I noticed that a few of Freddie Valentine's books were getting reviews here. Although these books were getting deservedly positive comments, it seems strange to me that there is scant mention of his two books on the subject of magick/magic, namely Occult Magic 1 and 2. This, plus the fact that I have just completed an interview with him, have jolted me into putting finger to plastic, to squirt out a review. I have read all of Freddie's books now (I think). We all know Freddie as the guy behind the shades and (more importantly perhaps) as the man behind the Mystic Menagerie. Which is simply the journal of our rather rarefied world. So we know this stuff is going to be good. What is interesting for me is that Freddie's series of books are beginning to slot together really nicely as a complete course for the mystic entertainer. In fact, Freddie's books taken alongside Paul Bell's books, pretty much give you all you need.
However, I want to restrict myself to considering the two volumes of 'Occult Magic', as this in more where my own interests lie.
So what does Freddie mean by 'Occult Magic'? Is he raising the dead, turning lead into gold or riding skyclad on a broom stick? Well, not exactly, as I think these are intended for the next volume. What Freddie is referring to here is magic that is real, aspects of our art that can be performed. So this is genuine magic, but stuff that is also practical. There is none of your pie-in-the sky stuff here. Freddie is foremost and entertainer and performer. This is all working material from a working professional, none of this is stuff that is thought up by some kid in his bedroom, it is the result of work seasoned in performance - this is evidenced on every page. There is no bullshoot here, just stuff you can use, delivered straight from the hip. As someone who does cut an occasional slice of pie, it is really refreshing to read such a direct, clear and no-nonsense account.
So here we have material covering pendulum work, trance, performance-mediumship, pulse reading story telling and anything where you are performing without obvious deception. At the same time Freddie is quite happy to dance around in the grey area between real phenomena and trickery. The basic criteria is that it should entertain.
There is a movement in magic and seen particularly in Bizarre magic, where the more imaginative are exploring the territory that lies beyond the fringes of traditional magic. A movement that aims at re-establish magic as a noble art that opens up new potential realities for the audience. Taken to it's logical conclusion, this is very powerful stuff indeed.
Freddie also has some wise word to those self appointed guardians of our morals (seen more in the penny arcades than amongst the refugees that lurk in the pleasant shadows here). Those that 'seem to confuse putting on an entertaining theatrical séance as being the same as fleecing people under the pretence of talking to their dead relatives', as Freddie succinctly puts it. The advice is sage - ignore them. At the end of the day it is about entertaining the audience. I would go one step further that Freddie appears to go in these two volumes. I think we a doing something potentially more revolutionary, but this is not the place to air my own views. For now I am glad that we have this particular perspective; that this difficult, often ephemeral material can and should be performed as a valid and real form of entertainment. I am more than happy to have someone who knows what he is talking about leading the way.
I have talked to Freddie, via the abstract medium of email (a form of non-temporal communication in it's own right!), very briefly regarding some of his ideas for the future. All, I can say is, hold tight, this is just the start. He is not sure that he will write his book on hypnosis (I am using the 'butterfly induction too now Freddie!). I would ask that you petition him to get on with this, as I cannot think of such a book written from the perspective of the paranormal entertainer. Other ideas lined up have my paypal finger twitching.
For now, there is enough material in these two books to keep me going for more than a few years.
So if you want to explore more challenging and experimental material and you want to do this from the perspective of actually performing it, this will do the job for you.

Just to reiterate what Christopher has said, Freddie's work is fantastic.

Just to threeiterate . . .

I agree with my friends Freddie's books are excellent
Roni

Wow! I appreciate the kind words and am delighted that people are getting what I'm trying to achieve with this series of books.
The idea of mixing real magic with, for want of a better word, trickery, is something that hugely appeals to me and is something I have found to work incredibly well.
The genuine magick (pendulums etc) works as misdirection for the manipulated parts in that any notion of trickery is eradicated and the allowance for unusual and abstract ideas is burst wide-open so that willing acceptance to the impossible allows you to push forward concepts and ideas that the brain would normally reject.

I find this stuff thrilling to perform as each show is tailored to the dynamics and personalities in each group. A future book will be a breakdown of my current show which I hope also have filmed at some point to show these concepts in action. Sadly there is no such thing in the UK as an L&L seance audience but I can but search!

I thoroughly enjoyed completing the interview with Freddie as well. Looking forward to seeing it in print.

You were a great subject Todd, an excellent interview which people are going to love reading.
The Mystic Menagerie has interviews coming up not only with Dr Todd, but Christoper Gould as well - two of the greatest thinkers in bizarre/mentalism today and both share wonderful insights into the art.

It's excellent that the bizarre world is producing some unique thinkers, all with their own original twists on the genre.
I think I'd better interview Mr Voodini next. Paul Prater and Tomo have given great interviews in previous issues, this scene is really flourishing in a very positive way.

Thought some people may like to know that both the Occult Magic books are available as deluxe hardbacks from http://www.lulu.com and The Tarot Reader's Black and The Pendulum Book are available as paperbacks.

I've finally got round to finishing 'Occult Magic 3: The Outer Circle' and it should be available in the next week or so.
It includes a section on how to promote your occult show, tips for tarot readers, how to structure a night of occult entertainment and two routines which I have used. One is based on ideas from Paul Voodini's 'Midnight Side of The Mind' and Alchemy Moon's 'Death In The Family' and is published with both Paul's and Christopher J Gould's approval and blessing. The other routine is something simple you can make up yourself and turns a feat of mind reading into a psychic reading with so many outs there is no fail. The basis of this will be incorporated into an elaborate marketed effect due in the near future.
There is also some superb bonus material from some good friends who are experts in the field. (As there is in all of my books)
The Reverand Tristan has kindly given a wonderful routine, there are some seance ideas from Kotah and a guide to putting on a ghost walk by Stephen Ward.

For those that don't have the first two volumes, I shall be offering an 'Occult Magic' bundle deal.

Freddie, this is great news. I have enjoyed the other 2 Occult Magic books and sounds like some more great content in the new one as well.

It was a pleasure to write a little piece for Freddie's new book. His work is always worth reading

Thanks chaps. It's available from me at the moment by emailing ValentineEntertainments.com at the price of £15.
It should also be available from Lybrary and the Mystic Menagerie book shop in the next few weeks.

What news of the bundle deal Freddie?

Yes, I'd like to hear about that as well.

The bundle is all three Occult Magic books for £30 which means you get the first two for just £7.50 each. This deal is only availble direct from me.

Occult Magic 3 is now also available from Lybrary.

man, that's a good deal

Occult Magic 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Tons of information and insights you may not have known or considered.

See things from the Valentine perspective. Do not assume there is nothing new under the sun, or within the shadows of the spirit world.


He is offering full routines , suggestionsand applications tried and true.

It even has a contribution from yours truly,
A poem ro be recited at the beginning of a seance to set the mood for those in attendance

I found Occult Magic 3 informative and entertaining.





Kotah

I have a confession. I sometimes only read the bits where I get a mention.

( Mind you that's most of the pages.. so I guess I read the lot lol)

Even when Im involved with the words, and the effects, I find I learn something when reading the books. Be it a different perspective, or maybe an insight into a method or technique ive not thought about before.
I can whole heartedly reccomend the books, written from real world experiences,because they are full of practical tried and tested techniques.

There are No Pipe dreams in these pages... Because The dreaming was done a long time ago.

It certainly was, Dale.
Kate Bush did it in 1982
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dreaming_(album)