Magick for Beginners: The Power to Change Your World

J. H. Brennan has written more than 50 books and has lectured internationally. His latest book, Magick for Beginners: The Power to Change Your World, is an easy to understand introduction to using magic. It isn't about pulling rabbits out of hats or other sleight-of-hand tricks. Brennan defines magic as "a collection of techniques, dating back at least 70,000 years, aimed at manipulating the human imagination in order to produce physical, psychological, or spiritual results." He emphasizes that there's more than one system of magic. Because his training was Qabalistically based, the techniques he describes include many elements from the Quabalah. Auto-suggestion and imagination play a huge role in the success of magic. Human imagination is also described as "astral" and the astral world is as real as the physical world. Practicing magic brings one into contact with the astral plane, and sometimes with astral entities. For this reason, Brennan starts with basic safeguards that all magicians need to learn before doing anything else. He then describes in great detail how and why magic works. He begins with "low magic," which includes instructions on how to produce a [$$$] bill. Low magic also includes divination, auras, chakras, and dowsing. Many of the low magic techniques are relatively easy to master and there are thousands of magicians practicing them. Brennan then discusses "high magic." High magic requires far more work and dedication, but the rewards are enormous. It enables practitioners to "link [themselves] to the power and knowledge of the Universal Forces that underlie all reality." He includes instructions for rituals, pathworking, and conjuration. Brennan finishes the high magic section with instructions for making oneself "invisible." Interwoven throughout the book are threads from the Qabalah, and quantum physics. Brennan draws parallels between the ancient and modern, and believes that science and magic will one day be recognized as one and the same. He's used an informal approach in Magick for Beginners to help remove the dark mystery surrounding the practice of magic and show that "magic can be fun." Readers following his instructions can evoke magic to safely improve their lives. While it can be a serious endeavor, they'll find they can have fun with it also.

I have been a fan of JH Brennan for the last twenty years and this book will show why. Too many times occult authors write with such arrogance as if from some mountain top. Not the case with Brennan. You get the feeling you are discussing these subjects over coffee with a sincere and experienced seeker of whatever reality there might be out there. Wonderful book for the beginner as well as the more advanced!

H.P Brennan takes the reader away from the mundanaity of this the material world; into a world of color and imagination. The book begins with the basics of low magick, and moves on to the more "mysterious" realm of High Magick. The book shows those would be magicians in it for the thrill of conjuring spirits, from the deepest realms of the abyss, and cursing their enemies, that magick is a way of truely improving one's self holistically. Brennan shows how all would benefit by letting go and embracing a more imaginative and intellectual lifestyle. Even the highest of adepts could take something away from this "beginners manual". Trust me I have read hundreds of books on the subject in hand. ;þ

This is my second year of being into wicca and witchcraft. This was the first book I read and I loved it. The only thing about it is it goes very in depth into the concious, unconcious, and other scientific knowledge of the craft. It speaks about witchcraft but gives you a profound outlook towards the making of witchcraft. I suggest this book to more teen type readers so they can grasp the aspects of the materials.

I just got done reading this book. I think it explains a LOT about magick and the way it's performed. However, "Magick for Beginners" is not a good title. I think a better title would be "The Science of Magick". It's put together with a lot of examples and a lot of the authors own personality. I would definately recommend this book to others that were on the path to spirituality.