I’ve never put much thought towards animal magic before, even though animals have been so important to magical practices throughout the world and history. This book by my Key 23 colleague and fellow northwesterner Lupa looks like the perfect introduction for me.

FFBB is animal magic from a more practical viewpoint. Where most of the books on the subject tend towards hijacked Native American/New Age hybrids and animal totem dictionaries, this book covers both well-known and new territory.

I wrote it for the practicing magician who already knows the basics of magic, whether you just want to use a few techniques, or immerse yourself in the animal magic paradigm. I leave ethical decisions up to the reader, and I don’t line the pages with tons of pre-fabricated spells and rites. Here’s a summary of the varous chapters:

Totemism: The differences between tribal totemism and modern, neopagan totemism; theories of what totems are, and how to work with them on numerous levels; practical totem magic

Familiars: Finding (not just waiting for) a physical animal familiar; proper care of familiars; familiar magic beyond My familiar sits and looks at me during sex magic; spiritual familiars

Evocation and invocation: Animals of the directions/quarters; extinct, cryptozoological, and fictitious animals in magic; pop culture animal magic via Mononoke Hime

Creating Species on the Astral Plane: Animal qualities in servitors; composite species; new species; sigilonodon

Shapeshifting: Magical shapeshifting (sorry, no physical lycanthropy here, folks; therianthropy; shapeshifting and personality aspecting/programming

Working with Animal Parts in Magic: Sources for materials; working with the spirits; practical advice

Animal Sacrifice: History; whether or not to practice it; alternatives; guest essay by Nicholas Graham

Appendices: Guided totem meditation; useful divination techniques; how to make a fur pouch; animal-focused nonprofit groups

If you’d like to preview the first 25 pages care of the publisher, click here.

The cover price is $21.95 USD. You can order a signed copy of FFBB directly from me via our website.

It’s also available with a 10% discount through the publisher, Immanion Press. And Amazon also carries it.