Customer Reviews

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick)

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have basically lived this book for about the last three years.I have taken my time in going through it and studying it and practicing the material thoroughly, both for practice and practical use.I have almost finished it now, as I only have two more chapters to work through.
I am not, however, saying the work is perfect.The main thing that attracted me to this book was its higher degree of usability.I had a pretty good background in magick (of the pagan style, mostly) long before I picked up this book.I knew of the western (hermetic) tradition but I had never found it easy to put the material into practical use. In too many high magick books, they just throw the information at you with no explanation at all of how to use it.This book actually explains it to a much greater degree.For me, it was the missing piece of the puzzle that opened up high magick for me.
The results have been astounding.Suffice it to say that I have done things with the knowledge in this book that scientists (and other people who lack common sense) would deem absolutely impossible.I have not studied this book alone,but in conjunction with the works of Agrippa,Crowley,Regardie, and others.I have NEVER blindly followed the author's view on anything.And I must say, he never encourages anyone to treat his writing as gospel truth.At times, I have altered the practices (in small ways, mostly)
to fit with my own style of magick.
To the beginner in Magick, this book is a godsend.But don't treat it like a bible, and always get more than one opinion when trying to research the occult.Magick is not an exact science but an intuitive art,so don't trust just one author. i have found things in the book that did not make sense to me:for instance, in the elemental consecration rituals, the names that are used to charge the tool are NOT the same names that are actually written on the tool! they are all mixed up.
the holy name for fire is abbreviated and used to charge the air dagger.the holy name for air is shortened from SHADDAI EL CHAI to just EL, and is supposedly used to charge the fire wand.and it is so on from there.The right names are there, but they seem misplaced.For myself, I chose to set them right, as I see no benefit at all in charging an elemental tool with a name that corresponds to a different element entirely.I would recommend this to anyone.
here is a reading list to help you negotiate Kraig's book and cross-reference it with other(sometimes more reliable) matieral:
"3 books of occult philosophy" by henry cornelius agrippa
"777" or any other book by Crowley
"A garden of pomegranates" by Israel Regardie
"the golden dawn" by Israel Regardie
"the mystical qabalah" by Dion Fortune
"the chaldean oracles" attributed to Zoroaster

After all those years of wondering about magick and trying to find a book which really teaches you the REAL secrets of magick, this book wins the ultimate MUST HAVE. Very good for those who are starters in Magick. This book lets you understand and learn the Whats, the Hows, and the Whens of Magick. You will be able to understand other books on the Occult once you have finished reading this book. Most of the beginners would like to jump to COOL Magick like Goetia - then upon reading it and trying to summon things - nothing happens - then you start wondering if you have to read between the lines, well, in a way yes. So, before jumping to those more advance versions of Magick, this book will be your guide to understand what Magick is and how to use other Magickal or Occult books.
I know many who likes to skip chapters just to learn what one wants to learn. If you are serious in Magick, take your time to go from the beginning. You need to build up sufficient knowledge of how to let Magick happen. As for experienced Magicians, I would say that this is a good reference.
This book is mainly based on Kabbalistic Magick and a few Low Magick (nature magick). Too bad there isn't much on Enochian. I've been followin the lessons in the book and I can say that: its not complicated and Magick WORKS (this statement are for those who are sceptics)!!
All in all this book provides you with good history in Magick though not in detail but still not too boring. For those serious in this, I would also recommend the audio tape to pronounce the difficult words there are in the book.

MODERN MAGICK
by Donald Michael Kraig

There is a problem with the first edition of this book. In lesson 7 the olympic/planetary seals are totally messed up. Meaning he assinged Hagith (venus to the the seal of Phalec (mars) and so on and so forth. Now to the experienced magician they could spot this right away, but the beginner will have absolutly no clue that there is a mistake here. Now it does not matter if this is the authers fault or the editor's fault there is a mistake. Otherwise the book is very, very good but not excellent. I give the first edition four stars. Plus the talismans are ok I like the way he describes a way on how to make talismas and amulets in a pagan way.It has pretty good info on the subject of amulets and talismans. If you are interested in making talismans get Making Talismans by Nick Farrell. This may be the only book you may need for powerful and postive magick using talismans and amulets.
The second edition is much better where the mistake is corrected. But the auther from what I read did not mention there was a mistake in the first edition. Now on to the more postive review. The book is excellent for those who are interested in Ceremonial Magick. It deals with the magick of the Golden Dawn tradition. The chapters are divided in lessons. There are a total amount of 11 lessons. There is information of the Qabalah and the Tree of Life. He gives many rituals throughout this book, including the ritual of the pentagram, the hexagram ritual, the rose cross ritual and much more. The Watchtower ritual he gives is a more simplified version although very effective. You will find a lesson on sex magick here as well (you may not want to have your youngster read read chapter 10). In lesson 9 you will learn a bit on the Goetia. Also you will learn how to make some of the tools used in CM. Although he does give a brief history on wi! tchcraft and the oppersion of it throughout time this book does not have anything to do with Wicca at all. You will learn about talismans and amulets and how to create your own. You will learn so many thing from this book. This is suitable for the beginner who knows nothing about magick and is suitable for those who know about magick and has a lot of experience and wants to get into Ceremonial Magick. This book also makes a wonderful reference as well. Also I would like to mention that the second edition has a section on the frequently asked question on magick as well. Also at the end of each lesson this is refering to the first and second editions there are questions at the end of each chapeter about each lessons. I find this book to be valuable and intelligently written. This book is a hot seller the first edition has over a 100,000 copies in print! This is a book that I seriously recommed to anyone who is interested in learning CM. Kraig did great work with this! one!
Five stars for the 2nd edition *****

I have been a practicing Pagan for more than 5 years and the information to be found here can benefit anyone of any path no matter how long you have been studying. Just as Scott Cunningham was an excellent author of all sorts of books, so would I recommend Donald Kraig as a master not only of his work but of presentation.

The information found here can benefit you because the contents of it are so easy to understand. Unlike many masters of today and yester-years, Kraig hides nothing and gives accurate information. He admits he doesn't know it all and that he is still learning himself. The only thing he hides is what the student needs to learn for themselves through meditation.

The magick in here is genuine which anyone can see just by working through the first lesson in the book. Almost anyone is familliar with the Lesser Banishing Ritual, and Kraig explains why it works and how it works instead of just giving you the information and letting you go. This author put genuine care for the practitioner into this book.

This is a definite MUST-READ! Anyone of any path that wishes to attain more info about divinity and pathworking can glean alot of information from this book!

Yes, this book may oversimplify a bit, but Crowley and Regardie are hard reads to someone with no Magickal background. This book will get you started with good basic simple info on the main subjects you need to know, and has an excellent bibliography to keep you going. This is the "1st grade primer" for aspiring magicians- if you have any prior knowledge, an unnecessary book, but if looking for a 1st book for your occult library, buy and read before spending money on the "classics" because you probably wont understand them yet anyway. Also, for Pagans and Wiccans, a good view of a slightly different path. In other words, buy this FIRST, then dive into "Magick in Theory and Practice" or "The Golden Dawn", it will make them much easier to grasp. Will also make those cool Grimoires you bought like the Keys of Solomon usable.

DM Kraig's essential masterwork is one of the key texts which has taken magick and again thrust it into the daylight. Magickal orders worldwide, from pagans, to Wiccans to the Golden Dawn, owe the tremendous rise in interest in magick in large part to Kraig's influence through this phenomenal volume. Unlike other texts, most characterized by Crowley's habit of talking around magickal theory, Kraig's text emphasizes the "DOING" in magick, and gets the reader/student performing rituals and making magick from the very first chapter. While heavily influenced and almost wholly based on the Golden Dawn system, Modern Magick also incorporates other systems, with a whole lotta pagan workings and a dash of tantric thrown in, to boot. Kraig was one of the first authors to address the much lamented tendency that ceremonial magicians talk ALOT about magick, but actually DO very little. This book is FUNDAMENTALLY focused on doing, and, while a course for the beginner, takes the student through sufficiently advanced magick to satisfy the depth of knowledge any novice is likely to aspire to. Also, Kraig doesn't spend tons of pages on the theoretical aspects, instead giving a cliff notes overview, then pointing the student to other, more comprehensive texts by authors more erudite on them than Kraig wishes to be so he can get the student back to doing magick! It's still the best course in magick out there, and anyone aspiring to learn magick of any sort should purchase this text and pursue the regimen of study and practice within!

As it is written in the title of my review, this book is the best
book on ceremonial magick on the market. It is primarily written for the practitioner and almost every aspect of magic is covered
in a very comprehensive way. No ambiguity here but all subjects perfectly explained and detailed. Simply the best.
I also want to take this opportunity to recommend some other few books for all the seekers out there:

1) "Initiation into hermetics" by Franz Bardon (without any doubt a very good competitor to Kraig's book). Prodigious!
A summit in Western magical literature.

2) "Western mandalas of transformation" by Soror A.L.. Simply the best book ever written on talismanic magic. I have read many books on talismanic magic including those written by I. Regardie, Migene Gonzalez-Whippler, Sepharial, Budge, Gregor,
and Farrell, but this one is clearly the best. Every aspect of talismans construction is covered in details and in an absolute comprehensive manner. This work will be a tough one to surpass. A pure gem!

3) "Making Talismans: living entities of Power" by Nick Farrell.
Also a MUST in talismanic magic. In fact this book was my all time favorite before I found Soror A.L. book. Like the book above, everything here is clearly covered and unnumerable tools are given for the construction of almost any type of talismans. A very good book indeed!

4) "Tibetan book of living and dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche. Surely
one of the best book I have read in my life. Spirituality at its HIGHEST. If I could give five stars to only one book, (and as a poet and French author, I have read a lot and a lot), then I would highly consider this one. Deep, heartful, compassionate, moving, pure, filled with hope and desinterested love. These are some words that can described this book. WHAT A LESSON FOR US WESTERNERS!! No Hocus Pocus here, no spells performed to attract love or money but a work of REAL love. Please give yourself an incomparable gift and buy this book now. You will thank me (and yourself) for that. God blessed you Mr. S. Rinpoche, cause you try to help peoples find (or rediscover) hope, compassion and love in their hearts.

5) Finally, I will suggest all works by St-John of The Cross or St-Francis of Assisi for (here again) their marvelous works filled with hope, humility and love.

God bless you all!!

A book that should get you started with high magick!!!!!!!!!(GUARANTEED) I've never seen a comprehensive book that clearly and lucidly explains the important rituals of the Golden Dawn. I don't know about you...but I have low self esteem. The main thing that's missing from most of the pagan/occult books out there is the process of urging the reader to actually go out there in the physical world and express every ritual with the heart and soul. Most books gave descriptions of the rituals...but Mr. Kraig explains the importance of performing the ritual consistantly. I have been reading occult books for nearly 4 years but in truth...that was not really practicing magick...it was READING ABOUT magick. If you want to KNOW about magick go to the chat rooms and email lists to talk to people who claim that they practice magick. If you want to READ about magick go and buy those books that will give you junk...cuz they will go on talking about magick. If you want to PRACTICE magick...then get your hands on this book. This book contains A LOT OF INFO!!!! From tarot, qaballah, lower banishing ritual of the pentagram, the banishing ritual of the hexagram, how to make your own tools, consecrating your tools, the watchtower ritual, supreme invoking of the pentagram...the list is endless!!!!!!!!!...this book will teach you how to invoke those angels that you've always wanted (sorry...no demons...you'll have to do that with advance books). I can write so many more things about this book....so I'll just stop now and you'll have to see the book for yourself.

Actually, I think I'd give this book 3.5 stars, but that wasn't really an option. At any rate, this is a very solid book, and a great introduction to the basics of magickal theory and practice for the beginner. (Consider this the Cliffnotes of the Golden Dawn...and go ahead and start here. It'll simply explain some of the more difficult and essential concepts.) I read this book first, and it made possible further, more complex excursions into magickal reading. I would recommend following this with something like the Cicero's Self-Initiation to the Golden Dawn, which is a bit more complete. Granted, DMK isn't teaching GD magick, per se, but it's not a bad idea to read the other, longer, and much more informative tome (he also freely admits, as has been pointed out by other reviewers, that this is NOT a book with a subtitle like "the only magickal text you'll ever need", nor does it hold any pretense to that effect). I would also recommend reading around before attempting to practice the section on evocation, and maybe getting a more complete grimoire.
I strongly disagree with the Thelemite who said that proper initiation can only be gained by initiation from a higher-up. Regardie felt that self-initiation was possible (and this is more a GD text than a Crowley one) and SO did Uncle Al...he specifically rewrote many rituals for the A.'.A.'. to be memorized and performed by initiates for themselves. The claim that proper initiation can only be obtained through a higher-level initiate is primarily insurance for the payment of dues in any order. Is it helpful? Certainly. But it can be done at home.
Finally, I'd also recommend purcashing Franz Bardon's Initiation into Hermetics or, at least, Georg Lomer's Seven Hermetic Letters to be utilized with this or the Cicero's Self-Initiation. The Golden Dawn path is more ritual-oriented, while Franz Bardon uses more meditative techniques and exercises. Together, they are extremely worth-while.

This is one of the most recommended books for beginners in the art of magick. It isn't really about general magick training as much as it is about Golden Dawn magick for beginners. This is why this book has been recommended by many Golden Dawn magicians. Fair enough, except the author manages to insert unethical errors on purpose that he calls blinds. Since this book is geared for beginners, he knows that most likely only 1 in 10 will spot them. Therefore, when you use this book you risk being at the [...] end of a bad trick played on you during your spiritual quest. Here is one glaring and obvious error that should be enough to warn you against using this book blindly: in the ritual for consecrating the water chalice the book states, "Thy holy and divine name El, where, too, Thou art known in this quarter by the secret name MEARAB, I beseech Thee." Mearab is a Hebrew word that means west, nothing more. It isn't a secret name for anything. It is a common word folks like up, down, chair, road, and so on. Kraig knows it because he says in the beginning of the book that he is of Jewish heritage. Do you really want to use a book in which the author is having a laugh at your spiritual expense?

Those interested in the Golden Dawn can't go wrong with Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn by Chic Cicero for a step-by-step training system. Franz Bardon books provide a nice alternative as far as magick is concerned. If you are looking for complete system of Theurgy (Sacred Magick) check out Magic That Works by Nineveh Shadrach. Those interested in more classical European occultism would benefit from Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Agrippa. These books may not be as popular as Modern Magick, but for anyone starting out, they should be on their highly recommended read list.