Book Reviews February 2020

Book Review: Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli (Affiliate Link)

This is a short book, but the author does an excellent job of explaining modern physics with these seven lessons, in clear, understandable language that anyone can appreciate. I came away from reading this book with a better understanding of physics, which in turn helps me appreciate the universe.

Book Review: Effortless Living by Jason Gregory (Affiliate link)

This was a rather intriguing book to read and contemplate as it discusses at some length the practice of wu-wei. I struggled with this book at times, because I see how much my own narrative of control has stopped me from gracefully being in the moment and not doing. Yet reading this book opened my awareness further around not doing and it is something I will come back to again and again, because it is worth doing, and worth letting go.

Low effort magic

I discuss what low effort magic is and share several techniques and examples of low effort magic I've used over the years.

Become my patron: https://www.patreon.com/TaylorEllwood

Wealth magic experiments update

At my day job, I won a superstar trophy for lead generation recently. This trophy is hand out every two weeks to the person who has most improved their lead generation in a two week period of time and I had increased my lead generation by over 7% which is a bit of a jump compared to before. I’ve pretty much always maintained a steady quota of leads at my job, but in recent months I’ve been doing some experimenting with wealth magic, in conjunction with some sales and marketing skills that I’m continuing to improve on, and this trophy was a byproduct of that work.

The wealth magic work has involved using magnetism and gravity as elements for attracting greater wealth. Below is a picture of the latest iteration of my wealth magnet generator (now with stars and moons!). I also use the pentacle of Jupiter in conjunction with the generator, to charge and amplify the generator’s work.

Small actions lead to big changes

I discuss the principle small actions lead to big changes and how it can be applied to magic

, , ,

My experience with Dao-Yin exercises and how I learn new movements

, , ,

I’m currently practicing Dao Yin exercises that I’m learning from reading The Four Dragons by Damo Mitchell (affiliate link). As with any new practice that involves the manipulation of one’s chi, I find that its really useful to learn a practice in stages, and course correct as needed based on the experiences you’re having with the practice. In the case of learning the Dao Yin practices, the one I’m currently practicing and learning are four basic exercises that are designed to help you purge pathogenic chi, through the movements.

How to apply magic to create change in the world

I share thoughts on how to apply magic to change current events and address issues that are happening in the world and also speak to practical considerations of making such changes.

,

Endarkenment Ponderings and Experiences

,

I decided to take a class taught by Anastacia Nutt, called Endarkenment, which explores the process of settling into the rhythms of winter, among other things. I thought I would share here my notes and observations. I’ve purposely kept this post separate from the elemental balancing work, because it is its own thing and I want to honor it as such.

12-16-2019 I got sick a couple days before the endarkenment class started and on the day before, I lay in my bed, in the dark, feverish and afraid of the dark and yet opening myself to it nonetheless and letting it fill me. It felt a lot like stillness, like a sense of timeless infinity that poured through the entirety of my being and reminded me of how small I am and yet how intricately woven I am into this thread of life.

,

How to improve your communication with your body

,

My work with inner alchemy focuses on the health of the body, and learning how to communicate with your body better than you already do. I’m always in search of additional techniques and skills that can facilitate this process, because I find that, in general, most people have a hard time connecting with their bodies. Right now, I’m reading Pain Free by Pete Egoscue (affiliate link), which is a fascinating book that explores the structure of the body and how the body uses pain to communicate that something is wrong with the structure.

For example, when you feel pain in your foot or your hips or back, its not simply a matter of feeling pain there, but also an indication that the way your body is moving may not be quite right and that you may have muscles compensating for other muscles that aren’t being worked properly. Egoscue’s solution is elegant in that he doesn’t just provide some exercises, but really explores the underlying principles that inform how the body moves and how its intended to carry a person through the day.

What is magic?

I discuss what magic is (or seems to be) and why I talk about it so openly.

Get Magic by Design: books2read.com/u/m2rNPO

money, movement and money magic

I discuss money, movement and money magic and also explore the evolution of money

Get manifesting wealth at: books2read.com/u/31xoEW

Check out Sacred Economics (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/2TR16Sg

,

Elemental Balancing Ritual Creativity Month 15

,

12-24-2019 Tonight as I mediated this energy, I was reminded how important it is to observe and be aware of my passions, without letting them take over. Saturn’s appropriate for that because of the boundaries and limitations. Here is where power is given away for form, where potential turns into reality.

12-26-2019 I’m finding myself experiencing a curious sense of stillness and quiet…a healthy sense of it and an awareness of the value of turning inward and focusing on rest and rejuvenation. At the same time I find myself focusing even further on the essential and what really matters. Sometimes we must necessarily get rid of the clamor of the world to discover what really matters.

Why magic and the law of attraction are not the same

I discuss the law of attraction, intention and why magic is much more than either of these things, as well as what it really takes to practice magic.

Get free books at http://www.magicalexperiments.com/free-books

Get The Slight Edge (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/38pvojh

, ,

How I worked with 3 spirits to help me get back to health

, ,

3 weeks ago I got sick with a fever and although I broke that fever, shortly after I came down with a cold. I normally recover from sickness fast, because I have a specific regime of activities I do which include Dragon and Tiger Medical Qi Gong, as well as Reiki, and mundane resources such as medicine, and expelling everything that needs to get out. But this time around, perhaps because I’m in peak season at work, nothing was really working, or rather it was mitigating the symptoms, but not resolving the illness. On Wednesday night of last week I decided it was time to draw upon some additional help.

I first started by invoking the Daemons Verrier and Verrine. I first learned about these spirits from S. Connolly’s The complete book of demonolatry (affiliate link), and I’ve worked with them a few times, for health magic, both in regards to myself and other people. I asked them if they could help me get to the source of the illness and heal and expunge it from my body and they agreed. Shortly after I started coughing a lot more, but this was good because it allowed me to clear out the infectious mucus that had been stuck in my respiratory system.

Is wealth magic essential to becoming wealthy?

I discuss wealth magic and where it ought to fit in your approach to finances and life and also answer the question as to whether wealth magic is essential to acquiring wealth.

Get free books at http://www.magicalexperiments.com/free-books

Get manifesting wealth at books2read.com/u/31xoEW

What do you need to design a magical working?

One of the questions I get asked is what does a person need, in order to be able to design their own magical working. It’s a good question to ask, because designing a magical working does have some requirements, which can make a difference in developing an effective magical working or system of magic that gets results. However the usual suspects of magical tools, spells, etc., that people think they need in order to design a magical working or a system aren’t necessarily what you need.

Magic by Design is now Available!

My latest book Magic By Design is now available.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN MAGICAL WORKINGS THAT GET YOU CONSISTENT RESULTS?

Of course you do…

But you can’t create a magical working if you don’t know how magic works or how to design a magical working from scratch.

In Magic by Design, I teach you how to create your own magical workings, instead of having to rely on magick spell books that may not provide the results you want.

I’ll show you how simplify or enhance an existing magical spell, to get better results.

I’ll walk you through how to apply the principles of magical design to create your own unique workings that get you results.

I’ll share multiple case studies where I show you how the principles of magical design were applied to create original magical workings that got results and explain why they got results.

And as a bonus you’ll also learn how to create long term magical workings and how to design your own magical systems.

This is a practical magic book that shows you how to create your own magical workings and get results with them.

Get it now and get better results with your magical workings.

Get the E-book
Get the print book
stack_scene_with_back_wood.jpg

Why Money magic won't solve your financial problems

I discuss why money magic won't solve your financial problems if you don't understand how money works and share my own path to financial literacy.

Get Manifesting Wealth at books2read.com/u/31xoEW

Stillness and Creativity

In my continual work with creativity as an element, one of things I’ve been very sensitive to is the rhythm of creativity in my life, and knowing when to let go of the need to do anything, and instead simply hold space/time in stillness. At one time, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that, but a three year stint of working with stillness taught me a lot about how to become comfortable with stillness and trust in it, instead of resisting it.

,

How to work with the spirits of your home and the land

,

I share how I work with house spirits and the spirits of the land.

,

Elemental Balancing Ritual Creativity Month 14

,

11-23-2019 I started working with Tzadkiel/Jupiter/Chesed this month. It seems particularly appropriate that I work with them this month as I’m preparing to leave my job and go into full-time indiepreneurship. I was looking up information about Tzadkiel and I came across this passage in William G. Gray’s Ladder of Lights (Affiliate link)": “The greatest and most genuine benefit Jupiter can possibly give us on this Earth, is to fulfil our material necessities so that our minds and souls will be set free to seek nobler aims than drudging for a bare livelihood.” I read that on a day where I’ve been feeling stressed about leaving my work, because some unexpected expenses have come up. Kat has reassured me we’re fine and we can stay on course.

And on that same day, today, I was writing my newsletter on the topic of how to use magic to get through tough times and I read my advice, which among other things including letting go and trusting that the journey will take you where you need to go…and point made. I’ve been holding on, resisting the very change I want and I just need to let go, especially when its clear the means have been provided that I can do so.