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Book Reviews
 

Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices and Forbidden Plants by Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Christian Ratsch and Wolf-Dieter Storl, translated from German by Annabel Lee. 240 pages, color plates & illustrations, bibliography and index. Inner Traditions 2003.
A beautifully illustrated book by three notable scholars, this amazingly rich and important work presents both a wide variety of magical herblore and a fascinating study of the evolution of the Goddess and the changing images of witches, midwives and wisewomen through western history. From stone-age shamans to the beginnings of agriculture, from paganism to monotheism, from the persecution of healers as witches to the prosecution of visionaries by the War on Drugs (which has been even less successful than the so-called War on Terrorism): this is the secret legacy of the evolution of healing and magical plants from primordial wisdom to modern medicine, incorporating poetry and mythology, sorcery and science. I have no doubt that it will richly reward anyone with an interest in any of these subjects. Highly recommended.

The Way Of Mystery: Magick, Mysticism & Self-Transcendence by Nema, 216 pages. Llewellyn Publications 2003.
Some decades ago Soror Nema received a transmission from the future entitled Liber Pennae Praenumbra, which has done much to clarify the mysteries hinted at by Aleister Crowley’s disciples Frater Achad, Jack Parsons and Kenneth Grant. Her earlier title Maat Magick (Weisers, 1995) presented a complete and very effective system of magick which has since deservedly become extremely influential. Maat is the Egyptian principle of Truth, wholeness and equilibrium, so it is entirely appropriate that Maat Magick should now be balanced by a work on Maatian mysticism. These are the twin sides of the single path that leads to the creation or realization of the True Self, and there is no greater quest. This very thought-provoking book explores many aspects of the spiritual life that are far too often neglected, and few teachers are better suited to advise on these matters. Growing out of the deeply personal experience of some 46 years of mysticism and 28 of magick, Nema draws upon a wide range of cultural and arcane traditions as well as the deep insights rising from an active intelligence that has ceaselessly explored the infinite possibilities of humanity’s potential. Whenever a new work from Nema appears, I consider it an Instant Classic and a Major Event: may there be many more! A new poetic interpretation of Liber Pennae Praenumbra, called Feathersong, is also included.

Your Guardian Angel and You by Denny Sargent, 162 pages, bibliography. Red Wheel/Weiser 2004.
In the endless waves of fluffy New Age Angel books very few writers have addressed the deep and magical roots of conscious and systematic contact with these celestial entities. Here we have just such a work, which carefully explores both the history and the practice of the Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel and also creates a very useful framework for attainment in the context of the modern world. There are many rituals, meditations and exercises, as well as explorations of the Angelic concept in the Pagan, Buddhist and Voudoun traditions for those who labor under the delusion that this is some Judeo/Christian/Islamic monopoly; I especially liked the sections on the Shadow, and on linking various aspects of the Self to the Angel via the Chakras.
Straightforward and accessible, heartfelt and deeply personal, mingling esoteric practice with down-to-earth advice about the importance of daily life, and incorporating the experiences of others who have walked this path: this is an important book explaining one of the most important things that anyone can ever do, by someone who clearly knows whereof he speaks.

The New Book Of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, edited by Richard Metzger, 353 oversized pages, illustrated. The Disinformation Company Ltd. 2003.
 Well, I’m not quite saying that this is the heir to Crowley’s encyclopedic journal The Equinox, but it is certainly a very substantial anthology by a wide range of over thirty different contributors in forty-one articles, and one that clearly shows the depth and diversity of post-modern occultism. A very few sections are book extracts, some are from websites or unusual magazines, and many more were written exclusively for this volume by a veritable who’s who of the magickal arts. The sections include Magick in Theory and Practice, Chemognosis, Icons, The Great Beast 666, Scarlet Women, Secret Societies, Sympathy for the Devil, and Occult War. Ranging from Crowley and Spare to LaVey and Chaos Magick, from several esoteric artists to the gurus of drug culture, from H.P. Lovecraft to William Burroughs, occultism to politics: both the secret history and the cutting edge of our alternative culture stands revealed. I am pretty thoroughly (some might say obsessively) aware of literature in this field, and I still found plenty of juicy new bits of arcane information as well as works of intelligence, wit and style. While some of the other volumes in the excellent Disinformation series are more in the vein of alternative politics or sociology, they all share at least one vital purpose: to remind us that most of what we are told by mainstream media is total garbage, and that time is running very late for us to start thinking for ourselves.

The Ultimate Guide to Goddess Empowerment by Sophia, 283 pages. Andrews McNeel Publishing 2003.
The latest work from the author of the charming, clever, and much-imitated Little Book of Spells series (which includes such classics as Office Spells, Money Spells, Hexes for Women, Love Spells and the pulse-pounding sequel Hot Love Spells as well as the lovely The Magical Garden) here offers wonderful rituals to a wide range of Goddesses from various world cultures, and related enchantments for many worthy purposes. Providing brief histories, symbols, colors, scents, and a series of powerfully poetic invocations and empowerments, this book provides the keys to a kingdom ruled by queens while sharing the things that every young girl should know.
At a time when Mel Gibson’s new film has so many people examining their relationship with God, few thoughts can be more important than the still-shocking notion that yes, the One True God is also many female Goddesses, and exists in realms beyond the obsessions of a reactionary and poorly-understood version of fundamentalist Christianity. Connections with the Divine, however conceived, should never be limited to a single gender or any anointed intermediary; there is nothing more personal and individual than one’s understanding of the Deity. The ancient Pagan civilizations that provided a wide range of archetypical images or organic models (what Joseph Campbell termed the ‘Masks of God’) often seem much more psychologically stable and happy than our own civilization. Feminism is not dead, nor is paganism, nor is individuality, and this book opens up many paths to be freely explored.
 

Comix Reviews

Lovecraft. From an unproduced screenplay by Hans Rodionoff, adapted by Keith Griffen, beautifully illustrated by Enrique Breccia, introduced by director John Carpenter, and lettered by Todd Klein. DC Comics, 2003.
 A brilliantly conceived and executed hardcover graphic novel, based upon the notion that H.P. Lovecraft’s hugely influential Cthulhu Mythos was based not upon his dreams, but upon a genuine Necronomicon and a life tormented by madness and supernatural menace from beyond. Carefully interwoven with the details and characters of Lovecraft’s life, which are themselves suitably odd by any standard, a disturbing tale unfolds of this child of two insane parents, who strove alone to hold shut the Gates against an onslaught of other-dimensional evil and the chaotic eruptions of hideous incidents. These visions are perfectly realized by Argentine artist Enrique Breccia, who has just begun a new Swamp Thing series for DC/Vertigo.

The Sandman: Endless Nights. Written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Glenn Fabry, Milo Manara, Miguelanxo Prado, Frank Quitely, P. Craig Russell, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Barron Storey. DC Comics, 2003.
 Neil Gaiman changed the face of comics with the innovative mythology of his Sandman series of tales about the Endless, who are seven archetypical entities: Dream, Death, Destiny, Desire, Despair, Destruction, and Delirium (who was once Delight, but she faded). These beings predate the gods and underlie the existence of mortals. In recent years he has turned largely to prose, notably with the award-winning novel American Gods, with Neverwhere (based on a series he wrote for BBC-TV), and several quite marvelously macabre books for children of all ages. Now he has returned to this universe that he created with a virtual grimoire of the Endless: a tale for each member of the pantheon, visually realized individually by a comic artist’s Hall of Fame, and carrying us into sweeping realms of new enchantment. This is Big Fun!
 For the uninitiated, a Graphic Novel is what you call a $25 hardcover comic book.

Anarchy for the Masses: An Underground Guide to the Invisibles by Patrick Neighly & Kereth Cowe-Spigai, 287 pages, bibliography. Mad Yak Press 2001, recently reprinted in an illustrated version by The Disinformation Company Ltd.
 Yet another major accomplishment of the DC/Vertigo line was Grant Morrison’s brilliant holographic enchantment The Invisibles, a complex tale of anarchist occultist revolutionaries battling the dark forces of tyranny through space and time ? but it is a lot more complicated than that, and this issue-by-issue commentary helps explore just what underlies the author’s intensely personal vision. Enhanced by interviews with Morison and many of the other creators involved, this is a detailed analysis of one of the most important works of arcane ‘fiction’ in recent years. Such tales are frequently the best vehicle for the exploration of the magickal universe, and frankly this excellent guide   also reveals just where the makers of The Matrix swiped some of the best elements of their film trilogy. Morrison, however, delivers more coherence and greater intelligence.
The Invisibles is currently available in seven paperback collections comprising the entire run of three separate series; Gaiman’s Sandman mentioned above comprises ten volumes with various companions and spin-offs.
 

Tarot Reviews

The Alchemical Tarot by Rosemary Ellen Guiley & Robert Michael Place, 78-card deck, 176 page illustrated book. Thorsons 1995.

This immediately became one of my favorite decks. The alchemical tradition is now largely forgotten in popular culture, but in earlier times astrology, magick and alchemy were the three main elements of the hermetic tradition in European culture. In fact, at a time before the concept of science had fully evolved, these were simply the accepted aspects of human knowledge, although perhaps lacking the respectability of philosophy or theology. Alchemy in particular provided the foundations of experimental chemistry and physics, just as astrology became astronomy and mathematics, and magick became art and psychology.
 The symbolism of alchemy remains subtle, powerful and filled with the surreal potency of dreams; Freud and especially Jung found such imagery erupting from their works in the exploration of the subconscious mind. Artist and sculptor Robert M. Place has done a wonderful reinterpretation of ancient woodcuts and prints in a clear and elegant style, forming a uniquely effective version of the Tarot that preserves all of its archetypical power. Without trying to create yet another revision of the influential Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot, he has preserved hints and clues in the minor arcana which easily recall that symbolism to memory for the many of us who have learned the art from that deck. The excellent accompanying book by the prolific Rosemary Ellen Guiley increases my appreciation for her careful research and clarity of thought.

The Cosmic Tribe Tarot, created by Stevee Postman, text by Eric Ganther, 80-card deck, 208 page illustrated book. Destiny Books 1998.

 Another personal favorite, and also a truly post-modern deck: colorful, powerful and innovative. Celebrated digital artist Stevee Postman has manifested a tarot universe seething with vitality and rich symbolism, full of eastern and western influences and animated hands and eyes. The use of photographic images of real people instead of drawings creates a genuinely sensual impact. The Modern Primitive crowd may be happy to note that said people are generally naked, tattooed, and not infrequently pierced. The very sharp and poetic accompanying book by Eric Ganther has a depth that clearly enhances experience of the images. Where current editions of the Crowley/Harris Thoth Tarot include three drafts of the Magus trump, this deck provides three Lovers cards: two males, two females, or the boring usual. It is, I suppose, always nice to have options.