Living Magic: Contemporary Insights and Experiences from Practicing Magicians

by Frater U.:D.:, Axel Budenbender, Harry Eilenstein

An Inside Look at the Meaning and Practice of Deep Magic Living Magic is a profound exploration of real magical practice from four esteemed members of the Bonn Workshop for Experimental Magic. This book is an invaluable source of practical knowledge and constructive tips for contemporary occultists and magical practitioners. Within these pages, you will discover 24 essays exploring topics like Hermeticism, Da'ath magic, states of consciousness, magic and science, magical healing, folk magic, and astrology. The renowned occultist Frater U.D. explores the symbiosis between high and low magic. Harry Eilenstein discusses using magic for the clearest expression of your soul. Josef Knecht shares insights on breaking through the web of collective reality. Axel Büdenbender shares his most unforgettable rituals. These reflections, theories, stories, and tips comprise a must-have modern grimoire for all students of the occult. Foreword by Don Webb, author of Uncle Setnakt's Essential Guide to the Left Hand Path

Genres: Spirituality, Magic

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2021

Reviews

[Lora Milton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The introduction purports that there are less than 30 books that actually teach how to get results from magic in the world and that "You're holding one of them." A fairly pretentious claim, though it's true that a massive amount of books on the market are what we would call 'fluffy' and basically all say the same things as each other. I'm always looking for the exceptions.

The rest of the intro tells some history of 'The Bonn Group' in Germany that eventually formed the German section of the IOT (Illuminates of Thanateros). This will be of interest to those who have read about the original group in England started by Peter Carroll and Ray Sherwin and the subsequent spread. Very little information has been available about the German section. The one thing that bothers me is the claim that the Bonn group founded the IOT, yet no mention of the actual founders in England anywhere in the book. It reeks of credit grabbing.

The chapters are written as separate essays about different aspects of the subject. I had the impression that at least some of them might have been re-purposed from earlier publications. The first chapter, written by Frater U.D., is about the terms 'high magic', 'low magic', etc. Like the introduction, it's largely based in history and the experience of the author. The second chapter, by Harry Eilenstein, is a similar relation of the author's historical journey into magic and I began to think here that the four authors were giving information about their experiences to put the reader in context, but then the next chapter is by Frater U.D. again.

This one at first appears to be another dose of nostalgia, but turns out to be a long winded way of explaining probability and seeming coincidence in magic and just pointing out that it works. The only thing that made me smile indulgently was the assertion that anyone explaining magic through science is wrong. I've seen some brilliant explanations of how magic fits neatly in with chaos science, though to be fair there are many articles around where the writers seem to try too hard to make things fit and we can't expect every magician to fully understand chaos physics.

Next up is a chapter by Josef Knecht. With only a light mention of personal history from this third author, he waxes philosophical about the nature of magic and some of the relevant contributions from Carl Jung and how psychology relates to magic. Finally Ice Magic, an approach originated by Frater U.D., gets a mention and a general explanation, simple but clear.

The fourth author, Axel Büdenbender, follows with an interview style essay that tells his background and experience with magic. So now we're a quarter of the way through the book and it has been more memoir than magic, but useful information to put in context and the footnotes refer to chapters to come that sound promising.

Then after a chapter about mind states in magic we have Frater U.D. again and another historical chapter on famous magicians, magical Orders and the "fetish" of legitimacy. Harry Eilenstein then talks about telepathy and finally we're given an exercise to try! Beginner's stuff, but it's a start.

The chapters go on this way, Harry about Da'ath magic which apparently requires a belief in a supreme diety and a lot about Chakras, then finishes up saying the chapter is an "attempt to sketch its essence and describe its properties" but doesn't go into what he actually does in the practice.

I found the chapter on mistakes in magic particularly interesting and something that would be of great value to anyone who is new to their magical journey.

The trip down memory lane is interesting for those who are interested in what people were doing in that era and the philosophical concepts mostly have merit, but halfway through the book I was still waiting for the promise of how to get results from magic promised in the Introduction, though there has been much of interest about magical theory.

We do finally get some detailed instruction in chapter 18 about German letter magick, after a comprehensive history of the man who started it, Rudolf von Sebottendorf. Much of this history takes us through politics during both world wars, so Nazis come into it. I found it different than what I might have expected as it focused on intoning and posture magic.

Overall I found the book more *about* magic than instructional for the magician. It was often verbose and I disagreed occasionally with some of the ideas, like the very limiting idea of defining magic into models. However, it was refreshing to see astrology given serious consideration within the context of some schools of magic that too often discount it.

I'm not sure who the target audience is meant to be. Those familiar with magic through the 1970s-1980s will find much familiar, some gaps in history filled in and some potentially interesting perspectives, but those new to magic might not be able to put a lot of it into context. Still, I enjoyed reading it.

[Lazarone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, four magicians are presenting their ideas, experiences, philosophies, rituals and practical advices about magic. Just from introduction, we can see that many teachings of this book are deserving to be carefully considered in the occult sciences. Almost every essay here will stir your interest: about politics and Crowley's "Do What Thou Wilt", about different types of magic and Kabbalah stations, about telepathy... even one complete system is presented, similar to rune magic. And, of course, though it is expected that the reader will have few different ideas than those presented in the text this book is nevertheless one awesome and particular presentation of magical world.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philosophies of Magic

Despite its title, this book doesn't really seem to be about what I would call “living magic.” Rather, this has been written by four ceremonial magicians, and each chapter is an essay written by one of them that touches on their history with magic, philosophies, and other aspects of magic. It feels rather loose and disjointed, with no true organization. If you're hoping for a book that will help you actually practice “living magic,” you will be disappointed as it has little of “practical” use. Not to say that some essays are not fascinating or good reads that get you thinking… because they are on both counts. If you are interested in intellectually exploring magical concepts, you might enjoy the insights offered by four well-practiced magicians.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Weslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up mostly out of curiosity. I didn't expect anything overly practical since the premise of this book is that it contains "contemporary insights and experiences from practicing magicians." The title alone led me to the conclusion that I would essentially be reading anecdotal accounts of various practices from the authors' lives. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I wasn't overly eager to pick it up. There were several points in the book that were so bogged down with historical information that I felt like I was reading a text book. I also felt that the organization of the book was a little scattered.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to review.

[Rebecca Elson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet on 10/13/2021.

“Living Magic: Contemporary Insights and Experiences from Practicing Magicians” by Frater U∴D∴ is a collection of essays about magic from the founding members of the Bonn Workshop for Experimental Magic in Germany. Although anticipating discussions about magic, I wasn’t prepared from the biographical angle of the book. You’ll find interviews and personal recollections. I didn’t mind because I’m nosey by nature and love to learn about the practitioners as much as the practice, but it is something to keep in mind.

“Living Magic” is well-written, and I found many of the essays provided food for thought. If you’re interested in magic, particularly from the Western occult tradition, I’d recommend giving this book a try.

[Damian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. What you will find on it are different essays of different authors. This is not a practical book, some chapters have some ideas or exercises, but it's not what look for. For me, the best essays are written by Frater U.D, but the other authors are quite well too. This is a book about the experiences and visions of what magic is from the perspective of experienced magicians.

I can't agree with Don Webb when he says: "This is the most important occult book release from this year" but it's quite good if you like chaos or freestyle magic.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess it's not the book, it's me. I'm going through a terrible situation so any kind of reading is difficult, so a book with no point whatsoever feels really difficult to read at this point. I'm at it for more than 2 weeks and I haven't gotten past 1/3rd and I don't have the patience to sit around waiting for it to get better. And I can't start another book before I give up on a previous one and I seriously need a good story to disappear into , as my real life sucks too much. Therefore, good bye Mr. Frater.

[Taylor Ellwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating collection of essays about magic, which also presents a historical view of an experimental group in Germany, where they share some of the magical experiments they were engaged in. I appreciated the historical aspect and the various thoughts they shared about projects they worked on. I would have liked a bit more practical details share, but overall it was an intriguing book to read and one I’d recommend because it provides a snapshot of what a group of magicians were working on and experimenting with.

[Alexis DeLeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I think I’m just not at a level of information that allowed me to truly understand the messages. Some of it got really “heady” and didn’t have a great understanding of some of the things they were referencing. I wish there was more connection between the chapters than just an assortment of essays and more specific experiences of the Bonn experiment

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

You could summon a demon to help you find arcane knowledge in a dusty old tome. Or you could order a book from Amazon. I'm just saying. Not only is it more efficient — with one-click delivery and free shipping — but you're still summoning a demon and it's still a form of magick.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it interesting and thought provoking. There's plenty of books about spell and magic and just a few that makes you reflect on what living magic means.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Lovely Loveday]

Living Magic is an intriguing read that is full of tips and tricks with lots of useful information. A book I am sure to read again and again. 

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really like this book, there is some information. A look at their lives in magic. Each author gets a few chapters to share their essays.

[Mitchell Stern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas undermined by it feeling very dry and offering little practical advice.