jason miller

16
Aug
2018

Review: The Elements of Spellcrafting, by Jason Miller


The Elements of Spellcrafting: 21 Keys to Succesful Sorcery – Jason Miller

New Page Books, 2017, 9781632651204, 222pp.

“It doesn’t matter what I’m teaching them, or what level they’re at, this book will be essential reading for my students.”

When I said that, I realized in a lot of ways that is one of the highest compliments I could give a book. I don’t care what tradition they follow, this book will help.

The Elements of Spellcrafting is not your normal book on magick, and I don’t mean that as a cheesy hype line, it’s true. It’s one of the best books on magick I’ve read, and it contains no real spells or rituals, no meditations or exercises. It really is a book about magick, as a conceptual process, not as a how-to. It’s very much a meta-book in that sense, it’s advice on doing magick, that is intelligent and grounded. As my initial quote suggests, it doesn’t matter what someone is learning, what system, this book will help them think about their magick in a more effective manner. As such, this is not a book that can stand truly alone, if you don’t have a magickal practice, this won’t teach you one, but if you have one this will improve it.

The book contains “21 Keys to Successful Sorcery” as well as a bonus 7 keys for successful divination. These keys are advice, ways to reframe your magick, your practice, your goals. I’ve talked before about practical magick, the importance of doing magick for the big and amazing, but also the small and reasonable, how to reframe your magick to be the most efficient it can be, and that’s what this book is about. (Also another reason this will be required reading for my students is that many of the points Jason makes I already have to really hammer into some students, so a book to send them to will save me hassle)

Sorcerer Harold and Spirit Salphegor introduce each chapter

The 21 keys are divided into three groups of seven. Part 1 is “Setting up the Spell” and is all about the lead up to actually performing magick: how to create good magickal goals, opening your life up so it can be influenced, how to plan ahead and keep things flowing. Part 2 is “Execution” and is about performing the magick itself: practical use of magickal materia, enchanting big and small for the same goal, how to think about magick and the way it spreads and grows. Part 3 is “Advancing Your Craft” and that’s about looking at your magick and your life and taking it further: It contains how to honestly evaluate your success (something I often have criticised sorcerous folks in general for being horrible at), setting big goals and boosting your confidence through that, how to accept failed magick (and if you’re a sorcerer who thinks magick never fails either you’re not doing magick, or your goals are laughably small) and how to learn from those failures. Most chapters also end with a few related questions to get you thinking about your magick differently and beginning to see where and how you might be able to improve your work.

The book is written in Jason Miller’s normal straightforward and accessible style. It’s down to earth, but definitely not downplaying magick, it’s practical, but not limiting. Whether you’re a student or teacher, new or seasoned, if you want to become more successful and effective as a sorcerer I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
23
Aug
2012

Review: Financial Sorcery – Jason Miller


Financial Sorcery: Magical Strategies to Create Real and Lasting Wealth – Jason Miller
New Page, 2012, 224pp., 9781601632180
We’ve all encountered that person who asks if magick works, why aren’t we all rich? We all probably have our own answers too, but when we pause to think about it, it is a good question. Why do so many occultists of varying stripes have trouble with money? We summon lovers, find jobs in odd places, protect our homes, and yeah magick the money to get us out of trouble, but outside of that emergency most of us have trouble with money or money magick.
“[T]he magic itself is fine: our spells usually work … The problem is in the application of our magic … …The attitude for most people seemed to be that when everything was okay, it was better not to give much thought to money at all.” (14) As Jason points out when people try money magick outside of emergencies, it’s often for exceedingly unlikely goals like winning the lottery. I’m in that boat. I’ve experimentally tried my hand at the lottery to no notable success, and while I’ve done great with having enough money to get by while in school and then some when I shouldn’t have the money, it’s always been that survival emergency money magick mentality.
That’s not what this book is about. There are sections about it, a sigil for getting some money fast, and a chapter on emergency magick, but for the most part it’s about prosperity and abundance. Repeatedly the message Jason gives is cut debt and expenses, increase income, and grow wealth. Emergency magick, is bad magick. Strategic magick, is good magick.
In this book Jason introduces a wide range of information regarding financial sorcery. Drawing on various traditions we’re given a list of figures to work with, from Vajrayana to Ceremonial Magick, from Catholicism to Taoism to African Diaspora Religions. Frankly I never like the section in books where the author lists a bunch of figures and says go work with them, but they’re not offered “as is” but more as a sample of who is out there, and that we should find whatever figure of prosperity we can to work with and develop a relationship with.
In Jason’s usual manner this book is a mix of different traditions and technology, as well as heavily grounded in practical magick and real world activity. Most chapters that explain how to do something magickally also give some options for the mundane side. Looking to get in a bit of extra cash in a crunch? Jason gives a website to sign up for focus groups in your area. Needing to manage and understand your expenses better? Here is a website that tracks all your money so you know where it is going. Most of these resources are only for Americans, the Canadian version of the focus group site has five focus groups listed across the country since March for example, but can give you a starting place to work from, ideas to look into.
Jason sets out to analyze our perspective on wealth and wealth magick, and by intelligently understanding and strategizing from there help the reader build stable and lasting prosperity. He takes us through daily offerings to spirits to help keep the gears going, to 16 Lightning Glyphs of Jupiter –a collection of 16 sigils for financial magick with all sorts of practical and specific applications–, to understanding how we hold ourselves back from financial freedom, to killing debts, to getting jobs and promotions, to starting our own business, to investing. Step-by-step through big picture and little detail magick Jason works to get the reader to a more prosperous place in their life. While not an advanced book in regards to technique –anyone with basic magickal/meditation experience could make use of the book– it is advanced in the strategy and process. Whether you’re drowning in debt, just getting by, doing well, or just looking to do better this book will have techniques, technology, and ideas that are relevant to you. Unlike most things in life, money will always be there, and it is always something we must deal with, so I really can’t think of anyone this book wouldn’t benefit, and would recommend it to most anyone.
And of course, if you like this book or just want to know more about the author you can check out his blog here.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
29
Jun
2011

Wednesday Webshares: Wealth, Rootworker Advice, and More Rules, Laws, and Rights


I’ve been writing recently but haven’t really had a chance to finish much, so time for a webshare in no particular order.
First off, Jason Miller over at Strategic Sorcery is currently selling White Mahakala Wealth Talismans. Now personally I have a silly issue with Mahakala, and I’m not linking this so you buy one, but feel free to. More I was greatly amused by his tongue-in-cheek (in parts) sales pitch for why White Mahakala is better than other Wealth Deities.
Dr. Raven, of Dr. Raven’s Conjure posted an excellent article on Tips for Working with a Rootworker and Reader. It’s a great read for both people looking for magickal help or people considering offering it. I don’t think there is anything there I disagreed with, a lot had matched what I cobbled together for my own work, and he gave me a few more points to think on.
Speaking of more to think on, last week I posted Rob’s Laws, Rules, and Rights of Magick. Since then Ananael Qaa has posted his thoughts on Rob’s Laws, and Rules, and Rights which make an interesting supplement and contrast to Rob’s original posts. And no need to fear, even in three posts Ananael Qaa is far more succinct than Rob was.
Book reviews, rants, and articles to come.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
22
Jan
2011

Strategic Sorcery Blog Migration


For those of you who used to follow Jason Miller’s Strategic Sorcery blog you may or may not have noticed that it is no longer there. Due to a glitch the blog is gone, but he has relocated it his own server.
So if you used to follow it you can find Strategic Sorcery here. If you didn’t follow his blog in the past I recommend it. I reviewed his book The Sorcerer’s Secrets in the past. He’s a very practical sorcerer filled with good ideas and rational thought. I’m glad to see that he revived his blog under his control and was able to recover his old posts.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
29
Sep
2010

Review: The Sorcerer's Secrets – Jason Miller


The Sorcerer’s Secrets: Strategies in Practical Magick – Jason Miller
New Page Books. 2009. 224pp. 9781601630599.
With his second book Jason Miller sets out to “provide a field guide for working with magick, not just a massive collection of every ceremony, spell, and trick that I know” (187) specifically regarding what he often phrases as real magick, and practical magick. I’d say he does a pretty good job of this, he doesn’t discount magick as a tool for growth and insight as spiritual beings, in fact he encourages it, but he also stresses it can cause real affects here and now (9). The style of magick he synthesizes is largely drawn from Ceremonial Magick (pre-Golden Dawn mainly), Tantra and Bön; so not surprisingly it is a system I took to it quite well and enjoyed.
In some ways the book contains what you see in a lot of introductory magickal books, breathing exercises, gazing exercises, theories about how our reality is divided/shaped, basic meditations. While a few exercises were interesting, nothing in this part is really that new to a magickal practitioner, after that though he starts getting into more uncommon stuff. An example is a meditation ritual combining a Tibetan Elemental system within the body and a Ceremonial Magick Godname, the ritual I found interesting not just because of the combination, but the elemental order is different than what I’ve learnt in both systems, though he explains quite interestingly why this order of the elements works.
He deals with the practical use of divination in order to help you plan your magickal acts. The chapters in the second section of the book all contain good information drawing on the systems I mentioned along with hoodoo, European folk magick and other things. The chapters aren’t just instructions on magick, but contain sets of questions for the sorcerers to consider in order to help them with their work, basic yet critical topics of thought for the sorcerer to use to be successful. Miller emphasizes “success in magick depends upon working the magickal and the mundane aspects of every situation” (92). He balances magick with life planning, of course this division is a touch artificial, and he concludes with a similar thought. “Though there is certainly a lot of classical magick in the book there is also a lot of information that isn’t typically thought of as magick. I want my readers to stop thinking in terms of what is magick and what is not, and instead start thinking in terms of what is successful and what is not” (207).
The book is written in an order I think would be conducive to someone just getting into magick, and is structured that new or seasoned with magick we can easily find what we need to work with. His style of writing is easy to follow, his tone is rational and humorous and I challenge anyone to read about his binding and expelling of people without laughing at his method (in a good way). An aspect I found enjoyable was his use of references, and encouraging people to research more into the topics. He provides a very simplified method of dealing with a Goetic Demon, but then suggests to the reader that if they like the system and the results to look into how it is traditionally done. There is also a section on working professionally as a sorcerer/magickian. This is a topic too few authors (or even practitioners) are willing to broach so it was refreshing to see it. As someone who has worked doing the “magickal odd job” it was nice to see it addressed and get another outlook.
Miller walks a fine line between tradition and innovation which is hard to do. He encourages creativity and personal creations, but stresses the necessity of research, experience and results. While I don’t know under what category I’d recommend this book to people, I definitely see myself recommending it. Also for those interested Jason Miller runs The Strategic Sorcery Blog which I’ve found a provoking and enjoyable read.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick