Introduction to Magic, Volume II

Reviews / Votes

"The formulas that Evola transmits, and the complex listing of the causes and effects that accompany them, seem to me so important, not only for spiritual life but for the use of all the faculties, that I know of no human condition that they cannot improve, whether in the case of the man of action, of the writer, or simply the person in the toils of life." * Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987), author of Memoirs of Hadrian * "A dazzling and interesting, but very dangerous, author . . ." * Hermann Hesse, author of Siddhartha * "One of the most difficult and ambiguous figures in modern esotericism." * Richard Smoley, author of The Deal: A Guide to Radical and Complete Forgiveness * "Eros and the Mysteries of Love invokes the rich sexual symbolism of religious myths and mysteries throughout history, from the I Ching to the Kabbalah, to illustrate the redemptive power of the sexual act." * Los Angeles Times * "Introduction to Magic, vol. I, should be standard reading for any serious academic or practical student of occultism. . . . Experienced occultists will welcome it as a breath of fresh air and a journey into little discussed territories." * Mark Stavish, author of Egregores and founder of the Institute for Hermetic Studies * "The collection of essays in Introduction to Magic, vol. I . . . cover the practical, the theoretical, and the unclassifiable, such as the Mithraic Ritual of the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris, the only ritual from the ancient Mysteries to have survived intact." * The Watkins Review * "Revolt Against the Modern World is destined to remain an essential work and frame-of-reference for anyone seriously involved in native European spirituality." * Michael Moynihan, coauthor of Lords of Chaos * "Disgusted by the cruelty and artificiality of communism, scorning the dogmatic, self-centered fascism of his age, Evola looks beyond man-made systems in Men Among the Ruins to the eternal principles in creation and human society. The truth, as he sees it, is so totally at odds with the present way of thinking that it shocks the modern mind. Evola was no politician, trying to make the best of things, but an idealist, uncompromising in the pursuit of the best itself." * John Michell, author of The Dimensions of Paradise * "Men Among the Ruins is Julius Evola's most notorious work: an unsparing indictment of modern society and politics. This book is not a work for complacent, self-satisfied minds . . . it is a shocking and humbling text that will be either loved or hated. Evola's enemies cannot refute him; they can only ignore him. They do so at their peril." * Glenn A. Magee, author of Hegel and the Hermetic Tradition * "In Ride the Tiger Evola shows, unintentionally but with passion, why European Tradition may not be able to match East Asia in riding the tiger in today's world. It lacks a spirituality for today's mundane world, tempered by the harsh realism of Daoism and the practical disciplines of Confucianism." * New Dawn Magazine * "Evola . . . had a clarity of mind and a gift for explaining tremendously difficult concepts in nonacademic language. . . . His descriptions of subtle states and the practices that lead to them are as lucid as these difficult subjects allow." * Gnosis: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions * "An impressively informative and exceptionally well organized and impressive study, Introduction to Magic: The Path of Initiatic Wisdom is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. Also very highly recommended is Julius Evola's Introduction to Magic: Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus, which is volume one of this outstanding two volume body of work." * Julie Summers, Midwest Book Review * "An impressively informative and exceptionally well organized and impressive study, Introduction to Magic: The Path of Initiatic Wisdom is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. Also very highly recommended is Julius Evola's Introduction to Magic: Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus, which is volume one of this outstanding two volume body of work." * Julie Summers, Midwest Book Review * "Evola offers real information about initiatic traditions. The information he presents resonates credibly with my accumulated knowledge from other sources and from my personal experience. From Pythagoras, through Christian Mysticism, Hinduism, and Hermeticism, Evola spells out the roots of traditions that spawned currently-popular "New Age" practices. Essentially, he is telling readers how to elevate "astral" curiosity into spiritual growth that transcends the boundaries of the physical plane from generation to generation." * Anna, Iannaworks.com *