Description
The ceremonial magic of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn is among the most widely practiced of all magical systems today. Yet very few books on the Golden Dawn tradition pass beyond the basics into the more demanding and powerful magical practices the system has to offer. Circles of Power is the exception. It's a comprehensive practical manual of Golden Dawn magic that proceeds step by step from basic principles and fundamental rituals to the heights and depths of magical attainment. Circles of Power provides detailed instructions for such rarely discussed magical techniques as the creation of telesmatic images, the construction and use of flashing tablets, the Golden Dawn method of etheric shapeshifting, and the use of the Formula of the Equinox#8212one of the two fundamental ritual formulae of the Golden Dawn tradition#8212as a basis for rituals of evocation, consecration, spiritual development, and more. This new edition has been thoroughly revised by the author.… (more)
Library's review
John Michael Greer writes in a lucid and entertaining manner, revealing previously unknown aspects of the magical rites of the Golden Dawn. Warm and engaging, Circle of Power revitalizes Westen magic by removing the unnecessary rhetoric or obscure jargon. Everything is plainly and simply explained and all the information you need to begin working within this magical system is presented in a clear and concise manner. Filled with the fruits of personal experience and insights derived from in-depth research, Circles of Power is the next best thing to actually joining a Hermetic lodge.
'John Michael Greer has proven himself to be an author who understands the magical system of the Golden Dawn very well indeed. He is one of a new breed of authors who are taking Golden Dawn magic out of the Victorian age in which it was born and making it available to all for the new millennium.'-Chic and Tabatha Cicero authors of Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple and Self Initiation Into the Golden Dawn Tradition
'Circle of Power is another work I can readily recommend to any beginning student of Golden Dawn magic.'-David Allen Hulse
John Michael Greer first encountered the western esoteric tradition in 1975 and has been actively involved in it as a student, practitioner, and teacher ever since. He is the author of Paths of Wisdom and co-editor of Caduceus-The Hermetic Quarterly. He currently lives in Seattle.
Contents
Dedication
Table of rituals and ceremonies
Table of illustrations
Part I Principles of ritual magic
Chapter 1 The nature of ritual magic
Chapter 2 The magical macrocosm
Chapter 3 The magical microcosm
Chapter 4 The tools of ritual magic
Chapter 5 The practice of ritual magic
Part II Practice of ritual magic
Chapter 6 Invoking and banishing
Chapter 7 the middle pillar exercises
Chapter 8 Opening and lcoisng
Chapter 9 Working tools
Chapter 10 Talismans
Chapter 11 Evocation
Chapter 12 Invisibility and transformation
Chapter 13 Spiritual development
Chapter 14 The formula of the equinox
Appendix Cabalistic symbolism
Bibliography
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