The Secrets of High Magic [Hardcover]

Francis Melville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2001

The great masters of high magic may no longer be among us, but their wisdom remains—and their secrets are here to be revealed. True high magic is the art (and science) of using little-known or long-forgotten forces and objects from nature to achieve benevolent changes in the individual's consciousness or in the surrounding physical environment. It encompasses a wide array of doctrines and techniques, including the conjuring of spirits and nonhuman entities, ritual divination, the making and consecration of wands, swords, and talismans, and exploration of other universes. The essence of high magic has been captured in this handsomely bound book. The author gives instructions for making a magic altar and creating tools of magic. He also gives basic instruction in divination methods that include geomancy, I-Ching, and tarot cards. He goes on to explain the pentagram, the hexagram, the ritual of the rose cross, and advanced techniques that are intended to invoke deities. Here is practical, lucid instruction in the methods of self-initiation to a wide array of occult traditions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Francis Melville is a student of theology and the author of Love Potions & Charms and The Book of Angels, published in North America by Barron's.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 1 edition (December 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764155350
• ISBN-13: 978-0764155352
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice little Tome, September 14, 2003

By 

"fallenms" (Portland, Or United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secrets of High Magic (Hardcover)

This book is almost an offshoot of the one written by King and Skinner titled "Techniques of High Magic" with added information and rituals, both eastern and western in tradition.
For any practicing Magician, a nice piece to have around the temple or alter.
The material was well put together, making information easily accessable.
The paper was durable, print multicolored, simulated leather cover with 2 ribbons to tie shut when travelling.
I purchased a second one to send to a Magician I know in Chicago as a gift....and finding the second one in hardcover was difficult.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compact, excellent quick resource, November 25, 2002

By 

Jason Blanchard--Author (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secrets of High Magic (Hardcover)

A friend of mine first pointed out this book to me in a book store. If nothing else, I was entranced by the handsome, legant beauty of this little tome.

But pretty books don't get my dollars. It was the information within that sold me. It contains the highest percentage of the best, most accurate and USEFUL magical information that a magician would need to know, all in a very small package. This book could be likened a miniature encyclopedia which contains quick, to-the-point, information on nearly every aspect of Western Magick (with a dash of the best of the Eastern teachings at the end of the book) without droning on and on with useless drivel that you could find in almost any other modern book on Western Magic.

And of special import to me is the fact that the author is one of the VERY few out there who recognizes that the 'traditional' elemental associations in regards to the magician's Tools, (i.e. wands=fire & swords=air) is flat out WRONG. In case you were wondering, as far as the Tools are concerned, wands=air & swords=fire.

Ironically though, if there is any wrong information in the book, it would have to be that the surprisingly correct elemental magical Tool association is not transferred to the Tarot Minor Arcana, meaning that the 'traditional' Tarot elemental associations still apply in this book (wands=fire, swords=air, cups=water, pentacles=earth). I found this error minor, and was not entirely upset about this, as the only author I know who has ever even attempted to correct this ancient mistake of Tarot elemental association in Western Magick is William Blystone, whose works will be published very soon.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to any magician, beginner or otherwise.

Jason Blanchard
Author of The Spiritual Science Of Miracles

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome addition to a magick library, December 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secrets of High Magic (Hardcover)

This is a well organized and delightful reference book on the basic elements of magic. It covers the basics, including setting up an altar, what the basic tools are and how to consecreate them, succinct chapters on the Tree of Life, the major arcana and assigned to the twenty-two paths of the Tree, including the occult meaning for each of these cards based on Hermetic philosophy, and instructions for performing the major rituals essential to magic study, including the Kabalistic Cross, the Middle Pillar, the Greater and Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram and the Hexagram, and more. The chapter on Alchemy includes a pithy section on condensers, gold condensers, Universal solid and liquid condensers, Elemental fluid condensors, plus tinctures and other alchemical processes. There is even a section on the tattwa cards used for meditation and scrying, popularized by the Golden Dawn.

This book is quite condensed and the information is well organized, concise, and ready to use. It serves as a good overview of the essentials of ritual magic, and while it does introduce these concepts, perhaps this book would be more for the intermediate occultist looking to take the leap.

This book is not just another rehashed magic text. Some of the topics, like the Alchemical processes, are not often found in general magic books.

A worthwhile read.