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sarigales's review
4.0
I wish this had been one of the first books/guides on magic I read. It keeps complex topics simple, gives related bibliography to those interested in something in particular, and the author has no obvious theist or pagan bias. Overall a quick, fun read.
oisin175's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A nice primer on various paths of magic and potential avenues for learning about and practicing each. A great book for beginners but still useful for those who may be experienced in one path but still interested in being more eclectic.
hexedmaiden's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
3.5
This felt like a good little companion book for someone just getting into witchcraft and the occult. This book touches on chaos magic, ceremonial magic, along with witchcraft and paganism. Throughout the book were some journaling prompts and spells that I thought were great to have been included. I wish there was more but this was still a great beginner book.
opheliafeyre's review
5.0
About the Author
Sarah Lyons is a writer, activist, occultist and witch. She has practiced magic for over a decade. Currently living in Brooklyn, Sarah is an organiser with the New York City Democratic Socialists of America. As well as being deeply involved in New York City’s occult scene she is an on-air expert for the CW’s Mysteries Decoded.
Sarah’s writing has appeared in: Teen Vogue, Vice, Broadly, Slutist, Fusion, Dirge magazine and Dear Darling. Her first book Revolutionary Witchcraft – A Guide to Magical Activism was published in 2019. Check out my review of her first book here.
About the Book
Blurb:
“The ultimate introduction to the world of magic.
Have you ever wanted to enter the world of magic but weren’t sure how to begin? Knowing where to start can be mystifying, but it doesn’t have to be. And How to Study Magic is the answer you’ve been waiting for. Inside you’ll learn the basic tools of magic – from divination and meditation to cleansing and protection – before diving into the history, lore, and modern incarnations of a wide range of magical practices. With chapters on Witchcraft, Chaos Magic, Spell Books and Grimoires, Gods and Goddesses, and more, this dynamic guide from author, educator and seasoned witch Sarah Lyons gives an insider’s perspective on how to craft your own personalised practice.”
My Thoughts
As soon as I read the introduction from Sarah, about how she discovered magic, I knew I was going to get along with this book. Her story was extremely relatable. I’m sure we’ve all gone through the stages of wanting to believe in magic, but feeling foolish, and googling everything we could just to be even more overwhelmed by the information available. One of the great things about this book, and Sarah’s voice, is how validating and reassuring it is.
It’s worth noting at the offset that this book is about Magic, in that it doesn’t just focus on Witchcraft; it explores a whole host of magical practices. Sarah asks you to consider, ‘why do you want to study magic?’ It’s such a simple and fundamental thing to start, which leads you to think about the type of magic best for you. For me this highlighted that my craft is a bit lost right now and that I needed to reevaluate what I want from it. Although, the book does look at Witchcraft I felt myself enjoying the other chapters on chaos magic, grimoires, and ceremonial magic a lot more.
How To Study Magic is very much a ‘how to’ book that helps you to forge your own path and research further by being critical. As someone who already has a ‘study’ mindset from years in education I found it easy to apply that to my Witchcraft studies. Through this book Sarah makes studying magic accessible for everyone. She allows you to work out what you want from magic and how to get it.
Before hitting us with the ‘heavy’ stuff, chapter two provides the basics. There’s information about divination methods, meditation, cleansing, grounding and journaling; the literal basics and foundation of any magical practice. If like me, you don’t consider yourself a beginner anymore, a lot of this you will already know. However, who better to learn or relearn the basics from that Sarah Lyons? She is such an authoritative voice on the subject and it’s obvious she knows her stuff. I wish I had this book when I first started out in the magical world.
In the same way that she covers the basics, Sarah tackles the topic of ethics and colonisation of magical beliefs and practices in a measured way. This is a hot topic at the moment and you will find a lot of new magic or witchcraft books attempt to discuss this. Sarah does so in a practical, sensible and clear way that allows the reader to think for themselves when it comes to forming an ethical practice.
In terms of specific chapters, Chaos Magic is one that stood out to me. I thought I had an idea of what chaos magic was but the book provided so much more information and background that it completely changed my view of it. Having an introduction to its origins and the theory/lore behind it intrigued me. So much so that I have already started doing further reading around it, based on the sources Sarah provided.
Furthermore, I really appreciated Sarah’s general outlook and perspective of magic. She adds a lot of legitimacy to it; creating a concept that is easy to grasp, almost tangible, and explainable to those who may not believe. This also came across when she talked about areas of magic that have bothered or troubled me. A lot of magical practices have their issues, but Wicca and Thelma – particularly Aleister Crowley – have been areas that I, and a lot of others, have found problematic. I originally started my practice following a somewhat Wiccan path. However, as I delved deeper into Wicca’s history (or lack there of) it put me off. Yet, Sarah’s pragmatic view of magic highlighted that actually the ‘history’ of Wicca doesn’t matter; it doesn’t make it any less legitimate. If it is something that resonates with you and works for you then that’s great. Ironically, it was fact that Wicca was a lot more modern than I first realised, that put me off, and now I find myself drawn to the even more modern chaos magic.
The most surprising chapter was the one about Grimoires. I was expecting the usual beginner spiel about how to create a Grimoire or book of spells. However Sarah explores how to use a Grimoire; an old magical book, in your own magic. It excited the forever student in me and I just wanted to study dusty old books.
As well as magical practices, Sarah also introduces you to some of the figures you will come across in your studies. People such as; Aleister Crowley, Margaret Murray, Gerald Gardner and Helena Blavatsky. All of them have been influential in their area of magic, however some of them also come with their problems. As with the rest of the book Sarah addresses the problematic aspects and encourages you to form your own opinion.
Final Thoughts
The book is great for beginners who are not sure where to start, yet will also offer guidance to those who already have a magical practice. Sarah delves into the history of magic and the lore surrounding it to give you a real understanding of where the various aspects originated. Not only does she provide beginners with books to start with, but there are opportunities for further study for more advanced practitioners. Similarly, whilst reading the book, you will probably find yourself interested in another area of magic that you hadn’t considered before. (I now need to read the OG book of correspondences.)
Overall, How To Study Magic is the ultimate introduction to magic. It provides the groundwork; a base; the foundational knowledge for various aspects of magic giving you the context and understanding to further your research and studies. It’s a no pressure approach, so if there is something that doesn’t work for you then you can adapt ideas to work for you.
It is beautifully organised and illustrated, making it a real pleasure to read. Sarah is an encouraging and reassuring voice throughout. When I started my Craft there was a lot of trial and error. I went down a few wrong paths and I made some mistakes, which will happen for all beginners. However, I would have felt a lot more prepared if I had this book to start with. The next time someone says to me, ‘how do I start?’ I will definitely recommend How To Study Magic and, as Sarah says, you don’t need to know everything to start – just start!
*Book was gifted by the publisher, Running Press, in exchange for a review.
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