Introduction to Magic, Volume II: The Path of Initiatic Wisdom

Description

Authentic initiatic practices, rituals, and wisdom collected by the UR Group * Shares a rigorous selection of initiatory exercises, including instructions for creating the diaphanous body of the Opus magicum, establishing initiatic consciousness after death, and the construction of magical chains (the enchained awareness of initiates) * Offers studies of mystery traditions throughout history, presenting not only the principles themselves but also witnesses to them and their continual validity today The "Gruppo di UR" was a group of Italian esotericists who collaborated from 1927 to 1929. The purpose of this group was to study and practice ancient rituals gleaned from the mystery traditions of the world, both East and West, in order to attain a state of superhuman consciousness and power to allow them to act magically on the world. They produced a monthly journal containing techniques for spiritual realization, accounts of personal experiences, translations of ancient texts, and original essays on esoteric topics. The group included a distinguished line-up of occultists, neo-pagans, freemasons, Anthroposophists, orientalists, poets, and members of high society. The prime movers of the group were Arturo Reghini (1878-1946), a Pythagorean mathematician and reviver of a spiritual Freemasonry, and Julius Evola (1898-1974), then a young philosopher with a precocious mastery of the esoteric doctrines of East and West. Many years later, in 1971, Evola gathered these essays into three volumes. Inner Traditions published Volume I in 2001, under the title Introduction to Magic: Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus. This volume, the second in the series, complements the first one, yet they are not strictly sequential, and their contents can be read in any order. Volume II shares authentic initiatic wisdom and a rigorous selection of initiatory exercises, including instructions for creating the diaphanous body of the Opus magicum, establishing initiatic consciousness after death, and the construction of magical chains (the enchained awareness of initiates). It offers studies of mystery traditions throughout history, presenting not only the principles themselves but also witnesses to them and their continual validity today. This series shows that the "Magic" of the UR Group meant an active and affirmative attitude toward individual development, handed down from a "primordial tradition" and discernable in alchemy, Hermetism, esoteric religious doctrines, indigenous practices, Tantra, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and the pagan mysteries of the West. Although some of the practical experiments demanded extraordinary efforts, both individual and collective, there is incalculable value here even for the less heroic, for merely reading these essays leaves a permanent mark on the reader.

A controversial philosopher and critic of modern Western civilization, Julius Evola (1898-1974) is considered one of the foremost authorities on the world's esoteric traditions. He wrote widely on Eastern religions, alchemy, sexuality, politics, and mythology and published many books, including Revolt Against the Modern World.

"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 *