Particularly regarding during rituals.
3 Likes
I think they both have their place. I love the smell of real books and how they feel. But electronic books are convenient and much easier to take with you. Like on your phone ect.
If im home or out doors enjoying the sunshine, lazy day reading i prefer a physical book. But if Im on the go, i like the electoric. So for me i guess its a tie ! 
Oh the last part, i think i would like the physical book for ritual. I like to make notes.
2 Likes
Pdf’s purely for convenience
2 Likes
I prefer to memorise the ritual, otherwise a paper book. And I do have my journal in circle with me for note taking.
I don’t like the weird buzz that comes off my phone, you can’t feel it in normal space but once in circle, after I set the energy it’s like an annoying fly that’s just sat down but you know it’s there. I might keep it out of circle for music all the same, but not inside the circle.
3 Likes
I prefer physical books 
. There are plenty of scenarios where I’d think if ALL your books were digital they could be screwed up. What if the power goes out. What if you break or loose your phone or even get it stolen or hacked ect. Yeah these can all be managed but why bother with the risk. Yeah physical copies are endangered too from the elements water fire ect.
But I think physical books are significantly better in my opinion!
My advice for anyone picking between the two is by physical copies. And get those digital copies for those books. What if you are on a plane or something and you left a book home that kind of thing. Not having new books and not have the same ones at home cause you may think “oh fantastic I forgot one I don’t need this one” plus who’s comfortable when trying to hide there practice sitting in a bus or plane or Uber or something with a book called something like demon summoning or something.
I hate using my phone in ritual anyway it ruins the mood! Therefore ruins the mindset and notifications or whatever can ruin meditation if you leave it off do not disturb.
6 Likes
Most books i prefer the digital copy, as its cheaper…and really once i’ve mined the information I need and taken notes, i rarely go back to the book anyhow. Only works which I consider to be staples for any magician are the ones I buy a physical copy for
4 Likes
I prefer physical books. They’re more tactile, and generally easier on the eyes to read.
4 Likes
I think I prefer physical books. When it comes to tech it’d be my luck the screen would go dark mid ritual or the battery would die and I’d be up ____ creek without a paddle.
2 Likes
I definitely prefer physical books. But most of my arsenal is electronic. Kindle is so much cheaper. It is also extremely difficult to get occult books over here. There’s just no market for them. They aren’t stocked in bookshops.
One bookshop was able to order in a few for me. Weeks to arrive and tremendous mark up for the order in. Like you’re looking at 4-6 times the kindle price.
2 Likes
Physical books are the goal, digital copies are my current reality 
Most of the physical copies I’d like to own are out of print; if I am lucky I discover some of them in second hand bookstores, if I am unlucky they are collecting dust on some antiquarians shelf for a price I am not willing to pay.
On the plus side: I can take my tablet just anywhere with me without worrying about staining the pages or snapping the binding. I can also plaster the digital pages with digital textmarker 
For rituals I never use books, only an accumulation of lose pages with my illegible handwriting slapped on it.
5 Likes
i prefer e books with my own notes on paper
3 Likes
I ask because I always have issues with the reading lights I keep on my altar. I can never get the right angle. They’re never bright enough. I can never find the right batteries. But I have a lenovo, and I was considering using that instead.
However, I think I’ve read somewhere that electronic devices mess with magick.
4 Likes
For ritual, digital book especially those with sigils that you read off the page (GoM books) since I work in absolute darkness, save for some candles.
Though I can’t deny the allure and annotation ability of having a physical copy. If it’s less ritual and more secular reading, then physical copy.
3 Likes
Electronic books for me. I can hold all of them in one hand because I am that strong and can read and use them anytime and anywhere I go.
If I had physical books and wanted to read them while out and about I would have to push them around in an actual shopping trolley 
lol.
Kindle is also instant delivery and I can turn the pages using just my thumb. With physical books, for page turning it is a requirement for the movement of the entire arm. Yes you read that right, the entire arm including the wrist and the hand as well. 
And another thing. When you’re done with a physical book you have to actually lift it up off of your lap and put it somewhere like on a bookshelf or a table perhaps.
Although I do miss having to put the tip of my finger in my mouth and stretching the side of my lips to make that popping sound when a wet fingertip is needed to turn a page because sometimes you have to right? I do miss that and I’m still in recovery for it.
Hmm. Wet fingertip popping of the lips. I want a real physical book now just to do that with.
1 Like
Real books obviously but ebooks are easier to get my hands on and easier to store too, I have almost 1000 occult books and i only have 1 or 2 that aren’t ebooks, I can’t imagine having 1000 physical books lol
In this era ebooks are you way more convenient due to the mass volume of knowledge that’s being published
Yes, but how about in ritual?
I generally make physical notes, and then take those into my circle. In some of his live rituals, you can see EA Koetting sometimes reading directly from his book of shadows as well.
However, there has been a time or two where I’ve had to display a seal on my phone instead of having a drawn copy because of secrecy concerns, so yes, you can take a device into ritual. The only thing to be aware of, though, is, depending on the kind of magick being worked, sometimes the energies can mess with your electronic devices. I’ve had my computer refuse to turn on immediately after a ritual, for example, and I’ve seen people mention having light bulbs explode.
I do all my major rituals within a circle, but I do casual rituals, such as those in the books from the Gallery of Magick, whenever I have a spare moment, and I’ve had no problems using the ebooks.
1 Like
I honestly don’t use rituals from a book anymore, once you understand the mechanics you don’t need to follow instructions tbh
But I have used seals from an ebook on my Ipad with a written petition or even a verbal one and I’d get results pretty much instantly still, magick is SOOO much easier than people think
The problem is people think too much, everything works if you say so, none of this actually exists, this is a projection into matter
1 Like
I typically buy both, electronic so I can have it with me on my phone, and a physical copy just because I’m a collector and love the smell
i love to collect and get the fanciest versions i can get, i can’t read pdf’s… my problem is that i read mostly when i travel, and it tends to be a pain to carry around a 5kg book.