A compendium on chaos magic that spans the depth and width of influences and also provides a neat summary of what chaos magic is and where it came from so that the newly curious have a framework of understanding. Chaos Magic is ceremonial magic based initially on western magical traditions that was then examined through the lens of scientific experimentation for effectiveness rather than relying strictly on dogma or tradition. At best, it’s an intellectually rigorous approach to doing magic that works. At worst, this could be a big ego trip. Either way, it’s good reading if you’re tired of magic books covering the same old ground. Prior knowledge of magic is strongly recommended. One cannot break the rules if they haven’t learned them first. The forward by Ronald Hutton and Introduction by Peter J. Carroll are well worth the time.
The 15 essays cover a lot of ground. Only one of them bored me and it’s probably the one you like best so I will not tell you which one. The odds are good that you will find most of these essays valuable. A few of these essays take things to an advanced level that only the most devoted to the topic will be able to grasp. Topics covered include neurohacking, Japanese Gods, Tarot, thread theory, animist sorcery and many others. I would like to recommend in particular, Chapter 9, Collective Spirits: Egregore Entities and Online Magic by David Lee as a potentially prescient but certainly timely topic. It was my favorite essay in the collection as it touches on topics that I have been mulling over and I think are affecting society at large.
I will be keeping this one on my bookshelf.
Highly Recommended
~review by Elsie Smyte
Author: Peter J. Carroll, et al.
Red Wheel Weiser, 2025
274 pages, $22.95
