love LMD's books. Not only are the exceptional instruction manuals, they are also shot through with his great sense of humor and a very grounded sense of self. His first memoir, My Life with the Spirits, chronicles his life to the point of being a young magician. Low Magick picks up from that and covers his later life, including stories of exorcism, magical counseling for a rabbi, how to handle invocation, and why this may all indeed simply be in your head.

I love his praise for the law of attraction, since I actually agree with him. All those pop psychology, new age authors are teaching people magick! I will add my issue with it: without the proper preparations, including self-examination, you can easily find yourself bogged down with more than you realize needs to be handled. That, and it also comes from a place of privilege, because it would take a generally prosperous, stable culture like ours to produce such a thing. If you think otherwise, remember the little children being assaulted in places like Somalia and ask yourself if they "deserve" it or somehow attracted it to themselves.

In any case, this is certainly worth reading, especially if you want to see how magickal workings can impact an entire life.

This is one of the best books about magick and the occult that I've ever read. It helps a person see what a "real" magician is like. It often seems like a person is surrounded by legends and mystics that are far beyond our grasp. Lon shows that we are all human, fallible, and that the most important skill is within everyone's grasp- the ability to laugh at oneself.

Past all that, this book really helped my sister to understand what a ceremonial magician is and helped her to understand me and my Path better.

This book isn't as salacious as the title might otherwise indicate. It's basically a reissue of Crowley's 72 spirit correspondences plus a couple additional chapters.

If you know what the Goetia is, this might be worth a look to you. If you don't know the difference between a goetia, a goitre or gomorrah, this book won't be the least bit interesting.

The cover image is a good choice - thank goodness New Falcon Publications didn't make this look like a Black Sabbath album cover.

Artist David Wilson's work is sub-standard and really lessens the overall quality of the publication. Chapter 4, however, recounting an evocation gone wrong of Orabas is absolutely hysterical and reads like a cross between Dr. Faustus and a Peter Sellers movie.½

I read this because I was curious as to what the whole Keys of Solomon thing is about. This book basically goes through the steps of how to summon a demon, but it is obviously a bunch of malarcky. Although I did enjoy reading it a bit more than some other Christian Mythology, which is really what this is... Christian Mysticism and Mythology.

This is an ok intro to Crowley's deck, less obfuscation than in Weird Uncle Al's book, but not much elucidation. I was disappointed in its lack of clarification and revelatory info. Definitely not the authoritative examination its title claims to be. Nice to hear so much more about Frieda Harris, the artist.½

Last year I attended a 3-day seminar taught by author and occultist Lon Milo DuQuette. I was very impressed with his incredible knowledge and insight regarding various occult systems. Besides being a good writer, he's also a natural-born teacher. He's able to take very complex concepts and explain them in ways most people can understand. This is why I eagerly awaited his new book on Enochian magick, a system developed by John Dee and Edward Kelly in the late 17th century.

This isn't the first book I've read on Enochain; in fact, it's the 6th. Many of the others have been average to disappointing. Most of them tell you the history, how it was put together and the meanings of various elements of the system; however, none of them tell you how to actually do it. This odd omission has been a huge source of frustration for me. It's like someone handing you a bunch of auto parts and expecting you to be able to build a car. DuQuette, thankfully, guides the reader through the WHOLE process, from beginning to end. Besides the Enochian itself, DuQuette covers the two pre-Enochian works or sub-systems developed by Dee, De Heptarchia Mystica, and Liber Loagaeth -- essential to understanding the latter material. That said, it's still a hard concept to grasp, even with DuQuette's knack for clear and thorough writing. While it may be like learning rocket science at times, I'm extremely fascinated by the system. It may be one of the most complex systems, but it's also one of the most elegant. Its inner workings are pretty mind boggling. The more one learns, the more amazed one becomes at the level of superhuman genius involved in the system's creation.

The book (unlike some of the others I've read) is complete with tables, seals, diagrams and formulae -- a visual component essential to understanding the system. DuQuette also includes slightly different ways to interpret the material. After all, we're dealing with information gleaned from 400 year old diaries and manuscripts.

While I'll still have to study a lot more before I'm anywhere near proficient at the system, I feel after reading this book I've figured out the methodology (finally) enough to actually start using the system with some degree of confidence.

I decided to read this book for a number of reasons. I'm currently learning the Hebrew alphabet and beginning the study of Qabalah. So, as an into book I decided to read Lon DuQuette's book on the subject. Lon is one of my favorite occult writers and also one of the most knowledgeable occultists in the world. He takes very complex subjects (like this one) and makes them understandable though humor. One can surmise that right from the title. It's much appreciated in a genre where writers tend to take themselves a bit too seriously. Fortunately for me, I seem to learn quicker when subjects are presented in a humorous way, so this book was a perfect fit.

The book itself was really an eye-opener. Prior to this, I really didn't have much understanding of what Qabalah is. I knew it had to deal with the "Tree of Life" and numerology, but that's about it. I had no idea how profoundly complex, yet elegant, it is. It's both a puzzle and a context in which to view the world around us. In fact, it's what all Western magick is based on.
Without going into details, I'll just say it's some pretty profound stuff -- quite mind-boggling actually. It's really changed the way I few the nature of reality.

Another great book by Lon.

There sure have been a lot of books published on the topic of Enochiana--understood generally as the system of angelic magic derived from the work of the Elizabethans John Dee and Edward Kelly. I count over twenty in my personal library alone. Many of these are historical, focusing on the primary materials from Dee and Kelly; while others are practical, offering instructions to contemporary aspirants and practitioners. Never before has there been a book that combines the two in such an accessible and sensible manner.

Lon Milo DuQuette is a storyteller, and his understanding of magick demands, and thus offers, the narrative framework so often missing from not only the modern practitioner approach, but also that of the source text analyst. His tale synthesizes the confusingly atomized objects and texts of angelic magic, placing them in a developmental sequence, and assessing their importance in the origins and fulfillment of Enochian praxis. His story does not end in the 17th century: the book is full of anecdotes about his own work and that of other living magicians, characterized by the humor and humility that are DuQuette's trademark as an authority on esoteric subjects.

These stories are complemented by the necessary technical detail for anyone who wishes to use this book as a practical reference in actual work. And for those whose bent is toward research, the overview indicates all of the principal texts and topics of the angelic corpus, as the heads of so many fascinating trails. In my view, this book makes obsolete every previous "beginner" book on the topic, and is itself likely to hold a focal place in the bibliography for years to come. And along with its success as a primer, Enochian Vision Magick includes original reflection and inventive technique, so that veterans of the tablets and aires are sure to find food for thought among its pages.

This is a wonderful introduction into the world of Thelema. Lon Milo breaks down and explains in detail the inner workings of this great magick in terms that even a beginner can understand. It's also full of anything you would need to know regarding the subject, from a-Z, it's all there. I started with this book and very highly recommend reading it. Lon Milo Duquette is one of the premier authors of Thelema and reading this will only make you want to read the rest of his books.

A hilarious and informative biography of a modern magic worker. I'm a bit biased, as I was able to spend 4 days with the author, picking his brain about magical topics. However, I think LMD has done much to make Magic accessible to the modern Reader.½