Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic

This work is truly phenomenal. I've been practicing magic for three decades + have an extensive library of occult titles. Six Ways stands out because Mr. Wachter has accomplished something very few do. He gets to the roots of the practice of magic. Rather than limit you to his particular methods of practice, he gets to the magical wiring under the board. He helps you to understand how things work + why we do certain things, which then makes deciding what to do a thousand times easier. This book is also saturated + I mean that in the best possible way. It's dense with information + wisdom + understanding that can only be transmitted by someone with a ton of rock solid experience in practical magic. He also speaks to things largely absent in most magical texts, thing which make a deep difference both perceptually + practically. I wish I'd had this book when I first started practicing. It would have saved me a lot of wasted time + wasted energy. The beauty of Six Ways, to me, is how it's as equally valuable to someone brand new to magic as it is to someone who's practiced for years. There are jewels here for everyone. This isn't another book of reheated stuff we've all read countless times. Six Ways has fast become one of my very favorite books on magic. Did I mention Mr. Wachter also managed to weave humor into the work? So much so that, at times, I was literally laughing out loud. That's a refreshing thing in a scene where most people, in my opinion, take themselves too seriously. That said, this is a serious work by a serious practitioner. In my mind, this is the book the magical community needs. I fully expect it to become a classic and with good reason.

So many glowing reviews! Not a criticism in sight! Is this book the best thing since sliced bread, so there’s nothing really to criticize? Hmm, if only! Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to purchase a copy of my own. I knew the author was into the spirit model, but a promise of a non-dogmatic approach and so many interesting topics covered intrigued me. How was the author going to put all those elements together? Why spirits of course! Servitors aren’t self-created entities in the author’s view, they’re real spirits that get attracted to whatever it is you’re trying to create. The author used to be silly too back in the day, but now he knows The Truth. Spirits are everywhere! And if you want them on your side, better get on your knees and start leaving them offerings. The author takes this concept so far that he’s even making offerings to doorways and doors in his house (I wish that was a joke, but sadly it isn’t). Anyway, I’m all for learning about how other people practice magic, even if they don’t do it in my style. But this guy is so obsessed with appeasing spirits (of pretty much anything you can think of, including doorways of course!) that I can’t really see what he’s doing as magic. It has more in common with religion, only about a thousand times worse! I’m left wondering how many spirit and ancestral altars he has in his house! Oh, and while he’s not a follower of any religion, he does work with archangel Michael. Well, whatever works I guess. I read most of the book, but around Chapter 24 I started skimming the less interesting chapters. By the end, most chapters were skimmed because I was tired of hearing about spirits this spirits that. I’m not sure what kind of results the author has had from his obsession with all these spirits, since sadly there are no stories of magic actually working here. Another thing that might annoy some readers: there are accents on letters s and c that seem to be randomly placed throughout the text. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s just annoying. So, would I recommend this book to beginners or anyone else for that matter? No. It’s just too dogmatic in its approach. Not to mention that he places all the power outside the practitioner. (I guess this is not really surprising, seeing as the author is a talismanic jeweler. We can’t have people thinking that all the power is inside them, now can we?) Want things to go your way? Better start making those offerings and appeasing those spirits! And watch out for those spirits that want to harm you! Also, while the author admits that his spirit model might not be the reality, he does think it’s The Best approach to it! He’s got years of experience, don’t you know? You don’t believe in spirits or don’t want to work with them? Well, maybe when you’re wiser you’ll come around... I myself am (obviously) not a fan of the spirit model. I’m more interested in developing my own power instead of calling on someone else’s. The jury is still out whether spirits, gods, and other entities are actually real. To me, it doesn’t really matter either way. In my view, if a spirit or god wants to work with me, they’re free to make contact and tell me what they can bring to the table and for what price. I’m not interested in tracking them down and begging for their help, even if it was proven that they were real. Just not my style. If I wanted to stay on my knees, I would have chosen a religion to practice, not magic. The extra star is for the excellent chapter on meditation (Entering into Silence). Nothing new, but well presented nonetheless. Anyway, since this book doesn’t have a preview, here’s the Table of Contents. Be forewarned, while the chapter titles might be intriguing, they’re not as interesting as they sound (unless you’re really into spirits, I guess): Dedication Acknowledgements Pretext 1. Introduction 2. Intention 3. Clarifying the Focus 4. Animism, Essence, Symbiosis 5. Two Worlds and In-Between 6. Gut and Bone 7. Re/Claiming: Self, Power, and Position 8. The Six Ways 9. Entering into Silence 10. Entering into Trance 11. Entering into Power 12. Trance and Traveling 13. Simple Divination: the Pendulum 14. Raising Power and the Magical Voice 15. Offerings 16. For the Dead 17. Petitions 18. Sigils, Servitors, and Spirits 19. Training Power 20. At the Crossroads: A Brief Note on Roles 21. On the Stacking of Skulls 22. The Work of the Weavers 23. Playing the Long Game 24. Sacred Fear 25. On Consecration, a Candle Spell, and Falling in Love 26. Vessels 27. Talismanic Magic 28. Behind the Wall of Sleep 29. The Process of Weeding Out 30. The Ship in Practice 31. Stay Clean 32. Reticulation 33. Dirt Sorcery Suggested Reading Index

I've enjoyed Aidan's blog for quiet a while, and so looked forward to his new book. My expectations have been completely blown away, in a very good way. There is a ton of material for beginners and long-time practitioners to chew on here. Previously, my first recommendations for magical books were a combination of Stephen Mace's _Stealing the Fire from Heaven_ and Paul Huson's _Mastering Witchcraft_. From now on, I will be recommending _Six Ways_ with Mace and Huson as supplemental texts. This is because Aidan reviews all of what I consider essential from the other books in what is often a more clear and concrete style. Much of what Aidan covers is in Mace and Huson but implicitly, and so more difficult to discover than need be. In characteristic humility, Aidan points out that much of this, once spoken, is obvious, but even he finds it so easy to forget. One final commendation, Aidan is liberal with citations and manages to convey a spirit of communal effort. It's refreshing in one sense as being good-natured, but as someone who grew up following bibliographies and book lists it comforts my sense of conceptual genealogy. Couldn't recommend more highly. Edit: Nearly forgot, one example I would like to explicitly mention is Aidan's rite to call back one's personal power. For most of my peer group, this is a much more appropriate initial rite than Huson's reciting of the Lord's Prayer backwards. Huson's use of the Lord's Prayer definitely filled a needed structural place, but it shows its age.

Aidan Wachter has written a true gem in this piece. There are books about magick, Magickal book and then there are Grimoires. This work qualifies as all three. If you had absolutely no experience in the realm of sorcery you could pick up this book, read it sincerely and be able to stand very stable on your first steps of Magickal workings. For those of experienced being this book offers much. It approaches magic for a perspective that few authors desire to encapsulate (but should). It contains gems that can heighten the empowerment for practitioners of almost any viewpoint, be it LHP, RHP, Theistic, shamanistic or almost any path I can think of approaching the book. It does not drown you with deep, needless psychopomp. It does provide the rational basis for all the approaches and techniques it expounds upon. It’s not a mere spellbook. If you’re looking for that, go elsewhere. It is much more than that. It is philosophy AND real application of both practical and high sorcery. Something like this has been needing to come along for a long time now. I certainly am glad it is here now. I have been a practitioner for 40 years now. I am in awe and wonder what it would be like if a treasure like this were available to me back then. I am ultimately grateful that is here now though. If you’re looking for one book on magic that can change your work and help you grow in the arte, I highly suggest this one.

There are so many good things about Six Ways that it's difficult to succinctly say what I like about it, and thusly I choose two chapters to highlight. Firstly, Chapter 20, the last paragraph, which reads "You are what you do. So choose what you do carefully. Choose who you engage with, Choose what stories you tell yourself about why things are the way they are for you. Choose to believe that you can change what needs to be changed. Act from this position. Make it true." As someone that has been practicing for a few years, I cannot stress how important this is. Conscious choice and awareness in as many moments as we can is critical. Learning to not rush through life, through this process, through task after task until we can "do magic", is critical. Life is itself, great magic, even the "mundane", or boring, aspects of it. We have a choice how we live this moment, life is all about choices. "Little" ones are not little. There is no separation between "life" and "magic" IMO. I can weave whatever I choose and life will weave itself into a result. The more conscious I am about the potential impact of a single moment, the better off I am. The second chapter I wish to highlight is Chapter 27, on Talismanic Magic. A sentence here that really got my attention is "The talisman is a meeting point of power, will, desire, intention, and action...", and another, "A sorcerer seeks power. Not necessarily in the larger, social sense, but in the sense of seeking powerful currents that lead to where they are going." The footnoted definition of power at the bottom of page 125, "power from within and also power with others rather than with coercion and domination based power over others" is also noteworthy and salient. Lastly, the discussion of etymology of sorcery being, "one who lays out lots", and the discussion of how fate and destiny are lots, as well as the sentence "To lay out destinies or fates is to choose a direction, what it looks like, feels like, tastes like, and to manifest it." The ideas in Chapter 20 flow beautifully here into the ideas in Chapter 27. Conscious choice and conscious awareness of the moments and seconds lead us here, into that meeting point. I have, hopefully, done my homework, and am ready to manifest whatever I have decided I want to. But I'm not going to do what Hollywood wants me to do here. If we have an understanding about what magic and life really are, we strive to live in cooperation and harmony with ourselves, with the forces and with the Field, making it much more likely that we can manifest what we desire. We don't have to strive for domination and control. What we want is cooperation, harmony, and flow. Why? For a few reasons: Firstly, we can often sway the currents in our favor by seeking cooperation, harmony, and flow-rather than seeking to harness, dominate, or coerce (this of course depends on the purpose of the work you're attempting). Secondly, we may tend to find our lives reflecting the results...the work we do is casting our own lots. If we are always seeking domination and control, that will reflect itself in the currents of our lives...if we seek harmony, cooperation, balance, and flow, domination and control as an overriding goal won't get us there. These are just a few thoughts and impressions I have in my study of Six Ways. Bravo, Aidan Wachter. There are few books out there that pack so many good things in so few pages. Well done.

It's a lot bigger on the inside than the outside would lead you to believe. In under 200 pages, the author has distilled twenty years of study and experimentation in magic into what he calls "approaches and entries into practical magic". I would call them reflections or perspectives on how magic work and practical suggestions to try. In the three weeks I've had the book, I've successfully tried several of the practices and am eager to try more. By "successfully" I mean that they have made the ship of my daily life, to use the author's favored metaphor, operate more efficiently and sail more smoothly. There are few spells here, few texts to memorize and recite, few lists of tools, materia, paraphernalia one must have. There is little one can pick out of context and employ at will. What there is, is a style of teaching that will enable you to build your own magical practice, your own craft or sorcery, from the ground up, with your own techniques, contacts, symbols, cosmology. If you have read scores of books on magic and never found a system that suited you, or learned a dozen systems of magic and gotten bored with the whole business, try this book. It won't offer you a system, only some ideas to think about and things to try that might make magic less boring and your life more livable and meaningful.

I wanted to review this book when I first received it, really I did. And I tend to give short shrift to gushing reviews by folks who “are only 20 pages in but just had to review.” Yet. Author Aidan Wachter invites you to work, not just skim along with the brain. And he is so disarmingly honest, so elegantly serious, so downright magical in a way that makes you believe (perhaps for the first time) that magic is really real, that his readers will fall under his spell to respond in kind. But working the work takes time, and effort. To do justice to this book means it will take me years to finish it. (And I just might be a magician by then.) I thought I’d offer a review in the meantime. If you want real, hard-won, practical information on how to live a life engaged with magic, from someone who works deeply and with a minimum of fanfare, here is pure gold. No attempts to convince you of theories, or even of the reality of the author's own experiences. At every turn you are encouraged to find your own experiences, and to rest easily with the uncertainties of exploration. I felt a sense of relief as I read this book. The man behind the curtain is for real. The book opens with a request—to articulate why you are reading it, before reading further—and gives gentle guidance to clarify your thinking. Refreshing, and immediately useful--being clear with oneself and one's desires is the first magical discipline. (Contrast with Paul Huson’s opening assignment to say the Lord’s Prayer backwards, a challenge wrapped in layers of mystique and muddy motivation, in my book, though you are of course free to disagree.) I had to stop and think and write for a good while before turning to the next page, though the effort was worthwhile. And so it’s gone, as I wend my through the book. There are exercises aplenty, and those I have worked with have been rich. Aidan covers all the bases while freely admitting his own palette of strengths and non (there’s little on card divination, for example). Like a true way-finder, he knows the terrain intimately enough to strike out off-trail; he knows his power spots and how to return to them. With winsome humility he offers a treasure trove of maps to those just setting out, or who need a signpost or two on their on-going journey. I’m grateful Aidan Wachter took the time and care to note down his distilled understanding in this finely-crafted book.

This is a really good foundational book for anyone looking to incorporate some magick into their life. I only recently became aware of "chaos magick" and some of the things I read kind of assumed some prior knowledge. So I wanted to back up and get an introductory primer-- this is an excellent one. Honestly even if you're already into magick this would still be useful, but it's particularly useful as a place for a beginner to start. What I appreciate most about it is, this is not just a book of "spells"-- although there are some instructions for some spells in here, the book focuses more on explaining the *concepts* behind magick, which I've now realized is the most important understanding one needs to delve into practicing. Honestly, if you can really grasp the concepts and workings behind what magick is, you can figure out how to create your own spells, enchantments, and rituals. So....two thumbs up! I'd definitely recommend this book!

What a book. I was almost disappointed at how slim it appeared until I opened it and, I have to admit, my eyes bulged out of my head a little at the size of the text and the density. And it's not some Chumbley/Trad-Craft-esque foray into poetic mysticism and shaded metaphors. Aiden gets straight to the point and makes you take steps to begin this system of magic from the very first chapter. I'm still chewing on the first five chapters myself, and seeing how the processes laid out therein have already affected my view, requiring me to think deeper on certain beliefs and practices in which I currently partake. Though it's a slim book, it is entirely substance over style, and every page has been earned through blood, sweat, and tears. There is no filler anecdotal nonsense to make you feel inferior if you don't have intense and psychologically disturbing experiences with the provided exercises. The book is not an authors attempt to make themselves sound incredibly powerful or mystical by luring yiu in with homely stories and tales. Wachter gets straight to the point, and keeps your nose to the grind stone the entire way through. I will admit I was hesitant to buy this book. The quality of many new books tends to scare me off spending my money, but loterslly every personal acquaintance I asked about this one said they either adored it, or they had heard nothing but rave reviews. Well, I'm raving. This book is incredible. More than any I have ever read, this book teaches you how to find yiur own way by explicitly stating that you should not take the author's methods as your own. Instead, we are explicitly told to take it and try it, then alter it, or don't use it again if it doesn't work. It's extremely refreshing, and has me biting at the bit to read more.

As a painter, one of the first things I learned was to be a master you have to go back to an elementary approach, essentially full circle but with the experience you gained. When an artist paints as freely as a child but has the experience of a professional then he's a true artist. This IS that! However, this book isn't JUST for the experienced. It's a great starter book for any foundation of practice. Whether you start here and use this as a looking glass into other things or add this to a life long practice, it's all relevant and will give you more depth. Simplicity and openness is the best way to begin with any given path, especially magic. No strings, no propaganda, just pure unadulterated essence of being at the most primal level. Most importantly, if you don't want to do the work, this book isnt for you. With a tote of this element you are expected to "do". This isn't for couch-sorcerist. It's about stripping away all the bells and whistles of what has become of magic and going at it with the purest of self, then you build on that. That being said, you can plug any spiritual path right into this configuration, but this book is one best experienced at it's rawest level, only then should you draw your conclusions of what you should do with those elements given.

This work is truly phenomenal. I've been practicing magic for three decades + have an extensive library of occult titles. Six Ways stands out because Mr. Wachter has accomplished something very few do. He gets to the roots of the practice of magic. Rather than limit you to his particular methods of practice, he gets to the magical wiring under the board. He helps you to understand how things work + why we do certain things, which then makes deciding what to do a thousand times easier. This book is also saturated + I mean that in the best possible way. It's dense with information + wisdom + understanding that can only be transmitted by someone with a ton of rock solid experience in practical magic. He also speaks to things largely absent in most magical texts, thing which make a deep difference both perceptually + practically. I wish I'd had this book when I first started practicing. It would have saved me a lot of wasted time + wasted energy. The beauty of Six Ways, to me, is how it's as equally valuable to someone brand new to magic as it is to someone who's practiced for years. There are jewels here for everyone. This isn't another book of reheated stuff we've all read countless times. Six Ways has fast become one of my very favorite books on magic. Did I mention Mr. Wachter also managed to weave humor into the work? So much so that, at times, I was literally laughing out loud. That's a refreshing thing in a scene where most people, in my opinion, take themselves too seriously. That said, this is a serious work by a serious practitioner. In my mind, this is the book the magical community needs. I fully expect it to become a classic and with good reason.

So many glowing reviews! Not a criticism in sight! Is this book the best thing since sliced bread, so there’s nothing really to criticize? Hmm, if only! Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to purchase a copy of my own. I knew the author was into the spirit model, but a promise of a non-dogmatic approach and so many interesting topics covered intrigued me. How was the author going to put all those elements together? Why spirits of course! Servitors aren’t self-created entities in the author’s view, they’re real spirits that get attracted to whatever it is you’re trying to create. The author used to be silly too back in the day, but now he knows The Truth. Spirits are everywhere! And if you want them on your side, better get on your knees and start leaving them offerings. The author takes this concept so far that he’s even making offerings to doorways and doors in his house (I wish that was a joke, but sadly it isn’t). Anyway, I’m all for learning about how other people practice magic, even if they don’t do it in my style. But this guy is so obsessed with appeasing spirits (of pretty much anything you can think of, including doorways of course!) that I can’t really see what he’s doing as magic. It has more in common with religion, only about a thousand times worse! I’m left wondering how many spirit and ancestral altars he has in his house! Oh, and while he’s not a follower of any religion, he does work with archangel Michael. Well, whatever works I guess. I read most of the book, but around Chapter 24 I started skimming the less interesting chapters. By the end, most chapters were skimmed because I was tired of hearing about spirits this spirits that. I’m not sure what kind of results the author has had from his obsession with all these spirits, since sadly there are no stories of magic actually working here. Another thing that might annoy some readers: there are accents on letters s and c that seem to be randomly placed throughout the text. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It’s just annoying. So, would I recommend this book to beginners or anyone else for that matter? No. It’s just too dogmatic in its approach. Not to mention that he places all the power outside the practitioner. (I guess this is not really surprising, seeing as the author is a talismanic jeweler. We can’t have people thinking that all the power is inside them, now can we?) Want things to go your way? Better start making those offerings and appeasing those spirits! And watch out for those spirits that want to harm you! Also, while the author admits that his spirit model might not be the reality, he does think it’s The Best approach to it! He’s got years of experience, don’t you know? You don’t believe in spirits or don’t want to work with them? Well, maybe when you’re wiser you’ll come around... I myself am (obviously) not a fan of the spirit model. I’m more interested in developing my own power instead of calling on someone else’s. The jury is still out whether spirits, gods, and other entities are actually real. To me, it doesn’t really matter either way. In my view, if a spirit or god wants to work with me, they’re free to make contact and tell me what they can bring to the table and for what price. I’m not interested in tracking them down and begging for their help, even if it was proven that they were real. Just not my style. If I wanted to stay on my knees, I would have chosen a religion to practice, not magic. The extra star is for the excellent chapter on meditation (Entering into Silence). Nothing new, but well presented nonetheless. Anyway, since this book doesn’t have a preview, here’s the Table of Contents. Be forewarned, while the chapter titles might be intriguing, they’re not as interesting as they sound (unless you’re really into spirits, I guess): Dedication Acknowledgements Pretext 1. Introduction 2. Intention 3. Clarifying the Focus 4. Animism, Essence, Symbiosis 5. Two Worlds and In-Between 6. Gut and Bone 7. Re/Claiming: Self, Power, and Position 8. The Six Ways 9. Entering into Silence 10. Entering into Trance 11. Entering into Power 12. Trance and Traveling 13. Simple Divination: the Pendulum 14. Raising Power and the Magical Voice 15. Offerings 16. For the Dead 17. Petitions 18. Sigils, Servitors, and Spirits 19. Training Power 20. At the Crossroads: A Brief Note on Roles 21. On the Stacking of Skulls 22. The Work of the Weavers 23. Playing the Long Game 24. Sacred Fear 25. On Consecration, a Candle Spell, and Falling in Love 26. Vessels 27. Talismanic Magic 28. Behind the Wall of Sleep 29. The Process of Weeding Out 30. The Ship in Practice 31. Stay Clean 32. Reticulation 33. Dirt Sorcery Suggested Reading Index

I've enjoyed Aidan's blog for quiet a while, and so looked forward to his new book. My expectations have been completely blown away, in a very good way. There is a ton of material for beginners and long-time practitioners to chew on here. Previously, my first recommendations for magical books were a combination of Stephen Mace's _Stealing the Fire from Heaven_ and Paul Huson's _Mastering Witchcraft_. From now on, I will be recommending _Six Ways_ with Mace and Huson as supplemental texts. This is because Aidan reviews all of what I consider essential from the other books in what is often a more clear and concrete style. Much of what Aidan covers is in Mace and Huson but implicitly, and so more difficult to discover than need be. In characteristic humility, Aidan points out that much of this, once spoken, is obvious, but even he finds it so easy to forget. One final commendation, Aidan is liberal with citations and manages to convey a spirit of communal effort. It's refreshing in one sense as being good-natured, but as someone who grew up following bibliographies and book lists it comforts my sense of conceptual genealogy. Couldn't recommend more highly. Edit: Nearly forgot, one example I would like to explicitly mention is Aidan's rite to call back one's personal power. For most of my peer group, this is a much more appropriate initial rite than Huson's reciting of the Lord's Prayer backwards. Huson's use of the Lord's Prayer definitely filled a needed structural place, but it shows its age.

Aidan Wachter has written a true gem in this piece. There are books about magick, Magickal book and then there are Grimoires. This work qualifies as all three. If you had absolutely no experience in the realm of sorcery you could pick up this book, read it sincerely and be able to stand very stable on your first steps of Magickal workings. For those of experienced being this book offers much. It approaches magic for a perspective that few authors desire to encapsulate (but should). It contains gems that can heighten the empowerment for practitioners of almost any viewpoint, be it LHP, RHP, Theistic, shamanistic or almost any path I can think of approaching the book. It does not drown you with deep, needless psychopomp. It does provide the rational basis for all the approaches and techniques it expounds upon. It’s not a mere spellbook. If you’re looking for that, go elsewhere. It is much more than that. It is philosophy AND real application of both practical and high sorcery. Something like this has been needing to come along for a long time now. I certainly am glad it is here now. I have been a practitioner for 40 years now. I am in awe and wonder what it would be like if a treasure like this were available to me back then. I am ultimately grateful that is here now though. If you’re looking for one book on magic that can change your work and help you grow in the arte, I highly suggest this one.

There are so many good things about Six Ways that it's difficult to succinctly say what I like about it, and thusly I choose two chapters to highlight. Firstly, Chapter 20, the last paragraph, which reads "You are what you do. So choose what you do carefully. Choose who you engage with, Choose what stories you tell yourself about why things are the way they are for you. Choose to believe that you can change what needs to be changed. Act from this position. Make it true." As someone that has been practicing for a few years, I cannot stress how important this is. Conscious choice and awareness in as many moments as we can is critical. Learning to not rush through life, through this process, through task after task until we can "do magic", is critical. Life is itself, great magic, even the "mundane", or boring, aspects of it. We have a choice how we live this moment, life is all about choices. "Little" ones are not little. There is no separation between "life" and "magic" IMO. I can weave whatever I choose and life will weave itself into a result. The more conscious I am about the potential impact of a single moment, the better off I am. The second chapter I wish to highlight is Chapter 27, on Talismanic Magic. A sentence here that really got my attention is "The talisman is a meeting point of power, will, desire, intention, and action...", and another, "A sorcerer seeks power. Not necessarily in the larger, social sense, but in the sense of seeking powerful currents that lead to where they are going." The footnoted definition of power at the bottom of page 125, "power from within and also power with others rather than with coercion and domination based power over others" is also noteworthy and salient. Lastly, the discussion of etymology of sorcery being, "one who lays out lots", and the discussion of how fate and destiny are lots, as well as the sentence "To lay out destinies or fates is to choose a direction, what it looks like, feels like, tastes like, and to manifest it." The ideas in Chapter 20 flow beautifully here into the ideas in Chapter 27. Conscious choice and conscious awareness of the moments and seconds lead us here, into that meeting point. I have, hopefully, done my homework, and am ready to manifest whatever I have decided I want to. But I'm not going to do what Hollywood wants me to do here. If we have an understanding about what magic and life really are, we strive to live in cooperation and harmony with ourselves, with the forces and with the Field, making it much more likely that we can manifest what we desire. We don't have to strive for domination and control. What we want is cooperation, harmony, and flow. Why? For a few reasons: Firstly, we can often sway the currents in our favor by seeking cooperation, harmony, and flow-rather than seeking to harness, dominate, or coerce (this of course depends on the purpose of the work you're attempting). Secondly, we may tend to find our lives reflecting the results...the work we do is casting our own lots. If we are always seeking domination and control, that will reflect itself in the currents of our lives...if we seek harmony, cooperation, balance, and flow, domination and control as an overriding goal won't get us there. These are just a few thoughts and impressions I have in my study of Six Ways. Bravo, Aidan Wachter. There are few books out there that pack so many good things in so few pages. Well done.

It's a lot bigger on the inside than the outside would lead you to believe. In under 200 pages, the author has distilled twenty years of study and experimentation in magic into what he calls "approaches and entries into practical magic". I would call them reflections or perspectives on how magic work and practical suggestions to try. In the three weeks I've had the book, I've successfully tried several of the practices and am eager to try more. By "successfully" I mean that they have made the ship of my daily life, to use the author's favored metaphor, operate more efficiently and sail more smoothly. There are few spells here, few texts to memorize and recite, few lists of tools, materia, paraphernalia one must have. There is little one can pick out of context and employ at will. What there is, is a style of teaching that will enable you to build your own magical practice, your own craft or sorcery, from the ground up, with your own techniques, contacts, symbols, cosmology. If you have read scores of books on magic and never found a system that suited you, or learned a dozen systems of magic and gotten bored with the whole business, try this book. It won't offer you a system, only some ideas to think about and things to try that might make magic less boring and your life more livable and meaningful.

I wanted to review this book when I first received it, really I did. And I tend to give short shrift to gushing reviews by folks who “are only 20 pages in but just had to review.” Yet. Author Aidan Wachter invites you to work, not just skim along with the brain. And he is so disarmingly honest, so elegantly serious, so downright magical in a way that makes you believe (perhaps for the first time) that magic is really real, that his readers will fall under his spell to respond in kind. But working the work takes time, and effort. To do justice to this book means it will take me years to finish it. (And I just might be a magician by then.) I thought I’d offer a review in the meantime. If you want real, hard-won, practical information on how to live a life engaged with magic, from someone who works deeply and with a minimum of fanfare, here is pure gold. No attempts to convince you of theories, or even of the reality of the author's own experiences. At every turn you are encouraged to find your own experiences, and to rest easily with the uncertainties of exploration. I felt a sense of relief as I read this book. The man behind the curtain is for real. The book opens with a request—to articulate why you are reading it, before reading further—and gives gentle guidance to clarify your thinking. Refreshing, and immediately useful--being clear with oneself and one's desires is the first magical discipline. (Contrast with Paul Huson’s opening assignment to say the Lord’s Prayer backwards, a challenge wrapped in layers of mystique and muddy motivation, in my book, though you are of course free to disagree.) I had to stop and think and write for a good while before turning to the next page, though the effort was worthwhile. And so it’s gone, as I wend my through the book. There are exercises aplenty, and those I have worked with have been rich. Aidan covers all the bases while freely admitting his own palette of strengths and non (there’s little on card divination, for example). Like a true way-finder, he knows the terrain intimately enough to strike out off-trail; he knows his power spots and how to return to them. With winsome humility he offers a treasure trove of maps to those just setting out, or who need a signpost or two on their on-going journey. I’m grateful Aidan Wachter took the time and care to note down his distilled understanding in this finely-crafted book.

This is a really good foundational book for anyone looking to incorporate some magick into their life. I only recently became aware of "chaos magick" and some of the things I read kind of assumed some prior knowledge. So I wanted to back up and get an introductory primer-- this is an excellent one. Honestly even if you're already into magick this would still be useful, but it's particularly useful as a place for a beginner to start. What I appreciate most about it is, this is not just a book of "spells"-- although there are some instructions for some spells in here, the book focuses more on explaining the *concepts* behind magick, which I've now realized is the most important understanding one needs to delve into practicing. Honestly, if you can really grasp the concepts and workings behind what magick is, you can figure out how to create your own spells, enchantments, and rituals. So....two thumbs up! I'd definitely recommend this book!

What a book. I was almost disappointed at how slim it appeared until I opened it and, I have to admit, my eyes bulged out of my head a little at the size of the text and the density. And it's not some Chumbley/Trad-Craft-esque foray into poetic mysticism and shaded metaphors. Aiden gets straight to the point and makes you take steps to begin this system of magic from the very first chapter. I'm still chewing on the first five chapters myself, and seeing how the processes laid out therein have already affected my view, requiring me to think deeper on certain beliefs and practices in which I currently partake. Though it's a slim book, it is entirely substance over style, and every page has been earned through blood, sweat, and tears. There is no filler anecdotal nonsense to make you feel inferior if you don't have intense and psychologically disturbing experiences with the provided exercises. The book is not an authors attempt to make themselves sound incredibly powerful or mystical by luring yiu in with homely stories and tales. Wachter gets straight to the point, and keeps your nose to the grind stone the entire way through. I will admit I was hesitant to buy this book. The quality of many new books tends to scare me off spending my money, but loterslly every personal acquaintance I asked about this one said they either adored it, or they had heard nothing but rave reviews. Well, I'm raving. This book is incredible. More than any I have ever read, this book teaches you how to find yiur own way by explicitly stating that you should not take the author's methods as your own. Instead, we are explicitly told to take it and try it, then alter it, or don't use it again if it doesn't work. It's extremely refreshing, and has me biting at the bit to read more.

As a painter, one of the first things I learned was to be a master you have to go back to an elementary approach, essentially full circle but with the experience you gained. When an artist paints as freely as a child but has the experience of a professional then he's a true artist. This IS that! However, this book isn't JUST for the experienced. It's a great starter book for any foundation of practice. Whether you start here and use this as a looking glass into other things or add this to a life long practice, it's all relevant and will give you more depth. Simplicity and openness is the best way to begin with any given path, especially magic. No strings, no propaganda, just pure unadulterated essence of being at the most primal level. Most importantly, if you don't want to do the work, this book isnt for you. With a tote of this element you are expected to "do". This isn't for couch-sorcerist. It's about stripping away all the bells and whistles of what has become of magic and going at it with the purest of self, then you build on that. That being said, you can plug any spiritual path right into this configuration, but this book is one best experienced at it's rawest level, only then should you draw your conclusions of what you should do with those elements given.

I'll try to keep this review short, because I'm sure that the reader can see by the overwhelmingly positive nature of the reviews here that SIX WAYS is indisputably worth reading. It manages to give not just a course in practical witchcraft, but to provide a solid philosophical underpinning for magical practice. A non-denominational one at that, which culls as much from animism and chaos magick as it does the traditional elements of witchery. And all in less than two hundred pages! The best testimony I can give to its greatness, however, is that it turned a long-time "theoretical" occultist into one who actually practices. It flipped that switch somehow. What more can a book about the subject be asked to do? Better yet, it provides a treasure trove of practices (both basic and advanced) to keep the devoted reader occupied for years. No frills, no fluff--just the bare bones of what works. I rarely effuse this much. If you have any serious interest in witchcraft (or magick, or whatever you'd care to term it), I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I can't imagine the person who wouldn't learn something from it.

It's elegant the way that Wacher presents this spiritual path. The presentation is compassionate, non-judgemental and delivered in a relaxed manner with smile and a wink at times. By the end, I was left with the impression that I sat down and had a conversation where I asked Wacher to tell me how he approaches his path. In turn Wacher tells me without ever trying to impose it. His own path derives from exploring many different magical paths and taking from each what was needed, but unlike other sources, this is not a grab bag of appropriation. Wacher studied each of these paths and understands their context. While he doesn't always explain the context or cosmological source material, he generously credits them and provides sources for additional study. This is a great strength. As someone who has spent some time studying in this arena, I recognize the sources and don't need them spelled out again. Doing that would have detracted from the books message, which is ultimately, this is not complicated, anyone can do it and there's no reason not to be doing it right now. I wrestled for a while with this as a source for a beginner. I suppose it depends. I'm a person that wants to read *everything* before I get started and while I find that useful in the long run, it often means that I delay starting to the point where I might not start at all. I also think that as a beginner I'd have been skeptical or dismissive of the early exercises in the book aimed at working on removing self-limiting thought - this is me and not remotely everyone. So, I that if I were a beginner, I would have missed the value in this book. But for many beginners it would be a a great starting point. Beginners that took up the practices would find their value and have a working practice in a short amount of time. This practice would also be a fully formed path, but refreshingly sparse, allowing room and probably desire for further study, and the ability to add what is needed and let go of what isn't. Refreshingly sparse is such a key feature to this path. I don't know how many other books or spiritual systems describe a "simple working" and then go on to list 20 necessary tools and items, 2 hours of prep work and it all needs to happen during the 1 night a month that the moon is at the right aspect. As someone who has been doing this in a variety of forms for over 20 years, I can say that it is a kick in the butt to remind me what is important and to make me re-evaluate what I'm doing and not doing. While I frequently fail to be the magical/spiritual minimalist that I aspire to be, I think it's at the heart of everything and I have not found a better presentation than in Six Ways.

I am not well-versed in practical magic or really any kind of magic. I think I first checked this book out compliments of my local library. However, it’s not really a quick read so the sampler three weeks borrowing time I had was enough to inspire me to buy my own copy. My only complaint is that I do not care for the small font size or font style. I’ve been on watch for quite a while hoping that an e-book version will come on the scene. Actually, if the copy were kinder on my eyes, I think I would have reread this book several times over by this point. I find this book very helpful to me without a dumbing down or a patronizing feel. Aidan seems very much about “do what works” and “keep an open mind.” He’s the antithesis of “my way or the highway.” I perceive very little ego in this book, rather, just an effort to be helpful and share what has worked (or not worked) for him. The SUGGESTED READING in the back of the book has also proved helpful.

I came to this book after 20 years of occult studies. I've read most of the books from which Wachter gets his material. None the less, I was really happy to read this text. He puts the material down in a cohesive way and provides a wonderful overview and framework which the material works within. As much as I respect Kraig and Cunningham, ("Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts", and "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner") respectively, this has become my new goto text for anyone who wants to approach a magical practice from the ground up. This book is great for beginners, but also great for those of us who may have gotten so caught up in politics and kabalistic sudoku that we forgot about the real work of magic, that of inhabiting a magical world and living a more fulfilling life. I'm really happy with this text.

I loved this book! It is a must have for your magical library! Some of the chapters are quite short (2 pages), yet they are RICH with deep, valuable information. This book had a certain energy to it. If confusion can be analogized to a shadow, this book is a powerful halogen light! It clarified so much for me! That is why I feel that it is a sort of Talisman. It vibrates with this clarifying frequency. I loved and appreciated that the author gave me, the reader, lots of practical exercises and very clear direction. He didn't weigh me down with complex theory. It's as if this book was an arrow sharpened just enough to penetrate beyond the critical mind. Straight into the super-conscious. I also loved that the author wrote it with the utmost honesty and integrity. He didn't worry too much about being polite, proper, politically correct, etc. His manner of expressing himself enabled me to identify with him. At times, I even felt as if I was observing my own mind! As if the arrangement of the words were acting as a mirror to my own consciousness! With regards to books on magick, this one has instantly become my favorite!

(Bias alert: Aidan’s a longtime friend and sorcererous compatriot, so keep that in mind.) This is one of those immediately foundational texts that I’ll be recommending to anybody who asks me where to start with magic. This, along with. Jason Miller’s The Sorceror’s Secrets, and Andrieh Vitimus’s Hands-On Chaos Magic, will get you farther and better in magical practice than pretty much any other set of books you’d care to name. Aidan’s got a clear and intelligent voice, and a practical and non-doctrinaire viewpoint that makes him an excellent teacher and guide. The practices and approaches in this book are gonna be shaping my work for a long time. An animist “dirt, rocks, and string” system of sorcery is what he offers here, where all you need to do the Work is patience, flexibility, and the willingness to listen to yourself and the world around you, as well as good manners when dealing with the folks on the other side of the veil. A little courtesy will get you a long way in this work.

I'm certain that this does not apply to everyone, but speaking for myself, this book was like striking gold. I've been interested in (and practicing to my best ability) magic for about a year now. I've taken a particular interest in animism. journeying (or traveling), ancestors and magic in general. I have had some success with these things, but so often the courses I've taken and the books I've read or so inundated with terminology I don't understand along with references to magical practices I am unfamiliar with that it is extremely difficult to walk away without feeling bewildered and confused. I swear to God, Aiden can just lay down the basics in five pages and it's enough to get you started in the magical practices he covers. He's very clear that you can take or leave anything he says. He invites you to use your own techniques if you feel it suits you better. I needed this book. It will be my go to manual for the foreseeable future. There is enough content in it to keep me busy for some time so there is no need to waste any more money on books that either end up 'being pure shit or so lofty that they are of little use to me. Is the book perfect? Of course not. But in my humble opinion there is so much quality here that I just can't say enough good things about it. I feel like I've struck gold with it. Yes, it's that good. It's as good as the 7 Seconds/Circle Jerks tour back in 89ish when I left knowing I would never see a show that good again.

I'm actually a practicing Catholic but I picked up this book based on a recommendation to learn more about magick and spirituality. I think that despite the small size, this book is filled with so much useful and inspirational information that could be used by anyone. Its about living in harmony with the world and unseen world in a way that contributes to your own self development. I plan to reread and really take time to absorb all the gems in this book. I look forward to any future publications from this author. I've read a bunch of spiritual books from many different traditions and this is in the top 5 for me.

I love this book so much, it's my favorite book on magic and I've been practicing for about 25 years. I've actually bought it five times because I keep giving away my copies to friends and family. It covers everything you would need to start or expand your magical practice without any annoying fluff or pretension. My husband and I started a little group based on going through it very slowly and trying everything out, we are all loving it so much! I realize I sound like I'm affiliated in some way but I actually just heard about it on a podcast (formally Inciting a Riot, can't remember the new name). I picked it up casually and was so pleasantly surprised. I have a lot of witchy books that just sit on my shelf, or I don't even finish, and this is not one of those.

OMG!OMG!OMG! THIS BOOK WENT WAY BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS! HAVING TAPPED INTO NATURE SPIRITUALITY AND HAVING NATURE REACH BACK TO ME THIS BOOK EXPLAINS IT ALL. IT EXPLAINS HOW TO CONNECT WITH NATURE ENTITIES AND HOW TO KEEP THE CONNECTION GOING. ONCE YOU MAKE A CONNECTION ANY TROUBLES YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING EASE UP FAST. ANY THAT REMAIN BECOME SUPER EASY TO DEAL WITH. THERE ARE FORCES THAT WANT TO HELP ANYONE AND EVERYONE. THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. IT DESERVES 100 STARS. SO GRATEFUL I FOUND THIS BOOK. IF I WERE TO KEEP ONE BOOK AND DISCARD ALL OTHERS, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE I KEEP! Please read the description of this book under it. You will be amazed!!!

There are so many books not even worth reading on magic out there these days... this is not one of them. Wachter has this wonderful writing style that at turns feels as if you are having a rich, private conversation with a comrade who is also experienced in magic, and then deftly, clearly speaks to the heart of one who is exploring and called to the path for the first time. This book I will recommend to clients, friends who want to learn magic or simply consider practices from a new angle, with no reservations... as well as keep it in my personal library for inspiration and pure enjoyment. - Chapters are clear, concise and engaging (he seriously cuts through all the noise and static) - Various teachings that usually are cloaked in endless word play, here are presented from their core truth and meaning (for newbies: get started right away without all the needless secret codes and handshakes! ;D Trusting that you know what you most need to in order to explore and practice) - Safety and humor are combined with honesty and truth -- magic is what it IS Gather round the fire and enjoy Wachter's blend of blaze and magic. Well done!

I highly recommend this book as well, to both experienced magickal practitioners and those new to the craft alike. After years of the kind of crazy magic I've practiced (over 20 years of experience), this book was truly appreciated. I saw things in here I had not seen in books, but for which my teacher prepared me well. It helped me immensely to get in touch with my creative side by putting me at ease with references that helped me resonate; prior to reading this, I hadn't explored a lot of sigil magick because I didn't feel that I was very good at creating them--hah! After reading this, I was disabused of any such notion. His techniques are innovative and fun and helped me to further embrace animism. Must own.

Disclaimer : I consider Aidan a friend and I know him from his incredible Talismanic jewelry he has made for my wife and I. Nonetheless this book is incredible. As I personally own near 1000 books on magic, grimoires, and esoteric subjects I was hesitant to buy what I initially thought was another primer. I could have not been more wrong This book is nothing less than spectacular. Refreshingly pragmatic and written from the heart and soul. I have been practicing various shall we say fields for many years. This book has jump started my practice and brought a much needed spark back to me- like coming home As a matter of fact this is the second book I’ve purchased. I bought this one for my wife. It is simply that good. This is a book to refer back to. To write in the margins to wear away with use. It’s that good. It stands above probably several dozen books that attempted what Aidan (seemingly effortlessly) has achieved in this humble beautiful book One of my most treasured books

Images: 2 Footnote Examples (note the large margins) and a close-up of the troublesome font. I wanted so badly to get this book and hedged a bit due to the price, but ultimately I caved which brings me to this review. I was looking for a more secular take on witchcraft-- a big reason why I stumbled on this book at all. However, there are some glaring issues here which soured the experience for me, and as there is no way to preview the book, I felt that I should leave my thoughts for those who might be wondering if this book is for them. 1. Spirits & Offerings - Lots of talk of spirits in everything, and as a sense that they are ubiquitous and in need of your petitions and lots of offerings. Another reviewer noted this, and I have to also toss my hat into that ring because it gets to the point of absurdity at a point when I am reading about the vast nature and frequency of offerings. It just definitely is not a part of my practice. Also, I wonder about what the author actually believes when he seems anti-dogma and not-into-theism but then more or less deifies spirits and works with Archangel Michael. 2. The Author's Self - The Author takes you through this short read noting that he works better with 'approaches and entries' rather than specific instructions when it comes to practice, hence the title, and it raised a bit of a flag to me as it's easy to leave things half-explained with this mindset (though it works when you know exactly what is being written about). This shows itself repeatedly in topics of hedge-crossing, spirits, etc. where we are given an explanation along the lines of "close your eyes and it will happen." How? How will I know? What am I supposed to be doing? Anything in particular or? What do you do? Maybe I can take your practice and modify it for mine? No? Oh, okay. Beyond this, we also get to deal with unnecessary profanity-- I'm no prude, and I can curse like a sailor, but this is just cringe. It makes me think of "Hello, fellow kids." I approached this book viewing the author as just a human but also a human whose experiences I would like to read about-- I left it clutching a couple notes I could take with me and a palpable sense of regret because it in no way lived up to the hype. 3. Footnotes Forever (And a terrible font) Other reviewers are NOT lying. Multiple instances in the book have nearly 50% of the page that is just footnotes which would only be somewhat understandable if they brought something to the table or made clarifications-- they do not. Many of them are saying "this is just how I view this" or a drawn out definition for a very well-known term. Please note that the upper page margin looks to be around an inch or so, and the bottom margin is about 2 inches WITHOUT footnotes, so you are already paying for a lot of blank space. Add to this that some pages are used entirely for a simple line drawing, and this becomes an issue. I just made a quick check and the book 'starts' on Page 9 and 'ends' on Page 157. Removing the number of pages with no text on them or only 1 line of text brings you down to 131 pages of text in this book-- and given that the 1 inch top/1.5 inch side/2 inch bottom margins, this is a painfully small book. Also, as others noted, there are serifs that extend to the left on top of random letters F, C, S, and T. They do not all have the serif, and there is no real pattern that I could tell, but as someone who prefers ebooks because I can change the font to something that is readable for me and my mild dyslexia, this was just baffling to see included without rhyme, reason, or purpose. Overall, I got a couple things out of it, but it definitely was not worth the price. Had I been able to preview the book, I likely would have not purchased based on the font and margins versus the price alone.

Very good read for this interested in this genre and would like further information on this topic. The author expresses themselves very well throughout this literature. I would recommend this book to those who like to have a better understanding or those who already have an appreciation of this and would like to immerse themselves more on this topic. Highly recommend this book / author and seller. Shipping and handling arrived new and without defects and well presented packaging.

Aiden Wachter has written a classic in the realm of sorcery and magic. I am able to institute procedures and suggestions from each chapter easily. His footnotes are very helpful. After reading a chapter I decide if I want to invest in a book or materia he has suggested as a resource or for daily use. In the course of reading and re-reading this book I have bought and started using a Pendulum, built and work with my altar(s), began working with the lunar cycles, and bought red sandlewood and powdered pigments, among other things. I also recommend his other book, Weaving Fate. Thank you Aiden.

I'm on my second read through this book at the moment...beginning to do some of the techniques laid out by Aidan Watcher...and am thoroughly impressed with his approach. I heard Aidan on a podcast a few months ago and this book was mentioned. I was intrigued enough to head over to Amazon and buy a copy. I read all the way through it, highlighting, making notes and pondering what was being presented. Now I am doing some of his suggested rituals and meditation, energy work, trance and journeying techniques. Too early on to pronounce "success" but I'm enjoying the process! Aidan steers clear of specific deities, so the approaches and techniques will fit nicely into whatever cosmology you happen to be working with at the moment.

This is a mature, humble, honest and thoughtful discourse on what it looks like to view the world from an animist perspective. It is an offering of some potential processes or actions that proceed from that worldview in pursuit of personal engagement and growth in that world. I read the book very slowly, working through many of the exercises for some time before continuing. I worked most extensively with the Re/Claiming personal power ritual, performing it for a full lunar cycle as the author recommends. I found much benefit in this practice and would recommend it highly. As a woman who absorbed the lessons and beliefs that women are less (valuable, smart, powerful, capable etc etc etc) than men (and that woman has not?), it was a powerful tool in my ongoing quest to let go of the insidious and tenacious vestiges of those ingrained beliefs. I love the author's voice, humble, earnest and humorous. I was pleased to catch a couple podcasts where he was a guest recently and find his spoken voice is as pleasing and full of humor as his written voice. This is not a book I will put away, but one that will be kept in close reach. There is enough here to keep one busy for a very long time. Thank you Aidan and allies.

I've been practicing witchcraft and reading new introductory books for over twenty years, and this is the clearest, most practical and no-frills introduction to magic that I've found. Experienced practitioners are also likely to get something out of it (besides a new book to recommend to younger friends), though in that case I would recommend the author's other book more.

Why do I need to buy another? Because I like to have a clean copy to read or share. This copy is collecting sticky notes, highlighting, and notes in the margins like mad. This is rare for me. Just as rare as writing an online review - these things are saved for the best and most impact laden purchases. There were too many times that I was reading and thinking "how does this guy get into my head?" or "I swear he wrote this book for me." and I appreciate that. Yeah, not everybody is going to have the same experience, but for those who resonate with his work, this is a great book.

Aidan Wachter's Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic is a book I wish had been available when I took my first steps onto the Magical Path more than 30 years ago. This book offers clear and practical workings that just about anyone on any level can do. From beginner to longtime practitioners. It covers a vast array of doable techniques in plain English that can get you to Work today. No barbarous passages to learn or exotic ingredients. No excuses. If you want to work towards a more fulfilling magical life this is an excellent book to either start with or add to ones library.

If you have an interest in influencing the course of your life, this book is a powerful guide to practical magic and enchantment. It provides many practices that will allow you to claim or reclaim your power, connect to your ancestors and chart your path for what you want in your life. I have found it a go-to resource for ritual and depth of connection not just to the magical world but also to self.

I really enjoyed this book and use many of the suggestions provided. Six ways has added to my ritual knowledge and daily activities. I first heard about Six Ways in a podcast and I highly recommend getting a copy. A great book to use to add to your knowledge of magic.

This is one of the best books on magic I've read in a long time. Aidan covers a lot of material in a very concise manner. I absolutely enjoyed reading it and am now going through it a second time.

This book is a wonderful introductory text for anyone wishing for an introduction into what magic is all about. The author focuses on the right things, and he does it in an approachable and, as the title says, practical way. There is a lot in here for old hands too. The chapter on divination provided me with some much-needed advice. There isn't a lot in here in terms of a specific religion or "system" and it's applicable to anyone with an interest in witchcraft, folk magic, chaos magic, sorcery, &c. It's very well written and I find myself going over some chapters regularly for a refresher. Anyone with an interest in magic has something to learn from this book.

Not only is Six Ways a book full of useful rituals, practices, and spell work, it is incredibly well written and a pleasure to read. My copy is marked up, highlighted, and post-it marked with all the information I will use. I look forward to more work from this author.

There is so much valuable information in this book that anyone could use; regardless of their path. This and his other book Weaving Fate are both at the top of my list of favorite books on the occult. I refer back to this one often.

This book really tries to look under the hood, and it has a lot of success doing so. It's not about any single path, but a pattern that I've now seen repeated across multiple different practices. It's very easy to get into and very well-written, too. Highly, highly recommend!

I devoured Six Ways as soon as I got my hands on a copy. The techniques draw from a wide range of sources, and they will help inspire and deepen your magickal and spiritual practices no matter the tradition(s) you follow. I enjoyed working through the exercises, and I appreciated the author's candor, humour, and insight.

Five stars! It’s comprehensive, thorough, and gives you a solid foundation or refresher in the craft, while adding new approaches and techniques. I couldn’t put it down! I would recommend having a highlighter and tabs handy, because you’ll definitely want to reference areas later.

I loved this book. I loved the immediacy of it, the directness of interacting with our world as a living being, (or collective of beings), independent of cultural, historic, or traditional trappings. It isn't that I don't enjoy history, or the flavors of specific cultures and traditions, but I don't find them necessary. This book is full of simple yet elegant practices for integrating with the spirits around us in each moment, conversing with them casually and directly, as with friends. Honest, down to earth, and effective, with no pretension. Highly recommended!

Let me start by saying that I've been around a minute or two with regard to Witchcraft. I hesitated to order this book because it was described as a bit of a beginner's book. I cannot express how delighted I am that I went ahead and purchased it; it's among my favorite reads now! Beautifully written in straightforward language, the author makes you feel as if you're sitting with him personally discussing things over a cup of tea. Sometimes, at least for me, we get so far along our path that we forget about the basics and beauty of this way of life, and beautiful it truly is. I devoured my copy in two days, filled it with underlines and dog ears, made notes on the pages, and now I'm starting it over. I highly recommend this treasure to those just starting out (I can't tell you how much I wish this book was around 25+ years ago!) as well as to those who consider themselves fairly seasoned; none will be disappointed. It really reignited a fire in my soul and I am ever grateful to the author for his work in Six Ways. Thank you Aidan Wachter! And for those of you who may not be aware of this gentleman's full talents, he designs and creates stunning talismans!

Six Ways has just made its way into my recommended reading for people starting on a magical path. It's direct, approachable, and thorough.

With Six Ways Aidan has created something truly magical. Pun intended. Experienced people and beginners alike will find this approachable and engaging. A small but rich little book that lights up the imagination in a way no other book has done for me. The best part- it's fun, playful, and honest. Reading this is like having a conversation by a fire with a new friend you didn't know you needed. Six Ways is a gift.

This book literally revitalized my practice of magic, after years of stagnation. It's one of the best books on magic I've read: gentle, clear, concise, but also full of information and knowledge. Best of all, it makes you want to *do* magic instead of just remembering it.

In this book, Aiden presents a clear presentation of basics of his sorcery, giving clear explanations, his animistic worldview, utilization of such magic, and of course, is a wonderfully relateable way. The book is small, but it holds so much information, from a range of places that would be worth adding to ones magico-praxis regardless of system. This is now why this book is one of my first recommendations for beginners into magic, along the likes of Jason Miller and Robin Artisson. Thank you for the extraordinary words Aiden, I look forward to making use of the new things I learned, and I can't wait to purchase your talismanic work.

I have been involved in Magic and Witchery for almost 20 years and I found this book inspiring even in going over things I am very familiar with. Very practical direct approach to things that can be difficult to explain. If you are interested in practicing or have been for a long time - get this book!

This book is outstanding. I cannot actually say enough good things about this book. I have read more books on Magic then I care to admit and this one is my favorite. Why? Because Magic is what it IS. It is what YOU make it. The most important part of magic is you and your putting yourself, affirming yourself in your space with Intention. Period. Focus and Intention! Not having this exact candle on such and such a longitude at 3 seconds past midnight on whatever day. While those things may work for some if you are leaving out Intention not so much. It is not a huge book, but it is powerful. Because it gives you the tools to learn how to focus. How to go into trance, how to form your own powerful sigils. Information on offerings, Talismans, vessels and more. I spend way to much money on Amazon and I will say this. Reading reviews is what turns me to most purchases. I have been following Aidan for awhile before this book. What he says makes perfect sense to me. I ordered the book with zero doubt. Before reviews ! I like many were waiting for it for a very long time. Do yourself a favor it will be the best $22 you spend. There will Always be a naysayer on anything in life. On this one believe the 5 Stars it will be worth it!

Whether new to magic or a seasoned mage this book is a breath of fresh air that will teach you something and help you to organize the various approaches you already know and love into a regular practice.

Really very good. I like Wachter's voice in this very instructive little volume. He brings you along for the ride. Lots of information and one man's take, a nice one at that, on a valid approach to modern magic practice. Oh, and it works.

Concise, interesting and functional.

This is a fantastic perspective on how to incorporate magical practices into one’s daily life. I found it very insightful and appreciated the personal point of view as well as the citations of the different sources that are drawn upon. It appealed to my Taurean predilection for grounded practicality as much as my Scorpionic penchant for depth (despite its brevity).

Hey you! Do you want a concise book that tells you how to improve your magic without any BS? Here it is. Aiden has a talent for cutting right to the meat of a variety of topics, from animism to astral protection, from energy work to practical sorcery. This book has a spirit of its own, and can help you if you choose to engage with it. My own chief spirit guide is quite fond of it. Want to practice? You need practical work. This will give it to you while avoiding dogma.

I have hundreds of metaphisical/occult books and can recommend very few. This is a book of practices that you can begin immediately to get started down this path. I recommend you read with a highlighter in hand or a pen and notebook. Before this book I had never heard of the author but i will be watching for his next release.

Overall, I would say this is one of the best books on Magick I have read, and Aidan approaches this work the way a high-quality physical trainer approaches setting up a routine....long term, daily steps focused on fundamental changes from the ground up. Very smart, concise, useful, practical, funny and enjoyable to read. Packed with info, and yet highly digestible. Highly recommended. So much os that this is my first review in like 10 years.

I can't say good enough things about this book. I loved the writing style and the presentation of the material. This is everything the title says it is and more.

I'm an occultist but not a "follower", and I really liked this book because it was so personal to the author. I highly recommend it if you are not a complete beginner...or...sure, read it if you are a beginner and it will help you grow.

Good introduction to animist ideas not to mutch dogma and a good intermediate book. If you are just starting it will take some time to get good at these. Probably at least 6 months.

This is a terrific book for 1st degree folks... and will help those greater experience find the words to express things they understand intuitively. I would definitely recommend a place in the library of every student of the esoteric.

Not only was the text incredibly personable and easy to understand, but the author has a sense of humor and many of their comments felt applicable not just to practicing magic but just life in general. I don't write reviews often but I feel I owe something to the author for taking the time and effort to share a piece of themselves with us. Thank you!

Much of this wasn't new to me, but the author's tone, writing style, and insights into his way of thinking make it a worthwhile read. Funny & smart.

I like so many things about this book. I like Aidan's whole approach to magic, it just makes so much sense. The tone is friendly and knowledgeable without being preachy. I like that he explains things well but it doesn't feel like a textbook. I think I have been searching for this book for 20 years and I am stoked to have stumbled across it.

Six Ways is a incredible little book on practical magic. Not tied to any single tradition, it is a book without unnecessary complexity that gives you the tools you need to get straight to work, whatever that maybe. I would suggest this book to anyone starting out in any magical path and to anyone who has been walking it for years. Personally written and highly adaptable and applicable to my practice.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and it is truly changing my outlook as well as my practice. The writing style is easy and casual, but dense with information. The concepts presented are practical and can be applied to any practice. I read it for a while and then digest it for a while. This is the best book that I have read concerning magic practices.

Very good book. Great for the begginer seeking to learn foundational steps.

One of the better books I've read...gives you direction without implementing his own conclusions, esp the chapter "Behind the wall of sleep"

Fabulous, informative, for any level of magic worker. Practical yet so effective. Great writer and magician. Respected and highly revered in my circle. This is a must read and staple for any witches shelf.

Well written and exactly what I wanted. Apparently the author has actually performed magic. How refreshing. Recommended.

A very thoughtful and thought provoking work. It made changes in how I see the world, magick, spirits.

Incredibly open-minded and practical. Easy read. Fun exercises. Simple yet expansive.

A useful and practical resource for practitioners. Any magicians looking for ways to deepen their practice are sure to find the tips in this book helpful.

Excellent book and essential reading! I loved the way the author combines context with praxis. It’s a refreshing read.

Great book

A very accessible and engaging read. I’ve definitely incorporated some of the practices into my day-to-day, and I feel like my life is better for it. :) Thanks, Mr. Wachter!

My book smells like MINT! As my sister has the same exact book, I know this is not an intended scent. Not even complaining. What a neat little surprise!

Couldn't resist being reviewer #33. I don't review much, but this book deserves all the accolades it can get. Within this work is fundamental knowledge that can be the support needed for any path. I especially appreciate the honest tone of Wachter's voice. I can't recommend this enough to practitioners both new and old.

One of the most well written books on practical magic I have read. Highly recommend!

Wounderful book of knowledge

The best magic book. Explained in simple way.

I have a physical copy of this and it's great, but man, I've been waiting forever to buy another copy on kindle!

I love this book. I’m somewhere between beginner and not so newbie. This book takes a complex subject and makes it easy to implement step by step. I’ve found it inspiring and encouraging.

As promised and quick delivery.

Since I was a young girl, I tried to read books on magic hoping to delve into that world. None of the books ever made sense to me. Six Ways is the first book that helped me to really get it. A huge contribution! Thanks Aidan!

Definitely a must-read I recommend it to anyone for the Magical experience

Amazing and fresh take on practical magic. Highly recommend!

Very knowledgeable book .I love it .

Six Ways is my new go to for introducing someone to the techniques of sorcery. Well written, clear, with some incredibly vital techniques. Start here. You’ll be glad you did.

Covers a wide breadth of topics with wisdom, humor, wonder, and pragmatism. A small volume that makes an enormous impact!

Fabulous book, full of tons of practical guidance.

Very recommended book wrote by a very smart guy. It knows and can teach you how to get straight to the point of "magic".

Excellent book with compassionate intentions.

This book is one of my favorites

This is a real and honest handbook, rooted in the dirt and bones magic. It is THE book to get in touch with the field and it is a true companion.

The hype is well deserved.

Refreshingly clear and practical, easy to read and powerful

I could not have written it better myself! Insightful, informed, my new favorite book to recommend when someone needs to learn about the path of magick

If you've been practicing any form of high magick (and are kinda a snob about it) you probably won't like or appreciate this book. This isn't a "How to" as much as a "How I do it" book. Newbies to magick though, and those with little interest in calling forth demons or archangels to assist you with world domination will probably like it. It empowers new magic users to explore, without delving too deep. I'm a newbie, and feel drawn to 'low magick', ancestor work, shamanism and plant medicine. So many of the chapters in this book resonated with me. I am also a non Christian, and appreciated his approach to the LBRP (which doesn't specifically call forth Christian arch-angels). I also enjoyed his chapters on 'reclaiming your power's and meditation practice. Overall, for a beginner, this is a great book. The one star off is for the price, which compared to other books of this type (that are more dense with info) is a tad pricey.

I'm going to start with the "cons" just because I want to end on a good note. What you won't get from this book: a clearly defined introduction to any magical traditions, history, or philosophy. This is strictly methods that have worked for Aidan in his personal practice. That being said... I want to give Aidan credit for giving me a nudge on my magical path. Many years ago I read up on Wicca and was highly attracted to the nature based spirituality but never really felt like it was grounded in reality. Six Ways is what I wish I could have had in my teens. I bought this book two years ago and have been incorporating his methods into my own. The foundational practices here have been very helpful to me and I have grown in both the spiritual and physical worlds. It's my belief that they will help you too if you will dedicate yourself to practicing. Beyond being useful...Aidan's definition of magic is the most poetic one I have seen. "Magic is the art of falling in love with the Field and its inhabitants." I see a lot of beauty flowing through this man and into the pages of his books. You cannot come into contact with these pages and come out the other side unchanged. Especially if you do the work.

Book exceeded my expectations. Excellent work.

I am totally baffled by the font decision. I won't purchase any other books by this author until this situation is remedied. Maybe this is a downfall of self-publishing and lack of editors. I hate to think the worst, but it is so ABLEIST to choose this font. Maybe the author just didn't think about people who read or see things differently than him. This font choice just shuts out people with: reading issues (dyslexia comes to mind); those with vision impairments where the no-rhyme-or-reason fonts and rando curly-q's would mess with e-readers for the blind; those with ADHD might get stopped in their tracks with random distractions from illogical font flourishes. So if a person is just disregarding accessibiity in a spiritual book, I kind of view the content with a little suspicion. Very sad. Absolutely doesn't have to be that way. Just learn some basic facts about people with disabilities and all this would be avoided. I'm sure the author didn't make these font choices for "magical" reasons. Because it's pretty non-magical to erect barriers and discriminate.

This was a good read. It leaves with just enough information to want yo ho learn more on some of the subjects. The writing style does start out with a rabbit hole style, then becomes more organized as you read.

I recommend this book for those looking for a practical, informative book about basic ritual magick/chaos magick. For me however, the book did not come of as being spiritual in the least and was a little dry in parts. Still, it is worth a read.

Not great not bad, it's alright. I would suggest it is a beginner book. Not crazy about the use of the weird font used. The book itself is physically beautiful, I love the textured green cover. Anyone looking for a more advanced read buy Weaving Fate, which I enjoyed much more.

An easy, quick read that will make you question many things you take for granted in your daily praxis. I don't necessarily agree with everything (see the section on servitors), but that makes it all the more valuable.

No

I disliked it was against my religion to practice using magic.

The author sets out to show what works, which is a noble intention, but there’s a lot of theory, a lot of ideas about why things work and not much magic you can use. I was quite surprised to get to chapter seven and find that the magic is just writing affirmations like, ‘I forgive myself my failures.’ This is self-help 101 and doesn’t even work. Magic can be more than this. The ‘six ways’ mentioned in the title are a personal creation that might work for the author, but it feels too personal. It's like somebody shared the magic they made up. That’s ok, it’s chaos magic I suppose, except the rest of the book is still very thin when it comes to magic you can actually use. What magic there is feels too wordy and yet quite empty at the same time, repeatedly calling to stars, and things like that. There are the same meditation and breathing practices you find in thousands of other books, and the section on trance is disappointing because it’s more affirmations. It’s a short book and could have been much shorter, because there's not much in it. I hoped this would have new pathways for working with spirits or other magic currents, but it’s the same basic ideas from the Golden Dawn era, or where it’s original, it’s quite weak and more like positive thinking. If you’ve never done any magic, you’ll find this harmless but slow reading, and that’s why it gets two stars.

Aidan Wachter’s Six Ways: Approaches & Entries For Practical Magic is really unique in its undertaking. He breathes new life into the basic foundational practices of magic. His practices and approaches are rich because of his style of diving deeper instead of over-complicating the techniques, something that’s really refreshing. As such, you could approach this book from any skill level and have it enhance your practice. His approach isn’t cookie-cutter and the best I would be able to describe his style of craft is that of a chaos magician’s approach in regards to reverse-engineering magickal methods of different styles of magick, stripping their religious trappings down to their bare bones, and then breathing life into those bones. However, this isn’t a book on Chaos Magick specifically, but rather just a book on magick by someone who has that classical Chaote Magician mindset, one that’s focused more on the actual application of effective magick instead of warming their armchairs or throwing all magickal theory out the window. While Six Ways is a magickal primer and could definitely be an entry point into magick for a seeker, it’s definitely not just a bunch of rehashed ideas being recycled. Yes, these subjects have been explored in the past in other books. But it’s Aidan’s unique perspectives, experience, and ideas that make the book unlike other books on the foundational practices. You’ll find a lot of Traditional Witchcraft, Ceremonial Magick, Folk Magick, psychic development, mediumistic and shamanic practices and elements within the covers of this book, as well as touches of what remind me of cunning folk practices. But there’s nothing strikingly religious, dogmatic, or even theistic to it, which also is uncommon for books on magic, or at least decent ones. There’s definitely a focus on spirits and entities, but there’s pretty much nothing that couldn’t be applied to already existing magical traditions or anyone’s eclectic personal practice.

Full disclosure: Aidan is a dear friend and colleague of mine and I was honored to be able to read some of the early drafting of his phenomenal book and receive an advanced readers copy of it as well. Aidan knows me well enough to know that I would give him real, honest, feedback when it comes to a review and that makes me especially thrilled to be able to say that I highly, highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in magic and specifically developing a LIVED magical practice. For that is really what Aidan is articulating in his work. His focus is much less on theory or abstract magical ideals (because really do we need more such books?) and much more focused on in the dirt and in the bones lived magic. In Six Ways you will find a number of techniques that can be put to use by anyone no matter your level of skill or magical ability. That is useful. But to my mind what is invaluable is the way that Aidan allows his readers to "look under the hood" and see what actually makes a lived magical practice work - as well as what might get in its way. For those who don't want to just read about magic but actually want to live it, the is YOUR book.

I received an advance copy before I interviewed Aidan on my podcast. I devoured this book! Six Ways is what I desperately searched for when I got my start over 20 years ago. It isn't advanced in a way that scares away beginners. In fact, it goes right to the top 5 books I recommend to those feeling the call to magic from now on. It also isn't so simple that advanced practitioners won't find treasure after treasure in this book. I found myself making dog ears on page after page (I'm that guy) and creating note after note while going through it. The really awesome part of all of this is you. What? Yes, you. Your traditions and skill set are not important. Aidan provides the why and a clear how with every chapter. All of those can plug straight into your work without a problem. Inside you'll find spirits, trance, sigils, and more. All shaking up the practice into something that lives and breathes with a soul as old as the dirt under your feet. Read the book to find out why even that dirt matters here.

Full disclosure right up front: I didn't purchase this book. My copy was stolen from a small family of ducks. They did not know how to read and were trying to eat the book. The next day I felt bad for stealing it. I found the ducks and I gave them some frozen peas. I do not like peas. Ducks apparently like peas. Peas are the same color as this book. This is also the color of a drake's head for about half of the calendar year. The book, which is drake-head-green, or pea-green if you're not into water fowl but are into the spherical insides of a vegetable pod, is a good book. I did not try to eat it, like the ducks did, so I can't reply to its taste, texture, or nutritional value. Whether you are new to pursuits of practical magic, a seasoned seeker, or an liar claiming lots of experience or knowledge you do not actually in any way possess, in order to get 'likes' on internet social media, this book will arm you for some thoroughly application-based material. So get this book, so that you can get armed. Ducks don't have arms. Neither do peas. With this book, and the color of its cover, you can immediately have more than either a duck or a pea, or a pea inside a duck, or, if you're into that sort of thing, a duck inside a pea. Whether you purchase a copy or steal one from some birds, you will not have regrets for your decision. Unless you steal it. Don't steal from birds. They have so little. But bartering with them is okay. They like peas. Not bread, though. Bread is bad for ducks, and is also not green.

Six Ways is the kick-ass, practical, ethical, and experience-based book on magic everyone has been looking for. Aidan Wachter presents his animist’s toolkit in a transparent, respectful way honoring other authors’ work and source traditions while laying out his solid, obviously lived-in magical practitioner’s framework. This book is a perfect synthesis of direct, independent communication with a numinous reality and mutual support within a vibrant community of the living and the dead, human and Other. For the beginner, it functions as an accessible program of how to undertake a magical life. For the more experienced practitioner, this book is an absolute gem of shoptalk with a clearly knowledgeable and no-bullshit companion. Full of annotated footnotes, Six Ways genuinely feels like the best shared conversations about getting your hands dirty with the serious and playful bits of a real-world magical system.

I received an advance copy before interviewing Aidan, and devoured it within 2 days. The focus is on building a daily practice, and has very practical things you can do immediately, with little money or fuss. What I enjoyed most about the book was that it was less focused on abstract theory and more focused on solid, actual practices. Want to start giving offerings to your ancestors? There's suggestions here. Want to balance your energy centers so you can throw more powerful spells? It's here. Want to know how to throw powerful spells but feel too much pomp and circumstance is intimidating? This book has got you covered. This would be an excellent "first witch book" for anyone. Highly recommended!

I am a particular kind of pagan/animist, and a particular kind of shamanist/spirit worker. I like to cast a wide net, try a bunch of things, keep and refine what works/resonates, and leave the rest behind. Aidan is very much a similar creature, though our personal spiritual landing places are pretty different. I find this book to be amazingly fresh and dense with practical ways to enter into the Work, determine what suits you, and build your own practice. You will not find lists of pantheons or rules about what you should and shouldn't do. I think it has a lot to offer both beginners and more experienced practitioners. I recommend reading through it once, and them circling back and starting to dig deeper into the parts that speak to you. I've been pretty lazy about my practice for a while now, and will be using this text to revamp and reinvigorate things!

As we approach the anticipated “Age of Aquarius” new tools are surfacing, and I believe that Aidan Wachters book Six Ways is a veritable lighthouse for those with a desire to get connected in a no nonsense way to magic, and I know this book is destined to become a new classic for practitioners of Magic and Sorcery. As a teacher of the Metaphysical Artes now for over 40 years, I highly recommend this book. Having read this book, I am already selling my other books on Magic, as this book has all I need. Reading Aidan’s book is like drinking a nice cold beverage on a hot summer’s day; it refreshes and quenches the thirst. Effortless to read and grasp, full of clear, easy to understand concepts and exercises with a twist of his great sense of humour with no dogma attached, which makes the book even more of a great tonic, guaranteed to move you swiftly towards your magical goals. After just three weeks of practicing his “reclaiming rite” things shifted and manifested swiftly in my life more than any other practice I’ve experienced, Aidan an Aquarian himself is clear and solid in his teachings and his generosity of spirit goes above and beyond as he is so willing to give and share unstintingly. Six Ways will guide you to variety of approaches, concepts and entries into magic in the simplest of forms that are obviously proven, as roads that have been travelled successfully. Here Aidan throws away the theory and literally gives you the bones, guts and dirt on how to set up a daily working practice, no matter your level of experience, this book will assist you. It will also remind you of the simple things you used to do, but maybe have forgotten. This work is simple and fluid. As a fellow animist Aidan’s words resonated deeply. You will find Aidan will guide you through the simplest of instruction for resonating and plugging into working with spirits, allies and entities which will help beginners and can also be applied to existing practices. He will take you, like an old friend through chapters of Intention, Focus, Self Power, Trance, Divination, Raising Power, Offerings, Petitions, Sigils, Crossroads, Weaving, Consecration, Sorcery and a whole lot more. He offers a fresh straightforward view that is timely for the world we live in today. If you want to do more than just read about magic, (don’t we all ) then this book is for you to start living your Magic! Aidan is also a highly gifted talismanic jeweller whose magical practices are rooted in witchcraft, folk magic, chaos magic, and animistic spirit work. This book, his first will be now high on my recommended reading list, and a must read for my students. I am so very grateful for such a concise, practical and well thought out book on Magic and Sorcery. By Astarté Earthwise

This short little book packs a punch, and offers exactly what the cover says. Wachter covers magical theory, animist ecology, energy practices, and other cornerstones of craft from a knowledgeable yet accessible perspective. I spent a great deal of time with this text, and expect I will continue to do so; I have also purchased copies for friends, so that I don't have to loan mine away. The main draw here is that it offers a well-rounded how-to for all the skills one needs to form a strong foundation in the occult; from here, one can jump off in a variety of directions. If you are into magic, this book belongs on your shelf, period.

This is hands-down the best book I have read on the topic of practical magic. Invaluable to both beginners and experienced practitioners, Aidan lays out bare-bones approaches to a variety of workings and practices in a refreshingly non-dogmatic tone. His writing style is conversational, which I appreciate, and he covers what are usually difficult and complicated topics with clarity and ease. I will be coming back to "Six Ways" again and again, and indeed might need another copy, since mine is already covered in dirt and ash and water-damaged. :) Highly recommended.

Don't let its slimness deceive you- this book has replaced a shelf-load of books. It features a base-line introduction to a wide swath of occult topics accompanied by explanations that are grounded and even-handed. It is wonderful to experience the perspective of a longer term practitioner who is both humble and practical. I have recommended this book to multiple people new to studying magic. It has truly reinvigorated my practice.

Definitely one of my favorite books on the subject of sorcery and magic. An absolutely fantastic work that will deepen and enrich anyone’s practice.

In the couple of months I've had this book, it has penetrated and animated every aspect of my life. If you're looking for a down-to-earth, wise, and generous teacher, Six Ways is it.

I was first introduced to the work of. Aidan Wachter through an Interview by Sarah Anne Lawless. He is well known in occult circles for his extremely high-quality line of jewelry at his website, aidanwachter.com. I am a happy owner of several pieces that he has made for me over the years. When Aidan released his book, "Six Ways: Approaches & Entries For Practical Magick" I was super excited. Like his incredible jewelry, Aidan's approach to magic & ritual work is high quality - and is one of the most truly fresh approaches I have ever seen. The author's voice is natural from the beginning and you feel almost as if you're chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. He has a brilliant, practical, hands-on approach that encourages magical practitioners to jump in and do the work. Whether someone is new to the realm of magic, Aidan's voice is calm, clear and down-to-Earth. For those of us who have been at this awhile, the practical approaches give an overall sense of well-considered, practical magic without the slightest hint of pretentiousness that is found in similar occult books. Aidan Wachter comes off as a friend both in his writing and the interviews he has done on various podcasts and interviews available on YouTube and elsewhere. Do yourself a favor and get this one for yourself or for a friend. Six Ways definitely belongs on every witch's or magician's bookshelf.

This book should be mandatory Magick/Sorcery 101 reading for anyone heading into "other" & "results" workings. And should be reinvested in after you've more than-a-sturdy grasp on the subject via your "sparks & communication" benchmarks... This little book is a restaurant of intelligent practicalities concerning "weaving & stirring". Buy this book if you actually want your "zap" to make an impact. Highly recommended. Advanced Magick simplified.

Well written, lots of information, new approaches to things - worth the price no matter how large your occult library is

This book is packed with exercise and concepts that will keep you busy. I would highly recommend it for anyone starting or with some experience who wants to challenge what they know to discover what they can learn. Aidan draws from a variety of perspectives and his experiences and makes the work approachable for his readers. Don't just read this book. Work the exercises and practices and you'll see your magical practice transform.

This is the first book I recommend to practitioners. It’s short, practical and to the point. It has many different practices that can be adapted to most styles. And is a good foundation for actually practicing magic. In the occult world, like music or any other interest, there are many sub genres. This fits into the animist world view, using the tools of chaos magic. Yes, it includes spirit work. (Please see the review of the guy going off because he might have to work with another being... ) In an animist model, the world is alive. The forest, the doorways, the land, your ancestors. Recognizing this and honoring this is part of the practice. If you are too up your own bum about getting help from others, this is not the book for you. As a practitioner of magic, the best thing you can do is ACTUALLY DO MAGIC. Reading books on someone’s overly contrived “tradition” isn’t going to help. Because at the end of the day, your best magical tradition is the one you develop yourself over years. This is what Aidan is gifting the world... His own take on magic after years of practice. The idea is not to take this system as the rule of law, it’s to try these practices and see what works. This book is all you need to start working with magic and heading down the path of making your own practice.

Wonderful. The best thing I've ever read on the craft. Disappointing to see the rating go down because someone found the font difficult to read. The actual content is clear, logical, straightforward, honest, humble, beautiful and self-affirming. Unlike more ceremonial traditions of witchcraft, Aidan repeatedly exhorts the reader to 'go with their gut' and thereby to remember and trust the source of their magic, in their own body/mind. Amongst other things, he encourages the reader to communicate with the spiritual intelligences around them with warmth and honesty to find practical and mutually beneficial ways to work with these non-corporal neighbours. The chapters are short and to the point, and while theory is included it's only in context to practical application. I look forward to more from this author.

Aidan Wachter's book Six Ways is more than a handbook of magic and sorcery. In addition to the excellent subjects that it covers, ranging from animism to ceremonial magic, this is a book that offers you an invaluable gift: It teaches you how to give yourself time. Magic operations require time, which is the reason why most manuals dealing with the practical aspect of sorcery and witchcraft focus on steps, essential principles for spell crafting, and other methods and formal discourse that you can quickly try without fearing a headache. While Wachter's book also tackles approaches and entries to magical consciousness, as announced in the subtitle, what is very clear here is that we're not just in the presence of lists and what may be a good idea to test. We're in the presence of what it may be a good idea to think about. Without giving yourself time to think about the implications of entering silence, trance, or power, it's not very likely that the magical experience will be remarkable. This book stresses the importance of giving yourself time, yet without saying so. In this sense the book achieves talismanic power, as it draws you into the space of mystery in subtle, yet most obvious ways. In other words, this is not just another 'do and don't book because it's convenient; this is a book that teaches you the underlying philosophy of what it means to actually reflect on what you're doing, and in doing so, appreciate the gift of time that you can offer yourself on the practical path of the six ways. Aidan Wachter doesn't deny his art: in words, he is as magical as he is in his silver.

I've read some of the reviews for this book complaining about such things as the font used, the fact that it it is written from the perspective of the Spirit Model, that the author sometimes uses his own terminology, and that he sometimes uses long footnotes. Really, these are reasons not to buy or like the book? Admittedly, when I started reading the book the font was a little annoying. However, as soon as I became immersed in the narrative the font seemed to 'fit'. And as for the complaint about the Spirit Model, then why did you buy it as it's stated that this is the preferred perspective on the blurb for the book on Amazon and in the book itself? And it wouldn't take too much intelligence or effort to adapt the exercises etc. to your preferred model. Yes he occasionally uses his own terminology and the footnotes sometimes can be long, but surely the the worth of a book is what in what it says and the way it says it? If you've read any books in this genre then you may have found they can be torturous and you either don't finish them or can't wait for them to finish. But Wachter manages to write intelligently while at the same time being very readable, and one of the problems I did find is that I wanted more! In one sense he spoon feeds you. However, this is only a means for you to take on-board what he is saying so you can adapt it for yourself. But this should not be seen as simply doing whatever works for you with beliefs seen as throwaway means to the end. Instead your practice needs to come from, and be embedded in, a coherent world of meaning. Inspiring, intelligent and humble. What is not to love about this book?

Aidan Wachter has a great writing style... the book is a very enjoyable read, without any pomposity or arrogance. He speaks from long experience and expertise, and the book is chock-full of inspiring techniques and strategies. Highly recommended.

The author has provided a unique take on magick. I can see nothing but value in this work. I also recommend the author's 2nd book; Weaving Fate. Please ignore the 3 star rating. Publishers cannot be expected to provide fonts to suit all needs. Reviews are supposed to reflect the value of the book.

Excellent book, I wish this book existed 10 or 20 years ago. If you only ever buy one book on magic or woo then buy this.

Wonderful book. Warm, down to earth, thought provoking and thoroughly helpful for a beginner like me. I wizzed through my first read through, and am now going back through a second time to spend some time carefully going through each of the practices. Looking forward to digging into the recommended reading list too!

A great book covering many different avenues that magick can be channeled into.

A brilliant yet easy read. This is a definite must have for anyone interested in practical magic.

I like the way it is written. Very practical. Gets you started right away.

i really like this book. and i have read quite some, as well as have studied and practiced many systems. this is a refreshing take on a more barebone/minimalist approach to sorcery and magic, as well as a very animist take on it. so, i would say that much of this is quite basic. so, beginner friendly. on the other hand, advanced practitioners can for sure get much out of it, too. since its all about the basics, like enery work, sigils, offerings, communicating with spirits and such. and this book offers a great intro into many different topics. apply some or all of this on a consistent basis, and your life will change for sure. by the way my favorite may well be the reclaiming power technique, which you find on aidan's website, check it out to get a taster of how he works.

I'd love to to say I wish I'd had this book years ago, but I'm not sure I would have appreciated it's deep rooted simplicity. I was familiar with most of the practices in some form or another, but looking at them through the lens of dirt sorcery revitalized the magic for me. It'll be the first book I mention when someone asks for recommendations.

This is truly a great book if you are searching for a way into magical practice or even trying to make your practice more efficient and meaningful. It seems small and simple in a way, but there is years of work on the part of the author that stands behind each word. Everything that is necessary to start out as a magical practitioner is included in this book. Also the wonderful thing about this book is that it is kept streamlined and complete so that you can add whatever makes it meaningful to you, if you have developed preferences or ways you connect with the Otherworlds. Don't look at the price, look at the value!

This book is what it says on the cover. Approachable and practical. The lack of pretentious babbling is an absolute treat. Valuable as a relatively new practitioner and easily adaptable to many hearth practices. Thank you Aiden for changing the narrative and making magic more accessible.

This a very enjoyable text, well written from the heart. I've been reading it slowly and doing the practice work as much as Im able. I love the cover and the overall quality of the book. Looking forward to know more about the author I love the way each word has been layed.

Beautiful book. Aidan's writing is down to earth, compelling, and accessible. His advice and the techniques that he shares are simultaneously practical and powerful. Took quite a bit of time for the book to arrive but well worth the wait.

Great book for the advanced practitioners and beginners alike.

I really enjoy reading this book.