Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires: The Classical Texts of Magick Deciphered

by Aaron Leitch

The magickal methods and esoteric knowledge of medieval Europe (476 to 1453 C.E.) form the ancestral backbone of modern ceremonial magick. To understand medieval magick, it's necessary to know the primary repositories of this knowledge―the grimoires of spells, incantations, and ritual instructions for working with angels and conjuring spirits. And to understand the grimoires, you must delve into the life and times of the magicians who wrote them. Scholar and magician Aaron Leitch sheds light upon the greatly misunderstood subject of the medieval mage in this comprehensive reference manual. In addition, he provides valuable comparisons among the magical practices described in the grimoires and various shamanic methods of working with the spirit world.

Genres: Occult, Magick, Magic, Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Esoterica, History

456 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Aaron Leitch (Florida) has been a scholar and spiritual seeker for over a decade. His explorations have taken him into many fascinating areas of human spirituality, their history, and their modern practice. His writings (both in print and on the web) cover such varied fields as Middle Eastern Religion and Mythology, Shamanism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism and Alchemy, Traditional Wicca and Neopaganism, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Thelema, Angelology, Qabalah, Enochiana, Psychology and Consciousness Expansion, Cyberspace, and Modern Social Commentary.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to this book so far. Extremely easy to read language - contemporary but not in a gimmicky or superficial way. The author is simply taking a modern (really postmodern), serious (or rather - sincere) but not overly academic look at the classic grimoires of the Western tradition(s) and the magick they represent.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crucial text for the development of new traditional occultism in the new millenium, focusing on the Grimoires. Aaron elucidates this neglected and misrepresented topic in a very comprehensive manner after giving in the first chapters an overview and opinion on how the "whole stuff might work". As I said, this is a very important book for the current magical community. However, be prepared to have some long breath for a huge amount of rituals, sigils etc. (which is in no ways bad). The only thing I tend to criticise is the use of the word "shaman" but this is rather due to my own background in studies of religion and should do not much harm in this rather public, non-academic context.

[Mitchell Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leitch does a great job of breaking down the arcane and esoteric text of older grimoires for comprehensible modern understanding without losing any details. Leitch also does a great job of connecting grimoires to their cultural context and displays thorough research into the subject. I feel lucky to have this book in my library

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good survey of various grimoires. As someone who's considering entering this world of study, this book has only made it clear that it is not something for me (at the very least, at this time). The levels of preparation are sufficiently proven to be essential, and the sort of devotion the work requires is not something I'm capable of giving at the time.

That is the great thing about this book: it can make it clear to you if this is a path you want to walk down or not.

I found myself wanting to find out more about the African religions, both native to their lands and the various forms they took in the diaspora. That, however, was not the purpose of this book, but I appreciate that what information we got was included.

[Äsruþr Cyneaþsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book which views the production and intent of many of the great historical grimoires through contemporary analysis. I found myself inclined to agree with Leitch towards many of his interpretations of the grimoires and found some truly valuable insights in his cross-referenced research. For students of any historic grimoire, then Leitch has produced a valuable addition and resource to your work. It should be accompanied by the work of Stratton-Kent also.

[Malike Shamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to this book. The language is easy to understand - modern yet not superficial. The author delves into the classic grimoires of the Western tradition with a modern, sincere approach. The author's exploration of ancient texts is both enlightening and refreshing, offering a new perspective on age-old practices. With a blend of historical research and personal reflection, this book promises to be a valuable resource for both beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in the practical application of any of the popular grimoires, this book is a must have. It contains its own rituals and preparation distilled from different source texts and put in one place. The introduction explores the shamanistic roots of the grimoire tradition and provides exceptional context to the advent of the grimoire tradition.

[New · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book

[Cathy Addley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m aghast at the fact that I allowed myself to finish this book. Those are hours I’ll never get back 😂