Customer Reviews

The Weiser Concise Guide to Yoga for Magick: Build Physical and Mental Strength for Your Practice (Weiser Concise Guide Series)

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I have been a practicing magician for nearly 20 years now and a member of the OTO and AA for almost fifteen of them. I had actually never read this book until this last weekend, when, with a little time to kill, I perused it in a book store. I have to admit that I didn't buy it, but I did think to myself, "I've got to remember to recommend this to the Minervals and First Degrees at my Oasis." Now, first of all, there is no substitute for the actual works of the Logos of the Aeon, Aleister Crowley. None of the primer books even begin to rival his work in either depth or breadth. But I don't think Nancy (nor Jim Wasserman, nor Lon DuQuette, nor Richard Kaczynski, et al.) would pretend to set their works against his. They're simply trying to help people find their way into Crowley's works. This little book does just that.

Israel Regardie, in his "Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic" devotes a section to the minimum work actually necessary for attainment. What I think Nancy's book does so effectively is outline this minimum work within the narrow context of the Thelemic approach to yoga, modified slightly based on the accumulated western yogic tradition in the fifty or sixty years since Crowley published Eight Lectures on Yoga. I noticed that another review dismissed this book as simply being a rehash of Eight Lectures. I do not think that is a fair criticism. The discussion of the Middle Pillar Ritual as well as the presentation of a simple Sun Salutation routine and actual exercises of pratayahara and pranayama make this book quite worthwile in its own right.

If you are an experienced practitioner of hatha or raja yoga, this book is probably not for you. But even experienced magicians who find their yoga skills undeveloped and would like to know where to begin will find this book a helpful introduction. That goes double for beginners of both magical and yoga disciplines.

I found the book insightfull and it opened new avenues of thought. It gives good basic background information on yoga in a manner that is easy for the beginer to understand and a good refresher for those who have been practicing both yoga and magic for a while. Allthough the subject matter deals mostly with ceremonial magic, those practicing Wicca or another form can certainly benefit from this book. I recommend this book for anyone who studies occult and wants to improve thier practice.

This book repeats what has been said by Swami Vivekananda in 'Raja Yoga' and by Aleister Crowley in 'Eight Lectures on Yoga' and 'Book 4: Part 1 - Mysticism' and adds nothing new. You can read all these works online (or, better yet, find things out by your own practice) so save the space on your bookshelves and give 'Yoga for Magick' a miss.

Magicians will be eager to read a good book on yoga relevant to their practice. I fell for this appeal and bought the book, but regretted the decision when I started reading. The book on 'yoga for magick' is not "Yoga For Magick"; it is Crowley's "Eight Lectures On Yoga".

As well as the dazzling lack of personal insight or new material, Nancy Wasserman seems to have an no idea of what she wants to accomplish in this book. The introduction and first two chapters talk about the necessity for magicians to cultivate their bodies, and how this can be done by Hatha Yoga. Then we get to the instructions and techniques of... Raja Yoga! There is nothing in this book about strengthening the body, despite the subtitle "Build Mental And Physical Strength For Your Practice". It's really incredible that the author of a book on yoga seems oblivious to the distinction between Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga.

This book has many other flaws as well. For example, she mentions that "certain yoga practices" can cause kundalini to rise up from the Muladhara Chakra. "Yes..." we think, "And those practices are...?" The chapter comes to an abrupt ending here and no further mention is made of kundalini. Her description of pranayama is insufficient to guide even the most basic practice. Likewise her advice for dharana, which consists of a passage lifted directly from "The Equinox", an awful simile to the effect that dharana is concentration, but not the kind of concentration of a computer programmer (What?!) and an even worse simile about the mind being like a receptacle of sand and dharana deepening a certain compartment of it.

I have practiced Magick and Mysticism for over 15 years. The concise guide series and Nancy Wasserman's contribution to it is invaluable to many students.

This book is for the novice to intermediate Magician. It is a book that will get you started and moving down the Path. Nancy has laid out the basics in a simple, easy to understand style.

The book contains excellent exercises, suggestions, and personal insights. It is up to the individual student to apply these lessons.

Buy the book, practice Yoga

This book is excellent and long overdue! Speaking as a yoga practicioner and a ceremonial magician, as well as the owner of a metaphysical wellness center, I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who realizes the importance of disciplining the mind and strenghthening the body while walking the magical path. Nancy Wasserman has done an excellent job of clarifying and expounding other foundational texts on yoga, while offering many valuable new insights. She has presented her information, along with photographs of specific postures, in a manner that the beginner can easily understand and follow. The seasoned magician will also gain a great deal of insight into this often neglected area of magical practice.

Here is a book that is sure to please. How many people in the Esoteric community neglect the simple health-giving, energy-building practices of Yoga? Worse yet, how many magician's avoid the real magical work of building concentration and meditation skills? Yes it is boring to sift through Yoga books written by people whose cultural and religious biases are so alien to our own. But what if you could get the same information in simple, no-nonsense, meticulous English written by a working adept of the Western Magical Tradition, a woman who knows what she's talking about and knows how to say it well? Nancy Wasserman has written an excellent guide designed to help the Western Magician develop Spiritual Power. With clear detailed guidance on diet, exercise, meditation practices, and magical techniques, Nancy's writing carries an upbeat and positive tone throughout. This is a book that is well worth your time and effort. I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it wholeheartedly.

As an initiate of OTO I exercise politeness in my critiques of brethrens' works; however, I have nothing positive to say about this book. Between "Abrahadabra", "New Aeon Magick", and the many other unnecessary primers on Crowley-related topics curious parties' bookshelves are flooded by ridiculous dogmatic encouragement of happy-yoga and the lbrp. In my opinion, few authors have attempted to actually expand or elaborate on Thelemic culture since Aleister Crowley. Nancy's husband, James Wasserman, does an incredible job with his published works. Unfortunately, many other Thelemites compulsively produce immaterial and immature 'primers', causing the study of Thelema as a mystical system and a culture to become circular and stagnant.

For thous who are looking for a eazy to follow book on raja yoga and how to combine with the yoga of the west aka Magick, this is your book.Like some of the other reviewers , yes i've read Aleister Crowleys eight lectures on yoga (which is a lecture A.C given which is based on part one of book 4 liber ABA )and yes, Ive read book 4 ABA and raja yoga by Vivekananda. Well they are the classics .But sometimes too heady and one can miss the point. I feel sorry for thous reviewers who did not see the depth and or the much add information the writer has add since the days of the G.D,A.A and OTO. This is a up too date book on yoga and the Great Work.

Ive used this book to fill in the gap,get a clear idea of The Great Work . Its basic and when it comes down to it ,Its all about the basic.When you dont feel like walking around with a bunch of books and just want to keep it simple and real want to know what magick is. Buy this Book.

"Yoga For Magick - Build Physical and Mental Strength for Your Practice" by Nancy Wasserman, Introduction by James Wasserman (Weiser Books)

This is the second volume of the Weiser Concise Guide series, and as the titles suggests, is a short, well written introduction to the importance of yoga for modern practitioners of magic. While many parrot the adage of the body being a temple, most treat their temple quite poorly. Yoga helps to rectify that condition and in turn make it a vital instrument for personal unfoldment. Spiritual power demands physical health and even a brief yoga practices as outlined in "Yoga for Magick" can help provide the strength for effective magic.

As James Wasserman states in the introduction, "A person who can't sit in one position with comfort and quiet, who can't breathe with evenness and regularity, who can't temporarily still the mind of its many wondering thoughts, who can't channel powerful energies through the body because of ill health - will be hard pressed to spiritually advance."

If you are interested in learning how to incorporate yoga into your daily practice, or simply wishing to explore the value yoga can add to your daily life, "Yoga for Magick" is a fine place to start.

Yoga offer many meanings today, from exercise and health applications to spirituality: New Age practitioners and libraries will learn how to integrate these different meanings with YOGA FOR MAGICK: BUILD PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRENGTH FOR YOUR PRACTICE. It relates Wiccan practices to yoga, drawing important connections and revealing how rituals of yoga and enhance magickal directions.