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Rating: Summary: Dissapointing Review: I bought Wiccan Magick off of amazon for 1.50 and Im really glad I did because I wouldn't have paid anymore for it if I would have known what I was in for. Ravenn Grimassi has always been my top favorite author so I was beyond excited to read Wiccan Magick. If I were a beginner Id think Grimassi was saying that Wicca is more folklore than magick. Id give this book to someone who wants more historical facts and references than magickal information.
Rating: Summary: Dissapointing Review: I bought Wiccan Magick off of amazon for 1.50 and Im really glad I did because I wouldn't have paid anymore for it if I would have known what I was in for. Ravenn Grimassi has always been my top favorite author so I was beyond excited to read Wiccan Magick. If I were a beginner Id think Grimassi was saying that Wicca is more folklore than magick. Id give this book to someone who wants more historical facts and references than magickal information.
Rating: Summary: I couldn't finish it Review: I was impressed and enjoyed Wiccan Mysteries (would give it a 5 out of 5 for what it is worth) by this very author and so I purchased this book and I thought it would be as well thought out. Instead as I read it I found most of it was watered down basics of the foundation of "wiccan magick" and I would suggest many other books for a beginner before this one; which was written with out the background information. Overall I found that it didn't say anything particularly refreshing, ingenuitive or really thought provoking to keep me interested. One of my disagreements with this book was a chapter on stones/crystals that was very inadequate. If you like to read books that sound more like folklore then magick or a path to spirituality rather then a little stroll in the lifeless park of religion then you might just Like this book a great deal.
Rating: Summary: I couldn't finish it Review: I was impressed and enjoyed Wiccan Mysteries (would give it a 5 out of 5 for what it is worth) by this very author and so I purchased this book and I thought it would be as well thought out. Instead as I read it I found most of it was watered down basics of the foundation of "wiccan magick" and I would suggest many other books for a beginner before this one; which was written with out the background information. Overall I found that it didn't say anything particularly refreshing, ingenuitive or really thought provoking to keep me interested. One of my disagreements with this book was a chapter on stones/crystals that was very inadequate. If you like to read books that sound more like folklore then magick or a path to spirituality rather then a little stroll in the lifeless park of religion then you might just Like this book a great deal.
Rating: Summary: You Will Feel Yourself Evolve Review: Journey with Raven Grimassi as you go deep into the core of Wicca. Learn the very essence of the power that defines and shapes the craft and bring that power to your own magickal workings with Wiccan Magick. Explore the philosophy and principles of Wicca and learn how to shape your own workings to bring your individual power to new heights. See how the past is intertwined with the present and bring that past to life as you delve into the ancestral ways, redefining the secrets of the past with the knowledge of today. Whether you are just curious about Wicca, a beginner or an adept, you will gain insight and advancement in the ways of the craft. As you read each page of Wiccan Magick, you will feel yourself evolve. Pick up a copy and see how far you can go. M.L. Benton, Publisher, Echoed Voices. Copyright © December 2001
Rating: Summary: so good Review: One of the first books I read when I was starting out, it is much different than most other "101" or beginner books. It belongs beside every wiccan's copy of "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham.
Rating: Summary: Interesting Review: Raven Grimassi empowers the practitioner by going beyond the "how's" of magick and into the "why's." He presents some excellent techniques for charging various minerals and herbs, raising and projecting energy, visualization, astral travel, and strengthening both the will and the imagination. I especially appreciated how Mr. Grimassi tangibly illustrated the universal-nature of these principles by pointing out thier many parallels with eastern philosophies. (For those with any background in yoga --particilarly kriya yogo-- the parallels are obvious.) I particularly enjoyed the chapters that detailed the many esoteric symbolisms woven into some of the tarot cards (specifically the Hanged Man and the Magician.) I also enjoyed the chapter that discussed the multi-layered symbolism of the ritual tools. I read this book in conjunction with one of Mr. Grimassi's other books, The Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origin and Teachings. Wiccan Magick takes some of the material discussed in the chapter call "the Magickal Arts" from Wiccan Mysteries and greatly expounds upon it. These books are both wonderful references, especially for beginners.
Rating: Summary: Well Beyond 101 Review: Unlike most books written on magick for a Wiccan audience, Grimassi's book is a serious look at authentic techniques rooted in metaphysics and sound occult principles. This book explains the reasons why magick works and why fails when it doesn't work. Chapter one presents a brief overview of how the idea of magick evolved in the human mind from ancient times, but Grimassi does not present a history of Wicca itself. Chapter two explores folk magick principles and techniques. Chapter three covers herbs and how to plant, care for, and harvest them for magickal purposes. Grimassi also has a section on using herbs for preparing ritual tools, and a list of various herbs and their properties and associations. Chapter four is an interesting one dealing with rocks and crystals. Grimassi presents techniques for charging them with the energy of the sun and the moon. Chapter five is a very detailed examination of the four elements and the elemental spirits associated with earth, air, fire, and water. Grimassi explains how to use the elements and how to prepare magickal fluids, and so forth. Chapter six explores the Astral realm and explains many things about this misunderstood dimension and how it affects magickal workings. Chapter seven presents material about the energy of the human body and the mind. The concepts may be difficult for beginners to understand, but this is an important chapter. Chapter eight is about the art of magick itself, and goes beyond anything I've seen in print to date. Grimassi covers everything from electro-magnetic energy (generated by the body) to magickal links, to seasonal energies generated by the earth, and how to create your own effective rites and spells. Chapter nine deals with the conscious and subconscious mind, what Grimassi calls the "solar" and "lunar" consciousness. Chapter ten explores the structure of Wiccan rituals, use of tools, and the concept of initiation. The final chapter (11) focuses on the ethics of using magick, on walking the path of Wicca, and presents the eight stages of magickal attainment in the training of Wicca. If you're ready for a book on Wiccan magick with some real substance to it, minus the fluff and nonsense, then this is the book for you!
Rating: Summary: Much needed Review: Unlike most Wicca books that talk about magick this one addresses why and how magick works. It helps the reader to understand the magickal principles as well as providing information about other dimensions of reality. As anyone fairly well read on Wicca knows, incorporated into Wicca are elements of Freemasonry, Hermetic teachings, and various principles found in the Kaballah, as well as the basics of Western Occultism. The most commonly used technique for invoking with pentagrams in most Wiccan traditions is actually taken from the Golden Dawn, a magickal/mystical society founded prior to World War II. Grimassi reminds us not only of these foundation stones in modern Wicca, but goes beyond this and reveals many of the inner teachings that most Wiccan authors don't address. In this book you'll find information on the art of magick, the four elements, astral energies, designing rituals and much more. If you're looking for a Wicca book on magick with some meat on it, you won't find one better than this one.
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