Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts (Llewellyn's High Magick) | 
| Author: Donald Kraig
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy Used: $3.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  127 reviews
Sales Rank: 27555
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 600
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0875423248
Dewey Decimal Number: 133.43
EAN: 9780875423241
ASIN: 0875423248
Publication Date: September 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Curled corners, fold on cover, shelfwear. Clean text, solid spine. Ships fast!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 122 more reviews...
 Practical instructions buried in rambling rants July 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The core of Kraig's book is useful: instructions for the standard Golden Dawn rituals and construction of magical tools, as well as original meditation exercises on the elements, hints on scrying, and step-by-step directions for basic sex magic practices (which, just for the record, are part of Thelemic and certain other magical systems--valid though these are--but not the Golden Dawn tradition per se).
Unfortunately, in order to find these gems you must wade through page after page of rambling, unfocused discourses on "kosher" vs. "WASP" kabbalah; fluffy-bunny "histories" of Wicca; confused, self-contradictory discourses on reincarnation (in one paragraph he says he doesn't believe in past lives, then proceeds to hold forth on the topic at great length); and suggestions on how to insult people who insult *you* for practicing magic (why not just refrain from telling most people you're a magician in the first place?). These rants wouldn't be an issue were it not for Kraig presenting the book as a series of step-by-step lessons to be followed in sequence without skipping around.
Had Kraig omitted the tangential discussions and stuck to the practical instructions, preceded with *brief* explanations of the purpose and symbolism behind each ritual, I would've given this book five stars. As it stands, however, I would instead recommend for those interested in Golden Dawn-style magic, Donald Tyson's The Magician's Workbook or John Michael Greer's Learning Ritual Magic. Then one can tackle the works of Israel Regardie (particularly The Golden Dawn and The Middle Pillar).
 The best introduction I know April 21, 2008
Just thought I'd mention how much I got out of this book and how valuable I feel it can be for the practicing magician.
After searching the bookshelves for well over a year and struggling to find techniques and theory about magick I was finally fortunate enough to come across this book. It totally goes against the grain of most occult literature.
It saved me years of research as the book covers loads of very powerful techniques, explaining formulas and practices in clearly defined lessons.
I wondered what the catch was when I bought it. By that time I was already used to being given the hype (and lots of of bullshit) without any substance.
I found it better than any of the Golden Dawn books at teaching about the Golden Dawn! Not to mention how neatly it explains the Qabalah. It also gives methods and explanations on western paganism, tantra, and some of the more advanced aspects of occultism.
There is so much dross that gets passed off as occult literature with weird Christian undertones (urrgh)......when you find something like this you wonder why certain publishers can't do a better job of producing quality books - surely it's not that hard?
A must-have for anyone beginnig the Magicakal Path April 20, 2008
This book fills in the gaps of what other books, manuals and orders leave out. Excellent source of understanding exactly what "Magick" is, what its used for an how-to do it. An excellent first start foundation upon which to build your knowledge base.
Absolutely the best Beginners Book on Ceremonial Magick. March 8, 2008
I first read Modern Magick about 20 years ago. I had been studying books by Israel Regardie and Aleister Crowley and was getting nowhere fast. This book is a key that opens up many doors of understanding and will easily take a complete novice to advanced levels of practice with minimal fluff, with heavy emphisis on the practical aspects of Magick.
This book was written by an expierenced magician and all instructions are clearly presented. Working through this book will make just about any other book on the subject of Magick considerably more accessable.
It is my serious belief that this is perhaps the most important book on Magick written in the last fifty years.
Foundations of Magick November 18, 2007
If you're new to the concept of Ceremonial magick, this is a good book. HOwever if you're looking for low magick, there's plenty of books out there. The market is actually saturated with low magick 101 books. IT's actually kind of sickening.
So to come across a primer in basic magick without any kind of bla bla bla theology crud behind it like Crowley and the others. Sure he doesn't delve very deep into the reasons for why you use said rituals, ANother fault I have with the modern Pagan Community at large. I don't blame him though as you actually do have to wade through the principles and other guidelines that Crowley ad Reguardie and all of them go into in other books. So this is more like supplimental reading. Especially if you want to pratice magick and not just read about it.
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