Initiation in the Aeon of the Child:
So far so good. It is a decent read. Much better than I was expecting from the conversations I had with folks about it up to this point. Till now, every conversation I had about it, (and I am fully aware of how limited those interactions were) went something like this
Me: "Have you read Initiation in the Aeon of the Child."
Them: "Yeah! OMG, its AMAZING!!!"
Me: "Really? It's that good? What do you like about it?"
Them: "It's just so full of new information, it's like nothing I've ever read before, it's really changed my thinking."
Me: "Wow, that's awesome, what about it? What has it changed?"
Them: "Oh I don't know, there's just so much you know? He talks about the Egyptian stuff, and Tzaddi, and its just really, really well researched and you can tell he knows what he's talking about. Did you hear what HB and Wasserman had to say about it?"
and so on...
So I didn't have much hope going in. I thought what I would run into would be another rehash of either Crowley or others materials in a new shiny package; something for the masses who can't or wont struggle with the source materials.
I'm about two thirds in at this point, and while I can't back up Wasserman or HB on their assessments of the works import, I think for those with an interest into a sometimes new look on the progression of the Aeons, the experience of Knowledge and Conversation with the HGA (so far the most worth while part of the book) and some interesting interpretations of many of the Holy Books, there are some real gems.
In the final analysis, I guess I am just not too interested in other peoples interpretations of the path of initiation. I don't think Gunther says anything new or different than what Crowley himself said in often less eloquent terms, but if some folks get some real value out of the read, and if Gunther has discovered, or rather re-discovered a path that has worked for him. More power to him.
I should be done with her by tomorrow morning. I'll let you know if I get any other worth-while impressions.
Oh!!! MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK: is in one of the early chapters when Gunther makes reference to Johannes Reuchlin and quotes from his works. Reuchlin is one of my personal hero's as one of the main sources for our inherited Christian-Kabbalistic tradition, and it's so refreshing to finally see someone in the Occult world paying some homage to the research the scholarly world has offered to our heritage. --Thanks so much for that!
Me: "Have you read Initiation in the Aeon of the Child."
Them: "Yeah! OMG, its AMAZING!!!"
Me: "Really? It's that good? What do you like about it?"
Them: "It's just so full of new information, it's like nothing I've ever read before, it's really changed my thinking."
Me: "Wow, that's awesome, what about it? What has it changed?"
Them: "Oh I don't know, there's just so much you know? He talks about the Egyptian stuff, and Tzaddi, and its just really, really well researched and you can tell he knows what he's talking about. Did you hear what HB and Wasserman had to say about it?"
and so on...
So I didn't have much hope going in. I thought what I would run into would be another rehash of either Crowley or others materials in a new shiny package; something for the masses who can't or wont struggle with the source materials.
I'm about two thirds in at this point, and while I can't back up Wasserman or HB on their assessments of the works import, I think for those with an interest into a sometimes new look on the progression of the Aeons, the experience of Knowledge and Conversation with the HGA (so far the most worth while part of the book) and some interesting interpretations of many of the Holy Books, there are some real gems.
In the final analysis, I guess I am just not too interested in other peoples interpretations of the path of initiation. I don't think Gunther says anything new or different than what Crowley himself said in often less eloquent terms, but if some folks get some real value out of the read, and if Gunther has discovered, or rather re-discovered a path that has worked for him. More power to him.
I should be done with her by tomorrow morning. I'll let you know if I get any other worth-while impressions.
Oh!!! MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BOOK: is in one of the early chapters when Gunther makes reference to Johannes Reuchlin and quotes from his works. Reuchlin is one of my personal hero's as one of the main sources for our inherited Christian-Kabbalistic tradition, and it's so refreshing to finally see someone in the Occult world paying some homage to the research the scholarly world has offered to our heritage. --Thanks so much for that!