High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on Death Row
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- Create Date：2021-04-19 13:54:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Damien Echols
- ISBN：1683641345
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Summary
"Magick is not a path for followers; it is a path for questioners， seekers， and anyone who has trouble settling for dogma and pre-formulated answers。 Magick is for those who feel the desire to peel away the surface of reality and see what lies beneath。 Like various persecuted forms of mysticism， magick promotes direct contact with the source of creation。"
—Damien Echols
Discover a Powerful Practice for Transforming Yourself and Your Reality
At age 18， Damien Echols was sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit。 "I spent my years in prison training to be a true magician，" he recalls。 "I used magick—the practice of reshaping reality through our intention and will—to stave off incredible pain， despair， and isolation。 But the most amazing feat of all that practice and study was to manifest my freedom。" With High Magick， this bestselling author shares his first teaching book on the powerful spiritual techniques that helped him survive and transcend his ordeal on death row。
Though our culture has consigned "magic" to fiction， stage illusions， or superstitions about dark practices， the magick Damien learned is an ancient Western tradition equal the Eastern practices of Buddhism， Taoism， and yoga in its wisdom and transformative power。 Here he brings you an engaging and highly accessible guide for bringing magick into your own life， including:
• What is High Magick？ Damien clears away the stigma and reveals the history and core teachings of this extraordinary art。
• The Four-Fold Breath—a foundational meditation practice to train your mind and body to channel subtle energies。
• The Middle Pillar—how to bring divine energy into the central channel of your body for empowerment and healing。
• The Qabalistic Cross—a centering technique to help you stay balanced and protected regardless of circumstances。
• The Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram—powerful practices for banishing negative energies and invoking energy to manifest your goals。
• Working with angelic beings and other spiritual allies to support your practice。
• Creating thoughtforms to assist you in your ongoing magickal development。
• Guidance for overcoming your doubts， enhancing your visualization skills， creating talismans， practicing magick ethically， and much more。
"Magick is a journey，" writes Damien。 "It’s a continuously unfolding path that has no end。 You can study and practice magick for the rest of your life and you will still never learn everything that it has to teach you。" If you’re ready to discover your untapped potential for co-creating your reality with the energy of the divine， then join this extraordinary teacher to begin your training in High Magick。
—Damien Echols
Discover a Powerful Practice for Transforming Yourself and Your Reality
At age 18， Damien Echols was sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit。 "I spent my years in prison training to be a true magician，" he recalls。 "I used magick—the practice of reshaping reality through our intention and will—to stave off incredible pain， despair， and isolation。 But the most amazing feat of all that practice and study was to manifest my freedom。" With High Magick， this bestselling author shares his first teaching book on the powerful spiritual techniques that helped him survive and transcend his ordeal on death row。
Though our culture has consigned "magic" to fiction， stage illusions， or superstitions about dark practices， the magick Damien learned is an ancient Western tradition equal the Eastern practices of Buddhism， Taoism， and yoga in its wisdom and transformative power。 Here he brings you an engaging and highly accessible guide for bringing magick into your own life， including:
• What is High Magick？ Damien clears away the stigma and reveals the history and core teachings of this extraordinary art。
• The Four-Fold Breath—a foundational meditation practice to train your mind and body to channel subtle energies。
• The Middle Pillar—how to bring divine energy into the central channel of your body for empowerment and healing。
• The Qabalistic Cross—a centering technique to help you stay balanced and protected regardless of circumstances。
• The Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram—powerful practices for banishing negative energies and invoking energy to manifest your goals。
• Working with angelic beings and other spiritual allies to support your practice。
• Creating thoughtforms to assist you in your ongoing magickal development。
• Guidance for overcoming your doubts， enhancing your visualization skills， creating talismans， practicing magick ethically， and much more。
"Magick is a journey，" writes Damien。 "It’s a continuously unfolding path that has no end。 You can study and practice magick for the rest of your life and you will still never learn everything that it has to teach you。" If you’re ready to discover your untapped potential for co-creating your reality with the energy of the divine， then join this extraordinary teacher to begin your training in High Magick。
Reviews
Pravin
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Damien Echols had a troubled life。 Born in a small town in the USA's Bible Belt， he grew up as a metal-listening， bible-bashing angsty teen。 In the early 90's him & two of his buddies were charged with the murder of three boys in Arkansas。 Echols was sentenced to death & spent 18 years on death row。 Echols was released in 2011， due to newly discovered forensic evidence coming to light， disproving his involvement in the murders， & the notion that the murders were part of a satanic ritual。So why w Damien Echols had a troubled life。 Born in a small town in the USA's Bible Belt， he grew up as a metal-listening， bible-bashing angsty teen。 In the early 90's him & two of his buddies were charged with the murder of three boys in Arkansas。 Echols was sentenced to death & spent 18 years on death row。 Echols was released in 2011， due to newly discovered forensic evidence coming to light， disproving his involvement in the murders， & the notion that the murders were part of a satanic ritual。So why would you want to read this book？When I was about 14， I came across a form of western spirituality， which practitioners called Magick。 Damien states that the type of enlightenment sought by eastern yogis over a period of lifetimes， is achievable in a single life time using this western occult theory。Now， I'm a highly skeptical individual。 I take any religious doctrine with a grain of salt， & mostly ignore religion in general （If you watch the first chapter of Zeitgeist， you'll see where I'm coming from）， however， Damien's experience with Magick & its practical uses was almost magnetic to me。Damien was featured in the Midnight Gospel， a trippy series on Netflix that presents interviews with interesting people set in fantastical other-worldly alternate realities。 In Damien's episode， he speaks to length about how Magick saved his life & preserved his sanity。 Even when you remove all the occult， pseudo-religious jargon， I was intrigued by his practices。 I viewed his rituals as a form of western meditation。I picked this book up to see exactly what his methods were。In this book， he goes on about angels & other supernatural phenomena that I simply cannot take to heart; I just don't believe in certain mystical things that I cannot explain scientifically。 However， there are certain chapters in this book with methods & rationales that I can reconcile。1） Everything is energy。 This is objectively true to me。 Every inanimate object & living being has some form of energy & are given form & structure by the universe。 2） His invocation of the moon & sun produced a physiological reaction in my body， & a definite feeling of calm & energy in my mind。3） His beliefs on enlightenment & consciousness after death hold somewhat true with what I know about the brain's chemistry when we die， so for the most part I can agree with some of his tenets。 What I cannot reconcile with my own beliefs are:1） Angels & other supernatural beings can be invoked to provide tangible & intangible changes in your life。2） That using Aramaic （ an ancient language ） as part of a ritual following Kabbalah's tree of life， provides any empirical difference in behaviour & material gain。Why would you want to read this book？1） Invoke the moon & the sun， once in the morning & once at night。 It's an amazing feeling when you feel the energy of these celestial bodies enter your body & emanate as a powerful aura of energy around you。 Moon invocations give me the most refreshing sleep I've had in my life， with a heightened ability to enter a lucid dream。 Moon invocations also allow me to deal with inconvenient truths about myself subconsciously， & when I awaken， I feel less burdened by my own inadequacies & failings。 Sun invocations give me all the pep in my step I need for the day， where stress & worry pour over me like water flowing off of a ducks back。 These two practices， I internalise as meditations that I do almost every day。2） It gives you an interesting take on how meditation can be used to direct your mental energy towards preserving its sanity， & puts you on the path to finding solutions to whatever problems you are facing。 3） Finally， these are the words of an exonerated man， who found solace on death row away from the omnipotency of the Judeo-Christian God。 It's a fascinating read into western occult spirituality & ceremonial practices， that I feel haven't been well documented since Crowley died。 。。。more
Joey Scharbrough
，
Damien's life and incarceration on death row demonstrates perfectly how horrible situations can lead to one's need to call upon higher forces。 That is exactly what Damien did as his death sentence loomed in his mind， he decided to call upon the power of high magick， as a last ditch effort to gain freedom， if even only in his mind。 Whether it would actually work or not， desperation prevailed。 Years later after being released， he decided to write about the powers that granted his mind peace， hope Damien's life and incarceration on death row demonstrates perfectly how horrible situations can lead to one's need to call upon higher forces。 That is exactly what Damien did as his death sentence loomed in his mind， he decided to call upon the power of high magick， as a last ditch effort to gain freedom， if even only in his mind。 Whether it would actually work or not， desperation prevailed。 Years later after being released， he decided to write about the powers that granted his mind peace， hope and in the end， freedom。 I have followed the story of Damien's plight from the beginning and never imagined he would ever be set free。 For that to have actually happened， it indeed would take a miracle。 His down to Earth approach to explaining how to perform the magick that set him free， is refreshing after reading so many manuals full of hoity toity language and complex detailed instructions in other books。 If you are seeking a book to get you started upon the path of high magick， then I think this is a great place to start。 Definitely for those wanting to delve into Golden Dawn and Thelemic system of magick。 Enjoy and happy workings！ 。。。more
Louise Finlayson
，
Excellent readSome interesting observations and ideas。 Damien clearly knows his stuff， and explains things simply but completely。。。。I’m glad the world now has the chance to hear him。
Petra Schuller
，
to be honest。。。。i skimmed more than i read。。。。yes its his views on things and no i dont think its a "needed" book if you are practicing。 i had problems to get through it as its not exactly what i expected it to be。 if you follow a certain path in your practice， this book wont likely give you answers you might be looking for。 to me it was， im truly sorry to say that， i waste of time to read。 not because i lack interest， not at all， but as for my path its just not suitable and didnt give me any gr to be honest。。。。i skimmed more than i read。。。。yes its his views on things and no i dont think its a "needed" book if you are practicing。 i had problems to get through it as its not exactly what i expected it to be。 if you follow a certain path in your practice， this book wont likely give you answers you might be looking for。 to me it was， im truly sorry to say that， i waste of time to read。 not because i lack interest， not at all， but as for my path its just not suitable and didnt give me any greater view on insight on things i already learned and read about。 i do understand this book got hyped。 if it helped you in any way， good for you and i am happy for you。 。。。more
Christian
，
Gee， what can you say？ Heavy story， not so heavy reading。 This is probably not a bad starting point for the targeted audience。 Still， this is far too much "energy-babble" for my taste。 Still some quite useful applications of magic in daily usage in here。 Since this focusses on Golden Dawn-type magic， it could use a little bit more historical context （well， like， basically every book on magic on this level）。 But than again， this would put the target-audience off。。。 Gee， what can you say？ Heavy story， not so heavy reading。 This is probably not a bad starting point for the targeted audience。 Still， this is far too much "energy-babble" for my taste。 Still some quite useful applications of magic in daily usage in here。 Since this focusses on Golden Dawn-type magic， it could use a little bit more historical context （well， like， basically every book on magic on this level）。 But than again， this would put the target-audience off。。。 。。。more
John
，
This book is very useful and practical！ From front to back it is core， basic， essential practices for magick！ I would highly recommend it to others。
Bea
，
Incredibly clear introduction into magick by long-time practitioner Echols。 The prose is straightforward yet thorough in scope。 I borrowed this book from my local library， and the book still has a waiting line since 2018 （I waited a good 4 months before it was my turn！） Highly recommended to own。
Joanne Lenz-Mandt
，
Damien Echols so clearly communicates the path of High Magick。 His path to get here has been arduous and it shows in how accessible and practical he makes the material。
Patricia
，
i can't recommend this book enough！！！ i can't recommend this book enough！！！ 。。。more
Melvin Ramos
，
Inspirung and practicalInspiring and practical！ Every practice/ritual you need to be self initiated in High Magic。I really recommend it and will buy the once about Angel magik。
Tess Arnold
，
Clear and concise， as well as entertaining primer to Western Ceremonial Magick。
Tania
，
I really appreciate how Damien broke everything down so that it can be understood easily。 These are teachings I've had too short of an attention span to learn without simple explanations。 This guy really gets it！ I really appreciate how Damien broke everything down so that it can be understood easily。 These are teachings I've had too short of an attention span to learn without simple explanations。 This guy really gets it！ 。。。more
Thomas
，
Echols's story is what drew me to this book and it did not disappoint。 This book teaches fundamental techniques of ceremonial magic and like with all books in this genre need to be worked to get the full benefit。 Unfortunately no bibliography and some factual inaccuracies based on generalizations。 But recommended as a starting point。 Echols's story is what drew me to this book and it did not disappoint。 This book teaches fundamental techniques of ceremonial magic and like with all books in this genre need to be worked to get the full benefit。 Unfortunately no bibliography and some factual inaccuracies based on generalizations。 But recommended as a starting point。 。。。more
Malum
，
Good intro to magic concepts。 Builds a foundation on positive thinking and imagination and moves on to energy and angel work。 Blends ceremonial magic with chaos magic。
Nica
，
Really good beginner’s book to Western esoteric ceremonial magick。 This was the most accessible intro to a spiritual practice known for its strict gatekeeping。 Inspiring & down to earth audiobook narration by author。
Alexander Irvine
，
An simple primer of Western magical practices。 Of interest to me as a comparison to Eastern yogic practice。 I appreciated the perspective of the author and enjoyed incorporating some of the practices into my own mediation and breath work。 I will come back to this guide again。
Jay Anderson
，
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this。。。 Pretty much read it all in one sitting。。。Looking forward to recommending this to others， and seeing their reactions to it！Only downside - no Bibliography！
Leeloo Rocks
，
Very interesting and practical。
K
，
Found this on hoopla。 I’ve been curious about the practices of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn。 I’ve also been curious about the West Memphis Three， so this was an interesting read。
Doctor Gaines
，
I can say without exaggeration that practicing the methods in this book have changed my life， from the very first day I began them。 They build upon one another and ought to be done with discipline and patience， giving weeks or months to each before moving on to the next phase or component， though you can read on further and still glean the benefit of knowing what’s to come。 Anyone who would scoff at magick or dismiss it as witchcraft， superstition or dangerous because of slander from religious g I can say without exaggeration that practicing the methods in this book have changed my life， from the very first day I began them。 They build upon one another and ought to be done with discipline and patience， giving weeks or months to each before moving on to the next phase or component， though you can read on further and still glean the benefit of knowing what’s to come。 Anyone who would scoff at magick or dismiss it as witchcraft， superstition or dangerous because of slander from religious groups may realize it is not at all similar to what has been portrayed in movies and fictional literature。 It has far more to do with visualization， manifestation， energy manipulation， meditation and ancient practices that have been studied， refined and passed down for thousands of years and have appeared throughout history in numerous forms。 High Magick is a wonderfully grounded， well written and easy to follow book from an author who is a living testament of what magick can do。 Echols has read hundreds of books and spent thousands of hours practicing these disciplines and has such a compelling way of describing them to the layman here， as well as dispelling false perceptions about magick。 。。。more
James D。
，
This was a pretty interesting read。 As I said in my first update， the episode of The Midnight Gospel with Mr。 Echols is what brought me to this book as I hoped to learn more about his unique system of beliefs。 It was very plainly written， easy to follow， and easy to understand。 I don’t believe in the power of Ceremonial Magick any more than I did when I started the text， but I feel that enough was learned from the book that I can comment on it without being wholly ignorant which was my ultimate This was a pretty interesting read。 As I said in my first update， the episode of The Midnight Gospel with Mr。 Echols is what brought me to this book as I hoped to learn more about his unique system of beliefs。 It was very plainly written， easy to follow， and easy to understand。 I don’t believe in the power of Ceremonial Magick any more than I did when I started the text， but I feel that enough was learned from the book that I can comment on it without being wholly ignorant which was my ultimate goal。 。。。more
Greg Montgomery
，
Lol
Emily
，
More instructional than memoir， but I thought Echols was a clear writer and did a great narration！
Samantha
，
Gotta be honest。 I skimmed this a lot。 I'm not new to the craft， but thought reading his story and his view on the craft would be interesting。 Lots of the information was vague， some of the information he put in there was random （good info， but not in depth enough）。 Also， a few of the rituals he mentioned are advanced and not to be taken lightly。 I would not have beginners play with thoughtforms at all （one of the chapters）。 Overall， this is a book with good intentions， but fell flat。 Beginners Gotta be honest。 I skimmed this a lot。 I'm not new to the craft， but thought reading his story and his view on the craft would be interesting。 Lots of the information was vague， some of the information he put in there was random （good info， but not in depth enough）。 Also， a few of the rituals he mentioned are advanced and not to be taken lightly。 I would not have beginners play with thoughtforms at all （one of the chapters）。 Overall， this is a book with good intentions， but fell flat。 Beginners should look elsewhere。 。。。more
Tiana Marie
，
Having already been a fan of Damien's work， I was excited to jump into this。 My magick practice lacks discipline and I haven't been as involved lately as I would like and this was the fresh breath of air that I needed。 It doesn't come across as intimidating or edgy to those that don't know much about magick。 It's simplified yet ornately beautiful。 I'm looking forward to expanding and growing thanks to this inspiring gift。 Having already been a fan of Damien's work， I was excited to jump into this。 My magick practice lacks discipline and I haven't been as involved lately as I would like and this was the fresh breath of air that I needed。 It doesn't come across as intimidating or edgy to those that don't know much about magick。 It's simplified yet ornately beautiful。 I'm looking forward to expanding and growing thanks to this inspiring gift。 。。。more
Frances Flores
，
This book has been life changing on so many levels。 I had no idea when I began this book that it would have this effect on me。 I have learned so much and I have no desire to turn back now。 I am finally content with my path that I have chosen after 30 years of searching I am finally home。 Thank you so much Damien Echols
Andrew Ceyton
，
I think it's helpful to understand the backstory of the West Memphis Three before reading this but not necessary。 A sincere breakdown of basic Thelemic practices with little background or philosophy。 I think it's helpful to understand the backstory of the West Memphis Three before reading this but not necessary。 A sincere breakdown of basic Thelemic practices with little background or philosophy。 。。。more
yatesjenn
，
Very no nonsense approach to ceremonial practice。 Damien's writing is concise and clear with plenty of practical exercises。 Excellent starting point。 Very no nonsense approach to ceremonial practice。 Damien's writing is concise and clear with plenty of practical exercises。 Excellent starting point。 。。。more
Jamie
，
Listened on audio。 Had to buy a physical copy for my shelves as I’ll be referring back to it often。
Janaka
，