Phillip Cooper (1)

Excellent tables of magical correspondences, especially with regard to the planets, as well as recipes for various incenses. Many lovely meditations as well.

However, Cooper spends a lot of his time trying to disprove commonly used practices, such as the magic circle and the usage of planetary days/hours, and the way he goes about this is apt to offend more than a few:

"...those who still insist on performing rituals [in this manner] are to be pitied. They know nothing of real magic." (p. 25)

But, pray tell, what is real magic? High magic? Low magic? He opens up doors to arguments that cannot be answered simply in a book about candle magic. Expect a lot of this. If you're reading from a more traditional perspective, you're going to be quite shocked.

This is where one is challenged to leave his inhibitions at the door. Aside from Cooper's tangents, which can come across as rude and condescending to some, this is quite a good book, especially with regard to planetary and ritual work.

I would not recommend it to everyone, and definitely not to the beginner, but for those with an open mind and willing to look at different viewpoints.… (meer)