Liber AL vel Legis (Classical Latin: [ˈlɪbɛr aː.ɛɫ wɛl‿ˈleːgɪs]), commonly known as The Book of the Law, is the central sacred text of Thelema.

I do not refer to those doubts—real or pretended—which hostility engenders, for all such are dispelled by study of the text; no forger could have prepared so complex a set of numerical and literal puzzles[...]"[3] Biographer Lawrence Sutin quotes private diaries that fit this story and writes that "If ever Crowley uttered the truth of his relation to the Book," his public account accurately describes what he remembered on this point.

[1] According to Crowley,[5] the story began on 16 March 1904, when he tried to "shew the Sylphs" by use of the Bornless Ritual to his wife, Rose Edith Kelly, while spending the night in the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

[8] Finally, on 7 April, Rose gave Crowley his instructions—for three days he was to enter the "temple" and write down what he heard between noon and 1:00 P.M.[9] Although the messenger of Liber AL was Aiwass, each chapter is presented as an expression of one of three god-forms: Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit.

This eternal, this perpetual marriage-feast is then the nature of things themselves; and therefore, everything that exists is a "crystallisation of divine ecstasy", and "He sees the expansion and the development of the soul through joy.

[citation needed] Crowley sums up the speakers of the three chapters thus, "we have Nuit, Space, Hadit, the point of view; these experience congress, and so produce Heru-Ra-Ha, who combines the ideas of Ra-Hoor-Khuit and Hoor-paar-kraat.

[citation needed] Crowley described the encounter in detail in The Equinox of the Gods, saying that as he sat at his desk in Cairo, the voice of Aiwass came from over his left shoulder in the furthest corner of the room.

This voice is described as passionate and hurried, and was "of deep timbre, musical and expressive, its tones solemn, voluptuous, tender, fierce or aught else as suited the moods of the message.

Further, he "seemed to be a tall, dark man in his thirties, well-knit, active and strong, with the face of a savage king, and eyes veiled lest their gaze should destroy what they saw.

In 1921, Crowley gave the manuscript its own title, "AL (Liber Legis), The Book of the Law, sub figura XXXI", to distinguish it from the typeset version.

Among the used mattresses, lumber, and outdated high school textbooks were two boxes of assorted papers and newspaper clippings dealing with Germer's affairs, the charter of the O.T.O.

He later explains, "I had stupidly supposed this Comment to be a scholarly exposition of the Book, an elucidation of its obscurities and a demonstration of its praeterhuman origin.

He published his second commentary, often called simply "The Comment",[citation needed] in the Tunis edition of AL, of which only 11 copies were printed, and signed it as Ankh-f-n-khonsu (lit.

[24] Thanks in large part to "The Comment", the interpretation of the often cryptic text of Liber AL vel Legis is generally considered by Thelemites to be a matter for the individual reader.

[25] Crowley devoted much of his life to writing about Liber AL, seeking to decipher its mysteries and provide insights into its meanings.

According to Crowley, the word Thelema, as uttered by Aiwass, signified a complete departure from the formula of the Dying God, proposing instead a system that integrates the discoveries of science, from physics to psychology, into a coherent and consistent framework.

[26] Crowley employed Hermetic Qabalah, particularly its numerological method of gematria, to interpret the obscurities of Liber AL vel Legis.

He explained that the text contains numerous instances of double entendre, paronomasia in one language or another, numerical-literal puzzles, and even connections of letters across various lines.

[14] In Magick Without Tears, Crowley elaborated on his insights, stating that the "Author of the Book" (Aiwass) demonstrated profound knowledge of Qabalah.

[27] Crowley later considered the events of his life and the apparent fulfillment of certain 'predictions' in Liber AL vel Legis as further proof of its divine origin.

[26] One significant event was Charles Stansfeld Jones claiming the grade of Magister Templi, which Crowley interpreted as the birth of his 'Magical Son'.

Crowley believed that Jones' subsequent discovery of the critical value of 31 was foretold in the book (II:76, III:47) and provided him with further insight into his qabalistic understanding and interpretation of the text.

Upon receiving notification of this discovery, Crowley expressed his realization that Jones' key had unlocked deeper meanings within Liber AL vel Legis, noting that the text had unfolded like a flower and solved various enigmatic passages.

It is the result of an intent to understand, interpret, and elaborate on the mysteries of Aleister Crowley's received text, Liber AL vel Legis, the Book of the Law.

"[29][30] The "order & value"[31] discovered by James Lees lays the letters out on the grid superimposed on the page of manuscript of Liber AL on which this verse (III:47) appears (sheet 16 of Chapter III).

Regardie suggests that the book can be understood as an expression of Crowley's complex psychological landscape, including his struggles with identity and spirituality.

He explores the symbolic and archetypal dimensions of the text, providing insights into its deeper meanings and its significance in Crowley's magical philosophy.

[8] Lawrence Sutin, in his biography Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley, presents a critical perspective on The Book of the Law.

Wouter J. Hanegraaff, in Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed, discusses how the book has impacted modern esoteric movements, noting that it has inspired various interpretations and adaptations in occult literature and practices, highlighting its lasting influence on contemporary spirituality.

He noted that the manner of the book's reception made it a document of curious interest, partially emanating from Crowley's unconscious mind.