Whether you have an academic interest or are just amused by the occult, this is worthy of a good read. However, If you are an aspiring occultist with the need to understand what is expected of you to reach the "Doors of the Mysteries," then this classic is a must read for you.

Written in the first person singular, Walter Ernest Butler (an English occultist[1898-1978]and founder of Servants of the Light [SOL]) provides a compelling and simple tailored account of a craftsman (The Author), revealing to his apprentice (You), the path towards magical attainment. Butler's method of writing, using correspondence letters written to the reader, allows for an enjoyable, personalized experience--especially since he tries to premeditate what types of questions the reader might be thinking about or asking! (Being self absorbed and fascinated with Butler's creativity, I had a difficult time putting the book down. In fact, I read it several times already, and haven't found anything that compares with it.)

Since it was written to supplement the author's previous published books (i.e., "Magic, its Ritual, Power and Purpose", and "The Magician: His Training and Work", you will not find a lot of details on ritual magic per se; however, plenty of profound elements of magic are craftily employed and iterated upon to provide a clear picture of what's expected for a neophyte to know and understand.

For details on ritual magic and training I suggest reading the aforementioned books--good reads as well--or other books on this topic (e.g., "Modern Magic", by Donald Michael Kraig; "An Introduction to Ritual Magic", by Dion Fortune & Gareth Knight; "First Steps in Ritual", by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki; "The Middle Pillar", by Israel Regardie; "Magic: In Theory and Practice", by Aleister Crowley; "Self Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition, by Chic and Sandra Cicero.)

For the serious student who plans to read all three Butler titles, although there is no set order in which to read these books, I suggest reading "Apprenticed to Magic" first, and then last. First, because it challenges the reader to examine their intentions for wanting to study and practice ritual magic. Last, because it will help clarify information that is presented in the other books.

As a note, to my understanding, Butler created this book like a correspondence course in magic at a time when correspondent courses were not so easily accessible, and hardly existent. Many aspirants who wanted to learn on their own were buying some of Butler's other published works and had questions that needed to be answered regarding the theory and practice of the rituals outlined in those books. So, they wrote him frequently. Well, imagine what it was like answering all of those letters! Therefore, "Apprenticed to Magic" became his answer to those many sort after answers that the "untrained" (i.e., those not belonging to an occult school, or the solo magician) needed.

Be aware though, that securing a copy of this book is not an easy task. In fact, it's a magical feat in itself. The book was first printed in 1962 and then in 1969. Either copy is very difficult to acquire and sometimes expensive. Should you find a copy, I hope you come to value this classic as much as I do--literally and figuratively! It was well worth the money.

This book carries a lot of assumptions on the authors beliefs. It does not give practical advice on how to read auras.

I think that this book is a very real and interesting novel. I learned more about myself than anyother book could have evey shown me. But the real reason why I'm writing this review is because of the reason why I bought it.I was looking in Barns and Noble book store in pittsfield massachusetts and found this book on a shelf and to my suprise I was on the front cover.How strange right! Well my name is Daniel Tucker and go to M.C.L.A, which is a state school in North Adams MA. Also if it is possiable I would like to know when my picture was taken and why its on this great book. It would be great if you could e-mail me.

How to Read The Aura And Practice Psychometry, Telepathy & Clairvoyance, by parapsychologist W. E. Butler, is an American release under one cover of four books popular abroad for years. Butler died long before this book was published, but his techniques are timeless.
Each topic is first clearly defined, with a discussion of the forms it can take and the conditions under which it may be manifested. Butler then describes how people may train themselves to develop that particular ability. He maintains that "psychic development consists in building up certain links between the normal waking consciousness and the personal subconsciousness."
Butler also discusses the ethical use of psychic powers, and advises practitioners to exercise self-discipline with the powers they develop. He also stresses the importance of keeping good records, especially of your progress as you train. Butler emphasizes using psychic abilities for healing and explains how that may be done.
All people possess intuition and basic psychic abilities. Readers interested in recognizing and developing their higher faculties will find How To Read The Aura And Practice Psychometry, Telepathy, & Clairvoyance an excellent and comprehensive reference.

This book is one of the best I know in the subject. When I first bought it about five years ago I could recognize this fact clearly. Nonetheless, it is my opinion that this book is not for absolute begginers. When I read it for the first time I understood some things, but others escaped my comprehension. The third chapter, for example, on Qabbalah, is quite technical and philosophical, perhaps even too "stratospehrical" for readers without SOME (not neccesarily large) formation on Qabbalah. Re-reading it now, after five years of constant work and study on the subject, all these doubts have been solved... but not precisely through THIS book. There is a good section on de Middle Pillar exercise and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and an excelentet chapter on talismans which includes the three different and interesting theories regarding the magical charge. On the whole, it is a very good book about magical theory, and in this it is accesible even to absolute new-commers to the subject, although technicalities make it a little dense even to the experienced reader. I would say that this book is a must for students of the occult and arm-chair and practical magicians alike, but I don't give it five stars because even for the sholarly occultist it is sometimes a little hard. Nonetheless, anyone pursuing magical studies seriously should have read this book at least once. I would include it, along with Regardie's, Fortune's and Kraig's books in the list of "10 books a magician should read"