Bright from the Well: Northern Tales in the Modern World [Paperback]

Dave Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 2008

'Bright From the Well' consists of five stories plus five essays and a rune-poem. The stories revolve around themes from Norse myth - the marriage of Frey and Gerd, the story of how Gullveig-Heidh reveals her powers to the gods, a modern take on the social-origins myth Rig's Tale, Loki attending a pagan pub moot and the Ragnarok seen through the eyes of an ancient shaman. The essays include examination of the Norse creation or origins story, of the magician in or against the world and a chaoist's magical experiences looked at from the standpoint of Northern magic.' Dave Lee coaches breathwork, writes fictionand non-fiction, blends incenses and oils, creates music and collage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Mandrake (September 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1869928849
• ISBN-13: 978-1869928841
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,052,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars And it's a good well, July 11, 2009

By 

Roy "Roy" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bright from the Well: Northern Tales in the Modern World (Paperback)

Dave Lee's writing is captivating. It is very modern and occasionally confusing, in terms of "dude, why did you go there and what happens next?" - but again, it is a book about magic(k). Here we are a century after British theosophists tried to create their tailor-made second coming by brainwashing a colonial child, and 95% of all the books on the subject of magick still center on the paradigms invented by that group's mish-mash of misinterpreted western and yoga philosophy. A century since Crowley proclaimed himself the beast 666 without knowing that number was a satirical code for Nero, Caligula and Domitian (or maybe one of them, it hasn't been decided yet), and he's still, well, worshiped. And here we are, laden with several thousand years of magical 'tradition' that answers to belief, not thought, intelligence or creativity.

Along comes Chaos Magick, in which these "truths" that the scions of the previous aeon depended on and defended so feverishly (well, that is how they're getting laid & paid) are unimportant, because whatever works does, and beliefs, paradigms etc. are all tools that can be used, or not, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Why does it work? Well, physicists, sorcerers and other folks are working on that.

With this wave comes Dave, with his Sci-Fi, runelore, paradigm-pirating, minimalist swagger. He's giving us a chance to read some magickal work that is not another "power of god commands you" essay on the enslavement of spirits (you yank them from their home and make them do what you want under threat of punishment blah-blah).

There aren't many books like this one and his previous work "Chaotopia" around, and I recommend them highly as an antidote for the previous aeon's religious hebephrenia. But again, if it wasn't for the good 'ol days, we wouldn't be where we are now...