At the dawn of the twenty-first century magical belief and practice is enjoying a resurgence, exerting a new and vital influence on thought and culture. The ancient Egyptian mysteries, Gnosticism and the Kabbalah, medieval mystical traditions like the Tarot, and Alchemy, and more recently Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry, have collectively formed a basis of modern esoteric thought.
In his fascinating explorative book Nevill Drury traces the development of today's magical consciousness from the Hermetic order of the Golden Dawn through to the revival of Wicca, the Celtic religious traditions and the re-emergence of Goddess worship as a vital expression of contemporary feminine spirituality.
Key figures are profiled, including Aleister Crowley, Austin Osman Spare, Dion Fortune, Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Janet and Stewart Farrar, Starhawk and Z Budapest, as well as advocates of the shadow side like Anton LaVey, and HR Giger, and the contribution of prominent thinkers such as Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Carlos Castaneda, Michael Harner and Terence McKenna.
For Nevill Drury the rise of modern magic stems essentially from the quest for personal transformation, removing magic from the realms of superstition and placing it in a new context as a powerful expression of alternative spirituality.
