The Mystery of the Letters and The Tree of Life.
Cape Neddick, Maine: Black Jackal Press, 2012. First Edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. (8 3/4 x 6 3/4 inches), xiv + 250pp. Blue natural cloth with spine lettered in gilt, and gilt device on front board. Sewn. Printed on acid free paper. Color frontispiece and illustrations. Numerous black and white illustrations, diagrams and tables in text. The "Blue & Gold Edition," limited to 418 numbered copies. "The Mystery of the Letters and The Tree of Life" is an examination and analysis of the "Class A" texts of the Thelemic canon, with special emphasis on the manuscript and symbolism of "The Book of the Law." The author, Robert Stein, reminds us that the prophet of Thelema, Aleister Crowley, declared that the manuscript of "The Book of the Law" (Liber XXXI) was unequivocally the first and final authority above all other Thelemic literature. He surveys the mysteries and questions it poses, and encourages his readers not just to rely on a typeset version of the text, but also to study a copy of the manuscript, so as to derive a direct and personal understanding from it. He then examines the symbolism of Thelema by comparison to archetypal messages expressed historically through god-forms, kabalah, trigrams (I Ching), Tree of Life models, and alphabets. Stein further proposes a three-dimensional Tree of Life, relates it to Tarot and the paths in Liber 231. The model originates in Liber Trigrammaton and the Cube of Space, but while based on historical material, it approaches the symbolism from a fresh perspective. "The Mystery of the Letters and The Tree of Life" is not an "introductory work" or a "beginner's guide," but a serious and challenging study of a complex subject. The author, Robert C. Stein, is a Professor Emeritus of Biology in the State University System, whose involvement in the study and practice of Thelema spans five decades and travels in five continents. Light bump at head of spine, a little light shelf and handling wear, else a tight, clean near Fine copy (no jacket as issued). Long out of print and quite scarce. Item #70844
ISBN: 9780933429260
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