Hello!
Hope ya’ll are doing just as well and if not better than me.
What are some solid sources of information I could read from regarding rituals, practices, and sigil work? I see so many choices but I’m having a hard time deciding which one is the best to choose from.
If anyone would be so kind as to give me their preferred source of knowledge, I’d be forever grateful!
Thanks!
We have a book recommendations thread with sources that people have used and found helpful.
You can’t go wrong with E.A.'s Complete Works at Amazon.com
And for a one stop book on ceremonial magick this one stands out as having a bit of everything.
I want to mention one point. You will need more than one book and one source. Ritual magic is based on a set of principles. It’s working with symbols, working with energies, understanding the meanings of ingredients, objects, numbers, and so on. Your personal view and worldview can also be one of the “ingredients”. Therefore, you definitely should not limit yourself to “one best source”
Heya! Thanks for clarifying that. I figured having a singular source would prove to be very linear and not at all fruitful with truly grasping the subject.
I agree, however, there are resources that are encyclopedias and aggregates, and collect a survey of information - which is exactly WHY I posted the Ceremonial Magick book for you - I noticed a couple of those links broke so I have fixed those…
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605065765/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
If you read the blurb, it says:
This book is the second edition of a work which in its first edition was titled, more provocatively, The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. This book is an attempt to synthesize the procedures of all of the famous Grimoires. It draws on the Key of Solomon, the Grimorium Verum, the apocryphal Fourth Book of Cornelius Agrippa, and many others, including the famous Black Pullet, or Poulet Noir. While Waite is careful in his analysis of the various Grimoires, he treats the subject matter skeptically. The result is an unparalleled look at the details of ceremonial magic. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)
I would also point to the Manly P. Hall book, The Secret Teachings of all Ages, but you asked specifically for ceremonial magick and that book is far bigger and very comprehensive, it’s a year of work just to read the whole thing at 27 hours reading time, but I recommend it to anyone all the same.
If I may add my two cents here, what I would do is look at sacred texts, esoteric archives, and balg’s forum that has a suggested reading list. Also go as far back as 2012 when I first landed wet behind the ears. In the suggested reading, for each book, read their sources of information or bibliography.