Customer Reviews

Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Shadow Magick Compendium
A Review by Melanie Harris

Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality
By Raven Digitalis
Published by Llewellyn Publications, September 2008
ISBN: 9780738713182


Those in a spiritual rut, prepare to be wrenched out. Going where fluffy bunnies fear to tread, Raven Digitalis takes us on a breathtaking walk in the dark in Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality (Llewellyn Publications, 2008). Looking into the shadows can help us progress spiritually, and this second title by the author of Goth Craft (Llewellyn Publications, 2007) is a vehicle to do just that.
This is NOT a book about "bad" magick; the focus here is on spiritual balance and magickal development. Shadow Magick Compendium is a book about acknowledging and examining the dark side of things, those characteristics of self and nature and life and death that are more often feared, misused, or ignored than they are understood.
There are lots of interesting things lurking in the darkness, and this book is divided into five sections to take you there: The Internal Shadow, The External Shadow, The Astral Shadow, The Shadow of Nature, and the Shadow of Society. Each chapter presents an overview of the particular aspect of shadow, and offers practical exercises to apply the knowledge in your own life. It's a good mix of solid information, progressive ideas, and creative techniques - one of the signature flairs of this author.
Despite his hip-sounding name, young age (mid-twenties), and modern eclectic Neo-Pagan identity, Raven Digitalis hearkens back to the old school days of magick, a time when well-reasoned creativity, logic, research, practicality, tradition, and plain old studying were a bit more often valued in magickal circles than they are today. This kid does his homework, and even seasoned occultists and witches will pick up new perspectives and new modes of magick from Shadow Magick Compendium, while beginners won't be, dare I say, left in the dark.
Chapter 1, The Internal Shadow, takes a look at negative behavior patterns and offers tools for getting out of them, including a self-evaluation checklist to discover just where your imbalances and repressed feelings might lie. The checklist is frank and cuts to the core; readers evaluate statements such as, "I stress about my obligations and requirements more than I should," and, "I tend to manipulate other people," to see if they feel the statement applies to them. This sort of soul-searching is essential, Raven teaches, for anyone hoping to spiritually progress. The book states, "We can only change the external world by transforming the internal; both simultaneously co-create each other. Every single one of us has behavioral and perceptual patterns that somehow hinder our full spiritual development - or else we wouldn't be here!"
A ritual meditation for "Purging the Shadow" is given, followed by a positively fascinating tour of the mystic experience and the many ways it can be achieved. Here, well-researched facts about the Qabalah, Sufism, and other methodologies that can lead to the mystic experience are presented.
Chapter 2 discusses the external shadow, which encompasses godform assumption and invocation, fasting, the art of creating sigils, and more. The fasts are particularly interesting, ranging from a traditional food fast to a very modern fast from technology. "Eliminating technology from one's daily operation is, like all sacrifices, both difficult and rewarding," writes Raven. "Such an endeavor illuminates our modern lifestyle, and reminds us that humans operated without electronic technology for aeons." He encourages readers to design their own structure for the fast, deciding how long and how strict the fast will be.
Chapter 3 is about astral projection, power animals, and other elements of the astral shadow. This chapter includes an essay by Estha McNevin on spirit guides. Estha is Raven's priestess and she is the co-founder of their shadow magick tradition, Opus Aima Obscurae. Estha explains the concept of spirit guides and guardians intelligently, imparting a credibility that is often not present in discussions about the subject.
Chapter 4 is dedicated to the Shadow of Nature, and teaches the reader how to best use the power of the dark moon, eclipses, and the shadier portions of the wheel of the year. This chapter also contains an invaluable mini-herbal, a guide to the magical attributes and properties of "dark" herbs, those plants that are particularly well-suited for shadow magick.
Chapter 5, the Shadow of Society, is bold and frank. Raven speaks about problems within the occult/magickal scene, and he also deconstructs many of the myths that often surround the Burning Times, a.k.a., the era of burn `em at the stake witch hunts. His honesty, objectivity, and adherence to facts is refreshing.
There is so much more that this book discusses, and so much more depth, analysis, and practical application offered on the topics I did mention. For anyone with an interest in spirituality or magick, Shadow Magick Compendium is truly fascinating.

A wonderful book that introduces the basics of many ideas and practices that are seen to be along the darker side of paganism. Digitalis is a very well written author who puts a lot of time and thought into his works. And he provides a wonderfuly long bibliography for those wishing to pursue their own research on the subjects he presents.

For those looking for balance in their spiritual lives, this is a good book to help you on that path.

Looking for an interesting, and most often left out, take on the Craft? Read this book, and make sure to read "GothCraft" also!

Raven is not a fake. He is not a fluffy-bunny. Sure, he's gothic and bisexual... Who cares??? "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals," said the Goddess, so let people be who they're going to be!

This book, and GothCraft, have brought us new material, something that the pagan community has needed for a long time. So many of the books out on the market are nothing more than Wicca 101... Raven's books go above and beyond 101 and force you to think outside the box, and thank Goddess for that!

Thank you Raven, for another fabulous book.

Love and Light,
Aradian

If you are very new to the idea of "dark" magick as something that is not bad, then this book might be useful. If you have already looked into darker aspects of magic, or are somewhat insightful into this field already, then you will probably find nothing new. While I give the author credit (I don't necessarily disagree with things he says, and he seems to know magick) most of the book seems to be a beginner/filler. I bought the book used for a dollar, but if I knew what was within it's contents, I wouldn't have bought it.

Nothing really new here.

We are presented with a lot of ideas but it is not organized in a grimoire. Rather discussions about kink and deviance and shadow just for shadow's sake. The pictures I could really have done without. I don't see how they really lend to a better idea of the so called magick of Shadows. If one is really interested in this sort of thing and has an innate need to flaunt their alternative looks, well we are all free to do so. But I don't see and the author's poorly researched modalities do not indicate how all that makes for effective magicks.

The reader is referred to Konstantinos' books on this subject. Cheaper, better written and nicer flow.

This was an ok try but the price tag is way too high for a book that does not contain original material.

The book does not simply redress the same old same old stuff in gothic stylings. Digitalis' latest book in fact addresses areas of magick well beyond the beginners level that majority of books on the market barely if at all touch on (let alone in any advanced manner).

His comparative religious study of "Shadow as the Holy Child" is phenomenally well researched and written. In fact Digitalis makes numerous cross religious comparisons to elements involving work the the shadow and magick through the book which contributes to the overall strength of the volume. From self-sacrifice to fasting.


While the Shadow and Shadow Magick is indeed nothing new to Witchcraft and Wicca, a book that properly and intellectually discusses them is! And we can thank Digitalis for finally providing us with just such a book. Finally a volume that all in one place properly addresses animal totems, guides, herbcraft, and astral work as it applies to the Shadow.

This book is not mediocre fair. It's a volume belonging in any well rounded library of the intermediate to advanced practitioner.

I think although Mr. Digitalis presents some excellent material I must point out that what he is presenting is not new to Wicca. It may be that it appears new because of the types of Wiccan books out there on the shelves these days, but true Wicca has always been about exploring the shadow side.

"Raven Digitalis returns from his debut into darkness with a compelling sequel that is an excellent read. He skillfully weaves together the power that lurks in the shadows of the mind and beyond our daylight vision. It is a well thought out tome that stands alone and should be in everyone's magickal library."~ Corvis Nocturnum, author of Embracing the Darkness; Understanding Dark Subcultures and Promethean Flame

How can people write a review when the book isn't even out yet? Ok, it's been out for a day. Still, I don't think a person could read book, even like this, in a day.

If you are purposely destroying books over and over again, aren't you wasting your time? Sure, I don't think Goth Craft is award winning literature, but I'm not going to commit a crime, via ripping up property that isn't mine just to make the author feel bad. And wow, that's a bit graphic, for Amazon, I am surprised they even keep that review up.

I will leave this area with one thought...if the author provokes such a strong reaction, there must be something good about him to make people feel such emotion and write such funny reviews. I may have to get a copy of this and leave my review here once it comes.

I bought this book as a gift; it arrived well packaged, without damage, and in a timely manner. The individual that I purchased it for, was very happy with it. I have not read it myself, so I have no input as to the contents of the book; I can only vouch for the services of Amazon.com.