The Occult Book Review

                                         “One mind there is, but under it two principles contend.”                               Philip K. Dick Tractates Cryptica Scriptura     The process of deciding what constitutes Christian doctrine and what are the remnants of previous traditions was summed up well by Elaine Pagels when she writes in Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, “ What survived as orthodox Christianity did so by suppressing and forcibly eliminating a lot of other material .” This can often be revelatory for those who believe that Christianity today exists in the same form as in its first centuries.   This position is also expounded upon by Earl Doherty in his book The Jesus Puzzle and in...

Sigil Witchery is both a thorough and often surprising history of sigils, as well as an entertaining practical guide suitable for the beginner and advanced practitioner alike. Crucially, Zakroff is respectful of the many world traditions and cultures she draws her information from and also brings her own knowledge and application to the subject. The result is a book which allows the reader to understand sigils from the many perspectives of folklore and witchcraft and which guides the reader through exercises and applications which can later be pursued in a personal direction. Before the review proper, a word of appreciation has to go out to the staff at Llewellyn who designed the format of this book. Because the author used so many illustrations and exercise pages, the usual book dimensions would have been inadequate in displaying how the writing and drawings compliment each other. The layout instead allows the reader to easily take in the designs and photographs...

This overview of the grimoire tradition is an essential addition to any collection. Davies is both thorough and entertaining in his opinions and histories. This is probably the perfect approach to take when trying to cover such a broad spectrum of traditions and cultures. To purchase Grimoires: A History of Magic Books go  here. Video review here:

In Thomas Sheridan's extensive study of Irish mythology and history the reader gets a perspective which combines both a folkloric and symbolic framework. This is an often overlooked type of examination when it comes to Irish history but one which is most valuable to the unbiased thinker. In many instances accurate exploration and indeed interpretation of Irish megaliths has been forced to fit a worldview which sees Christianity as the most logical and enlightened conclusion. While many Irish archaeologists and historians of the twentieth century had a reflexively Biblical starting position this is no longer an excuse for academics today who have extensive documents, comparative religious sources and archaeo-astronomical evidence at their disposal. Depressingly, Sheridan demonstrates that even with this potential for new appraisal, up until recently Irish archaeology has still been reluctant to accept and embrace the true scope of its pagan past. Rather than succumbing t...

In The Sacred History author Jonathan Black (AKA Mark Booth) sets out the case for idealism over materialism. Following on from his previous book The Secret History of the World the author this time uses an approach to mysticism that is possibly easier for the layperson to understand. The reason for this is the focus upon myth and the explanation of various religious and spiritual traditions and texts as opposed to the possibly more studious scope of his previous work. When we look back upon the history of sacred writings and wisdom supposedly gained through higher states of consciousness we must place a huge amount of faith in the notion of intuition and the idea that there is a common path applicable to us all. Idealism, as Black sees it, is the belief that thought came before matter and all of existence is somehow the expression of this original mind. In the book we are taken on a journey that begins with our earliest intimations of this higher aspect through creation myths ...

Barbara Tedlock’s The Woman in the Shaman’s Body is a seminal study of ancient shamanism encompassing both academic and deeply personal knowledge. Illuminating the history and treatment of indigenous women shaman and also offering advice and socio-political context, Tedlock’s book is an essential and timely perspective. Purchase Here:  https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Shamans-Body-Reclaiming-Feminine/dp/0553379712 Video Review.

One of the most affecting aspects of this book is Keel's pessimism throughout. This is a man who has witnessed  far too many strange occurrences to be entirely comfortable even trying to explain possibility, never mind offer any ultimate answer. Keel's conception of a super-spectrum is certainly intriguing and was a relatively new and unique view at the time. At least as far as English publications were concerned. Today, we have translation of anthropological texts by such writers as Ernesto De Martino and we can see that these explanations and experiences were always part of folkloric and mythological traditions. The absence of an index is unfortunate but as the book is quite a slim volume this does not present too many difficulties which can not be overcome with note-taking.   Enjoy the review... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-mDU3_Y02s