Book excerpt: The 30 Trials of Ix and the Angels follows Ix Pantheos from his awakening in a ruined castle through his travels to the moon, the sun, and beyond, carried along by the songs of thirty angels as they initiate him into the mysteries of consciousness and the nature of existence. The answer seemingly found and the journey apparently nearing its end, Ix then finds that he must suffer the destruction of his former self, and face a new struggle to hold onto all that was revealed to him. Born of a series of meditations performed by the author, and utilizing an eclectic mix of various world religious and occult philosophies, the story is a surreal journey into the depths of the mind, echoing Ix's own quest to redeem both himself and mankind. While it stands alone as an engaging read for those unacquainted with the various schools of inquiry that comprise the fertile field within which it took root, it retains that symbolism which may prove insightful to like-minded readers who find themselves treading its obscure paths.