Jason Read has held a long and deep-seated interest in magic, yoga, occult philosophy and the martial arts. Jason began training in the martial arts in his early teens and it was there he got his first glimpse of the world of Far Eastern occultism.

Graduating from Southampton University in the 1990s with a BA in History, he took the unexpected step of joining the Royal Navy working as a language specialist in the Communications Technician department. As well as taking the opportunity to travel all around the world he learned to speak and write Chinese as part of his work.

On leaving the services as a lieutenant, Jason committed himself to study occultism and magic, initially in the Western Mystery Tradition. However, still, a passionate martial artist, his interests in magic were destined to fall eastwards. To this purpose, Jason lived and travelled in Asia for over a decade searching for a real teacher of martial arts and magic. He found it. Under the apprenticeship of a Maoshan sorcerer and martial artist, Dr. Liang, he studied many aspects of Chinese magic and alchemy which are still largely unknown to most western practitioners. This series of books aims to readdress that imbalance.

Today in his hometown, Jason is involved in business law and has established the Order of the Pagoda with friend and colleague of the Shingon and magical Mikkyo lineage of Japan to teach and disseminate the Chinese and Japanese mysteries of alchemy, magic and divination in a structured way.