TL: Books for Magic Beginners

From: jbbell@tiguex.cs.unm.edu (Rev. J. B. Bell)

Subject: Re: Request for Book Titles
Summary: A few suggestions.
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 19:34:48 GMT
avongvis@nmsu.edu (Hex) writes:
[...]
> I would like to start studying magick in earnest; can anyone
> recommend to me some decent books to give me the basics. I am dead
> sick and tired of reading stuff like how to make corn dollies and
> brew herbal teas. I've read a couple of Pagan-oriented books
> (_Positive Magic_ by Weinstein and _Real Magic_ by Bonewitz) that
> seem to have more substance to them than the usual Llewellyn
> sludge. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Bonewits' book cries out for a new edition, but remains an excellent
basic reference, particularly for the scientifically-minded.
I am a big fan of _Liber Null & Psychonaut_ by Peter J. Carroll. I am
not so fond of his later works, as it looks like he is starting to
believe his own hype. If you can get _The Book of Pleasure_ by Austin
Osman Spare, it's an excellent book, if slightly difficult. (I
believe it's on ftp.lysator.edu, though I'm not certain.) It shows up
some significant omissions by Carroll.
[Correct address: ftp.lysator.liu.se. ]
[File name: /pub/magick/Chaos/Spare/pleasure]
[ --Ceci 94-07-12 ]
Call me old-fashioned, but I still feel that _Magick in Theory and
Practice_ is very good, though apparently it's hard to get the nice
Magickal Childe $10 paperback anymore. A new edition of the whole
original Book 4 (combines lots of other stuff intended to go together)
is supposed to come out "soon" for around $50(!).
In more particular practices, I think that _Practical Sigil Magick_ by
Frater U.'.D.'. has about the most bang for your buck it's possible to
get in today's mostly-phlegmatic occult book world. Surprisingly,
it's published by Llewellyn!
(Side note: I'm very interested in Hine's book on servitors, _Chaos
Servitors: a User's Guide_, I think it's called. Anyone know about
availability of this one?)
Anyway, that's a good start. With just the first two, you can build a
highly complete magickal system. My problem of late, in fact, is
simply to concentrate on working with what I have, instead of seeking
out useless novelty. If you're more interested in ceremonialism or
more strictly Wiccan stuff, I'm sure others on here can make helpful
suggestions. Try alt.magick, too.
Sincerely,
--Rev. J B Bell
===
From: azoth@netcom.com (Az0th)
Date: Fri, 8 Jul 1994 13:53:45 GMT
[quoting Avongvis]
Don't overlook Agrippa's _Three Books of Occult Philosophy_, also from
Llewellyn in one omnibus paperback. Even if you overlook the purely
QBListic material, there's an incredible wealth of information on
natural magic, invocations, evocations... I know it was written over
400 years ago, but most everybody since then has borrowed from it
either directly or indirectly. It predates Levi's silly speculations,
so there's no evil attached to the pentagram with 2 points up, which
appears in Agrippa in association with rites dedicated to Hecate. Very
refreshing. };-]
You might also find some of R.J. Stewart's writing of interest, such
as his _Advanced Magical Arts_. Or, for a kind of Chaos/Wicca, you
might look into Chumbley's _Azoetia_. Abyss or Serpent's has Stewart,
as do many mainstream booksellers, but for Chumbley you have to go to
Serpent's (904-760-7675), at least here in the US.
93 93/93
Az0th