Book Review: Chicken Qabalah

If you have chosen the hermetic path and are looking for an accessible introduction to Qabalah, Lon Milo DuQuette's The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed ben Clifford is a good choice. Not only does it give you the basics, but it's a very entertaining read. As an example, instead of the Ten Commandments, he lists the Ten Command-Rants. My favorite is the sixth, which is rather zen-like:

In order to overcome our defective powers of perception we must be willing to abuse them until they break.

The Hebrew alphabet, the four worlds, and the Tarot are all covered. There is even a derivation of the Tree of Life from a series of student papers. The treatment is very casual with "Don't worry about it!" being a catchphrase, but the information given is solid.

There is also a section about ceremonial magic, specifically summoning spirits, which tells you a lot more that it seems if you are willing to read between the lines. In answer to the question "Are the spirits part of me, or do they live an existence independent of me?" he replies: "The spirits are inside you, but most of us do not realize (1) how big our insides really are, or (2) how much out of control and seemingly independent the things inside us can be." This, dear friends, is exactly what this blog is aiming at: there's more to life (and to us) than meets the eye.

If you found The Mystical Qabalah to be difficult reading, The Chicken Qabalah will be a helpful introduction. Or read it if you just want a good laugh.