The Magician's Companion: A Practical and Encyclopedic Guide to Magical and Religious Symbolism

by Bill Whitcomb and E.J. Koh

This "desk reference" is overflowing with a wide range of occult and esoteric materials on Eastern and Western magical systems. Over thirty-five magical models are compared and discussed. Begins with an introduction to magic, including a program of study so you can use any of the ninety-one systems described. Reveals the secrets of alchemy, magical alphabets, the chakras, the Tree of Life, astrology, and much more. It makes the ancient magical systems...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B002A7EW78
• ISBN13: 9780875428680
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 2.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Top Notch Resource

Mr.Whitcomb has done an excellent job of putting together a resource you will use over and over again. The book is oversized, so you can write your own notes in the margins. Not a day goes by that I don't pick up this book and look up the correspondences of a planet, or information on one of the 28 Lunar Mansions of Chinese Astrology. No kidding, this book is fantastic and you will definitely get a lot of usage out of it. Yes, there are a couple of errors in these almost 600 pages -- but what book of this type doesn't have an error or two? Finding them will help you grow and learn, so it might be that Mr.Whitcomb has done you a favor. But, as I said, there are only a couple -- don't wear yourself out trying to find them. ENJOY !!!

A Tremendous Amount of Information

This book should be of great use to anyone with an interest in occult sciences and philosophies, whether a magician or not: it contains a truly massive amount of information! While not organized in the manner of a "traditional" encyclopedia, it does indeed cover that kind of a wide range of material. There's everything in this book from a discussion of general theories of magick through various "views of reality" to a listing of what stones have what symbolic asociations, just as examples. The full range of subjects is too wide to discuss here!However, don't expect a "how-to" or introductory text, that isn't what this was intended to be. Much of the material seems to me to be written from the assumption that the reader would have at least a passing familiarity with the general subject matter, from some perspective. Still, it will be a wonderful jumping-off point even for a beginner, as it will give you something to start from in any search for more information. I highly recommend this book.

"As Above, So Below"

The author's knowlege is truly encyclopedic and extremely impressive. This thick tome is the equivalent of a doctorate in metaphysics. That is because it is not merely a reference work (though it is probably the best single volume reference on symbolism and correspondence), but it is truly intended to be a self study course. In the "How to Use this Book" section he makes it clear that he is a serious practitioner with a first-hand knowlege of what such studies take (i.e. Meditation, Intense Intellectual Study, Centering, and Grounding.) The reading list for further study is both first rate, and surprisingly eclectic (varied, and not what you'd ordinariy expect.) You can find all of this information in other sources such as the hermetic, cabalistic, and alchemical source works, but it will take you years. Whitcomb has sumarised everything in amazingly clear tables, lists, and diagrams without trivialising anything. He even shows the cross correspondenses between various systems and cultures (Egyptian, Greek, Tibetan, Native American, Hebrew, Chinese, etc.) My only criticism is that there is not a leather bound hard cover edition for my permanent library- I know I'll have my own copy custom bound at the first opportunity.

One of the best references on Magick

The book covers a wide variety occult names, symbols, diagrams, alphabets, etc. The book contains both western occult and also eastern occult symbols. This is great book to be kept for reference especially if you are studying magick. Consider this an encyclopedia of the occult. I find this book very useful when you need to look up certain things.

Great reference book

I've found this book to be a really good reference book. Whitcomb includes ethics without preaching and he covers many traditions without appearing scattered. However, this book is not for the fluffy pretend witch or the teenager who thinks this stuff is cool. There are many books for those folks. Instead, this is for those who are serious practitioners. Whitcomb does not tackle this subject tentatively. For example, he includes a bibliography on the ritual use of hallucinogens (albeit with the proper disclaimers). On the down side, I have also found typos and errors. A revised edition is a great idea. But, all in all....a must have reference!