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G**T
Packed with Solid Material! Must-Have for Every Modern Witch
I have just gotten started on this book but already I am extremely pleased. The book is written in a very readable style... but the content is dynamite. This is not typical "spell of the month club" for the "wanna-blessed-be's". This is a serious work for those who take this business seriously. It is heavily annotated with footnotes citing sources. There is a full bibliography and index in the back. Just reading the first chapter I am already beginning to understand the meaning behind vestigial traces in many "standard" rituals that were shrugged-off as "inexplicable" by my many teachers over the years. It's apparent that Witchcraft and Paganism once had vibrant traditions of spirit summoning but for reasons unknown, that knowledge and talent has largely faded into the abyss... until now. This is the book for which I have been searching for the past 20 years, certain there must be something MORE. At last my hopes and intuitions have been validated. I handed it to my wife to read a paragraph to see what I was talking about, and unfortunately for me, she STOLE the book right out of my hands and it looks like I'll get to finish it once she is done. I really don't believe anyone who is at least an intermediate practitioner will find reading this book a waste of time. If you are a modern practitioner of esoteric arts, I think you owe it to yourself to read this book, if only to discover what everyone else is buzzing about!
J**.
Impressive and refreshing
I was really impressed with this work. As a whole, it's a well-researched, thoughtful, and accessible introduction to the art for someone coming from a pagan or witchcraft tradition. I tend to work much more with the Golden Dawn current, but I found the difference in approach to be illuminating. It's a departure from the traditional "evoke an entity into a triangle" method, representing a much more animist approach to the spirit world, which may resonate well with those coming from a pagan tradition.However, the true value of this work, at least for me, is the author's approach to the traditional concept of the "familiar spirit" as being a practitioner's personalized godhead, cultivated through repeated "godhead assumptions". This is analogous to both the "drawing down the moon" ritual in Wicca, where a high priestess invokes an aspect of the lunar Goddess, and of course, the Golden Dawn concept of "Godform Assumption". The idea being that over time, a personalized connection to deity (aspect) is cultivated, representing a kind of bridge or third-party connection between divinity and the practitioner, one that functions like (or perhaps is) an independent spirit containing aspects of both parties. This is an interesting take on an ancient concept and well-worth reading.Other useful aspects of this work are the segments on "informal summoning". During this process, the practitioner creates a connection to the targeted entity through the use of a consecrated sigil and a "naming ritual" to discover more about the nature of the spirit and create a kind of psychic "introduction" before the formal summoning commences. This is an interesting idea and one I may have to incorporate into my own practice.Overall, if you have any interest at all in spirit work, I would suggest reading this book.
J**.
Bringing Back the Witch's Familiar
Let's start off with a basic preliminary statement: this book is not for beginning magical practitioners in the way of providing magical tech; in that sense, it is geared more for intermediate practitioners. That said, this book is excellent at giving beginners goals to aspire to.Frater Barrabbas does a fascinating and excellent job of reintegrating the concept of the witch's familiar into modern practice, putting it in a modern context with roots going back beyond Medieval and Early Modern European incarnations of the spirit helper. He relates it to the "head gods" of African Traditional Religions (ATRs) and the various spirit helpers of the PGM, or Greek Magical Papyri. For those who are willing to put in the work, I'm sure this book will provide much fruit.This book stands with the work of Gordon White, Jake Stratton-Kent, and Peter Grey. Frater Barrabbas provides a witchcraft that is vital, active, and local, capable of functioning in the witch's immediate environment.
M**N
Excellent information. Outstanding presentation.
Outstanding book! Very well researched and builds upon Barrabbas previous work. Provides complete explanation on the how and why of conjuring of spirits. Easy to read and digest. Information presented is useful for the novice to the adept. Some topics covered - ritual magic; tools of the modern witch; conjuration. the meaning of different spirits and much more, A must have on your shelf if the study and inner circle workings of witchcraft interest you.
A**E
Five Stars
Very good book not for beginners.
C**R
Not worth the descriptions
Didnt name the spirits as mentioned and no details
D**B
Good book
I don’t consider myself a witch, but I’d like to learn more about magic, and this book is a good place to start.
B**N
Good Insight
Excellent book. I'd have paid the ten dollars just for the section dedicated to channeling a godform. A little drawn out, and honestly a little boring at times, but overall very insightful.
S**Y
A Wiccan approach but relevant to all witches
Sometimes I see people complaining that all the books available on Wicca/Paganism are 101, well, stop complaining, here is a more advanced book to get stuck into. If I had to criticise something it would be how the author talks a lot about 'summoning' deities etc. Seems a little high handed, how about 'inviting'? At least until your get to know each other a bit ;) The book includes a summary of some of the most common grimoires which is succinct and useful if you want to pick one to start working with. I liked the information about sigils and overall the author gives generously of his knowledge and experience. Although written from the perspective of a Traditional Wiccan Witch (and ceremonial magician I guess), there is no reason why the tools and approaches in this book can't be translated into a different stream of witchcraft by anyone who has a good grounding and grasp of what they are practising. If you don't yet have the basics in place, the author gives sound advice for starting these.
J**E
For the seasoned witch
This is an in -depth review of many books on the subject and how to conjure various demons and spirits. I would say this is for those who are already pretty advanced and looking for precise ways of evoking or invoking specific spirits for specific purposes. I am not there yet but will keep for the future.
J**A
Rethink it
This book is insidious as it doesn’t fully explain the weight of undertaking these conjurings, invocations, and communications with lower energy beings. I would not recommend anyone purchase, read, or enact the rituals within the book.
A**R
Five Stars
good
F**T
so I wasted little time to delve into it
I have been waiting quite some time to review this book, and finally it became available as an ebook on Amazon, so I wasted little time to delve into it.I was expecting a lot from it, since I follow Frater Barrabbas blog with gusto and I do enjoy his style of writing. As myself, Frater Barrabbas has his roots in the Alexandrian tradition and has been venturing and pushing the boundaries of his craft for quite some time. I'm quite bias towards him as I like his willingness to rebel against charlatans and silly traditions that hold no merit, admiring his presentation of argumentations in which he accompanies his rebellions (maybe a bit envious too)The book is well written, but not intended for those just treading on the magical path. It would be fair to say that the book is best in hands of an experienced (3rd degree) wiccan or practitioner that is well versed in the craft. Spirit Conjuring for Witches: Magical Evocation Simplified follows the same pattern in my expectation of everything I have read from him: It makes sense. I myself have a tendency to read a lot, think a lot and then make the magical rituals my own to make them work for me. The author goes into detail how this resounds in the more historical annotations of his reasoning, I sense the value of what the author conveys: I think have been practising the methodology he described for quite some time out of "instinct". Given hat, the value of this work gives me a confirmation that I am not totally insane - or at least not the only one being insane in approaching the craft like this and taking it further then the book of shadows. I mean, once elevated to third degree it makes sense to follow the example of Alex Sanders and step beyond the boundary of safe confinement to further develop ones craft (and admit it, regurgitation the BoS gets a bit stale after you memorized it). And as such, while the book may not be a total revelation to me, I find the explanations and references he presents an added value to further understanding in my own craft.
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