| When is someone going to put out a book of really advanced magick?
This is a question I receive frequently in my mail and email. I also hear it from people I meet when I travel to give workshops and lectures. Lately, I’ve been pondering this question a great deal.
I regret to say that in the past, there simply hasn’t been a market for such information. My Modern Magick, primarily based on the Western Mystery Tradition, is broad enough to be of interest to people following any path. There, information and practices can be used by people involved in Eastern or Western, ceremonial or Pagan traditions. If I had written a large book which only discussed advanced techniques of, say, Kabalistic pathworking (some of which is covered in Modern Magick) to just one sephira on the Tree of Life, it would not have had as large of an audience or become as popular as it has.
Luckily, as the technology available to everyone changes, the possibility of information on more specific and advanced forms of magick is becoming available on the increasingly ubiquitous World Wide Web of the Internet. If somebody wants to post some information they have discovered through study, practice, and experience, they can easily do so without incurring the enormous costs that accompany traditional publishing. When it comes to books, however, there is an important alternative to singularly focused, in-depth books.
The Purpose of Magick
Magick has two broad, general purposes: changing the world and changing yourself. In fact, it might be more accurate to say that the true purpose of magick is to change yourself, because once you do that, you can change your world. This means that ultimately, all magick is personal.
Here is another problem with publishing information and techniques on advanced magick. What works for me may not work for anyone else. The information and techniques I obtain through my personal work change and improve my world. There is no guarantee that they’ll help you at all. So what can be done to help any person delve more deeply than ever into the world of magick so they can change their lives?
Broader, Not Deeper
What people can do is present information that is broader, not deeper. To relate this to the example above, instead of presenting advanced techniques of Kabalistic pathworking to one sephira on the Tree of Life, authors could present a variety of techniques for such work and show you the potential of the work. Then, if you try out the techniques, you will eventually master one of them (or perhaps create a new one based on some of the others) and be able to do really advanced magick. Remember, this might not work for anyone else, but it can powerfully change your life, and the lives of those around you. In other words, instead of limiting people to specific ways of doing advanced magick, authors can show people how to find ways to develop their own systems of advanced magick.
In order to do this, there are three things that are needed. First, you need a basic grounding in theory and practice. Second, you need examples of the work others have done. And third, you need traditional or new ways to explore for yourself. I’d like to give you an example of how this can work perfectly for you.
The Magick of the Angels
Over the centuries (especially over the last century), the dealings of Dr. John Dee and his assistant Edward Kelly with entities calling themselves angels, and the magick that evolved from those communications, has fascinated and terrified Western occultists. Part of this is because this system, known as Enochian magick, is not really one system at all. It is a variety of techniques that, on the surface, can seem quite foreign to other systems of Western magick. It has been called the most powerful system of magick available, but many—even highly capable occultists—have shied away. This is in part due to the fact that there are actually several aspects or systems of Enochian magick, and they changed and evolved while Dee and Kelly were doing their original work. Further, they have been altered by many who have published books on it, including the founders and followers of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley. One well-known magician took the Golden Dawn system, stripped it of all references to Enochian magick, and evolved his own magickal tradition. But there is a way for you to learn and safely take this system further than ever before. I’d like to share that system with you here.
1) Of course, it’s a good idea to get a grounding in the general theories and techniques of Western magick, so, as you might expect, I recommend you start with my Modern Magick. Then, to get a good grounding in the theory and practice of Dee and Kelly’s methods, begin by studying Donald Tyson’s Enochian Magic for Beginners. This is a unique book in that it goes back to the original source material, some of which is very hard to find. He covers things not covered elsewhere, such as the Heptarchia Mystica, which was not used in the system employed by the Golden Dawn. You’ll also learn how to pronounce the Enochian language, and the secrets of the Aethers, the Watchtowers, Enochian rituals, talismans, and more. This book will give you a firm foundation in all aspects of Enochian magick.
2) To explore the work that others have done, one of the best things to do would be to look at the magic practiced by Dee and Kelly themselves. This features the actual notebooks of Dee from over 400 years ago so you can see exactly what he did and how he did it. It includes practical advice, including how to construct the tools you’ll need, how to do the rituals, which angels are summoned during the evocations, and so much more. If you want to repeat Dee’s experiments and contact the angels themselves, this is the sourcebook with the details of what you need to succeed.
3) And finally, if you’re ready to make Enochian magick your personal system and explore the magick in new ways, you’re going to want to use The Golden Dawn Enochian Skrying Tarot. While a totally new way of approaching Enochian magick, it is based on the ancient techniques. Each card includes attributions associated with the Enochian system, including colors, zodiacal symbol, Hebrew letter, Tarot card, and many more. Created by Bill and Judy Genaw and Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero, this new deck is literally an entire system of Enochian magick you can hold in the palm of your hand. With it you can explore the world of the Enochian spirits, make new contacts, discover new information, and change your world.
Advanced Magick
Isn’t “Out There”
Advanced magick is already in you. Books with more rituals are just that—more rituals. For more success, personal empowerment, and the ability to make changes in your life, all that is needed is a way to bring out the power and magick you already have. A great way to tap into the power that is within you, and link it to the magick of the angels, is the combination of these two books and the new deck (and the book that comes with it).
Try out this progression of study. Read the books. Practice the methods. Then write to me, in care of Llewellyn, and tell me something you have learned. In a future column I’ll share some of the best information with everyone. |
