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Author Topic: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch  (Read 12124 times)

RandallS

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City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« on: August 19, 2012, 02:46:36 pm »


Title: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
Author(s): Christopher Penczak
Publisher: Weiser Books
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 1578635217
ISBN-13: 978-1578635214
Current Price and More Info from Amazon

[size=+1]Description:[/size]
Today's urban witch needs to know how to communicate with the electric gods of the city, find the high-rise temples of power, and uncover the magical symbols in everyday graffiti.

This new edition of City Magick, with a new foreword by Judika Illes, author of Pure Magic (offers a modern look at an earth-based religion that has taken root in the concrete jungle. Christopher Penczak shows how to create and live a magical life in the city. Learn how to:

*    Interpret the symbols of graffiti with a magical eye
*    Perform rituals at nightclubs
*    Use everyday items in your home or office to create magickal incense, oils, talismans, and charms
*    Create powerful sigils using street signs, graffiti, and city maps
*    Discover metropolitan spirits and totems including spiders, cockroaches, crows, pigeons, and doves.

For the urban witch, this is the ultimate book on making high magic among the skyscrapers and the streets.

[size=+1]Special Notes:[/size]


[size=-1]Legal Notes: Some description text and item pictures in this post may come from Amazon.com and are used by permission. The Cauldron is an Amazon Affiliate and purchases made through the Amazon links in this message help support The Cauldron.[/size]

[size=+1]Discussion and reviews of this book are welcome in this thread. If you've read the book, please tell us what you think of it and why.[/size]
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hecate8

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2013, 12:07:21 am »
Quote from: RandallS;69790


Title: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
Author(s): Christopher Penczak
Publisher: Weiser Books
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 1578635217
ISBN-13: 978-1578635214
Current Price and More Info from Amazon

[SIZE=+1]Description:[/SIZE]
Today's urban witch needs to know how to communicate with the electric gods of the city, find the high-rise temples of power, and uncover the magical symbols in everyday graffiti.

This new edition of City Magick, with a new foreword by Judika Illes, author of Pure Magic (offers a modern look at an earth-based religion that has taken root in the concrete jungle. Christopher Penczak shows how to create and live a magical life in the city. Learn how to:

*    Interpret the symbols of graffiti with a magical eye
*    Perform rituals at nightclubs
*    Use everyday items in your home or office to create magickal incense, oils, talismans, and charms
*    Create powerful sigils using street signs, graffiti, and city maps
*    Discover metropolitan spirits and totems including spiders, cockroaches, crows, pigeons, and doves.

For the urban witch, this is the ultimate book on making high magic among the skyscrapers and the streets.

[SIZE=+1]Special Notes:[/SIZE]


[SIZE=-1]Legal Notes: Some description text and item pictures in this post may come from Amazon.com and are used by permission. The Cauldron is an Amazon Affiliate and purchases made through the Amazon links in this message help support The Cauldron.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]Discussion and reviews of this book are welcome in this thread. If you've read the book, please tell us what you think of it and why.[/SIZE]

It is inventive in the way it opened new ways of thinking for me about spellcraft in the urban setting. It seemed to wander a but at times, but not annoyingly so. A fairly good beginners book.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2013, 08:06:05 am by RandallS »
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axismundi

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2013, 04:10:09 am »
Quote from: RandallS;69790


Title: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
Author(s): Christopher Penczak
Publisher: Weiser Books
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 1578635217
ISBN-13: 978-1578635214
Current Price and More Info from Amazon

[size=+1]Description:[/size]
Today's urban witch needs to know how to communicate with the electric gods of the city, find the high-rise temples of power, and uncover the magical symbols in everyday graffiti.

This new edition of City Magick, with a new foreword by Judika Illes, author of Pure Magic (offers a modern look at an earth-based religion that has taken root in the concrete jungle. Christopher Penczak shows how to create and live a magical life in the city. Learn how to:

*    Interpret the symbols of graffiti with a magical eye
*    Perform rituals at nightclubs
*    Use everyday items in your home or office to create magickal incense, oils, talismans, and charms
*    Create powerful sigils using street signs, graffiti, and city maps
*    Discover metropolitan spirits and totems including spiders, cockroaches, crows, pigeons, and doves.

For the urban witch, this is the ultimate book on making high magic among the skyscrapers and the streets.

[size=+1]Special Notes:[/size]


[size=-1]Legal Notes: Some description text and item pictures in this post may come from Amazon.com and are used by permission. The Cauldron is an Amazon Affiliate and purchases made through the Amazon links in this message help support The Cauldron.[/size]

[size=+1]Discussion and reviews of this book are welcome in this thread. If you've read the book, please tell us what you think of it and why.[/size]


I think I shall get this out of curiosity.  I'm not a wiccan or such and no-longer live in the city.  However this sounds very different to the normal 'tree hugging' type stuff that can be found at bookshops in Cardiff.  Useful for me that it is also a beginners book because I have no practical experience of 'Wicca' or its various permutations.

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2013, 10:08:30 pm »
Quote from: RandallS;69790


Title: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
Author(s): Christopher Penczak
Publisher: Weiser Books
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 1578635217
ISBN-13: 978-1578635214


 
I just got this book as a gift. seems alright but I've only read the first chapter so far so shall see ^^

Sarah

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2013, 03:34:09 am »
Quote from: axismundi;121097
.  However this sounds very different to the normal 'tree hugging' type stuff that can be found at bookshops in Cardiff.  


Sometimes Troutmark books in Castle arcade has some good solid stuff
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stephyjh

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City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2013, 01:15:11 pm »
Quote from: RandallS;69790


Title: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
Author(s): Christopher Penczak
Publisher: Weiser Books
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 1578635217
ISBN-13: 978-1578635214
Current Price and More Info from Amazon

[size=+1]Description:[/size]
Today's urban witch needs to know how to communicate with the electric gods of the city, find the high-rise temples of power, and uncover the magical symbols in everyday graffiti.

This new edition of City Magick, with a new foreword by Judika Illes, author of Pure Magic (offers a modern look at an earth-based religion that has taken root in the concrete jungle. Christopher Penczak shows how to create and live a magical life in the city. Learn how to:

*    Interpret the symbols of graffiti with a magical eye
*    Perform rituals at nightclubs
*    Use everyday items in your home or office to create magickal incense, oils, talismans, and charms
*    Create powerful sigils using street signs, graffiti, and city maps
*    Discover metropolitan spirits and totems including spiders, cockroaches, crows, pigeons, and doves.

For the urban witch, this is the ultimate book on making high magic among the skyscrapers and the streets.

[size=+1]Special Notes:[/size]


[size=-1]Legal Notes: Some description text and item pictures in this post may come from Amazon.com and are used by permission. The Cauldron is an Amazon Affiliate and purchases made through the Amazon links in this message help support The Cauldron.[/size]

[size=+1]Discussion and reviews of this book are welcome in this thread. If you've read the book, please tell us what you think of it and why.[/size]

Eh, it talks in the blurb about "discovering totems." Which means it's fluffy enough to have that kind of inaccurate cultural appropriation, and that to me is the kiss of death.
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Faemon

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2013, 02:10:21 am »
Quote from: stephyjh;128649
Eh, it talks in the blurb about "discovering totems." Which means it's fluffy enough to have that kind of inaccurate cultural appropriation, and that to me is the kiss of death.


Penczak has been my all-time favorite author for the techniques he recommends, and the subjects he touches on (urban magick, ascension magick, and homosexuality in the Wiccan community) but his vocabulary...I don't believe he is aware that it's problematic and why.

I have this book, and, yeah, it is VERY HEAVY on the Core Shamanism adapted to city life. It uses meditative explorations of the lower worlds, middle worlds, and upper worlds, through the visualization of a skyscraper instead of a tree...recommends watching out for animal messengers...stuff like that.

I don't know how it compares to Raven Kaldera's Urban Primitive, though.
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Samuel

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2013, 07:38:44 am »
Quote from: RandallS;69790

 
I really want to check out this book as urban/city witchcraft is something that I'm really into, but I don't wanna spend money on it as witchcraft books are so hit or miss with me. Maybe if I can find it at the library...

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2013, 12:33:06 pm »
Quote from: RandallS;69790



I skim read this in the shop, and I liked it a lot - trying to build a city magic path is my thing, and there are very few resources.

It's like any other witch 101 book, but with the decorations urban instead of rural. Animal/plant magic is focused on urban animals. Vermin represents survival, resourcefulness etc. Sigil magic is reinterpreted through graffiti and pictograms, like the toilet symbol. Instead of meeting forest spirits, it discussed meeting the spirit of electricity. Instead of meeting the element of fire, you "visit" the city of fire instead. Rubble of demolished buildings is used in a banishing ritual.

And so on. It won't teach you any magical techniques you couldn't have got from a different book, but it applies them in an urban context.

Samuel - I am very very picky about witchcraft books, and this one passed the test for me. A good book. However - I didn't buy it, just took some notes in the shop. I figured I could just take the basic idea of flavouring 101 magic with city, do some meditations on my own and be creative. I don't need a book to tell me what Cockroach represents, or where I can find cycles of creation in the city - I can figure something out, and it'll probably be more powerful to do it like that because I'll be connecting with my own city not the author's ideas. But definitely worth a read for inspiration, and ideas for how city magic would work in practice.
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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2014, 05:05:47 pm »
Quote from: Samuel;129301
I really want to check out this book as urban/city witchcraft is something that I'm really into, but I don't wanna spend money on it as witchcraft books are so hit or miss with me. Maybe if I can find it at the library...

 
I've read the first book that Christopher brought out and I think I'll check this book out, and see how good it is.

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2015, 04:06:22 pm »
Quote from: Faemon;128739
Penczak has been my all-time favorite author for the techniques he recommends, and the subjects he touches on (urban magick, ascension magick, and homosexuality in the Wiccan community) but his vocabulary...I don't believe he is aware that it's problematic and why.

I have this book, and, yeah, it is VERY HEAVY on the Core Shamanism adapted to city life. It uses meditative explorations of the lower worlds, middle worlds, and upper worlds, through the visualization of a skyscraper instead of a tree...recommends watching out for animal messengers...stuff like that.

I just finished that book and I think it's really good.  I like pretty much everything about it, but visiting skyscrapers in the shamanic worlds I found really interesting.

Materialist

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2015, 04:45:34 pm »
Quote from: axismundi;121097
 Useful for me that it is also a beginners book because I have no practical experience of 'Wicca' or its various permutations.


Is Mr. Penczak a Wiccan, and this book to be understood as "Wicca in the City"? I have an interest in new magical systems (like pop culture magic), but this "city magic" kind of sounds like the same old thing re-energized for a new generation sort of deal.

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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2015, 07:55:31 am »
Quote from: Materialist;179724
Is Mr. Penczak a Wiccan, and this book to be understood as "Wicca in the City"? I have an interest in new magical systems (like pop culture magic), but this "city magic" kind of sounds like the same old thing re-energized for a new generation sort of deal.

More religious witchcraft than true Wicca -- IMHO, at least.
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Re: City Magick: Spells, Rituals, and Symbols for the Urban Witch
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2015, 08:14:04 am »
Quote from: RandallS;179905
More religious witchcraft than true Wicca -- IMHO, at least.

 
He's not Wiccan, per se, but his temple of witchcraft coursework is very Wiccanate.
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