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From the sigils of chaos magic to the numerical code of Qabalah, all magical practices operate in a web of symbols and language. Yet academics seldom examine the role that semiotics and linguistics play in the unfolding of magical works. In the follow-up to his debut Postmodern Magic, Patrick Dunn returns once again to the theoretical realm of the sign, the signified, and the changeable perceptions of a slippery reality. Intellectual and aggressively modern, his language-driven perspective on magic touches on all elements voiced and written, from speaking in tongues and creating mantras to composing Enochian spells and working with gematria. A hefty appendix includes exercises that put Dunn's theories to work, as well as the first published dictionary of English alphabet numerology. Highly literate and highly readable, Magic, Power, Language, Symbolwill tickle the minds of theory-thirsty academics and seasoned mages alike, as well as anyone else eager to examine the manufacture of meaning. … (more)
User reviews
Dunn begins the book by discussing how applying semiotics (the study of symbols) can increase a spell's efficacy. From there, he uses linguistics to examine symbols and language, the bases of magic. Dunn focuses on ceremonial magic and several of the middle chapters are devoted to topics such as Enochian magic, the Qabala, and gematria. If, like me, you're not all that interested in ceremonial magic, these chapters might seem a bit long. Don't skip them though; Dunn includes interesting nuggets such as how to use glossolalia in magic. The early and last chapters are more general and will probably appeal to a broader audience.