Yakṣiṇī Magic available from Amazon
Mike Magee’s new book Yakṣiṇī Magic is now available from Amazon.com as a print on demand paperback.
Yakṣiṇī Magic is the first extensive treatment of Tantric texts dealing with practices that relate to the Yakṣiṇīs, an ancient class of female spirit beings often described as “fertility deities” and said to inhabit wild places, plants and trees. Drawing on a wide range of tantric textual sources, many of which are presented here for the first time summarised into English, Mike Magee examines the various practices through which a tantric practitioner could propitiate these powerful, fierce and sometimes jealous female spirits. Yakṣiṇī Magic affords us a fascinating glimpse into this hitherto unexplored aspect of the tantric world.
With a frontispiece by Jan Magee, internal artwork by Maria Strutz and a foreword by Phil Hine, Yakṣiṇī Magic includes an extensive appendix giving the Yakṣiṇī-related text of eleven tantric texts in Sanskrit and Romanized Devanagari.
Mike Magee’s, Yakṣiṇī Magic brings this obscure group of voluptuous female nature-spirits to our attention, who although dating back to the Vedic era, still feature prominently in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain tantric traditions. The male pot-bellied yakṣa became a model for fierce tantric Buddhist deities like Vajrapāṇi or Mahākala. While the lithe yakṣiṇī, sensually entwined around her special tree, likewise served as a feminine archetype throughout all these traditions. However, the true ‘magic’ within this book lies in the author’s attention to detail, rather than to form.
Robert Beer, author and illustrator of: The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs.
“Mike Magee has made his translations and writings on esoteric tantric literature widely and freely available for many decades. Rare and little known works he has generously shared have helped many people deepen their personal spiritual practice. His work on Yakshinis is an exciting contribution to the world of tantric literature on nature spirits, very welcome in these troubled times.”
Sarah Caldwell
Yakṣiṇī Magic is an informative and engaging study of a little explored topic. The wealth of provided information, with the description of yantras and numerous mantras, will be a treasure trove to those interested in the subject matter and its practical application.
Gordan Djurdjevic, author: of India and the Occult (Palgrave 2014) and co-translator of Sayings of Gorakhnāth (Oxford UP, 2019).
“We know that trees hold a sacredness, embody a living mystery. Mike Magee’s study of the Yaksinis brings this mystery to life, with vivid descriptions and powerful mantras of the spiritual beings that have always been associated with the natural world. For the scholar as well as the sadhaka, Magee’s book is a welcome and needed exploration of the world of Yaksinis. No matter where you may be, after reading this book you may never look at a tree the same way again.
Gregory Peters, author of The Magickal Union of East & West.
Mike Magee has been a practitioner and a student of tāntrika for over 40 years. Initiated into the śrī vidyā Kāmadeva tradition in 1976, he has spent much of life researching the inner secrets of various aspects of the very many tāntrik traditions. His web site www.shivashakti.com reflects his interests. He is currently working on a book called Kālī Magic, to be followed by another work called Lalitā Magic, if he lives long enough, in his own words. Before this, he was a member of Kenneth Grant’s Ordo Templi Orientis, and a co-editor of influential Thelemic magazine Sothis.
