Author: Vivian Crowley
Trade Paperback, 304 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group
Publication date: 2003
List: US$15.00
ISBN: 014219624X Price & More Info: Click Here
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Each chapter in this book ends with "Pointers for Practice." These short
sections serve to summarize the contents of the chapter and re-emphasize the
important points. The chapters are kept fairly short and self-contained.
They are easy to read and understand.
Each chapter covers about 13 pages, which increases the ease of reading of
this book. If you are reading and want to finish a chapter before putting
it down, you don't hve far to go.
There is a large dose of positive thinking between the covers of this book.
Ms. Crowley draws inspiration from both the mystical world (the Spiritual
Association of Great Britain [who taught her mediumship]) and the mundane
world (Henry Ford [who once said "whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."]) and integrates them into a smooth system of magical
training.
I wasn't terribly impressed by the "secrets" Ms. Crowley revealed in this
book, but I wasn't expecting major revelations. The advice she gives; the
rituals she outlines; and the magical information she provides are valuable
in their own right, but are not earth-shaking.
When she gets to the seasonal observances she makes the same mistake so many
other authors do. She assumes, evidently, that all of her readers will be
in the Northern Hemisphere. A simple not about flipping (or "inverting" to
be more correct) the dates of the observances would be appropriate to make
this book more valuable to practitioners in the Southern Hemisphere.
While this was an enjoyable book to read, I really don't feel it needs to be
on everyone's bookshelf. I would probably put it on my list of books to be
picked up for when I want to read something light and not terribly
challenging.
Reviewed by Mike Gleason
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