Preface

        My partner tells me that The Strega hold a certain tradition: "If you don't pass on what you've learned in this life, you don't re-incarnate". Well, rather than tempt fate/piss-off-the-powers-that-be, I've decided to do just that. Here it is. This is an on-going examination, dissertation, and 'how-to' of every layer of metaphysical practice.

        I call it "Steal This Book of Shadows".

        Now, don't go thinking that that's an invitation to harvest and publish this book. It's mine. You wish to learn how it's done, that's one thing. You want to make money off my life's work, that's entirely different. We're talking copyright laws, here, folks.  This is literally my life's work. Show some decorum and respect. (...and given the subject matter, do you really want to cross me? ~L~)

Given the Title, I thought it needed to be said, up front.

~Thank You.~

        Now, as to the content, attitude, exercises, and lifestyle, this is going to come off as "Mage Punk". Getting the job done is what it's all about, right? You can dance in you circles, buy your pretty dress-up outfits, and bury yourself in off-the-shelf-talismans, but it won't mean 'JACK' if you don't have the edge. This is that edge.

        Also, you'll find no real "Religion" here. This is metaphysics distilled down. All the theological window dressing has been stripped away, and only the mechanisms remain. You'll find no gods to worship, no dogma to scar you, no holy-days to adhere to. In fact, you'll be advised away from invocation/evocation of any entity, within these pages. (Gods ask too many questions, anyways).

    Why a version 2.0?

    The first one was Far Too uncoordinated! I started fast & furious, and had the really important stuff start at chapter 8! How weird is that? It got convoluted, poorly spelled (Curse those lousy spell-checkers!), and it seemed easier to start from scratch than to try to fix it. Every time I started, it turned into a new book anyways! So why not call it what it is?

    As seen in the Contents, it still retains the list of exercises from the original version. Those stay the same, and more will be added! All in good time. The pages also include a thrice-weekly blog, as not everyone has access to my rants on our Myspace pages.

        I hope you enjoy and are educated by this text. It's been 31 years in the making.

        Have Fun!

        Azzerac

Introduction

 The First version needed a LOT of re-writing: Here we go! "Take 2!"

       So, you want to know how it's done, eh? Well, believe it or not, there is a science to it. There are exercises and attributes to develop which will greatly increase your already existing abilities. Yes, I said 'already existing': everybody has them, but to greater and lesser degrees. The purpose of this text is to improve those abilities.

        You may ask, "Why is he doing this?", or "What is he gaining from all this"? The answer is simple. With every person who follows the 'arts', the strength of the paradigm increases. It already works, but the more people working within a given 'reality structure', the stronger that structure becomes, and the faster it responds. In accordance with basic quantum theory, "expectation precedes outcome", "Observation Creates Reality". The more people practice a set of belief structures, the more firmly cemented it becomes in the collective unconscious,; that area of pervasive unconscious telepathic interplay that asserts a more 'interactive reality', commonly referred to as "actuality". The more people that believe in and employ these techniques, the stronger they become, even in the face of ardent doubters.

        Another reason why I'm doing this is simply that a lot of people CALL themselves Witches and Wizards, but when you press them as to their ways, they regurgitate the last (if not Only) book they read by some charlatan that even the un-initiated would know to steer clear from. I sit back and watch a never ending stream of them flow through the local occult shops (even if they call themselves "Conscious Living Stores", they're still peddling Voodoo). These Carpet Baggers of the metaphysical community make up "The Tradition of The Month", slap some letters at the end of their name from a mail-order church, and pass out 'degrees' after a One-Hour Introduction. If you ask them what they are about, they're worse than the first.

        It's time those that are looking for Magic had an honest, practiced, and educated source that won't sugar coat it, or lie to them.

This is what I do.

This is how it works.

I've been doing it, with wondrous results, for over 30 years.

WARNING!

        One needs to keep in mind that in opening up your abilities, You Will Be Noticed! You will be walking into territory new and different from what you are used to. You will be gaining access to an area where Others have the 'Home-Court Advantage'. When you can 'see' Them, They can see You! When I first started serious practice (as opposed to simple study), manifestations appeared out of thin-air, literally! You had better know what you're getting into before you get in over your head. Also, you had better know how to defend yourselves. We will cover defense early-on, and this is why.

This isn't a game.

This is a life-choice.

Still up for it?

ow To Use This Book:

"Scattered along the way must be some Understanding" ~Jay Farrar, lyric from "Voodoo Candle"

    As you look through the pages here, you will find me addressing certain topics, and then, seemingly, dropping them without fully explaining them. You, me and the-guy-next-door, are all aware that it seems incomplete, and it is.

    Here's the Logic:

    As we start out, you see that each page is opening up with a new number. These aren't page numbers, They're Chapters! This is not a simple thing, doing Magic. Worse yet, there are a lot of interwoven talents & skills that need to be 'laid out straight', so we can get an overview. So, let me tell you how this whole thing works...

    The first page of Each Topic is simply an overview. It tells you the value of the topic, in spell casting, how it applies, and suggests how to incorporate the topic into your spell work. In some cases, I throw out a specific exercise, or casting-style, if I intuit that it's something that one of my readers could use, right now!

        The Second page, and beyond,...

            A lot of concepts need to be layered & interwoven, before serious, hard-core application, or even simple "Food-for-Thought" suggestions can be discussed. As I feel, think, what-have-you, that We've reached that point, I'll add a new page to a line of investigation & exercises.

    I hope this isn't too convoluted to keep up with. You may begin seeing why this was taught in Apprenticeships, and why "How-To-Books" on the subject never take you very far. I've always said (and reiterate often) that "this isn't easy".

    "...Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something." ~ Wesley/Dread-Pirate Roberts, Princess Bride

For my children,
Cerridwyn, Amergin, Darius, & Maximillion.

"One Day Soon."

~PAGES~
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