Initiation into Hermetics: The Path of the True Adept

This is really not an introductory magical text. In spite of the author's warnings that readers with prior magical experience might have to unlearn a lot while studying his books (which is true!), I don't think very many beginners would find themselves well-served to rely on this book as an introduction. Initiation into Hermetics is a dense book that frequently, actually, assumes that the reader already has some background in magic. This book is not a history lesson. This book is not a comprehensive overview of the subject of hermetics. This book is not just a preparation for more serious work - it IS the more serious work, for those who are prepared. The author explains many things in depth, but much of it will sound like nonsense to a magical novice. It takes a little foreknowledge and practice to properly navigate Bardon's idiosyncrasies and outdated science (although not as much as it takes to interpret even the most lucid writings of Aleister Crowley, or any pre-20th century occultist), and he devotes very little time to joking, bragging, or making lurid claims. Less mature occultists will quickly become frustrated and/or bored. This newer translation is improved, but some passages are still difficult to decipher. There are good reasons for why there is a market for supplemental material! The book starts with a whirlwind "Theory" section, at the end of which the author insists that anybody wishing to embark on the practical exercises (which comprise the bulk of the text) must first review and meditate and reflect until they fully grasp all of the theory. The process could take years, he says! Yeah, well, that was in 1956, and it's 2015 now, and there are many effective ways for a novice to gain a lot of mystical insight and experience very quickly. Buy yourself a copy of Modern Magick, or Liber Null if you're cheap, and magic yourself silly, kid. You would just roll your eyes at Bardon's warnings and claims, because they would sound outrageous to you right now. You would not treat this book with the proper respect. That's okay. You do not know any better yet. Come back when you've got a few bruises, when you've developed a healthy fear of your own power, when you need a real teacher but you don't want to join a cult. And be ready to unlearn a lot. For you who are already on a self-directed mystical path and who have never found complete satisfaction in all of your wanderings, congratulations. This is what you have been looking for. All of the magical texts you have read until now - all of the legitimate ones, at least - have basically handed you a series of increasingly deadly firearms. The authors of these books have instructed you to juggle all of these firearms, and they have told you to try to shoot and hit moving targets while you continue to juggle the entire armful. They have assured you that all of the old gun-juggling books, the ones that traditionally warned readers about the severe dangers of juggling guns, were just written by paranoid people and elitists, and you definitely probably maybe won't shoot your own face off. You have realized this by now. You have stopped being stupid. Magic isn't a toy. Magic is an armful of loaded guns. And you aren't even thoroughly educated in the care and maintenance of a simple pistol yet. Initiation into Hermetics is not an introduction, it is an initiation. It will break you down to square one and build you back up as a true magician, and it will not always hold your hand along the way. Because Franz Bardon respects you. Franz Bardon knows that you can figure a lot out on your own. Franz Bardon sits down with you and plainly says, "Here are the universal, fundamental building blocks of magic. Here is what they are, here is how they work. Here is a fantastic, structured way to completely master these fundamentals. And as you master them, you can invent countless creative new ways to apply them. Here are some examples. BE CAREFUL." Initiation into Hermetics is a ruthlessly pragmatic and technical book about utterly mastering the four/five primal elements in both understanding and practice. This involves a variety of intensive mental exercises. There are no elaborate rituals - Bardon's firm assertion is that rituals constitute an advanced form of magic, and in the hands of novices they amount to simple acts of ignorant sorcery, achieving nothing better than that which is achievable through simple applications of elemental mastery. His second book is about ritual magic, but he insists that students must painstakingly master the primal elements and their own consciousness, in accordance with the guidelines in Initiation into Hermetics, before attempting advanced work. The author is not the most well-spoken, at least in the English edition. He uses many of his own proprietary terms, and some of the word choices - whether the fault of the author or the translator, I can't say - can be confusing until you adapt to them. There are things that he over-explains, and there are things that you will find yourself wishing he would explain more thoroughly. All of this is excusable, in my opinion, because the end result is still the greatest occult text I've ever read.

I was very impressed by this book. Franz Bardon lays out a step by step, easy-to-understand series of exercises with which to train the mind, body, and spirit for magical work. It's so practical and straightforward; this book makes it look .. well, not exactly EASY, but it definitely puts highly advanced abilities reasonably within the reach of a diligent, patient, and motivated student. Of course it may take years to reach your goal (and the author admits that) but this book's calm, methodical approach makes it all seem very POSSIBLE. This style of magic has been divested of almost all religious, mythical, and mystical trappings. There are no arcane symbols or mystical words, no lengthy tables of correspondences to memorize. To anyone who has studied "magick" based on the medeival traditions, Bardon's system may feel sterile and empty; just like modern architecture, it lacks all the decorative touches that make the traditionalist feel comfortable. But fret not: A touch of old-fashioned mythology is re-introduced at the end, in Step X. Along the way, Bardon says that the student will discover much information on his own as he advances, and will make use of rituals and symbols that are either revealed to (or created by) him. These things will be highly personal once obtained; the book tells how to go about finding them, and explains why they should be kept secret. The first chapter deals with magical theory; things the student "ought to know" before starting any exercises. This chapter is full of incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo about electromagnetic fluids and what-not, which will be daunting to first-time readers. I was dismayed by it, thinking "This is no better than any other magic book I've read!" but after reading the rest of the book, the theoretical chapter makes sense. I think it must have been designed as a filter, to discourage the idly curious from reading any further. My only quibble is with the occasional Biblical references, which show a distinct unfamiliarity on the part of either Franz Bardon or the translators. None of the quotations were correct, though usually they got the gist of it right. However, on page 27 a serious error: The first words in the Bible are not "Let there be light." Those are the first words SPOKEN, but heaven and earth are created ("without form and void") in verse 1 and 2. Earth is the first mentioned element, followed by water. Light is not created until verse 3. That one slip-up wasn't worth removing a star. I have to give _Initiation into Hermetics_ a full 5 because it's the most coherent and practically useful course of magical instruction I have ever seen. Definitely a "must read" for anyone interested in the theory or practice of modern magick.

This is my favorite book, Initiation Into Hermetics. I don't practice it, I practice meditation but I love the book. It is a book with chapters that are done in order that develop an Individual's ability to practice magic. It has an introductory chapter on theory that is useful in the book. An explanation of elements, spirit, magnetic/electric energies, truth. The rest of the book is completely practical. It's a book to practice in solitary. It's been described before as Hermetic Yoga. The beginning chapters start with basic practices such as silencing the mind and basic concentration exercises that could be useful in everyday life and are absolutely essential for the magical practitioner or magician. There are also imaginary exercises such as the impregnation of food, water and air with an idea or energy such as impregnating water with vitality or health and then consciously drinking it. The practitioner also makes a list of there positive and negative attributes and works with them throughout the book. The beginning chapters done in subsequent order daily until an individual masters them will strengthen anyone's ability of concentration, imagination, visualization, clarity of mind and more greatly. Further chapters go into the mastery of various magical abilities such as out of body travel, mastery of the elements through the use of imagination, healing, magic Morrors, communication with guides, psychic abilities etc. The author tries to make the practice a capability for people without much time but if one wishes he can put a lot of time into it each day to get through it quicker. This is not a book you put away after a few years though as it requires a lifetime to make serious progress. He explains right from the start that it takes dedication to master. It's not a book to pick up and practice here and there as it takes consistency. It will take a long time to develop some of these potentials but the individual will make many gains in many areas of life if done correctly. Some may only make it through a few chapters, some may finish the whole book but serious results will be gained either way.

Just received this book a few days ago and I'm blown away. This is one of those rare books that seem to come into your life at just the right time. I've been a student of the occult for nearly 20 years and a practicing magician for 10 years. I began as a chaos magician, invoking Eris and Bugs Bunny and doing graffiti sigils. Later I started studying qabalah, the Golden Dawn, OTO, Thelemic magick and Taoist alchemy. Like many of the other reviewers have said, I wish I had this book when I first began my magickal career. Having said that though, I don't know if I would've appreciated back then like I do now... Bardon does present a simple complete system here. I haven't finished it yet, and I'm not too concerned with finishing at the moment because I'm doing all the exercises exactly as he describes them. I've already had great success with the auto-suggestion exercise - immediate result the first time! Seasoned mages should find a lot of the initial exercises relatively easy to get into. A lot of systems/schools have similar exercises. Love the fact that Bardon goes beyond visualization and into the other four senses. There so much I've read so far that just seems so obvious - I'm constantly laughing and thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" For the beginner, it may seem daunting at first, but having practiced magick for 10 years now, I see the wisdom to Bardon's approach. If you're looking for a magick cookbook with recipes for instant spells, this ain't it. This is no mere grimoire or a snarky book for dabblers. To others who've read this: I noticed some differences in his elemental correspondences compared to what every other tradition has said for as long as whenever - is this an occult blind, or has he changed them for his own system? I guess it really doesn't matter... So far, it's reading like a chaos magick book. I mean every system is syncretic anyways. Bardon mentions devising your own rituals, which smacks of chaos to me. Can't say enough good things about this book and I'm barely 1/5 of the way through! I don't think it hurts to read ahead as I am, but there's very little theory here - just enough to validate why you should do the next exercise, so its not exactly a "fun" read like Steiner or a lot of other books about magick. Truly a practical manual. Essential for the beginner and advanced student. Get it. Do the exercises. That's the key to success in any endeavor. Do work.

Hi all, I'm a long-term student and practitioner of Bardon's 'Initiation Into Hermetics'. I acknowledge Bardon's training (across his three books) as the work of genius. For any aspirant mystic whose sincere ambition is to unite their consciousness with God, to consciously manifest God's qualities in themselves, to become a God-man, and to be of selfless service to humankind, Bardon is ALMOST all you need. The missing component is the direct, personal attention of a living, flesh-and-blood teacher ... one who has completed Bardon's training (or equivalent) themselves. Without such a teacher, many will put 'Initiation Into Hermetics' down in frustration. The neophyte has little chance of overcoming the astral larvae (and, in some cases, demons) that are attached to him/her. The intention of these beings is to prevent the neophyte from advancing along the path to God. How many neophytes, at the start of Initiation, have the means of overcoming such beings? But before the legitimate magical authority of your teacher, these beings will flee from you. Truly, if you're reading this and thinking, 'I don't need a living teacher ... I'm the exception!', you're already in the grip of your ego. For this reason alone you should seek a living teacher. The humility you'll acquire might mean the difference between YEARS of wasted time, and rapid magical ascent. Also, the ancient Magi understood this truth: there is only one reason to practice true magic. And that is to advance towards oneness with God (the All). If your reasons for practicing magic exclude this objective, you're wasting your time. If it's 'status' or some other ego-driven objective that you seek, don't buy this book. We live in a time where the idea of 'God' seems quaint and antiquated; inversely, indulgent self-gratification is paramount. If this applies to you - and you're not interested in turning that around - don't waste your time with this book. 'Initiation Into Hermetics' - complemented with a legitimate teacher - will lead you to a truly miraculous life. I've been active in the Hermetic community for years, and am happy to refer to you to genuine masters/teachers ... just ask! :-) Kind regards, Jason

As others have mentioned this is the most important book for a beginner looking to understand or practice western magick.. in fact if you focused entirely on this system alone youd get much further than most of the other western esotericists who have a library full of books! Coming from an intense study of eastern methods of spiritual cultivation I, at first, didnt see the draw to western systems at all. They did not seem to go nearly as deep and most people interested were just looking to enlargen their ego's.. and most of the other stuff i read was ritual magick and stuff, which does not do anything if you dont have your mind under control and your will actually trained... bardon goes and explains these all important foundational excercises, which to my suprise, were alot similar to the eastern methods i had already been training in... he goes on to show how deep and profound hermetics actually is, as well as how to use this knowledge for practical purposes... having read some other reputable authors and magicians coming from the hermetic order of the golden dawn, i would have to say Bardon's system is much closer to real hermetics than those other guys.. so again for any curious person who may wish to study more into real hermetics this is the only book you SHOULD buy. Even if your interest lies in the eloborate ceremonial magick of other orders you will do well to study this system as a foundation. And it is so cheap compared to some of those other books. Anyways hope someone finds benefit in this review

Finally! A book that is not speaking in parables and that I can understand! I am only at the beginning, but I am already loving how the book speaks about different types of energy and working with the elements. It starts out very fundamental and works into more advanced. I think one should take their time with this book. There is clearly rituals for magick here. If one isn't ready, this might create fear in oneself. I am happy to have found it as I believe this is the real deal and not more "fluffed up" New Age gunk that someone simply made up to make a buck. There is ancient knowledge here.

Hello everyone, when I first open this grimoir of Franz bardon it looked challenging but promising so I said okay Nicholas you got this, now at the time I didn't no what I twas doing but I followed thee exercises to the letter, the first exercise twas thought control/observe your train of thoughts, so a week's worth later I started to physically hear spirits more frequently outta the blues like one said: Rip someone's hair out, yeah hard pass, then another spirit said: those are beautiful, then I mentally evoked loki the living god of chaos & he physically told me that he considers one of my witch friends I work at Kroger with like one of his daughters, I still have these abilities, but my mother put my Franz Bardon gimoire in the storage units no worries I'm getting it back, oh FYI word of advice in his book if you decide to fuse the elemental spheres flames + air flows it'll equal explosions, so yeah you as a beginner shall start hearing physical spirits + reading peoples minds unknowingly not that I'm complaining I love magic's occult and paranormal things, anyways as soon as you reach step 8 in his first grimoir you'll be good to go, I researched another magician who has learned from Franz Bardon's first grimoir & created an physical illusion of magical energies around his bedroom door to make him look like he twas sleeping with the door closed & lights off but behind his illusion he casted with his energies he twas reading a book with the door opened lights on & whenever his family came to check in on him they were all dumbstruck, highly recommend this grimoir, multiverse blessings.