(Part 1 of 8)
THE EQUINOX VOLUME III, NUMBER FOUR
EIGHT LECTURES ON YOGA
BY
MAHATMA GURU
SRI PARAMAHANSA SHIVAJI
BY ALEISTER CROWLEY
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PREFACE
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Aleister Crowley has achieved the reputation of being a master
of the English language. This book which is as fresh and vibrant
today as when it was penned over thirty years ago demonstrates this
fact. It shows how impossible it is to categorize him as a particu-
lar kind of stylist. At turns he can be satirical, poetical, sarcas-
tic, rhetorical, philosophical or mystical, gliding so easily from
one to the other that the average reader is hard put to determine
whether or not to take him at face value.
His description of mystical states of consciousness clarifies
what tomes of more erudite writing fails to elucidate. It is in
effect a continuation of Part I of Book 4 brought to maturity.
Nearly three decades had elapsed between the writing of these two
books, in which time his own inner development had soareÈd ineffably.
A great deal of what he has to say may seem prosaic at first sight,
but do not be fooled by this. Other of his comments are profound
beyond belief, requiring careful and long meditation if full value is
to be derived from them.
This is not a book to be read while standing or running. It is
a high water mark of Crowley's literary career, incorporating all
that we should expect from one who had experimented with and mastered
most technical forms of spiritual growth. There is humor here, a
great deal of sagacity, and much practical advice. This book cannot
be dispensed with for the student for whom Yoga is 'the way.'
Israel Regardie
March 21, 1969
Studio City, Calif.
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CONTENTS
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YOGA FOR YAHOOS
First Lecture. First Principles. . . . . . . Part 1
Second Lecture. Yama . . . . . . . . . . . . Part 2
Third Lecture. Niyama. . . . . . . . . . . . Part 3
Fourth Lecture. Asana and Pranayama. . . . . Part 4
YOGA FOÚR YELLOWBELLIES
First Lecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pa