INTRODUCTION

" This exactly is the meaning of common sense- to loose all your īcommonī senses.
E. T. Bell

Perception is the key to reality

This book is directed towards everybody, who is profoundly interested in magic. Many years ago I have recognized the path of magic as MY path and along this way I have met many like-minded. For many years I had been working autodidactically, and then had the chance to work with magicians, such alike Pete Caroll, Ian Read, Frater V:. D:., Ramsey Dukes, Anny Aaron, and Freya Aswynn. Through my work, through my work with Sor. Anahita, who is still assisting me and through the work with other magicians many experiences had been gathered, which have inspired me to write these pages.

Magic has unfortunately become fashionable nowadays and so one eventually is endangered to run into people, who are merely following the trend and, for this purpose, scouring all kinds of magical and esoteric groups. Talking at a party, for instance, a person may seem well-informed, because she glibly knows to mention Crowley and Austin Osman Spare, but who, in the long run will turn out to be a dilletant and constant sceptic. This is, you see, when you yourself shall have doubteable success in convincing them of being a good magician, because you are not able to have the legions of Hades marching up in stereo and cinemascope. In order to avoid this problem, one ought to test thoroughly who one is going to work with. Within the circle of practicing chaosmagicians fortunately such people are quickly unmasked, because:

NOTHING IS TRUE, EVERYTHING IS PERMITTED

Consequently there is no right nor wrong way, which can be discussed about for nights. What counts is merely the success or the failure of the magical exercise, which rightaway can be distinguished.

Many of the practicing orders and circles are working along classical structures and prefabricated techniques. Some are working very freely and "modern", but it turns out time and again, that repeatedly the practical work is being neglected in favour of the organisatorial work and clubbiness.

Furthermore the pursuit and the practise of magic does not automatically grant a development on the personal level. Not too long ago Fra. Erec wrote a very pointed article about this in the magazine Anubis on the theme "The Path of the Magician and itsī Traps". Examining the way of someone "magician", one has to observe, that magic, theurgy, and mantic actually work pretty well, but that there unfortunately is no distinguishable progress in the personīs development and self-realisation to be seen. Quite in the contrary - too many interested people are revealed to the attentive observer as being driven by minority complexes. And now- instead of working those out with their newly gained abilities, they execute these rituals, feeling like powerful magicians and masters of the universe, blowing up their Ego - all this to reach uttermost erotic success.

This is not a book, which warns with the forefinger held high up against the consequences and dangers of magic. This sufficiently is being done in the classical books concerning magic. But it ought to remain conscious in the reader, that no personal progress is being purchased by learning the herefollowing techniques. Magic itself does not automatically lead to liberation nor development, it has to purposely be directed to this use. This, naturally, is a painful experience, which any Wanderer on this path has to make for himself sooner or later.

Important in dealing with the following is:
: Be aware to keep a healthy scepsis for the valid truths. Gnosis ( knowledge) for Pistis ( believe)
: The Believe is nothing but a technique, free yourself from any prevailing ideologies.
: Keep looking for the dimensions behind the visible.

The Handbook of Chaos- magic does not lay claim to completeness, not even to a chronological structure.

I am of the opinion, that it is essential to give the seeking an opportunity to find individual ways within the magical work. This book understands itself as an encouragement to find oneīs own magic and in some places to give suggestions for the personal creativity.

An immense number of books already exists on the market, which describe possibilities of how to play with onesī spirit, how to elaborate onesī senses and develop magical powers. I shall restrict myself to the essential and shall not bring dozens of pages filled with instructions of various exercises. I shall, after some short definitions and some detailed hints walk in medias res. Should the reader find my instructions too scarce, let me draw your attention at this point to the books "Liber Null" and
"Psychonautic" by Peter J. Carroll.