Raven Digitalis, Author of Goth Craft
As I was sitting in the bathtub reading Kink Magic: Sex Magic Beyond Vanilla by Taylor Ellwood and Lupa, my Priestess and polyamorous partner Estha (who didn't know I was reading it) came in the bathroom, mock-drowned me for a few minutes, and ordered me to cook breakfast--which I did in satisfactory servitude!
Kink Magic is a gorgeously-written and thoughtfully complete manual for the (relatively common but not commonly discussed) convergence of magical spirituality and the kink lifestyle. Insofar as kink, a wide array of pertinent material is clearly laid out, including BDSM, bondage, fetishism, sadomasochism, and gender-play. For anyone who is curious about either the kink or magical-spiritual lifestyle, this book is key.
Discussions of Gnosis and altered states of consciousness, as associated with kink and sexual magic, help tie the book's text together and encourage the reader to consider the spiritual benefits of alternative sexual/sensual practice. I also particularly appreciate discussions within the book involving health, safety, and realistic awareness in any given situation. Taylor and Lupa examine countless angles of kink culture; my knowledge of the subject has grown immensely after reading this.
I was especially glad to see the authors' insight that sex and kink are separate entities, though the two--one being sexual and one being sensual--often go together. The authors also examine psychological factors to do with magic and kink, which is an extremely important factor that many writers unfortunately overlook. Another strong point in the work are the various discussions and references to gender perception (both personal and cultural), gender identity, and transgenderism (both in the sense of fetishism and actual transsexual living).
Characteristic of the authors' works, Kink Magic includes plenty of personal anecdotes (many of which are, admirably, very personal!), with no text-fillers or empty ritual outlines. The material, par usual, has serious substance; it's down-to-earth, accessible, and brutally honest. It is clear that the authors choose to use their writing skills not for ego-wanking or money-making, but because they honestly and earnestly want to teach people accurate, progressive occult information.
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Bill Whitcomb, Author of the Magician's Reflection and The Magician's Companion
"Kink Magic may be kinky, but it goes a long way towards straightening out common misconceptions regarding sexual magic."
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Jennifer Hunter, author of Rites of Pleasure: Sexuality in Wicca and NeoPaganism
Taylor Ellwood and Lupa bring an experienced and sensible approach to the oft-sensationalized subjects of kinky sexuality and magic, exploring each in its own right, and finding creative and effective ways to blend them. Both kink and magic can be scary and unpredictable affairs, but the authors' calm and protective influence helps the reader navigate, challenge, and harness the shadows of the psyche to do no less than transform reality. I highly recommend this book to anyone kinky or magical; if you're both, it's required reading.
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Mistress Milliscent, www.milliscent.com
The intersection of kinky sex and practical magick; pleasure, pain, and spirituality. Lupa and Taylor explore and explain this intersection in a positive way for members of both the kinky and magickal communities, bridging a gap that for many should not exist.
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Sylvana Silverwitch, aka Mistress Damiana DeViante; HPS, Sylvan Grove; Publisher, Widdershins
Written in a down to earth, easy to understand, warm and casual style, Kink Magic is a balancing act between dominance and submission and the erotic dance of the sacred spirit. Both share experiences and insights, ritual and sex, pain and pleasure, love, growth and their personal truths, powerful, raw and profound. It's the book I wish I'd written!
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Excerpts from Mike Gleason's review of Kink Magic
There will be those individuals who will be put off by the mere title of this book. Either the word "kink" or the phrase "sex magic" will convince them that this is a pornographic book. It most assuredly is no. It is not concerned with what goes where. It is concerned with how to use non-traditional energy sources to achieve magical ends. If you want pornography, graphic illustrations and that style of thing, fire up your web browser and net surf your brains out. If you want to explore the potentials in the use of sex for magical purposes, this is an important book for you.
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Excerpts from Sensuous Sadie's review of Kink Magic
One of the important differences in their approach is stated in the very first page of their introduction: "We're writing as magicians who are integrating kink into magic, rather than kinky people who are integrating magic into our play. In other words, they come from the spiritual orientation first and are adding the BDSM aspect into that, and presumably from their other books, other things as well. In contrast, I, and many of my readers come from an orientation of being in the BDSM community first, and bringing in a spirituality sensibility in as we've become more engaged and comfortable in that path. So you won't be getting a lot of instruction on how to fling that flogger, whap that wax or any of that silliness, and that's just fine with me.
More importantly, their loving partnership offers us a personal story that balances one another, separately and together, often from both sides of the same experience. Being able to hear of their experiences as they unfold from different perspectives made a telling difference in helping me see what was truly going on inside their heads. After all, it's easy to see what's happening when someone is being tied up. But what's happening in someone's mind and heart cannot be seen, and isn't that what we truly want to know?
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Excerpts from Kenaz Filan's review for newWitch Magazine
Kink Magic: Sex Magic Beyond Vanilla*, a frank, mature, cutting-edge discussion of sexuality, magic, and their various intersections which should prove useful and entertaining whatever your pleasure or perversion.
Kink Magic is an invaluable addition to the canon: there is ample material here for the leather-clad domme and the milquetoast missionary alike. Highly recommended.
Copyright 2007-present Taylor Ellwood and Lupa