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So im thinking that after I've gone through the course in modern magick that the course in Initiation into hermetics might be my next endeavor. My question though to those of you who have read it is, is it clear, easy to read and comprehensible? One of my main problems with occult books(especially the older ones) is that they can at times be very dense and not always very clear or accessible reading. That's one of the reasons I like "modern magick" so much is how clear and understandable for modern readers it is.

The suggested pace is something of a problem for some.

One of the questions I ran into with step I for instance was, from FB's instructions, was I supposed to take all of the exercises in Step I and do them only one at a time for a couple weeks, ie. follow the entire layout in that order? The answer is no, or...well.... yes to mastering the very first three meditative exercises somewhat (ie. getting them all down) but no, the rest of the chapter can all be done in conjunction with that.

There are two downloadable pdf books available to assist with it online:
http://www.abardoncompanion.com/
http://forums.vsociety.net/index.php?ac ... ttach=4035

I'm reading Initiation into Hermetics right now, and to be honest it's the first occult book I've ever read that has actually bored me to tears.

The writer gives loads and loads and loads of exercises, many of which are only very slightly different to the one just listed on the previous page, with the constant assertion that every single exercise is of the utmost importance in your development; if you do not spend days or weeks mastering each exercise, or neglect any part of this book, you will never accomplish anything and bring disaster upon yourself.

Oh, f*** off. [bored]

In answer to your other question, the style of writing is very easy to comprehend; surprisingly so, given its age.

Eremita wrote:I'm reading Initiation into Hermetics right now, and to be honest it's the first occult book I've ever read that has actually bored me to tears.

The writer gives loads and loads and loads of exercises, many of which are only very slightly different to the one just listed on the previous page, with the constant assertion that every single exercise is of the utmost importance in your development; if you do not spend days or weeks mastering each exercise, or neglect any part of this book, you will never accomplish anything and bring disaster upon yourself.

Oh, f*** off. [bored]

In answer to your other question, the style of writing is very easy to comprehend; surprisingly so, given its age.

What do you expect, he was Austrian after all [crazy]

I had to stop for a couple reasons, first being that I'm in two orders and working on the stuff of a virtual third got to be too much for any given day and particularly how they all load up first-thing-in-the-morning routines. The other part - I noticed that if you do things like switching off all non-essential thought and daydreaming to hold your mind in rigid discipline as many times a day as you can it starts becoming a problem of balance and it's a bit like there's a certain amount of day-dreaming needed to stay in-sorts. I'm thinking a slow evolution toward daydreaming less is quite probable, just that trying to quit it cold-turkey seems to have too many negative effects.

Cybernetic_Jazz wrote:I had to stop for a couple reasons, first being that I'm in two orders and working on the stuff of a virtual third got to be too much for any given day and particularly how they all load up first-thing-in-the-morning routines. The other part - I noticed that if you do things like switching off all non-essential thought and daydreaming to hold your mind in rigid discipline as many times a day as you can it starts becoming a problem of balance and it's a bit like there's a certain amount of day-dreaming needed to stay in-sorts. I'm thinking a slow evolution toward daydreaming less is quite probable, just that trying to quit it cold-turkey seems to have too many negative effects.

Magick is also the realm of dreams and fantasy, creativity as well as inspiration. Don't exclude them, let them be part of you

Hi Anna
I found IIH to be exceptionally easy to read, and readily comprehensible. Whilst readers may debate its contents and format, I think that the author may have been trying to ensure that the readers practiced each step thoroughly, so that they would more likely be successful in their magickal endeavors, rather than rushing through the exercises and blaming the author for their misadventures.
Personally I believe that everyone works at different paces, and thrives under different tutelages or methods. I tend to sift through other's concepts, methods and philosophies, selecting ones that resonate with my world-view, and disregarding the rest. In my opinion, there are certainly exercises in IIH that would greatly enhance ones magickal abilities, and while you don't necessarily need the book for them, it does gather them into a single source. Additionally, setting your own pace would be advantageous, rather than dogmatically following that of the author's. However, it may definitely work for some.

I find IIH the best primer on magick globally. It should imho be read in its entirety and then read again step by step moving on when 75 % or more of the summarized steps have been accomplished /attained. Then the magickian can revise when they come to a plateau without progress going back to the last skill not attained and attempting it again.

Yes it's easy to read, and should be read.