It is not outlandish to consider Dean Radin, MS, PhD to be one of the most well known figures in the pop culture saturated world of parapsychology. Author of four full length books to date, as well as numerous journal articles, he definitely understands the topic better than most. Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe, is still a surprise though. A chance audiobook that I purchased during a personal crisis that saw me questioning much to do with the future of my sorcery, running it on loop for weeks while commuting soon got me refocussed on what needed to be done.

The book runs well over 250 pages and is meticulously well structured over nine chapters. The first, Beginning, offers a general overview of what the book is hoping to achieve. Next, Science and Magic sets out the bold claim that psi and sorcery are one and the same. Magical Potpourri holds a more sober discussion on the topic that leans heavily into the cultural aspects. Origins of Magic then delves into the lives and supposed actions of a who’s who within the weird. Running from prehistory to modernity, this deep dive into the chronological through line of occulture, while surface level, is worth the cover price alone.

Chapter five, Practice of Magic covers force of will, gnosis and gives a basic grounding in sigil creation. Scientific Evidence is the next focus, and may rightly be considered the most controversial section of the book. Merlin-Class Magicians returns to the biographical content, concentrating on three specific characters and their claimed exploits. Toward a Science of Magic then covers some macrocosmic concepts to do with the very nature of reality itself. The main text ends with chapter nine, Concluding Thoughts, and here Radin is given room to speculate on the future of the art and its scientific implications.

The reader is left with only minor points to critique. First, the introduction. Designed for a general audience, Real Magic does start with a kind of humorous pseudo-future flash forward that will likely put more serious readers off. Deliberately cringe-worthy, it does not reflect the tone of the rest of the book, though the main narrative itself does have its moments of excess. Second, evidence. Many parapsychology experiments are quoted, all offering favourable results that are used to sure up certain occult traditions. Fair enough in theory, though the correlations are not always as tightly bound as they would at first appear.

Ultimately this is a viable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the idea that magick works via some as yet unrecognised human ability. Billed as entry level, I would instead consider this text to me more intermediate, and of special benefit to those who have a grounding in both psychology and Forteana as well. Outsiders such as Radin, who suddenly declare themselves to be fellow magickians, will always draw the ire of traditional voices in occulture. This is deeply misguided, as those secrets were never theirs to gate keep, nor should genuine allies from other disciplines be refused a seat by our collective fireside.

Title: Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe
Author: Dean Radin, MS, PhD
Genre: Occult Non-Fiction/Parapsychology
Tradition: Chaos Magick/Psionics
Difficulty: Intermediate
Published: 2018
ISBN: 9781524758820
Score: 8/10