Ariel, David: The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism"
A readable, comprehensive guide." Highly recommended in the Zohar class at the University of Judaism.
Ben Joseph, Rabbi Akiva: The Book of Formation
This is one of the seminal texts of the Kabbalah. This was written in the second century C.E. or thereabouts. It is heavily influenced by Pythagorean
thought.
Bokser, Ben Zion, ed.: The Jewish Mystical Tradition
An anthology of texts from biblical origins to the twentieth century.
Carroll, Peter J., "Liber Null & Psychonaut", Samuel Weiser 1987
Crowley, Aleister, "The Confessions of Aleister Crowley" Bantam 1970
Dan, Joseph, ed.; Kiener, Ronald C., trans: The Early Kabbalah Selections from the formative period of Kabbalah: twelfth- and thirteenth-cekntury Provence and Spain. An excellent guide to the development of Kabbalah.
Denning, Melita; Phillips, Osborne
Two prolific authors for Llewellyn press. These two are members of the Aurum Solis magickal society, and their books are written largely from the perspective of this magickal philosophy. Aurum Solis has a fair amount of overlap with Golden Dawn, but there are differences.
Denning, Melita; Phillips, Osborne: The Sword and the Serpent
This is volume two of "The Magical Philosophy", wherein Denning and Phillips present the philosophy and techniques of the Aurum Solis. At least as much as they are willing and/or able to. As one might guess, The Sword and the Serpent refer to the two different paths up and down the Tree of Life. The first part of this book is a qabalistic journey through the world of the occult and a guide to the relationship between the Tree of Life and the Great Work.
Epstein, Perle, "Kabbalah", Shambhala 1978
Fine, Lawrence, ed.: Essential Papers on Kabbalah
A stimulating collection of studies by leading scholars in the field.
Fine, Lawrence, ed.: "Kabballistic Texts" (in Back to the Sources)
A clear, concise presentation of the development of Kabbalah and its symbolism.
Fine, Lawrence, ed.: Safed Spirituality: Rules of Mystical Piety
A fascinating depiction of the mystical community of Safed and some of its leading personalities, along with a text of mystical ethics.
Fortune, Dion
Dion Fortune, mundanely known as Violet Firth, was a member of the Golden Dawn. Her pen name is a contraction of her Magickal Motto, "Dea Non Fortuna".
Fortune, Dion: The Mystical Qabalah
This is a good introduction to the Golden Dawn style of the Western Esoteric Qabala. It is much less turgid than the works of her predecessors, and with practice, is quite readable. It also gives a good, basic list of the magickal correspondences with the sephiroth.
Fortune, Dion, "The Cosmic Doctrine", Aquarian 1976
Fortune, Dion, "Moon Magic", Star Books, 1976
Grant, Kenneth, "Cults of the Shadow", Muller 1975
Graves, Robert & Raphael Patai, "Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis", Arena 1989
Gray, William G.
William Gray studied under the Western Esoteric tradition of magic through the Golden Dawn. He has written many books on the Qabala, and is probably one of the most expert in the subject of the Western Magickal Qabala.
Gray, William G.: The Ladder of Lights
This is an analysis of the Tree of Life from the Western Esoteric point of view.
Gray, William G.: The Tree of Evil
A book on the Qliphoth, and how understanding of the Qliphotic forces can be used to overcome evil.
Green, Arthur, ed.: Jewish Spirituality (2 volumes)
A stimulating collection of studies by prominent scholars Halevi, Z'ev ben Shimon: Introduction to the Cabala This book explores the Tree of Life, both as a model of the universe and as it relates to a variety of different aspects of life and of the world around us.
Harner, Michael, "The Way of the Shaman", Bantam 1982
Idel, Moshe: Kabbalah: New Perspectives
A groundbreaking, challenging work by a leading authority in the field. (Jewish Kabbalah)
Idel, Moshe: The Mystical Experience in Abraham Abulafia A penetrating study of the prime representative of ecstatic Kabbalah.
Jacobs, Louis: Jewish Mystical Testamonies.
A collection of first-person accounts of mystical experience.
James, William, "The Varieties of Religious Experience", Fontana 1974
Kaplan, Aryeh: The Bahir
The Bahir (brilliance) is one of the oldest of the Kabbalistic works. This translation, by Aryeh Kaplan, also includes the full Hebrew text as well as Kaplan's own commentary on the book.
Kaplan, Aryeh: Meditation and Kabbalah
A rich collection of texts by a practicing kabbalist.
Knight, Gareth, "A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism", Vols 1 & 2, Helios 1972
Kushner, Lawrence: Honey from the Rock
Jewish Kabbalah is more than the Tree of Life, and it is much more than just a magickal system. It is the sum total of Jewish mystical speculation, fiction and poetry. This book contains a number of brief texts on some of the central themes of Jewish mysticism.
Lewin, Roger, "Stone Age Psychedelia", New Scientist 8th. June 1991
Liebes, Yehuda: Studies in the Zohar
Stimulating studies of the major work of Kabbalah by a leading authority of the field.
Mathers, MacGregor: The Kabbalah Unveiled
A ponderous translation of parts of the Zohar, via a Latin text, the Kabbalah Denudata.
Matt, Daniel C.: The Essential Kabbalah
Pretty much what it says. Matt goes to the original sources and summarizes the essential beliefs and attitudes of the Jewish Kabbalah.
Matt, Daniel C.: The Zohar
Not the entire Zohar, but a fairly large selection (about 5%) of the text in this work. Notes, including comments made by scholars over the years, are found in the back of the book, giving the reader the option of reading the Zoharic text without commentary first if he desires.
Patai, Raphael: The Hebrew Goddess
A biography of the feminine divinity, from her roots in the ancient Near East through the Kabbalah.
Ponce, Charles, "Kabbalah", Garnstone Press, 1974.
Reed, Ellen "The Witches Qabala", Llewellyn Publications
Regardie, Israel: A Garden of Pomegranates
A Golden Dawn perspective on the Tree of Life and the Qabala.
Regardie, Israel, "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic", Falcon Press, 1984
Scholem, Gershom
Mr. Scholem was probably the preeminent modern scholar of the Jewish Kabbalah. Anything written by this man may be taken as authoritative. This name is on my "see and buy" list.
Scholem, Gershom: On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead Essays on Kabbalistic speculations. The title essay deals with the speculations of the Merkavah mystics and their attempts to gain the vision granted to the prophet Ezekiel.
Scholem, Gershom: Zohar, The Book of Splendor Another set of selections from the Zohar, edited by Gershom Scholem.
Scholem, Gershom G. "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism", Books 1974
Westcott, W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah". Many reprintings.
