Previously we’ve looked at the hazards of dismissing someone out of turn simply because they’re deemed “too popular“, but how do they get that way in the first place?

Recently on a forum someone inquired as to whether there were any “world renowned” LHP practitioners “like what Phil Hine is for chaos magick”.  This struck me as odd on at least two accounts.

Certainly, Phil Hine has written several well received books about chaos magick (namely Condensed Chaos and Prime Chaos), but why does Hine, for this person, serve to represent chaos magick? Continue reading »

Popularity: 35%

It’s been interesting reading the responses to guest blogger Dr Dave Evans‘ review of the new Aleister Crowley film Chemical Wedding over the past week. In addition to responses posted here, there have been a number of positive (or at least amused) comments on private blogs and journals, and at several which have been more public.

Crowley forum LAShTAL.com has been collecting Chemical Wedding reviews from various media sources, comparing and contrasting them and commenting on what they find, including the one posted here. Dave’s replies to commentators on the forum explore the various positions from which he disliked the film.

Taylor Ellwood‘s response in his blog Experiments of a Magician struck me as rather odd. Rather than taking an interest in the film itself, Ellwood seemed pleased the movie received a terrible review because he hates Crowley. Continue reading »

Popularity: 5%

Megalithica Books is releasing A Heretic’s Guide to Thelema by Gerald del Campo in June 2008. The book will be a revised compilation of his two earlier books New Aeon Magick: Thelema Without Tears and New Aeon English Qabalah Revealed, and a new text, The Ethics of Thelema.

The first fifty pre-orders for the book will be accompanied by a CD by his band, Trick Sensei. Continue reading »

Popularity: unranked

Published by Megalithica Books, and edited by Taylor Ellwood, author of several books on magick (most recently Multi-Media Magic:), Manifesting Prosperity: A Wealth Magic Anthology is an anthology dedicated to wealth magick.

I just received my copy today, and have not yet had a chance to read it yet, but it looks promising, as there are a number of talented writers who have contributed, such Wes Unruh, Nick Farrell, and…yours truly.

A little over halfway through is my essay, “Strategic Magick”, on using SMART goals to focus intent, create attainable goals and achieve them. The sample sigils look really pixelated but convey the basic idea.

If you’re in Toronto and want to purchase it from me directly, let me know. Otherwise, check your usual channels and remember kids, whenever you can, support your local independent bookstores.

Manifesting Prosperity: A Wealth Magic Anthology, edited by Taylor Ellwood
Megalithica Books, 9781905713158, 179 pp., 2008

Popularity: 2%

Magick on the Edge: Adventures in Experimental Magick, edited by Taylor Ellwood
Immanion Press, 1905713053, 317 pp., 2007

Anthologies present the opportunity to catch up with familiar authors and meet new ones and allow the reader to sample an assortment of styles and opinions. The theme for Magick on the Edge is “experimental occultism”, which seems a little perplexing at first. I understand that they’re trying to set themselves apart from chaos magick, but surely all magick is experimental?

Though a motley collection, the essays have been gathered into several themes, such as Space/Time Magic (no Ks in the table of contents), Magical Linguistics, Technology and Magic, New Approaches to Traditional Forms of Magic, Sex Magic and Inner Alchemy.

Nick Farrell’s “Experimentation as a Magical Path” immediately follows the introduction, but, unfortunately, does little to inspire the reader to continue reading the rest of the anthology. In an essay that makes a sensible argument or two for breaking from tradition and practicing “experimental” magick, the author, disappointingly, demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of chaos magick or Thelema . Later, he randomly asserts that “if you don’t believe in some sort of God, you are wasting your time doing magic”, though he offers no reason why this might be, beyond his own personal bias. We are supposed to trust his opinions on this simply because he said so. This doesn’t seem terribly progressive. Continue reading »

Popularity: 3%