Llewellyn Worldwide will be releasing Sepher Raziel: A Sixteenth Century English Grimoire, by Don Karr today, September 1st, 2010.

From the description on the publisher’s website:

Sepher Raziel—also called Liber Salomonis—is a full grimoire in the Solomonic tradition from a sixteenth century manuscript. It contains seven books: the Clavis, concerned with astronomy and star configurations; the Ala, outlining the virtues of stones, herbs, and animals; the Tractatus Thymiamatus, which determines perfumes and suffumigations used in the Art; a treatise on times and hours of the day; a treatise on preparations, ritual purity, and abstinence; Samaim, a treatise on the different heavens and their angels; and finally, a treatise on the figures and properties used in invocation and their ordinances.

Also includes material on consecration and working with orisions, a book of magical directions, a version of Liber Lunae, and more.

I’m unfamiliar with this grimoire, though it seems to be well known in certain circles. Check out “The secret tradition of the Book of Archangel Raziel” by Bob Zuker, and this version, edited by Joseph H. Peterson for EsotericArchives.com.

It’s a hardcover with dustjacket; the suggested retail price is 65$US, but Amazon.com currently lists it at 40.95$US.

Another grimoire. Could be neat?

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After more than forty years, Llewellyn Worldwide is re-releasing The Complete Magick Curriculum of the Secret Order G.B.G.: Being the Entire Study, Curriculum, Magick Rituals, and Initiatory Practices of the G.B.G., by Louis T. Culling.

The new edition has been edited, revised and expanded by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, and, according to Donald Michael Kraig, is almost three times larger than the first edition, which was fewer than 130 pages. (This edition is 360 pages.)

From the book’s description on the publisher’s website:

Founded upon the revolutionary premise that High Magick can be distilled to a few powerful and efficient steps, Louis T. Culling’s original edition of this classic magick book broke all the rules. [...]

Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, publisher of Culling’s original edition of this book, offers illuminating commentary, definitions, and discussion points to render these profound magickal philosophies and practices even more accessible and relevant for contemporary magickal practice. This new edition is also an interesting philosophical commentary, answering a number of questions about historical occult orders and figures like Aleister Crowley.

The in-depth description offers more information on the last point: Continue reading »

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This October Andrieh Vitimus is back for Toronto Does Magic 2010, a series of courses from Friday 15th, to Sunday 17th.

The courses will be held at the Naka Ima Dojo on 171 East Liberty St. Unit, #116 in Toronto’s Liberty Village.

Friday’s classes will focus on chaos magick, NLP and Andrieh’s experience as an exorcist, magickian and Vodou priest, Saturday will consist of an all day boot-camp, culminating in a brunch and book signing on Sunday and a Real World Boot Camp Practicum.

Classes range from donations to 165$Cdn for the boot-camp if purchased separately, but if you pre-pay by August 31st you can attend all six events for 175$Cdn. On-site the complete package will cost 205$Cdn.

Last year I had the pleasure of being Andrieh’s guest at L’Heure Noir in Hamilton, and can attest to his skills as an speaker – he knows his stuff, and as the last event was such a blast, I’m sure this one will be as well.

For more information see Toronto Does Magic 2010.

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Over at Rune Soup Gordon introduced a book game with the following guidelines:

How would you introduce someone to magic using only books? He or she has a month in a lake house and will read whatever you tell them in the exact order that you tell them to. Not even any peeking at other books on the list.

It’s a good game, for the full list of rules and to participate, click here. You can see Gordon’s picks here. I offered my response in the comments section, but I thought I’d share it here too, with a little more about why I chose these books in particular.

My aim was a little different than Gordon’s, I took the game as a chance to create a new magickian from a complete skeptic, not to create a mini-Psyche – that would have been a different list altogether. Perhaps a project for another day.

Without further ado, here’s my list: Continue reading »

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A new and revised edition of Dave Lee‘s Chaotopia!: Sorcery and Ecstasy in the Fifth Aeon has been released by Mandrake of Oxford in a new expanded edition.

Lee has also launched a new blog, also titled Chaotopia!. At the moment it seems to house a few reviews; it’ll be interesting to see the direction it takes.

While we’re on the subject, chaos magick seems to be undergoing (another) revival at the moment. Phil Hine’s Prime Chaos: Adventures in Chaos Magic is also out in a new revised and expanded edition from Original Falcon. A review will be forthcoming.

Jason Miller’s posted a call-out to chaotes over on Strategic Sorcery. Chaos magick – and chaotes – have changed quite a bit since the current’s inception. Continue reading »

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