NMR ISSUE 52

Astrological Forecast 52
Coming Home
Creating a Ritual Circle
Enochian magic for Beginners
Gerald Gardner
Gleanings 52
Kabbalah and the Hermetic Tradition
Metaparadims
O Yule Log We Return to you
Persephone's Fall
Standing on the Threshold
The Ancestors Within
The Ancient Wiccan Way
The Feminine in Astrology
The Magical World of the Tarot:
The Ouija
The Seven Faces of Darkness:

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Enchain Magic for Beginners: The Original System of Angel Magic

By Donald Tyson.

ISBN 1-56718-747-1.

Llewellyn Publications, P.O. Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164—0383. 1997, 404 pp. Illustrated, appendices, notes. $14.95.

Reviewed by Ray Yates

Enochian Magic represents one of the most complex, fascinating and powerful systems of magic known. Popularized in the early 1900s by The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Victorian magician Aleister Crowley, Enochian Magic took root and spread throughout the occult community. It has since become a cornerstone of modern ritual magic.

For approximately 500 years, Enochian Magic has been divided into two complex parts. Because of the puzzling subject matter, some writers have dwelled at great length on certain parts of the system while ignoring other aspects. Don Tyson's ~ Beginners: The Original System of Angel Magic draws on original manuscripts from the British Museum and other hard-to-find resources. Tyson presents — for the first time — a complete and comprehensible overview suitable for both novices and experienced practitioners. Tyson provides a valuable synopsis of High Magic, with all the teachings, sigils, seals, and letter squares needed to reach beyond the material world and invoke the cosmic forces of the universe.

Some of the materials tucked away in this remarkable book can be found nowhere else; they are the direct result of Tyson's own personal study of the Enochian system. Unlike some other writers, Tyson overcomes the fear of being proven wrong and presents his interpretations of many obscure writings of Enochian pioneer John Dee. "Without question," writes Tyson, "Some of what appears in this book is faulty. On key topics for which there is no complete explanation I have been forced to speculate" Disclaimers aside, these speculations — clearly marked as Tyson's _ represent the key component that makes this book unique. Here, for instance, are Tyson's "Restored Great Table," the appointment of the Enochian calls to the subquarters of the Table, a completely rewritten "Book of Spirits" for making initial contact with the Enochian Angels, along with illustrations depicting the flow of elemental currents in the Round House.

Admittedly, Enochian Magic is obscure. Certain aspects of it are likely to remain so. The sheer complexity of the system is further complicated by the loss of many of Dee's manuscripts coupled with the toll time has taken on those which survive. Enochian Magic for Beginners does, however, ease some of the complexity. Experienced magicians, on the other hand, should not be misled by the title. Although intended for the novice, the book represents both a comprehensive summary of the system and a competent examination of the subject. It will, therefore, serve as both an overview for the novice and an invaluable resource for experienced Enochian magicians.