For fifteen years, Amber K's "little green book" has guided thousands down the life-changing path of magick. Selling more than 200,000 copies, True Magick has truly struck a chord with Witches, Pagans, and magicians around the world. Presented here for the first time is the revised and expanded anniversary edition of True Magick . It features the same delightful introduction to the history and lore of magick, in addition to several varieties of magick, ranging from shamanism and Norse Magick to Voudun and Qabala. Amber K explains the basics, such as how to find or create ritual tools, establish a temple, plan a ritual, and cast spells safely and ethically. New material includes six more chapters, recommending reading for each chapter, and more than 100 added exercises. Amber K is a third degree priestess of the Wiccan faith. She was initiated at the Temple of the Pagan Way in Chicago and served on the Council of Elders there. Her books on magick and the Craft have been widely circulated in the United States and Europe, and she has traveled across the U.S. teaching the Craft for more than 40 years. She has worked with Circle and the Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess, and she served as National First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess for three terms. She is a founder of Our Lady of the Woods and the Ladywood Tradition of Wicca, and she currently is Executive Director of Ardantane, a school and retreat center in northern New Mexico. chapter 1 About Magick-and You Why do you want to do magick? This book is for you-if you want to: know in what direction your life is headed, so that you may consciously guide your own destiny; make wise decisions and solve difficult problems; cleanse yourself of ignorance, fear, and hatred; heal yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically; find new strength, happiness, and skill within; have all the necessities of life; protect yourself from harm; help others when they request it; help create a more loving world; . . . and, ultimately, if you want to find spiritual fulfillment and joy in sharing the essence of divinity. If you want magickal skill in order to harm another, or to control or manipulate anyone, then this book is not for you. Put it down or give it away before you endanger yourself. If you seek the ancient skills of the adepts for only ethical, beneficial purposes and primarily for your own growth, then read on. What Magick Is Not Magick is not an array of tricks or stage illusions. The "k" at the end of the word serves to distinguish it from the "magic" of nightclub acts. Magick is not for show. Magick is not supernatural. As Janet and Stewart Farrar, prominent Irish witches and Craft teachers, point out, "Magic(k) does not break the laws of Nature; when it appears to do so, that is because it is obeying laws that the observer has not yet understood."_ Magick is not the medieval art of summoning demons to do one's will, at least not to intelligent and ethical magicians. Though it is possible to establish communication with beings on other planes of reality, trying to coerce them into service is both immoral and dangerous. Magick is not based on a pact with "the Devil." Most magicians, including Wiccan priests and priestesses, do not believe in Satan and would certainly have no dealings with such an entity if he did exist. Magick is not a good way to get revenge on enemies or force a former lover to return to you. Indeed, there is no "good" way to accomplish such nasty and immature things; but the penalties for misusing magick can be far greater than the consequences of these actions on the material plane. Magick is not available only to a few talented individuals born with special gifts. It can be learned and mastered to a great degree by anyone with self-discipline and persistence. Magick does not reside in ritual tools, amulets, magickal swords, etc., unless and until they are charged by a magician. The skill and power lie always in the magician, not in the tool. Magick does not generally result in spectacular "special effects" on the material plane: strange entities materializing, showers of gold falling from the sky, locked doors bursting asunder, and so forth. Dramatic physical effects are possible and occasionally occur, but most magick aims at internal growth, where results are harder to see. Even magick for material-plane purposes tends to manifest in more or less quiet, gradual, natural ways. _ Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Witches' Way (London: Robert Hale, 1984), 110. And magick is not easy to learn or to practice. It is not an instant fix for life's problems, nor is it a shortcut to fame and wealth. It is a set of specialized tools, uniquely well-designed for inner growth and spiritual development. It can be used for more ordinary purposes, but sometimes that is like trying to pound nails with a screwdriver. Magick can be used to bring you safety, wealth, or loving relationships, but it i