When I started out researching grimoire magic, I found references to Joseph Peterson's Esoteric Archives, perhaps the most comprehensive site on the entire internet for magicians looking for scholarly presentations of the grimoire texts that form the basis of the Western Magical Tradition.
I delved deep into the footnotes, the commentaries, and the practical wisdom Joseph collected, and I was able to find a way to do some pretty cool shit as a result. I accomplished some of the more astounding goals of Hermetic Magic as a result of his research, insight, painstaking footnotes, and amazing scholarly dedication to presenting information publicly for people like me.
Fast forward almost a decade, and I found myself all of a sudden drawn into the web of the A:.A:. and the OTO. Babalon had me by the short curlies, and dragged me into the warp and weave of Thelema. I needed something similar to the Esoteric Archives so I could catch up with my partner in the Work at hand.
I was fortunate to find the Hermetic Library at Hermetic.com.
There are plenty of sites out there that host bits and pieces of the collected writings of Aleister Crowley, but by far the most comprehensive and useful repository I've found is Hermetic.com. I am not exaggerating at all when I say the only reason I was able to join the A:.A:. was because that site has the most comprehensive collection of hard-to-find and currently-out-of-publication texts required for the curriculum of that particular organization. I made extensive use of Google's site:hermetic.com [search term] feature as I spent about a year working through the preliminary texts. I still call on that site at least once or twice a week to continue my studies and practices.
When I took the step of beginning my priestly duties in the Gnostic Mass, I had Sabazius' version of the mass on my phone for quick reference at every practice, and in the tomb before going live. I've read through Tau Polyphilus' commentaries, Sabazius' profiles of the Saints, Beth Kimbell's recipe for Cakes of Light, and of course the Abramelin Ramble of Bill Heidrick, a thing everyone aspiring to K&CHGA should read. Achad's ... interesting speculations and insights are available at the click of a mouse.
Hermetic.com is an awesome resource for Thelemites, for sure...
But wait, there's more!
The Hermetic Library, while housing the world's most extensive and well-organized online texts of the works of Aleister Crowley, is also home to some of the most important work that's come out of the Western Occult Tradition in the last 100 years. The works of Austin Osman Spare, the grandfather of "Chaos Magick" are housed there. Norton's Imperium, and the writings of Benjamin Rowe can be found there.
Yes, that Benjamin Rowe.
I've recently had the good fortune to work with the Librarian at that particular treasure trove on a project for an upcoming event that I can't talk about in great detail yet, and it turns out the guy hosting Hermetic.com is amazing in real life too. He's not just "internet awesome," he's a good dude.
If you haven't been there, you're missing out. If you haven't been there lately, what have you even been doing? The site has a ton of useful stuff that you probably should be reading, referencing, and integrating into your practice as a Thelemite.
And you should also be supporting the site financially, because the Law ain't promulgatin' itself.
Well, technically it is.
But Hermetic.com makes it easier for everyone called to this stuff.
