Taylor Ellwood sets out to examine relationship between the brain and magic. Instead, he reveals the process of spiritual crisis.

Drawing from Taoism, Bonewits’ Laws of Magic and his own long-term experiments in magical meditations and neuroscience, Ellwood shares methods for managing consciousness during extreme life changes. He’s seen a few.

He himself developed and used these magical exercises during a breakup, a divorce, and when his Life Plan A fell apart. Ellwood does not dwell overmuch on the negativity of the experiences, rather using them as examples of power to draw from in transformational magic.

The book presents several excellent and challenging ideas. The only part that leaves question is a piece of fiction in the appendix intended to demonstrate neuro-linguistic programming. While its place in the book makes sense, it doesn’t digest as well as the nonfiction.

Ellwood is a consistently innovative magician, and his commitment to practice is unparalleled. Readers can get even more understanding of his material if they follow him on his social media channels.

Recommended.

~review by Diana Rajchel

Author: Taylor Ellwood
Immanion Press, 2012.
pp. 248, $19.99