Phil Hine

This slender volume is probably the best overview of Yog-Sothothery for working occultists. It is full of considered reflection and useful ideas about technique. Although author Phil Hine made his bones as a published magician under the Chaoist banner (obvious in the cover design for this book!), the essays here aren't particularly sectarian, and they offer some constructive comparisons with various schools of contemporary occult practice. Hine does (on the acknowledgments page) claim show more membership in the Esoteric Order of Dagon, however.

The various Great Old Ones are treated here less as a bestiary, and more as a map of states (perhaps "vectors" would be more accurate) of consciousness. On the whole, the book eschews cookbook prescription in favor of discussing processes and perspectives. A couple of appendices, though, present a "Cthulhu Pathworking" (i.e. guided meditation) and a report of a healing ceremony invoking Tsathoggua.

One might say that the Pseudonomicon is "falsely so-called," since it surveys the possibilities (for good and ill) of Lovecraftian-inflected magick in a far more honest manner than any of the dozen or so books actually claiming to be the Necronomicon. show less

Short but excellent monograph on servitor creation by one of the pioneers

Prime meaning first, meaning original – and the basis, of course, of the word, "Primer".

And that's what this is. It won't tell you a great deal (other than anectodal) about the history of Chaos magic, but it will tell you about doing chaos magic.

The Contents rather spell it out:
Chaos is everywhere
Dynamic Ritual
Group Effects
Liber Nice and Liber Nasty (Discordianism and the Cthuhlu mythos and magic).

This work is aimed at practitioners, rather than anyone else, but practitioner or not, show more reading it will give you a general overview of what Chaos practice is about – as much as anything can, that is.

For a study of chaos magic, this may not be the best book (though it should not be neglected). show less

The discussion of groups and politics in this book is surprisingly true for other semi-academic groups as well, such as universities and the Indie RPG Theory crowd.