The Magician's Reflection: A Complete Guide to Creating Magical Symbols & Systems

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference....and not just for Magicians
Review: I picked this book up after reading through it's predecessor, The Magician's Companion. I expected to find it to be a rework of the same material. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was only so in the most superficial of ways.

Bill Whitcomb focuses more on archetypes in "Reflection", while "Companion" focused on already-existing magickal systems. This book gives the reader the basic framework for creating their own magickal system through hundreds of archetypes and exercises at the end of each chapter that allow the reader to reflect more on the archetypes covered. The last few chapters of the book guide the reader through the creation of their own magickal system...from rituals to alphabets to invocations and evocations.

While this is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in magickal works, it is also a wonderful guide to archetypes for anyone interested in such fields as psychology and understanding the symbolism of the mind.

Rating:
Summary: A powerful combination of psychology and mysticism
Review: Instead of trying to indoctrinate the reader into the dogma of any particular system, this book gives you real perspective on what magic is, and how it works. Whitcomb touches on general ideas such as the function of ritual and trance induction, then delves into magical symbolism in a way that's accessable without trying to emasculate the subject matter.

The author also demonstrates a knowledge of sources as diverse as Jung, Crowley, and writers more obscure. I bought this and Whitcomb's The Magician's Companion as reference books for writing fiction. I got not only that, but also the distinct impression that a very special kind of working knowledge of the unconscious mind and its inherent power for inner change can reside in the actual USE of symbols. Whitcomb takes material that has for decades been disected by psychology and mythology and shows you how to put it back together and give it life again. And nothing is required but an open mind and a touch of romanticism.

Rating:
Summary: Create Your Own Magical Symbol System Now!
Review: The Magician's Reflection is written by the same author as The Magician's Companion, is yet another reference book for your magickal library. This volume coupled with the other is the most complete set available to date of the world's magickal symbols and will help all students of the Craft from beginner to seasoned practitioner.

The Book is divided into three sections. Part 1 deals with magickal symbolism. It includes how to work with the Archetypes, working with the mythos and creating yur own, working with color, numerology, shapes, metals, stones, herbs, trees, and more. The list is extensive and each chapter has exercise to bring the work to a practical personal level of understanding and comprehension.

Part 2 is "Putting it all together" and creating a personal symbolism system that is unique unto you. This is a very powerful form of magickal application that is not taught except in bits and pieces elsewhere! Learn to create your own magickal alphabet. Learn what the different parts of a system are and how to energize them.

The third part is working with the system you have created to do specific works including: naming a magical being, pathworking, astral work, evocation, invocation, etc. Page after page this volume is well-worth owning!