Practical Magic Books

It is a shame that companies like Llewellen could care less about the content of their books. They think more of the content of their pocket-books. If you would like to know what the "secret order" is, check out _FIRE & ICE_ by Stephen E. Flowers, Ph.D. Llewellyn still sells _FIRE & ICE_ but the author was told to ommit important material.

When I saw this book for the first time I got very impressed! This german wrote a really good book and the americans god mad! The book is 90% pratical and with some rituals taken from "secret orders" (I wont use the name).

One of the few books by this publisher that is actually worth reading. Very well researched. The author comes from an open-minded, pragmatic and rational school of thought which is rare in this particular subject. No moralistic preaching here.

The book takes you through a series of physical and mental exercises designed to prepare the student for proper magical advancement (with the focus being on sex magic of course). Other topics discussed include: Sex with demons, the use of "deviant" sexual practices in ritual, telepathic sex, a crash course in ensigilization of desire, etc.

Even though the quality of the information presented here is exellent, I have only given the book a 4 star rating because some fundamental aspects of sex magic are missing in order to make for a complete treatise on the subject (see Liber Kaos by Peter Carroll).

This book provides an excellent overview of NLP and its clinical applications. There is a major problem though: the editing is terrible. By not being reliably accurate, some of the ideas and examples are hard to follow, and one is left wondering what else may be left out or is not communicated clearly.

I absolutely loved this book. Mr. Lankton balances the theory of NLP with practical and useful descriptions of how to use NLP in therapeutic situations. I especially appreciated him examining many of the techniques of different brands of psychotherapy in the framework of NLP, enabling practitioners of various disciplines to notice that what they already do can be explained and enhanced by NLP.

And as an introduction to each chapter, Lankton narrates a story of a young man that aptly parallels the content of each chapter, so for a quick introduction or review of what goes on in each chatper you can read that section of the story.

This book is by far superior to many of the NLP books that have come out since 1985. It is superior in its logical presentation, inclusion of both theory and example (short transcripts), and its overall presenation such that the reader learns how many apsects of NLP fit and work together in a comphrehensive system.

Nick Chopper, the famous Tin Woodman of the land of Oz, was once a flesh and blood man. He fell in love with a beautiful Munchkin girl who worked for the wicked witch. The witch tried to break up the couple by enchanting his ax. As his bewitched ax cut off parts of his body, Nick would get the parts replaced with tin prostheses by a tinsmith. He ended up totally tin after his ax split his trunk in half. We all know how he rusted in a sudden rainstorm only to be rescued by Dorothy Gale and an animated Scarecrow, and how the Wizard of Oz granted his wish by giving him a velvet heart.

This book begins years later when a young wanderer named Woot, asks the Tin Man why, after he got his heart from the Wizard of Oz, he never went back to marry that Munchkin lass. The Woodman decides that he owes it to the young woman to go back and fulfill his promise to marry her. So he, the Scarecrow and Woot go off to find the Munchkin woman so he can propose to her. On the way they are captured by a giantess, meet their old friend Polychrome, the Rainbow's daughter, and are transformed into a tin owl, a straw-stuffed bear, and a green monkey. They also run into a second tin man and have a reunion with the Munchkin tinsmith. Who is this second tin man? Will they regain their true forms? Will the Tin Woodman find his sweetheart and marry her? The story is well-developed and fun to read. It is an Oz adventure that all will enjoy.

L. Frank Baum's The Tin Woodman Of Oz is one of the more engaging novels in the famous series. When restless boy hero Woot The Wanderer happens upon the Tin Woodman's palace in the yellow Winkie country and learns of the emperor's origin and history, his question concerning the fate of Tin Woodman's one-time Munchkin fiancée, Nimmie Amee, spontaneously hatches a plot to discover her fate.

Joined by the Scarecrow, the three set out on a journey through the amazing and perilous kingdoms of Oz. Uninvited, the three unwisely enter a castle in the purple Gillikin country and are captured by its giant resident, Mrs. Yoop. There they find old friend Polychrome, daughter of the rainbow, already imprisoned and transformed into a canary for the sorceress's amusement. Yookoohoo sorceress Mrs. Yoop, placid and regal, is one of Baum's more terrifying villains, showing as she does an undiluted sociopathic and amoral indifference to the fates of others, who she physically manipulates to suit her fancies. Beautiful and poised, Mrs. Yoop, who lives alone in a dead valley, uses her spell-casting talents to provide herself with sustenance; water, pebbles, and bundles of weeds become coffee, 'fish-balls,' and buttered biscuits with a wave of her hand. When Mrs. Yoop tells the journeyers she is unpleased with their present forms and will transform them to her liking in the morning, the unsubtle suggestion that they may be her next meal is clear. Mrs. Yoop is not only one in a long line of fairytale cannibal giants, but her gigantism and prim, coldly polite manners make clear she is also a figurative as well as a literal devouring mother.

Archetypal motifs abound throughout, their subtexts driving the narrative and creating its sometime disturbing moods and moments. Woot magically degenerates into a green monkey, a form the text makes clear he finds atavistically embarrassing and unpleasant. In a scene fairly brazen for several reasons, agricultural demi-god the Scarecrow sacrifices his body to gain the gorge-spanning services of a straw-eating monster for his companions, only to be imperfectly 'resurrected' on the far side.

The recounting of the Tin Woodman's slow transformation from a healthy Munchkin male into a man of tin underscores the multiple amputations that necessitated the slow replacement of his human limbs with those of metal, allowing Baum free reign to discourse on the nature of identity, though the theme of violence goes undressed. The book might have been called The Tin Woodmen Of Oz, as by its second half there are two tin men, original Winkie king Nick Chopper and a second, soldier Captain Fyter, who was also once a man and became metal through exactly the same violent process. Both 'tin twins' have courted Nimmie Amee, and both been plagued by the Wicked Witch of the West in the period before Dorothy's house dropped upon her from the sky.

It's doubtful that readers of the series ever wondered whatever became of Nick Chopper's 'meat' limbs after they were severed from his body, but this volume answers that question. Together with those of Captain Fyter, the mismatched limbs have been magically glued back together to create errant oddball homunculus Chopfyt, who, perhaps not unreasonably, is aggressive and ill tempered. Where does Nick Chopper's humanity and being begin and end? The question comes in for special consideration when, revisiting his place of transformation from human to tin, he discovers his ungroomed human head alive, listless, and able to speak in a blacksmith's cabinet. Which of these creatures, if any, has a right to Nimmie Amee's hand in marriage? Has Nick, limited to a kind but not a loving heart, a right to invite her to become his bride and the Empress of the Winkies if he can only offer her dutiful companionship?

Baum was unusually sensitive to the details and nuances of his plots, but here unaccountably overlooks a change of gender. Since Mrs. Yoop's strange Yookoohoo magic cannot be changed or undone by even the most powerful forces in Oz, Ozma, the land's fairy ruler, once a boy herself, comes to the conclusion that the stalwart Woot can only regain his original young man's form if another Ozian creature agrees to take on the form of the green monkey. Since readers are led to believe that Woot as the green monkey is still a male, Baum trips himself up when a female character is tricked into assuming the monkey's form. Baum fails to acknowledge that she has not only unhappily regressed into a beast, but now also inhabits a male body.

In an interesting expository section, Oz Royal Historian Baum provides the reader with new facets of Oz's history and its magical rules and regulations. Once a part of the larger world, Oz, which has always been surrounded by an impassable desert, was enchanted by "the fairy band of Queen Lurline" sometime in the distant past. From that moment, no one has ever died or grown older in Oz. The young stay young, the old remain old. "Children remain children always, and play and romp to their hearts' content...while babies live in their cradles, are tenderly cared for and never grow up." Thus Oz is not so very different from Barrie's Never-Never Land (Oz was created roughly four years after Peter Pan debuted on the British stage), especially since children from America-and presumably other parts of Earth-occasionally find their way there. Dorothy, by the time of The Tin Woodman Of Oz a permanent Oz resident, like Peter Pan, will now never grow older, though she may evolve and mature as a personality. Like Peter Pan, she will never know puberty, sexuality, adulthood, parenthood-or death.

Always more than what they seem, the Oz books entertain, spellbind, and fascinate. The Tin Woodman Of Oz, full of eccentric undertones and undertows, tugs at its readers with its strange siren call and is certain to leave children and adult readers perplexed, questioning, somewhat wiser, and anxiously reaching for the next volume.

Not to much to my taste. None the less, it has a lot of basic information. I would rip out the chapter on demons before giving it to a new witch or impressionable one. I find the chapter on calling up demons disturbing and dangerous. The rest of the book is filled with important information. Buckland is just not my cup of tea. I have his candle magic book and I do adapt some of his rituals. Over all, I would not recommend this except to someone with some time on the path and a good dose of common sense and well grounded.

This book is one of , if not , the best beginner's book I have ever gotten for my library. It not only gives you Witchcraft knowledge , it gives herbology and much more. Please add this to your personal collection , as you will never regret it!!!

This book is not as complete as the title states, but the new expanded edition is much better than the original. Even though this may not be the one and only book you will ever need, it is an essential read, and will compliment any Wiccan or Pagan library.

While I certainly respect Buckland for all he has done for Wicca in the States, this book is definately Gardnerian in thrust, not surprisingly and I felt it was dated, too. The modern Pagan has moved away from some of Buckland's ideas but of you ar4e looking for good general knowledge, this book is handy on the shelf, just not as useful as Ann Maura's books, I felt.

This was one of my first books on witchcraft and I thought it was great when i got it home from the store and started to read it and do the questions at the end of each chapter. Now, almost a decade later that I look back I see it was a great stepping stone to get me started but has too many practices of Wicca to be useful. Some examples being how people do not need tools to practice magic(it is all in the mind), not to use circles but sheilds (since entities get pissed off at circles)and many other things. I am more evolved now in spirit from other sources than this book however, this book was on of the first to help me on my way and is a good reference book as well.

When I first bought this item i was so excited to read it but then i realized that it wasn't what i expected, It has nothing to do with the movie (which is all the way better), maybe only the names......... it was boring and i can hardly see the magic on it.

I enjoyed watching the movie that was based on the book. I wanted to see what the differnce between the two.

I liked the movie better. And this is something I never say. The book focuses less on Sally and more on her daughters and her sister,Gillian. The aunts, so colorful in the movie, have little to do until the very end of the book. Gary is not a very well developed character either. In the book, Sally's daughters are teenagers, going through all those things teenagers go through. I guess I just like the emphasis on Sally that the movie presented. There were many scenes in the movie which were not in the book. I really liked the scene where the women of the town overcame their fears and went to the aunts' house to help the Owens women get rid of Jimmy for good. This is not in the book. This is the first Alice Hoffman book I have read. I'm not sure I would invest in another one. I'll probably just borrow one from a friend or the library.

When two young girls, Sally and Gillian, are orphaned it is Sally (who is wise beyond her years) that calls her aunts (white witches) and says that she and her sister are coming to live with them. The girls spend their childhood as targets for taunts and pranks of the other townschildren simply because no one understands them and associates them with the Owens women who have been rumored to be witches. Indeed they are witches, of the benevolent kind. The girls get a view of hypocrasy when every evening the women of the town come to the back door of the aunts' house and beg and plead for a spell to bring them true love. But as Aunt Bridget cautions, "Be careful what you wish for". In an effort to save herself from heartbreak young Sally vows never to fall in love; Gillian, however, "can't wait to fall in love".

As they grow both girls can't wait to be free from the aunts. Gillian runs off with a young man and works her way through three husbands. Sally finds herself deeply in love with a local man. They marry and have two lovely daughters but alas, Sally's husband meets with an untimely death. She moves herself and her daughters back to the aunts house and suffers a year-long bout of depression. She vows yet again to take keep her daughters from harm and herself from love. To that end she moves her small family to Long Island, a place where she feels they can be normal.

One night Gillian arrives at the Long Island house with the body of her dead boyfriend in the car. In an effort to cover up the deed (an overdose of a potent natural drug), Sally helps Gillian bury the body in her yard. That's when strange and potentially evil things start to happen. It takes a visit by the aunts along with some strong magic to dispell the strange happenings and bring true love to both Gillian and Sally.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Tightly woven story, lyrical prose, a bit of humor, lots of magic, and charismatic characters. Like other reviewers I wanted to finish this book in one sitting. It is definitely a page-turner. Hoffman has a definite winner in this book.

Also recommended: The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

On the surface this is enjoyable enough-- a great, fun romance story full of all the the right classic ingredients. Then add a smidgen of mystery and a ghost. Finish it off with the all-powerful themes of love, sisterhood, and family, all written with Hoffman's dreamy prose.

Simply, this book is an addiction, gorgeous and well-plotted with fantastic characters and development.

If you're a hopeless romantic looking for a very real story with just a touch of magic, this is it.

This little book is great. I think all who are into charms, spells
and formula should have a copy of this book.

This book is one of those classic texts that I don't see going away for a long time. Great information presented here!!! I really enjoyed the doll working section ... a great chapter on using poppets and rituals to use them... I also liked the section on using the traditional "lamps".... That information is very good as well... You also get tips and tricks of other traditional magical information here. This book is cheap and you get some good information! Be prepared to have a lot of herbs and make a good deal of magical formulas, powders and oils when you get this book. This book does rely heavily on herbal magic. Great information!

Much Love & Many Blessings,
Thorn Nightwind

Ok I got into witchcraft when I was in 6 grade I'm in 12 grade right now and I still love it I bought this book awhile back , I thought it was amazing its just that some of the spells are not what I face in the real world

This book is great! I have used it so much that it is falling apart. I highly recommend it.

I love this book! Colorful, entertaining, powerful, informative... these are all words that describe Charms, Spells and Forumulas by Houngan Rev. Ray Marlbrough. It's been out for a while, but if you don't have a copy yet, get with the program, buy a copy, choose an exercise or spell in the book, and just DO it! -- Mambo Racine

I purchased this book a few years back and had no results using this book at all. I did not of course use every spell in the book as not every spell applied. However, this was a few years back before I had tunned my skills. Perhaps I should have did an uncrossing spell first before attempting the spells? Who knows, I unfortunately just tossed the book and moved on.

I would suggest to other readers to try an uncrossing spell first: especially if your not having success with the spells. Does this book work? Who knows but its worth a try especially if you've already bought the book!

I think Mr. Buckland and I have very different definitions of the word, 'practical'. He appears to use it in reference to 'everyday things', meaning one can use candle magic for 9-to-5 type things as well as emotional/spiritual purposes.

I, however, do not think one can use 'practical' without including the meaning of 'cost-and-time effective'. Some of the rituals suggested in this book call for *several* candles, of various colors, with an emphasis on not 're-using' candles. Unless you have a store near you that sells candles relatively cheaply, this can put you back a good amount of money, aside from whatever you spend on your regualr practice.

Now, since a sensible person does not leave even a single candle burning unattended, you get to babysit all those candles--because in Mr. Buckland's opinion, you can't re-use candles, can't snuff them and re-light for the same purpose. Some candles can burn for as long as 12 hours! Not very practical!

All the focus on colors, incense, etc., made me think this was more like Dumbo's feather than a primer on candle magic. The inclusion of Psalms seemed odd to me. While I suppose it was done in an effort to appeal to a wider audience, I don't think it worked. For Wiccans with no desire to include Christian scriptures (and who can blame them? Those Scriptures rightfully belong in the context and beliefs of that religion, not Wicca), the Psalms are unnecessary padding to flip through.

For Christians... well, to most Christians, practicing magic of any kind is anathema. I think Mr. Buckland made a mistake here, and assumed that since many Catholics light candles to the saints and the Holy Mother as part of their worship, *all* Christians would do so. (They don't, and there are certainly plenty of Christians who would object to being considered Catholic!)

Truthfully, this book is dated. THere's nothing in it (aside from the Psalms) that is not also readily available in most "Wicca 101" books. There are other books on candle magic--I recommend "The Candle Magick Workbook" by Kala and Ketz Pajeon. Much more focused, and far better suited for people wanting to personalize their practice.

I have an extensive library of rituals, spells, candle-burning books (I work in the books business) but it is this one I return to over & over. It's concise & turbo effective. My poor copy is over 20 years old & reeks of incense. I can't imagine living without it at this point.

If anyone knows of a book more powerful & easy to follow, please let me know. I purchased my copy for $2 in 1985 & can't say I have ever spent my money better. Every spell I have done from this tiny book has worked like gangbusters.

Definitely not for people with limited attention span as the spells take days to complete. And not for those who cannot afford 10 - 12 candles at 75 cents apiece.

I've read a ton of books on candle rites and spells, and this is my favorite. It has versions for Christians and Pagans. I think it's fasinating and there are rituals in here for many occasions. All of the ones I've tried have worked well for me. Is it magic, or the will of suggestion? I believe in magic, but does it really matter? IT WORKS!!!

this book is great it doesn't spend alot of time on the ethics and history of magick but gets right into some very usable spells, and gives both a Christian and Pagan variation on each so everyone can use it.

I have quite a few books on evocation most make no sencse at all ironicall between this and someone else Ceremonial Magic & The Power of Evocation by Joseph C. Lisiewski, between the two books using such books as 5th and 6th books of mosus,lemegeton,greater keys. are more possible the only reason its not a full 5 stars is some vagueness in some parts.

The visualization tec is great to reach others levels of visuals, the sigils are great and easie to apply(ps use sculpy for temporary sigils since paper is to haphazard to keep around they come in a variety of colors and the spirits seem to like them, one wouldn't quit looking at it(water spirit's easily distracted)

I didnt think dijin was as elderly as konstantinos comented him to be maybe 40 ish at best.
i suggest someone get these two books since trust me doing one half cocked sucks the reprocusions can be drastic at best.
So beginners and veterens alike should at least keep it in their library.

Don't waste your time or money, people. This book is pure drivel. There is not one original concept set forth here. Everything contained within it can be found in dozens of other, much better written books.

The whole design and layout reminds me of Halloween-edition candy; same contents and ingredients of all the other candies, but with eye-pleasing, spooky packaging. That's all this is; re-printed and widely available information, with a "gothic" spin on its presentation.

Not only are there countless pages of prepatory exercises (which you can find on almost any occult-oriented website), the work itself is constipated with tired, self conscious post-Catholic dogmas. There are constant pleas to the reader that "magick" is not "evil", etc., etc.,. This tone is very condescending, annoying, and even sickening. A good three fourths of this book is absolute filler. One can't shake the fact that this book was made for pure profit. I'd be willing to bet that most of the crap printed here can be found in entirety in Konstantinos' other silly books.

Avoid. If a copy of this book does somehow fall into your hands, flip through it, take notes on how NOT to write an "occult text", burn it, then defecate on it.

This one ain't bad.... it jumps on the exercises needed for summoning spirits (including the greater banishing rituals and the middle pillar ritual). The rituals and exercises are pretty easy to follow, and thats always good. I gave it 4 stars because the majority of the book was ripped from the golden dawn style of practice.... I've read all of this before. I like it for it's organization and simplicity. There's little talking and alot more action. I'd recommend this for those of us who already have a somewhat good amount of information, because this book has little.

This book is great for those who want a little more detail in their workings of the Craft. It gives step by step instruction and more detailed explanations for the why as well well as the what. Enjoyable and informative.

I have had this book in my occult library for a number of years,
and I have to admit two things. When the weather is cold, wet and
spooky outside, this is one of the books I seem to be always
reaching for. Ok that doesn't sound that magickal,but,in actuality, mood is a critical element of real magick. Secondly,
there are a number of interesting sigils in this book, and I once
conjured the king Bael using this book,in a very interesting conjuration to visible form, so the sigils work pretty good. I also like the illustrations, back again to that "old black magick" feeling, I suppose.

this is one of the best explanation of the runes i have found so far...I have enjoyed this book greatly and often refer back to it.

This is fairly typical of the inexpensive mass-market New-Age manuals available. It may be a handy booklet on divination, but it has little connection to the historical runes. It could just as well substitute any set of symbols and do the same job.

Anyone following the Northern Traditions will be disappointed, perhaps even offended. The author follows Blum's lead in creating a superficial divination system complete with the spurious "blank rune". She adds a little influence from other New-Age rune writers, but makes no effort to access the wealth of interesting and powerful historical information that can be found in a university library, or even on the Internet these days. The 3 main rune references she cites are Blum, Fitch, & Conway, need I say more?

Some may find the book handy for its techniques, but if you want useful information on runes, you will need to look elsewhere.

Sweyn
The Rune Primer

This interpretation just didn't do it for me. The interpretations of each rune felt inconsistant, more like a compilation of other people's interpretations. This is not to say that another person wouldn't find just what they need in this book. It just didn't click with me.

This is a great simple pocket-guide to the Runes.This paperback is an excellent primer for all new Rune students,as i once was.So,if you're a more serious divination student,you will quickly move on from the basics presented here.The next forward step would be ,"The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Runes",by Sirona Knight and later the Thorsson series.The"Blank Rune Debate" is a difficult one to side with.There are the faithful Rune Traditionalists and also the creative New-Age Runestres among us.This book is still a good one.You also might read,"Gods and Myths of the Viking Age",by H.R. Ellis Davidson,for an excellent look at who created the Edda Prose and the lasting Runic gift of heathen communion with Nature.-Enjoy!

This book has a fairly decent (but short) description of the divinatory meanings of the runes, with some brief sections on their magical uses. One thing that bothers me is her inclusion of the blank rune, which is clearly a relatively modern addition which *some* prefer to use, but which most historical purists reject. That said, I still reference it when I want a fairly quick reading, because she does have a decent amount of insight on the modern implications of rune castings - especially when it comes to elaborating on certain runes appearing in combination with others.

Sorry to say that this will be the last book by Cunningham that I will every buy. Every book is beginning to be the same book with a different cover.


Listed below are the reasons I have a problem with this book:

Cunningham preaches all the way from beginning to end on moral ethics. It's as if he's the moral police. He tells the reader that he doesn't give certain oils/herbs because they may violate the Rede. It's ridiculous and getting OLD! I know there is a movement for Witches to show themselves as GOOD,but get a grip! It seems to be a trend for authors to learn all they can then turn around arrogantly and tell the reader what you shouldn't know. I think everyone should be their own moral police. How can you truly learn magick one sided.


If you want the same tired formulas, moral whipping, and arrogance go ahead get the book!

I have a number of Scott Cunningham's books.
This is just another fine example of his work.

I think the people that posted that this is a limited book don't really get the purpose of the book. This is a BEGINNER'S book. If you are an experienced herbalist - do not get this book. This book is for those just starting out. You should read this book first and then read the encyclopedia that Cunningham wrote. The Paul Beryl Compendium of Magickal Herbs that one reviewer mentioned is an ok book, but it leaves a lot of information out - plus he gets too into the historical side of each herb and not enough on the practical side. Plus the charts in the back, which really are the most useful part of the book are seriously lacking in Paul Beryl's book (although he has some nice handy God/Goddess listings).

So - if you are starting out - get this book and read it. Once you are comfortable with the material, move on to Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs (which is mostly a listing of herbs with very little information on what to do with herbal blends), and if you have extra cash, get the Paul Beryl book. I have about 20 different herbals, and I mainly use Cunningham's encyclopedia and the Paul Beryl book.

But - getting back to this book - this is a starter book. If you already know the basics, then this is a waste of your money. If you have never opened an herbal in your life, this is a great place to start. And as one user mentioned - use common sense! Just because something is an herb, it doesn't mean its safe. Arsenic is deadly and all natural. When using non-maintstream herbs such as Hemlock, Yew, etc - do some research FIRST! If you are sticking to the basics, like Rosemary, Peppermint, etc, then this book should be fine. And don't ingest anything unless you know for sure its safe - use your brain!

This book was a really good one. I just have one major problem with it, he didn't bother to warn people about whether or not something was poisonous. It is a good reference for people that already have some experiences with herbs. Never use an herb unless you know for sure it isn't toxic or poisonous.

A lot of interesting information on plants and magical uses. It was iformative and useful to me.
I liked it.