Book Review: Energy Magick

A Basic and Advanced Guide for Witches and Pagans

Working with energy is something most witches and Pagans do, but as a subject, it’s often glossed over or given short shrift on the way to more supposedly interesting activities like rituals and spellwork. Maybe most people think everyone already knows all about energy work. The thing is, many people don’t, and many others wish they knew more.

Here’s a book that fills that gap, providing an in-depth look at the purpose, form, and function of energy in the magickal person’s life. And for the record, I think energy work all by itself is interesting. You might thing so too, if you read this book.

Energy Magick by Mark NeCamp, Jr. also shows the reader that energy work is essential. It doesn’t matter what kind of spiritual path you follow, or even whether you follow one. If you do magickal stuff of any sort, you need to know your way around energy.

NeCamp offers us clear instructions for energy work for ourselves, the spaces we inhabit, and the ways we practice our spirituality. The book works its way methodically from the basics to more advanced techniques, with each section building on the previous ones. It’s a well-organized, clearly explained progression.

I’ve been doing energy work for decades, but I took my time to carefully read through the chapters about the basics, because it never hurts to review your methods and refresh your technique. The more advanced chapters include useful ways of enacting healing, cord cutting, and warding, among others. While the book does start with the basics, there’s a lot here even for people who are experienced with working energy.

I was especially pleased by the chapter on trance journeying. This is an activity I’ve done for years after learning from in-person teachers. There are very few reliable resources available about it unless you just happen to know someone who can teach you. NeCamp’s explanation of this technique is well thought out and clearly described, with appropriate safeguards. In fact, the whole book emphasizes safety in a way I find very satisfying. There are few things as annoying as having to clean up your own, or someone else’s, energetic messes. Best not to make them in the first place.

The final section is an abbreviated grimoire giving detailed instructions for a number of different activities, from spells to psychic defense to personal growth work. While the whole book is an excellent learning tool, this last part is the kind of reference the reader will return to again and again.

Throughout the book, NeCamp offers up anecdotes from his own life experiences. Sometimes they illustrate the effectiveness of the techniques he’s sharing, and sometimes they show what happens when you don’t follow proper techniques! Altogether, I found the personalization of the information helpful. It made it all feel much more real and reminded me that these methods are meant to be used, not just read about.

I will note that many of the activities NeCamp shares are based on the kinds of western occult concepts that come to us via the late classical era and the Renaissance: the four elements, alchemy, sigils, and so on. For those of us who don’t use these kinds of concepts in our spiritual practice, it’s easy to step past them to the underlying energy work methods.

Altogether, this book is an excellent, much-needed resource that provides a strong foundation for any kind of magickal practice. It’s a useful addition to your magickal library, and a reference you’ll return to time and time again.

Mark and I, along with four other awesome Moon Books authors (Morgan Daimler, Pauline Breen, Daniela Simina, and Taren S), will be presenting workshops at Mystic South next month. We’d love to meet you and chat with you! Please join us Saturday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Temple of Witchcraft hospitality suite for conversation, refreshments, and book signings. The details are in the conference Sched app. I hope to see you there!

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About Laura Perry

I'm an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. My spiritual practice also includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write Pagan / polytheist non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. I'm currently working on an illustrated book of modern Minoan myths and a Minoan entry in the Moon Books Pantheons series. I’m also an avid gardener and living history demonstrator.