Introduction to Magic: Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus

Rating:
Summary: Initiation by a Master
Review: This is probably the most profound and significant work on magic to appear in the last fifty years. Readers of Inner Traditions' other Evola translations will know that his works are not an "easy read." They require careful, multiple readings because Evola is not a New Age huckster but a genuine master. His command of the most difficult texts of philosophy, mysticism, and occultism--East and West--is absolutely remarkable. But reading Evola you sense that you are in the presence of a man who not only exhibits great scholarly erudition, but also a high degree of spiritual attainment. INTRODUCTION TO MAGIC confirms this impression, for here we learn of the spiritual and magical disciplines to which Evola and his UR group subjected themselves. This is most definitely a "how to" book, but it is far from "introductory" in the sense of being painless or easy. This is a demanding book, demanding in that it will require careful study, and demanding in what it requires the aspiring adept to DO, practically, in order to perfect his soul. The spiritual aim of Evola and the UR group, and all of the exercises in this book, is to achieve consciousness of, and identification with, a "higher self." This involves nothing less than a will to completely transform and perfect oneself. It is a path which requires the strictest mental and physical discipline. It is not for those casually interested in "the occult." Indeed, Evola warns that this path is actually dangerous to those who would take it up casually or without full conviction. If you are a serious and dedicated student of occultism, if you are ready to embark upon a path which WILL transform your life, and if you are prepared for the struggle and conflict that this will inevitably bring with it, then you must read INTRODUCTION TO MAGIC. No other work on magic is as frank, as explicit, and as profound. Evola's approach is also blessedly free of any infusion of Christianity, Kabbalism, or "Egyptianism." His is truly a Western pagan magical path. It is recommended that you read this work in conjunction with other works by Evola, especially his book on alchemy, THE HERMETIC TRADITION, and his magnum opus, REVOLT AGAINST THE MODERN WORLD. Both of these are also published by Inner Traditions.