Practical Magic Books

I had read recommendations saying that these tricks were easy to do -- and perhaps they are, if you're a wonder at sleight of hand and enjoy lots of preparing and folding and concealing and slipping things into secret panels and misdirecting and spouting old-timey magic act patter.

Most of the gimmicks are stagey and involve special props, so it's not just something you could do spontaneously. The steps are too involved and tedious for me. The font, verbiage and illustrations are very 1950s. ...Just checked the original copyright: 1944 -- and it looks like nothing's been updated since then. For example, the very first chapter is titled "Effects with Billets and Pellets"... what and what?! Whatever it is, it involves a lot of paper-folding and switching. Just not what I thought at all -- I was hoping for really straightforward cool, easy tricks.

One of the great classic texts, but don't get the idea that you're going to be doing the effects in the book five minutes after you pick this gem up. More important for the principles they use and show, and some effects and not logically or easily done in the drawing rooms of today!

I was disappointed in this book after having read so many glowing reviews. I was surprised to discover that it was written in 1944. The archaic language is a bit distracting, the hand-drawn illustrations look very dated, and there is too much use of words where clear diagrams would have been better. A picture is worth a thousand words, and you can double that amount of words if the prose is written in such an old style. I wasn't even able to understand what the writer was trying to say in a lot of cases. I don't recommend this book for beginners.

This is a great book on magic, but it is absolutely not for beginners. I can't do any of this stuff. My good friend is a magician and he loves it.

If you are looking for a book full of quick mental magic gags, this isn't very good. All the tricks in this book require either A) Advanced skills in slight of hand (palming, quick switches, etc) or B) A gimmicked apparatus. It isn't as easy as amazing your buddies at a party with some mind reading tricks. These are for more advanced magicians. It was also written in 1944.

That being said, it is a very interesting look into how some of this stuff is (or was) accomplished. I have seen several of these tricks used before and wondered how they were pulled off, now I know.

If you are a magician with basic skills in slight of hand, palming, and switching, then you will probably find some cool additions to your performance here.

If you are looking for some basic stuff to baffle your friends with, this is not the right book for you.

This book contains a great deal of interesting material, from translations of Mithraic rituals and various alchemical works. Additionally, I would rate the meditative exercises as very good.

However, it is somewhat less of an introduction to magic than, say, Book 4 by Crowley. Instead I would recommend it either as an advanced meditation manual or an advanced magic workbook. It is not really suited to the beginner very well.

I only gave this work four stars because the book claims to be universally applicable and transcendent of tradition but instead seems to my mind to be fairly Buddhist in its outlook. I think therefore it fell slightly short of the original author's stated goals. Otherwise, I think it is worth reading for those who are interested in the history of esoteric thought, for those looking for some more advanced meditative techniques, and for those looking to bridge the gap between meditation and magic.

The title of this book could be a bit misleading, as it's fair to say that the majority of the articles in this book are not intended for people who are just coming into magical practice. The articles requires at least an intermediate knowledge in Hermeticism, Alchemy, or Buddhist Meditation techniques, for the most part. With that said, I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading and practicing the different techniques described and discussed in this book.

These articles were written in the late 1920's by a group of experimental magicians called the UR group, lead by Julius Evola. This book presents a fascinating glimpse into ceremonial magical work being done in that time by magicians who weren't overtly associated with magical orders such as the OTO or Golden Dawn. The articles are detail oriented, but all of the writers manage to discuss the concepts with enough brevity to explain what needs to be done and how to do it, without unnecessarily waxing poetic about it.

One article I particularly liked was what I would suggest was the first article ever written on space/time magic...but rather apt for what it suggests about the nature of time and how a person interacts with it. This is definitely a book I will read again and again and get more out of each time I read it. I recommend it to any person who wants to either get a better historical perspective of magical practices or wants to continue honing his/her practices.

Introduction to magic is indispensable if you are seriously pursuing the path of real initiation. The booklets published by the italian group of UR in the 20s, collected as a chapter for every month, comprise direct instructions, commentaries of ritual and alchemy works, explorations of different initiatory systems, essays on several components of magic.

One aspect that could be considered a minus is that this book doesn't spoonfeed you about how to build your routine. You won't find a page with a big EXERCISES title at the end of every chapter, and you won't be told every little detail of every technique (for an *excellent* book that does this, my advice is 'Initiation into hermetics" by Franz Bardon). However, some of the authors (Abraxas and Luce, in particular) seem to lay out a complete system of practice chapter after chapter, to be followed in order.

A warning: this is a wonderful book, but it is very different from what many occult hobbyists are accustomed to. It does everything to keep away from the feel-good newage fluff which fills the vast majority of books on the subject, and to state clearly what initiation really implies.

Do you think you can read that mediumship is something that must be cured, that theosophy and spiritualism are anti-initiation movements based on fancies, that immortality isn't for everyone and you will not just 'reincarnate' to have another chance if you fail? Can you accept the notion that one of the goals of initiation is to transcend passions, that an initiate cannot fall in love, get angry, desire or fear anything? If the answer is no, then don't read this book; you will not like it.

Note that this is only the first volume of three. In my opinion this is also the most important. The essays follow an order and can be used to draw a plan or at least to get an idea of the subject, while they become less organized from the second year of the publication on. However they are still invaluable, so, if you can, read the other two too.

Yes indeed, this is a difficult read. I'd like to find a forum just for this book as I can't get much out of it - and I've good reading skills (read; I'm giving these guys the benefit of the doubt).
Anyway, the main theme seems to be the isolation of the alchemical gold from the waters. To then merge the two, or something. Male, female dicotomies expressed in a thousand different ways...reminds me of the golden dawn.
Having many magick books on the shelf I'm at least familiar with this and this is another reason this book is so annoying.
As an example; I could say, "To go into the building, you walk up to the door and walk in."
Evola and company might state it thusly, "The operator must, after careful reflection of the waters, to be sure, go forth into the ancient structure of hermetic liberation, by infusing the alchemical gold with willful consciousness (the Reflective divinity - ad perpetranda miracula rei unis), to then extract same into a realization of divine light. Only then, to be sure, can the operator, enter into that which is most certainly impossible.
We state that by infusing the alchemical gold with sublime consciousness, we mean that it is similar to the hindu ahamkara, or vidya...blah"
If you want over 350 pages of this, get this book.
As stated, I'm assuming I just don't get it. But one thing that sets off a flag is this type of wording - as compared to other authors on the same subject (but I do understand this was written before the TV ...But, after the inquisition).
It's this type of prose that's characteristic of frauds. To, I've started threads about this book at various forums. To my surprise, the folks who were familiar with evola/ur group called him a wannabe and a "mere shadow of crowley" etc. I won't even bother with his political views.
I just don't know. But this is Not an enjoyable book, imo.
Now let me say this; Like some of you, I've been at this for years. The bottom line is that Most of this literature is Totally Useless in the context of Doing magick, high or low.
Ceremonial magick (emphasis on ceremonial and elaborate ritual) is the long distracting, "vaudville" way around. Make work, diversion.
Just last night, amazingly, I found a site that elaborates on this. Like what to look for in a ritual to tell if it's bogus. SO much of what's in print IS (ever wonder about those weird god names and ritual acts that No one ever seems to explain?).
I feel I've wasted a heckuva lotta time with all this...
I...we need to design are own rituals. And to keep it simple.

To bring a bit of clarity; self hypnosis and the will is the crux to all this.
Many folks can (and do apparently) write volumes on this one line...

There are many available sources of knowledge in the world today, but the writings of Evola are without doubt giants in their field. This book is absolutely serious, and dangerous. I can guarantee that no one who reads it will genuinely take up its teaching and practices without the greatest difficulty and sacrifice. For this type of knowledge to be available in today's world is nothing less than a blessing, and can be used to great benefit in virtually every religious, occult, metaphysical and spiritual endeavour.

It is best described as a handbook to Adeptship, the Science of the Self, in which both religious and magical aspects are fully integrated with balance, grace and dignity. Clearly, each contributing author speaks from experience, and this immediately puts it beyond the vast majority of 'textbooks' out there. I am surprised that this book has even been published, but given that its authors felt that no unworthy students would benefit much anyway, it is better not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I would add that a certain period of study-at a 'safe distance'-is necessary, and should be supplemented by (at the very least) two other books by Evola: "Ride the Tiger" and "Revolt against the modern world". These will give the passive reader an idea of what is really being asked of them, and the context in which this teaching is set. Other books by Evola are of equal benefit, but deal with the path from specific Traditions, whereas this book combines insights from East and West. Specifically, the writings of Ea, Abraxas, Luce and Leo are of core value, followed by Arvo, Oso, Alba and Meyrink. These will naturally appeal to the Western reader, though the other texts should not be avoided.

On a personal note, I have found the study of Evola's writings to lead to a respectful, even loving relationship to someone whose spirit and mind were clearly as deep and bountiful as the ocean, and I treasure his clarity, honesty and rigorous discipline in all he says and does. He was a bright star amongst a dark generation.

The only 'criticism' I have to make is with his understanding of Christianity. But this is easily justified given his point of reference, and the problematic position of Catholicism to the Traditional World (not being properly part of it due to its exclusivity, yet retaining much through organic adoption and succession). Nonetheless, I am surprised he did not see through the 'exoteric' version of Christianity to its essence and significance. To the Christian who studies his work, he will find the key to understanding the esoteric or truly gnostic meaning of Christ's life and work, especially his explanation of the 'Immortal Body'. In this respect, I would strongly recommend the works of Rudolf Steiner, who, interestingly enough, Evola respected personally yet disagreed with professionally.

In conclusion, this book is a prodigy in its field, and probably will not be recognised as such for a while. Do not be put off by any references to Evola as a Nazi supporter-his position is fairly well documented and understandable from his own hopes and beliefs, not his detractors. If you do decide to buy this book, you will probably find most of your further collection naturally taking second place!

Even if you only read it for information's sake (and this is not an easy task by any means) it will be well worth it. Good luck!

"Ancient Ways" was the first Pauline/Dan Campanelli book I came across, when I was searching for something a little more in depth about the sabbats and other major destinations on the wheel of the year.

Starting with Imbolc and taking the reader on a delightful walk through the seasons and sabbats straight through to Yule, the Campanellis have put together a reading experience that almost comes through as a meditation.

I sat down with this book a while before Lammas thinking that I would skim the rest of the book, leaving it for a later reading, and just focus on the section about Lammas. Instead, I sat down and read it cover to cover, enjoying every section, and leaving the book with a feeling like I'd just undergone a guided meditation on the wheel of the year.

This book is a valuable resource for all of us who have learned only the basics and the typical rituals associated with the wheel of the year and the major Sabbats, and wonderful for anyone looking for new ideas to make their sabbats fresh again. It belongs on any Pagan Bookshelf.

ANCIENT WAYS is about reclaiming Pagan Traditions for celebrating the Sabats and Esbats associated with the `Wheel of the Year'. Everything from making cornbread dollies and cross-stitch samplers to painting Easter eggs and making a Yule log is associated with an old tradition.

Did you ever wonder why you might go `a wassiling among the leaves so green' in the middle of winter or why we talk about "Peace on Earth near the Winter Solstice? What are the symbolic meanings of various animals according to American Indians? Why do we decorate with holly, ivy, and mistletoe in midwinter and use pine cones for ornaments on our holiday trees.

Pauline Camanelli explaions why all those holiday traditions you love are yours, no matter which faith you subscribe to. Some of the so-called "major" religions have merely claimed celebratory customs that belong to the past.

While Llwellyn has been publishing a set of books, one for each Sabbat, this book is the best source for lore, crafts, recipes, magic, and ritual for the Sabbats.

Poetic and full of wonderful artwork, this book doesn't treat pagan holidays as a childish game. The folklore is wonderful and accurate, the crafts are relevant to the season, and the magic and ritual is simple and powerful.

This should be in all pagan libraries.

This book has brought some benifits to me, and I do think most people should give it a try. However, do not expect too much. The historical information is very basic, most of the crafts are best suited for a "country pagan," and there is no index.

Not your average "cookbook" or "course work" style of writing. While a bit meandering and in need of an index, Ancient Ways is a refreshing addition to the exponentially growing corpus of pagan/neo-pagan literature. Many people of all religions fall into the "Sunday morning Christian" rut of experiencing spirituality only on holy days. The Campanelli's give plenty of ideas for weaving pagan beliefs and magic into the days between the official "holy" ones.

Reading this book helped me to feel a better sense of well-being in this not so safe world. It made me feel stronger inside.

I am glad I purchased this on the recommendation of a friend. It was well worth it. I enjoyed the book.

It began really nice and that is why I purchased the book. But after I finished it, I was somewhat disappointed. Other than the 'tower of light' method, the underlying message I got was: Occultism is not a bad thing. The 'real' occultists are actually good people and do not mess with 'bad' magic.

Thus, the title of the book is somewhat misleading... Robert Bruce's book on the same subject is far better than this one and to the point. But I have to say the 'tower of light' technique was a valuable thing out of the whole book (that is, for me--and I am no occultist, but just someone curious about the subject and would like to learn more).

Great book! Tried the techniques discribed in the book, found them to be delightful and enlightening. Great visualization practice.

Although an interesting read, this is simply NOT the "practical" guide I had been looking for. There is one basic aura strengthening exercise (albeit a good one) with one variant. Other than that there was simply a lot of occult information. This book also veers too far off into the wacky, imho. How many of us need to make sure we don't leave mail clippings around for our enemies who want to practice doll sorcery on us? How many of us need a ritual for cutting the tie to a doll used for doll sorcery? To me, there is simply too much of a gulf between a simple aura strengthening exercise, and talk of looking into your adversary's left eye only... I was looking for a treasury of different exercises for a wide range of situations and definitely did NOT find that here. In the end I pulled out an old book I owned, Judy Hall's "The Art of Psychic Protection" which contains a wealth of information and a TON of exercises. Go there instead if exercises are what you are after. This book fails to deliver on the "practical" in the title.

I picked this book up on a whim, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Normally, a book with a title like "mind magic" is full of junk science and affirmation techniques. But Dr. Miller is a smart guy and a good writer, and what he shares in this book are some excellent methods for understanding how the mind works... and how we can get past the roadblocks that prevent us from accomplishing our goals.

You might not be able to see the cover well from the thumbnail, but this book is really meant to introduce the reader to the research of Piaget, a scientist who spent most of his career trying to understand how the minds of children developed. The author is clearly a follower of Piaget's theories, and references Piaget's research constantly throughout the book. But it's very interesting, readable stuff -- Dr. Miller does a great job of making it palatable for a casual reader.

My only complaint about the book is that the "mind magic" hook is a little forced at times... it feels like an afterthought meant to tie several different essays together. But since the information in the book is so useful, this is a minor gripe at best. I walked away with a new appreciation for how complex intelligence is, and how we take for granted how differently different people can see things. It's really all a matter of perspective, and this book does a great job of teaching the reader tricks to get around getting stuck when approaching a problem.

I know this is not likely to go down well with many, but as a teacher who seeks to find a way to help children learn mathematics better, I feel that this book does not meet my needs at all. This book has a great premise to begin with. The idea that we possess a mind that has as much potential as any genius is very attractive. Unfortunately, it loses steam quickly well into its first few chapters. Many ideas such as yin and yang of learning and natural learning are really not new at all. They are just old concepts rehashed under new labels. In fact, other people have done a better job in addressing these ideas, such as Educational Kinesiology and writers such as Margaret Donaldson on the idea of natural learning and Daniel Goldman on the role of emotion on learning. No wonder Seymour Papert, in his foreword, politely warns the reader not to 'let anyone, even Miller tell you which is the right way to be you.' I guess I have to look elsewhere for better ideas and advice.

I read this book all in one sitting in one day, and that says alot considering how this is abnormal for me. My problem with this book is it felt as if I was wading through materials of fluff that could have been covered in a book maybe half the size (MY OPINION). Sure the points are important - but they seem to be common sense... but thats just to me (MY OPINION).
I was also quite annoyed at how the 2nd to last chapter seemed to just be built simply to convince me to buy more books on the subject and delve into it... as if my $15.95 weren't enough. I'm returning it tomorrow and getting myself a nice computer book especially since he promoted this so-called "mind magic" before the last chapter.
Ok, well all in all the book is not that bad - I would suggest it to anybody as a decent read, but not as a decent buy (unless you got money). For those who took psychology classes (especially developmental psychology), I think you should skip buying. For those who have been in some kind of science/math for years and have read the tips pros give to stay motivated and efficient in the subject, I think you should skip buying. For those who are starting out from perhaps a low-SES and don't know what the hell SES is, you should buy it (I know the book doesn't say SES in it.) Oh yea and finally if you are the smartest person in the world (no such thing) then buy this book to read while your on that soapbox of yours. SO I have to go now, I give it 4 stars - I was going to give it 3... but even with the information reiterated again and again (as if I was actually taking a class and he had to spread the information throughout a whole semester) at least there were thoughtful studies put in there - and thats what made it worthwhile for me. But I want my $15.95 back.

Mind Magic" provides remarkable insights into how our minds work. For months since I finished reading the book it has continued to resonate as events I was experiencing personally brought me back to "Mind Magic" and a greater awareness my learning processes.

Is genius level thinking only for the exceptionally gifted? Can we learn to think more effectively? If we understand our mind we
according to Joel Miller can apply our minds to understanding our minds. This is the ultimate power, the power of the mind to achieve high levels of mind consciousness. He challenges us by saying "you may be far better off, if you develop your own "right way"". Thinking is like fingerprints in that each of us is unique.
He highlights three skills:
1) Adaptability
2) Adept Manager of Information (Being the Architect of your own Information Management systems).
3) Creativity
We are powerful because of our ability to grow and adapt.
He talks about Yin and Yang phases of thinking that are natural and important (self-expressive, expansive... and then narrowing, self-correcting) like business cycles. It is the mind's way of learning from its experiences and errors. It we keep practicing we natuarally get better and better so stay out of the way. It is normal to learn.
He encourages us to learn by observing and understanding the thinking of people that we want to emulate. Do not demand things from the mind too quickly. Observe and respect the positive role of errors in our thinking.

Identify yourself as the empowered learner, see yourself as capable and adapting, as the one in charge.

Some helpful hints, monitor your progress, know your unique style, brainstorm, use the support of others, read for new perspectives. Use Analogies, timelines, prototypes, experiments, explore historical context, combine theory and practice.

Ten Tips from the Scientists
1)Make a lot of guesses, take a position, bold guesses from practice.Learn to love your mistakes.
2) Question the legitimacy of the problem... ie are you barking up the wrong tree. Are you sure you know what the problem is.
3) Question your assumptions, be aware of the them, write them down.
4) Try to do the impossible!
5) Respect your subconscious. Sleep on it.
6) Believe in the power of peer review
7) Cope with setbacks by taking a break, talking to a friend, using fresh approach. Don't be afraid to time-box solutions.
8) Love the hard work, don't wait for a Eureka Experience
9) Record interactions and side effects.
10) Don't be afraid to reinvent the wheel.

Let's face it: many of us in the modern world have a hard time telling which direction north is, let alone finding enough sacred space to cast a circle in the city without your neighbors calling the cops to report you as a satanic worshiper. This is a lovely, down-to-earth guide for those of us who wish to live in touch with ourselves and the natural world while living in the 9-to-5 "mundane" city.

This isn't a guide to "how to ignore reality and technology around you." This is a guide to how to find magic, both old and new. My favorites are using a television screen (turned off) as a scrying mirror and zapping magickal ingrediants in the microwave to charge them with power.

Paganism grows and changes with the people who celebrate it. This book is an excellent and entertaining guide to that growth. Blessed be!

While going through the everyday hum-drum of life, this book can make you change your perspective. It helps you feel your "inner Witch" while doing your everyday things. Improves concentration levels, helps to guide you through new experiences and as always...gives us knowledge. What more can a Witch want?

I thought that this book would talk about, and give ideas for, a Witch practicing and living in a city environment. But, it didn't and I was severely disappointed.

If you are looking for a good general book on Paganism, you could do worse than "The Urban Pagan". Over all, it's a little rambling and to be blunt, rather dull in places, but it's still a useful collection of issues to consider, points to ponder and more than a few lists of common correspondences / associations. Of course the downside to this is that there is more than a hint of 'One True Wayism' here. There're not nearly enough disclaimers about the associations being commonly held ones only instead of stressing the fact that not everyone uses the same ones. (Fire is south for you? That's nice. It's east for me. Etc.) All in all, a good book to give you something to think about when forming your own beliefs, but not as good if you're looking for deep meaning.

Books about Paganism should be *more* than just spells, rituals, and tradition--and this book is definitely more! Without any condescension, Ms. Telesco manages to explore some pretty complicated topics (such as the psychology, ethics, and imagery of magick) in simplified yet meaningful ways. And that's just the first few chapters! With handy tips and lots of factual information, this book shows you how to blend both the art and science of magickal living.

Another great new bestseller which I hoghly recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune

Do yourself a favor and read Katalin Conway's book "What really works w/Women". The back cover of Katalin's book shows her to be a Beautiful Woman w/secondary education in Psychology and Computer Science. Any MAN looking for more hints on understanding how and why women think the way they do should hear it from a Beautiful, Intelligent and Logically thinking woman. Most of the information is in all the other books on this subject and much of it is common sense anyway. I'm not meeting any Women like Katalin though. Being the third book authored by a woman I've read it is worth having.

I don't personally know women like this. Maybe this should be titled "how to get a flighty, fanciful crybaby in bed". The women I know are pretty straightforward, self sufficient and well, pretty logical. I'd like a book on how to appeal to that type of woman - cause this wasn't it. It really didn't give advice. It never really tells you how to get the woman you want but tells the idiotically obvious i.e. don't act like a schmuck, dress well, take a bath. The book is similar to "how to succeed with women" which was a complete farce. The author has a degree in psychology - and we all know what a worthless basket weaving degree that is.

First let me say that this book offers nothing new: most of the stuff about men and women is just clichéd, rehashed stuff that you can find in most any book (or even magazine) about the topic.

I love and respect women, but I've got to be open and forthright about some of the statements that this guide goes into. It's just my take on things, but it's based on lots of experience and observation.

It's just amazing. I've never seen a `dating' book for men written by women, that gave men truly good advice that works - it seems that most female authors, consciously or subconsciously, are trying to get men to do what women want, (ie. become their little `gentleman' puppets) rather than tell them what really makes women turned on.

For instance:

In the opening chapter, she INSISTS so much on trying to get men NOT to understand women, by telling them it's impossible, useless, etc. It seems she deliberately wants men not to even try - it's understandable that women like to be viewed as mysteries, but they can be understood, even if they don't want men to!

Secondly, her understanding of men is nothing short of terrible, and boils down to common stereotypes. She says that all men ever talk about is sex - well I've listened to men of all ages, cultures and in all kinds of places talk, and this is actually one of the RAREST male topics. In fact, women themselves are actually a rare topic among men. (On the other hand, she says women very rarely talk about sex, which is actually untrue - I've listened to many women's conversations, and they talk about it often, and in great detail too. However, she then goes on to contradict herself by saying women often talk about `making love'. So basically, women `don't talk about sex' because they don't say the word `sex', but use a different term? Come on, Katalin, you should know better than that! And no, women don't talk for hours about men's eyes, either. Nice biceps and behinds, although not an absolute necessity, do turn them on though. Don't try to pull a fast one on us, Katalin!) Just listening to women talk while walking down the street will show you about 7 of 10 of their conversations are about men! I kid you not!

She classifies women as emotional and men as logical, which is true to some extent, but is becoming less and less so. It's more of a generalization than anything else. I work with women and they're down-to-earth, logical, normal, lovely, people. Yes, they have their emotional sides too, but they aren't as one-sided and fickle as the author would have you believe.

The book is full of contradictions, which I have found to be the common staple of books written for men by women. Examples are the first chapter, which states women don't scrutinize your body, looks, and so on, but rather, your sensitivity, etc. In a later chapter she goes on to tell men they need to work out, have a nice body image, be good-looking, dress well, smell well.... (Unfortunately, she also gives the typical list of hygiene advice tips that can be found in ten million books on the subject, probably thinking that most men are apelike retards who don't know these basics: shower, cut your nails, brush your teeth... oh man!)

`Men can't follow a female conversation', states Ms. Conway, because at the art of conversation, women `have men beat' - another silly assumption. I've listened to women talk (and talk... and talk...) and it has never been any problem whatsoever to understand their conversation. The real issue (which our worthy author doesn't seem to get) is that men are normally bored to death by female conversation topics, and therefore DON'T WANT to listen to them and just shut down! As for men being poor conversationalists, well obviously they're not good at talking about shoes or make-up, but for some reason, the most engaging speakers you will ever hear, including public speakers, are men - I've yet to remember an interesting or charismatic speech delivered by a woman, except on rare occasion. And men talk about a huge variety of topics, whilst women basically tend to stay on 2 or 3 main ones. (This has been a common complaint among my friends, that their girlfriends only had a couple of shallow topics that interested them.)

Another gem: `Women find it difficult to accept the emphasis that men place on looks', purports the author. Well, if they find it so difficult to accept, why is it that they spend hours in front of the mirror, wear stilettos, tons of makeup, and undergo expensive and risky surgery in order to attract men? Because they don't get that men are attracted to good looks?

Then there are the classical pieces of advice: show interest in her as a person, be sensitive, make her feel special, open doors for her, etc, etc. Yeah, ok. I could've asked grandma and she would've told me the same thing.

The book is chock-full of contradictions and bad advice... I could go on and on but I won't. I'm guessing that this review might not be liked by many people, but I've been out there hundreds of times, in all kinds of places - from discos to churches, and observation has shown me what men and women really are like - yes, SOME stereotypes are partially true, but the classical image given to us by the media is very misleading and false. Real-life experience is what showed me how reality works - whether I liked it or not. And it's not that I know everything, but in reality, there is NO WAY to learn about human beings by reading books - the authors are normally way too biased one way or the other, or too politically correct, or too affected by the age we live in, religions, etc. Men and women, and their behaviour, are, at the same time, far more sophisticated and, at the same time, MUCH simpler than we make them out to be.

Now I mentioned that the book contains some good stuff, and it's true. There are a lot of good insights about women, but the problem is that they're interwoven with the misleading information. It's very difficult for a woman to write a book for men on how to seduce women, simply because she doesn't seduce women! So it's hard for her to put herself in the man's shoes, and she will rarely tell men what REALLY turns women on. Some of the stuff she advocates just plain doesn't work in most situations, but it's what a woman would tell you to do if she wanted you to `be nice' and tend to her.

I'm amazed the book is touted as being `provocative, non-PC'! It's highly unoriginal stuff you could get by assembling bits and pieces of classical dating books and magazines, and as far as non-PC goes, well, it's as PC as they get! (Teaching men to `be a gentleman' is way too PC for a pickup book.) Unfortunately, political correctness doesn't turn women on much, so while a lot of the advice is solid, in other, more practical parts, it falls flat on its face.

I would be VERY surprised to learn that a reader has been able to get a woman into bed just by using the advice in this book.

Suggestion: get a dating book by a man who is an expert at dating and seducing women.

This book delivers! It tells you all you need to know about how to get a woman from a woman's point of view. It's written clearly and logically with good pointers that are really useful. I found it extremely helpful because she writes about all the stuff that guys just don't think about, but which is really important to women. If you're looking for a book on women, this is definitely the one!

I really like the ideas and concepts he puts forth in this book. My only complaint is the "power glyphs" he writes on. I recommend creating your own system of glyphs for use. Maybe basing your glyphs on the ideas he presents in the book. Pick up "Stealing the Fire from Heaven" for a nice compliment to this book.

Although creating a familiar and giving it the proper energy and honor can be more work than the average witch is used to, the method presented in this book can be quite rewarding ... I gathered a wealth of new knowledge from this book. THis author presents a method I haven't read before ... Good if you really would like to get serious and begin creating familiar spirits!

Much Love & Many Blessings,
Thorn Nightwind

This book is great and it presents a very well thought-out system to create an egregore, as it is referred to by chaos magicians. That is, a spirit that is independent of the magician, formed of the elements. Traditionally, egregore's are spirits that are created by a group of people, but I don't believe that is the only way to do this, as this book shows a simple method to do this without a group or coven or lodge to help you create one.

As everyone else has stated, the author presents his theories as fact, but I believe he did this for a very good reason. As most other Llewellyn books, this book is presented in an easy to understand manner that is aimed at the complete novice. So, with that in mind, I can understand why Tyson felt the need to write things like "everything that you see around you is an illusion that your mind creates, so it's not that hard for a familiar spirit to insert an image of itself into your mind so that you can see it". I'm not sure exactly how Tyson phrased that, but that's something he mentions in the book a few times. For a complete beginner, that is an important thing to read, whether it's true or not. As a Chaote myself, I tend to believe that. Our motto is "Nothing is real, everything is permitted". For a complete beginner, this may actually make the process of opening astral senses much easier and to better percieve their familiar/egregore spirit ally, than to fill their head with a bunch of (in my opinion) useless theory. I remember when I first started with magick I would have plenty of success initially, until I started trying to figure out exactly HOW magick works. That put a real road block in my way that I'm still working through.

Anyway, the method in this book to commune with your familiar can also be used with any other spirit, like angels, demons, etc. Hell, you could even use that method to have a conversation with a comic book character. It's basically a simpler method for EVOCATION to the astral plane, instead of using a black mirror. It's effective and it works. That said, I don't recommend trying to commune with demons unless you know enough about them to know how to protect yourself. For most practitioners, the LBRP and BRH are great, and those rituals can be adapted for any faith, not just Judeo-Christian. Despite the great things most people say about Goetics, some of them really are bad spirits. I agree that they're not all bad, but how can a novice tell WHICH ONE is not? For beginners, stick to establishing a good relationship with a familiar spirit, and after practicing for at least a year, go ahead and try a Goetic, if that's what you really feel you need to do, and have your familiar present at all communions with any other spirit you work with.

To commune with another spirit other than one you've created from this book, like say the Archangel Raphael, you'd use one of his most well known sigils (instead of drawing a new one using the power glyph system), draw a portrait of him as he is decribed in any online website you can find about angels, and you'd use a Vessel for Air, as he rules over the East, and elemental Air. You could very easily establish a solid relationship with any spirit like this using the method explained in the book, and astral senses will come eventually, and you can then have some very interesting experiences with that spirit. Good luck everyone.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I like "Familiar Spirits" because it is easy for the practioner with minimal experience in this field to read and comprehend. The book is not full of complex formulae and theory to baffle the novice. The power sigils described in the book correspond to the English alphabet, so no knowledge of Hebrew, numerology or magic squares is required to use them.

The author well explains the common types of spirits humans may come across, whether they are aware of it or not. However, Tyson is very opinionated and doesn't always give adequate justification for why he feels or thinks a certain way. For example, he doesn't believe ghosts are actually the spirits of dead people but spirits who choose to imitate them. He also cautions people to avoid the color black because of its associations to evil in traditional magic. However, Tyson later contradicts himself by stating that the room where the evocation ritual takes place should be devoid of all light except for the altar candles. Tyson also tends to leave out details. For example, he states that the practitioner should face south during the evocation but fails to explain the significance of this direction, as it has nothing to do with the elemental composition of the spirit or its purpose. When Tyson teaches how to choose a magnetic attractor for the spirit vessel, he cites basic correspondences for elementals, but fails to explain how to choose an attractor for a spirit that may have a mix of elements (e.g. 30% earth -30% water - 20% air - 20% fire). However, he covers himself by stating that decisions made in the process of creating a familiar should be based on one's intuition, as well as traditional correspondences.

Another issue I had with the book is that the majority of spirits described in the examples appear to be more servitors than companion spirits, aka familiars. However the evocation ritual calls for extensive preparations: a well-made shrine, spirit vessel, key, daily offerings etc. Why go through so much trouble for a servitor, who may only have one task to perform? Because of the extensive work involved, Tyson fails to include how to set an 'expiration date' for the servitor. Instead, he explains, that to banish a spirit, all items associated with the spirit to be destroyed. I think a simpler method of creating a servitor should have been included in this book.

As others have said in the commentaries, this is a good introduction to interacting with spirits but it is inadvisable to rely on this book as a sole source of information on the subject.

I must admit, I really didn't know much on this subject before I read this book. I also held a lot of the public notions that are discussed in the beginning of the book. I found Donald Tyson's perspective to be a profound new way to look at several topics. I may not agree with all of it, and sometimes felt he was going a little off the deep end for me, but still a truly fascinating read.

I have been studying and practicing occult subjects for more than 10 years.Real occultists know how painful is trying to find a complete system in a book.
Let's be honest my occultist friends, didn't we all choose our rituals from Golden Dawn like Lesser Banishing Pentegram Ritual? didn't we all practiced pranayama? didn't we all practiced visualiziton exercises from Bardon's IIH?
Yes, we mixed all systems to be on a "complete road".
If you think about buying this book, don't wait for a moment, be ready for a complete system of occult.
After getting the book,only bad thing you will say to yourself is "Why didn't i read this book before?"

This is very strange and bizzare work.I wonder that even Author does not know the God--One and Only Lord, Absolute One ,The Only Lord of universe.
Author himself has been worshipping false spirits.There is absolutely no eligible worship except God...The One ...The Most Holy.....
You can not have any success in magic what so ever If you dont believe in the one ness of Lord and try to seek any magical power without his consenses.You can not grade any body else equal to Him.You can not worship any body except Him.It is unforgivenable transgression.
Only He is true and rest alles is false.
There is no body in the universe that deserves worship except God ,,,,,The one Lord,The only Lord,Our Lord,and Lord of every thing.
I wonder how author claims to be a mage when he himself have been worshipping the creation and do not know the Creator.

This book contains some interesting translated segments of works I currently own, but am not experienced enough to translate correctly. The books which the authors cite for their information would be of great use for study should they ever be translated in full and published. Hopefully, Shadrach will make such an endeavor soon.

Concerning the present work, it is outstanding in its coverage and ease of understanding. Perhaps it will enlighten a few upon the more acurate(given our limited knowledge of the past) and verifiably traced roots of certain occult and magical practices.
I consider the cover of the book to be an effective shield against those who would delve into it for darker bits of information. Most people of such a nature would be thrown off by it's disguise.

If you are looking for once unobtainable infomation(In the West) on the Jann and communications with them as well as an organized system of learning magick formed in a Middle Eastern vein, this is definately for you. On the surface it will seem like a re-hash, but within its weaving of words many wonders lie.

Not only is "Magic That Works" a historically important piece of literature reviving the ancient mystical and magical practices of Semitic cultures, but it is also a comprehensive system of both study and practice for modern magicians who are looking for a system more closely rooted in authentic original sources. The authors begin with the basics of magical work, leading their readers into a structured step-by-step curriculum toward finding out their guardian angels' names, then working with the energies of the Elemental spirits, planetary spirits, and, finally, the Jinn. To Western readers, the authors' approach may seem unorthodox in its mingling of Hebrew, Chaldean, early Islamic, and other practices, but this is closer to the reality of the ancient world. Even the famed Arabic text Picatrix makes references to pagan Sabian (Chaldean) magic and the Great Master al-Buni makes references to Hermes and includes Solomonic conjurations with many Hebrew sacred names of Ha-Shem. The book's language may be couched in pagan-friendly terms geared to modern Western readers, for which it has been criticized by some readers, but the mixture of Chaldean paganism, Hebrew and Arabic magical traditions is reflective of ancient Arabic occult literature that was couched in Islam-friendly terms. Combining local Semitic traditions makes more sense than mixing ancient Egyptian paganism, Renaissance Rosicrucianism, and medieval Christianized Hebrew Kabbalah with the channeled spirit system of John Dee and Edward Kelley into one system all based around the Tree of Life. When we understand the etymology of the divine names used, the common and borrowed devotional practices, or the printed and handwritten materials left by the ancient world, we come to appreciate their practices and techniques. I believe the authors have done well in facilitating these perceptions.

I too am a collector and translator of both Hebrew and Arabic magical and mystical literature, and as a scholar and researcher, I am quite impressed with the rituals and formulae translated from the works cited at the end of each chapter. Quite clearly this was a translation done by a native Arabic speaker, nothing short of which could navigate the sublime narrative of such masters as Al-Buni or Ibn Arabi. Magic That Works is obviously not a scholarly translation of original sources for historians or armchair scholars, but rather a derivative work geared toward making the materials useful to modern people who want to practice and get results. However, the information in this book is truly a first in English occult literature. The authors should be commended for making these materials publicly available; to date it is very difficult to find such information elsewhere from any English sources, whether on line or in New Age books. I eagerly await Nineveh Shadrach's forthcoming translations of source manuscripts concerning further Jinn magic as well as Geomancy, at wwwDOTishtarpublishingDOTcom. Students of Qabalah, Merkavah, and/or Abjad, Hikmah and various Sufi traditions, or any one who wants an alternative to the usual rehash of ceremonial magick literature flooding the market, will find this material refreshing, greatly informative, and helpful in their Great Work!

I have usually scoffed at any books that talk about Magic or anything related to the topic. While I don't particularly believe in any of the things mentioned in this book, I have actually found this to be one of the easiest books to read and enjoy on the subject. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I liked reading about the topic because of the way it has been written. The language is clear and concise, and I think that the ideas and concepts have been presented in a way that is easy for someone who would not normally be interested in such topics to actually be entertained. There are some very well illustrated charts and diagrams, and so I was not bored with just pages and pages of text to read about something which I find rather confusing already.

I guess it is not really aimed at those who are more serious and avid practitioners, but it also includes a lot of good references should one decide to take their interest to another level. I hate to annoy people who are really interested in Magic by saying that this book was entertaining for me, but even I found some very good content in this book, mostly to do with exercises I can use to focus my mind and concentrate, as well as ideas on creating a peaceful and soothing environment in the house. There is also a nice section on Arabic writing, which I found rather interesting an useful as well.

Even if you are not interested in Magic, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy this book. If anything, it will help you seen things in a different light, rather than just being a skeptic that knows nothing about the subject.

This is a wonderful book, even without all (or any) of the accessories. The fantastic humor throughout makes this a great read even if you never intend to do the actual tricks.

I picked up this book since I'm a fan of magic and especially Penn and Teller, but was rather disappointed with this book.

The book seems big because the book itself is meant to be a trick for your friends. You can leave it laying out on the coffee table without worrying about someone picking it up and learning all your secrets. That is, unless they read the whole thing. Parts of the book are printed just to fool your friends and some tricks don't work unless you know the secrets.

Many of the tricks mentioned you won't be able to do yourself and are more of Penn and Teller revealing the secret behind cutting a snake or making cockroaches appear. There are very few tricks that you yourself will be able to make use of. Included with the book (or should be) are several aids used in some of the tricks, making the book feel more like a child's toy. One item that is quite useful is a book made specifically for the trick of mind reading, or making it appear that you can read minds. Although, it only works if you can casually leave the book on a table and casually say, "Let's use this one."

In all, I found the book to not really live up to the standards of Penn and Teller and only found two or three tricks that might have actually worked on friends. If you're looking for a book full of tricks to really decieve your friends, keep looking.

I bought this book new, and I did get all the extra stuff that came with the book. Trust me, the book itself is all ya need. other than that, the exrta book doesnt have anything really important in it. if anything at all. The book is the most important thing. All you need is just a pair of red and blue 3d glasses for the rest of the stuff in the book if you read the first couple pages you will understand. It is a strange book due to the fact that the majority of the book is just to fool your friends. It doesn have great stories and some good tricks though. out of all 3 books, this is my least favorite but still one of my top 3 all time favs because of the authors.

Please take note that this book originally came with a packet of trick accessories and another, smaller book. If you buy this book used and all you get is the main book, then many of the tricks in the book will be useless to you. Such is the case that happened with me.

Penn and Teller are great writers (and showmen, of course) and you will thoroughly enjoy their stories, but there's just something missing when you are not able to perform all the tricks they mention because you don't have all the original materials. The mind-reading trick sounds so wonderful, but without the extra book you can't perform it, for example.

Another impossible trick is the very first one where they tell you to call a phone number. I called it and was directed to the voicemail of someone within Random House (not the publishers of this book, btw). Being that the book came out in 1989 it looks like Penn and Teller have long given up that particular number.

Maybe in a dusty old bookstore, sometime in the future, I might be lucky enough to stumble across this complete package, but until then, if ever, I can only wonder at what might have been.

...

This was Penn & Teller's first book, and they made the actual book a prank in itself. Now, I won't give anything away, but the book is designed to drive anybody who reads it "the wrong way" batty. Plus, there are stories about how they did a lot of their tricks, including the infamous "cockroach trick" that made David Letterman leave his show. Plus lots of other mean stuff to pull on unsuspecting people.

Oh, and there's also the full text of the screenplay for "Penn & Teller Get Killed." Here's hoping you have good eyes.