Everything Under the Moon

Is he a good/reliable author?

[Xiao Rong: edited title of thread to reflect correct name of author]

I tried doing a google search with "Daniel Michael Craig" in quotes, and nothing came up at all. What books has he written?

Modern magick
The magickal diary
The truth about the evocation of spirits
The truth about psychic powers
Modern sex magick
Tarot and magic
The ressurection murders

His name is Donald, not Daniel.

Ooh, ok. So his name is "Donald Michael Kraig"- phew, I thought James Bond had an occult writing career on the side!

I edited the rest of the headings to hopefully settle the confusion. Go forth people!

Snow

I tend to be a little extremist when it comes to Llewellyn publishing, so don't take what I say as a hard and fast rule.

I find Llewellyn's publications to be rather fluffy and lacking any scholarly or otherwise backed-up information in general. But the books are definitely pretty, and they pay their graphic designers well to make them pretty (which is often what sets them apart from other publishers).

I have read them, I have found Llewellyn's publications to be a good starting point (and just a fun read sometimes when I'm looking for something "witchy" but not looking for any form of depth), but I don't pay money for them anymore and I don't give the information in those books any weight when it comes to my own path.

It might be worth trying to borrow a copy of one of his books from a library or a friend (if available), if you're unsure.

I am reading his books "Modern Magick" and "Tarot & Magic" they seem inflexible and there seems to be a set in stone way of doing things and that contradicts much of what I have learned here and I am wondering about the reliability of his writing.

I wish I could say I've read it.

My best advice when it comes to reading things is, if anything seems "off" to you, then it's worth your time to cross-reference and find the root of the information to the best of your ability. It takes time, it's taken me almost 2 decades and counting, and I will always be learning.

But take notes on what speaks to you, keep mental tabs on other things that you're iffy about (or just keep temporary notes on those) and try to find other sources that discuss the same topics until it starts to make sense to you.

Depending on the Kraig's spiritual background (associations, groups, initiations, etc...) he may have been trained that there is only a set way of doing things within his group and that may be what you're seeing when you come to the rigidity of his writing.

It may also be worthwhile to look into the bibliography section and see where he's pulling his information from to back his claims (or maybe just add a few more titles to your reading wish list).

Remember, learning is a process and everything you learn in the beginning will ultimately be developed, transformed, or be refuted as your path continues. But it's always worth reading what you can, so you have some contrasting information and can form your own opinions and path with as much information as possible (even if you ultimately abandon some pieces of information).

Kraig writes ( or rather wrote, he passed away a year or so back) books on more ceremonial magic. Very different tradition. The formalism and set ways of doing things are part of the tradition, especially in the beginning. His Modern Magick is one of my goto books.

Really, MM was written either for beginners in CM that want a step by step guide, or for people of other traditions that need an overview. It's not the only book you'll need to study the subject, but it is a decent start.

Thank you for your insight, Random.

Donald Michael Kraig's book Modern Magick is very respected in many corners of the Witchcraft world.

He was actually room-mates with Scott Cunningham at one time.

Don't throw the baby out with the Llewellyn bath water.

This is why I include the disclaimer.

I tend to be a little extremist when it comes to Llewellyn publishing, so don't take what I say as a hard and fast rule.

Thank you for helping clarify this Chalice! It's always better to have someone's first-hand knowledge and perspective than some weird person's (<.<) anti-llewellyn opinionated responses.