Conway - Magickal, Mystical Creatures: Invite Their Powers into Your Life

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Contents

: The Forgotten Magick

. What Are the Magickal, Mythical, Mystical Beasts?

. Working With the Magickal Beasts

: Fabulous Beasts

. Unicorns

. Flying Horses

. Centaurs

. Satyrsand Fauns

. Gigantic Birds I

. Gigantic Birds II

. Human-Birds

. Griffins

. Mystical BullsandBull-Men

. Fabulous Lions

. Magickal Serpents

. The Riddling Sphinx

. Mad Dogs and Hell Hounds

. Water-Folk

. Creatures of the Stony Stare

. Gargoyles

. Other Magickal, Mythical Creatures

. Summary

: Working with Magick

. CandleBurning

. Amulets and Talismans

. Rituals

PART I

The Forgotten Magic

Introduction

Nearly everyone has heard of certain magickal, mythical creatures of the world, Unicorns and Dragons being the most popular.

However, there are a great many more such beasts andcreatures whose existence is little known or has been forgotten. This was brought to my attention when my book Dancing With Dragons was released in the fall of 1994. I was no tprepared for the enthusiasm with which the book was received by the reading public. Several letters asked the same questions: When are you going to write about Unicorns (or some other fabulous beast)? What about all the other magickal creatures?

There are already so many books about Unicorns that I simply could not see doing an entire book on that subject. I am well acquainted with Pegasus, the Minotaur, the Sphinx, and several other beings through my mythological studies, but I began to wonder if there were others I had forgotten or never heard about.

It seems when I wrote Dancing With Dragons and Animal Magick, the doors to the hidden world of other creatures opened wide. Suddenly, everywhere I turned, some strange mythical creature demanded my attention.I seldom opened a book without some reference catching my eye. Nearly every catalog I read or store I visited seemed to have at least one mythical creature. The rapport I had established previously with Dragons and animal familiars was an introduction to a whole world of critters I had not thought much about before.

I mentioned all this to Nancy Mostad at Llewellyn, and she replied, Why not write a book about them? So I began collecting notes and ideas and started an outline, not in any great hurry about this possible future book project. Then at Winter Solstice a gift arrived from a long-time friend. Inside was a Gargoyle, and he was very much alive in the psychic sense. I immediately gave him the job of watching the entire property and the front door in particular.

What could I do? It was obvious these fabulous creatures had something to say. My magickal curiosity was stirred up. I decided to write a Whos Who of magickal, mythical, mystical beasts, an introduction and history of these fabulous creatures and how they, like the Dragons, can be co-magicians in magickal workings. The only similar books I have found are the old bestiaries,which are all highly Christianized and have no thing to do with magick. As far as I know, this is a one-of-a-kind book on the subject.

Not every one who reads this book, or hears about it, will understand and believe as I do about the Otherworlds of magickal creatures and beings. Nor will they relate to such creatures in the same way. Every one must seek the path of understanding that is right for them. However, I do hope you will keep an open, non-critical mind, accepting what you feel is right for you and allowing others to accept what is right for them without comment.

Welcome to the world of fabulous, magickal creatures who are still alive and well and very powerful in the astral planes.

What Are the Magickal,
Mystical Creatures?

In records and carvings from thousands of years ago we find the first mention of strange,fabulous beasts.It is evident that early cultures knew these creatures well, although most of thesurviving written records are sketchy. In some instances, there are only statues or carvings and few words about several creatures.

Many magickal beasts are mentioned in mythology and folklore, some in greater detail than others. Nearly everyone is familiar with the Unicorn and Dragon, the Sphinx and the Phoenix. But how many people are aware of the Shedu of ancient Mesopotamia, the Cu Sith of Scotland, the Barbegazi of Switzerland, orthe Firebird of Russia? There are many fascinating mythical creatures waiting to be rediscovered.