Book excerpt: Working on the cutting edge of both magic and art, Austin Osman Spare developed a unique synthesis of older ritual magic systems with post-modern, erotic, and surrealist themes. His theory of magic eschews complex formula and ritual to favor creativity, spontaneity, and ecstasy, embracing artistic expression and alternative sexualities. Collected here are some of Spare's most important works. Though dense and esoteric, these texts bear repeated study by the serious occultist, for they speak to the human drives that make real magic possible.