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Book Recommendations.

Kursed_Moon

12:24 / 31.03.04

I'm new around here and I think I'll start off by asking for some reading recommendations. My girlfriend is a Wiccan witch so I've had a bit of experience in that are, though she's just getting into the role herself. I've done work primarily with ruin magic. I'm something of a priest in my religion (Mielikkian). Regardless, I'm primarily looking to expand my knowledge in various areas of magick, since its something innate to the priesthood, but not something I've ever really felt I've excelled at. Chaos Magick is of particular interest to me since I've never been one for strick form. any recommendations on where to get started would be appreciated. I'm planning on picking up the Invisibles series after seeing so many good reviews on it.

trouser the trouserian

12:48 / 31.03.04

Thread on freebie pdfs here
I'd reccomend Ray Sherwin's Theatre of Magick link to pdf version in the aforementioned thread.

Bed Head

13:02 / 31.03.04

Threads with reading lists Here and here.

Magic section of the faq here and also here; lots there which is worth a good read, if you’re curious about the varieties of barbe-flavoured thinking going on around here.

EvskiG

13:45 / 31.03.04

Mielikkian? You worship the Finnish nature goddess?

If you don't mind my asking, how did that come about?

Kursed_Moon

15:46 / 31.03.04

thanks for the responses.

I was a big fan of the Dark Elf books by Salvatore and played a bit of D&D for a while as well. Thats how I first came across her but since then its been more of a sudden feeling of finding the correct place for me. To put it short lets just say it involves a tree and a windstorm

Since then I've read through the Kalevala and found what sparse information I can on her, that isn't in Finnish. It's a lonely religion since no one else I know is an advocate, but thats the way of things where I live. Almost nothing but Christians around here who are all to happy to push their views on you.

Frank Fress

19:27 / 31.03.04

A lot of magickal literature can be tough to read (Crowley) but the magick books that I've thoroughly enjoyed are the ones by Peter Carroll. Carroll's irreverent sense of humor and unconventional format make his books a joy to read in contrast to Crowley's authoritative textbook boredom. Crowley's work is however essential and would do you good to familiarize yourself with it however pained the task of reading it is. Austin Osman Spare is a staple of Chaos Magick and in that light is as essential as Crowley. The recently released Disinformation: Book of Lies is also excellent and offers a sort of grab-bag of occult literature that is excellent for a newbie.

Kursed_Moon

21:11 / 31.03.04

thanks I'll check those out. I've read through some pretty droll stuff in my time so it doesn't bother me that much. I use to set there and read through pages of statistics in D&D manuals without any problem. can't be worse than that.

pythagore

21:43 / 31.03.04

I was a big fan of the Dark Elf books by Salvatore and played a bit of D&D for a while as well...

So the christians were right? RPGs obviously leads to occultism.

Kursed_Moon

22:01 / 31.03.04

In my opinion Christianity itself is all you need to drive you to occultism.

Ticker

23:23 / 20.03.07

Holy Mother of Catses!

Run, do not walk and get yourself a copy of Joscelyn Godwin's The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance. A beautiful compelling journey using visual pieces of Renaissance art you may or may not be familiar with (and so serves doubly as a wonderful introduction for some) into the transmission and modification of the Greco-Roman pantheon.

It's written in a very accessible manner, filled with gorgeous images, and tons of witty insights.

It also briefly details the Tarocchi of Mantegna and the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili as well as many other amazing treasures.

The Ghost of Tom Winter

02:53 / 21.03.07

If you want a wonderful book that looks at the processes of magic through an anthropological and some what "rational" way, get the book Mimesis and Alterity by Micheal Taussig.

It doesn’t go over any type of magic specifically but looks at the nature of magic in both western and non-western cultures.
Basically it all starts with the human desire to mimic something in order to gain it’s power. Then it just gets crazy from there.

ps. the book is really hard to follow and I just realized you said "newb" but perhaps you'd be interested nonetheless so I shall still post it.

Tuna Ghost: Pratt knot hero

07:37 / 21.03.07

I like to recommend Gareth Knight's A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism. Knight was one of Crowley's chums, I believe. Or at least he talks like he was. Big, durable book chock full of good stuff and sure to keep you busy for a while. I prefer this to Crowley's Qabalah stuff, personally.

Quantum

11:16 / 21.03.07

I just realized you said "newb"

If they're still around (that first post was 15:24 / 31.03.04) they wouldn't really count as a newb any more.

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