Book Discussion What are your favourite books that AREN'T available on WF?

[pixel_fortune]

(magic/occult books I mean)

What do you own that's only available in hardcopy, that you absolutely treasure, that you are not sorry at all to have spent money on?

And if you can say a bit about the book as well, and why you treasure it, that would be very valuable

(not expecting people to search WF to make sure it's not there btw! Just if as far as you know, it's not available as a PDF)

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For me that would be:

Changeling by Aidan Wachter. It's a lot more like Six Ways than Weaving Fate. A tonne of different practices and ideas that you can work into any flavour of magical practice. I've posted a couple of excerpts to Tutorial so won't go on about it.

Rod and Ring by Samuel David. Series of initiations into Mesopotamian devotional practice, all very historically grounded* (and grounded generally. He is clear that going through them doesn't make you a priest/ess for example, because that's a public/civic role). I would say it's not worth it if you're just interested in Mesopotamian magic; there's some stuff that would interest you, but not enough to justify the $$ hardcover.

* hope you like vacuuming up circles of flour!

Tentatively Helios Unbound by Nick Farrell. I have not owned this very long so it hasn't passed the test of time yet, but I am very impressed with the rituals and processes in the book, many of which you can do without committing to the full process. All ceremonial magic, centred on the PGM but taking from broader sources, and shaped towards self-knowledge and self-development. Includes greco-egyptian solar-oriented versions of the QC/LRP/Supreme Pentagram.

I was going to say Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore, but I actually just found a PDF version of that, so I will upload it tomorrow. Similarly there are books I'm very happy to have in hardcopy, like Six Ways and Holy Heretics, but I'm interested in books that you cannot get PDFs of, rather than just ones where you like having the hardcopy

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Please share your love for the books that can't be shared! Thank you!

 

[stratamaster78]

The 1st thing that popped in my mind was Changeling.

I’ve read and watched countless reviews on that book and really want a copy of it but my budget just hasn’t allowed for it yet.

I’ve scoured the internet for even a bad manual scan of it and can’t find anything.

I’ll probably think of some other books later but Changeling immediately came to mind.

 

[pixel_fortune]

Yeah, it's worth the money, but "worth the money" isn't the same as "I can afford it", hey. You could try setting up a Google price alert in case there's a crash sale, you never know.

Is there something you do own (or don't own, but have read) that you think other people are missing out on?

 

[stratamaster78]

Yeah, it's worth the money, but "worth the money" isn't the same as "I can afford it", hey. You could try setting up a Google price alert in case there's a crash sale, you never know.

Is there something you do own (or don't own, but have read) that you think other people are missing out on?

A couple come to mind but I can't go too in depth why because one I worked from a while ago and one I just started using.

The Book of Abrasax by Michael Cecchetelli

There is a scan of this but it's AWFUL but I've had the physical copy for 8 years and it's an AWESOME Grimoire that is a practical system based on the PGM.

I believe 'The Adjuration of Metatron' in on here somewhere which is roughly equivalent to the LBRP if anyone wants to have a taste of what the rituals in the book are like.

Another interesting one is the 'Calling of the Sevenths to Induce Equilibrium' which is roughly equivalent to a Hexagram ritual that Invokes the Planets.

I would recommend this one to anybody who has an interest in the PGM but who wants a more let's say structured way of working with it.



The Science of Kabbalah by Lazare Lenain trans by Piers A Vaughn

I just started reading and using this one and as far as I know a digital version doesn't exist anywhere.

But it essentially covers just about anything you want to know about the Shem HaMephorash Angels including Tables that correspond to Hours and Days and Dates etc.

It also includes 3 Different versions of Seals/Sigils, Psalms, and various Offices and Powers for each Angel that you can use to create your own workings from.

I have been pairing it with Wellcome MS 3209 'The Divine Cabal' also attributed to Lazare Lenain for creating a ritual to initiate myself with the Shem.

 

[pixel_fortune]

Really interesting, thank you! The Science of Kabbalah I had never heard of (which is what I was hoping to get out of asking the question, even though my own examples are well known)

 

[Mrknshtkaah]

There are indeed a few works that I would LOVE to have electronic copies of (scans included), but have only found in paper form.

1) The Spell Of Making by Blacksun

This is a practical, hands-on manual for thaumaturgy (ritual construction) that I frequently return to for reference purposes. The author has published another work since on the same topic (Crafting Pagan Rituals), but I prefer his first book on the subject.

The Table Of Contents is as follows:

Acknowledgements
Forward
Prologue - The Spell Of Making
1 - Why A Book About Rituals?
1 - Ritual And The Unconscious
3 - A Shopping List For Ritual Construction
4 - What's Different About A Ritual?
5 - The Eight Steps Of Ritual Building
6-13 - Ritual Building, Steps #1 - #8
14 - Applying Your Skills And Knowledge
15 - Through The Looking Glass
16 - Be Careful What You Invoke
17 - The Greatest Ritual Of All Is Called Life!


2) The Forgotten Mage: The Magical Lectures of Colonel C.R.F. Seymour, edited by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki (the inner leaf adds Concerning The Ancient Mystery Religions And Their Relevance To Magical Initiation Today)

Colonel Seymour was a strongly pagan minded adeptus with The Society Of Inner Light in the 1930s, and worked with both Dion Fortune and his eventual magical partners Christine Campbell Thomson and Paula Trevanion. He died suddenly in 1943. His collected essays comprise valuable and still vital roots of the pagan tradition.

The Table Of Contents is as follows:

Acknowledgements
Foreword By Alan Richardson
Editor's Preface And Introduction

Chapter

1 - The Meaning Of Initiation (August 1934)
2 - Magic In The Ancient Mystery Religions (December 1934 - March 1935)
3 - The Esoteric Aspect Of Religion (June 1935 - September 1936)
4 - Meditations For Temple Novices (March 1936 - September 1937)
5 - The Old Gods (October 1936 - September 1937)
6 - The Ancient Nature-Worship (June 1937)
7 - A Study Of Self-Initiation (October 1937)
8 - The Magna Mater (November 1937 - April 1938)
9 - The Children Of The Great Mother (May 1938 - September 1938)

3) The New Dimensions Red Book: A Symposium Of Practical Occultism, edited by Basil Wilby (the subtitle on the inner leaf is different - A Symposium Of Practical Aspects Of The Western Mystery Tradition) Helios Books, 1968

This is a stellar collection of seminal essays by pioneers in the Society Of Inner Light pathworking and contact tradition. I obtained it primarily because it had an essay by Colonel C.R.F. Seymour that was uncollected in The Forgotten Mage, and was delighted with the stellar overall contents. It's an invaluable reference and a joy to read.

The Table Of Contents is as follows:

1 - The Myth Of The Table Round by Dion Fortune
2 - Psychic And Occult Contacts by W. E. Butler
3 - A Guide To Experiments In Astral Magic by Gareth Knight
4 - Magic In East And West by Israel Regardie
5 - The Four Magical Instruments by William G. Gray
6 - The Old Religion by F. P. D. (My note - Foy Pour Devoir or Faith For Duty, the magical name of Colonel CRF Seymour)
7 - The Grail Tests by S. F. Annett
8 - Four Fairy Poems by Joan Vigers

 

[pixel_fortune]

1) The Spell Of Making by Blacksun

This is a practical, hands-on manual for thaumaturgy (ritual construction) that I frequently return to for reference purposes. The author has published another work since on the same topic (Crafting Pagan Rituals), but I prefer his first book on the subject.

The Table Of Contents is as follows:

This is such a high-quality post, thank you so much for writing this out!

That first book especially looks fantastic.

I'm often reluctant to buy print books without a strong idea of what they're about (esp with shipping to my country) - I wish book reviews would post the ToC, hey!

 

[AlfrunGrima]

I can't remember if there are books about autogenic training. For me in the past that was helpful.