Liber XV is fairly easy to answer. It’s an O.T.O.-specific ritual, and institutional in nature. Thelema-itself would never suffer in the long term, doctrinally or liturgically, if it vanished tomorrow. Most of its Thelemic elements are shoehorned in on top of its O.T.O. elements anyway despite those who painfully contort themselves into pretzels trying to convince people to believe otherwise. To be clear: not that it isn’t a beautiful ritual today and beloved by many. Nor would I want it to go away, institutionally. But if we’re talking just essentials to recreate Thelema (not any specific institution), then Liber XV isn’t essential to that goal. If someone were trying to recreate O.T.O., then my assumption is they would have a list, including Liber XV, of texts to carry forward.
Liber ABA is a bit harder. I would say primarily because most of what is included in this canon is (mostly) already included in The Big Blue Brick. But it also comes back to this outline of what is essential for Thelema. So much over the last 50 years in the Thelemic community has been about conflating what Thelema means to the point that we have a generation (and a half) of Thelemites who believe Thelema = O.T.O., that Thelema = Magick, that Thelema = Crowleyanity. If this was ‘what is essential for magick,’ Liber ABA would absolutely be on this list. Everything Liber ABA can offer Thelema qua Thelema can be (I think) found better in the texts already found on the list. Of course, having Liber ABA, outside this list, is something I bet would be on someone’s bookshelf post-apocalypse anyway. LOL! (It would be for me!)
That said, this is has only ever been updated twice since I originally created it and that was to replace Liber XV with Liber LXIV and Liber OZ with Duty. So I am never above criticism or change with this thing.
Curious how Liber ABA and Liber XV didn't fit into your criteria. Would those be included at any point or are they disqualified?
This is a great question. Thanks for asking it.
Liber XV is fairly easy to answer. It’s an O.T.O.-specific ritual, and institutional in nature. Thelema-itself would never suffer in the long term, doctrinally or liturgically, if it vanished tomorrow. Most of its Thelemic elements are shoehorned in on top of its O.T.O. elements anyway despite those who painfully contort themselves into pretzels trying to convince people to believe otherwise. To be clear: not that it isn’t a beautiful ritual today and beloved by many. Nor would I want it to go away, institutionally. But if we’re talking just essentials to recreate Thelema (not any specific institution), then Liber XV isn’t essential to that goal. If someone were trying to recreate O.T.O., then my assumption is they would have a list, including Liber XV, of texts to carry forward.
Liber ABA is a bit harder. I would say primarily because most of what is included in this canon is (mostly) already included in The Big Blue Brick. But it also comes back to this outline of what is essential for Thelema. So much over the last 50 years in the Thelemic community has been about conflating what Thelema means to the point that we have a generation (and a half) of Thelemites who believe Thelema = O.T.O., that Thelema = Magick, that Thelema = Crowleyanity. If this was ‘what is essential for magick,’ Liber ABA would absolutely be on this list. Everything Liber ABA can offer Thelema qua Thelema can be (I think) found better in the texts already found on the list. Of course, having Liber ABA, outside this list, is something I bet would be on someone’s bookshelf post-apocalypse anyway. LOL! (It would be for me!)
That said, this is has only ever been updated twice since I originally created it and that was to replace Liber XV with Liber LXIV and Liber OZ with Duty. So I am never above criticism or change with this thing.
The OTO has digitised collections all over the world for the very reason. If only its members were more interested in said collections.