Customer Reviews

Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

You may have noted that all the other reviews of "Condensed Chaos" (at least as of this date) are by practitioners of magick, so their concern is whether the this book helps them advance the state of their art. If you are a non-practitioner, as I am, you might wonder what this book is about and whether these folks are really serious about this magick stuff or whether they are putting you on. Well, here's my take on "Condensed Chaos," from a non-practitioner's point of view.

In brief, if you took a ballpoint pen and crossed out the word "magick" on every page of the book, you would have terse but comprehensive outline about what you need to do to assert your will in world. The secret is to maintain a clear intention of what you want; when this is absolutely clear, all of your actions naturally work towards your ends. However, maintaining a clear intention is easier said than done, since your brain, which was originally designed to help you climb down from the trees and throw rocks at small mammals, is not so good at dealing with life off the savannah. Much of the book is about the necessity to discipline your mind so that you can achieve this clarity of intention (plus some techniques for doing this). There are also techniques for tricking your mind, so that it lets you do what you want without it getting in the way.

I was surprised to find myself thinking, "Yes, this all makes sense" for most of the things he talked about. For example, he describes creating a sigil (a magical symbol) or a mantra derived from statement of purpose and then focusing on the sigil or mantra rather than the statment of purpose. My take on this is that the sigil is form of subliminal suggestion. Many times when you try to push yourself into doing something, your brain pushes back. By focusing your brain's border patrol on a sigil, however, you can subconsciously evoke a suggestion, sneaking it in through the back door.

So, where's all the spooky stuff? He doesn't spend much time talking about this, although he has one interesting story about a friend and him talking to a shadowy figure on his stairway, then just walking away from it when it couldn't give a convincing account of why it was there. I had the impression that it was not really important whether you achieved your ends through normal or paranormal channels. So, even if you don't buy into occult stuff, you could still make use of what he has to say.

What makes "chaos magick" different from other magical traditions is that it embraces all traditions---a kind of Unitarianism of the occult world. It also does not take itself too seriously; humor is an important component of its practice. For example, the magical servitor that helps you get through traffic is visualized as a cat on a skateboard. There is some tie-in with chaos theory, with he notion that brain activity turns into macroscopic effects in the world (the "butterfly effect," doncha know), but I get the impression that most of the stuff it embraces (fractals, quantum theory, etc.) is more important for its metaphorical impact than for any purported theoretical grounding.

Condensed Chaos opens by describing magic as being about change, not merely the "Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will" Crowley spoke of, but a more refined version, describing it more in terms of liberation, saying "Through magic we may come to explore the possibilities of freedom" (pg. 11). Then moves into a brief history of chaos magick, from A. O. Spare to Crowley to Carroll to Eris and Discordianism, laying the groundwork for chaos magick as we've come to know it and how it got that way.

Six "Core Principles of Chaos Magic" are outlined, the first being "Avoidance of Dogmatism'" while somewhat ironic in a list of "core principles" is a common ideal, and indeed few chaotes would contest these points. The fourth principle especially, "Diverse Approaches", is another reoccurring theme in chaos magick. As Hine sagely notes: "If you use only one magical model, sooner or later the Universe will present you with something that won't fit your parameters." (pg. 25) Though he also recognizes that "Chaos Magick not about discarding all rules and restraints, but the process of discovering the most effective guidelines and disciplines which enable you to effect change in the world." (pg. 26)

While liberation and freedom are possible, it does not come without possible consequence, as described in the section on dangers and pitfalls. Hine covers many of the possible hazards of magickal practice, detailing what to look out for and what to avoid, adequately preparing the would-be practitioner as much as possible, or at the very least, letting hir know what might be expected, and how to recognize signs of idiocy. Sensibly, he does this before getting into discussion of techniques, and even advises taking breaks as needed.

Hine uses numerous cute acronyms, such as 'C.H.A.O.S.', 'D.R.A.T.', 'S.P.L.I.F.F.', 'A. P.I.E.', etc. to abbreviate formulae and concepts, effectively making them easy to remember.

Instructions are given for servitor creation, programming, launching via various methods as well as practical examples for servitors successfully launched in various workshops and lectures. It contains relatively few straight rituals, mostly suggestions and comments, taking information approach rather than an instruction manual which force feeds information. Hine stresses flexibility without seeming wishy-washy, or being overly ridged, effectively maintaining that fine balance between the two extremes.

One thing that did annoy me was the over-emphasis given on how one appears to others. Adapting yourself to suit others to give in to what they want to see in the hopes that they will perceive greatness in you, while the method may work, why anyone would want to do such a thing in the first place? Pleasing the outside world to please yourself doesn't sit well with me, perhaps it's the years of reading Objectivist literature or hanging out with Satanists, but it did made something in me twinge. Fortunately, it's not a dominating feature in the book, and does stress self-evaluation and trying to maintain an honest view of oneself.

This is definitely a 'should-have' introductory text covering a wide variety of topics from the practical aspects of magick: dream recall, sigil, servitors, etc., to the more esoteric theories and suggestions as to why things work the way they do - and why not. An excellent introduction to chaos magick, and magick in general.

I'm sorry to say, I expected much more from this book.

As another reviewer already mentioned, Condensed Chaos is actually a re-print of a previous, and in my opinion, far better work by the same author called, "Oven-Ready Chaos." I guess by "condensed" he meant to say, additional comments inserted and added on to a pre-existing work.

The confusing aspect comes from the differences in demeanor the author displays in combining the two works. In Oven-Ready Chaos, his writing style is cohesive, comical, and entertaining. Light-heartedly poking fun at "established" forms of magical practice and dogma. In short, it's a great read.

In Condensed Chaos, the book is jovial one moment, and harshly critical the next. It starts out with a wonderful introduction to Chaos Magic and how "Nothing is true. Everything is Permitted." And suddenly changes tone, for instance, when dictating how to create and launch a servitor in very specific, "this is how it's done," terms.

Still, there are aspects I really enjoy in this book. The summoning of GOFLOWOLFOG, the spirit of smooth travel and overcoming traffic jams is a hilarious and useful example of Chaos Magic in practical application. Unfortunately, this is the exception and not the rule when it comes to Condensed Chaos.

Most of it seems to be spent on a method of addressing personal behavioral or emotional problems by labelling them as "demons," and then dealing with them in a variety of ways, as seperate entities within the whole of one's psyche.

I'm sure some people would find this approach helpful. However, when the author sites as one example, a situation in which he exorcises a personal anger demon associated with a fellow co-worker, by calmly, directly, and quite seriously threatening them with bodily harm, I can't help but wonder what happened to that jovial fellow who first wrote Oven-Ready Chaos.

And while he seems to take great pleasure in bashing "New Age" philosophy, which is fine by me, it seems as if he might actually gain some benefit from attending some fluffy little class on communing with dolphins or whatever. After all, as the author repeatedly states, any Chaos Magician worth his salt should be able to adopt and find value in any point of view. Seems to me he could use a little quality time with his Inner Unicorn...

I am very impressed with this book. For many years, I had a negative view of "Chaos Magick" and "Chaos Magickians," due to the socially inept freaks I had met that promoted it. However, various stable-minded, rational, intelligent people (who can keep a job and function in society) recently recommended that I look-into "Chaos Magick"--esp., this book by Phil Hine--so, I conceded.

Now that I have finally investigated this branch of Magickal studies, I am wondering if it should be called "Common Sense Magick." This is great material, very studiously researched, with references to Psychology, Anthropology and over-all Mental Stability, Self Growth, and Accomplishment in LIFE as well as within Initiatory Circles. Personally, this magickal system fits-in with my perspective of, "Oh, yeah? You are a Great Magickian or Initiatory Mucky-Muck.... Kudos. Can you keep a job and pay your bills ?"

I expect this book to scare-away a lot of Freeloaders and pretentious folks. However, for those individuals interested in taking responsibility for their actions and developing as a person, Magickian AND establishing themselves in the Working World, as well as in the Metaphysical world, this book is a great choice.

Especially interesting is the fact that this book describes using Computer Programming techniques in Magickal pursuits. This is a very Current work, applicable to the Cyber Age, with new concepts, theories, and exciting possibilities.

This book contains an explination of and directions for working with a very interesting Entity, called "Goflowolfog"--a cool cat on a skateboard, who helps with traffic issues. When I first learned of this Entity, I had to purchase the book! this is Magick that uses Common Sense, Humor and techniques I have not encountered in other works. Often, Old School magickal texts can be quite boring, but this is up-to-date information that will intrigue and inspire the reader.

The world of magic can appear esoteric, complicated and highly formalized. Many are intimidated by the imagined sense of orthodoxy - not to mention the high number of practitioners who seem to take themselves so seriously.

This book happily throws "authority" and dogma out the window. While integrating methodology and experience into its message, it explores the routes of chaos magic that fall more into the dimenions of a practice such as Zen, as opposed to the practice of any church or organization. Personal choice is key. Individualized approaches are acceptable. One comes away laughing at dogma junkies!

Bravo Mr. Hine for creating this down-to-earth, yet inspiring overview that demonstrates so eloquently the various paths of chaos magic. The reader is treated to a delightful explanation of the powers of concentration, attention and imagination.

Mr. Hine divides the book into diverse sections which explain everything from finding the humor in magic to drawing correlations between quantum mechanics and the way that chaos manifests in hundreds of other universal aspects.

I was recovering from surgery when re-reading this wonderful book and found solace and comfort in its wisdom. Along with the array of medicine, beverages and "doctor-recommended" remedies, this book serves as nourishment for the spirit. I gleaned inspiration from its pages that actually fostered healing and revivified my mind while my entire system healed.

One can derive much confidence and pleasure from sinking the mind into a work that so deftly merges science with spirituality.

Phil Hine accomplishes many things in this timeless classic.

This book has great introductory information laid out in a format that is clear and easy to understand. It presents information on the theories behind Chaos Magic, good resources to followup on, and interesting information on different forms that magic can take. The information is clear, well laid out, and well written so that it is an easy read.

That being said...
At the beginning of the book it almost sounds like Hine is preaching rather than informing. There is also a lack of an index in the book, making it a poor referance despite being an excellent straight through read and guide.

All in all I recommend this book highly despite its (few and far between) flaws.

This book has a lot of good information to get you started using Chaos magick. If you've done magickal work before and are the sort of person who clings to rules and magick as an exact science, this book will rattle a few cages. But, take what you want, use it, and see what happens.

Techniques are thoroughly explained. Theory is touched on but, as well as I remember, not too deeply.

A good book to use to expand your magickal world. To me, not as good as those by Jan Fries and the one by Jaq D. Hawkins, but good none the less

This book contains all you need to know about chaos magic as a neophyte. Phil Hine is able to deliver thoughts and ideas about chaos magic in a clear and coincise manner avoiding made up obscure words that only the "elite" should know.

For the more advanced magicians that have touched chaos and have not lost their sanity this book works as a great revision of the basics as well as a different approach on certain techniques that individuals tend to personalize.

Having praised the book what has to be mentioned is the slight dogmatism that exists within it. The idea of chaos magic is pretty simple, do what works for you, it works because you believe it works. Phil Hine at times tends to state his personal opinions and experiences as universal truths about chaos magic. However within the book it is mentioned "nothing is true, everything is permitted" which also applies to the book itself and my reviw. Read this book and use what works for you. Assume nothing.

The problems with Phil Hine's book, just as the problems that dog the whole Chaos movement, are simply that the central ideas which form this kind of thinking fail to hold-up when analysed in any depth. Although they seem to offer snappy, intelligent and bang-up-to-the-minute answers for all of those niggling and ancient universal questions, they fall flat in practice. Here's why.

For a kick-off, the idea that "all truths are subjective and relative" - which is central to chaos magick and much neo-paganism - does not work. To say that all truths are subjective and relative is actually to create a truth that is not and cannot be subjective and relative as a result. The very idea that ALL truths are subjective and relative prohibits the ability to state that ALL truths are subjective and relative, so by it's own assertion it cannot make that assertion. It just fizzles away in a hailstorm of acidic and disingenuous logic.

The second problem is simply one of deep structure or underlying structure - something that chaos magicians like to imagine does not and cannot exist. Well, it does. The universe is not, contrary to chaos magick theory (or CMT), just a swirling mass of arbitrary randomness. It's actually quite the opposite. Every structure in the universe is produced in a strict sequence of appearance, inclusion and transcendence. Think of it this way - atoms form a part of molecules which form a part of cells which form a part of organs which form a part of organ systems which form a part of organisms. However, the same cannot be said to be true in reverse (organs do not contain organ systems and atoms don't contain molecules). Therefore, and holding equally true for anything, the universe produces structures that are whole in themselves while also being parts of other wholes, which have a basis of inclusion and transcendence (in one direction, towards higher states of complexity) no matter what perspective you might choose to take! As that is clearly the case, the universe is anything but random. It is actually joined together in a cohesive, continuous pattern by progressive, structural orders at different levels of complexity, and CMT cannot escape that (thanks are due to Ken Wilber for pointing this out).

What Phil Hine and his fellow chaos magicians have simply done is to focus on the interior of one structure and note that within that structure there are a number of different positions, perspectives and points of view which may be adopted or reached at the same time (which is the whole of CMT's AWESOME discovery - simple, multiple perspectives). However, the actual position of the structure which contains those perspectives isn't affected by them - not in relation to the other structures which form and encompass it. Unless there is a transition to either more or less inclusiveness within a level of structural complexity (growth or collapse) then nothing very much changes. Yet, even if there is a transition of that kind, then the levels of complexity themselves do not change, the structure just changes its place within them, and this leads to a very interesting question that the chaos theorists either avoid or don't seem to have understood: What is that structure, where does it fit into the whole and how does that relationship inform the multiple perspectives we find ourselves living with?

Phil Hine's answer to that question is nothing more than a restatement of the old 'blind men and the elephant' metaphor, with the added twist of just giving up and ignoring that the elephant was ever there to begin with. His thinking ambles to the conclusion that as one blind man touches the leg of the elephant and says "the elephant is like a tree", and the other examines its tail and says "no, it is like a snake", then the elephant itself becomes an arbitrary structure, which is obviously wrong. The perspectives are arbitrary, true enough, but the elephant remains a unified whole regardless of that. Confusing the two is like saying that the 'taste' is in the butter when you bite down on a sandwich, rather than in your tongue and your synapses when they react to it.

It should be stressed, however, that none of these criticisms in any way state that chaos magick doesn't 'work'. They simply note that CMT is limited and limiting (ironically so for a movement which preaches liberty) to a process of finding triggers which produce effects and nothing more. As the bigger picture is lost in favour of seeing only varying perspectives within one part of the frame, then any practice that may venture across the whole or greater part of the frame can only be related in those impoverished terms. Metaphysical, spiritual and philosophical explorations must be 'reduced to fit' the mechanical test that Phil Hine proposes, and that is exactly what you get - a bland and unimaginative 'workplace' which is dumb to describe anything beyond itself..

What, then, is the value of Hine's work to the ongoing history of magick? To be honest I have say that in my view (from where I'm standing in the frame, having a damn good look at the whole) then it is very little. Just like Peter Carroll, Jan Fries, Nema, Robert Anton Wilson - the list goes on - Phil Hine is too busy throwing a fit of post-modern histrionics to notice that something is missing. However, nature abhors a vacuum so it won't be long before this kind of childishness is replaced with something better. Maybe then, and possibly only then, will a new school of genuinely innovative and evolutionary thinkers propose the next step for magick and take it forward to the heights it is capable of. Until then, it goes without saying, you are warmly invited to waste your time with Hine, because at least that would be truly chaotic, if that's what you're desperately in the mood for!

This is a great book! Plain and simple. :) It is full of great insights and reflects the varied background of the author. No bogus authoritarian decrees about how things must be done here. The whole point is that magic only works if the practice of it stirs something within you, and that is a very personal thing. No one else's system will produce the sort of results you can achieve if you develop something of your own. In particular, the chapter on Ego magic is fantastic. Here you will find all sorts of suggestions for dumping baggage and becoming less hindered by ego identification. I guess one of the best things I can say is this is one of the few magic books that I have bothered to read TWICE. :) Get it. You won't be sorry.