Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Llewellyn's high magick series

Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts

Rate this book
Modern Magick is the most popular, most complete, step-by-step instruction manual on how to do real magick that has ever been published. Already over 100,000 people are using it.

Author Donald Michael Kraig wrote this after teaching the information in classes for ten years. It is refined, tested, and easy to understand. It is filled with exercises, techniques, and rituals to help you. It is presented in a series of eleven lessons. Follow the lessons, practice the rituals and techniques, and by the end of your work you will be a magician.
What does it cover? Rituals, healing, initiation, talismans, astral travel, creative visualization, psychic self-defense, evocation of spirits, the Kabalah, physical exercise, and magical tools such as wands.

Want more? You'll also learn the secrets of true meditation, how to use the Tarot, how to remember your dreams, how to do the rituals of Western Magick, including rituals of the Pentagram, Hexagram, Middle Pillar, Rose Cross, and Watchtower. You'll learn how to manipulate magical energy, secrets of relaxation, Wicca, pathworking, Tantra, and sex magick.

Once you have finished working your way through this book you will be an accomplished magician. You will be able to perform real magick. Then this book will become the most valuable reference tool in your collection of books.

What if you want to know even more about a subject? No problem. Each chapter has a bibliography so you can go even deeper into any topic. There is an annotated bibliography at the end with even more resources.

In the new, second edition the contents pages contain more information so it is even easier to find what you need, but there is also an entirely new appendix with answers to many of the most frequently asked questions that Kraig has received over the years. This book is a must!

581 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Donald Michael Kraig

34 books66 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
666 (40%)
4 stars
482 (29%)
3 stars
316 (19%)
2 stars
108 (6%)
1 star
58 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
Profile Image for Bad Tim.
85 reviews8 followers
September 7, 2008
somebody recommended this book after i specifically said i wasn't interested in something that relied on judeo-christian concepts.

this book is exclusively about working with the kabalah, with small amounts of eastern philosophy that are generally taken out of context and are only cursorily explored, and one patronizing section on earth-based magic.

kraig's writing style is redundant and dogmatic. he attempts to prove everything from reincarnation to the existence of the jewish god using logical fallacies and providing no back-up research for his claims, and perpetuates bad scholarship such as the 'aryan invasion' theory of the orignins of hinduism. the text digresses into long, irrelevent asides that amount to nothing more than rants, and while he consistently stresses the personal nature of magical work, the few personal anecdotes he provides are vague and don't enlighten the lessons. he also digresses into cutting criticisms of other authors without identifying the works he's lambasting or justifying his opinions.

i stuck with the book mainly because of its promise to reveal secrets of the tarot and its sparse references to eastern philosophy. the tarot was never explained outside of its golden dawn application to the tree of life, and eastern philosophy was only applied in the chapter on sex magic; despite frequent peripheral references to both topics.

this book is only useful to someone who is strongly interested in kabalistic ritual and has the patience to wade thru a pedantic and opinionated text.

1 review3 followers
November 16, 2007
DMK does a decent job of laying out a survey of the basic theory of the "High Magickal Arts". Be careful, though, much of his information is incorrect, and his pronunciations for the Hebrew is abysmal.

However, this is an excellent starter and resource book. It lays out several important rituals in a (relatively) straightforward and easy-to-understand manner.

DMK tends to give you the theory (most of it borrowed, and badly) for each chapter, then tags a useful ritual at the end.

This book rides somewhere in between the neo-pagan fluff that is flooding the market and the masturbatory gibberish of Crowley.

If you prefer primary psycho-philosophical sources, go to Wilhelm Reich, C. G. Jung, Freud, Plotinus, Heraclitus.

if you prefer esoterica, go to Regardie, Dion Fortune, Crowley, Westcott, Mathers, Phil Hine, and Peter Carroll.

That being said, this book is excellent to learn several of the basic rituals passed from the Golden Dawn and O.T.O.
Profile Image for The Elves.
Author 82 books173 followers
July 28, 2015
Some people have called Donald Michael Kraig’s Modern Magick a classic, but we think that is rather like calling some object that is fifty years old an antique. Time, and readers, will determine if it is really a classic of occult lore or not. It is, however, a good study course in ceremonial magic, particularly if you like to use the Kabbalah in your workings.
While we didn’t agree with everything he said in the book, we found more often than not that we had independently arrived at the same conclusions on numerous magical issues. And even more than that, we learned a number of things that we were able to incorporate into our own magical lives and efforts. What more could you want from a book than that?

The Silver Elves authors of Faerie Unfolding.
Profile Image for Neueziel.
7 reviews7 followers
June 28, 2012
This is the go to book for anyone with a genuine interest in the real occult. Kraig is very down to earth, dispels a lot of myths and superstitions surrounding the occult and is very factual..given the subject. The book is split up into lessons but it has a wealth of information and experience if you're simply curious.
Profile Image for Ivy.
37 reviews139 followers
June 1, 2024
I read this book a long time ago and have recently been rereading parts of it. Though it may be a bit outdated, this book is still probably one of the best beginner ceremonial magic books out there.
21 reviews2 followers
March 18, 2012
Anyone interested in High Magick would do themselves well by picking up this book. D.M. Kraig states throughout the book that one of the main intentions of the book is to enable the reader to pick up any other book on Magick and/or the Occult and be able to make sense of it, and lo, I am now able to do just that. Ever pick up 777 by A. Crowley and think 'what the hell?', well this book will help to lift the veil on that and other such difficult concepts for the uninitiated. I'm really glad I came by this book, I will be reading plenty more on the subject, but I cannot think of a better place to start than with this book. If you have any interest at all in ceremonial magick, then I would recommend this book.
85 reviews
March 21, 2012
Certainly not what I was looking for, even if according to reviews and recommendations it was the best.

Simply not acceptable, with no clear answers to most beginner's questions. I feel silly after getting through it, and started to respect Wicca, Paganism, witchcraft, sorcery, hodoo and shamanism much more.

This book is mostly Kabbala based, some kind of Kabbala based - discarding the other version of it as something lesser. Who is right? Not for me to decide.

Making robes, taking poses one has no health to take, praying... You know, if one is praying, completely different prayers usually have no place, and who don't, will not do this too, for the same reason. Getting almost naked in the desert, or big roaring flames of fireplace, or at least in front of grill or barbecue... Hello? What about the middle of the winter with none of the above, a little bit closer to real life of the most folks? Same for making place for rituals, with altar and chair and walking place around this without knocking anything out. Have you seen recently the size of majority of places where common people live? Spreading long-sleeved arms around the candle flames is plain fire hazard in cramped environment. Learning Tarot, some of the Tarot versions. Why not any other method of divination? Make life as complicated as possible with no explanations? Diaries of rituals, dream diaries... It it is good for you, OK. For many others "I will have happy dreams (or dream of unicorns)" together with black tourmaline would be better. I would also prefer books without rape, genitals' symbolism, sex magic, tampons and diapers in my face, if I have a choice. Wordy and boring.

Well, another money, time and hopes wasted. The positive thinking tells us: "Oh, so what..."

Oh, so what... Another day, another book. Hopefully better.
Profile Image for Sheherazahde.
324 reviews25 followers
Read
September 10, 2016
A friend bought this for me because he loves it and wants me to read it. I'm reading this with another friend and doing the lessons.

The first day we read the 4 forwards, the 2 prefaces, and the introduction. They were generally good. I disagree with the Ciceros about the definition of religion that they use when they talk about the difference between magick and religion. The relationship between magick and religion is complex and I don't have the time or space to discuss it here.

I was not familiar with Lon Milo DuQuette, and now I want to read his book "Low Magick-- It's All in Your Head... You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is".

I can tell that this is going to have a lot more Kabbalah in it than I prefer. But that is one of the reasons I have never been into Ceremonial magick.

The second day we read the first lesson. The author recommends doing one lesson per month. Lesson 1: keep a dream diary; keep a ritual dairy; get a Golden Dawn compatible Tarot Deck; Relaxation Ritual (I would call this an exercise not a ritual); define magick; Tarot Contemplation Ritual (once again not really a ritual); a lot of stuff about Tarot; the difference between "fortunetelling" and "divination" (He recommends saying that you are doing "psychological counseling" p28 in places where divination is illegal. Do not do this. It is called practicing psychiatry without a license, and more illegal than divination. Where I live the Tarot readers all say that they are doing readings for "entertainment only" because anything else is illegal. But you can say that you are offering "life coaching", so far that does not seem to be a regulated industry.); a Split Hexagram Tarot Spread; Introduction to the LBRP; Tools and altar for the LBRP (I disagree with the tools and associations); "Tau" Robe (basic ritual robe); How to draw a Banishing Earth pentagram; review questions; Bibliography.

8 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2021
Currently reading Modern Magick after over 20 years of seeing it in bookstores. The cover art just never really called to me. I didn't understand it at the time I was looking for quick magic/spells, that the artwork represented temple work and the visuals within.

So far pretty good. It gets you starting practical exercises right away, which is great using this as a textbook/guide.

I would be mindful of the ritual instructions. They're either quite detailed, or are missing some instruction. I personally have no problem with this because as long as you have your basics down, and you know how to move around a circle, then adding little flourishes here and there isn't inherently bad.

So, I don't recommend this book for someone who needs strict instruction. There's room to experiment and make your own magic and see how that works for you.

Additionally, the section on magical tools are very Golden Dawn-esque. The Golden Dawn was quite colorful with their tools and banners, so the instructions guide you to paint your fire wand red with yellow and emerald green symbols. Personally, I find those colors a bit tacky, so would prefer natural wood or muted colors. Search "Golden Dawn Ceremonial Tools" and see the images that come up. They look quite cartoony and less magical in my opinion.

Love and Light

Profile Image for Matias Selzer.
51 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2021
Ok, I want to be honest. It took me three years to finish this book.

I've started this book as it was recommended to me as a beginner.
When I started reading it, I realized that the book was full of kabbalistic and ceremonial magick things, which is definitely not my thing. Almost half of the book is like this. The first three or four chapters are full of complex ceremonial rituals to memorize, which I didn't understand and all the parts of the ritual were not clearly explained. This is the point when I left the book on the shelf and start reading more "witchy" or low magick books.

Now that I have finished it, I have to say that I love all the great and valuable pieces of advice and tips the author gives through all the book. There is a lot of really wonderful and useful information in this book that I haven't seen anywhere else. I also loved the last chapter about chaos magick and all that.

So, if you are like me and don't like ceremonial magick, I still recommend this book. You just need to skip all the rituals and all that.
Also, I've seen many times that this book is recommended to beginners. I completely disagree with this. As a beginner, all the information could be very overwhelming. I would recommend this book to somehow experience people.
Profile Image for Deb.
63 reviews
August 9, 2012
A solid textbook for ceremonial magick with an extensive annotated bibliography for further study. Donald Michael Craig gives not just the words of the rituals, but how to perform them -- what to visualize, gestures, tools, a daily practice.

I'll be rereading and continuing with further studies, but I am very happy with where the book has allowed me to accomplish thus far.
Profile Image for Eishexe.
16 reviews14 followers
January 23, 2010
The first book on Ceremonial Magick I ever picked up. It's a great practical primer, filled with exercises and practices the practitioner can immediately begin performing. Don't be surprised if it takes you a few years to work through this one the way it's meant to be done.
Profile Image for Eric Williamson.
30 reviews4 followers
June 16, 2017
One of the better books Llewellyn has ever published. A very good introduction to ceremonial magick. Start here and then branch out to Crowley, Mathers, and the rest.
Profile Image for Arcuro Shelton.
26 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2021
WHAT THE BOOK OFFERS: In this book, the author outlines practices that the reader should develop into habits. As much a book on self-improvement as anything else, Donald Michael Kraig includes rituals that aid in visualization, building confidence, and developing self-discipline. This is no simple book on Magick, but seems to offer the groundwork for the reader becoming an all-round better person through the use of ritual and the development of their Magickal ability.

Within these twelve lessons, I found Magickal applications for many of the things I've learned through being treated for bipolar disorder. And, in fact, Donald Michael Kraig includes Neuro-Linguistic Programming as part of his lesson for the developmental process of the modern practitioner of Magick.

Not only that, the author includes at the end of each chapter extensive bibliographies, and lesson questions to be answered by the student.

WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THE BOOK: Mainly its price. I have a limited budget. Even $9.99 (USD) is a lot to spend on an ebook.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK: I found the book an enjoyable read, and even tried to tough out the entire section on sex magick, which, as an asexual, I doubt I'll ever participate in under any capacity. All of the information I read (even that on sex magick) was easy to understand. Donald Michael Kraig took the time to explain the jargon, sometimes in excruciating detail, but I appreciated it all. By doing it his way, he ensures that his readers understand even some of the finer nuances of the lessons he wrote. It may be a bit tedious and boring for a more experienced practitioner of Magick, but I have a feeling I'll be referring to this book for information I need for many years to come, even if it's only to find another book to buy from his bibliographies.

One of the things I especially liked was the FAQ section he included at the back of the book. It was nice to see that a number of my own questions had been asked by other readers, and then answered by the author.

And, an interesting phenomenon happened as I read this book. To be honest, at the beginning, I wasn't sure that I should even bother reading this book. And, in fact, I was expecting a lot of what I tend to call woo-woo stuff—information that was incomplete or too "out there" for me to believe in. However, that was not what I found, and in fact, whenever I began to doubt that I should be reading this book, the next time I opened it to read more after such thoughts, the text would address my thoughts. This happened on more than one occasion—every single time I began to doubt that this is the right path for me.

I'm not usually one who sees Signs in everything, but it became pretty clear to me that this was the right book, at the right time, for me.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK?: I would definitely recommend this book, particularly to the newcomer to Magick. Donald Michael Kraig's overview of Ceremonial Magick offers, I think, a good starting point for anyone who thinks this particular style of Magick may be for them.

CLOSING REMARKS: Modern Magick offers concrete guidelines for beginning one's Magickal journey and points at many other books for the continuation of study. I did not feel talked-down-to or condescended to by the author, who repeatedly advises his readers to perform further study. Given my overall experience with this book, I feel it was the best place for me to start my reading on the occult.



Profile Image for Mary Magickal.
5 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2019
This book has it all! If you're interested in kabbalistic pathworking and ritual magick, that is. But it covers a lot more with parts on dreams, the tarot, meditation, symbolism, the astral plane and talismans. The interesting thing about this book is the way it's built up. It's divided into 12 lessons with exercises, and after each lesson it gives you a test and a list of books on the subjects you've just read about. It let's you start at the very beginning and it triggers you to read more than just this book, by giving you the necessary information and encouraging you to dig deeper into a subject. The book has made me found my true path and the way my magick evolved with this book is amazing! It made me so hungry for more information and it even made me start lessons in Hebrew. I really recommend it to everyone, whether you're just starting out or are already an expert on ritual magick!
Profile Image for Chloë.
21 reviews
March 27, 2021
Honestly...I realized fairly quickly that ceremonial magic is not really my thing and ended up skimming most of this. There were some parts that were cringey (talking about sexism against men, way too many references to Crowley for my taste, talking about NLP etc.) but overall it was decent and it was clear a ton of experience, research, and effort went into this book. I think it could be really helpful to someone interested in ceremonial magic!
Profile Image for Larry O'Connor.
Author 3 books1 follower
March 3, 2018
This is a book on Medieval Kabbalah and Theurgia. I enjoyed it and found it to be very interesting and enlightening. It's not for everyone due to the fact that you have to really step outside of some of your comfort zones. It has very interesting stories and I learned a lot about what karma, new thought and energy work.
Profile Image for James Robert Clark.
46 reviews7 followers
November 1, 2019
The first book on High Magick I read at age 11. This book covers the whole shebang from the basic curriculum of the Golden Dawn System & the Kabballah to Talismatic Magick to summoning to visible appearance to elemental Magick to all the Sex Magick you'll ever really need to know & be able to expand on yourself.
Excellent book that's worth reading.
Profile Image for Sadra Hesabi.
16 reviews5 followers
February 2, 2018
If your interests lie within the Golden Dawn order, It's a most read for you. As other said this book relied on judeo-christian concepts , but I recommend it to starters because Practices are well sorted and simplified.
October 19, 2020
Amazing step by step formula for how to be a successful magi. Implementing the steps in this book changed my life by propelling me into spiritual healing. It helped me understand that I have everything I need to heal myself spiritually.
1,909 reviews55 followers
May 3, 2018
Well written and far more understandable than most Magick books.
Profile Image for Marco A..
40 reviews
November 4, 2021
This was my first ceremonial magick book. Easy to read and understand. It was a pleasure being able to meet Michael before his greater feast and tell him how much I enjoyed the book.
Profile Image for Michael P.
45 reviews
December 16, 2023
This book is very extensive and delves into Jewish mysticism AKA Kabbalah and utilizes verbiage and magical workings that is not for those who are just starting out
Profile Image for Rue.
5 reviews
August 7, 2024
A very informative textbook - super helpful for beginners of ceremonial magic.
Profile Image for Sophía.
60 reviews22 followers
May 30, 2021
A timeless classic that delivers a full daily magickal routine with subsequent iterations. Other books and study will be required to understand the basis of the rituals and symbology.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.