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Author Topic: The Three Rays of Witchcraft  (Read 5636 times)

RandallS

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The Three Rays of Witchcraft
« on: September 22, 2011, 08:37:16 am »
The Three Rays of Witchcraft
Author: Christopher Penczak
Published 2010 by Copper Cauldron
ISBN-10: 0982774303
ISBN-13: 978-0982774304
Paperback, 205 pages
List $19.99
View this Book on Amazon

Reviewer: Mike Gleason

This is the first offering of a new publishing venture (Copper Cauldron). The idea of publishing an offering from Christopher is a good one. With over a dozen books and a half a dozen CD sets under his belt, Christopher is not only prolific, but knows how to convey his information without talking down to his readership.

My reading of this book suffered because of personal difficulties – my family and I were in the midst of moving into a new apartment and my free time for reading was severely curtailed. Consequently, I found myself reading much smaller segments at a time than I usually do, and that undoubtedly affected my perception of the quality of this work (I hope I have compensated for that by taking the extra time fr this review). I also found myself needing to severely limit the amount of space I have for my library, and I agonized over which books to delete from my collection (it wasn't easy, and I'm still not sure I made all the right choices, but my personal library was reduced by about 90%). This need affected how I was perceiving what I was currently reading.

Christopher presents a triple-themed approach to his subject, which is less about Witchcraft and more about the relationships between the (as he sees it) three main branches of evolutionary development – the divine, the human, and the devas or demigods. Whether you agree with his approach or not, you will find yourself challenged by his writing. It is, in many ways, the antithesis of much modern "occult" writing, which tends towards obscurity and density. Christopher writes clearly and makes no attempt to appear superior to his readers. The information is conveyed clearly and succintly.

His goal is to help weave together many of the disparate parts which have made their way into the modern Witchcraft movement. Because of the dominant "anything goes" attitude among many practitioners there have been bits and pieces collected from around the world and from numerous cultures, with n o attempt made to fit them into a workable model of the universe. Christopher tackles this obvious need and, while it might be tempting to think this is simply another "new" system, he takes the time and effort to show how the various parts ACTUALLY relate to one another. Does he succeed? That is for you to decide. Not everyone will agree with all he has written. Still, he has taken the time to put his thoughts out there for evaluation, and he deserves a fair chance to be heard

He has provided numerous charts, but no so many that they overwhelm the text (or the reader). He has also, as is his wont, provided numerous exercises and meditations to help you integrate what you are reading into your own world view. If you are familiar with some of his other books, you know what to expect from these; if not, simply know that his goal is to help you feel comfortable with your workings, and he succeeds admirably.

If this is your introduction to Christopher and his work, you will not be disappointed. If you are a long-time practitioner of the Craft, you will find things here which may be unfamiliar (on the other hand, they could have been ricocheting around your mind for a long time without quite jelling). There are also some things which may seem obvious to you.

Take the time to read this work, do the exercises, and allow yourself to experience a new view of the universe.
Randall
RetroRoleplaying [Blog]: Microlite74/75/78/81, BX Advanced, and Other Old School Tabletop RPGs
Microlite20: Lots of Rules Lite Tabletop RPGs -- Many Free

Miss

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Re: The Three Rays of Witchcraft
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2011, 04:55:52 pm »
Quote from: RandallS;21643
The Three Rays of Witchcraft
Author: Christopher Penczak
Published 2010 by Copper Cauldron
ISBN-10: 0982774303
ISBN-13: 978-0982774304
Paperback, 205 pages
List $19.99
View this Book on Amazon

Reviewer: Mike Gleason

This is the first offering of a new publishing venture (Copper Cauldron). The idea of publishing an offering from Christopher is a good one. With over a dozen books and a half a dozen CD sets under his belt, Christopher is not only prolific, but knows how to convey his information without talking down to his readership.

My reading of this book suffered because of personal difficulties – my family and I were in the midst of moving into a new apartment and my free time for reading was severely curtailed. Consequently, I found myself reading much smaller segments at a time than I usually do, and that undoubtedly affected my perception of the quality of this work (I hope I have compensated for that by taking the extra time fr this review). I also found myself needing to severely limit the amount of space I have for my library, and I agonized over which books to delete from my collection (it wasn't easy, and I'm still not sure I made all the right choices, but my personal library was reduced by about 90%). This need affected how I was perceiving what I was currently reading.

Christopher presents a triple-themed approach to his subject, which is less about Witchcraft and more about the relationships between the (as he sees it) three main branches of evolutionary development – the divine, the human, and the devas or demigods. Whether you agree with his approach or not, you will find yourself challenged by his writing. It is, in many ways, the antithesis of much modern "occult" writing, which tends towards obscurity and density. Christopher writes clearly and makes no attempt to appear superior to his readers. The information is conveyed clearly and succintly.

His goal is to help weave together many of the disparate parts which have made their way into the modern Witchcraft movement. Because of the dominant "anything goes" attitude among many practitioners there have been bits and pieces collected from around the world and from numerous cultures, with n o attempt made to fit them into a workable model of the universe. Christopher tackles this obvious need and, while it might be tempting to think this is simply another "new" system, he takes the time and effort to show how the various parts ACTUALLY relate to one another. Does he succeed? That is for you to decide. Not everyone will agree with all he has written. Still, he has taken the time to put his thoughts out there for evaluation, and he deserves a fair chance to be heard

He has provided numerous charts, but no so many that they overwhelm the text (or the reader). He has also, as is his wont, provided numerous exercises and meditations to help you integrate what you are reading into your own world view. If you are familiar with some of his other books, you know what to expect from these; if not, simply know that his goal is to help you feel comfortable with your workings, and he succeeds admirably.

If this is your introduction to Christopher and his work, you will not be disappointed. If you are a long-time practitioner of the Craft, you will find things here which may be unfamiliar (on the other hand, they could have been ricocheting around your mind for a long time without quite jelling). There are also some things which may seem obvious to you.

Take the time to read this work, do the exercises, and allow yourself to experience a new view of the universe.

 
Thank you for reviewing this! I adore the author and was curious about some of his other works.

Etheric1

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Re: The Three Rays of Witchcraft
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2011, 05:18:18 pm »
Quote from: Miss;22436
Thank you for reviewing this! I adore the author and was curious about some of his other works.

 
Agreed.  His is an amazing author, most of his books I've found are really great.
No matter how dark the fur, the bunny is still fluffy. - Mel\'s Law of Dark Fluffs.
Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear. – Albert Camus
You can easily judge the character of a person by how they treat those who can do nothing for them. - unknown
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Tenorbear2

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Re: The Three Rays of Witchcraft
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2012, 11:13:29 pm »
Quote from: RandallS;21643
The Three Rays of Witchcraft
Author: Christopher Penczak
Published 2010 by Copper Cauldron
ISBN-10: 0982774303
ISBN-13: 978-0982774304
Paperback, 205 pages
List $19.99
View this Book on Amazon

Reviewer: Mike Gleason

This is the first offering of a new publishing venture (Copper Cauldron). The idea of publishing an offering from Christopher is a good one. With over a dozen books and a half a dozen CD sets under his belt, Christopher is not only prolific, but knows how to convey his information without talking down to his readership.

My reading of this book suffered because of personal difficulties
Take the time to read this work, do the exercises, and allow yourself to experience a new view of the universe.

 
Thanks for a great review - the life stress didn't seem to affect your reviewing ability! I'm a fan of Penczak but hadn't heard about this book. Beginning a project to pull a lot of disparate information together to come up with some cohesive concepts is a great idea and I think he's a good one to start. It'll be an ongoing work in progress without end of course, with no one being right or wrong and all authors, thinkers, visionaries contributing to the whole. As long as we never fall into the trap of thinking one person has the right and perfect answer we'll all be fine. My Dad likes to say, "Anyone who thinks he's got all the answers doesn't even know what the questions are." I think he may be right.

MadZealot

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Re: The Three Rays of Witchcraft
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2012, 01:45:12 am »
Quote from: Etheric1;22440
His is an amazing author, most of his books I've found are really great.

I just found my copy again, months after moving into a new place.  
Think I'll give it another go.
You have my sword
And my shield
And my... um... slacks.

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