Rating: 
Summary: Real Magick?
Review: Mr. Bonewits(apt name) wouldn`t know real magick, if it bit him on his ass!
Rating: 
Summary: This is IT! The magickal masterpiece!
Review: "Real Magic" by P.E.I. Bonewits (the only person to have been granted a degree in "Magic and Thaumaturgy" by the University of California) is the sine qua non of magickal handbooks for beginners, whether neophyte practicing mage or the scholarly outsider. Bonewits is a philologist by training, explaining just what certain magical terms MEAN. A "sorcerer," for example, is some who divines the future or casts spells by casting "lots," whether they be tarot cards, I Ching stalks, runes, or the Ummim and Thummim of the Levite priests -- that is the practice of "sortilege," no matter what is being cast or who is doing the casting, woad-rubbed Druid or silk pantalooned spokesman of Jehovah shooting craps with sacred dice.Oh, and about "the Druid thing" -- Bonewits is one. He's a co-founder, in fact, of the New and Reformed Druids, which began as a collegiate rebellion against mandatory chapel attendance at one school. Chapel attendance was mandatory, but no rule dared specify HOW students should worship, nor WHAT (nor WHOM) they should worship, so modern Druidism was born (along with many inebriated rituals with uisghebegh, literally, "the water of life"), and it grew into a substantial and academically respected religious tradition of the modern world. The scholarly work of Bonewits went far towards this development. But nothing written by Bonewits for the laity is to be feared as too academically dry for a good read. Au contraire! Bonewits writes with good humor and self-effacement. He remarks, for instance, how the first edition's, "So you've decided that your mother-in-law has got to go" became the second edition's, "So you've decided that the local dictator has got to go...." Thus begins one of the few actual spells Bonewits presents, his spell for anger and destruction. (There's also a generic love/lust spell, too.) One of the great strengths of Bonewits is that he does not present the high-falutin' chants and incantations and specifications that make the typical "Book of Shadows" seem more like a somewhat shady cookbook or electronic assembly handbook than a guide to the realm of the mysterious and arcane. Stardust Wondermorning Skysong Raven (Wiccan High Priestess, 89th level, 2 month's experience in "The Craft") is going to be s.o.l. trying to find a collection of feel-good sing-along songs for the next Sabbat in "Real Magic," because Bonewits sharply points out that any such collection is useless for anyone except the author or compositor (or someone closely bound to them); magick is a PERSONAL matter, and Bonewits tries to teach his readers how to express their desires and CREATE THEIR OWN SPELLS. Much of modern magickal literature and theory owes its origins to "Real Magic," including the now-popular "colors of magic" theories of fantasy literature and pop wizardry. (Forget "black" and "white" -- REAL magic is all about the colors, from infra-red to ultra-violet. Yellow magick is magick dealing with intelligence, the intellect, divination, or any mantic art -- unless, presumably, blue suits your spells better for those purposes. Bonewits's suggestion that indigo magick might be suited for spells involving the Angel NASA might have come in handy during most of the past decade!) "Chaos magick" would probably not exist at all without Bonewits. Behind its high-tech trappings and advanced physics theories lurks Bonewits and his decades-old idea that a "magic laser" would be a lot more effective for dealing with the old mother-in-law (er ... local dictator!) than a pin or a needle in a "voodoo doll." And young Harry Potter should probably recognize P.E.I. Bonewits as his godfather ahead of that shaggy fellow in the fireplace -- it's all in the improvisation as "Real Magic" readers know. An especially useful section for the Stardust Wondermorning Skysong Raven types of the world is Bonewits's guide to cults. Beyond simply saying that they are bad, however, he presents a rating scale of cult activities and beliefs which allows the reader to rate ANY organization for cult-like behavior. Had this book been more widely available after its initial publication, Pat Robertson would today probably still be shilling immortality potions to geriatrics instead of presiding over the half billion dollar 700 Cult, whose adherents literally believe that Pat LITERALLY talks to God and gets (or, for all we know, GIVES) financial and election advice (fat lot of good that bit did HIM!). Using the cult danger scale reveals that the Church of Satan or the average Wiccan coven is a lot less dangerous to a member's mental and physical well-being than several "respectable" churches which have churned out far more killers, rapists, mad bombers, and politicians per thousand members than the whole "New Age Conspiracy" put together. "Real Magic" is the fruit of the higher education of P.E.I. Bonewits, and this book distils what would otherwise be AT LEAST a decade's pre-Internet study of magick into a single volume which can be read in a day. And then re-read with enjoyment and (hopefully) further enlightenment many, many times thereafter. Five stars -- an absolute MUST for any library of the occult or of magick.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the best intro
Review: A classic among its genre. This book gives the whole spiel on occult knowledge and serves as one of the best introductions to this area of interest. Bonewits has a wry sense of humor and definitely loves a pun or two. He displays an awesome intellect without being to heavy. This book should be a must for any novice stepping into the areas of occult, magic, druidism, Wicca, etc. He succinctly explains some hard to grasp areas and can tell a good story to boot. This book mixes humor, wit, and professionalism to such an honest degree that I cannot help but heap lots of praise.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Beginning Point
Review: At first this book drove me absolutely crazy. I hate Isaac Bonewits writing style, his tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, his pedantic editorializing and especially his endless political rhetoric.
At this point you're probably wondering why I gave this book 5 stars.
The reason is because this book is phenomenal. I had to ignore, or at the very least wade through his smarmyness, but what I found when I did so was pure gold. He explains in perfect but simple detail the fact and opinion behind magical practice, from classical hermetics to modern parapsychology. I grew by leaps and bounds while I read it.
This work was the first of its kind: A truly interdisciplinary review of magic and paranormal phenomena. While the author can't be called non-biased (by any stretch of the imagination... on any topic), he is well-researched, logical and thorough. I cannot recommend any book more than this for a beginner in the realm of magic. I wish it had been my first.
Rating:
Summary: Top Pick
Review: for years when someone comes to me asking that I teach them this book has by and far been the first book that I like to put into their hands. Not only does it draw you in, it informs and teaches with each return to the pages, read it again and again, you keep learning each time you dig into the pages. Its not just for beginners, although for a beginner on the path this is the best book to get a firm grasp of the basics from. When asked to back up my beliefs Ive often quoted from the pages of this wonderful book. Not only do you get taught about Real Magick from the book, you also get taught how to think, how to open up your eyes and observe the world around you. by far this is truely one of my favorite books and holds the place of honor within my library.
Rating: 
Summary: Average
Review: I once saw isaac bonewits in a seminar...I find this book more on target than he was that day. I don`t feel this book has a real grasp of what real magic is all about. mr. bonewits is all over the place...Neo-Pagenism as a movement is rather weak.
Rating:
Summary: Finally the Truth
Review: In my path I've searched for a book that would both address the science and the magic of magic... this is it. Be prepaired to re evaluate your beliefs and have your mind challenged. I have certainly grown as a result of reading Real Magic. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, but not unflawed
Review: Isaac Bonewits' _Real Magic_ is one of the first serious books on magical theory I read, and one that reveals new insights with every re-reading. It is the first book that comes to mind when I am asked about books on magic because of Bonewits' engaging style and willingness to think through his theories. Bonewits himself does show through in his work in ways both good and bad, however.
Unlike many other books on such topics, Bonewits writes in a clear, academic style, with bits of dry wit sprinkled throughout. I found it as lucid to read as an issue of _Science Digest_, and a fair bit more entertaining (his comments on haruspicy, for instance, contain a real howler). _Real Magic_ is written such that the beginner will pick up on the broad strokes while perhaps not catching the finer bits of detail that reveal themselves with further attention. The more right-brained might find it dry, however, as Bonewits examines magic with the tools of various by academic disciplines (I have heard that Antero Alli's _Angel Tech_ may be more palatable for such, but I have not fully read that book).
Make no mistake, this book does focus on magical theory, and it does so from a viewpoint that excludes the concept of the supernatural. I would call it materialist as Bonewits does, but that term has confused people in the past. Bonewits ranges from discussions of common elements of ritual practice worldwide to attempts to explain magical effects using scientific principles. Though there are suggested practical exercises sprinkled throughout, the book is not organized around them.
For those looking for followup reading, _Real Magic_ has an extensive glossary and bibliography, though the age does show on both of them in spots.
I would be remiss if I did not discuss what I consider to be _Real Magic_'s biggest flaw. Bonewits, frankly, has little tolerance for monotheistic fundamentalism and attacks Christianity and monotheism in a few spots within _Real Magic_. I have given copies of _Real Magic_ to friends and warned them that about the rants but also said the rest of the book is truly worth it - hence my giving it five stars. After reading it they agreed, but at least one told me that had I not said it was worth it they would have not read past the vitriol the first time it appeared.
Rating: 
Summary: Very interesting, Very hard to get into...but, well worth it
Review: Isaac Bonewits, has wrote a classic. This book is pact full of info that is very interesting and very well researched. The only problem about this book is that it was very hard to get into, and at times it had very complex subjects at times. Also, the book drags as well and Mr. Bonewits beats around the bush too much with way too many scientific terms at times, which i thought he should of gotten to the point. However, this book is very well worth your time. If you are wiccan i truly recommend this book to you, if you truly want to know how "spells" work and how "rituals" work.
Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining & Systematic Study of "Magic"
Review: Not stage magic, but REAL MAGIC. Isaac Bonewitz graduated from Cal Berkeley in 1970 with a BA in magic and thaumaturgy. This book is not a grimoire of arcane spells and occult symbols. No recipes calling for "eye of Newt" will be found within. This is a systematic attempt to study, categorize, and perhaps even explain the phenomena of magic, from ESP to Eastern ritual. Bonewitz does not write a superstitious text. He claims "I am not anti-scientific... What I have objected to is the modern worship of science as an infallible source of truth, endowed with 'supernatural' powers over mortal men." Early on, Bonewitz describes laws of magic, gleaned from multiple cultures and magical system. These include relatively obvious ideas, such as the Law of Knowledge (Knowledge is power & Know thyself) and esoteric ones, like the Law of True Falsehoods (If it's a paradox, it's probably true). He considers parapsychology, doing a useful job of considering some phenomena, and a more dubious job of trying to explain them. Nevertheless, this chapter does a coherent job of postulating why "mainstream" science does not verify parapsychological claims. One of the most important chapters considers the difference between "Black" and "White" magic. "The whole idea of White as Good and Black as Evil is purely the result of cultural bigotries." (p. 95) While magic, as any other tool, can be ethical or unethical, ethics are not a matter of "light" or "dark." His most practical chapter is the one entitled Fundamental Patterns of Ritual. "The best spells and rituals are modern ones, written by yourself and designed to affect you personally, with your twentieth-century mind." (p. 162) The book has a good, but dated bibliography. What use is it? It's a good introduction to contemporary magical practice, as opposed to the "Do this spell this way because the ancients (or some other authority) did it this way." Bonewitz explains why things might work and what type of an approach might be useful to adopt. It's good reading for the magic practitioner. It complements the various magical system books available (How to be a Witch in 13 Easy Lessons) as well as the more scholarly anthropological texts (such as Eliade's The Sacred and the Profane, which I have also reviewed). It's a laudatory attempt to move beyond the works of Aleister Crowley, Scott Cunningham, and Janet & Stewart Farrar. (If you've enjoyed this review, consider reading my other reviews here on Amazon. Thanks, Elderbear)
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