Edred Thorsson

While the history of magic in Iceland is fairly accurate (although in my opinion biased and not in line with modern religious studies scholarship), the portion of the book intended to guide the reader in the theory and practice cannot be called Icelandic magic. The author lets slip that what he chose to write about was based on his own practice and experience, which can only be tangentially inspired by his academic study. It does not deserve to be titled "Icelandic" magic, nor does any of show more ritual seem to be sourced from historical records of Icelandic magicians. By best assumption after powering through disappointment after disappointment is that everything in the book is guesswork and personal preference cleverly hidden under a basic understanding of Icelandic history. Lastly, I was not able to find clear evidence in a short search, but I would not be surprised if the author has either white supremacist or neo-nazi ties in his personal life that could explain some peculiar biases evidenced in the text. There's nothing of substance in the book to make the couple of hours it takes to read worth it. show less

What a title! That truly exquisite pairing of words raised expectations in this reader that would not be easily fulfilled. The more specific promise of the cover blurb is the treatment of "Sadomasochistic sexuality...combined with spiritual or magical aims." The authors claim to be the first to offer a book-length study of the topic, and so far as I know, they did indeed break some new ground on the publishing side.

But perhaps there is a reason that this particular soil had been untilled. show more As the authors must frequently admit in various cautions to the reader, such experiences and techniques are best transmitted in the flesh, not on paper. So this text is happily devoid of cookbook ritual instructions. What it does attempt to convey are 1) an historical survey, 2) a magical theory; 3) a notion of the range of possible practice, and 4) leads for further study and practice.

The historical survey, while fascinating, is not a pinnacle of scholarship. Statements like, "The A.'.A.'. did not fulfill its function as Crowley had envisioned it," cast a shadow of doubt over other information presented by the authors. The theory and practice sections are in the manner of a primer, and will best serve those who are new to either magical theory or S/M practice. In general, the authors do not seem to be suggesting any departures from existing techniques of S/M, but simply stressing the addition of a magical sensibility to the work. The leads for further investigation include a couple of helpful bibliographies and listings of addresses for various groups and suppliers.

Running throughout the text is a thread of shameless self-promotion for the author's own magical order, the Order of the Triskelion. This firmly traditional feature of magical writing culminates in a full manifesto appended to the book.

Overall, Carnal Alchemy seems to fall a little short of its goal of boldly defining a new field within current sex-magical practice. It could certainly be an eye-opener for those ignorant of such technologies, and it remains an intriguing curiosity for those already working with them. show less

If you want a historical examination of the use of runes in Northern European culture, this is not your book. The first one/fourth of the book will go excellently for you. A simple and classic website like Ragweed Forge ( https://www.ragweedforge.com/vik.html ) will also serve just as well.

Thorsson is not primarily a historian, though by my own research his history as he presents it is valid, and he is clear when he is moving from historiography into extrapolation, which is most of the show more book. This is primarily a religious text for religious pagans, and if you're interested in that, Futhark is absolutely a classic. A dense, strange, fascinating classic. Like most works of pagan scholarship/religious writing it is as much an examination of the author as it is of the subject matter, and I believe I like him. show less

Great book for a beginner like me who knows nothing about the history or the background of runes or staves. Love reading about the history of Scandinavian magic, it included some of the legends of the users of this magic and the introduction of Christianity. The last few chapters gave details on the use and making staves and the design and description of know staves. So yes it does have little drawings and you can see exactly what they look like.