A magic book is a spellbinding object that captures the imagination of both young and old. Among the various types of magic books, the English magic book is often regarded as one of the most prominent and influential. The history of English magic books dates back centuries and has left a lasting impact on both literature and the occult. One of the most famous English magic books is "The Book of Ceremonial Magic" by Arthur Edward Waite. First published in 1911, this book became an essential reference for those interested in ceremonial magic. It explores various rituals, symbols, and practices, providing a comprehensive overview of English magical traditions.
I very much enjoyed this book, I think it has many potential applications, and that pagan readers of all paths should consider checking it out.
It is a hefty tome at over 500 pages but beautifully bound and once you get over the odd use of a lighter typeface for practitioner contributions designed. It is a hefty tome at over 500 pages but beautifully bound and once you get over the odd use of a lighter typeface for practitioner contributions designed.
It explores various rituals, symbols, and practices, providing a comprehensive overview of English magical traditions. Another notable English magic book is "The Magus" by Francis Barrett. Published in 1801, this book showcases a wide range of occult knowledge, including astrology, alchemy, and divination.
English Magic by Uschi Gatward review – exquisitely eerie withholding
U schi Gatward won the 2015 Wasafiri new writing prize for “My Brother Is Back”. It is an unsettling short story about a young man’s release from imprisonment into the captivity of state surveillance and his own paranoia, so cleanly told as to feel uncanny. Many of the people in her debut collection, English Magic, seem to be trapped. Some of the animals, too.
In “The Bird”, a couple return from their honeymoon to “the sound of scuffling” inside their dirty Brighton flat. The husband notices it first. When he tries to wake his new wife, “she feels like digging her nails into his arm, giving him a Chinese burn”. Later, to her precise instructions, they unwrap wedding presents. She pays all the gifts of cash into her account. The tapping grows louder. “It sounds like a hammer.” When, eventually, he sets the bird free, he regrets not leaving it to die. He has begun to think of it as a sacrifice, “Our payment for having such a nice honeymoon.” You suspect the worst: if the bird doesn’t pay, who will? But Gatward doesn’t do conclusion. She hints, even teases. But she also withholds.
“The Clinic” opens with a baby being tested for some sort of abnormality. Early on, you sense the parents are hiding something, confirmed when the narrator puts the child to bed “to sleep off the cough syrup”. When she wonders how they might stop it from talking so fluently, you question what kind of creature it is – and why are they running away so secretly to live in the woods? References are made to “the next district” and “next month’s tokens”, and to a time “before the pollution got too bad” when you could still smoke. The narrator reads up on vital foraging knowledge and looks forward to the day she can pass it on to her child, “if we last that long”. As the predicament of the tight little family unfolds, this concise dystopia becomes gradually more terrifying. Gatward’s restrained depiction of a totalitarian state in a pre-apocalyptic world is utterly convincing – like a 10-page companion to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.
Bite-sized: 50 great short stories, chosen by Hilary Mantel, George Saunders and more Read moreShe has referred to some of her work as “documentary fiction” and “protest fiction”. The US whistleblower Edward Snowden provides the seed for the fragmentary and entertaining “Oh Whistle And”. “Lammas”, which unfolds in fragments, sometimes just a lone sentence, traces radical protest in east London from the 1890s to the 1930s. Talha Ahsan, who was arrested at his home in Britain in 2006 and held without trial until he was extradited to the US, inspired “My Brother Is Back”. You will recognise the angle of her politics, but Gatward leads your mind in subtler directions with clear, understated sentences: “Now that the lamp is on, the darkness seems to fall faster around it, this pool of yellow light the only lit space in the world.”
Yet what is most striking about this collection is what is left unsaid. When a couple drive to the countryside and get sucked into a festival with a maypole and hobbyhorses, the woman panics at the sight of a dragonfly confused above a fire: “It will die here, she thinks. Like a trapped bird battering itself out in a room.” When two friends take a trip to Margate and can’t locate “the shell house”, one of them begins digging frantically into her memory. She’s in tears: “It’s all a blank.” Reading English Magic, you catch yourself searching for clues, but this exquisite debut invites us to trust our imaginations. Like the narrator of the final story, “Backgammon”, Gatward often seems to have decided to “let that hang in the air”.
English Magic is published by Galley Beggar (£9.99). To support the Guardian and the Observer buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
It’s funny that I went to America and ended up buying a book about England, but it is what it is. I am always fascinated by myths and legends and thought that this book was going to be a history of how magic was treated throughout English history, and I was sort of right.
It was highly influential during the 19th-century occult revival and continues to be a valuable resource for practitioners today. "The Enchanted World" by Thomas Keightley is a collection of folklore and mythology that includes various enchanting tales of magic and wonder. While not solely focused on English magic, it incorporates many English legends and adds a touch of enchantment to the genre. English magic books have had a significant impact on the world of literature as well. J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series both feature elements of English magic. Tolkien's use of magic in Middle-earth and Rowling's creation of the wizarding world have captured the hearts and imaginations of readers worldwide. In conclusion, the English magic book tradition spans centuries and has left a lasting impact on both the occult and literature. Books such as "The Book of Ceremonial Magic," "The Magus," and "The Enchanted World" have provided readers with a glimpse into the mystical and enchanted realm of English magic. Furthermore, the influence of these magic books can be seen in modern literary works such as "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter." Whether exploring the occult or seeking to be transported to a world of fantasy, the allure of the English magic book continues to captivate readers across generations..
Reviews for "Unearthing Lost Spells and Charms in 'The English Magic Book"
- Sarah - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "The english magic book". The writing was dull and the plot was non-existent. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and found myself constantly checking how many pages were left until the end. I was hoping for a magical and captivating story, but unfortunately, this book fell flat. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
- Mark - 2 stars - I have to admit, I was intrigued by the concept of "The english magic book", but it failed to deliver. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the author seemed more focused on describing irrelevant details rather than advancing the story. The dialogue was also lackluster, and I couldn't help but cringe at some of the forced interactions between the characters. Overall, the book left me feeling bored and unsatisfied.
- Emily - 1 star - I tried to give "The english magic book" a chance, but I just couldn't get into it. The writing style was pretentious and convoluted, making it difficult to follow the storyline. The characters lacked depth and were hard to relate to. Additionally, the world-building was confusing and hard to visualize. I was hoping for a magical and enchanting read, but this book fell short of my expectations.