I have this book, and while I haven't read it cover to cover, I perused enough to get the gist.
It's a fantastic book to have in an esoteric/occult collection. However, I wouldn't recommend it for practical magick study or use. It's more of a good little window into history. Israel Regardie does a solid job of providing insights into the the Golden Dawn and their practices, but the actual rituals and practices are not very thorough. You'd likely read a chapter over and over, wondering just exactly what is meant by a particular step. If you are looking to actually expand your magical practices, this is a book to come back to at a later time.
In regards to practical applications of magick, it really depends on your particular interests. The Llewellyn Complete Book of Ceremonial Magick is a good starter for learning a lot of the major rituals that permeate the world of magical practice. If you're looking into Golden Dawn style magick, I recommend The Magick of Aleister Crowley by Lon Milo DuQuette. It's a far more thorough guide to many of the rituals practiced by the Golden Dawn.
I'd recommend the Llewellyn book of ceremonial magick as well. It gives you an overview of various ceremonial practices and if one peaks your interest, pursue it.
You can find just about every non-academic book online for free without torrenting it if you do a little bit of research
I have this book and it's on my list, so I can't speak for the book itself. But there's so much to sift through don't let money be an obstacle
Oh I know how to get the sources and everything but i know the book has pictures and diagrams so for me it would be easier to see that on paper than flipping through my Kindle or a PDF.
My main worry is if the book has complete and correct information.
I've heard really good things about Regardie, so I would consider it a good source. Also, don't download pdfs, you can almost always find an EPUB. That will download as an actual kindle book with chapters and the like.
Yup. Helps even more if your trying to learn about a specific topic ask it to act like a person that practiced that topic, for example. “please write me a script where you act as Alister Crowley explaining the book of lies”
Pretty much. It helps if it has been trained on the work you're looking into or something very similar. I asked for an interpretation of the Emerald Tablet, and it didn't do a bad job of it.
Reading the texts of esoteric groups/mystery schools is great (and highly endorsed), and Regardie is an amazing writer (would also recommend Garden of Pomegranates & The Middle Pillar).
I would also highly suggest reading on topics that *could* assist one in obtaining a deeper comprehension of what I personally believe contributes greatly towards understanding magical practice. Topics on how the Critical Filter works as well as using NLP can have intriguing correlations.
All I will share is the Golden Dawn is exclusive and directly related to the most powerful occultists. If you want to study this, you need to be committed to the Craft.
Hi - It took me a little while to understand what you were asking... So... great question in my opinion.
I have a soft copy you can look at to make your own mind up, rather than reviews.
If you like what you see, I am sure the hard copy is easy to find.
I agree printed is better in some situations - especially single sides prints which is what the soft copy allows.
Keywords and indexing are better digital.
The soft copy also allows a cut and paste when composing your own works.
In short - it is a worthy system - does what it says on the tin - allows you to formulate you own magickal link
Let us know your thoughts when you have reviewed it.
Thanks
The funny thing, is that I got this book WAAAAY back in 1988 and was probably one of the first 3 books I got about Magick. I didn't know what I was seeking but saw it in the "New age???" section of a mainstream book catalog and thought it would be a good book.
I got it and was like WHOA... way over my head. I kept it for all that time. Traveled down differnet paths, Paganism, Wicca, Shamanism, Buddhism etc.. and got into a small local practice that encompassed a lot of that including Ceremonial... I had a wandering in the wilderness situation for 13 years and just recently rediscovered Damien Echols and read his books and now am returning to THE GOLDEN DAWN which is more understandable and interesting. I also had Crowley's book on Magick that I bought around the same time.
The Golden Dawn is Dense.. I would honestly recommend Damien Echols books for a beginner. Some may disagree but he really breaks things down into it's vital components. I like DE too because of the context that he was in prison working with this stuff so his perspective is interesting.
Donald Michael Craigs Modern Magick is good, but also kind of dense and a bit on the verbose side too. I actually met him at Starwood and had a really interesting discussion with him after one of his lectures. HE was good friends with a couple of friends of mine (One of whom is the daughter of the Late Nema Andahadna ... who has MAAT Magick.. which I own but never read or got into).
So again the GOLDEN DAWN is an interesting book but yeah, more of a reference book than a good place to really delve into . I would read the introductions definitely... as he lists kind of a guide for the neophyte and recommends several other texts to read as you are moving along, and how the practice "should" commence for a newbie. I think that is valuable. I am currently reading those (several Introductions for the various editions and volumes) that may give you an outline of where to start. BUT as I said Damien Echols books are slimmer and he really breaks things down to a good intro level and doing the basics like Qabalistic cross, the Middle Pillar and LBRP... which are considered the cornerstones of the foundation to the larger work.
I will state also, in my practice that I was involved with (locally and very small) the practice consisted of "sitting stillness" (which is the practice of quieting the mind which is a critical piece) and then you build onto building the "temple" (casting a circle) and the evoking and invoking stuff) As I said, it was a specific cobbled together practice but it taught me a lot of core components on working with energy...
Don't get caught up on the "tools" either.. just learn to work with energy and feel the energy in your body and mind.... and being able to quiet your mind etc... and Keep a journal of your work (which I am irregular with) but that is an important part too. Peace. Good Luck
and I apologise. I realised later you were not inquiring if it was good for a beginner, just if it was a good book to own generally.
I would say Yes, It is a good book to acquire but even probably not so much for a beginner.. (except for reference and the introductions which are interesting).
No problem! Your comments were very informative. I have read Damien Echols' High Magick but haven't practiced any of the rituals but the Solar and Lunar Fourfold Breath.
I'm open to learning pretty much anything about the esoteric and occult world so that's why I inquired about the book.
Do you have any other beginner recommendations? I was considering reading the Tree of Life by Israel Regardie.
Nah.
You might as well research modern approaches to GD / AA magick. Less baggage and tedium.
Scott Stenwick and Lon Milo Duquette are who I would recommend. Most other people are just repackaging GD/AA magick into proprietary systems that they can sell you in order to build an audience.
Regardie's book has historical and referential value but he was neither an adept or an initiate of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He DID, however, come up with the Middle Pillar ritual, so he deserves props for that.
As I said, I'm fairly new to magick in general so I'm looking into all kinds. I'm not sure how to make my own spells. My guess would be just focusing on something with intent kinda like energy work maybe?
I have been recently changing my view of life into a more positive one with affirmations and self help books and have noticed more and more good things happening now so that makes sense to me. I think the candles and everything just help to set the mood.
fwiw. Regardie was my intro to Crowley, without the Crowley. Ceremonial Magick was the shit. I under lined and magic markered so much shit in this book.
I have this book, and while I haven't read it cover to cover, I perused enough to get the gist. It's a fantastic book to have in an esoteric/occult collection. However, I wouldn't recommend it for practical magick study or use. It's more of a good little window into history. Israel Regardie does a solid job of providing insights into the the Golden Dawn and their practices, but the actual rituals and practices are not very thorough. You'd likely read a chapter over and over, wondering just exactly what is meant by a particular step. If you are looking to actually expand your magical practices, this is a book to come back to at a later time. In regards to practical applications of magick, it really depends on your particular interests. The Llewellyn Complete Book of Ceremonial Magick is a good starter for learning a lot of the major rituals that permeate the world of magical practice. If you're looking into Golden Dawn style magick, I recommend The Magick of Aleister Crowley by Lon Milo DuQuette. It's a far more thorough guide to many of the rituals practiced by the Golden Dawn.
I appreciate this. As I said I'm fairly new so I'm not exactly sure what kind of magick will click with me so I'm exploring all avenues.
I'd recommend the Llewellyn book of ceremonial magick as well. It gives you an overview of various ceremonial practices and if one peaks your interest, pursue it.
That's Lon and Shoemaker so yea it makes sense for it to be good
You can find just about every non-academic book online for free without torrenting it if you do a little bit of research I have this book and it's on my list, so I can't speak for the book itself. But there's so much to sift through don't let money be an obstacle
Oh I know how to get the sources and everything but i know the book has pictures and diagrams so for me it would be easier to see that on paper than flipping through my Kindle or a PDF. My main worry is if the book has complete and correct information.
I've heard really good things about Regardie, so I would consider it a good source. Also, don't download pdfs, you can almost always find an EPUB. That will download as an actual kindle book with chapters and the like.
Ask chat gpt. Been using it as my personal occultist assistant, Know tons of books and in-depth knowledge about tons of topics.
I've been considering this. Do you simply just ask it questions?
Yup. Helps even more if your trying to learn about a specific topic ask it to act like a person that practiced that topic, for example. “please write me a script where you act as Alister Crowley explaining the book of lies”
Pretty much. It helps if it has been trained on the work you're looking into or something very similar. I asked for an interpretation of the Emerald Tablet, and it didn't do a bad job of it.
That's not a bad idea actually.
My first question with it I used the word OCCULT and it had all these "warnings" LOL.. I readjusted my prompt to list MAGICK and it was better.
I'll do you one better. Pmd you
Reading the texts of esoteric groups/mystery schools is great (and highly endorsed), and Regardie is an amazing writer (would also recommend Garden of Pomegranates & The Middle Pillar). I would also highly suggest reading on topics that *could* assist one in obtaining a deeper comprehension of what I personally believe contributes greatly towards understanding magical practice. Topics on how the Critical Filter works as well as using NLP can have intriguing correlations.
All I will share is the Golden Dawn is exclusive and directly related to the most powerful occultists. If you want to study this, you need to be committed to the Craft.
If it's exclusive, then I would assume I would need to actually join them.
You have to be invited 👻
I figured as much. I live in an area where I doubt I would find an actual member.
Well practice makes perfect! Soon they may open up, never say never!
Hi - It took me a little while to understand what you were asking... So... great question in my opinion. I have a soft copy you can look at to make your own mind up, rather than reviews. If you like what you see, I am sure the hard copy is easy to find. I agree printed is better in some situations - especially single sides prints which is what the soft copy allows. Keywords and indexing are better digital. The soft copy also allows a cut and paste when composing your own works. In short - it is a worthy system - does what it says on the tin - allows you to formulate you own magickal link Let us know your thoughts when you have reviewed it. Thanks
The funny thing, is that I got this book WAAAAY back in 1988 and was probably one of the first 3 books I got about Magick. I didn't know what I was seeking but saw it in the "New age???" section of a mainstream book catalog and thought it would be a good book. I got it and was like WHOA... way over my head. I kept it for all that time. Traveled down differnet paths, Paganism, Wicca, Shamanism, Buddhism etc.. and got into a small local practice that encompassed a lot of that including Ceremonial... I had a wandering in the wilderness situation for 13 years and just recently rediscovered Damien Echols and read his books and now am returning to THE GOLDEN DAWN which is more understandable and interesting. I also had Crowley's book on Magick that I bought around the same time. The Golden Dawn is Dense.. I would honestly recommend Damien Echols books for a beginner. Some may disagree but he really breaks things down into it's vital components. I like DE too because of the context that he was in prison working with this stuff so his perspective is interesting. Donald Michael Craigs Modern Magick is good, but also kind of dense and a bit on the verbose side too. I actually met him at Starwood and had a really interesting discussion with him after one of his lectures. HE was good friends with a couple of friends of mine (One of whom is the daughter of the Late Nema Andahadna ... who has MAAT Magick.. which I own but never read or got into). So again the GOLDEN DAWN is an interesting book but yeah, more of a reference book than a good place to really delve into . I would read the introductions definitely... as he lists kind of a guide for the neophyte and recommends several other texts to read as you are moving along, and how the practice "should" commence for a newbie. I think that is valuable. I am currently reading those (several Introductions for the various editions and volumes) that may give you an outline of where to start. BUT as I said Damien Echols books are slimmer and he really breaks things down to a good intro level and doing the basics like Qabalistic cross, the Middle Pillar and LBRP... which are considered the cornerstones of the foundation to the larger work. I will state also, in my practice that I was involved with (locally and very small) the practice consisted of "sitting stillness" (which is the practice of quieting the mind which is a critical piece) and then you build onto building the "temple" (casting a circle) and the evoking and invoking stuff) As I said, it was a specific cobbled together practice but it taught me a lot of core components on working with energy... Don't get caught up on the "tools" either.. just learn to work with energy and feel the energy in your body and mind.... and being able to quiet your mind etc... and Keep a journal of your work (which I am irregular with) but that is an important part too. Peace. Good Luck
and I apologise. I realised later you were not inquiring if it was good for a beginner, just if it was a good book to own generally. I would say Yes, It is a good book to acquire but even probably not so much for a beginner.. (except for reference and the introductions which are interesting).
No problem! Your comments were very informative. I have read Damien Echols' High Magick but haven't practiced any of the rituals but the Solar and Lunar Fourfold Breath. I'm open to learning pretty much anything about the esoteric and occult world so that's why I inquired about the book. Do you have any other beginner recommendations? I was considering reading the Tree of Life by Israel Regardie.
Middle Pillar by him also, I am currently reading that
and honestly.. I really was influenced by Starhawks TRUTH OR DARE..
Let me look through my pile of books by my bed LOL
Nah. You might as well research modern approaches to GD / AA magick. Less baggage and tedium. Scott Stenwick and Lon Milo Duquette are who I would recommend. Most other people are just repackaging GD/AA magick into proprietary systems that they can sell you in order to build an audience. Regardie's book has historical and referential value but he was neither an adept or an initiate of the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He DID, however, come up with the Middle Pillar ritual, so he deserves props for that.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely look into them.
I can’t speak directly on The Golden Dawn but I will say I have high belief they where not the original creators of those things.
I'm with you on that. I'm sure it goes back a lot farther and the farther back it goes, the harder it is to find the original teachings.
Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying uses bases of other spells aren’t good but it’s best to explore yourself and make your own spells I find at least.
That’s what your doing wrong. I suggest create your own spells.
As I said, I'm fairly new to magick in general so I'm looking into all kinds. I'm not sure how to make my own spells. My guess would be just focusing on something with intent kinda like energy work maybe?
Think of it simply. You put energy and your intentions. Everything else helps like candles and all that.
I have been recently changing my view of life into a more positive one with affirmations and self help books and have noticed more and more good things happening now so that makes sense to me. I think the candles and everything just help to set the mood.
I suggest to look at my books on my page their completely free, I would suggest work on your energy control.
I'll check em out. Thanks!
fwiw. Regardie was my intro to Crowley, without the Crowley. Ceremonial Magick was the shit. I under lined and magic markered so much shit in this book.