Reddit reviews Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic

It's taken me the last three years or so to get this, but it's saved me from pounding my head against a wall several times:

Do not look for consistency in any Republican statement or action. They do not have a single core belief except the opposite of whatever Democrats want to do or say.

None, whatsoever.

They do not believe in anything except trying to create outrage and keep their power by doing so.

I know it doesn't make sense to a logical brain; we want to see a pattern and when it isn't there it feels wrong.

But, just remember thst GOP rhetoric and actions are there to stir up outrage and maintain their power base. They don't believe in anything. Not in a nihilist way, but in a chaos magic sort of way; all their beliefs that they espouse are true in the moment and are gone in the next moment when they say something directly contradictory that is--in their minds-equally true in that moment.

And trying for a "gotcha" on hypocrisy doesn't work, because that tactic only works on people with shame. The people who have sold our country up the river and damaged America to the point we're at now don't have any shame or decency in them.

Outrage, and the power derived therefrom. That is all there is.

My suggestion is to take LaVeyan Satanism(and the Satanic Bible) with a grain of salt, at least when you are starting out. I'm not saying there isn't something deeper to any of it, but a surface reading is going to get you mired in what is largely a satire on Christianity aimed at duping the credulous into giving the Church of Satan money.

As you read any subject you should not be doing so with the express purpose of looking for something to believe in. Discover what you believe in as you go based on your experiences and through finding out what will produce results, because ultimately if it doesn't change your life and help you manifest your will/desire, then it's not worth anything more than make believe.

Develop critical thinking skills

I normally recommend these works for beginners:

The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult

Liber Null

Condensed Chaos

Nice! I just did a review of three introductory books:

CHAOS MAGIC: Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine

LUCIFERIANISM: Begining Luceferian Magic by Michael Ford

SETIAN/TYPHONIAN: The Seven Faces of Darkness by Don Webb

Also /u/three_scarabs has a really good list of basic lhp books that they share around here...

I recently fell into the Occult world as well. A was given a deck of tarot cards. It was the Rider-Waite deck. I started reading about it and a spark lit. Now I am consuming everything I can get my hands on.

I like MindandMagick as well. Also, I found this video on the Hermetic Principles very helpful and well explained.

As for reading, I have started reading the Liber Null by Peter Carroll and Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine. Recommend both if you're interested in Chaos Magick.

Some of the seminal works on Wicca are Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. by Scott Cunningham and Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland.

Good luck on your journey. Personally, I am starting small by working on my meditation, mindfulness and single-pointed thought. Also, studying the tarot a few cards at a time.

You're better off asking for personal power rather than protection. Instead of asking something external to take care of your problems, find a way to do it for yourself directly.

Meditation can clear your mind and minimize the feelings of helplessness. Also get plenty of sleep to keep your mind sharp in this situation.

The idea of angels or protecting spirits creates enablement and increases your identity of victimhood. You might find more empowerment in chaos magick, as it puts the abilities directly into your own hands. Bring your own strength to the surface and radiate an energy that this guy won't feel like messing with.

Focus on the strength of your ego, your place in the universe and your identity, but without getting sucked into it. There's power in that control. When you walk on solid ground, you will be able to approach this situation with confidence and power.

I recommend reading Phil Hine, as he's written a lot about projecting confidence in social groups using chaos magick techniques.

https://www.amazon.com/Condensed-Chaos-Introduction-Magic/dp/1935150669

There is much to know; too much for me to type accurately at this moment. Phil Hine is by far your best resource. Here are a few links to get you started...

http://www.amazon.com/Condensed-Chaos-An-Introduction-Magic/dp/1935150669

http://www.chaosmatrix.org/library/whatischaos.php

I second the recommendation for Phil Hine's Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic

https://www.amazon.ca/Condensed-Chaos-Introduction-Magic/dp/1935150669

I second the recommendations for meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy. For a good how-to book on meditation I highly recommend this book by Eric Harrison. Martin Seligman's Learned Optimism will teach you how to perform cognitive behavioral therapy on yourself without having to pay a therapist $200 an hour.

Also, don't underestimate the value of ritual. In my (admittedly controversial) view, much of the occult/mystical/hermitical/magical wisdom out there ultimately boils down to a collection of rituals and techniques to focus your mind and continually re-orient yourself toward what actually matters to you. Typically they involve intricate ways of rebooting the nervous system so that the practitioner returns to ordinary life refocused on their "true will" and free from some of the inertia we all gather during the strains and distractions of daily life. Phil Hine's Condensed Chaos makes a fascinating philosophical and practical introduction to this approach.

It's been a while, but there are some good ones.

Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine is largely considered to be the definitive starting text for Chaotes. He was a huge pioneer in that school and that book pretty much gets you going. God I wish I still had my copy... don't even know where it went...

Chaosmatrix was a site I leaned heavily on for a while. There's a wealth of information there on a lot of different subjects, and worth browsing if you're curious.

The Sacredtexts page for Chaos magick would also be a helpful starter.

The other respondents have been rightfully quite careful and thoughtful in answering your questions. However, if you want to take risks with your mental and spiritual health and have more fun at the same time (sorry I don't know how to format the link):

http://www.amazon.com/Condensed-Chaos-Introduction-Magic/dp/1935150669/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421161777&sr=8-1&keywords=Phil+Hines