Product Description

With this one text, you will gain a thorough overview of the history and current state of the occult from a variety of Western European and North American traditions. Its pages offer the essential knowledge you need to make sense of the occult, along with references for further reading if you want to learn more. You will find here the whole range of occult tradition, lore, history, philosophy, and practice in the Western world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67758 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

From Booklist
In his introduction, Greer states that his book is the first written by an "occult practitioner" who has consulted the scholarly texts that have recently been written about the history of occult traditions. This combination has produced a reference work that is sympathetic to the arcane lore but avoids many of the common errors found in occult literature. The volume arranges its 1,500 entries in alphabetical order. Topics include magic, Tarot, astrology, and other forms of divination; magical orders such as the Golden Dawn; biographies of significant individuals; and spiritual movements such as Wicca, Theosophy, and the modern Pagans. Where appropriate, entries contain see references to other entries and to books found in the extensive bibliography. Illustrations include charts, diagrams, and photographs.

The essays are clearly written and are very informative. The book is useful for the practitioner as well as for the curious because the contents are factual and concise. The author promises that as new information becomes available on topics, he will publish a revised edition to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the volume. This is an important source for libraries to have in their collections to assist anyone seeking information about the many aspects of occult traditions. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
John Michael Greer (Seattle, WA) has been a student of monster lore and the occult since 1975. He is also the author of several books, including Natural Magic: Potions and Powers from the Magical Garden, Circles of Power: Ritual Magic in the Western Tradition, and Inside a Magical Lodge He has written articles for Renaissance Magazine, Golden Dawn Journal, Mezlim, New Moon Rising, Gnosis, and Alexandria. A student and practitioner of geomancy and sacred geometry for more than twenty years, fluent in Latin and medieval French for the past five years, and a Certified Tarot Grand Master, Greer has studied geomantic texts from the Middle ages and Renaissance, learning and testing out the techniques that were used when geomancy was at its height. Greer is an active member of five fraternal and two magical lodges. He lives in Seattle, where he studied the legends and monster lore of the Pacific Northwest and attends lodge meetings in a building with its own resident ghosts.

Excerpted from New Encyclopedia Of The Occult by John Michael Greer. Copyright © 2003. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A

A... A... SEE ARGENTEUM ASTRUM.

Aarab Tzereq. (Hebrew AaRB ZRQ,ravens of dispersion) In Cabalistic teaching, the Qlippoth or demonic powers corresponding to Netzach, the seventh Sephirah of the Tree of Life. Their traditional form is that of demon-headed ravens emerging from an erupting volcano, the latter itself a demonic power named Getzphiel. Their cortex or realm in the Kingdom of Shells is Theumiel, and their archdemon is Baal Chanan. SEE QLIPPOTH.

Aatik Yomin. (Hebrew AaThIK IVMIN) Ancient of Days, a title of Kether. SEE KETHER.

Ab. (Hebrew AaB,darkness, obscurity) In the Cabala, the secret name of the world of Atziluth. The numerical values of its letters add up to seventy-two, which is also the sum of IVD HIH VIV HIH, the spelling of the Tetragrammaton in Atziluth. SEE ATZILUTH; TETRAGRAMMATON.

Abaris. According to legends recounted in ancient Greek sources, a Scythian magician who possessed a magical arrow that he could ride through the air. He was said to have lived in the time of Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician and mystic, and visited the latter at his school in Crotona, Italy. Writers from the eighteenth century onward converted Abaris into a Druid, as part of a claim that Pythagoras had studied with the Druids (or vice versa). SEE DRUIDS; PYTHAGORAS.

Abba. (Hebrew,father) In Cabalistic symbolism, a title of the Sephirah Chokmah, and also of the first letter of the Tetragrammaton. SEE CHOKMAH; TETRAGRAMMATON.

Abbadon. (Hebrew ABDVN,destruction) The name of a demon, whose attributes have been variously described, or of a part or level of hell, defined with equal variability. In Cabalistic lore, Abbadon is the name of the sixth hell, which corresponds to the Sephirah Chesed. SEE HELLS, SEVEN.

Abel. The second son of Adam, according to the Book of Genesis, slain by his brother Cain. In Gnostic thought, Abel became the original of the psychic class of humanity, those who had the potential to achieve gnosis but did not have gnosis innately. SEE GNOSTICISM.

Abracadabra. A traditional word of power, used by Western magicians from classical times to the present. Written in the following way, it was used in talismans to cure fevers and asthma: ABRACADABRA ABRACADABR ABRACADAB ABRACADA ABRACAD ABRACA ABRAC ABRA ABR AB A In recent times, Abracadabra has mostly been used by stage magicians. English mage Aleister Crowley (1875 1947) altered the spelling to make it fit his new magical religion of Thelema, and in this new form the word has been much used in the Thelemite community; SEE ABRAHADABRA. SEE ALSO BARBAROUS NAMES.

Abrahadabra. Aleister Crowleys reformulation of the older magical name Abracadabra, rewritten to place the name Hadthe shorter form of Hadith, the second person of the Thelemite trinityat its center. SEE CROWLEY, ALEISTER; THELEMA.

Abramelin the Mage,The Sacred Magic of. A grimoire preserved in a single eighteenth-century copy in the Bibliotheque de lArsenal in Paris. Written in French, it claims to be a translation of a Hebrew original dating from 1458, although scholars have cast doubt on this claim. According to the long preface, it represents the teachings of a Jewish magician named Abramelin, passed on by him to his student Abraham, and by the latter to his son Lamech. These teachings, which Abraham describes as the only valid magical system in the world, require the student to devote six months of prayer, repentance, and ritual to obtain the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. After this accomplishment, the student gains the power to command evil spirits through talismans composed of letter combinations. The Sacred Magic was rediscovered in the late 1890s by Golden Dawn founder Samuel Mathers (18541918), and Mathers English translation was published in 1898. It has had a major impact on magical thinking ever since, especially through its influence on Aleister Crowley (1875 1947), who used it as the template for much of his own understanding of magic.To this day the idea that magic is or should be directed toward the knowledge and contemplation of ones Holy Guardian Angela concept not found outside this work in older sourcesis commonplace in magical writings. The book itself, however, developed a sinister reputation among occultists in the early part of this century. Dire accidents and mental imbalance were held to have befallen many of those who owned a copy of the original printing, or who tried to use the talismans contained in it. SEE ALSO HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL. FURTHER READING: MATHERS 1974.

Abrasax. SEE ABRAXAS.

Abraxas. A popular magical deity in the ancient world, Abraxas (also called Abrasax) was depicted on classical amulet gems as a humanlike figure with a roosters head and serpents for feet, wielding a...(Continues)

Customer Reviews

Good list of titles. But articles v. biased, cover title is arrogant, & certain articles can incite hate between occult groups
I would love to give this book five stars. But my conscience can only allow me to give it one, because the book is claiming to be (it is presented as being) something that it is not.

It is very useful to have a comprehensive list of occult subjects in one place, as in this encyclopedia. But it should be called ‘‘A’ New Encyclopedia of the Occult’, not ‘‘The’ New Encyclopaedia of the Occult’. Different occult groups have different ideas about the subjects discussed. So it is extremely biased to present one perspective on a subject as ‘the’ perspective.

For example, in the article entitled ‘Initiation’ on p. 242, it says that spiritual, as opposed to physical ritualistic initiation, “has very little to do with the reality of initiation as actually practiced by magical lodge organizations”. But this is biased because in certain significant magical lodge organizations, initiation is actually considered to be a spiritual transformation, not a physical ritual. An example is explained in Chapter II of “A Compendium of Occult Laws” by the Rosicrucian Grand Master, Dr. R. S. Clymer, entitled “The Philosophy of Occult Initiation” (1966).

I would also like to pick up on the article “Randolph, Paschal Beverly”, beginning on p. 389. This is an extremely offensive article, which can incite hate between occult groups. For example, it says on p. 390, “Unfortunately Randolph’s considerable creativity and intelligence were more than overbalanced by his arrogance, egotism, and uncontrolled temper”. This is bad history. It is bad because it does not corroborate different primary sources before concluding what Randolph’s character was actually like. Arthur Marwick, a professor of History at the Open University, explained that even the most accurate history is only about 80% true. History is a representation of the past. It cannot be considered identical with the past.

Randolph is highly respected by Modern Rosicrucian orders, and his teachings are used by them as the foundation. For example, referring to the preface of “Compendium of Occult Laws”, by the Rosicrucian Grand Master Dr. R. S. Clymer, he says, “The second section, "The Philosophy of Occult Initiation", is based almost exclusively upon the secret writings of those versed in Hermetic Science and Alchemical Processes, notably Dr. P.B. Randolph …”

‘The New Encyclopedia of the Occult’ even contradicts itself concerning the character of Paschal Beverly Randolph. For example, on p. 390 it says, “[Randolph] … travelled on the anti-Spiritualist lecture circuit, attacking Spiritualism as earnestly as he had praised it a few years earlier.” But as is explained in the article “New Age Movement” in the same Encyclopaedia, page 330, paragraph 2, “…occultists of the Victorian period shook their heads at the excesses and follies of the mesmerist and spiritualist movements …” So Randolph’s actions were in harmony with the Victorian occultism zeitgeist.

Randolph also explained that his intention was not to attack spiritualism. Randolph states, for example, in his book, “Soul, The Soul World,” Chapter 8, Paragraph 21, in which he outlines Rosicrucian philosophy, “The sole business of this book is not to controvert any current system of philosophy . . . but to give forth what I know to be the truth.” This of course means that Randolph’s intention was not to attack spiritualism, but simply to express his Rosicrucian philosophy. When defining one thought system, it is necessary to contrast it against others that are different. This is the way that academic argumentation works. Such argumentation and contrasting does not constitute attacking e.g. explaining how chemistry is not biology is not an attack upon biology by chemistry. Randolph also explains: “much herein given necessarily antagonizes a few of the popular Spiritual theories” (“Soul, The Soul World,” Chapter 8, Paragraph 21). Explaining that the Rosicrucian view of the Soul World is hierarchical, necessarily antagonises spiritualism, because it is impossible to describe the soul hierarchy without saying that certain souls are lower in the hierarchy than others. There would be no Masters if there were no apprentices.

Further regarding Randolph’s abandonment of the spiritualist worldview. Bryan Magee says in his text ‘The Great Philosophers’ (1987), Oxford, Oxford University Press, p. 66, that the abandonment of one’s beliefs that are shown to be flawed in the light of new knowledge is part of what constitutes intellectual advance.

Even if Randolph did have an uncontrolled temper, it does not necessarily indicate that he was a bad person. It can be a symptom of central nervous system disease. See for example this health article on intermittent explosive disorder (IED): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5049610.stm

“There is no justice in the world’s censorious eyes. They will not wait to learn a man’s true character. Though no wrong has been done them, one look – and they hate”. – From Medea by Euripides, Lines 18-21 (431 BCE)

So, if you want to know about occultism, ‘The New Encyclopedia of the Occult’ is a handy starting point. But the information it presents is not trustworthy. The articles require corroboration with other sources, preferably direct (e.g. what occult orders actually say about themselves), primary, and several secondary sources about a particular subject.

Ex tenebris lux
Once again John has written a very resourceful book that is sure to solve those late night ponderings in search of the obscure. See you in lodge Frater!

Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up!
I'll join my fellow reviewers and say this book is excellent! It has the right philosophical standards every encyclopedia should have: Neutrality and a very slight skeptical nodd at the more controversial subjects (like the life of LaVey, things like womenbreast-divination and the more racistical occult philosopies). Unlike most other occult refference books it has a very wide time range, covering topics dating from the ancient past to postmodern suburbian Americanism. I won't bother to highlight interesting topics for they are too great in number but I can say that I like the special attention for geomancy (because you have to admit, this subject was getting a little bit dusty). I know Greer is an expert on geomancy, I think that's the reason. This is one of those rare encyclopedias that you will read in bed before going to sleep.