The Covert Side of Initiation

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About the author

Virgil

Virgil is a writer and Christian magician who has worked extensively with Franz Bardon’s system of magic and enjoys sharing his insights through various outlets. He is currently the author of four books – The Spirit of MagicThe Elemental Equilibrium, and The Covert Side of Initiation, The Gift to be Simple – and runs the blog Living Franz Bardon. Although he enjoys sharing his insights, he enjoys encouraging others to share theirs even more. For this reason, during the summer of 2019, Virgil organized the first Franz Bardon community fundraiser, which resulted in the publication of the collaborative book ‘Equipoise: Insights into Foundational Astral Training’. This book is a compilation of essays and poems about magical equilibrium written by over two dozen students and initiates of Franz Bardon’s system, and all profits from its sales go to the Best Friends Animal Society.

Virgil believes that who a magician really is depends on his or her level of compassion, kindness, and forgiveness. According to Virgil, magical skills, psychic abilities, and occult knowledge can never substitute for these three traits, but aspiring magicians, in their rush to explore the Greater Mysteries, often lose sight of this basic spiritual fact. Many of Virgil’s writings are intended to remind readers that one cannot be a good magician without first being a good person, and that at the end of the day any form of power, including magical power, is of no value unless one has the wisdom needed to use it for the purposes of love. Although he is able to write about the technical aspects of magic, Virgil rarely does so, opting instead to produce writings that help aspiring magicians keep sight of the things that truly matter.