a Review of Don Webb's "Aleister Crowley: The Fire and the Force"

[The Infinite Within]

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Don Webb, former head of the Temple of Set, provides his own interpretation of not only the personality of Aleister Crowley- but the formula of his Magick.

I found it surprising to see a Magician of the Left Hand Path handling the Life and Magick of Aleister Crowley from the accelerated viewpoint he possesses- in a way that, respectfully, dwarfed the understanding of about 98% of the Thelemites I have met who are or who would be practitoners of The Art.

When a Thelemite reads "The Force and The Fire" he might do as I did, draw back, and wonder to himself- "How is it this guy doesn't identify as 'a practicing Thelemite?"

Yet he knows the craft, and he knows it well.

If there is such a thing as "knowing what you're talking about" or "being clued in", than Webb has done it.

From his more historical/psychological treatise about what led up to the reception of the Book of the Law, to the dangers inherent upon The Paths (I particularly liked the bit about his treatise on Tyranny in regard to the Right Hand Path- for observational purposes); as well as but not limited to clearing up Crowley's misconceptions about "the Black Brothers" in the favour of a more Refined Individual (the Lord of the Left Hand Path) as well as detailing his outlook: to his explanations on the magickal formulae of the Aeon of Horus: The Infinite Without, The Infinite Within, and the Nature of Unity (as well as his own thoughts on the matter scattered throughout the course of the book); ABRAHADABRA, the Force of Initiation called ShT, and the initiatory importance of a magician possessing his own estate.

He also enhanced my understanding about the historical backround of Ankh-af-na-Khonsu, while shedding some light on the nature of The Lord of Silence in another place.

He postulates between pages, What if the force of Coph-Nia was actually Xeper?


He speaks plainly, and intelligently about Crowley's System of Magick in a way that would (respectfully) dwarf the understanding of many of today's Thelemites. And for that reason alone I would recommend it to as many Thelemites as possible.

But this shouldn't discourage the magician who hears my saying this, as it should encourage him to understand just why this might be so.

The book ends with a few chapters devoted to the formation of The Temple of Set, and an introduction of sorts to it's formation- as well as it's import to the world at present day.


The book concludes with a ritual constructed for the purpose of enabling the practitioner to attune himself to the 93rd Current, and ends with a declaration of having remanifested THE UNIVERSE.

I wont comment on that part of the book, but encourage you to see it for yourself.


The book is "short" at 61 pages, but HEAVY on context, keys, and gems. It's a No Bullshit, in the thick of it, READ


(the above view-points are my own and I do not speak for anyone beyond myself; including but not limited to: The Temple of Set, Don Webb, RunaRaven Press, Amalantrah, Abuldiz, Kenneth Grant, LAM, Thelemites, and/or anybody else on the face of the planet who the following may or may not be directly, or indirectly relative to)

[The Infinite Within]

The quote about the dangers of tyranny (the enemy of LIBERTY) on the RHP that I was referring to:

"The psyche wishes to become more powerful and potent and therefore wants to have a better map of that universe. The universe inside one's head can work one the objective universe better if it has a better correspondence with it. As humans we understand that there are many barriers to our understanding- defense mechanisms, faulty understandings, cultural blinders, popular misconceptions, faulty sensory receptors, etc. These blockages to the flow of energy in the universe within may be limited. There are the sort of people that Crowley calls 'Black Brothers'- people who vaingloriously refuse to correct their understanding or improve their perceptions of the world without. These people rapidly rise up in the world as dictators or tyrants. Depending on their personal power and the correctness of their initial understanding they may come to be dictators of countries or just asshole bosses. In any case they must surround themselves with people that will reflect their incorrect views back to them. At first they will use rhetoric and force-of-personality, but as their understanding decreases they use fear. Eventually they will die as their psyche can not receive energies from the Cosmos nor send energies to the cosmos in exchange. Those who wish to avoid this fate, must establish a group to increase their feedback from the human world. Rather than surrounding themselves with people who will happily parrot back their rhetoric, people of a certain level of Being establish Schools. Here the teacher teaches the methods of their Initiation and in exchange learns more about the impersonal aspects of her way of being as others experiment with the tools. In short the the Teacher must have the beginner's mind to the student's discoveries, triumphs and objections. The school should teach little dogma, but cause GREAT COMMUNICATION.
So like Crowley we do believe that humans have two choices at a certain moment, we think it is between tyrant and teacher...The RHP however does not teach people how to not become tyrants."- Don Webb, former head of Temple of Set, from his book "Aleister Crowley: The Fire and The Force"