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A few various replies to the various posters, and then a few specifics.
I'm with the majority of the posters on the actual usefullness (zero) of teen witch books, though I shamefully admit that I bought a few in my early teenage years (I have one of the Silver Ravenwhatever books around somewhere...really have been meaning to donate it away). By and large the books have mainstreamed and diluted the mystical traditions to a fantastic degree...but, at least as I see it, magic is an act of the Will. While there are some workings that you just can't do from these books, and there's a whole lot they don't talk about that's very useful to learn, they provide a gateway, a keyhole, a glimpse, into magic.
HOWEVER, they're sometimes all that some people can get, at least at first. To give an example: When I was first starting out I was reading trash psychic paperbacks in libraries at the age of 10. I was reading trash Wicca books and paperback copies of the Necronomicon in the back of the Chapters at the age of 14. At 19 I'm working on an interpretation of the Corpus Hermeticum at the University of Toronto (not for class, mind you...we just have a really, really extensive library). The point that I'm trying to make is that there are a lot of people who are looking for magic, but don't have the connections or the resources to find it.
As a previous poster said, if these people are going to become magicians, if they have the will and the desire, then they're going to become magicians whether they're reading "To Ride a Silver Broomstick", "The Corpus Hermeticum", or the Toronto residential phonebook. Magic is magic is magic. Eventually, through education, books, or internet they'll hopefully find a style of magic that works best for them.
This being said, and a previous comment being made, yes I do think of myself as a magician. Why? Becuase I like the word *shrugs*. If you're going to be describing yourself as something, I think you'd best find a word that you think sounds good. No offense, but mage, magus, magician, witch, warlock, whatever...they're all doing magic in the end. Besides...I rather fancy myself in a tuxedo with a tophat. I've always looked good in suits.
[..or the Books of Magic, then Promethea. In fact everyone should read Promethea, it's practically a guide to self-awakening and magick on it's own. I particularly love the scene where Austin Osman Spare, Crowley and John Dee interact with the characters for example, or the whole Thoth/Hermes sequence as they progress up the sephiroth.]-Quantum
I really do have to agree there. Promethea works excellently, I find, as a Hermetic primer (especially the later 2 books during the trip up the Tree of Life).
Then again, I practice something in between Hermeticism and chaos magic, so it may not work for everyone.
Suitcase:
...I find the concept of children and sigils to be strangley disturbing.
*ponders* However it makes some sense, I think. Children already scribble and make up nonsense alphabets. When imbued with meaning, what are those but sigils? |
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