The Ritual Magic Workbook: A Practical Course of Self-Initiation [Paperback]

Dolores Ashcroft-Norwicki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1998

This is a carefully conceived course of instruction for anyone who wants to practice ceremonial magic, and has been written for students who are not part of a working group. Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki takes the student, month-by-month, through a full year of magical training. She imparts her years of hard-earned experience in the clear, accessible, and often humorous style for which she is internationally known. Each month's work is concluded with practical exercises designed to give the student a sound working knowledge of ritual magic. Among the many topics covered are: Constructing and consecrating a temple Meditation and visualization techniques Working in an elemental temple Exploring the Inner World Pathworking the Tree of Life

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Ritual Magic Workbook is the perfect resource for those who feel compelled to find answers about magic, but don't have a group or tutor to which to turn for instruction. Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki helps you unravel what it means to practice magic. Her firm voice inspires you to look into yourself and judge your own motives. Do you want to practice magic because of the flashy effects in movies, or do you feel a deeper need to explore the mysteries of the occult? The Ritual Magic Workbook is broken into 12 monthly chapters, progressing from personal preparation to laying the foundation for your own temple, and on to the beginnings of simple ritual magic such as divination and healing. Read The Ritual Magic Workbook and you will know if the path of high magic is for you.

Review

The Ritual Magic Workbook offers the reader a structured and highly practical twelve-month introduction to ritual magic. Author Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, a founding member and former Director of Studies for the Servants of the Light (a well known occult school), has been a practicing occultist for more than 30 years. This 1998 Weiser edition is a reissue of a work originally published in 1986 by the Aquarian Press in England. The book's self-paced course is designed specifically for the solitary student, although a number of rituals may be undertaken with a small group. Ashcroft-Nowicki offers the student a solid, sensible-and sometimes quirkily humorous-introduction to magic. To her credit, she refuses to wave the illusory lures of money, power and sex beneath the nose of the would-be magician. Instead she focuses on real magic; magic as a path of spiritual development. She encourages the student to examine the 'why' as well as the 'how' of magic. Yet the 'how' she provides is extensive: from what to wear and how to prepare and consecrate the temple, to a series of exercises, meditations, and rituals designed to open the magical world to the student. While not all occultists will agree with everything Ashcroft-Nowicki has to say, The Ritual Magic Workbook offers a good introduction to the subject and is recommended to the interested student. -- From Independent Publisher

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel / Weiser (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578630452
• ISBN-13: 978-1578630455
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,104,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ritual Magic Workbook, April 17, 2000

By 

Edane "edane" (Wisconsin, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Ritual Magic Workbook: A Practical Course of Self-Initiation (Paperback)

This is indeed an excellent _workbook_, but to get the full value you do need to not only do the work but read all of the books required for each chapter. And therein lies a challenge because nearly half of them are out of print. Information given in the required books is _not_ repeated in the workbook so if you do not have the listed texts you are going to barely skim the surface of her lessons. The book requires around 68 other books to be read and studied to get the full value of the course. That said and full warning of it now given, it is an excellent introduction to Ritual Magic. Two of the required books are out in revised editions with new titles; Alan Richardson's Mystical Kabllah is to be found in his Magical Gateways and J. H. Brennan's Experimental Magic is now Magick for Beginners. Be prepared to haunt used book sources and do a lot of serious study and practice. You get out of this what you put into it.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only bought one book on magic, buy this book!, September 19, 1999

By 

John Barbiero (North Bellmore, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ritual Magic Workbook: A Practical Course of Self-Initiation (Paperback)

Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki's "Ritual Magic Workbook" is a must have for beginners and experts alike. Dolores is the Director of Studies of a modern day Mystery School teaching the wisdom of the Western Mysteries. Her rich practical knowledge and insight are made available here for the student who for whatever reason chooses not to undertake the formal tuition of a Mystery School. The beginner can expect to be taken through an in-depth one year curriculum consisting of personal spiritual development and invaluable insight into the construction of a personal temple. The creation of a magical temple is invaluable to the work of a ceremonial magician. In such a temple, the aspirant may expect to be challenged to grow and stimulated to unfold the magical and spiritual potential that lies within. Dolores also points out that one day this temple will no longer be necessary for it will have become "the Temple not made by hands" the total internalization of the physical temple into the subtle bodies of the intiate. The expert may expect further insights from a recognized authority in the esoteric community. One of the many innovations offered by the author is the use of the "Temple Floor Cloth" for those practioners unable to set aside a room for a Temple. The "Temple Floor Cloth" can be set down for the ritual and taken up so that the room can be returned to more mundane use. The author gives practical advice on creative visualization and means of raising power from the Qabalistic tradition to the tradition of the Craft. How to behave in temple and what initiation truly means are fully explained. Readers may work as solo practioners or follow her suggested guidelines towards forming a ritual group that may one day work as a Lodge of the Mysteries. A rich course of study is presented along with a suggested reading list for future study. Rituals to consecrate and seal the Temple on the various subtle levels are given as well as how to align your Temple to three traditions of your personal choice. Seasonal rituals take the practioner through the magical year and much variety is given so that the practioner can experience the various paths of the egyptian, the greek, the craft etc. How to make and use talismans is clearly explained. If you only read one book on the occult and the Western Mysteries, read this book. It will ground you in the all important foundations that will allow you to practice safely and effectively. Expect to be changed for the better!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of great tools for WORKING with rituals, September 21, 2003

By 

chrstphr - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ritual Magic Workbook: A Practical Course of Self-Initiation (Paperback)

I take exception to much of the previous review ("Housewife's Magic"). It's important to read the title and understand that it's a workbook, and the word "work" describes the intent of the book very well. The central theme here is preparation for magic, by working. The cleaning, the building, the readings, the attention to the details of the magical implements ... they all serve the purpose of focusing energy/concentration and achieving the discipline needed to effect change through will. You've utterly missed the point if you think these are just a bunch of mundane details and are unimportant. They're the meat of the book, they ARE the real magic, and the heart of the discipline being taught here. The "followers of other magical paths" can bypass all that and skip to the sensation-seeking, but why bother with a book like this if you believe it's only the rituals themselves that matter?

I enjoyed it for the detail about the making of the implements and the temple. So it's practical, as described, but a fuller self-initiation requires several other books and thus the suggested readings at the ends of each chapter.

If you want to put your hands to meditative use so you are well-grounded for further explorations, then this is a marvelous introductory book.