Customer Reviews

Kabbalistic Handbook for the Practicing Magician

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was very happy to see an actual student of this author put up a review. It was about time! So many opinions by so many others, all with their own experiences (and this is good!) but none who knows him personally and who has worked under his guidance. I also couldn't agree more with that reviewer, Mr. Itle, and his statements. I bought all of the authors (so far) three books, used them, and have gotten the results I was after. They just work. I can also see why some reviewers are so disgruntled with these books, because they simply tear up the mass of useless New Age faddism that doesn't work a hoot. Now I see the author has a web site so I went to it and found there is a FREE KABBALISTIC CALCULATOR there that I use daily for working his Kabbalistic Cycles book. It also has a "Magical Thoughts for the Week Column" which helped me understand his ceremonial magic book better than I did. But this present book, the Kabbalistic Handbook, has turned Darkness into Light for me. There were so many questions I had concerning "working the Tree" as it is called. So many books out there with so many "opinions." But from this handbook, I found out exactly how to access the Sephira through the Tarot, use their energy, do meditation that WORKS, and use his "Kabbalistic Analysis" to figure out and power magical rituals, that I feel I now have a good grounding in the principles that makes Magic work.

There are actually six of us who are studying and working together, all of us buying his books and studying them separately and then getting together once a week and discussing them (along with other books). It's always the same. The discussions and report of results received bring these meetings always back full circle back to his books. Our small group has made more progress in spiritual growth and worldly gains in the past year or so since his books started coming out than we did in the previous three years, limping along, struggling, trying to figure out "what to do next" because of some fad book that we "thought" would work. They didn't work though, just like the dozens of others before them that we tried that also didn't work.

Do I recommend his books? Absolutely! If you even look at the price of them, they're dirt cheap compared to so many others out there that do nothing but cause frustration, loss of time, and bring up doubt if Magic works at all. Well, it does work, but you have to have the RIGHT books to work from. I can tell you, that Dr. Lisiewski's books are among those very few that actually do work. It's about time this type of material came out. My compliments to the author and publisher. Oh. His website is 8thmatrixpress. But since Amazon forbids giving "URL" all I can say is type that in your browser field, add the www to the front of it and a com to the end and it will take you there.

If you want to get where you want to go in your worldly life by using Magic, then these books are definitely the way to go. All those here (and on some of the other reviews for his other books) with their armchair objections, suspicions, and doubt because his books cut up the New Age to pieces, should just continue to do as they are doing. Fail, and then blame it on some other explanation their glorious New Age is so full of. Speaking for me and my group, we couldn't be happier!

First off, I call this book the "Glue" of the Golden Dawn because the unique idea given in it, that of a "Kabbalistic Analysis" actually does make the Magic of the Golden Dawn work the way I think it was intended to work. The reason being is that it explains why each color, imaging, vibration and intonation, and movement is done. It describes the "science" (the how and why) behind each ritualistic action. Since I now understand the "science" my ritual results have improved beyond belief now that I am applying this Kabbalistic Analysis. Add to that the coordinated 4 book approach to working Western Magic and as I see it, you have all you need to do whatever you want.

The Path Working and Sephiroth explorations sections as well gave me more than I expected. I thought I'd get the type of visions I got from scrying and travelling in the Tattwas. I got them for sure, but they were secondary (I never trust all those visions that could come from anywhere in one's mind because of mind tricks from the ego or unconscious problems.) But more than that, I got such bursts of energy and a strange kind of energized ritual force that I could consciously direct into my Magic, it was astounding. Dr. Lisiewski explains how to direct this energy by using a desired path from the tree of life (the human soul). My favorite path connects sephiroth Hod with Yesod. There is more to this book that meets the eye at a first glance.

Which brings me to another point. Some reviewers here complain that the book is 'tough' to read and understand at first, and that it requires several reads. I didn't find it that way (a couple actually hated it, but from reading their ignorant comments, they exposed their own stupidity). What do they want anyway? A Kabbalistic Analysis book for dummies? Well, Kabbalistic Analysis is not performed by dummies. When I started to read it I did what I do what all new books: I STUDY THEM SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, AND THINK THROUGH WHAT I'M READING! It looks like a lot of people don't like to do that however. They like to read some New Age book quickly and call then themselves "experts". My advice for the serious Magician? READ IT CAREFULLY, AND WORK IT AS IT IS GIVEN! You'll be happy you did! If I could give this book 10 stars, I would!

I read Mr. Mark Stavish's review here because I had correspondence with him. I have to agree with that review of his as well. This is the first book every aspiring magician should study FIRST, even though it is a rough read. It should not, in my opinion, be read in between or last in his magical career. There is a great deal of detail in here as I pointed out, and it makes for difficult reading sometimes. But if the magician trains himself to just STOP at that point and CONTEMPLATE the possible extended implications of those compressed lines of thought, he will be surprised at where they lead him. To say that the idea of a "Kabbalistic Analysis" of all rituals is vital before performing them is to say the least. Yet no where have I not only seen this not written down before, but I have not seen an extensive and exhaustive example given of just how to do it. But this book gives all of this and does is very well. When I applied this book's reasoning to my own daily magical ritual practice I was really surprised to see the difference. Most of all I was surprised to see the very real physical events occur in the room of practice even from something so simple as the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and which was just as the book described. But then this occurred only AFTER I did a complete analysis of it as the book suggested.

I have also had excellent success with using the "backdoor" approach of the Paths to gain access to the Sephirah. Unlike skrying in spirit vision or the like I found an availability of true power once I entered into a Sephiroth under study, and was able to apply that power to my ritual work and daily life. Truly amazing. The book's means of using Saint Ignatius's logic and techniques of meditation is also a genuine key I have not seen before.

All in all there is so much in this book that can be applied to all ritual practice and living life for that matter, that I am glad I took Mr. Stavish's advice and bought it. In fact, I am buying a few more just to have and maybe give a copy or two away to others who might need them. This is a very worthwhile book and I endorse it completely.

Before Dr. Lisiewski's books came out, especially his books on the Kabbalistic Cycles and his most recent work on the Kabbalistic Handbook, I was lost magically and had difficulty achieving my goals in life. I was living paycheck to paycheck at best and I was struggling with the Golden Dawn books. One Golden Dawn book would say do a ritual this way and another would say do a ritual that way. I could never figure out which one was correct and I either received negative or partial results.

Yet I always believed in my abilities to make a good living in the world and I knew that if I could just properly harness the magical energy that they talked about in the golden dawn that I could live the life I want despite how bad things are now.

The Kabbalistic Cycles book really helped me get off the ground by being able to know what would work and what would not simply by following the hours of the day and night. I recently found his web site and I am glad that I did because he has a free online program to calculate the hours of the day and night. I always had a hard time with basic arithmetic since I started elementary school so this really helped me.

In the Kabbalistic Cycles book I learned more Kabbalah, which helped me achieve better results with my magic, but I still felt that I could still get better results from my magical work. When the Handbook came out, it became a life saver for me. The handbook explained how to analyze each magical ritual using the kabbalah and to make certain that it is kabbalistically correct. When I started applying the Kabbalistic Analysis as he calls it to my magical rituals both the magical results and results in my daily life that I achieved really took off. I went from being one step away
from the street to being extremely financially secure in no time.

I then saw from the Kabbalistic Handbook that I could still take my magic and material results up one more level. In the Kabbalistic Handbook, the author discusses the topic of path working magic. What path working magic allows one to do is to direct the magical energy that one generates from a magical ritual or even a meditation to one of the Tarot Cards (the Tarot card deck from A.E. Waite). The tarot cards represent the paths on the tree of life. The path I like the most is the "sun" which connects sephiroths Hod and Yesod and stands for happiness and contentment. The end effect that one achieves will have the sensible attributes of the chosen card, which in this case is happiness and contentment. The results that I received allows me to never have to worry about being poor ever again.

In review, the Kabbalistic Cycles book allowed me to see great improvements in my daily life and magical results immediately and is a big help. When coupled with the Kabbalistic Handbook, which allows one to better perform a magical ritual and to direct that energy via path working magic, it allows one to reach new heights with their life very quickly. These two books allowed me to get out of life's cellar permanently. Thank goodness. The stress of being broke everyday was overwhelming.

Others here have pointed out many things regarding this book, so I don't have to rehash them. But I did want to say I gained a great deal of very necessary help in my own magickal work because of it. From new views of Kabbalah to working with the Paths and the Sephira, to new views on meditation based on St. Ignatius's work. This book is a must in every serious Magician's library. I consult it often and am working from it at the same time. I compliment the writer for having written such a genuinely helpful book.

Aside from the Kabbalistic Analysis (which I do not really use because I specialize in the Tarot) I found this book to be a real eye opener in the Tarot attributions, Path correspondences, and just in the way the author writes. Together, I got a deeper sense of my own field and its importance because of this book. His meditation techniques for the Paths and the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life were truly splendid, which gave me another more mystical use for my beloved Tarot practice. All in all this is an exceptional book. I imagine that anyone who practices the magical arts will get even more from it than I did. It has a curious effect on the mind because of the way the author writes. It's almost hypnotizing but in a very positive way. Thoughts continue to flood my mind each time I read it, connecting bits and pieces of information I knew but could not link together before.

Don't be fooled by some negative types in these reviews. They obviously complain because they are either too lazy to think things through or are so ignorant of their own field they try to show just how much they know, but end up showing how much they really don't know, and then try to "validate" themselves by being rude and obnoxious. Anyone interested in the Tarot, Meditation, or Magic, should study this book from cover to cover. (I bought four copies just to have, because books go out of print so fast these days and then your left trying to find a used copy. It was well worth it.)

It's almost impossible when reading one of Dr. Lisiewski's books not to drift off into some fantasy land of the mind where anything and everything is possible. The way he speaks of magic can only be through years and years of personal practice, and there is much appeal in that. However, not once does he let you forget that while great things may be achieved through magic, it will only be through great effort. And this is the main point that speaks directly to my heart. He is extremely honest, and extremely passionate.

As for this particular book, there is a TON of information inside it... At the root of almost every "system" of magic being practiced today there is a foundation, and this foundation is the key to successful understanding and practice of these "systems." That's where this book comes in. It also contains a lot of other useful goodies. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to achieve the magical results they've never thought were "really real."

On a first read a "Kabbalistic Handbook for the Practicing Magician" is more than a little dense and can be difficult for the average student. However Lisiewski takes THE most critical topic in practical magic - how we train and relate to our subconscious - and shows the reader how it is to be done if we want to experience success in our magical operations with regularity, predictability, and confidence. In doing this, he slays, or at least wounds, several sacred cows of modern magic, and reminds the reader that magic is an art as well as a science, and if you are not getting the results you want then you need to change what you are doing. Lisiewski holds a Ph.D. in Physics and has studied alchemy with Frater Albertus and magic with Israel Regardie giving him a perspective that is unique among a selection of authors who are either self-taught and/or are not trained as rigorously as hard sciences (or magic and alchemy)require. Unfortunately Lisiewski's writing style does not help the matter with an over zealous need to hammer home some points at the expense of others. This is something that should have been caught by the publisher. However, despite this, as the author points out, the book is a handbook and not a novel. It is meant to be read, re-read, and re-read again, and its principles applied daily. Maybe Lisiewski should have opened his book with the first words of Paracelsus' Credo, "Do not fear me for I am different". Different it is, and you will be glad you read and applied the teachings this little handbook contains.

This handbook has straightened out a number of difficulties I was having for years with Golden Dawn rituals and their underlying techniques and theory. In addition, it filled in some holes I had in my "Kabbalistic" knowledge. Yes, I studied Fortune, Gray, Regardie, Waite, and a number of others, but still, there were areas of this knowledge that left me feeling "incomplete." And this lack did show up in my ritual performances. After studying and applying what this book gives, I am now experiencing more magical success than I have at any other time in my years of working magic.

My opinion? Get this book, use it, and see the difference in makes in your magical life!

I agree with the other reviewer here. This book gives us the best of both possible worlds to work from, since this latest book by this author explains HOW to work New System Magic CORRECTLY (which he INSISTS, is DIFFERENT from New Age Magick). And by correctly, I mean so that we get the results we're after and in a reasonable period of time through the working of what he calls "path working magic". I too bought this book directly from the publisher a few weeks ago and have applied the techniques it gives to my daily magical work. It REALLY DOES work! Not only that, but I have had "phenomena" as he calls it in my small temporary Temple where I practice my Magick such as I have never seen before. It is amazing!

Yes, it is a lot of work (this guy seems hell bent on working the magician into the ground). It makes you become EXTREMELY aware of what your doing in each and every ritual every day no matter how many times you have done it in the past. The author will drive you out of your mind with his nit-picking attitudes and instructions. But do you want to know something else? Will you get the effects your after? The answer to that is a an even better and LOUDER "YES!"

I also like the way he works several books together, thereby FORCING you to learn so deeply (Qabalah especially) that I can see where this "state of subjective synthesis" thing of his just may be real after all and that it is through this subconscious state that the Qabalistic forces flow into our ritual work, giving us the tangible and intangible results we are after. In my opinion NO ONE who considers himself or herself a Magician can afford to be without this book, and to work it as he gives (at least at first).

Sure, make changes that suit you as you go along. But NOT until you master what he gives first. That is true for any endeavor. You can't change or adapt anything until you try the original, and get it down pat first. As I said, this book is a MUST.