Prime Chaos: Adventures in Chaos Magic [Paperback]

Phil Hine (Author), Grant Morrison (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Prime Chaos continues the exposition of the fastest-growing school of modern occultism--Chaos Magic. The author presents simple, yet effective techniques for becoming proficient in practical magic, including an exhaustive breakdown of the possibilities offered by ritual magic, sorcery, invocation, possession and evocation. The resurgence of interest in magic has led to a new interest in magical groups, and Phil Hine brings a wealth of experience in groups to an exploration of the advantages --and disadvantages--of working magic with other people. Prime Chaos also explores some of the lighter --and darker --aspects of modern occultism, and presents new ideas for developing magical techniques for the 21st Century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Prime Chaos is the first genuine grimoire of the PandaemonAeon. -- James Martin, Abrasax Magazine

I found much to inspire and amuse me in these pages. Heck, I wish Id written this book! -- Peter J. Carroll, author of Liber Kaos and Psybermagick

Phil Hine is the foremost interpreter of the chaos paradigm. Prime Chaos is a survival manual for the 21st century --Grant Morrison

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: New Falcon Publications (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561841374
• ISBN-13: 978-1561841370
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,156,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3 good books in one, February 11, 2002

By 

L. Snell (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prime Chaos: Adventures in Chaos Magic (Paperback)

I found this a superb introduction to practical magic - the sort of book to lend to interested, doubting or downright skeptical friends. Phil so obviously writes from experience that he wins immediate respect. He maintains that respect by writing intelligently, without posturing and with a light touch of humour.

The book is divided in 4 parts. The first is an outline of chaos magic that could easily stand on its own under the title `Prime Chaos' rather than the given title `Chaos is Everywhere'. This provides a clear summary of principles with practical advice and instructions. Definitely one to lend to intelligent friends who want a grasp of the principles, but it is also a highly practical book for an experienced magician because it encourages open-ended experimentation rather presenting step by step instructions like a dedicated `beginner's guide'.

Part 2 is about ritual. Again this could well stand on its own as the core of a general book on magical ritual. The theortical background, the discussion of elements and equipment, and the examples given would all be useful for the sort of pagan or occultist who would run a mile from the title `chaos magic'.

In part 3 the scope is even wider as it addresses group dynamics. Although there is an attempt to focus on the specific problems of a magical group, I felt that the general advice was so sound and so obviously based on experience that once again it could easily be the basis for a third booklet with advice on running any sort of group.

Part 4 is really an appendix, looking more closely at two contrasting examples of chaos work - Liber Nice is about the hilarious Erisian current and Liber Nasty addresses the Cthulhu mythos. Between them they illustrate the breadth of possibilities in chaos working and the scope for causing offence via both iconoclasm and `evil'.

This book does a good job of directing chaos into mainstream culture, not just because it is so clearly sane and perceptive. Phil says that for him magic is about "learning to experience your world in different ways"; he describes the point where "one ceases to believe in magic as something `separate' to (sic) the rest of one's familiar world. rather the world is becoming magical." To me this is the real place of magic in the 21st century: we live in a shrinking world of limited resources, and the future lies with those who can re-experience and sanctify what is around them rather than rely on new conquests and further exploitation of resources to satisfy the need for growth and novelty. In a similar vein Phil questions the desirability of mastering the skills of dream control, when the great joy of dreams lies in their very unpredictability and wierdness.

In a very important section `The power of discrimination' he challenges those who believe that chaos magic demands a complete lack of judgement or values. "It is the process of moving beyond merely accepting other peoples' models and theories, by doing your own research/magical work." It is this strong grounding in practical work in place of dogma that informs the whole book. "The statement `nothing is true, everything is permitted' can be a slogan of upreme pesimism and cynicism. It can also be a clarion call to life as William S Burroughs put it, as art, play, or make-believe. Aleister Crowley is himself a paradigmatic example of the extremes implied by such a stance." I like what Phil goes on to say about Crowley - some chaoists used to feel the need to define their independence from any tradition by rubbishing the man, but Phil gives him his due. In another section Phil gives sample rituals including a delightful invocation of the spirit of Harpo Marx.

Indeed there is so much in this book that I heartily agree with, that I will go out of my way to question one section. Under ritual magic Phil strongly emphasises the importance of debriefing after a ritual in order to learn from experience and avoid self-delusion. While accepting his logic here, I am also aware that after a ritual I often sense that something has been set in motion that needs to be left to work free from conscious examination - rather like a work of art not needing to be spoilt by untimely analysis, or Austin Spare's advice on forgetting a sigil once charged.

I found the discussion of Cthulhu magic in the last section especially interesting. Both because it challeges stereotyped notions of good and evil but also because it reflects the need to go beyond magic (or science) as control and towards the rediscovery of awe in the face of overwhelming forces. Again we find that clear prose tends to defuse glamour and all that poetic imagery can do is to hint at possibilities of direct experience. Once again we are invited to do magic rather than read about it.

What does that mean for a book on magic? As suggested, this is really 3 books in one - it could be extended and edited slightly to provide first an introduction to chaos magic, secondly a handbook for ritualists and thirdly a general guide for group leaders.

Or else the book's real value might lie not in the text itself but in the author's experience it contains. A future generation of magicians could read Prime Chaos and be inspired by it. They could pass on what they find to benefit others even when the book is long forgotten and all that remains of Phil Hine is a statue cast in solid platinum atop a hundred foot high marble pillar in the middle of Trafalgar Square.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pragmatic Chaos? Absolutely!, February 26, 2000

By 

Aldyth Beltane - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prime Chaos: Adventures in Chaos Magic (Paperback)

Prime Chaos by Phil Hine is one of the most intelligent, pragmatic, and straightforward books on magick that I have read, possibly ever. First, Hine approaches thoughts on magick as one of a very personal perspective, and the importance of the focusing of Will and inspiration, rather than following the dogma of any particular school of magick. He also gives some very useful examples of methods of discovering personal inspiration for correspondences, rituals, etc, rather than saying "Pagans should do this" or "Cabalists should do that" or whatever other by rote teaching most books follow. Make no mistake, this is a very modern approach to magick, unlike many books which profess to be modern, but merely rehash celtic rites, the Golden Dawn, or so forth. The references span ancient mythologies to the more modern icons of comics or rock'n'roll - which is exactly what makes this book appealing to me. Additionally, Chaos magick is one of the only magickal paths that truly trancends gender roles, ignoring completely the old traps of "male" or "female" energy and treating it simply as energy, period. Hine also includes practical advice for things like starting groups, conducting rituals, and steps for building sigils, which chaos magick has popularized. Finally, Hine stresses the importance of not losing touch with the rest of life whilst pursuing magickal knowledge, a consideration I found both charming and realistic. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in magick, especially those looking for alternatives to what is commonly presented as modern magick.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Group Chaos, June 13, 2002

By 

"chaos_unreality" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prime Chaos: Adventures in Chaos Magic (Paperback)

Prime Chaos is the first book I ever read about chaos magic. It serves as a great way to introduce a reader to the ideas and concepts of chaos magic. Despite its relatively small size it contains and highlights all the ideas a chaos mage can play with.

This book is geared towards group work and a large section is dedicated to it. As a lone wolf mage you might not find it satisfying and I would suggest "Condensed Chaos" by the same author, Phil Hine. However if you are interested in learning and experiencing magic as a group Prime Chaos will definately be a very valuable assistant with its approach and ideas.