21st Century Mage: Bring the Divine Down to Earth

by Jason Augustus Newcomb

For the first time since its initial translation into English at the turn of the century, Jason Newcomb has reinterpreted the sacred magic of Abramelin the Mage into a completely relevant program for contemporary seekers. In the thirtyone chapters of 21st Century Mage , Newcomb has reinvented the "Knowledge and Conversation of Your Holy Guardian Angel" ritual. He lays out a course of practice and prayer and introduces a whole new generation to the Crowleyan esthetic. Thought to be the simplest and most effective explanation of secret Western doctrine, The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage , a 15th century text, laid the foundation for the nineteenth century occult group, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and set young Aleister Crowley on his spiritual quest. This is the book that served as the cornerstone of Crowley's lifelong practice. Newcomb's hip, nondenominational reinterpretation requires only openness to the universe and a yearning for understanding and transcendental knowledge. Describing himself as a skeptical and pragmatic mystic, Newcomb shows how drug abuse, sexual compulsion, overeating, fanaticism in all its permutations, are all misplaced yearnings for the "Knowledge and Conversation of Your Holy Guardian Angel." Jason Newcomb combines ideas and exercises from writers through the ages with the Abramelin techniques he himself has used to lose weight and quit smoking.

Genres: Magick, Occult

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2002

Reviews

[Christopher Plaisance · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is essentially a lengthy postscript to one of the most important texts in the modern Hermetic corpus: The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. While Newcomb's intentions—providing aspirants with a modernized commentary on Abramelin's system—are noble, he fails in delivering a book which adds much at all to the field. Newcomb does provide a reasonably accurate and clear summarization of the original work, it is his commentary that detracts from more than it adds to the understanding of those with any background in Western Esotericism. Newcomb attempts to supplement the Renaissance angelology of Abramelin with terms gleaned from contemporary psychology and Eastern religious philosophy, yet the imprecision with which these ideas are used serves to obfuscate rather than clarify. Furthermore, while this may be the only kind of guidebook to the Abramelin operation available in print, the venerable Bill Heidrick (who served as the treasurer of the Ordo Templi Orientis for over 25 years) has made his papers—An Abramelin Ramble: With Visits to Roadside Attractions Along the Way And Sundry Personal Advice and The Road to the Sun: A Record of Self Initiation to Tipheret—available online since the late 80s. Heidrick's commentary deals with the history of and periphery surrounding the Abramelin operation with more acumen and greater erudition than does Newcomb. In short, 21st Century Mage might be a good place to start for someone who has no foundation in Western Esotericism, but for the rest of us Heidrick is a more sure guide.

[Daniel yarlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on the hga and some useful and practical information.. also easy to read and understand..

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit, there is a lot to recommend this book, and it does absolutely simplify the Abra Melin work, focusing on the heart of the ritual, and stripping away the useless and outdated things which occur in the original manuscript which may be puzzling to modern readers. It does so in easy to read language, gender neutral, and makes a comparison between the update and the old, so that readers may see where the author is pulling his ideas from. It also provides more of a selection of means to achieve the end result, and clearly points out the dangers and pitfalls along the way. However, I found a lot of the material to be very general, and at the end felt a large measure of ambivalence about taking on such an awesome but dangerous ritual. The author does not leave me feeling confident and fully prepared. This is a good book to start off with, but it is not the only book you'll need to complete this rite. Additionally, the author begins to explain many interesting ideas, but does not fully expound on them. I would like to see another book by this same author which goes into greater detail about certain aspects of the ritual, such as what precisely to expect afterward, including maintenance of the bond between the angel and yourself, and other means by which the demon banishing at the end may be carried out.
Perhaps, however this is covered in some of the author's other book, which I haven't read yet.