10 Best Chaos Magick Books

Chaos magick is a result, or success-based form of magic. For that reason, it doesn’t have any specific religious or cultural leanings. Instead, it borrows from multiple forms of magic and cultural backgrounds indiscriminately.

Because they treat truth as being highly subjective, chaos magicians can draw upon various sources as tools, rather than dogma, to reach their goals. This is also the reason why chaos magick is considered to be postmodern.

Chaos magick is also popular with beginners in the occult because it’s more direct than other forms of magic. It cuts through the fog of complicated theory that often detracts from the actual practice.  providing the practitioner with visible results sooner rather than later. These are arguably the 10 best chaos magick books:

1. Hands-On Chaos Magic: Reality Manipulation through the Ovayki Current by Andrieh Vitimus

This is the most easily understandable work on chaos magick. Even if you’ve never drawn a pentagram or meditated in your life, you will be able to understand chaos magick essentials and actually get good at it by following Vitimus’ hands-on approach.

It strips the esoteric and foggy terminology you will find in most other magick books to its bare bones, revealing the most practical approach to energy manipulations, creating sigils, invocations and much more.

If I was just starting with chaos magick, I would definitely start with this book before moving to more complicated and theoretical works. Why? Because many would-be magicians get tired of the overly confusing language and rituals found in other works before even starting to practice, which obviously leads to less than satisfactory results.

By getting some experience under your belt, you will be much more confident in tackling the deeper and more complicated insights presented in other works.

Get the book here.

2. Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Peter Carroll

This is a (oc)cult classic in the chaos magick community. Liber Null & Psychonaut draws heavily from Crowley but also other magick traditions.

It’s previous additions were used as handbooks by the Illuminates of Thanteros in the late 1970s, the first group dedicated to chaos magick. As such, it’s an excellent guide for performing group magic and for shamanic priests working within a community.

Mind control, divination, evocation, invocation, aeonics, reincarnation, transubstantiation.. these are just some topics that Carroll gets into in these work, providing spells and rituals for performing them successfully. Definitely a modern classic.

Get the book here.

3. Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Phil Hine

This is a light-hearted and entertaining introduction to chaos magick. Hine reveals what chaos magick is and how it works in a very conversational style. There are some DIY rituals and spells sprinkled throughout the work that beginners will find to be simple to use and with instant results.

As a more advanced practitioner, I found Hine’s insights on the cultural background of chaos magick and modern occult to be the most interesting parts of the book. All in all, this is the go-to source for a more “holistic” introduction to chaos magic that will appeal even to those who are on the fence about magic in general.

Get the book here.

4. Sigils of Power and Transformation by Adam Blackthorne

As the name suggests, Sigils of Power and Transformation is a book that provides just that. More precisely, one hundred and eleven sigils designed for various purposes such as self-confidence, luck, healing, love, protection etc.

Many of the sigils presented in this book (with great illustrations and practical tips for replicating them) belong to ancient occult traditions, while others are of a more recent origin.

These are all white magick sigils. In other words, they’re designed to benefit you, but not harm others. A sigil is basically a drawing you can create for yourself. They’ve been used for centuries by magicians to provoke certain effects due to their immense power on the subconscious mind and by extension the connection they provide to the magical realm.

Get the book here.

5. Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter

This is a very unique magic handbook that is rooted in multiple traditions: chaos magic, folk magic, witchcraft and animist spirit work. Because it draws from these multiple sources it also contains more diverse forms of magic such as:

• sigils
• servitors
• trance
• spiritual cleansing
• talismanic magic
• dream sorcery

..and much more.

Wachter is a talismanic jeweler, so if you’re interested in talismans you will find his work even more interesting. His main focus is the connection with spirits and allies from the Otherworld, as he calls it and channeling their influences into our own lives.

This is a dense and well-researched book, showing great erudition from Wachter. But he’s also managed to make it interesting and understandable for beginners, and this combination earned its spot on this list.

Get the book here.

6. Words of Power: Secret Magickal Sounds That Manifest Your Desires by Damon Brand

Chaos magick doesn’t have to involve complicated rituals. In fact as I said in the introduction, it’s all about taking the easiest, most practical approach to success. It doesn’t get much easier than saying words of power, which similarly to sigils have a special effect on the subconscious.

You could draw a parallel between these magickal sounds and the mantras from Eastern esoteric traditions. The main difference is that these words are more easier to connect with and create intent, at least for Westerners.

These words are Divine Names derived from The Forty-Two Letter Name of God, holy words and angelic names. They are completely safe and designed for self-betterment, not for causing direct harm to others. Just like sigils, each of these words is designed to produce a different effect, whether that’s luck, healing, discipline, wealth, self-improvement or anything else you’re currently focused on achieving.

The mind is everything. As long as you place enough intent and belief in the words as you utter them, impressive results are just about guaranteed.

Get the book here.

7. Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson

While this book isn’t strictly concerned with chaos magick, it provides a very important ingredient for any magician. A road map for breaking free from programmed behavior, imparted to us by both society and nature. It reveals the scientifically discovered limitations of the human mind and how to break through them and discover our untapped potential.

Prometheus Rising is centered around the Eight Circuits of the Brain and how to manipulate them to our advantage. This is the best book for breaking free from negative conditioning and creating a new mental framework.

The line between occult and science is particularly blurry in this book. What is for certain is that it will dramatically assist you in any endeavor, especially performing magick, once you’ve internalized its content.

Get the book here.

8. Liber Kaos by Peter Carroll

While the other books on this list are well-suited for beginners, this one is geared towards more advanced practitioners.

It provides advanced magical training for individuals as well as groups. Carroll shows how to set up a temple and carry out essential rituals of Chaos Magic in group settings.

While drawing upon many teachings he shared in the more beginner-friendly Liber Null & Psychonaut, Carroll also provides deeper knowledge of aeonics, auric magic, shadow time and more technical aspects of spells. I particularly enjoyed the Appendices and his ideas on Chaos Monasticism. Definitely worth the read.

Get the book here.

9. Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts by Donald Michael Kraig

If you want a more comprehensive, all-in-one source of theory and practice of chaos magick this is the best book. It’s designed both for beginners, intermediate and advanced magick users.

This over 400 pg long work by Kraig can provide you with years of steady challenges and advancement. It explains, well basically EVERYTHING:

• The inner mysteries of the Kabalah
• The most powerful rituals of magick
• How to create and perform your own rituals
• True meditation
• Magickal ethics
• Astral projection
• Tools of magick
• Evocation of spirits
• Pathworking
• Tantra and sex magick
• The importance of the Tarot
• Talismans and amulets
• Secrets of visualization
• Alchemy
• Psychic self-defense
• Healing rituals

The information is very clear and written in an understandable way even for absolute freshman of the occult. It’s also littered with personal stories and helpful illustrations.

Get the book here.

10. Magick in Theory and Practice by Aleister Crowley

This is an often (wrongly) overlooked work by The Beast himself. While Chaos Magick “officially” originates from 1970s England, Crowley set up the stage much, much sooner.

This work on ceremonial magick provides the theory and the practice which highly influenced later chaos magicians and writers. It’s in many respects a fundamental book for modern magic as it moves away from traditional obscurity and provides the magician with the essential understanding of cause-and-effect and how it relates to his practice.

But don’t be fooled by this simple description. It’s a very dense and informative work, with many graphs and illustrations depicting magical symbols, rituals and everything else you’d expect from the quintessential occultist himself.

Get the book here.