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The Black Pullet: Science of Magical Talismans (Weiser Books, 2000), paper, 80 pp, $12.95, ISBN 1-57863-202-1
One of the most unpretentious of the grimoires, claiming no sinister ancient origins nor purporting to be a link in any systemic chain, this 18th century work on talismanic magic is rarely plagarized as the designs contained within are original and powerful in their stand-alone essence. And this edition reflects the simplicity and lucidity of the slim volume itself (though the typeface is reminiscent of the Anna Riva manuals and the occult pamphlets of the late sixties and early seventies). Cloaked in the trappings of a literary romance - and much can be gleaned about the nature of its contents by studying the aforementioned genre - it's defined effects are a bit overstated, but in terms of grimoiric history and the timeline of Ceremonial Magick methodology, it is, as A.E. Waite noted in his "The Book of Black Magic" (keep in mind that in Mr. Waite's concept of magick, any text dealing with evocational practices was summarily pigeonholed thusly), "the most curious of its class".
- Frater S.P.R.V.
Julius Evola, The Hermetic Tradition: Symbols and Teachings of the Royal Art (Inner Traditions, 1995), paper, 220 pp, $16.95, ISBN 0-89281-451-9
Julius Evola and the UR Group, Introduction to Magic: Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus (Inner Traditions, 2001), paper, 376 pp, $22.95, ISBN 089281624-4
Julius Evola stands as the pivotal member of the Italian UR Group, the practitioners of an avante garde approach to an amalgamated magickal system based on sources ranging from Hermeticism to Tantrism to Buddhism to the Qabalah. By the late 1920s, the time of the UR group's inception, the world had already seen the birth of psychoanalysis under Freud, the evolution of symbolic psychology with Jung, the advent and toll of modern warfare in World War I, the rise and pending fall of Capitalism and the redefinition of the politics of power, one aspect of which would become the modern cult of personality, that would produce World War II and the manifestation of the harbinger of Ragnarok, the atomic bomb. Magick, like art and literature, had moved beyond the realm of mere esoteric conjecture and into the necessitated stage of mandated practice (keep in mind, Crowley's Magick in Theory and Practice was published in 1929; undoubtedly he was feeling the buffeting from the same mystic winds) set forth by the occult schools founded at the time. Magickal doctrine as a means of cultural change, placing existent precepts in their proper, functional contexts, the mass publication of once-rare texts and tracts and prescribed, purposeful practice became the baseline for a new magickal mindset.
Piercing and erudite, these two volumes encompass a demanding program, intellectually, spiritually and physically, that sets the magcikal bar higher than it had been set before (keeping in mind that the Golden Dawn is essentially an initiatory method). It must be remembered that for years the information provided within these texts was considered secret, fit only for the eyes of the adept who had been through the spiritual equivalent of boot camp; it hits the magickal mind with all the crushing weight of Regardie's Golden Dawn or Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy. These books belong on the bookshelves of every true magickian, but beginners, slackers and the closed-minded beware.
- Frater S.P.R.V.
Sharon Caulder, Ph.D., Mark of Voodoo (Llewellyn Publications, 2002), paper, 420 pp, $21.95, ISBN 0-73870183-1
Rare is the work that drops all defenses and imparts a complete, unencumbered, utterly intimate glimpse into a Pagan lifestyle. It is common to crack the door for the sake of allure and enticement; seldom is the door thrown boldly open. Mark of Voodoo is a potent example of the
latter. It does not mask any of the raw aspects of ritual or practice for the sake of affectation or political correctness. Rather, with the skill of a fine storyteller wrapped tightly around an unflinching spine of straightforwardness, Ms. Caulder presents, unpretentious and unadorned, the truth about Voodoo and its origins. An intelligent, principled religion with the well being and spiritual growth of its adherents at its core, this is an honest book that avoids the pitfalls of its shallow, callous predecessors: sensationalism, cultural prejudice and a fascination with malevolence. This is every bit as good as Divine Horsemen by Maya Deren, Tell My Horse by Zora Neale Hurston and Voodoo and Hoodoo by Jim Haskins.
- Frater S.P.R.V.
Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein, The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle (Llewellyn Publications, 2002), paper, 268pp, $14.95, ISBN 0-7387-0259-5
Eat your heart out Renaissance Fairs! Get that plastic laurel wreath off your head! Don't hesitate - indulge in that latest body modification! Based on the practical premise that it's hard to invoke pastoral deities and recite agrarian ritual verse with an elevated train passing outside your window and skyscrapers instead of mountains, obelisks or temple columns rising in the distance on your way to work, The Urban Primitive maps out the modern city-dwelling Pagan's path with savvy, wit and a genuine attention to Pagan beliefs, correspondences and convictions. The city is anything but cold and dead; it's a potent wellspring of magickal energies. But a different approach is needed to talk the talk, walk the walk and pierce the... well, you get the picture. The only problem with this text is the fact that certain sections don't translate well to non-urban settings. Nonetheless, in terms of sheer attitude, grit and originality, this book is blunt, insightful and fun. I mean, where else are you going to find the forces that advance pollution referred to as "boils upon the ass of Gaea"?
Frater S.P.R.V.
Lilith McLelland, Out of the Shadows: Myths and Truths of Modern Wicca (Citadel Press, 2002), paper, 245 pp., $12.95, ISBN 0-8065-2210-0
Readers will need to remember that the majority of views presented in this book, while blended with extensive research, remain the author's own. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts, and much of her opinion is jaded by that experience. Her style of writing is blunt, which makes her bashing of the "Burning Times" all the more disconcerting, her confusion regarding religion and spirituality problematic, and her brush off of continuing discrimination naive. She states that Wiccans' struggle for religious freedom is "nonsense" and criticizes groups who work toward that end. McLelland admits, in the last paragraphs of the work, that she knows many readers will be "pissed off"... And those who take their faith seriously have every right to be.
Marian Singer, The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book (Adams Media, 2002), paper, 305 pp., $14.95, ISBN 1-58062-725-0
This is a good primer for beginners in the Craft, with short and concise explanations of the various facets of Wicca and witchcraft. Much of the information included will also help dispel some misconceptions for those who may be unfamiliar with the truth about Wicca.
The only shortcomings are found in the spells the author includes, the overemphasis on "prayer" techniques and the lack of information about ritual construction. Because of the nature of the volume, the lists of Gods and Goddesses, herbs, crystals, dream symbols and such are necessarily short, and not very usable. Those serious about learning more on those topics can find comprehensive texts elsewhere.
Judy Hall, The Art of Psychic Protection (Weiser, 1997), paper, 148 pp., $12.95, ISBN 1-57863-026-6
There is a problem when the author of a book on psychic protection admits, ""Psychic attack is something I tend not to believe in..." While Hall may have been active in psychic training circles for two decades prior to the publication of this book, her writing style leaves much to be desired. The methods she recommends for psychic protection may not work for everyone, especially with the "guided imagery" exercises. She tends to over-simplify and exaggerate the topics - such as the higher self, the chakras, and the aura. All in all, Dion Fortune's classic on psychic protection is far better.
Nina Lee Braden, Tarot for Self Discovery (Llewellyn, 2002), paper, 153 pp., $12.95, ISBN 0-7387-0170-X
While the author promotes this book as being not only for beginners, but for those with substantial knowledge of Tarot, it is evident that she overestimates the value of her work. For instance, the exercise "I Gotta Be Me" instructs readers to add the numbers from their birthdate to determine their personal card, soul card, and so forth. The author, however, does not explain how this exercise can be affected by the variation in numbers between the many Tarot decks. It can leave readers even more confused than when they picked up the book. The appendices on Chakras and a "Crash Course in Astrology" are basically useless in their brevity. The only good advice Braden provides is for those interested in Tarot to design their own exercises.
Tamarin Laurel, Initiation at Beltane: Book One of the Ezmereld Chronicles (ECW Press, 2002), paper, 469 pp., $15.95, ISBN 1-55022-496-4
The problem with books like this - which claim openly to have a "dual purpose" - is that one or the other of such purposes gets the short end of the stick. This book is supposed to be a "story of modern magical training with strands of ancient wisdom from Faery tradition, Celtic shamanism, Witchcraft and Arthurian legend." The main character finds himself at the doors of the "University of Esoteric Knowledge" and, from there, the tail sounds a bit like a Harry Potter novel. Factual information about magickal practices is interwoven into the fiction, which makes it difficult to figure out if these practices are fictional, as well. Some of the major themes from the story are explained in appendices at the end of the book, as far as their "actual meaning"... But the author tries way too hard to force readers into learning what they may not wish to learn.
Judy Harrow, Spiritual Mentoring: A Pagan Guide (ECW Press, 2002), paper, 280 pp., $16.95, ISBN 1-55022-519-7
This is an incredibly comprehensive work, filled with information, exercises and resources, almost to the point of being excessive in its content. Harrow, herself a counselor, makes it plain she believes those who step up as Pagan mentors or teachers should have the equivalent of a graduate level degree, or have studied psychology intimately before even attempting such a task. While she admits she began mentoring others after only four years as a Pagan, and has known others to do likewise, she still expounds on the theory that the task is only for those who have achieved the status of "elder" with suitable training. This viewpoint may hold true as Paganism moves through successive generations but, for now, it's just an ideal. And to think, using Harrow's criteria, there are many, many Pagan teachers currently passing along information without such training, could cause one the shivers. Yet somehow, it's working, because the numbers who call themselves Pagan continue to grow...
Francis Melville, The Secrets of High Magic (Barron's, 2002), hardcover, 192 pp., $19.95, ISBN 0-7641-5535-0
There can be no denying this book is nicely put together - heavy paper, sewn binding and thick cover. That cannot, however, make up for the contents, a primary problem of which is the style of type used. Each paragraph among the many illustrations is marred by frequent words emphasized by all capital letters, or bold face. This makes the text difficult to read.
And while the author uses many standard magickal resources, he has chosen to include the uncommon versions of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Middle Pillar Ritual, and describes a ritual to be preceded by the LBRP and Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram even before he explains the latter.
Then, in listing the magickian's tools, he equates wands to air and swords to fire, yet in listing the traits of the Tarot cards, he equates wands to fire and swords to air. The author takes a number of Franz Bardon's techniques and presents them as feasible practices for modern mages, but many would be all but impossible to complete, unless practitioners had ample supplies of extra money and time.
All in all, better to go to the original sources listed in the bibliography than waste time and money on this book.
Michele Morgan, Simple Wicca (Conari Press, 2000), hardcover, 170 pp., $14.95, ISBN 1-57324-199-7
This book, listed as "A Simple Wisdom Book", is indeed a basic overview of Wicca, done relatively well. It seems to be increasingly difficult, however, for authors to move beyond the quasi-Christian ideal that Pagans "pray" to their deities, and that the deities are responsible for responding to and fulfilling the intent of that "prayer". That the deities are honored and respected is a definite, but that they are travelling companions, working with us - not for us - throughout life needs to be better emphasized in books of this type.
Just because reviewing books can be a very subjective process, the Goat and Candle staff decided to present their respective (and sometimes opposite) reviews of the same book. The Frater's views are first, with Quill's below.
Laura Wildman, What's Your Wicca IQ? (Citadel Press, 2001), paper, 279 pp., $9.95, ISBN 0-8065-2347-6
Though the questions are thorough and beyond the range of the posing dabbler and the topic areas inclusive and broad, the information that is presented in terms of the answers is often uneven, leading, incomplete and limited in terms of depth and scope. If you're looking for questions for a Sabbat game or a means to generate conversation during those uncomfortable silences at a Pagan gathering (though, stopping to think about it, Pagans are rarely silent), this would be a good choice. As a means of any sort of evaluation besides simple entertainment, other works - ideally an overview of many authors and many works - should be employed.
*****
This would be an excellent book for anyone wanting to play a serious game of "Wiccan Trivial Pursuit". Some of the questions delve deep into the history of Wicca, and the people involved in the Craft, as well as the traditions and peripheral knowledge of the topic. Unfortunately, seeing this as a type of IQ test takes much of the enthusiasm off the questions. And some of the answers, which provide greater detail in many instances, are lacking in other areas. Only a "so-so" work.
Carl McColman, When Someone You Love is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious Coworkers (New Page, 2002), paper, 221 pp., $13.99, ISBN 1-56414-622-7
One of the largest stumbling blocks in terms of communication between Pagans and non-Pagans is often the stock set of questions that most people ask due to prolonged programming from such sources as folklore, religious prejudice and pop culture. This book addresses those questions in a clear, unassuming and accessible way and it addresses the Wiccan religion in terms of a steadfast life path, not just a mercurial lifestyle. It's sections include "Going Beyond the Stereotypes", "What Do Witches Believe?", "What Do Witches Do?" and "The Role of Paganism in Society". The only drawback to this work is that by maintaining this rather constrained approach, the opportunity for a deeper exploration of Wiccan and Pagan theology and ethics must be relinquished. But nonetheless, it is a good starting point for the Cowan individual who has been exposed to the lurid fallacies of fundamentalism, fairy tales and the Hollywood machine - especially if the discourse continues in an open and unbiased way with an experienced Wiccan practitioner.
*****
This kind of book has been needed for some time, especially with the continued increase in those coming to Paganism and Wicca. But this is not the book it could have been. While McColman's intended audience are non-Pagans, he writes in a style that is most suited to Pagans - especially some of his "cheap shots" of an anti-Christian nature. Yes, Pagans will understand the humor, but will the Christians reading the text? Doubtful.
McColman also "blurs" the truth about Paganism, trying his hardest to make it sound acceptable to Christians. He does little to include possible Jewish, Muslim or other readers - only mentioning them on occasion. It would have been truly grand if this book were written in the style of David Pond's Western Seeker, Eastern Paths (Llewellyn, 2003), which is an absolutely excellent overview of Eastern religions written intelligently for Western readers.
