The New Hermetics

[kaosxmage]

As the title of the thread suggests, I'm curious about The New Hermetics by Jason Augustus Newcomb.

Has anyone read it? What are your thoughts?

Cheers!

--Kaos

[Alkhemia]

Greetings Kaos!

I have read it and was initially excited by Newcomb's paradigm. The New Hermetics represented a break from the tightly-structured CM systems that I was accustomed to and I enjoyed adding different 'tools' to my magickal toolbox. His book is a good launching-off pad for further studies into using NLP, Leary's theories, etc., for ritualistic purposes.


Alkhemia

[Xander67]

I haven't read it yet but plan on it. After reading Alkhemia's post I may push it up on my to read list. I think it will be nice to be able to add more tools and incorporate some new ideas into it.

[kaosxmage]

Greetings Kaos!

I have read it and was initially excited by Newcomb's paradigm. The New Hermetics represented a break from the tightly-structured CM systems that I was accustomed to and I enjoyed adding different 'tools' to my magickal toolbox. His book is a good launching-off pad for further studies into using NLP, Leary's theories, etc., for ritualistic purposes.


Alkhemia

Those are some of the things that interested me in this book. I'm a Certified Hypnotherapist, and quite skilled with various NLP techniques. I wonder how he might be tying these in to Magick. I'm not as well versed in Ceremonial Magick despite my curiosity every few years. I'm always put off by the Abrahamic elements of the various practices. I do enjoy the Kybalion, and you can't avoid some of Crowley's work when you've been involved in Chaos Magick as long as I have, but that's really all the Hermetics I've delved into.

Thanks for the input!

--Kaos

[sidhe]

I've got it, and love it. The idea of doing all the rituals via visualization is far more practical than creating the space to do so physically, though I do feel that the physical aspect of the rituals (LBRP, etc.) is important to experience.

The NLP section is golden. I'm hoping he releases the rest of the materials soon.

Much like 21st Century Mage, he takes an old, confining concept and turns it on its head, then kicks it a few time 'til it starts behaving. :D

[kaosxmage]

I've got it, and love it. The idea of doing all the rituals via visualization is far more practical than creating the space to do so physically, though I do feel that the physical aspect of the rituals (LBRP, etc.) is important to experience.

The NLP section is golden. I'm hoping he releases the rest of the materials soon.

Much like 21st Century Mage, he takes an old, confining concept and turns it on its head, then kicks it a few time 'til it starts behaving. :D

Thank you for the input Sidhe! That's convinced me to give this book a try.

--Kaos

[sidhe]

Oh - here's how NLP ties into magick: you use NLP to enhance meditation. If you have trouble with visualizations, look up and to the right while doing them, etc.

[kaosxmage]

Oh - here's how NLP ties into magick: you use NLP to enhance meditation. If you have trouble with visualizations, look up and to the right while doing them, etc.

I wondered what approach he would take with that. It makes sense; however, NLP techniques are really best suited for communication. I thought he might be restructuring language pattern within rituals.

--Kaos

[sidhe]

I wondered what approach he would take with that. It makes sense; however, NLP techniques are really best suited for communication. I thought he might be restructuring language pattern within rituals.

--Kaos

He does use some of the communicative techniques as well. However, what I find interesting is that the entire program is structured more like Argentum Astrum than the Golden Dawn. The student sets their own pace, and judges their own progress. Thus, there are no rituals, really, to restructure, just exercises for balancing aspects of the psyche based on elemental associations.

[kaosxmage]

He does use some of the communicative techniques as well. However, what I find interesting is that the entire program is structured more like Argentum Astrum than the Golden Dawn. The student sets their own pace, and judges their own progress. Thus, there are no rituals, really, to restructure, just exercises for balancing aspects of the psyche based on elemental associations.

This is off topic, but I started the thread

You say it's structured more like Argentum Astrum than the Golden Dawn. I've never peered too deep into those orders, but I always imagined they were part of the same line of thought and practice. How is is that they differ?

--Kaos