A Course in High Magick: Evoking Divine Energy to Heal Your Past, Transcend Your Limitations, and Step Into Your True Potential

by Damien Echols

Listening Length: 6 hours and 12 minutes

Damien Echols credits the practice of magick for helping him survive his wrongful imprisonment on death row - and allowing him to create the circumstances that led to his freedom. With A Course in High Magick, he shares the essential teachings on magick for anyone committed to personal transformation and service to a greater purpose. Here he introduces listeners to the history of magick, offers guided exercises and meditations, presents step-by-step instruction in key techniques, and more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Magick, Occult, Audiobook, Metaphysics, Esoterica, Spirituality

Audible Audio

First published October 30, 2018

About the author

Damien Wayne Echols, along with Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, is one of the three men, known as the West Memphis Three, who were convicted in the killing of three eight-year-old boys Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore at Robin Hood Hills, West Memphis, Arkansas, on May 5, 1993.

Damien Echols was convicted of murder by a jury and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He was on death row under 23 hours per day lockdown at the Varner Supermax. On August 19, 2011, Echols, along with the two others collectively known at the West Memphis Three, were released from prison after their attorneys and the judge handling the upcoming retrial agreed to a deal. Under the terms of the Alford guilty plea, Echols and his co-defendents pleaded guilty to three counts of first degree murder while maintaining their innocence. DNA evidence failed to connect Echols or his co-defendents to the crime.

Reviews

[Danielle Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying that this audio recording is not an exact read of the book, as most audio book users are used to. If you like to read along with your narrator, you will not be doing it with this. That said, this audio book is very much an additional tool to be used with the printed book because it includes guided meditations and visualization techniques.

For the past year I have been trying to implement magick into my life and had no results whatsoever. But without a dedicated teacher, what does one do to achieve results? It seemed like a sign when Damien released this book because I had been following his story since he became a newsworthy figure in the 90's. He's writing about magick? This must be a message for me. In the book Damien points out that one can not start doing spellwork without first taking the elementary steps to hone their energy, therefore for new users spells and spellbooks are usually not going to work. This audio recording is serving as a first teacher for me. Damien's guidance for all users is helping me hone my energy so that eventually I can do spellwork. That said, these beginning rituals are very much beginning. If you are already an energy worker, these will probably not help you. This is a starting place for magickal practice.

Damien has a wonderful, deep, soothing, calming voice that is perfect for narration. You can hear his passion for the art and practice when he speaks. His voice helps me concentrate and ground.

If you know anything about Damien Echols' history you know that he is the perfect person to teach this subject. In the book he outlines how these practices have helped him survive in the past. I am delighted to learn from someone who has dedicated so much of his life to this practice and am looking forward to all of his upcoming works.

[Louhikärmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard one to review. I love Echols's humble and clear style of introducing newcomers to magick, but this seemed like an almost word-to-word repetition of High Magick and I felt really dissapointed. You could just listen to High Magick as an audiobook, which is also read by Echols himself.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has an intriguing personal history, an optimistic view of life and an enthusiasm to share what has worked in his life.

I like the ideas presented here and even the breathing exercises, but overall I'm not comfortable with the incantations and instructions.

I think vocalizing words in other languages, visualizing pentagrams and the appearance of angels would seem uncomfortable to the vast majority of people. To the author's credit, he does address concerns and misconceptions of Magick.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is similar to the book High Magick but I don't think it hurts to listen to this one and read the other, since this is information that needs to be memorized anyhow. Very easily understandable and concise information. As usual, I'm impressed.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

His story is inspiring on its own, but most of all this book gives the why behind the how of High Magick. It's the book I needed as a beginner, but better late than never, and it helped me get in more deeply and begin again on those aspects I'd put aside.

[Stef A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio is 💯 Really helps to go through the steps with Damien & be able to take notes along the way.

[Fernando Padilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia de cómo Damien descubrió el uso de la magia apesar de estar preso es algo muy motivador. Es un libro muy interesante, sin embargo se parece mucho a su libro anterior.

[Alex Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes to so much.

[Elisabeth C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s back story is very interesting and the reason why I rate it 5 stars.

[Chrystal Goltra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good intro to the concept. His other books are pretty much a repeat of this plus a few new things here and there.

[Lauren Martinkus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll listen to anything he writes/narrates.

[Jim Street · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost the same material as Echols' "High Magick," which isn't bad - just a retread.