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Review: The Book of Abrasax


Nsala malongo,

Working with this book has been a pleasure; Mr.Cecchetelli--a brother and fellow Worker--has done it again.

This book is full of useful and practical magic, with well-researched information paired with insightful commentary. It's immediately apparent that Mr.Cecchetelli has done the rites and works he's sharing, as his insights line right up with what one would expect as far as result goes. Physically it is gorgeous, with a rich brown leather and lovely endpapers...truly a pleasure to hold.

The Coronastrum

This is probably my favorite part of the book; I work extensively with mudra and can attest to the efficacy of this one.

The layers of symbol when creating this symbol with one's own body are absolutely delicious. All my years of work and I'd never encountered it.....

The Coronastrum is a mudra, a symbol that Mr.Cecchetelli's contacts gave him during his working. It's a beautiful and
powerful symbol, and the Book of Abrasax gives you enough information about it to begin to delve deeply into it's use. I'm very excited about the potential here.

Practical magics

The book is divided into sections like "Amorous Magic", "Curses", "Amulets", etc.  The material is solid, with clear and un-obfuscated directions. No blinds, if you're literate and have a litle will and experience, you can use his system to get lovely result.

I can't help but notice how similar many of the workings are to what we do in Hoodoo; there is materia, poppet work, and invocation of spiritual forces similar to the work with Psalms and the like you see in rootwork. This is, in my opinion, because of the unity in nature and the operation of natural law.

Theurgy as well as Thaumaturgy

There is a section with works of a Theurgic nature as well, titled "Transcendental". Aptly named, and it gives the system a completeness.  I've worked  a cross section of the rites within, and I can't recommend the Book of Abrasax enough. An excellent work written by an insightful and experienced Magus. You'd be a fool not to buy it.

One complaint

There has to be one, right? My only issue with the work consists of a single line, related to instruction to sacrifice a black cock. Mr.Cecchetelli notes that he finds such things distasteful and also unnecessary; I would only suggest that the author of the spell included it precisely because it was necessary. I understand that some are uncomfortable with animal sacrifice....there are many works that don't explicitly require them. Nothing wrong at all with noting that the rite was successful without the sacrifice, but  I feel it should be noted whether the rite was attempted with the proper sacrifice, and how the results compared to the rite without it. That being said, a minor quibble. I'm not exactly neutral in that particular debate, haha.

To sum it up, the Book of Abrasax is a beautiful work that  every self-respecting student of the Western Tradition should own.

Purchase it here.

Tata Sima Ngango / AIT

Comments

  1. There is also the Tibetan alternative as a happy medium between havinbg a sacrifice and just skipping it.

    To feed the spirits that like blood, the Tibetans started making cakes that look like human heads and sacrificed organs, colored them red and infused them with power. No complaints. Quite the opposite in fact.

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  2. Ahh, that is interesting. Certainly a happy medium, especially if the spirit finds it enjoyable! You guys are very sophisticated in your works. I have a recipe for honeyed blood I feed to my nkisi for times when I can't make a live sacrifice. City living, and all that.That's feeding though; for specific spells that require the frisson of a sacrifice, I would be concerned the missing death-moment would interfere in creating the type of power necessary for that specific work. There's power in the moment of transition that's hard to replicate. In my experience, anyway.

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