True Magick: A Beginner's Guide [Paperback]

I have been a practicing pagan for 6 years and read for about 3 years before that (I know not long but give me a break I'm only 21 lol). When people are interested in witchcraft and want to know where they can find more information this is ALWAYS the only book I recommend to start people out. I own almost all of the traditional reads; Cunningham, Buckland, Starhawk, etc and most of the more prominent modern authors Ravenwolf, Conway, etc. If had known about this book to start out with to be honest I probably would have skipped most of the others. This book beats out all of them for EVERYTHING. I can't recommend it enough. It has 19 Chapters and can be used as a workbook or you can read it all the way through. The Chapters are as follows

Ch. 1 About Magick- and You
- a brief introduction of what magick is and isn't
- notably missing are the council of American Witches Principles of Belief but remember it was never meant to be a guide towards just wicca.
Ch. 2 A Brief History of Magick
- Covers mostly Western and American magick from prehistory through modern times.
Ch. 3 First Steps in Magick
- exactly what it says it is very briefly covers timing, space, book of shadows, purpose, magickal name, ritual clothing, etc.
- has a dedication ritual
Ch. 4 Magick and Science
- perhaps the only confusing chapter in the book but you have to expect that if you try to explain quantum physics in 18 pages
Ch. 5 The Path Lies Within You
- Getting to know yourself; discusses middle, younger, and higher self and how to get in touch with them
Ch. 6 Ethics and Hazards
- Karma, the Law of Return, Wiccan Rede, Permission, Charging money
- Energy imbalance, spending too much time in the astral plane, power crazy, persecution, and spirit interference
Ch. 7 The Pyramid of Magick
- To know, to Will, to dare, to be silent
Ch. 8 The Energies of Magick
- All about energy
- Raising power, charging things, grounding power, the power within you, the power in the earth, balancing
Ch. 9 Magick and Your Health
- More down to earth guideines on eating right, exercise, sleep, etc
Ch. 10 Creating the Magickal You
- taking an honest look at yourself, what to improve and how to improve it, beginning to connect with a god(dess) or pantheon.
Ch. 11 The Varieties of Magick
- styles of magick (nature, ceremonial, intrinisic, hermetic)
- traditions of magick (Wicca, Qabalistic, Shamanism, Voodoo)
- how to connect with a certain tradition and a wonderful quiz to help you determine what style of magick is for you.
Ch. 12 Nature Magick
- Nature Divination, Herb and Garden Magick, Water Magick, Tree Magick, Sun and Moon Magick, Weatherworking and working with animals and stones
Ch. 13 Intrinsic and Inner Magick
- working magick with no tools
- working magick only in the mind
- ways to use your mind in all types of magick
- One goal 5 ways of working towards it
- pros and cons of not using tools
Ch. 14 Getting Ready for Ritual
- more in depth discussion of purpose, tools, altar setup, timing and how to understand correspondences (note not a list of correspondences just what they mean and how to use them)
Ch. 15 Creating and Performing Ritual
- outline of steps of a ritual then a longer explanation of each step
- Sample ritual
- analysis of what happened during the ritual
Ch. 16 Spellcraft: The Techniques of Magick
- Lots of Useful Sample Spells for you to try
- Some examples of techniques to try ie: candle magick, cord magick, herbal magick, totem animals, runecraft, gem and stone magick, dreamwork, dancing, drumming etc
- what to look at before you use somebody else's spell
Ch. 17 Everyday Magick and Daily Spiritual Practices
- grounding and centering
- meditation
- visiting your astral temple
- raising energy quickly
- protection and travel spells that you need to be quick
- portable ritual tools
- lots more stuff that I didn't include
Ch. 18 Your Magickal Education Continues
- contact points (how to meet other witches)
- schools that teach witchcraft
- evaluating teachers, fees
- learning from books
- learning from nature
- how to experiment
Ch. 19 Change, Death, and Magick
- what is death
- past lives
- how to confront your fear of death
She also has a brief conclusion, a very good glossary and then some appendixes (elemental and color correspondences, meditation ideas, magicians through the ages) and a recommended reading list divided by topic.
She has exercises at the end of each chapter for you to work through and a recommended list of books on the topics discussed in that chapter in addition to the list in the back of the book.
If you want a complete course without spending tons of money and searching forever I would recommend Dorothy Morrison's The Craft. She goes alot more in depth on the practical aspects of witchcraft. Ann Moura's Green Magic for a more in depth discussion on spells and spell crafting. After you decide what types of magick you want to concentrate on the buy a couple (not too many books on that subject) I recommend Gem and Stone magick for beginners because it can be inexpensive (stones are generally a one time purchase as opposed to herbs which even if you don't use them need to be replaced every 7 months to a year) and generally is easier to start out studying than herbs or animal magick.
I'll be doing more lists and reviews so please check those for more information.

I first bought this book because it was priced in my minimum wage budget (the original version). And after my 13 years of Wiccan study I find myself still finding somthing new every time I read it. And now that it has been updated it's even more informitive. This book does not lean to any one pagan religion but easily introduces its reader to the basics of many Magickal paths. This book is ideal for new students to the Magickal arts.

Amber K is a wonderful writer. The information in this book is geered towards beginners. It's also an excellent book to give to people who are curious about what Wicca is (and isn't). Everything you need to know to begin your magickal practice is in this book. I've given out several of the first edition of True Magick to people over the years, and, being the expanded/revised edition, this one is all that and more! I'm thrilled to see it continue on in the world in its next incarnation. Amber's writing style is always interesting. An added bonus to her wealth of knowledge is her sense of humor! (Which comes through in all of her books!) This ones a keeper, but you may want to buy an extra so you have one to give away too!