The Aleister Crowley Manual Unboxing and First Impressions

Introduction

After receiving it in the mail, I asked my subscribers whether they’d be interested in an unpacking video of the last book I ordered. Unaware that’s none other than Marco Visconti’s The Aleister Crowley Manual, 65% voted yes. Respecting that and appreciating all votes in this video, I’ll share my unpacking experience and first impressions. I won’t discuss any of the content as I am still waiting to read the book and do that in the future.

Package

The package is made of two parts. The outer is nylon with two stickers saying my name and that the book was shipped with priority. Inside, there’s a third sticker including the book’s price and other details. I ordered the book from Amazon, and it arrived on time. There’s also an inner package. Made of paper, this one has the book and is wrapped with duct tape.

Cover

Pulling the book out, I immediately smile at the stunning cover. As a creator valuing production quality almost as the content itself, I am delighted with this illustration. Both Baphomet and the lettering look awesome, reminding me of Mr. Cartoon’s graphics. Also, of some early 2010s street fashion, which I still enjoy. I appreciate the subtle details. An example is the lettering’s color strokes slightly different from the background. The back cover claims that:

Assumptions and Expectations

The subtitle is Magick for Modern Times, which is why I ordered it after hearing Damien Echols talk about it Though I may be wrong, I assume the book has commonalities with David Shoemaker’s Living Thelema and LMD’s The Magick of Aleister Crowley, as they have a similar aim. Yet, The Aleister Crowley definitely beats them in terms of cover.

Inside

Opening the cover, we have a thicker all-black page giving a premium feel. Then there’s the book title repeated in different sizes, the table of contents, and the book begins. The pages are eye-friendly, cream white, and slightly thicker than other books. Though that may sound odd, I prefer the smell of the Essential Guide, The Psychopath’s Bible, Quantum Psychology, and my Discipline or Something else. Scrolling through the pages, I like the modern formatting and lettering. As the author of two books, I realize that’s not the most fun part of the book’s creation. So kudos to the person who did it on The Aleister Crowley Manual.

Illustrations and Diagrams

Besides the lettering, I like the diagrams and how everything is structured in the correspondence tables. It seems appealing and eye-friendly. Most of the symbolism looks rad. As far as the characters, I cannot tell at this point; perhaps, they’ll grow on me as I link them to the content. On the other hand, they are pretty sophisticated and detailed for a book on Magick. And that is another to appreciate. But these are just my first impressions. Let me know what yours are if you have the book already also, if you like seeing more unpacking videos before my book reviews.