WITCHCRAP

[Terry B]

I don't read many book on magic but would be interested to hear what anyone think of Gavin and Yvonne Frost "the magic of white witchcraft" book. Is it witchcrap, or not? Feel free to comment (and please don't hold back).

[Tisha]

Terry, Gavin and Yvonne Frost's first book was the FIRST book on witchcraft that I ever read. Was it 20 years ago?  EEK! I sneaked it into the girl's bathroom at the presbyterian church I was attending, and read it in one of the stalls.  I was supposed to be in confirmation class.  AH, MEMORIES . . .

This husband-wife team were controversial because they were (maybe still are) avowed monotheists, when it was real fashionable back then to be Pagan and all polytheistic and such.  They also had information on sex magic in one of the chapters that disturbed some people because group ritual sex was described (PS: people act all open-minded about sex until they're faced with something unconventional, and then they turn all catholic!).  Gavin and Yvonne also felt real strong about male/female polarities, something the Dianic witches didn't care for.

In other words, there was plenty for the Pagan community to kvetch about when this book came out.  But I learned a lot from it . . . and it started me on my path to where I am today.

I don't know if the book you are asking about is their first book, or their second . . . er, I THINK there is a second book.  The couple was real quiet for a few decades and then came out with something new . . . I think?  I never read the second book, if there is one.

[Terry B]

I don't know if it's the second book as I don't have it with me. Actually, it was  avery new book. If I still remember it is for the new millenium. It was not a very thick bok, just a little less than the thickness of astral dynamics. The book is pretty simple actually.

[Rastus]

Black book with a Silver Ankh.  Been out of print 25 years?  I have never seen another book quite like it, increditbly informative for a teenager [:O]

[Moonburn33]

the 21 lessons of merlin and the sequel to that book.

anything by anyone with raven, moon or wolf in their name automatically sucks

i also don't really care for the Cicero folks who are redoing Regardie's books.  

dion fortune is too victorian for my tastes.  psychic self defense had too many christian undertones.

[Naiad780]

There's a general type of magic book that really sucks:  lots of pretty pictures and no thought.  Repeat the magic spell and sprinkle in the herb, and poof!  Magic!  And don't ask why, just do it exactly as written because the author is a self-proclaimed leading expert on magic.  And there's a sexy chick in the photos.  Yeah.  One I remember was called "Good Magic" but I don't recall who wrote it.

Whatever.  BS.  

Some of these witchcrap writers should stick to writing fiction.  Silver Ravenwolf's fiction is actually fun to read, but her "non-fiction" is atrocious.  I thought the 21 lessons of Merlyn would have made a great fantasy story, but it didn't work as an actual guide.

I was highly disappointed with "Scottish Witta" several years ago, but I immediately tossed the book so I don't recall what was so bad.

[Moonburn33]

the 21 lessons of merlin is an example of a classical grimoire.  full of information from a host of genres that the author ripped off and sadly incomplete in its philosophy.

[Rastus]

LOLOLOLOLOL

My wife and I went to the 1/2 price&used bookstore tonight.  There they were, in all the crapola glory, the books!!!!

21 lessons of Merlin, about 8 copies.  Teen Witch.  Get everything you want in life.  Assorted Grimoires I/II/III.  

I spent 1/2 hour going through them all.  I found 1 serious book on Kundalini, and a good one on seeing Aura's for beginners.  There were maybe 250 different titles?  My wife found 2 good books on healing meditation over in the medicla book section.

[Moonburn33]

douglas monroe (merlin books) is also a classic example of a grimoire writer in that he wrote down all this information without using it.

half of the ritual incense would kill people if they were exposed to it over a brief period of time (a couple months)

[Saints]

Trish,
Have you heard or read "The Bood of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage".  Its paperback - ISBN: 0-486-23211-5. Do you think it falls into this category?

quote:Originally posted by Tisha

I thought this might be a good place to post the WORST books on magic that we've ever read.

You've all seen it - - - you go to the local bookstore and visit the metaphysical section and you're overwhelmed by near-identical titles, misinformation, regurgitated pablum, many books by the same author that turn out to be the same book, etc. etc.

In my world, it's called witchcrap.  We could save each other time and money by posting the witchcrap here!

[Jonathan]

Hello all,

I see that runlola posted here about Llewellyn Publications and I just realized that I have a book from them, "Modern Magic" by Donald Michael Kraig.  Any thoughts on whether or not this is WITCHCRAP?.

[Moonburn33]

the book of the sacred magic of abra-melin is not crap, not in the traditional sense.  most people would find the system too rigid, unrealistic and stifling- but there are a lot of things that you could glean from that book that are VERY useful.

[Tisha]

I love how these topics carry on.......................

Any book on "white witchcraft" automatically falls into the Witchcrap pile.  Ditto any book on "black magic."  Any serious magical practitioner knows that all magic is done in shades of grey.

[SpectralDragon]

quote:Originally posted by Jonathan

Hello all,

I see that runlola posted here about Llewellyn Publications and I just realized that I have a book from them, "Modern Magic" by Donald Michael Kraig.  Any thoughts on whether or not this is WITCHCRAP?.

My friend practices with this book and it's working for him.

[T_Kman0610]

none of the books i have gotten, well nvm there is one i reall feel is crapola its called everyday magic of spells and rituals. the authors name is Dorothy Morrison. The rest of my books i feel are very good though.  I have one book on the inner temple of witchcraft with about 50 differant exercises by christopher penzcak
another by silver raven wolf. Oh by the way witchcraft does not carry a color of white black or grey, It all depends on what the practitioner is focusing the energy on. I guess alot of people dont have any faith. I will agree alot of books out there are all BS though.

All of my books are of a round list of good choices.
authors such as phyllis currot, silver raven wolf, chris penzcak,and gerald gardner

I give my advice to all: any book with a huge list of spells like dorothy morrisons book should be thrown in the trash as well as the merlin books. I say ignore the dirty authors and stick with the ones you prefer like gerald gardner and aleister crowley.....then again That man was crazy![]
well thats all i gotta say thank you for readin
thanks, T_Kman0610

[Tisha]

I thought this might be a good place to post the WORST books on magic that we've ever read.

You've all seen it - - - you go to the local bookstore and visit the metaphysical section and you're overwhelmed by near-identical titles, misinformation, regurgitated pablum, many books by the same author that turn out to be the same book, etc. etc.

In my world, it's called witchcrap.  We could save each other time and money by posting the witchcrap here!