Praise for Magic for the Resistance “Magic for the Resistance is a rabble-rousing battle cry for magical thinkers everywhere. As both a practical guide and historical record, Hughes’s book does the vital work of inspiring socially conscious magical practitioners to harness the power of our imaginations and collective will, reminding us where true power really resides: in the hands of the people. An ethical, exuberant honoring of magical resistance movements then and now, this book will go down in history as the magical, refreshingly feminist, anti–white supremacist, LGBTQ-friendly equivalent of Saul D. Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.” —Amanda Yates Garcia, the Oracle of Los Angeles “Magic to the people! This wonderfully engaging guide—one part history, one part grimoire—demonstrates how and why to combine spell work and activism to heal our society and get rid of our heel.” —Mitch Horowitz, PEN Award–winning author of Occult America and The Miracle Club “This is rare combination of a how-to book that also gives a solid historical and cultural perspective on the uses of magic to resist political oppression. Sound and well-grounded both factually and magically, it’s also well written and well informed.” —Sabina Magliocco, Professor of Anthropology, University of British Columbia “Vote. Organize. March. Protest. Boycott. Resist. Be an activist for your beliefs. Then . . . put your magic where your mouth is! You might want to start by reading Magic for the Resistance.” —Lon Milo DuQuette, author of Homemade Magick and Low Magick “Magic for the Resistance is a fascinating look at how the occult arts can be used to promote progressive politics and social change. While it has long been associated—often erroneously—solely with the right side of the
political divide, magic has more than once come to the aid of ideas and movements rooted firmly in the left. From Victoria Woodhull, the mesmerist, feminist, and free-love advocate who was the first woman to run for president, to the attempt by Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman to levitate the Pentagon in 1966, Magic for the Resistance shows that throughout history, spells have been cast to help the light contain the darkness.” —Gary Lachman, author of Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump “In Magic for the Resistance, Michael Hughes has written an eminently necessary guidebook for the magic-workers of our time. He has armed readers with the tools needed to speak out and fight back, both at the altar and away from it. In a world that thirsts for magic and justice alike, this book weaves both together in the most practical ways.” —David Salisbury, civil rights activist, magic-worker, and author of A Mystic Guide to Cleansing & Clearing “This book empowers the reader to liberate stagnancy and facilitate positive change, to feel/be heard, and to learn from obstacles and challenges that are encountered. On the surface, mass-market, glitzy media publicity can look worthwhile and even meaningful—but real, lasting change/evolution is more than a knee-jerk reaction or a fad. It starts at a grassroots level and is perpetual, and this is what Hughes expounds and educates on in this well-written and entertaining book.” —Fiona Horne, author of Witch: A Magickal Journey and The Naked Witch “Michael Hughes has drawn on his erudition as well as his quarter-century of experience as a practicing magician to offer a complete manual of ‘Warrior Magic’ in the service of justice. He answers the questions about whether magic is effective and ethical, stokes our motivation to engage, and gives detailed guidance for binding the negative, healing the wounded, and empowering the good.” —Leonard George, PhD, Chair of the School of Social Sciences, Capilano University, and author of Crimes of Perception
Magic FOR THE
Resistance
About the Author Michael M. Hughes is an author, speaker, magical thinker, and activist. He is the creator of the internationally viral Mass Spell to Bind Donald Trump and All Those Who Abet Him, the largest magical working in history. He speaks on politics, magic, pop culture, psychedelics, the paranormal, and tarot. Michael lives in Baltimore with his wife, two daughters, and a rabbit named Toby Turnipseed. You can sign up for his newsletter at http://michael mhughes.com.
RITUALS AND SPELLS FOR CHANGE
Magic FOR THE
Resistance MICHAEL M. HUGHES
Llewellyn Publications Woodbury, Minnesota
Magic for the Resistance: Rituals and Spells for Change © 2018 by Michael M. Hughes. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Edition First Printing, 2018 Cover design by Shira Atakpu Interior illustrations by Marie Poliak Llewellyn Publications is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hughes, Michael M., author. Title: Magic for the resistance : rituals and spells for change / Michael M. Hughes. Description: FIRST EDITION. | Woodbury : Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2018. | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: LCCN 2018022622 (print) | LCCN 2018024716 (ebook) | ISBN 9780738759999 (ebook) | ISBN 9780738759968 (alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Magic. | Witchcraft. | Change. Classification: LCC BF1611 (ebook) | LCC BF1611 .H835 2018 (print) | DDC 133.4/3—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018022622 Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public. All mail addressed to the author is forwarded, but the publisher cannot, unless specifically instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number. Any internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to authors’ websites and other sources. Llewellyn Publications A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com Printed in the United States of America
Also by Michael M. Hughes Blackwater Lights Witch Lights Demon Lights
Acknowledgments Serious love to the members of the official Bind Trump Facebook group, and especially the moderators who have made it such a vibrant, welcoming community: Cherry Wanders, Kerri Kor, Karen Tibbitts-Williams, and Hillary Peatfield. Props to my beta spell-testers: John Stone, Jonatha Nathan, Amy Miranda, Peg Aloi, Karina Higgs-Boson, Lily Lumiere, Lorie Johnson, and Jake Bowman. And a deep bow to everyone else who made this possible, especially: Nick Dickinson Sally Wilde Leonard George Amanda Yates Garcia Matt Bialer Elysia Gallo Ray Grasse Josephine McCarthy My lovely, supportive family And, this time in particular, my late-night partner in crime, Hermes.
Contents Preface … xv
Magic versus Magick xv On Appropriation xvi Chapter 1: Welcome to the Magic Resistance! … 1 Frequently Asked Questions about Magic 4 Chapter 2: Witches and Occultists versus Kings and Nazis … 11 Witches versus Kings 12 Against the Enslavers 15 Mrs. Satan: The Revolutionary Feminist Who Spoke to the Dead 20 Occultists versus Nazis 24 Hexing Hitler 27 Levitating the Pentagon: Radical Magic in the Sixties and Seventies 30 WITCH: Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell 33 Modern Feminist Witch Activists 36 Chapter 3: Binding Trump … 41 A Spell to Bind Donald Trump and All Those Who Abet Him 47 Chapter 4: Toolkit for Magical Activism … 51 Magical Tools 51 Altars: Creating Your Magical Dashboard 65 The Art of Sigils and Magical Writing 74
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Chapter 5: Offensive and Defensive Magic … 85 On Binding and Hexing 88 Protection and Defense 94 Mojo Bag Wake-Up Ritual 107 Chapter 6: Magic Beyond the Altar… 113 Guerrilla Magic 113 Magical Boosts to Practical Activism 116 Chapter 7: Finding the Others: Coven and Community Building … 119 Finding the Others 119 Group Magic 122 Chapter 8: Self-Care and Resilience … 129 Balance 130 Meditation 131 Breathwork 131 Nature Bathing 133 Descreening and Unplugging 133 Food and Movement 134 Treat Your Body 136 Party for Your Right to Fight 137 Cultivate Joy 137 Gratitude 138 Intoxicants and Entheogens 139 Chapter 9: Preparation for Ritual … 141 Getting Clean: Cleansing and Purification 141 The Ritual Mind 146
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The Centering Ritual 152 Consecration Ritual 160 Spheres of Protection: The Hermetic Seal 166 Chapter 10: The Magical Activist’s Spellbook … 175 Black Lives Matter: Spell for Justice for a Victim of a Police Action 176 We Shall Form a Circle to Protect Our Children 178 Spirits of (Polling) Place 181 Healing the Earth (Microcosm Ritual) 183 Hands Off, Laws Off: Hekate Invocation for Reproductive Rights 187 Dance of Pan: LGBTQ+ Protection 191 Calling Bullshit 193 No Borders, All One Family: Invocation to Hermes 195 #MeToo 198 Hex the NRA 201 Candidate Boosting Spell 208 Lucky Stone Charm 210 Fuck Fascists 211 Share the Wealth Spell 216 Cease Fire Shrines: Invocation of Eirēnē 218 Conclusion: Go to Work… 221 Appendix… 223 Correspondences 224 Resources 227 Bibliography… 235
Disclaimer The publisher and the author assume no liability for any injuries caused to the reader that may result from the reader’s use of content contained in this publication and recommend common sense when contemplating the practices described in the work. Discussion of herbs and psychoactive substances in this book is for informational purposes only, and neither the publisher nor the author take any responsibility for any possible consequences to any person as a result of their use.
Preface
Before we dive in to the subject of resistance magic, let’s get a few things out of the way.
Magic versus Magick The use of magic versus magick may be confusing to some. I prefer magic without the K for a number of reasons. Although magick as an archaic form of the word existed in the medieval era, the K was added by Aleister Crowley to make the word fit his complex Kabbalistic spiritual system and to disassociate it from stage and parlor magic (i.e., tricks). I don’t find that necessary. I’m not a Kabbalist, and my conception of magic is quite broad, embracing not just spells and rituals but visual art, writing, drama, and yes, even tricks. Many shamanic traditions employ what we would call “trickery” to startle the participants into a heightened state where the real magic and healing can then take place.
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When I performed as a mentalist (psychic magician) for several years, I utilized techniques from the fuzzy gray area between psychology, sleight of hand, and real magic. The “tricks” I performed had powerful and long-lasting effects on my audiences, and, I hope, opened many people to the possibility that magic is real. The word magic has worked fine for hundreds of years, and it is the preferred spelling in academic writing. And, to be frank, as a writer, I just don’t like the look of the word with the K (nor does my writing app). And don’t get me started on verbal grotesqueries like magickian. Magic is magic, and I’m sticking to it.
On Appropriation Appropriation is an important but divisive topic in the magical community. While we should be respectful of other traditions, especially those of indigenous, oppressed, or marginalized groups, the practitioners of magic have always been syncretists, experimenting intraculturally and sticking with what worked. The Greek Magical Papyri make that quite clear—magicians of antiquity liberally borrowed gods, words of power, and symbols from the many cultures surrounding them. Not much has changed in the ensuing centuries. I have explored a wide variety of practices from a number of schools and traditions over three decades, but I am not an initiate in any of them, nor would I claim to be an expert in any of them. I am simply a human being lucky enough to live in an age when thousands of years of magical knowledge are available in academic libraries and a few clicks away on my laptop. I identify as a magician, first and foremost, not a Pagan, a shaman, a witch, a
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ceremonialist, a chaote, a Rootworker, or any other label. I am a generalist, not a specialist. My ethical rule is simple: if I learn something from a tradition, I do my best to acknowledge and honor it, without claiming to be of it. I encourage you to do the same. Magic is our birthright, so go read and experiment, and when you learn something, give thanks and respect to your teachers.
Chapter One
Welcome to the Magic Resistance!
We are living in a time of great turmoil at the edge of history. A time in which liberal, democratic values and ideas that have withstood wars and despots are under attack by rising tides of authoritarianism, nationalism, xenophobia, and racial supremacy; an era in which our very existence as a species is imperiled by a rapidly warming planet, overpopulation, and our unquenchable desire for material goods. And while patriarchal, top-down religions in the West are steadily losing their followers to the ranks of the religiously “unaffiliated,� more people than ever are seeking personal connections to a greater spiritual reality by embracing the worldviews of indigenous cultures and practical magical traditions. We are at a crossroads, and the choices before us require either a (r)evolutionary change in our values and behaviors or simply giving up and accepting an unavoidable plunge into the abyss. As Amanda Yates Garcia (the Oracle of LA) said, “So great is the threat to our world now that we must all become initiates. We 1
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must all become healers. We must all become shaman[s]. We must all become leaders and activists … Only if we all rise up, awaken, and hold ourselves and each other to high standards of leadership do we have the possibility of saving our world.” 1 If you’re reading this, my guess is you would prefer to take the road to a better future. This book is for you. May the ideas and rituals within it help you on the journey ahead. _____ Being a part of the magic resistance (represented by the hashtag #MagicResistance on social media) means working in service: service to the earth, to the dispossessed, the sick and broken, the downtrodden, the marginalized, and those with no voices; animals, trees, soil, streams, rivers, and seas. It means becoming aligned with spirits of place, the ancestors, and even the gods themselves. The magic you will find in this book is very different from most, because unlike magic done by an individual for practical means—love or money spells, for example—this magic is done for the higher good of all of us. Which also means the rewards are different. With practical magic, the rewards are clear: you find a partner, get a raise, or your abusive neighbor moves to a different state. There is nothing wrong with such magic. In fact, for many beginners, successful practical spells are what is needed to convince them that magic is real. The rewards of service magic are usually not so immediate or measurable, because its targets—deeply embedded social struc1. Amanda Yates Garcia (@oracleofla), “So great is the threat to our world now that we must all become initiates,” Instagram photo, February 19, 2018, https:// www.instagram.com/p/BfYvkb8HhSP/.
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tures like racism, homophobia, misogyny, militarism, violence, greed, and materialism—are not going to be easily banished from human society. These social illnesses can, however, be pushed back. There are exceptions, of course. Very specific circumstances, such as protecting an endangered river, can have direct, measurable outcomes, such as when legislation is passed to stop a new development threatening to dump pollution into it. There are clear and quantifiable victories in this game, too. But often we must work our magic to shift the balance into the proper direction, not to score easy wins. Resistance magic is about bending reality in (r)evolutionary directions, either by pushing against reactionary and regressive trends or encouraging positive change. Unlike many magical traditions, to become part of the #Magic Resistance you don’t need any fancy initiations. There are no levels or grades or degrees, and you don’t need to spend a fortune on workshops or classes. All you need to do is pledge yourself to service of other sentient beings, improving our collective societal structures, and the sacred earth on which we walk. That doesn’t mean you have to become a selfless monk or nun, a humorless full-time radical, or give up having a rewarding, fun, and productive life outside of activism. Resistance magic derives its power from passion, creativity, humor, and love. The joy of doing service magic is that when you help others, you win, too. Because we exist within political structures, we need to work within political and social systems to address the many crises facing us. And all those crises—environmental, financial, social, and political—are crises of the spirit. For far too long the spiritual aspects of political engagement and activism have been absent from progressivism, while the reactionary right has become synonymous with a toxic form of fundamentalist evangelical Christianity.
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It’s time for those of us who embrace liberal values and spirituality to push back against the stereotype of the godless left and bring our gods—all of them—into the fight for our future.
Frequently Asked Questions about Magic What is magic resistance? Magic resistance is a term for the use of magic—spells, rituals, prayer, divination, and other techniques—to resist or impede dangerous or oppressive political movements, politicians, and actions, including authoritarianism, white supremacy, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, environmental destruction, attacks on marginalized populations, and other toxic and regressive ideologies. It can be viewed as a magical form of self-defense or defense of others. But it is not just about resistance. This movement also uses magical practices to promote progressive, inclusive, liberating, and empowering political, environmental, economic, and social causes. How do you define magic? Magic, in its most basic sense, is the use of directed consciousness to effect change in the world. If that seems broad, it’s supposed to be. A ritual can create a magical effect, but so can a work of art, a prayer, a focused visualization, street theater, or a group of people marching and chanting in unison. Magic works best when it combines a mix of methodologies—that’s why a work of art, when combined with ritual and further energized by a group action or meditation, is especially effective. Do I have to believe in magic? Nope. You can do the spells and rituals in this book as a form of personal theater. They will still work, at least sometimes, if you do
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them sincerely and with your full commitment and energy. Practical magic is largely the enhancement of probability. If you practice the magic in this book and it seems to push your results into the positive results column, it is considered effective. And doing magic is most definitely useful. One doesn’t need to understand how magic works to practice it. In fact, as one very famous magician, Peter J. Carroll, put it: “Magic works in practice but not in theory.”2 Does doing this sort of magic have personal benefits? One of the key benefits of resistance magic—aside from having tangible results in the real world—is to renew, refresh, and reawaken your commitment to the principles of truth, justice, peace, and equality, and to strengthen your connection to the natural world and the diverse community of individuals that surrounds you. Do I have to be a witch or a Pagan to use these spells? The system of magic in this book is designed to plug into a number of established traditions and can be easily tweaked for your own practice. Because the rituals and spells herein are built upon the core principles that underlie all magical practices, they are just as effective if you practice Wicca, traditional witchcraft, chaos magic, ceremonial magic, or folk Christianity, or if you follow no specific tradition at all. This resistance magic employs universal techniques: directional attunement, incorporation of the four classical elements, ancestor communication, calls to spirits or deity, links to astrological cycles (particularly the moon phases), voice, symbols, sensory stimulation and inhibition, ritualized movement, and consciousness alteration. 2. Peter J. Carroll, personal correspondence with the author, April 2, 2018.
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If you don’t belong to any particular tradition, you are encouraged to experiment. A prayer to Hekate may connect more powerfully for you than one to a generic Great Goddess, or you may find that incorporating biblical psalms or working with Catholic saints is more effective than working with Norse gods. The best witches and magicians experiment and use what works, so don’t be afraid to try new approaches. If you don’t believe in angels or ancestral spirits, try working with them anyway—and you might be surprised. After all, does it matter if the deity or spirit you contact is objectively real or just a part of your consciousness as long as the magic works? Isn’t mucking around with spells dangerous? Of course it’s dangerous! But not anywhere near as dangerous as driving a car or riding a bicycle. Magic is a tool and can be used for positive or nefarious purposes. If you misuse it, it can have negative consequences. But since you’re reading this book, you are already aligned with sustainability, equality, peace, and social justice. And since the universe bends in the direction of those values (or at least that’s what I’ve come to believe), your magic will be aligned with those evolutionary spiritual energies and the deities who embody them. That’s a powerful safety net. In other words, because you are working for positive causes and results and not harmful aims or ideologies, your magic will work more effectively and will have far less potential for unintended harm or psychic blowback. But isn’t binding someone or casting a spell that thwarts the will of voters ethically problematic? Much of the magic in this book is rooted in resistance to extreme conditions and threats. It is not touchy-feely, fluffy-bunny mag-
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ic because it is meant to be employed against very clear dangers and existential threats. Vodou, Hoodoo, and Conjure, for example, developed as enslaved Africans adapted their magic to their oppressive, inhumane environment and were, of necessity, protective and self-defensive. While bindings and other defensive magic can be seen as constraining the free will of the spell’s recipients, it is clearly ethical to use such spells when the target is harming or attempting to harm others. A good rule of thumb to use is this: Would you endorse a legal action to stop the target’s harmful actions or policies (say, against a minority group, a forest, or a person unjustly accused of a crime)? If so, then a magical action is absolutely ethical. Also, ask yourself why people question the ethics of magic for effecting change when they’re okay with marches, demonstrations, email campaigns, or direct action. What makes magic resistance somehow morally questionable when mundane means are acceptable? The answer is that people are uneasy about magic because they don’t understand how it works. But as activists, we are concerned with results, and if magic works, there’s no reason we shouldn’t use it. But don’t you have to be experienced to do magic effectively? We live in a magical universe, and we are instinctively magical creatures. If you play lucky lottery numbers, pray for someone’s health, leave flowers at a loved one’s grave, or take notice of signs and omens, you’re practicing magic. Humans have worked magic since we could paint on the walls of caves or draw a circle in the mud with a pointed stick. Magic is, and has always been, a practice of the people, despite thousands of years of priests and religious
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leaders attempting to take it away. Those who say you need to be trained in specific techniques by their order or coven before you can work magic are just pushing their brand of dogma and probably trying to sell you courses. The only way to learn about magic is to do it. The only way to get better at it is to keep doing it. Is it okay to mix politics and spirituality? Some of the greatest social movements have been driven by spiritual energy: the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements were in large part led by Christians and Jews, for example, and Mohandas Gandhi, a devoted Hindu, helped drive Colonial Britain from India through nonviolent resistance. Witches and Pagans have long been at the forefront of environmental activism, religious freedom, and feminism. And as you’ll discover in the following chapters, magic has been worked against political opponents throughout history, including kings, slaveholders, invading armies, and the Nazis in World War II. But isn’t this just slacktivism? Shouldn’t we focus our energy on practical activities, like demonstrating, calling Congress, and sending money to organizations fighting for good causes? You should be working on all levels for causes you care about. This book addresses the magical path, but spiritual activism is useless without engagement in the everyday world of elections, organizing, canvassing, protests, and other forms of on-the-ground action. Many have found that incorporating rituals, spells, and group magic workings into their social and political activism adds extra energy and motivation and brings better results. Hence this book.
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Why this book, and why now? A number of trends have ignited resistance movements around the world: the global rise of authoritarian and nativist political movements; religious and ideological terrorism; regressive policies harming women, minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community; ongoing wealth concentration in the hands of the one percent; cuts to basic health care and social services; and the accelerating impact of devastating climate change. We have reached a perilous moment in our history—and the decisions we make now may decide the very fate of our species. With the exploding interest in witchcraft and alternative religious practices has come a realization that the political realm is not divorced from spirituality but requires it. The growing magic resistance movement has shown the powerful desire to reunify spiritual beliefs with down-to-earth social and political activism. So let’s get started!
Body, Mind & Spirit / Magic Studies “Inspires socially conscious magical practitioners to harness the power of our imaginations and collective will, reminding us where true power really resides: in the hands of the people.” —AMANDA YATES GARCIA, THE ORACLE OF LOS ANGELES
Use Magic to Make the World a Better Place Today From the creator of the Spell to Bind Donald Trump and All Those Who Abet Him The resistance is growing, and it needs your help. This book provides spells and rituals designed to help you put your magical will to work to create a more just and equitable world. These magical workings can be used by activists of any spiritual or religious background. With ideas for altars, meditations, community organizing, self-care, and more, Magic for the Resistance offers a toolkit for magical people or first-time spellcasters who want to manifest social justice, equality, and peace. If you’ve ever felt disillusioned or burned out because of the slow progress of social change, this magical work can nurture and support you, sharpening your focus and resolve for more sustained, long-term activism. In addition to influencing the outside world, these rituals bring you in closer alignment with your higher spiritual consciousness—because transforming your society begins with transforming yourself.
Includes spells for: RACIAL JUSTICE • WOMEN’S RIGHTS • LGBTQ+ RIGHTS • ANTIFASCISM • ENVIRONMENTALISM IMMIGRATION • REFUGEE SUPPORT • NONVIOLENCE MICHAEL M. HUGHES is an author, speaker, magical thinker, and activist. He is the creator of the internationally viral Spell to Bind Donald Trump, the largest magical working in history. He speaks on politics, magic, pop culture, psychedelics, the paranormal, and tarot. Michael lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and two daughters. www.michaelmhughes.com “This wonderfully engaging guide—one part history, one part grimoire—demonstrates how and why to combine spell work and activism to heal our society and get rid of our heel.” —MITCH HOROWITZ, PEN AWARD–WINNING AUTHOR OF OCCULT AMERICA
$15.99 US ISBN 978-0-7387-5996-8 51599
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780738 759968
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