Paul Foster Case - The Early Writings Vol I Occult Fundamentals Spiritual Unfoldment (copyrighted book, review only)
In 1924, Paul Foster Case expanded his First Year Course by developing two advanced lecture series which he entitled Section C: 'Concentration' and Section D: 'Magic'. The lectures built upon the material in the 'First Year Course' (which had become known at this time as Section A: 'The Life Power' and Section B: 'The Seven Steps to Spiritual Unfoldment'). The Fraternity of the Hidden Light has recently published both of these lecture series as "Occult Fundamentals and Spiritual Unfoldment - Volume 1: The Early Writings." Th... More >>>Book can't be downloaded.
Note that, unfortunately, not all my books can be downloaded due to the restrictions of copyright. However, most of the books on this site do not have copyright restrictions. If you find any copyright violation, please contact me at . I am very attentive to the issue of copyright and try to avoid any violations, but on the other hand to help all fans of magic to get access to information.
If you are having difficulty downloading books, or you are looking for a book that is not on the site (but maybe it is in my home library), please write me a email to
and I will try to help, I can send the book by e-mail
darkbooks.org began in early 2008 I am happy to donate my time to providing you this resource, I would also like to note, that, although I try, I do not always have enough time to deal with the site, including, unfortunately, I do not always have time to answer all letters, because I have to earn money for a living. If you can financially help me, it would free me from the worries of earning money for living, perhaps partially, but ideally completely, then all 100% of my time could be devoted to the site. Also I do pay monthly web server/files storage and hosting costs to keep this site on the air. Please consider making a donation to help me continue this activity and devote more time to it or at least offset the cost of paying for storage/hosting. Even a small contribution helps!
In 1924, Paul Foster Case expanded his First Year Course by developing two advanced lecture series which he entitled Section C: 'Concentration' and Section D: 'Magic'. The lectures built upon the material in the 'First Year Course' (which had become known at this time as Section A: 'The Life Power' and Section B: 'The Seven Steps to Spiritual Unfoldment'). The Fraternity of the Hidden Light has recently published both of these lecture series as "Occult Fundamentals and Spiritual Unfoldment - Volume 1: The Early Writings." This current volume provides the two additional lecture series that complete the original fundamental course structure of Paul Case.
Section C, 'Concentration', expounds the esoteric secrets of Meditation. This section is a very advanced series of lessons that not only develops the essential skill of concentration but commences the student upon the 'Path of Return' with a series of powerful "Qabalistic Meditations." These Meditations have a tendency to facilitate deep spiritual experience in those who are prepared and chose to participate. This lesson series indeed represents some of the most
advanced material written by Paul Case.
Section D, 'Magic', provides the esoteric secrets of Magic in a very rare exposition of the fundamental tenets of magical practice by one of the greatest occultists of the 20th century. Here again is material published by Paul Case that cannot be found in any of his later developed lesson series and provides insight into the "tools of the trade" practiced by Golden Dawn enthusiasts today.
Paul Case's students completed the 'First Year Course' or 'Section A' and 'Section B' before beginning the two advanced lesson series found in this volume. Likewise, I recommend all aspiring students to first proceed with each lesson of the first volume of the 'Early Writings' series, "Occult Fundamentals and Spiritual Unfoldment" two weeks at a time. Armed with this essential background, the serious student should have no problem tackling the very advanced lesson material found in this current volume.
As with the first volume of the 'Early Writing Series', Francois Cartier has lovingly typeset the text, added Hebrew and Greek font, and meticulously restored the diagrams from old mimeographs. Truly without Francois' assistance, this book would not exist today. Enjoy ! Tony DeLuce Laguna Niguel, CA October 12,2008
About Author:
Paul Foster Case (October 3, 1884 - March 2, 1954) was an American occultist of the early 20th century and author of numerous books on tarot and Qabalah. Perhaps his greatest contributions to the field of occultism were the lessons he wrote for associate members of Builders of the Adytum. The Knowledge Lectures given to initiated members of the Chapters of the B.O.T.A. were equally profound, although the limited distribution has made them less well known.
Early life
A modern scholar of the Tarot and Qabalah, Paul Foster Case was born at 5:28 p.m.[citation needed], October 3, 1884 in Fairport, New York.
His father was the town librarian and a Deacon at the local Congregational church. When he was five years old, his mother began teaching him to play the piano and organ, and later in his youth, Case performed as organist in his family's church. A talented musician, he embarked on a successful career as a violinist, and orchestra conductor.
Case was early on attracted to the occult. While still a child he reported experiences that today are called lucid dreaming. He corresponded about these experiences with Rudyard Kipling who encouraged him as to the validity of his paranormal pursuits.
In the year 1900, Case met the occultist Claude Bragdon while both were performing at a charity performance. Bragdon asked Case what he thought the origin of playing cards was. After pursuing the question in his father's library, Case discovered a link to Tarot, called 'The Game of Man,' thus began what would become Case's lifelong study of the tarot, and leading to the creation of the B.O.T.A. tarot deck, a "corrected" version of the Rider-Waite cards.
Between 1905 and 1908 (aged 20-24), Case began practicing yoga, and in particular pranayama, from what published sources were available. His early experiences appear to have caused him some mental and emotional difficulties and left him with a lifelong concern that so called "occult" practice be done with proper guidance and training.
In the summer of 1907, Case read The Secret of Mental Magic, by William W. Atkinson (aka Ramacharaka) which led him to correspond with the then popular new thought author. Many people have speculated that Case and Atkinson were two of the three anonymous authors of The Kybalion, an influential philosophical text.
Dilemma: music or the mysteries
Case reported a meeting on the streets of Chicago, in 1909 or 1910, that was to change the course of his life. A "Dr. Fludd," a prominent Chicago physician approached the young Case and greeting him by name, claimed to have a message from a "Master of Wisdom" who, the Doctor said, "is my teacher as well as yours."
The stranger said that Case was being offered a choice. He could continue with his successful musical career and live comfortably, or he could dedicate himself to "serve humanity" and thereby play a role in the coming age.
From that time on, Case began to study and formulate the lessons that served as the core curricula of the Builders of the Adytum, the school of Tarot and Qabalah that Case founded and that continues in operation.
In 1916 Case published a groundbreaking series of articles on the Tarot Keys, titled "The Secret Doctrine of the Tarot," in the popular occult magazine The Word. The articles attracted wide notice in the occult community as organizing and clarifying what had been confusing and scattered threads of occult knowledge as illustrated and illuminated by the Tarot.
Whitty and Alpha et Omega
In 1918, Case met Michael Whitty, who was the editor of the magazine Azoth (and would become a close friend). Whitty was serving as the Cancellarius (Treasurer/Office Manager) for the Thoth-Hermes Lodge of the Alpha et Omega. Alpha et Omega was S. L. MacGregor Mathers' group that formed in 1906 after the demise of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1903. Whitty invited Case to join Thoth-Hermes, which was the direct American lodge under the A.O. mother lodge in Paris. Case did and quickly moved up initiations in the Rosicrucian Grades (True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order). Case's aspiration name in A.'.O.'. was Perserverantia ( Perseverance, or I Persevere).
Whitty republished Case's attribution of the Tarot keys (with corrections) in Azoth. That same year, Case became Sub-Praemonstrator (Assistant Chief-Instructor) at the Thoth-Hermes Lodge. Also during that year he finished a set of articles on the Mystical Rosicrucian Origins of Faust & published by Whitty. The following year, he began to correspond with Dr. John William Brodie-Innes (Fr. Sub Spe).
Between 1919 and 1920, Case and Michael Whitty collaborated in the development of the text which would later be published as The Book of Tokens. This book was written as a received text, whether through meditation, automatic writing, or some other means. It later surfaced that Master R. was the source. On May 16, 1920 Case was initiated into Alpha et Omega's Second Order. Three weeks later, according to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's bio-page on Case, he was named Third Adept.
In December 1920, Michael Whitty died. Case believed Whitty's health problems were attributable to the dangers that arise or may arise in the practice of Enochian magic. He later corresponded with Israel Regardie about those concerns.
Views on Enochian
In the "Wheel of Life" Magazine, in March 1937, Case described B.O.T.A.'s relationship to the Golden Dawn, and his views on the Golden Dawn's use of Enochian material.
"B.O.T.A. is a direct off-shoot of the Golden Dawn, but its work has been purged of all the dangerous and dubious magic incorporated into the Golden Dawn's curriculum by the late S.L. MacGregor Mathers, who was responsible for the inclusion of the ceremonials based on the skrying of Sir Edward Kelly.
"There is much in these Golden Dawn rituals and ceremonies that is of the greatest value; but from the first grade to the last it is all vitiated by these dangerous elements taken from Dee and Kelly. Furthermore, in many places, the practical working is not provided with adequate safeguards, so that, to the present writer's personal knowledge, an operator working with the Golden Dawn [Enochian] rituals runs very grave risks of breaking down his physical organism, or of obsession by evil entities."
Death
Case died while vacationing in Mexico with his second wife, Harriet. His ashes lie in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Legacy
Case left behind extensive published writings on Tarot and Qabalah and even more unpublished writings that are circulated today through the Mystery School he founded.
Some of the wording from "The Book of Tokens" was used in the Tarot-inspired musical episode of Xena: Warrior Princess entitled The Bitter Suite. In the show, a character representing The Fool speaks the quote, "ALEPH am I. From mine unfathomable Will, the universe hath its beginning. In my boundless Wisdom are the types and patterns of all things."
Bibliography
Articles:
1. Article on Tarot in "The Word" (1916)
2. Article on Tarot (revised) in "Azoth Magazine" (1918)
Books:
1. The Kybalion (1912) [with William A. Atkinson]
2. An Introduction to the Study of the Tarot (1920)
3. A Brief Analysis of the Tarot (1927)
4. The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order (1927)
5. Correlations of Sound & Color (1931)
6. The Highlights of Tarot (1931)
7. The Book of Tokens (1934)
8. The Great Seal of the United States (1935)
9. Progressive Rotascope (1936)
10. Tarot Fundamentals 4 volumes (1936)
11. Tarot Interpretations 4 volumes (1936)
12. The Open Door (1938)
13. The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages (1947)
14. Daniel, Master of Magicians
15. The Masonic Letter G
16. The Name of Names