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Magick for Kids

The Dangerous Book (of Ritual Magick) for Kids

Remember those wonderful kids books of old such as The Golden Book of Chemistry, since deemed too dangerous for our over-protective times? In recent times, our yearning for those daring days has seen success for the rather non-risky ‘Dangerous Book for Boys’ series.

The occult equivalent of the Golden Book of Chemistry might just be How to Make Magic, a 1974 book that showed kids how to perform a little stage magic, and oh SUMMON THE DEVIL HIMSELF. Thankfully, this classic tome has been rescued from obscurity by @Cavalorn, who has posted scans of the book to his blog, with commentary.

The book seems to begin innocuously enough, with some neat little ‘stage magic’ tricks to mystify your friends and family with. Although, like the Golden Book of Chemistry, the book is happy enough to recommend a child go and purchase some volatile chemicals. As Cavalorn reminisces: “Oh for the lost days of our youth when a small boy could come skipping out of a chemist’s shop with a manual of witchcraft in one hand and a bag of bomb ingredients in the other.”

But really, what could go wrong with some of the juvenile stage magic tricks in the book, as long as there are clear directions to ensure the safety of the child? I mean, really?*

Oral candling

(* Full disclosure: I once did the ‘pencil up the nose, out the mouth’ magic trick in front of a 12-year-old. Minutes later they staggered out of their room screaming with blood pouring from their nose)

But of course, these were different times, when we didn’t fixate on little details that might be harmful, given the unlikely scenario of a bunch of unfortunate circumstances combining. So let’s not castigate the authors for well-meaning passages that….wait, what’s this?

Witches used to make wax or wooden dolls of their enemies and stick pins in as a spell to hurt them. Has your teacher, or a friend, made you a little angry lately? Here’s what a witch with a sense of humour might do.

Voodoo for kids

That’s right, a magic book for kids recommended making a voodoo doll if friends or teachers had “made you a little angry”. We’ve obviously left the stage magic section well behind now, although I shudder to think what the recommendation is for anyone that’s made you really angry…

Head on over to Cavalorn’s blog for plenty more occult tuition for juniors, including such gems as:

  • “Ask your parents if you can bewitch a corner of your garden at home. The centre piece should really be a tree around which you should plant a circle of white flowers – snowdrops or daisies, perhaps – in honour of the moon goddess”
  • “Of course, this is no ordinary cat but a ‘familiar’ sent by the Devil himself to lend a helping hand”
  • “Be careful not to put the pentagrams upside down because they look a bit like the Devil with his horns and you don’t want him turning up”

That last pearl of wisdom comes from the spread in which young children are taught to construct a circle to conduct ritual magick in. I would totally have made this book my personal bible if I had ever come across it in my own youth.

I mean, seriously…DIY Ouija craft!

Craft Ouija

Link: ‘How to Make Magic’ from 1974. A children’s handbook of the occult. No, really.

Editor
  1. Bumper book of Magic
    This looks quite cool. It reminds me of the (hopefully still) forecoming Bumper book of Magic by Alan Moore and Steve Moore. Although with Steve Moores recent sad passing I have no idea if that project is still ongoing.

    cheers Paolo

  2. >:(
    NO! no, no, no you should not have kids messing around with stuff they don’t understand. Hell half the internet doesn’t know how to “work with” the spirits properly! Sure some of you may think it’s fake or nothing will happen, but even the idea of toiling with the Devil can be a risk. Just look at the kids who took the Slenderman thing seriously and nearly killed a girl! It’s one thing if the child is under the supervision of an experienced individual, but opening holes to the other side is a dangerous thing ALWAYS. As I like to say there are 10 ways to open the hole and only one way to close it, you better know the right one. And I’m not trying to be an overly religious crazy “The Devil shall take you soul!” person here, this is some really serious stuff that kids should not be messing with. Hell you said it yourself:

    “Full disclosure: I once did the ‘pencil up the nose, out the mouth’ magic trick in front of a 12-year-old. Minutes later they staggered out of their room screaming with blood pouring from their nose.”

    I need to clarify things:

    1. “Ask your parents if you can bewitch a corner of your garden at home. The centre piece should really be a tree around which you should plant a circle of white flowers – snowdrops or daisies, perhaps – in honour of the moon goddess”

    If you are Wiccan, please teach your kids, as I assume you do, to properly honour the moon goddess and always under your supervision. Most mothers outside of Wicca would think this statement crazy…but then again they may have also purchased the book 😛

    2.”Of course, this is no ordinary cat but a ‘familiar’ sent by the Devil himself to lend a helping hand”

    There needs to be (hopefully is) an entire chapter AT LEAST on familiars. First, not all of them are cats. Second you should all have your own daemon to begin with, meditation can hone your contact with that spirit. Third, it is not always an animal. Fourth, NOTHING SENT BY THE DEVIL IS A GOOD THING! READ FAUST! (The original one, called “Faustbach” where he is torn to shreds in front of his students.)

    3.”Be careful not to put the pentagrams upside down because they look a bit like the Devil with his horns and you don’t want him turning up.”

    Star with point down means Devil, star with point up means sacred feminine and is harmless, even good luck. Also doesn’t this step negate Step 2? If you don’t want him turning up than with ask for a familiar from him. I can’t tell if this book is trying to be Satanic or occult but it seems once again the lines are being blurred. Occult does not equal the Devil. And I do hope this book clarifies the difference between just reading the occult and actually becoming Crowley…

    …*big long sigh* we are gonna need a lot of salt 😛

    1. I think most of us here
      I think most of us here probably understand the dangers of just casually recommending these sorts of rituals especially to kids. They are even more “combustible” than the chemistry books. You have to wonder how many of the current crop of Satanists cut their eye teeth on books like this when they were children.

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