Magick (Book 4)

[5] The creation of Magick (Book 4) was part of Crowley's broader effort to systematize and articulate the principles of Thelema, the spiritual philosophy he founded.

The work synthesizes elements from a wide array of mystical and magical traditions, including yoga, Hermeticism, and medieval grimoires, alongside Crowley's original contributions.

"[7] This pragmatic approach is evident throughout the book, where Crowley meticulously outlines various magical techniques and practices, from basic yoga postures to complex ceremonial rituals.

[8] Part I is titled "Mysticism" with the sub-title "Meditation: The way of attainment of genius or Godhead considered as a development of the human brain."

When developing his basic yogic program, Crowley borrowed heavily from many other yogis, such as Patanjali and Yajnavalkya, keeping their fundamental techniques while jettisoning much of the attendant moral dogma.

Dharana is the beginning of concentration, usually on a single shape, like a triangle, which eventually leads to dhyana, the loss of distinction between object and subject, which can be described as the annihilation of the ego (or sense of a separate self).

This section also includes an "Interlude", which is a humorous exposition on the magical interpretations of popular nursery rhymes, such as Old Mother Hubbard and Little Bo Peep.

In this part, magick (with the terminal -k) is defined in Crowley's now famous "Introduction", which is the source of many well-known statements, such as It contains many influential essays on various magical formulae, such as Tetragrammaton, Thelema, agape, AUMGN, and IAO.

The section also addresses fundamental magical theorems, essential components of ritual, and general practices (e.g. banishing, consecration, invocation, and divination).