The Black Arts (50th Anniversary Edition): A Concise History of Witchcraft, Demonology, Astrology, Alchemy, and Other Mystical Practices Throughout the Ages

as reveals secrets of astrology, tarot cards and ritual incantations.

I originally purchased this book in 1972 so that I could have the title on my bookshelf as a little joke. Shortly thereafter I quit smoking and, substituting one habit for another, began to read voraciously. Cavendish was devoured in the ensuing feeding frenzy, poor fellow, and (Hey Presto!) the volume was considerably tastier than I had exepcted. _The Black Arts_ is light enough to entertain, and scholarly enough to satisfy. Consider it a survey course in the occult, with particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on the 19th Cenury social aspects. It provides insights into the likes of Yeates, Doyle and Eliot as well. Cavendish does not promote any of the traditions, but he does report them and he relates them to one another. I emerged from the book edified if not enchanted. Thereafter I pursued the casual hobby of collecting and reading Victorian and Edwardian occult classics - many of which were available in the same kind of bookstore where I found Cavendish. While not believeing any of the nonsense described, I was nevertheless (ahem!) charmed by those who did believe, and enjoyed their mad ravings. Alas, some decades later, a business associate recommended _Foucalt's Pendulum_ by Umberto Eco. Cavendish proved as much a prerequisite for Eco as Eco proved an antidote for Cavendish. The whole thing seems so decadent now, but then it was so enjoyable for so long. Ahh well... (Yawwwwwwwn!) I recommend this book. Just don't take it seriously. OK?

_The Black Arts_ by Richard Cavendish covers a great many topics dealing with the magical arts, particularly black magic. According to Cavendish, the primary motivating factor behind black magic is the hunger for power. This is expressed in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis where the serpent tempts Adam and Eve by telling them that if they ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they would be as gods. The traditional Christian perspective is that the black magician invokes demons or Satan himself and that his power comes from the Dark One. The magician however may believe that man and God are inseparable or that man can attain Godhood. The author begins by noting how magical principles operate, being based on the ideas of imitation, mimickry, and analogy. One fundamental principle believed in by most magicians is expressed by the phrase "as above, so below" meaning that the macrocosm is a reflection of the microcosm and vice versa. Indeed, it is in the writings attributed to the semi-mythical Hermes Trismegistus ("thrice-greatest Hermes") that this principle is most clearly expressed. In most traditional cultures, the left hand side is associated with evil, explaining why black magic is often regarded as the Left Hand Path among magicians. Cavendish next turns his attention to the modern magicians, including such figures as the notorious Aleister Crowley, Eliphas Levi, MacGregor Mathers, and A. E. Waite. The influence of secret societies such as the Golden Dawn and the O. T. O. of Crowley are explained and their role in the practices of these magicians is examined. Following this, Cavendish turns his attention to the mysteries of numbers and numerology. He explains how fortunes can be told by numbers associated with each letter in a name. The numbers 1 through 9 are given special meanings, along with the numbers 11 and 22. Cavendish also explains how numerology relates to cabbalism and the Tarot cards. Among the Hebrews, the practice of gematria, or assigning a number to each letter of a word, was common. This has been used to interpret various biblical passages. Cavendish also explains the "names of power", used by the magician to invoke spirits or to perform other magical rites. It was believed that a name holds special power over an entity, and the names of God, angels, and demons were especially powerful. The name of God was given to Moses in the Bible and is abbreviated as the four letter combination YHWH or the Tetragrammaton. But, some have suggested that God has a secret name which is not known (or even that the pronunciation of this secret name backwards may bring about the end of the world, or corresponds to the name of the Devil). The names of Jesus and Christ was also highly regarded by magicians. Cavendish next turns his attention to alchemy, including the making of the philosopher's stone, the turning of base metals such as lead into gold, and the search for the elixir of life. But, alc

Richard Cavendish wsa an Atheist, and that fact is critical to understanding this book.As a secular person, Cavendish understood that the power of ritual was in its ability to focus attention and energy through the use of symbolic representations, and not in any alleged supernatural powers (e.g. actual demons, gods, devils, etc.).This understanding is critical to Satanists and others seeking to use "low magic" (personal rituals) or "high magic" (public acts designed to create or direct opnions, attitudes, etc.). The ability to control others through the use of symbols (be they flags, images, words, religious icons, or other objects) is a source of great power to the Satanist who understands the proper use and application of symbolic acts.Religion is nothing but lies and hypocrisy, claims Cavendish. Unlike Wiccans and other neo-pagans who make sanctimonius claims on par with Christians and Muslims concerning their supposed "goodness", a "black magicican" is honest enough to admit to himself (or herself in the case of a Witch) that the purposes of magic are to enhence one's own wealth, popwer, sex life, etc., and to bring about the destruction of opponents, and those who would deny the needs & desires of a Satanist.This is an "unspiritual" book, free of the hypocritical nonsense and pious idiocy that fills most "witchcraft" books. Recommended as a companion to "The Satanic Bible" and other works by Anton S. LaVey.

This is one of the ABSOLUTE BEST books ever written on the subject of how-to magic. My favorite sections are the ones on Alchemy and "Low Magic". My favorite spell is the Hand of Glory. Only problem is, this isn't like the old days when someone could just walk to a gallows and cut off a dead guy's hand... It is an alltogether creepy book. Anyone who wants to know a little bit about the arts of the Old Believers should just read this book. Just don't get too scared...

Cavedish presents a good overview of occultism in general and this is an excellent text for beginners. The Black Arts is in much the same vein as Bonewits' Real Magic, without being caustic. The material is somewhat dated, though the scholarship, insofar as a brief overview goes, is superlative. If nothing else, this book has superb aesthetic appeal on one's bookshelf to convey that sinister magician feel we all love.