Overview: Divided into two parts - Theory and Praxis - this book is a primer for those seeking to explore the philosophies of chaos magic, its principles and practical applications.

Verdict: Here in Pagan Portals - Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner’s Guide by author Ivy Corvus, in Part One you will learn to harness the power of intention, belief, and creativity not only to shape your reality according to your desires but also to decondition your mind, remove limiting beliefs, enter altered states of consciousness, achieve gnosis, and more.

Whereas in Part Two, you will learn to work with sigils, hypersigils, and magical entities, as well as explore powerful techniques, such as visualization and invocation, and the controversial realm of pop-culture magic.

Growing up I was inside a household where Chaos Magic was something heavily leant into by my older sister. As for what it actually is, well, it is a modern, flexible occult practice that treats belief as a tool, focusing on achieving results by using whatever methods work, regardless of tradition, rather than adhering to rigid rules or deities.

It also emphasizes personal freedom, experimentation, and the power of the mind, often blending psychology, science, and various spiritual/mythological elements to create personalized rituals, like using sigils or altered states (gnosis), to manifest desires.

Here in this engaging new book Pagan Portals - Chaos Magic those theories and more are brought forth for the beginner to latch onto and steer their own paths into continual journeys. Much more than just a series of practical theories, the book is a working handbook where the exercises provided help the reader break down any and all pre-conditioned thinking to open up their minds to then absorb free thinking; to rightly then allow the imagination to take ahold and guide them.

Thus, and withing practice, you will find people using Chaos Magic to assemble their own magical systems. This can vary from variants on the standard versions of witchcraft or ceremonial magic, to entire pop-culture systems that use adapted rituals to treat the iconography of modern culture as deities. To paraphrase comic book writer and chaos magician Grant Morrison, albeit a little left of center here and yet I still think it helps explain his a little better, Superman is an idea that is shared by millions and has an existence that is essentially mythological so why not approach him as a solar deity?

That all said, as a whole, Chaos Magic is pragmatic and results-based. A crude illustration of the chaos approach to magic is “If it works, do it. If it doesn’t, f**k it.” Chaos Magic doesn’t bother with detailed ceremonial procedures as it is a big “screw you” to such formalities. This topic is nuanced as practitioners can partake in detailed ceremonial so long as it aligns with their overall goal - but not because they are adhering to rigid dogma.

In short, presenting an understanding of the core concepts of chaos magic, Pagan Portals - Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner’s Guide provides insight into how to embrace chaos and unleash the mad scientist within. Your reality is yours to create.

About the Author - Ivy Corvus is an American occultist, chaote, witch and psychic with a history of ceremonial magic, paganism, and Zen Buddhism. She is both a healthcare practitioner and an undergraduate student: double-majoring in psychology and molecular biosciences. Her passion lies in understanding the interconnectedness of the universe and guiding others along their spiritual journeys. She lives in Kent, DC.

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