The Chaos Protocols: Magical Techniques for Navigating the New Economic Reality

by Gordon White

The years since the financial crash have seen the realization dawn that the great promise of modern civilization will go unfulfilled. Study hard, work hard, buy a house, retire happy. It's all a lie, spun for the benefit of a tiny elite. The richest eighty-five people on earth have as much wealth as the poorest 3.5 billion. Each month, the numbers change but they never improve. Magical and spiritual discourse has failed to keep up with this new reality. The Chaos Protocols aims to fix that. Join Gordon White as he shows you how to use chaos magic not only to navigate these trying times, but to triumph as well. Discover how to become invincible through initiation, and wage the mind war that will keep you moving toward what you really want. From sigil magic to working with spiritual allies, The Chaos Protocols helps you act on the unwavering belief that your life should matter and you're not going to let something as trifling as the apocalypse get in the way of it. "Gordon White gives a master class on the hard economic realities and the kind of low down and dirty magic for which he has become famous. Pragmatic, sharp, and funny, The Chaos Protocols is a treasure of a book."―Peter Grey, author of Apocalyptic Witchcraft "Take two parts Magick Without Tears , a measure of The Wealth of Nations , a pinch of Ian Fleming and a dash of Noel Coward and you have this almost promiscuously readable text. Whoever said books on magick can't be fabulously entertaining as well as eminently practical has obviously not read up on their Gordon White. Remedy that situation."―Chris Knowles, author of The Secret History of Rock n' Roll and Our Gods Wear Spandex

Genres: Occult, Magic, Magick, Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Economics

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2016

About the author

Gordon White runs one of the world's leading chaos magic blogs and podcasts, Rune Soup. He has worked nationally and internationally for some of the world's largest digital and social media companies, including BBC Worldwide, Discovery Channel, and Yelp.

Gordon has presented at media events across Europe on social and data strategy as well as the changing behaviors and priorities of Generation Y. During this time, he has partied with princes, dined in castles, dived on sunken cities and even had a billionaire knight buy him bottles of champagne.

Reviews

[Joe Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of things I really like about this book, and I do recommend it to anybody in the field. Gordo's managed to pack both a decent, if brief, analysis of the state of both the western economy and the overall western worldview, and of the major flaws and implications within them into the beginning of the book, and he then presents a set of ritual tools and tech overview to allow a practitioner to navigate those maps from a practical and utilitarian perspective. I'm particularly fond of the Headless Rite/Four Kings bit, since that's been an area of recent interest for me, and the Crossroads petition rite is something that I think I can do some work with as well.
On the other hand, what I did find slightly disconcerting is the degree to which the advice and overall perspective assume that the reader's coming to this from the position of a healthy white middle class western male with few social ties or responsibilities. The constant refrain of "embracing the uncertainty" and exhortations for flexible responses to chaotic environments ring a bit hollow to people for whom risk is not just "gosh, I might have to go back and live with my parents" but is more like "fuck, I might have to watch my wife die because we can't afford her medicine", or "shit, CPS wants to take my kid away because we've been living on the street for the last month". See, for me the thing is that magic doesn't always work; because nothing ALWAYS works. And like most of the people I know, I have to weigh the choices I make based on the risks not only to myself and my own comfort, but to the lives and safety of the people I love. And yes, this is a fundamentally unsafe and unpredictable world, and the mundane wage-slave existence is as fragile and transient as anything else in it, but the knowledge that the eggshell shelter I've erected can be crushed by random factors way out of my control doesn't exactly encourage me to leap out into the maelstrom dragging my family behind me without a LOT more care and preparation than Gordo seems to assume is needed.
I have to factor that kind of thinking into my choices and my magical and lifestyle strategies. I'm a lot less sanguine about rolling the dice with my life when I'm betting the lives and safety of my family. And yes, the storm's coming, and yes, sooner or later, we're gonna probably end up out in it after the roof blows off, but until that happens, I want to keep us all as warm and dry as possible for as long as I can.
That doesn't mean that I didn't like the book, and that I didn't find useful stuff in it. But y'all should be aware of that aspect of the overall tone.

[Wench · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book about saving or fixing or improving the world.

It is clearly written by a cis white man - a fairly affluent one at that - and there is a complete lack of any sort of intersectional integration or consideration. It feels pretty selfish a lot of the time. Also White is absolutely selling a world view through most of it, despite his insistence he isn't.

What this is, is a book that says "look, the world is fucked. Here is part of why it is fucked. But here are some things for you to do to help you survive it."

Yes, it includes magic. But it also asks questions and pokes holes in assumptions in such a way that it's useful even if you think magic is complete hooey.

(also ngl, laughed like a loon when I got to the part about multi-family and multi-generational housing. Not because I think it's wrong, but because WAY AHEAD OF YOU, BOY)

Also, it does not preclude your going out and saving the world, as it were. It is not incompatible with activism and change work. It isn't integrated for you, but it probably shouldn't be. Sure, what White is himself doing with the information in this book isn't what I'd do. But is anyone really surprised that my view - a white cishet lady with a small child, a completely different skill set, and a temporarily well-functioning spine - of what "success" and "best life" are is different than this guy's? Come on now.

It is a magic book, it does wander, it is written by a dude (a dude who acknowledges the fact that fat folks are treated worse and seems to not care about how that structure is bullshit, which I have feels about) and no, I don't agree with everything White says. BUT I think it is useful, and goodness it is yet another book in my latest string of "huh, it's awfully strange how all these things fit together". So there's that.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chaos Protocols is a book of practical sorcery and enchantment unfolding in real time, a screenshot of our contemporary cultural crises, capturing our precarious position on the precipice of a past of bewildering technological and economic change and a future of unknown certainty. It exudes an optimism that the well informed and enterprising magician can carve a path through the modern wasteland while at the same time applies the surgical gaze necessary for a sober assessment of our situation. Protocols is aimed at success, and certainly the success one finds with White's book will be their proof. The book has its fill of both strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day represents a critical revaluation of the practical realities the magician of today faces and an upgrade to our practical tool kits for dealing with it. The Chaos Protocols is both challenging and controversial in regards to the critiques it poses to the western worldview many of us have inherited, and it is precisely this which makes Protocols a necessary step in pushing the dialogue further in the magical and esoteric community.
The book begins with the good and bad news of the Kali Yuga. White suggests that we are "...undergoing a once-in-a-civilization economic event" (5)—from the collapse of the biosphere to outright criminal banking systems—an event that is permanently altering the structure and shape of our personal as well as collective lives. Chaos Protocols is written for the individual who is willing to cash in on the untold advantages, opportunities, and experiences this situation affords, for the person whom, "...when life gives them lemons, offers those lemons at the crossroads and go buys themselves a gin and lemonade simply because it is Tuesday" (3). In order to create meaning and value in our own lives, according to White, we've better wrap our heads around the value systems we have inherited (and how they are being systematically eroded). White suggests that this involves looking not only at our microeconomic situation: balancing our checkbooks, eliminating debt, etc.; but, also at our macroeconomic situation--capital flows, commodity prices, bond markets, equities, etc. It is only when we recognize how this system operates and that it was not set up for our benefit that we can begin engaging this system so that it may yield maximum meaning and value for our personal and collective lives.
The magical practices and techniques outline throughout the chapters rests on an understanding and experiential grasp of the probabilistic nature of the universe. If the traditional definition of magic is "the art and science of causing change in conformity with will," then White's variation might be: the art and science of tilting probabilities to one's favor. White writes,

"...the entire system is a human construct, an overlay on a probabilistic universe. It is flimsy, a hologram inside another hologram. The most insidious way the holographic bars trap you is by convincing you of their eternal, physical reality. One of the most practical ways of breaking out of these bars is through a diligent exploration of consciousness and probability" (45).

While an understanding of the mechanics of probability would better be gained by consulting a textbook on inductive logic in conjunction with one's diligent magical practice, the chapter offers insights into the types of changes we can effect through various techniques of consciousness alteration. Consciousness can effect real changes, but they are usually small and incremental changes, which overtime, if tilted in our favor, make the universe taste better and bring us incrementally to the achievement of our lager goals and projects.
White’s ontological thesis is intended to take a firm ideological stand, a way of breaking down inherited status quo interpretations of the universe to facilitate a greater degree of freedom and mobility within it.

"The hypothesis of materialism is extremely weak. A single example of the non-physical in action, be it telepathy or psi effects, a religious miracle of any flavour, a provable example of divination or precognition, and Richard Dawkins's house of dreary cards comes crashing down. There are thousands and thousands of examples to choose from an you are well-served collecting those that are most personally meaningful to you over the course of your lifetime. It could be the otherwise-impossible past life recollections of children, it could be the 120 years of university studies into telepathy and other psi results. Find something that simply cannot be but is and get really knowledgeable about it. These data points become talismans to ward off the demon hosts of the materialist tyranny" (46).

While the intimate relationship between consciousness and practical magic must be undeniable to anyone who has engaged the techniques and practices and obtain sufficient results therewith, White's assertion that we live in a universe in which consciousness is fundamental (55) appears overreaching. While it sounds good on paper, especially within a book on sorcery and enchantment, the statements here, as well as the employment of "quantum mysticism" appear as little more than ideological posturing, rather than sober argumentation and assessment of evidence. White does, however, provide a convincing and exiting case that magicians of all stripes should give consciousness phenomenon, such as psi effects, a closer look. The bibliography at the end of the book provides an excellent resource in this regard. The endorsement of the reality of psi phenomenon is certainly a challenging aspect of the book, a challenge that should lead to a closer examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the materialistic world-views we have inherited.
If one does find themselves so inclined to pursue the consciousness and magic route, or is simply looking for a more radical way to achieve success in todays harsh economic realities, there are several routes that White recommends one takes. In short, either (a) find a way to "take a high dose of psychedelics in a suitable ritual environment" (61) or (b) go headless with a self-initiation ritual. As White puts it, find some way to make yourself invincible.

"There is no greater defence against the grim, uncompromising wasteland of the late capitalist world than the unshakeable awareness that it will end and you will not...there is something simply and profoundly stabililsing in knowing that you are so much more than your circumstances or your job...Becoming invincible is the process of immunising yourself against the monoculture" (60).

It is has been the promise of many mystical and magical traditions that identification with that which persists beyond our defined societal roles and material conditions grants liberation and mastery over life. White's proposal here is no different and the routes he prescribes can certainly lead to a greater awareness of who and what we are, securing a knowledge of reality that can inoculate us from mistaking our circumstances as our identity, our temporal and contingent economic and social realities as eternal and unchanging truths.

Throughout the chapters White also provides accessible magical tech and effective ritualistic procedures, one of which is ancestor worship. White sees ancestor worship as one of the oldest forms of magical practice and therefore as a potentially highly accessible and resonate practice for a wide variety of people. First of all, White points out that studying up on your family genealogy has been proven to induce stress and anxiety reducing effects, so get to it. You can also begin by setting up an ancestral altar with paintings and photographs of deceased relatives to which offerings can be made. The text also includes a number of rituals for further exploration and experimentation.
I found particular use in White's exposition of divination and forecasting, which was more accessible and informative than just about any other source I have come across. White does not offer particular instruction in how to read the cards themselves; but rather, a strategy for maximizing the benefits that can be drawn from a given reading. His method of forecasting utilizes a combination of personal prediction, astrological prediction, and cartomancy to make the most of the possibilities that are available to one in any given situation. Whatever we may think about the causal (or a-causal) mechanics behind divination, anyone who gives the method a try will find a powerful method for integrating counter-intuitive options and strategies into their own life. If nothing else, the method provides a way to creatively step outside the box of one's habitual cognitive patterns. Also, the chapter on sigil magic will have you utilizing your divinatory practice for practical enchantment in a short amount of time, and presents a powerful tool in the magicians’ arsenal of magical technique.
The Chaos Protocols attempts to open up a space whereby we can not only understand our current economic and cultural condition, but take active steps to successful navigate it. White does appear to have a strong grasp on the cultural zeitgeist. Protocols is based on the premise that the life we have been offered—school, safe employment, mortgage, car, vacation, etc.—is not only a life that most of us do not want, it is a life that is not in reality any longer feasible. This vision of the present opens up a new vision of the future, a future lived, if not outside the bars of the "black iron prison," then at least within its contours and the back allies of its grooves. Gordon also appreciates that such a life is not for the faint of heart.

"A defining characteristic of the most prominent magicians of fiction and reality is that they meddle. Dee, Crowley, Merlin, Gandalf, Morgan le Fay, Bruno. Whatever the weather, they went out to remake the universe in a way that suited them better. We must do the same. Whatever the macroeconmoic conditions, the magician must always heed the advice...aim to misbehave" (149).

"The goal of the magician, particularly the chaos magician, is to position his or her life so that it responds positively to volatility rather than negatively. Volatility should make your life better, not worse, just as thousands of microtears in your muscles during weight training lead to larger biceps" (164).

By putting ourselves into a position whereby we profit from the volatile and uncertain times in which we live, but taking smart risks and tilting the probabilities to our favor, instead of having them work against us, we can find new and innovative ways to create and bring meaning into our lives.
The Chaos Protocols offers a fresh perspective and approach to practical sorcery and enchantment geared to our present cultural and economic crisis. While many of the claims in the book to challenge dearly held assumptions about the nature and function of consciousness and the universe, confronting such assumptions is both challenging and rewarding, and one obviously need not agree with all that White puts forward in order to find value and substance within its pages. The book does not ask for blind acceptance, but rather critical investigation, and the style in which it is written encourages such an approach. The book is bold, and in this regard admirable. Chaos Protocols certainly has the potential of pushing the contemporary magical and esoteric dialog further.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I like his blog, the "runesoup" including his podcast "find the others", for which both he deserves a lot of praise, I didn't expect that: Gordon White's "The Chaos Protocols" is maybe one of the very best introductions in magic and certainly the very best I've read, which isn't spread in course-format across a multi-volume-work (that would be Josephine McCarthy's "Quareia"), but just mind-altering stuff between two book-covers. And this isn't even, strictly speaking, an introductin.
It is part time introduction, business-advice, grimoire, state-of-the-world-analysis and effect/results/financial-magic primer. The "Chaos Protocols" contains only minor metaphysical speculations (which is good), no 90's Pop-Chaos-MagiCK-Bullshit, instead the time tested evocations of our ancient forefathers and hands-on practical advice on how to proceed and what to expect on the first steps. Of course, one hasn't to agree one hasn't to agree on the entirety of his analysis of our current status quo, which is also mainly geared towards the american economy and educational system.

----
Upon 2nd reading: This book is still great and reads especially interesting and probably most of all terrifying in light of recent events.

[Kitap · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is the difference between bravery and recklessness. If you are not taking risks, you are failing to find the opportunities you are looking for, you are denying yourself optionality. In a career setting, this looks like taking on side projects at night and on weekends, being visible at industry events, putting your hand up for international assignments, applying for jobs you think you are under-qualified for, or even just asking the boss for extra work that stretches you.

Bravery, when combined with alertness, manifests in the highly desirable state of being "lucky." ...

Trial and error is the intelligence of chaos. If you wish to increase your optionality, if you wish to build "luck" behaviours, then you are indeed going to be placing multiple bets on multiple successful outcomes. You cannot do this for very long if each of the bets are too large. Invest in multiple bets that expose you to only a small amount of downside and a greater possibility of upside than one large bet. [E.g.} Do not quit your job to found a design agency, volunteer your design skills one evening a week for three separate charites or nonprofits.

Trial and error is the intelligence of chaos because your mistakes are information. The more of them you make, the more information you have to make the next round. Aim for as many mistakes as possible that cost you the least amount possible. Almost any situation you find yourself in can be improved and even turned around with a combination of persistence and increased information. (pp. 151–3)

Much like the author's blog, this book is a bouillabaisse of practical magickal experiments, chaos theory (not that kind, this kind), futurist speculation, political commentary, and career advice. I think some of it is spot on, some of it is outrageous and goofy, and that my take on which is which will almost certainly fluctuate over time.

Here is an example of the sort of “parapolitical” insight the author often delivers:

[Contemporary financial and macroeconomic] incentives become even more bizarre when you consider pension funds, some of the largest institutional investors. Think on this. You spend your entire career paying money that you earned in America or Britain's real economy into a pot that is then taken out of the country and invested in an emerging market... with the result that it destroys jobs in the economy you worked in, making everyone poorer and increasing your tax obligation as more people have to rely on social programmes.

And why is this money taken out of the country? Because you want your pension fund to have the highest return on investment so that you can actually retire one day in a corner of the world that is now economically depressed as a result of this pooling of capital you contributed to your whole life. So do you want the companies your pension fund invested in paying more or less tax? If they pay less tax, you have a bigger pension, but you pay more for roads. Whether you call this a conspiracy or "just good business" is irrelevant because not only is it happening, but it sets the agenda for how you generate your own wealth. Because make no mistake, your pension fund currently cannot afford to pay out what it has promised you. (pp. 28–9)

The perennial human condition metamorphoses into the contemporary human predicament. TANSTAAFL. Or is there, thanks to our robot overlords? Our inability to recognize the exponential function. Colonizing Mars as the consolation prize for fucking up the only Earthlike planet we know exists. Politics as a rigged game with each of us as both house and sucker, with the differential between the two stacked massively toward a vanishingly small minority. Same as it ever was, only worse perhaps. But here, in these predicaments, the author sees opportunity where others may see only collapse.

In keeping with the chaos magic tenet that belief is a tool—something that really resonates with my own understanding of Mahayana Buddhism, FWTW—the author does not give one right answer to the question of how to recognize and take advantage of the present opportunity-in-change. Instead he presents a variety of techniques and tools for exploration of a variety of subjects:

- initiation rituals, whether entheogenic or otherwise (putting the Headless Rite into practice whilst on vacation to Signal Mountain, TN, was quite powerful—and fun);

- ancestor veneration (this has thus far lead to me gathering up old family photos for the mantle and tracking down origins);

- meaningful coincidence and cultivating synchronicities;

- Tarot, and divination more generally (the I-Ching and the McKennas come to mind);

- sigil magic (my favorite chapter thus far, one involving black paper and metallic Sharpies); and

- how to wage a mind war (a.k.a. advice from a wizard on college and career).

What’s scarce today is real-world experience, or even, as it turns out, real-world preparedness. The number of students exiting the college system with poor literacy skills is amazing, to say nothing of those entering it. Should you wish to pursue interests that require specific degrees… [m]ake your college experience as cheap as possible… [b]e employed or minimize your debt as much as possible… use the experience as an excuse to launch a bunch of projects.… Projects and continual learning are the stakes plunged into the ground that demarcate your area of expertise…. Continual learning is not the process of accruing a growing pile of certificates in project management and MS Office proficiency and so on—although they can help. Continual learning arises when you refuse to let circumstances or other people’s opinions of you stand in your way. Like being lucky, it lives entirely in a singular mindset: do not worry about being good at something. Focus instead on getting better at it. (pp. 159–61)

So... am I as sanguine about the future, and my ability to surf it, as the author seems to be, whether that future consists of "business as usual," as "collapse," or as "fully automated luxury communist civilization"?

Nope, probably not; then again, I'm now one of the middle-aged folks waiting for the bottom to drop out of my pension, at the very least. Ah well, I won't get out alive anyway. (Death, kindly bent to ease us. But I digress.) For the larval humans out there, especially the ones about to pupate (aka the adolescents aka my own progeny), much of this information may be invaluable for navigating the uncertainties ahead.

[Pam Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one third magic, one third Econ class, and one third rambling blog post that made my eyes glaze over. (Honestly, maybe it was because I was reading at night, and my attention span wasn't at it's finest, but there were times I thought "How is this relevant to anything?").

Regardless, it was a really interesting and informative read. I'm more into passive/practical magic than setting up an alter or meeting the devil in a crossroads, and I really liked the parts about meditation, honoring your ancestors, divination, and making sigils. Although, meeting the devil in a crossroads and performing a headless rite sounded mighty tempting.

I wish there was more magic in this book, but I liked how much practical advice was given as well- Don't buy a house, don't go to college, do your own thing and go where the wind takes you. Solid advice, and always nice to hear.

All in all, a lot about the economy, so don't expect a fun ride. This book felt like a roller coaster that was mostly flat, but the drops were so exhilarating that it made up for the rest of the drab-mostly. Expect some cool shit, and the illusion of having control over your life, and some hope of not being a complete failure in this day and age (the Kali Yuga, apparently).

All in all, a really enlightening and informative book, just a little rambly at times.

[Rory Tregaskis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Turns out looking at magic via economics only gives you a half baked idea of both. It was kind of fun and interesting at times, but very annoying and the author is unbearably smug. I don't care that he worked at Google or whatever.

I've enjoyed his podcast a bit, but recently have heard about his coronavirus conspiracy beliefs and can kind of tell he's a bit of a twat. I work in a hospital so see the destruction caused by COVID first hand, so find it's deniers pretty hard to take.

[Min · Rating 1 out of 5]

When this book was first published, by the response amongst my cohorts, one would think the Messiah had returned, the definitive work written, and all else is naught. Clearly, as it has taken me this long to even bother to look at it at all, shows I am not moved by such ecstatic reviews. Now that I have read it, I am flummoxed over the reactions. More than once, out loud, I said, "what are your sources for that?!" because I was so irritated at his casual dropping of strong statements without proof it had any grounding in fact, or study. The use of suspect sources, when one is attempting to be taken seriously about the economy, and future-trends, is a terrible foundation for anyone. I could only regard his ramblings as a load of very unsound advice. Considering this is the actual bones upon which the book is built, makes it weak and brittle. The "revolutionary" techniques can be found elsewhere, so taking those out, one is left with a hollow collection of speculation swirled in a smattering of basic truths (networking, experiences, and keen observation) to give them a semblance of validity.

This many years on, I started reading it as a foreshadowing of the author's writings, and behaviors in conjunction with noticing the practices, books, and topics this book appears to have spawned. For example, there was a time when the Holy Guardian Angel was de rigueur discussion. This book flooded my associates with a drive to discuss Meeting the Devil at the Crossroads, PGM, ancestors, Headless/Bornless Rite, and an obnoxious level of debate regarding One True Chaos. If I disregarded the book as useful to me in any way, and saw it as a peek into a moment of Occult history, it was much less painful to read.

Ideally, one's attempt to influence an area by magic, requires a strong knowledge of that area. This is the only book I have seen that has even attempted such a venture. I would hope to see more discussion about learning those topics and then examine how to use magical methods to integrate into one's goals. Too often, folks barrel through with frenzied faith and no facts; later, boggled by their failure. Forethought makes for Promethean Fervency :)
Plan.

[Sarah Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of this book and have read it numerous times even though I don't necessarily agree that cities are the place to be in coming days... but I suppose that's depends on your goals. A magician is no magician without adventures, right? I have applied schoaling technique to several practices beyond sigil work and find it helpful. Additionally, Gordon is pretty great at allowing you to read between the lines if you are able. Winner winner chicken dinner.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to say about this book. I thought the first chapter was absolutely brilliant. It's a devastating deconstruction of modern economics and power in society. I feel like telling everyone I know to read this part. Gordon White is a very gifted writer, and one of the best aspects of his storytelling is the way that he ties many disparate threads into a single story. A kind of gonzo investigative journalist of weird realms. I'm totally aboard the initial part of this narrative web. After the first chapter though, the book changes direction drastically. I feel less able to settle on an opinion on the rest of the book. It very quickly gets into specific "magickal" techniques - spells, incantations, rituals. These are presented in a very compelling way. But this is rocky ground. The only other book on this topic I have ever read is "Persuasions of the Wiches Craft", Tanya Luhrmann's anthropological study of modern witchcraft in which she makes a very compelling case for how magical practitioners manage to convince themselves of impossible things. So the very straight up descriptions of recipes for summoning unseen forces seem fanciful. I expect it says something more about me than about the book, but I find rituals from distant cultures much easier to accept seriously than these rituals that come from cultures closer to my own.
The justification given for a world view in which these rituals genuinely work wasn't enough to solidly grab me. White makes the case that materialism is obviously false but the evidence he cites is at best controversial and rather than explore the subtleties of this, he steamrolls through with a selective interpretation that fits his story. More generally, one thing that seemed to undermine the credibility of the book was the reliance on some suspect sources. This was quite puzzling as the author is obviously extremely intelligent and it felt like there must be better sources of evidence than some of the ones used. The final point that annoyed me was that the book delves into a vaguely self-helpy style at points. Although it is very self aware and humorous in this regard, it just felt a bit icky for it.
Having said all that, I really did enjoy the book! I really like these ideas even if I find them problematic. I thought the historical background and insights into mythology and esotericism were fascinating. There are moments of brilliance and real insight in here, as well as some great quotes from other works. I'd absolutely read more of Gordon White and suspect that something less instructional and more philosophical would resonate with me better.

[Eerika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very distressing about economics as it was supposed to be. It was also very entertaining. And weird. This was my very first book about chaos magics, and I didn't know what type of book I picked when I was inspired to choose this book based on a kindle advertisement. Very long time I waited that at the end there is a chapter saying "now that you've done all the magic practices and offerings of rum etc. why wouldn't you do something actually useful". That just shows my minds limitations. The ideas in this book were compelling. I'm a big fan of an energy psychology theories and changing one's mindset and breaking the old fears and habits.

I got kind of exhausted after reading this, and I probably need to recover some before re-reading and perhaps changing my mindset to try some of this stuff. But even as a reading experience this was a lot of fun.

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book on magic and economics whether you're a beginner, an adept, or somewhere in-between. It's ripe with information that may very well open wide your head if it doesn't send it flying off.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like economics and magic but mixed together it wasn't really my thing. The author talks about getting initiated by a shaman to do magic, but also says if you're struggling economically where you live just move somewhere else where you can make more money. I didn't take away much from this book that isn't already widely accessible. Meditation and mindfulness are key during the human experience.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

É um livro muito bom, que começa contando um pouco de como o dinheiro surgiu e funciona, e que depois usa a abordagem do ponto de vista do magista do caos em relação ao dinheiro, negócios e sucesso.

[Oscar Pettersson]

Stopped at 60%. It was (way) too out there for me. It's a serious book about literal magic, like remote viewing, tarot card reading, connecting with dead ancestors, etc. etc.

[Claire M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's taken me a while to think up a way to describe this book, but I've eventually settled on "a wander through the author's thoughts on the way things are and how to deal with them with [ceremonial/sigil] magic."

It's not bad. I came to this one through John Beckett's blog, which I love, so I was kind of predisposed to like it, and I kind of did. Mostly.

But...

The stroll through the mind of the author isn't in and of itself a bad thing, but it does mean that the book puts forth a very situated perspective. Some of the non-ceremonial solutions that White proposes for the current economic woes that are affecting most of us in one way or another might be great if you can act on them, but definitely won't work for everyone. There's not a whole lot of consideration, for example, of the structural inequalities that prevent people from maximizing their chances for economic success. (For example--and I'm just gunna throw this out there--not everyone can improve their chances of getting rich by just up and moving to a place with great opportunities, and not everyone who hasn't moved either just hasn't thought of that or can't be arsed.) And if you're new to the idea that, in the post-2008 era, Boomer-era financial wisdom might not work for everyone... well, welcome to the planet. (It's on fire; sorry about that. Long story.)

White clearly knows a lot about occult history (and history of occultists). CM isn't really my thing, but the rituals he includes are clearly set out, and he provides plenty of information about why each step is included. I have a sense that White's interest in historical occultism has influenced his writing style a tad: there are a couple of moments where he slips into a sort-of cod-1930s formality, but it's not lasting enough nor clearly enough of an affectation to detract from the text overall. On the whole, it's a solid effort and I will likely come back to it (especially the chapter on sigil magic) but I'll probably skip the extensive economic analysis on a reread.

[Lynne Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book for a couple of years and I like to keep it handy to dip in and out of. Gordon White is a singular personality: gay, white, Australian, chaos magician, successful in work and love, and running one of the more interesting blogs out there - Rune Soup. (He gets the coolest, most interesting people on his podcasts).

He also has a beady eye on the world economy, and has a great deal to say about it. Not exactly favorable, but he's smart enough to have figured out how to work the system to his advantage, and good enough of a writer to be able to share his philosophy. I would advise everyone to read The Chaos Protocols, even if you aren't into the magic stuff, just so you can start to think about your place in this world we find ourselves in.

This doesn't mean you will find this book to be particularly helpful. As others have pointed out, he was free, white and over 21 (barely) when he was working out the protocols, and what worked for him may not be feasible for many others. I'd still give this book a gander, however, as you never know - something here may be just what you need to see. Good luck to all.

[Matias Selzer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must say this is one of the worst books about magick I've ever read.
The book is mostly about economy, and especially USA economy, so there were a lot of things that didn't get me.
I got one or two economy tips though.

On the other hand, only one-fifth of the book is about magick, and not very good magick.
Most spells and invocations have very particular chants and no explanation at all. I anyone wants to perform any magick of this book, a lot of information is missing.

Finally, I felt a disconnection between the economy and the magick part. There are a few more spells and tips in the appendix, but the same as before, no explanation at all, which makes them useless.

[Alexander Bane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disgusting.

[Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a really nice hand carved St. Christopher statue for sale on eBay but I can’t afford it at approx $300AUD. If anyone wants to buy it for me my DMs are open.
THANKS
THANK
THAN
THA
T

[Christian Velguth · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a book about chaos magick, I somehow was not prepared for the existential crisis that is the first chapter, in which Gordon White breaks down the failures of the modern economy and how we're all pretty much effed unless we were born with a hedge fund in our mouths.

But really, White is setting the stage for the thesis of the book: doing what we are told is not a reliable path to true success. Not anymore. Now more than ever, new modes of thinking are required.

Chaos magick is one potential mode. And, whether you believe in actual magick or not, it's a mindset worth considering. White states that this book probably shouldn't be your first intro to the subject, but he still manages to convey the fundamentals in a readable way that makes this at least a good primer. If you've never heard of the practice, you'll come out of this book with an understanding of the fundamentals and a place to start.

You're getting more than that, though. Steps for invoking daimonic aides are presented side-by-side with economic musings and straight-up good advice for finding an alternate path to success in a world that expects us to slog through the same outdated system that is already failing so many of our peers. Even if you come out of this having never created a single sigil, you'd have to try to not learn something useful. It doesn't hurt that White's style is suffused with enough dry wit to launch its own cider label.

One thing. It is a bit strange, in a book that's otherwise so "transgressive" by societal standards, to encounter what amounts to the same "side-hustle" ethos that's espoused by countless influencers. But Chaos Protocols is now over four years old, and in retrospect was a bit ahead of the curve. It remains so, in that it eschews the fallacy of a single "path to success." Flexibility -- or "optionality," as White calls it -- is key. Not rigid adherence to an X-step system.

I laughed, I learned, I summoned some demons. Five chaospheres out of five.

[dp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chaos Protocols is an wonderfully informative and practical book on chaos magic in the 21st century - straight to the point, no belief system attached. I thoroughly enjoyed how Gordon White managed to steadily focus on ways to maximize economic gain, while simultaneously including an underlying current along the lines of finances ultimately not defining you either way, as having money is really just a means to an end: doing what you love, and finding & making meaning in your life. It's more a book of wisdom and how to maximize options for enjoyment in life, versus a presentation of techniques to simply gain more capital. White does this in an engaging, no-BS, and regularly humorous manner.

As he puts it, "becoming invincible" really is absolutely necessary and life changing on a core, spiritual level - but not taking advantage of opportunities to rise above a crappy socioeconomic class, or properly prepare for a rapidly changing workforce is the epitome of foolhardy. Most books are on opposite ends of the spectrum - either cold, boring, or cliche business or "life-hack" books that are outdated or contain no true depth, or on the other hand they're mystical tomes that are almost wholly caught up in the clouds, naively brushing aside the necessity of financial competency and sound career wisdom.

This was a perfect book for me to start off 2019 with. I'll definitely be continually referencing it throughout the year, in order to put to practice some of its many techniques.

[Dimitris Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really starting to like Gordon White's work, his blog Rune Soup as well as his one book I read recently, The Chaos Protocols. It's really difficult to explain in simple words what this man stands for and proposes, but whatever it is, it involves the words 'chaos magic', 'consciousness', 'fortune', 'adaptability', 'synchronicity' and 'going with what actually works'.

You thought the subtitle was weird? Well, there's really not much else that could describe accurately what the book is about. But I've found it inspiring and, while it's too early to say whether the practices or mental adjustments suggested within have taken me anywhere yet, there's something about Gordon White's vision of the world with all its chaos and malleable unpredictability I feel I can trust. At the end of the day, it's a book about discovering the limits of our potential, once we update our definitions about what actually is possible in the world out there, no matter why exactly it works. At this historical juncture and the imminent fall of capitalism as we know it, we need as broad definitions of what is possible than ever.

I recommend it to open-minded people who're ready to go post-materialist. Perhaps get together with Real Magic -- I need to read that one soon!

[Captain Tsundoku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книга о достижении экономического благополучия и всяческого Успешного Успеха с точки зрения практикующего мага-хаосита.

Это такая ядерная смесь, в которой описания обратной стороны макроэкономики, вероятностной природы вселенной, размышления об опциональности (с отсылками к книгам Нассима Талеба) и о наиболее выигрышной стратегии для достижения устойчивости в неустойчивом мире перемежаются с рекомендациями типа "хорошо бы иметь какого-нибудь трикстера в союзниках, вот вам step by step guide как правильно выйти на перекресток и заключить сделку с Люцифером". Автор, кстати, не рекомендует предлагать в этом случае свою душу, а остановиться на каких-то более материальных активах — еда, бухлишко, создание произведения искусства. В других главах — почитание предков и домашние алтари (некромантия для самых маленьких); как, помимо армии мёртвых, почаще иметь на своей стороне Фортуну; мантические системы, как и когда их применять; создание и запуск сигилл и еще куча советов по мелочи, в совокупности позволяющая добиваться благоприятных для себя исходов событий чуточку чаще, чем обычно. 

Заканчивается книга главой с чисто прикладными советами о том, как вступать во взрослую жизнь в мире наступившего будущего, которую я вообще бы горячо рекомендовал всем старшеклассникам. Да и взрослым, которые в мире наступившего будущего уже оказались и хотят к нему адаптироваться, тоже. 

[Rafael Aracil · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, it is better than other magical books I've read lately, but I feel it isn't up to all the recommendations I had seen. This makes me think that the overall quality of this genre may be quite low and I should lower the bar when approaching it.
This is not the Chaos magick I read from Peter J. Carol and Phil Hine, it is the author's way of doing things by picking up stuff from all over. That is just a consequence of applying Chaos but it is not the essence. I don´t recommend it for any improvement of your chaos knowledge. So much for the title of the book.
It doesn't get any better with the rest of the title. The techniques for navigating the economic reality are not that magical. There is a long talk on how the world is and how you should live your life that made me feel like I was listening to a slightly drunk brother-in-law on Christmas eve. Save it.
There are a few gems though, don't get me wrong. The stuff about sigils for which the author is better known is in there as are a few recommendations on how to tackle your magical practice. That redeems the rest.
I got it in my library now, but it is not up to the classics.

[Dave Pritchard-Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've meant to do this for several years, but, well… life

I initially read this years ago, in good faith. There are some great concepts, it seemed to align with my stuff, has a nice cover, etc etc.

There are parts that didn't quite sit right though, so I've read it twice more - skimmed, admittedly on the 3rd run.

A lot of distasteful BIG-NOTING and NAME-DROPPING. Not a good look.

It is bad writing. Much of this is poorly paraphrased, blatant regurgitation of corporate self help pop psychology. Verbose and clunky - kind of a neat trick where basic concepts are presented as complex and insightful through confounding phrasing.

This is Capitalist Magic, not Chaos Magic. There is no chaos here. This is crude economics with New Age packaging. It's actually kind of offensive from a historical Wiccan perspective.

Conclusion:
1. Book bad, very bad, from many angles. Unoriginal, poorly written, etc etc etc.
2. I feel weird having this book in my house
3. I don't think Gordon White is a good dude. I don't think Gordon White is particularly bright.
4. Big insurance salesman vibes.

[Jay Houlihan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted a grimoire that prefers to rant about how capitalism is evil over anything useful? Well have we got the tome for you.

Typically when one purchases a spell book on chaos magick, they expect it to perhaps be more orientated towards instructing rather than complaining. The pessimistic tone of the book reeks throughout which as any chaos magician will tell you, "belief is power" and pessimism will only birth more pessimism.

Gordon White is renowned for his blog 'rune soup' but sadly this book will not show his best work. By the time you've arrived at the actual chaos magick work of this chaos magick book, the overwhelming negativity towards western economy will have most likely have bored you out of it.

Now, the chaos magick sections are spectacularly written but they are so choked by the atmosphere of economics that they barely shine through. My advice? If you want an economics books, buy one, if you want a chaos magick book, buy one. Don't buy this mishmash of them both.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was absolutely enthralled by this book until I reached the end and went…that’s it? The author paints a grim, and accurate, picture of the economy and the system we live in during the first chapter. Next he talks about probability and specific types of magic (such as how to do sigil magic). I was hoping he would make good on his promise to teach the reader how to actually apply these magical techniques to economics. But no such luck.

The sections on economics vs magic are extremely disjointed concepts, and then he spends the last few chapters giving advice like don’t buy a home, don’t go to college. While his advice may be valid, I wanted to know specifically how he would apply these magical techniques to economics and came up empty handed. Basically there was no point and it was a really disappointing let down to realize I invested many hours just to be told I’m wrong for owning a home and given no hope. Would not recommend if you’re looking for a money magic grimoire.

[Taylor Ellwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare for me to say this about a contemporary book of occultism, but this is a must read book on magic, regardless of what your magical practice is, because it will slap you across the face and make you open your eyes. What this author does well is bring in a non-magical topic (so to speak) i.e. macroeconomics and show why we need to care about its impact in our lives and how magic can be applied to it. Along the way the author explores the question of success and illustrates the importance of cultivating mundane and magical skills in order to achieve success. I read this book when I really needed it and it got me out of a funk and for that alone I'm grateful. The magical techniques are sound and exercises well explained. If you do the work, results will follow.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think a good part of whether I like a book is the authors tone. I tend to dislike flamboyant magicians who feel the need to talk special (is that old English?). I also tend to appreciate a scientific mindset. The author avoids the first pitfall while coming across as both well rounded and intelligent.

He has excellent insights into the human psyche and current economic conditions (he is speaking like someone who belongs to one of my echo chambers, so I could be biased and wrong). I am very new to magic and don't know if I will decide to use any of his magical techniques. That being said, even if I don't this is worth a reread/purchase.