Liber Trigrammaton, also known asLiber XXVII, is one of theHoly Books of Thelema, authored byAleister Crowley. It is a short, cryptic text that consists of 27 three-line stanzas. Each stanza is associated with a unique trigram, making a total of 27 trigrams. This work is considered an important part of Thelemic literature and is believed to contain deep esoteric meanings and mystical insights.
In 1904,Aleister Crowley wrote out the text of the foundational document of his world-view, known asLiber AL vel Legis,The Book of the Law. In this text was the injunction found at verse II:55; "Thou shalt obtain the order & value of the English Alphabet, thou shalt find new symbols to attribute them unto"[1] which was understood by Crowley as referring to an English Qabalah yet to be developed or revealed.[2] In one of theHoly Books of Thelema written by Aleister Crowley in 1907, calledLiber Trigrammaton, sub figura XXVII -- Being the Book of the Mutations of the Tao with the Yin and the Yang,[3] are 27 three-line diagrams known as 'trigrams', which are composed of a solid line for the Yang, a broken line for the Yin, and a point for the Tao. By attributing 26 Roman script letters to the trigrams of this work, Crowley felt that he had fulfilled the injunction to "obtain the order & value of the English Alphabet", as noted in his 'Old Comment' toThe Book of the Law.[2] However, he also wrote that "The attribution inLiber Trigrammaton is good theoretically; but no Qabalah of merit has risen therefrom."[4]
The text ofLiber Trigrammaton is composed of 27 trigrams, which are said to be related to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and other esoteric systems. Each trigram is presented in a symbolic and enigmatic manner, leaving much to interpretation. Crowley wrote that this book contains the essence of the spiritual journey and the mysteries of existence.[3]
Liber Trigrammaton is considered a foundational text within the Thelemic tradition. Crowley maintained that it was dictated to him by a higher intelligence, and it is often studied alongside other Holy Books of Thelema to gain a fuller understanding of Thelemic philosophy and practice.[3][5]
Due to its cryptic nature,Liber Trigrammaton has been the subject of various interpretations by Thelemic scholars and practitioners. It is often analyzed in conjunction with other works by Crowley and the broader context of Thelemic teachings. Its trigrams are sometimes correlated with the I Ching and other systems of divination and symbolism.[5][6]
The most developed interpretation, known asTrigrammaton Qabalah (TQ), was first published by R. Leo Gillis in 1996,[7] and subsequently released asThe Book of Mutations in 2002.[7] This system is based on one of theHoly Books of Thelema written by Aleister Crowley in 1907, calledLiber Trigrammaton, sub figura XXVII -- Being the Book of the Mutations of the Tao with the Yin and the Yang.[7]Liber Trigrammaton (akaLiber XXVII) was called by Crowley "the ultimate foundation of the highest theoretical qabalah".[3] Correspondences are created with some of the major forms of divination such as theI Ching,Tarot andrunes, as well asGreek andHebrew alphabets, theTree of Life,Western andVedic astrology,magic squares, and thePlatonic solids. A primary feature of this qabalah is a new understanding of theCube of Space and its 26 components of edges, faces, and vertices, which equal the number of letters in the English alphabet.[8]
