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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A cogent argument for moving into a universe that can be programmed according to our will, September 17, 2005
This review is from: Space/Time Magic (Paperback)
Manipulating perception is a key component in working magic, but we humans are frequently unable to escape the linear model of time that is a primary component of our society. Space/Time Magic provides a cogent argument for moving outside of this linear trap and into a working model of the universe in which our reality can be programmed according to our will (i.e. transformed by magic) - not only in the future, but our past.
Understanding space/time is a key to understanding our reality, and learning to consciously manipulate it is how we learn to work magic. Within this realm of shifting possibilities we can exert our will, manipulate the energy, make a choice, and in doing so we create new possibilities and a changed reality. Whether we are reaching into the space/time `pool' to move outside of physical time and divine the future (or past) or focusing our attention in such a way as to slow down the passage of time (in order to get more done) we are working space/time magic.
The reading can be a bit difficult if one is not comfortable with a logical paradigm of magic (Stephen Hawking is referenced, as are notable chaos magicians Phil Hine and Genesis P-orridge), but Ellwood manages to make many of the more scientific perspectives understandable, as well as practical.
Divination is an easy way to understand space/time magic, but I found the discussion on working retroactive magic (essentially, going back in time to change our past) to be a touch frightening - and yet compelling. I would like to think that the past can not be literally changed, that only our perception changes (and that is sufficient to bring about present change) but a part of me wonders if it is possible, and if I were to do so, how I would change in ways I can not predict? Ellwood also discusses using sigils, writing, science, and technology in space/time magic, all with fascinating results. His personal experiences enhance the theoretical explanations, and make for wonderful reading.
The author of a number of fascinating and unusual books, including Pop Culture Magick and Creating Magical Entities, Taylor Ellwood is clearly someone who does not see magic as a connection to the divine, but a rule-based, logically -defined energy source that allows any person with sufficient training to use it. Although I am more of an intuitive witch, basing my rituals on increasing my connection with the Divine, I found Space/Time Magic very useful. I am already incorporating much of this information into my own practice.
I highly recommend this book.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magickal applications of quantum mechanics, November 17, 2006
This review is from: Space/Time Magic (Paperback)
Quantum mechanics is well and truly in the public consciousness these days, largely due to the success of the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know!?" This movie opened the eyes of viewers to the incredible possibilities available. The obvious question those viewers should have asked themselves is how they could go about taking full advantage of the possibilities.
Quantum mechanics provides an explanation for much of what is experienced while practicing magick, in particular that pertaining to the non-linearity of time. Many of the ancients viewed time as circular, while quantum mechanics assigns probabilities to various events.
Taylor takes the reader into a quantum world, where time is non-linear, and retroactive magick is possible. The concept of retroactive magick is fascinating. Taylor deals with the importance of perception defining our reality, and presents this as one of the keys to successful retroactive magick. This to me is probably the most exciting portion of the book as just about everyone has daydreamed about how they would have done things differently with the benefit of hindsight. The possibility of revisiting the past is truly exciting.
As with "Pop Culture Magic," I certainly don't accept everything that Taylor writes in this book. His ideas however, are intriguing, and certainly merit further investigation. Readers will certainly be able to adapt Taylor's ideas into their own paradigms. Taylor's message is an exhortation to leave the confines of the mainstream and experiment, and it is a message well worth sharing.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moving Experimentation Further, November 11, 2005
This review is from: Space/Time Magic (Paperback)
When Peter Carroll brought chaos magick to the forefront with such works as Liber Null, Psychonaut, and Liber Kaos he touched on some fascinating subject matter in the occult, but left the experimentation up to the reader, much to the dismay of armchair theorists worldwide. But where Carroll leaves off, it seems that the works of Taylor Ellwood pick up to take readers along an occult journey of experimentation and discovery.
Space/Time Magic is probably the most original and refreshing book on practical occultism to be published in quite some time. Taylor Ellwood takes a subject matter of high demand, but little textbook time, and delivers exactly the experimental occultism that one would expect from the author of Pop Culture Magick.
Space/Time Magic covers the occult topics that many speculate about, few experiment with, and even fewer write about. Ever wanted to read some examples of retroactive magick and how to put it to good use? Until Space/Time Magic your options were extremely limited... if not non-existent.
In addition to its more experimental edge, Taylor Ellwood's writing skills have grown as well. In Pop Culture Magick, readers could see some growing pains in the text. With Space/Time Magic, most of these growing pains are gone, and in their place is a text that flows more freely through the cerebral cortex.
It seems to be Taylor Ellwood's mission to spearhead the documentation and publication of experimental occultism. With Space/Time Magic, this mission moves along ever further. I can only imagine what Inner Alchemy and Magic on the Edge bring.
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