Tree of Life: A Study in Magic

...the most comprehensive introduction available to the Golden Dawn system of initiation, and the numerous, complex and sometimes obscure mystical writings of Aleister Crowley.

Over fifty years ago Israel Regardie set himself the gigantic task of making accessible to the intelligent layman the root principles upon which Magic is built—principles which Aleister Crowley devoted his life to exploring and revealing. Drawing on his experience as personal secretary to Crowley and his involvement with the Golden Dawn system, Regardie skillfully unifies a wealth of diverse material into a marvelously coherent whole. The result is The Tree of Life, a book which has become the definitive overview of the Western Mystery Tradition.

Contents include: Yoga and Magic as the two branches of mysticism; Magic as distinct from psychic, witchcraft and other disciplines; exercise techniques for developing the will and the imagination; plus much more.