How to Make and Use Talismans

by Israel Regardie

How to Make and Use Talismans by Israel Regardie.

Genres: Occult, Magick, Magic, Nonfiction, Witchcraft

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Israel Regardie (born Francis Israel Regudy) was considered by many to be the last living Adept of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. At an early age, Regardie worked as Aleister Crowley's personal secretary. In addition to his extensive writings, Regardie practiced as a chiropractor and as a neo-Reichian therapist. He taught psychiatry at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and contributed articles to many psychology magazines.

Reviews

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Israel Regardie’s “How to Make and Use Talismans” is a compact book that explains in detail how to make talismans. As a near-native speaker of Hebrew, he—unlike many others—understood the Hebrew language enough to use it in making talismans. But in this respect, Regardie wasn’t an absolutist, understanding that not everyone had his language skills.

Regardie takes the reader on a step-by-step journey into making talismans and incorporates excellent examples, including detailed appendices to help others making their own talismans. This was a book that is both educational and inspiring.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his latest collection of personal vignettes and tales of wonder Lon Milo Duquette writes about his first experiment with practical magic which involved the construction of seven planetary talismans. He mentions that he used the formula given in Israel Regardie's How to Make and Use Talismans as his guide for this initial magical foray. (Low Magick: It's All In Your Head...You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is, Chapter Five, "My Planetary Talismans")

If you have not read Duquette, and I especially would recommend Low Magick, he is widely known as an author who is focused on approachability and hands on magical experimentation. Though it has taken a couple of years since I first read about the book, I finally got around to checking out Regardie's work.

It is a precise, easy to read guide and that will only take up a small part of your time. Of course, as a reference you'll want to revisit it a time or two or have some similar material nearby when constructing your talisman(s). (Similar instructions can be found in Regardie's The Golden Dawn as well as King and Skinner's Techniques of High Magick.)

I was surprised how much I already knew and am relieved that after years of studying magic and hermeticism I finally learned how to use planetary kameas which I had previously believed were terribly complex. (As a right brain oriented person scarred by enforced Algebra classes I regrettably balk at any hint of mathematics.) Along with the methodology behind planetary sigils one will learn how to use the Rosy Cross symbol of the G.'.D.'. to draw sigils along with the elemental/tattvas scheme. in fact most of the efforts that go into making talismans are "common sense" for anyone versed in Western magic.

If nothing else, if you haven't made a talisman during the course of your career, pick up this book and find out how easy it is to do so.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim volume is something I wish I’d read years ago. An excellent overview and erudite explanation of magic squares, talismans, and the practical construction and application thereof.

[M G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking, useful information, particularly for practitioners familiar with Qabala and Hermetics. The structure might seem very foreign or restrictive for practitioners who don't work with these systems.

[Austin Durgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent summation of amulet making, but Regardie, like so many occultists, gets lost in his absurdities. Overall, it gives the general gist while providing a few good examples. While the average mage may find it quite simple and make some necklace for Hermes that has the seal of mercury, For the rest of us, it could become quite confusing if you read the book as absolute truth.

[Paola Dunbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and to the point!

[HillbillyWizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to concentrate and write, what with all the barium, aluminum and strontium being sprayed here today in what MIT has labeled stratospheric aerosol injections. One of the secrets is that we are Solomon’s temple it’s our body is The temple. And it’s one of the saddest, most shameful and despicable things ever what we continue to allow day in and day out to be done to the temple with no end in sight. Someone, anyone can prove me wrong at any point but faith alone means dick until we stop them spraying us like the cockroaches we allow them to treat us as. That’s not even touching the million other ways we are being depopulated through food supplies, water, now mandatory “medicine” our children are taking. We have a lot more funerals to attend until we say NO which I don’t think we will because people are deluded enough to believe we can still vote our way out of this or even worse have been fed a lie that God will save them. Sure ultimately, our souls are fine but nothing will stop this planet from being like a Brave New World meets 1984, especially when the iPhone Americans cain’t even muster the Bravery of the unarmed Dutch farmers or Canadian truckers. The only proof I need is that every single human should be far more outraged than I, and they aren’t.

[Teleri]

Just as the title describes.