I don't care what anyone says, I like Ray. The very first time I ever met him, the very first thing he ever did was tell me an off-color joke. It was instant like.
His latest work, Advanced Candle Magick presents the reader with an abundance of information. Literally one half of this book is information about candle magick and ways to enhance its practice. Some other recently published books on the subject are of the fluffy variety in that they simply make suggestions for candle lighting. Ray's volume, however, gives the reader the basics on the workings of candle magick, covering general information regarding the practice of magick: Timing, Bodily Preparation, Stones, Magickal Tool Construction, Poppets, Plackets, etc.
Once Ray gets into the subject at hand, he begins with a section on making your own candles. Very informative for anyone who has never done so. Dressing, lighting and extinguishing are also covered, something I have not seen in other recent works on the subject (can you believe it?). Finally, we have the Ritual Section. His rituals are not simple nor are they complex. The structure allows for multiple night's work as well as physical manipulation of the elements on the altar, which is why the term ritual is most appropriate here, rather than the much over-used term "spell." By his own admission, Ray has included rituals concentrating on the most requested subjects from the scads of letters he receives. Some of the more interesting topics for ritual candle magick are: To Protect From Abuse, To Bring About Reconsideration (of a decision already rendered), To Stop a Bad Habit, as well as the standard Wiccan Rites of Passage for Birth, Puberty and Death .
Concluding the work is an Appendix with no less than 13 Tables. Subjects covered include Magickal Alphabets, Planetary Hours (yes, the cheat sheet for those of us who are mathematically inept), Planetary Properties and Magickal Properties of Herbs. I loved the Tables. Can never have too many tables!
Advanced Candle Magick presents a copious amount of information in 265 pages. As for a comparison to its forerunner, Practical Candleburning Rituals (Llewellyn Publishers, 1970), there are many differences and similarities. The main difference is that the new volume has a decidedly more Wiccan slant. Gone are the two variations on the same ritual, one for the Christians of the group and one for those of the Old Religion. Also, there were many complaints from friends of mine about the Black workings in the first book. However, this latest work includes a section on ethics straight away. While there is a repeat of information regarding preparation for the actual Rituals, I much prefer this newer edition. It is much more readable, more slick in its presentation and overall just more pleasing to work with. It makes candle magick easily accessible to even a first time reader on the subject. This would be an excellent text for a class on the subject and I am considering using it for just that. More experienced practitioners may find this a useful "quick reference" and springboard from which to elaborate. But whatever your particular situation, Advanced Candle Magick deserves a look.
Astral Love: Romance, Ecstasy & Higher Consciousness
by D.J. Conway
1996 Llewellyn Publishers - Softcover - Small Format - $12.95
178 pgs - Bibliography - Index
I should have known. I should have guessed it from the Harlequin Romance-esque title and cheesy cover illustration that I would hate this book. It actually took me only five pages to finally discover the truth.
I have to admit right off the bat, the subject matter of this book is not something which particularly intrigues me. I really wanted to like this book - to learn something from it about a subject I am not very well versed in. What I found was a lot of drivel, horribly put together and a growing embarrassment for the author.
Granted, there are a lot of experiences one can have on the astral. Some good, lots not so good, and some waters are better left uncharted until one is ready. A serious work on this topic should include a serious look at what can happen to the uninitiated and unprotected who dabble. Instead, we get a chapter called "The Good, The Not-So-Good and the Slimy." Again, one should take into consideration that in the astral, just as on this earthly plane, not everyone you come across is suitable for and/or wants anything more than companionship. In Astral Love, we have the chapter "Friendship vs. Courtship."
I realize that Llewellyn is trying to keep their Tantra & Sexual Arts series alive, but volumes such as this just aren't going to do it. I also realize that there are many individuals out there who indulge in this sort of sexual practice. For those new to this practice, this is not the manual to teach you how. The chapter which was the most humorous and the best example of this: "The Benefits of Astral Love." "There are a number of reasons having a true Astral Lover is beneficial," writes Conway. Not contracting STD's (OK), not passing an STD (works for me), fulfilling sex for singles (isn't that called MASTURBATION with a large dose of fantasy thrown in on the mundane level, D.J.?), and my favorite grasping reason: not having to conform to the wishes of family, matchmakers or orthodox religion. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but those who are truly trapped by and care about the tenets of orthodox religion wouldn't even read a book like this in the first place, right? And in the neighborhood where I come from , anyone who spent large amounts of time in the astral, lover or no, was the recipient of an all expenses paid "vacation" in the Bellevue Mental Ward (Bellevue, New York City, is a famous large mental hospital.)
After my fifth page, I finally decided what Astral Love reminds me of. That old "How to Pick Up Girls" book every guy in high school was strolling around with, reciting lines from. Except, this is the 90's version. Soda shops be damned! "Meet you in the astral, baby!" When I have a lover, I am sorry, but I want it to be on this earthly plane that I chose to incarnate on. I want to put all of my energy into making this earthly relationship the best it can be - spend my time nurturing and honoring my man in this dimension. So, to have to expend all of the time and the energy in the astral that this book suggests is necessary to acquire your cosmic lover....NO THANKS! Besides, call me kooky, but if Hank ever found out I was doing this, there is a 100% chance he would call it-CHEATING! < Giggle>
Once I decided that this was not a book to be taken seriously, I had a bit of fun with the chapter, "The Good, Not-So-Good and the Slimy." < Giggle> Sounds like a trip to the local club back in New Jersey where I grew up. Then, back to the chapter, "Friendship vs. Courtship." Hey! I covered all of this in grades eight through 12! But the most fun I had was with the blurb on the back cover when I first received the book, which proclaims in bold letters, "Boost your self-esteem through the healing effects of a relationship with a higher-level astral being who really cares about you." Sounds like something Niles from the TV show Frasier would say.
All this from the woman who gave us the brilliant reference, Falcon Feather & Valkyrie Sword. What I want to know is, D.J.-surely it was your astral lover who put you up to penning this humorous book and not your conscious mind. So, let's all just forget this astral lover book and get a good night's sleep! <copious giggles>
Magickal Mythical Beasts: How to Invite Them Into Your Life
by D.J. Conway
1996 Llewellyn Publishers - Softcover - Small Format - $14.95
- 259 pp. - Bibliography - Index
When I opened my latest parcel from Llewellyn, this book was on top. "Oh boy!" I sneered. "Another D.J. Conway extravaganza." After Astral Love, I was sure I never wanted to see another book penned by this author. However, to be fair, I sat down to review this book first and gave it a good, long look. Hey, everybody deserves a chance to redeem themselves!
The title is Magickal Mythical Beasts: How to Invite Them Into Your Life. What I was expecting to find was a compendium on how to attract faeries and other nature spirits, the best way to summon, how to be kind to the elementals at circle casting, and so on. What I found was this: MMB contains 245 pages of actual text. The bulk of the volume, 229 pages, is devoted to a light reference of said "magickal mythical beasts." Every variety, from the New Age favorite, the unicorn, to griffins to fabulous lions (yes, she does use the word "fabulous" in the title of the chapter) is presented. The sections on the individual beasts themselves are no more than a blurb, albeit a somewhat informative one. There are creatures covered in this book that even I, a student in Mrs. Scully's 6th grade class (I swear, this woman wanted to marry Beowulf) was unaware of. There is a diversity of cultures represented here which is rather interesting and while the author never states it outright, this is just further proof that every culture basically had the same "thing" going with slight variations. For each "creature" there is said blurb, accompanied with a list of psychological attributes and magickal attributes. At the end of each chapter, she presents us with endnotes. Heh! More on this below.
Okay, here it comes! My problems with this book are abundant. While there are many "creatures" listed, the blurbs are scanty at best. For example, take the Kraken. Okay, she's got the Norwegian people thing right, she's got the eyewitness accounts from sailors back in the 18th Century. But, nowhere does she mention anything about the Greeks, the Iliad, the Odyssey, or that really great movie with an almost nude Harry Hamlin. Magickally, she says one should never use the Kraken. "Very dangerous; not recommended." In the section on the Gorgon, however, she gets the history right, but what bothers me is that by assigning them the magickal attributes "Revenge, retribution, protection. Setting up a reflective protection to return dark magick," she is giving her well learned go-ahead for their use. Now, I could sit here and write 10 pages on why the Gorgons are far more dangerous magickally than the Kraken would ever be, but that's another article. By the way, where did she get these magickal attributes anyway?
MMB is alarming in that it gives mainly negative attributes to our otherworldly companions. If you're looking for creatures to help you with revenge on Aunt Martha for knitting you that stupid bunny sweater back when you were 7, this is the book to own! But, what was the most unnerving for me was the fact that only in the very last chapter does Ms. Conway explain the virtues of working within a circle. The third part of her book, Working with Magick, has three chapters. The first two gloss over candle magick and talismans to summon your beasts. Then, finally, we have some mention of a circle. When I was doing my training, I cannot tell you how many times it was drummed into my head that absolutely nothing should be done outside of a circle. And, the summoning or conjuring of anything was high magick, very serious business, and should not be undertaken by anyone unless highly trained. I'm sure we all have horror stories about working with potent energies we weren't ready for. MMB seems to be an innocent looking stepping stone along such a path.
Magickal Mythical Beasts: How to Invite Them Into Your Life is an easily readable volume with some decent line drawn illustrations. The information covered, however, can be garnered anywhere, and would actually be more thorough. The last two books authored by D.J. Conway have left me to wonder if there really is a D.J. Conway, or if there isn't just some tribe of New Age groupies doing light research in between college classes and turning their notes into Llewellyn. All in all, if you are looking for a quick reference and want to be made aware of some magickal, mythical creatures, it's not a totally bad book. But, you're not going to learn anything about magick, summoning or conjuring either. As for a recommendation, I really can't say it's worth running out and spending $14.95. For the serious magick seeker, there are much better books with more important information out there.
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