Ritual: An Essential Grimoire

Echols and Davis (Yours for Eternity), husband-and-wife magicians, present an accessible introduction to personal magick that’s filled with “simple practices to develop your connection to the energy and intelligence of the universe.” Each chapter includes a step-by-step illustrated guide to a spell or ritual along with historical and theoretical context interspersed with anecdotes from Echols and Davis’s lives. The authors walk readers through ways to perceive and move “subtle energy,” “a substance that exists on the etheric or astral level of reality,” and discuss spells aimed at purification, balance, and protection. For example, to protect an object, one should hold it, breathe deeply, then summon energy from the earth to create a shield around it. Or to improve a subway commute, one should imagine a massive tube sucking harmful energy out of the train and visualize an incandescent gold orb brightening the space. The simplicity and grace of the manual distinguish it from similar titles that get bogged down in minutiae, and the authors make beginning magical practice feel unintimidating without talking down to the reader, though readers expecting a primer on ritual design may be disappointed by the omission of finer details. This will resonate with those interested in magick without the bells and whistles. (Apr.)