Liber Trigrammaton, also known as Liber XXVII, is one of the Holy Books of Thelema, authored by Aleister Crowley. It is a short, cryptic text that consists of 27 three-line stanzas. Each stanza is associated with a unique trigram, making a total of 27 trigrams. This work is considered an important part of Thelemic literature and is believed to contain deep esoteric meanings and mystical insights.
Background
editIn 1904, Aleister Crowley wrote out the text of the foundational document of his world-view, known as Liber AL vel Legis, The Book of the Law. In this text was the injunction found at verse II:55; "Thou shalt obtain the order & value of the English Alphabet, thou shalt find new symbols to attribute them unto"[1] which was understood by Crowley as referring to an English Qabalah yet to be developed or revealed.[2] In one of the Holy Books of Thelema written by Aleister Crowley in 1907, called Liber Trigrammaton, sub figura XXVII -- Being the Book of the Mutations of the Tao with the Yin and the Yang,[3] are 27 three-line diagrams known as 'trigrams', which are composed of a solid line for the Yang, a broken line for the Yin, and a point for the Tao. By attributing 26 Roman script letters to the trigrams of this work, Crowley felt that he had fulfilled the injunction to "obtain the order & value of the English Alphabet", as noted in his 'Old Comment' to The Book of the Law.[2] However, he also wrote that "The attribution in Liber Trigrammaton is good theoretically; but no Qabalah of merit has risen therefrom."[4]
Contents and structure
editThe text of Liber Trigrammaton is composed of 27 trigrams, which are said to be related to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and other esoteric systems. Each trigram is presented in a symbolic and enigmatic manner, leaving much to interpretation. Crowley wrote that this book contains the essence of the spiritual journey and the mysteries of existence.[3]
Significance
editLiber Trigrammaton is considered a foundational text within the Thelemic tradition. Crowley maintained that it was dictated to him by a higher intelligence, and it is often studied alongside other Holy Books of Thelema to gain a fuller understanding of Thelemic philosophy and practice.[3][5]
Interpretation
editDue to its cryptic nature, Liber Trigrammaton has been the subject of various interpretations by Thelemic scholars and practitioners. It is often analyzed in conjunction with other works by Crowley and the broader context of Thelemic teachings. Its trigrams are sometimes correlated with the I Ching and other systems of divination and symbolism.[5][6]
R. Leo Gillis
editThe most developed interpretation, known as Trigrammaton Qabalah (TQ), was first published by R. Leo Gillis in 1996,[7] and subsequently released as The Book of Mutations in 2002.[7] This system is based on one of the Holy Books of Thelema written by Aleister Crowley in 1907, called Liber Trigrammaton, sub figura XXVII -- Being the Book of the Mutations of the Tao with the Yin and the Yang.[7] Liber Trigrammaton (aka Liber XXVII) was called by Crowley "the ultimate foundation of the highest theoretical qabalah".[3] Correspondences are created with some of the major forms of divination such as the I Ching, Tarot and runes, as well as Greek and Hebrew alphabets, the Tree of Life, Western and Vedic astrology, magic squares, and the Platonic solids. A primary feature of this qabalah is a new understanding of the Cube of Space and its 26 components of edges, faces, and vertices, which equal the number of letters in the English alphabet.[8]
See also
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ Crowley (1976), II:55.
- ^ a b Crowley (1974).
- ^ a b c d Crowley (1983).
- ^ Crowley quoted in Grant (1973), p. 59.
- ^ a b Kaczynski (2010).
- ^ DuQuette (1993).
- ^ a b c Weiser Antiquarian Books (n.d.).
- ^ Gillis (2013).
Works cited
edit- Crowley, Aleister (1974). Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on the Book of the Law. Montreal: 93 Publishing. ISBN 978-0-919690-01-1.
- Crowley, Aleister (1976) [1909]. The Book of the Law: Liber AL vel Legis. York Beach, Maine: Weiser Book. ISBN 978-0-87728-334-8.
- Crowley, Aleister (1983). The Holy Books of Thelema. York Beach, ME: Weiser Books.
- DuQuette, Lon Milo (1993). The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema. Boston, MA: Weiser Books.
- Gillis, R. Leo (2013). "Trigrammaton Qabalah". In Kaczynski, Richard; Thiebes, Joseph (eds.). Manifest Thy Glory: Proceedings of the Eighth Biennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference. Riverside, California: Ordo Templi Orientis. pp. 73–80. ISBN 978-1-490-36534-3.
- Grant, Kenneth (1973). Aleister Crowley & the Hidden God. Muller. ISBN 978-0-584-10011-2.
- Kaczynski, Richard (2010). Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister Crowley. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
- Weiser Antiquarian Books (n.d.). "GILLIS, Rama L. (AKA R. Leo Gillis) [ Aleister Crowley: related works ]: The Book of Mutations, Part I: The Standard Model and Part II: Divination". Weiserantiquarian.com. Retrieved 2024-01-06.