Customer Reviews

Castings: The Creation Of Sacred Space (Wheel of Trees)

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Having recently enjoyed a class by Mr. Dominguez, and finding the material he covered to be of great interest, I followed up by purchasing a copy of his book, Castings: The Creation of Sacred Space.

Let me first say I found the content to be extremely well written, in easy to understand concepts. It's rare when a teacher can take such complex material and make it so easy to get the concepts across to the average reader. The material covered in his book is not simple, but he does have a special way of making it understandable. Mr. Dominguez came across to me as a first class teacher.

Castings covers exactly that, Casting the Circle which we all know so well. Mr. Dominguez covers the basics first, of centering, grounding and building a place within yourself and without to cast your Circle. The meditative exercises are well constructed and provide a good strong basis to work from.

Mr. Dominguez then proceeds to examine what a Circle is, from the theory to the Spiritual reality. Mr. Dominguez explores with the reader the concept of time, space and realities. I found this part of the book to be one of the best explained concepts on Circle Castings I have ever read. Mr. Dominguez also provides the reader with exercises which are again well written, providing clear instruction and easy direction. There is also a section on Pentacles and their use as magical symbols. Again, well explained, with clear and concise definition.

Finally, Mr. Dominguez offers other types of Castings that do not follow the traditional Circle method. For those who have studied for a while, you may be aware there are other Casting methods, and might even have run into a teacher who may have known one or two. Mr. Dominguez presents us with 7 variations, again with the clear instruction and well written direction. He discusses their uses, limitations, interactions with other castings and recommendations for mastering their uses.

Mr. Dominguez is Wiccan and the aspects of his Circle casting are Wiccan in flavor. He does, however, show the similarities between various Spiritual Paths and how they relate to each other.

I guess you can say I am impressed with Mr. Dominguez and his ability to relate such material without being over my head and unintelligible. This book is a pleasure to read on a topic that can be difficult and dry and almost unbearable in the hands of a lesser teacher.

The Golden Dawn recommended that its beginning initiates spend one year doing nothing but the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and keeping notes on the results. Alas, we live in an age where "instant enlightenment" is more popular than gradual exercises intended to strengthen the self and prepare the magician for mystical experiences. This has left us with many "magicians" who don't know the difference between vision and delusion... or who wind up injuring themselves when they actually encounter Something Else.

With *Castings,* Ivo has made a serious effort to counter that spiritual flabbiness and sloppiness. Any magician who follows the practices in this book will find hirself able to distinguish between sacred space and a Live Action Role-Playing arena. S/he will be able to protect hirself against negativity from inside and outside hir psyche, and will be able to raise genuine energy and harness it to cause "changes in the Universe."

Dominguez is a very clear and detailed writer... and one who does not feel the need to condescend to his audience. Today many Neopagan authors have tried to reach a lowest common denominator by presenting simple, inoffensive stuff which should come with crayons. Dominguez never sinks to that level. He takes pains to explain his concepts... but he assumes that his readers are literate, sincere, and willing to do some research outside the scope of his book. (I was particularly impressed by his comments on Mutable, Cardinal and Fixed Signs -- I've been practicing astrology for almost two decades, and he still gave me some food for thought which will prove useful in my interpretation of charts... yet presented his ideas in a way which would be accessible to someone who knew next-to-nothing about astrology).

If you're serious about magic(k, if you will), BUY THIS BOOK. Then read it, study it, and practice, practice, practice. It may take a while, but you will see real and beneficial results. Highly recommended.

Ivo transforms a collection of esoteric methods for psychic developmentinto an easy to follow and easy to read book you can actually work with whether you're solitary or part of a group. Looking forward to the next volume! Highly recommended for the serious student. -jc

I don't recommend books easily, and it isn't easy to find a new book that goes beyond material the Scott Cunningham covered quite adequately. This one does. Ivo discusses not only various methods of creating sacred space, but the preparation one should do before hand, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I recommend this book highly.

This is one of those books on magick that I have read again and again. Each time I have found more useful material. This book has enduring value for any occultist.

I don't recommend books easily, and it isn't easy to find a new book that goes beyond material the Scott Cunningham covered quite adequately. This one does. Ivo discusses not only various methods of creating sacred space, but the preparation one should do before hand, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I recommend this book highly.

Ivo Dominguez has condensed a large amount of esoteric knowledge into a short and easily read book. It is a "must have" for the serious student of modern Witchcraft and ritual magick.

Just discovered this book and was surprised that it had been available for a few years. A great treasure.

I really expected not to find much new material as I've been around the block a few times... I was surprised by the good things I found. It is a must have whether you are a newbie or an oldtimer.