Customer Reviews

High Magic's Aid

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a book that should be in all Wiccans libraries! The magickal operations are correct and the 'wiccan' operations are also correct(ish) But apart from that, it is a warm, sometimes humorous, sometimes horrifiying story of two brothers fight to reclaim land that once was theirs, with the help of a magician and a witch. It gives alot of good background information on what the craft might have been like way back when...

If you want a guide to Wicca, look elsewhere (Janet and Stewart Farrar, Starhawk, Doreen Valiente, to name a few). Although this was Gerald Gardner's first book on the Craft (published under the pen name Scire), most ritual presented within is ceremonial magic. At this time, much of modern Wicca had not yet been developed (The Charge of the Goddess had not yet taken its current form). Gleaning useful information from this text is a great deal of work--far more complete distillations may be found in the works of the authors named above.

Scire was not a great novelist, either. His prose is OK and his story development is adequate. But this isn't a real page turner. If you want to read occult fiction from this time period, *anything* Dion Fortune wrote is better written than this novel. Contemporary novels, such as Katherine Kurtz' Adept series & Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde tales seem much more palatable for anybody who just wants to entertain themselves with "Witch Novels."

I am, however, deeply grateful for having taken the time and effort to read this book. It is a piece of History. Without Gerald B. Gardner and his antics, it is unlikely that the Craft would be available to the general public today. This book was the prodrome to the popular revival of the Craft. To read it is to partake of History. Because of this--not for its instructional merits, nor for its entertainment value--I give it five stars.

It's entertaining as a semi-fiction novel, but just the feel of authenticity and the sheer need for knowledge by most, including novices makes this an absoulte MUST HAVE. Those of us compleatly lost and looking for a basis of real ritual answers (and generally finding: You need to know the right people or read and guess what's authentic) is a hopefull hint towards a good ceremorial magical start. Check "The Rebirth Of Witchcraft" by Doreen Valiente (A former high priestess of Gerald's) as a historical reference to this and more of his works.

I thought this book was OK.I'm not a literay snob,yet this book was lacking.It was kind of fluffy,for young teens.Maybe serious literature was not Gerald Gardner's forte.Yet,he may have been a part of the literati kailyard school anyway.He may have been trying to encourage young readers to explore an enchanting tale,similar to the later J.K.Rowlings' bewitching success .I think Gardner was an amazing occultist, who just dabbled in arthurian literary pursuits and tastes.He may have written this on a lark,to explore a new avenue of creative expression.It's still worth reading.Especially,for the docent Gardnerians around ,who want to pass on his genuine wiccan beliefs and revivalist occult traditions. Then give this witchy narrative adventure a try.

High magic's aid was Gardner's first book on witchcraft, and was written when witchcraft was still illegal in England. As a conscequence there was a limit to how much information he could give. Most of the rituals described in the book are ceremonial magic, in fact there are only two witchcraft rites: The first and second degree initiations. Some information is also given on the religion, but not very revealing. High magic's aid is no great litterary work, but for one interested in the origins of modern witchcraft, this is a very interesting work, as it depicts Gardner's thinking at the time.

Since I read the brilliant and inspired fiction of Aleister Crowley at college years ago I have been devoted to witchcraft as a philosophy and way of life. I really like occult literature; I collect occult grimoires, do spells, have an altar and I also really like occult fiction. This book is by the founder of witchcraft the religion as we know it today, Gerald Gardner. Though previously I had dismissed wicca as a ripoff of Aleister Crowley to the point where Gardner founded it; he was one of Crowley's last henchmen. But now I look at witchcraft as standing on its own without the more disturbing and darker aspects of Crowley. This novel takes place in the middle ages, which may be the first known origins of witchcraft as we know it today. Gardner was an intelligent man and he was a nice writing style. But if you can get past the fact that modern witchcraft is Aleister Crowley repackaged, you might find this enjoyable. Even though people are getting more aware of Gardner and recognising him as the founder of witchcraft as we know it today, his books remain relatively obscure, hard to find, and a bit pricey, but if you do manage to get hold of one of Gardner's books they are worth reading for historical importance and rarer versions are collector's items. Godolphin House, the publisher of the reprint version of this same book listed here, houses the school of Wicca. Like I said hard to find, but even though they don't have copies readily available here and in most bookstores you can still find new, unused copies of this and A Goddess Arrives from the publisher and some online occult specialty stores. I like this book for the story, the proper use of the English language and its historical importance. Though today there are still a lot of good newer neo pagan authors and aging but well respected modern icons like Ray Buckland. If you can find this book at a price you can afford it is worth getting.

I'd be only too happy to review the book, if only it had arrived! Things would be so much easier!