Practical Magick: Ancient Tradition and Modern Practice

by Mitch Horowitz

Occult Scholar Mitch Horowitz Explores Magick in History and Practice for the Hands-On Seeker

"Simplicity,” wrote legendary occultist Jack Parsons, “has been the key to victory in all the idea wars and, at present, Magick does not have it.” In Practical Magick, acclaimed historian and esotericist Mitch Horowitz responds to this call, distilling magick to its core essentials.

Drawing upon ancient, Hermetic, Renaissance-era, and modern sources, Mitch dissects the building blocks of magick and provides formulas of immediacy, simplicity, and potency. He also surveys the history of magick, from deepest antiquity through the work of modernist intellects ranging from Newton and Schopenhauer to Crowley and Spare, finding connections to current studies in psychical research, quantum theory, and perceptual-based reality.

Listeners receive to-the-point instruction in sex transmutation, sigil work, Tarot, backwards causation, the power of silence, tilting the scales of luck, magickal environments, and “spontaneous deity petition.” Mitch shows how to maximize your practice—and not overlook results when they arrive (a common malady).

Also considered are delicate topics such as the lefthand path, curses, modern novelties in magick and Hermeticism, the ethics of magick, and the bulletproof veracity of ESP research. Mitch asks, finally, whether magick can be practiced without rite or ritual, delivering the individual to his or her fullest gait.

Here is an unprecedented journey from a “believing historian” who undoes historical knots and explores magick in its richest and most practical dimensions.

“I love Mitch Horowitz”—Dan Aykroyd

"An amazing author”—Duncan Trussell

“The thinking-man’s mage”—Douglas Rushkoff

“Mitch is solid gold”—David Lynch

“Horowitz’s reflections are grounded in his history and a life of personal experimentation. He is not proposing yet another ‘system,’ nor asking the reader to believe or agree with him; instead, his invitation is to follow him to the fringes of reason and try things out for oneself.”—Ferdinando Buscema, Boing Boing

Genres: Occult, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Philosophy, Magic

Audible Audio

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

MITCH HOROWITZ is the editor-in-chief of Tarcher/Penguin and the author OCCULT AMERICA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOW MYSTICISM SHAPED OUR NATION (Bantam, Sept '09), which has been called "a fascinating book" by Ken Burns and "extraordinary" by Deepak Chopra. Visit him online at www.MitchHorowitz.com
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Reviews

[Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a clear, disciplined primer that bridges history and hands-on work with unusual grace. Horowitz frames the project with Jack Parsons’s call for simplicity, then actually delivers it: brisk chapters that define terms, sketch lineage, and move quickly into doable methods.

As usual for me, it is hard to fully warm to the praise of New Thought. I respect the lineage and its influence, yet I tend to prefer frameworks that place greater weight on ritual pressure and initiatory ordeal. Even so, Horowitz makes the New Thought inheritance feel less like cheerleading and more like a working hypothesis that you can test. He situates practice within an intelligent survey that runs from antiquity through Crowley and Spare, while nodding to psychical research and perceptual reality studies, then pulls everything back to pragmatic exercises that you can try tonight. That balance of sweep and utility is where the book quietly excels.

Stylistically, it is brisk and accessible without dumbing things down. The historical sketches are accurate to date and scope, the methods are modular enough to plug into a seasoned practice, and the tone stays results-oriented.

Bottom line: a strong four-and-a-half out of five. Even with my perennial reservations about New Thought enthusiasm, Practical Magick earns its space on the shelf.

[Kenneth · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot of words in this book, but they don't say much. I can deduce something about the author's practice, but his writing gets in the way rather than informs. I put it down around halfway through. He can write about sigils for ten pages and say less than I can get for free from an online essay, or that I could write myself if I felt the need. I feel this way about all of his books since Occult America. His online biographical essays of historical figures from the history of occultism seem pretty good. I might see if they've been collected anywhere.

[Dilli Fussolini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tons of cool history in here, but most of it is just Neville Goddard stuff and I already knew all that.

[LZW · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good!

This is one of the best books on traditional and modern magick that I have ever read. I highlighted so many insightful & useful passages that nearly the entire book is colored!

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some interesting stuff in here but little that is new if you’ve read anything else by Horowitz or listened to him speak.

[Salem Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horowitz's main point throughout the entire book is that there is undeniable clinical evidence for at least some kind of slight pre-cognition. Thus, we might be able to experience time somewhat non-linearly, so if we live as if we have already reached our desired destination, we can accomplish more of what we desire. A lot of the information Horowitz gives --- including clinical studies, quotations of other mystics/spiritualists, and personal anecdotes --- is very interesting, it's just hidden under mounds of tangents, unnecessary verbosity, wild misinterpretations of philosophy and science, appeals to actual pseudoscience, and an unartistic winding prose. At one point, he mentions 'recording the book', and that reveals a lot; it honestly does feel as if he dictates the entire book, and edits that.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating study of magick, stripped back to the bare bones. No ceremony, no jiggery-pokery, just straightforward instructions.

A great opening chapter on the history of magick leads on to chapters on various aspects of magick.

Well worth reading. There's a 30-day challenge in Appendix B that I'm about to start.

[Natalia A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*
I actually did enjoy this book, despite it being a selection of a free audio book of the month.
Magic, “magick” explained through systems, beliefs and egregores. Everything is in our hands, manifestation works and wishing on a star does too, just make sure your intentions are kind and with gratitude. Doesn’t that sound inspiring?

[Brooke Huerter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitch Horowitz is so good at taking woo woo stuff and looking at things critically and practically. If you want to learn more about magick, manifestation, and history of occultism this is suuuuuuccchhh a god book

[Marie-Rose Phan-Lê · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitch has a brilliant way of blending the intellectual, mystical, and practical. His writing is accessible, vulnerable, and engaging, as he shares researched knowledge and personal experiences with the material he covers. He often leaves his readers with food for thought and tools to try.

[Samira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pivotal, accessible, and thoroughly informative. You honestly can’t go wrong with any Mitch Horowitz books, always something to learn. If you constantly seek growth and knowledge, look no further.

[Kate (lkatemm on Storygraph) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for history but then goes into a lot of New Thought which is not for me.