Occult Books for sincere seekers

We review and recommend more than 80 books on occult, philosophical, scientific and religious subjects

The first point of wisdom is to discern that which is false, and the second, to know that which is true. Lactantius — 'Institutiones Divinae'

Introduction

We have not reviewed any books about the so-called 'left-hand path' (LHP), witchcraft, wicca, the fantasies of conspiracy theorists or the speculations of psychics and mediums. If that's what you're looking for you won't find it here. If, on the other hand, you're looking for books that provide plain answers to the many questions sincere seekers ask about Man, Life and the Universe, you're in the right place. To read our book reviews, browse the categories below. To learn more about what books we review and why, or how and where to obtain them, read the notes in the sidebar.

To learn more about this website and our aims, see our About page.

Occult book reviews

Our occult book reviews are listed under the following separate categories:

GENERAL OCCULT BOOKS (this page)

Occult books that do not fall into any specific category.

HERMETIC BOOKS

Classic Hermetic books that should be in every occult student's library.

OCCULT BIOGRAPHY

Occult biographies containing many occult truths.

OCCULT FICTION

The best classic occult fiction books.

BOOKS BY J MICHAUD

Dr Michaud's books describe and explain the true laws and principles of Occult Science.

H .P. BLAVATSKY BOOKS

Blavatsky's books are essential reading if you wish to learn the Ancient Wisdom.

THE BOOKS of Dr E. V. KENEALY

The Book of God, The Book of Enoch and The Book of Fo reviewed and downloadable.

FAIRIES & NATURE SPIRITS

These five books accurately describe the inhabitants of the Elemental Kingdoms.

ASTROLOGY

We review and recommend three books for the serious student of Astrology.

ATLANTOLOGY

We review seven books that discuss Atlantis in a scientific manner.

General occult Books (this page)

We hope that one or more of the books we review below will strongly appeal to you. If this happens it often means that there exists a special link between you and the thoughts and teachings of the author; and it is always wise to follow up such intuitions.

Astral Conversations—By A Listener

Aula Lucus, 2022. Hardcover limited to 250 copies, 367pp. Bound in gold-stamped purple cloth, with purple endpapers and a purple ribbon. Colour frontispiece and title pages, with thirteen illustrations by Justin Estcourt. Presented with a purple bookmark, gold-stamped on 250gsm paper and supplied with a gold-stamped dust jacket, price £36 ($45).

AVAILABLE FROM Aula Lucis and many occult booksellers

Also available to read here free of charge in HTML format

This unusual book is neither fiction nor non-fiction, but combines both genres in a unique way. The main narrative is the record of twelve lively and sometimes humorous conversations between two occult students overheard clairaudiently by the author. The two interlocutors — Arthur Flitterflop and Joshua Bombast — meet in the astral world to discuss many different subjects, including magic, masters, conspiracy theories, the illuminati, aliens, planet 'x', 'Ascension', 'DNA activation', consciousness, dreams, life after death, Tibetan magic, Shamans, drugs, channeling, witchcraft, paganism, the tarot, fate versus free will, necromancy, heaven and hell, and much more.

The secondary narrative consists of separate commentaries which follow each of the twelve conversations in the book. A similar format has been used before in print, most notably in The Comte de Gabalis, reviewed on our Occult Biography Books page. Bombast and Flitterflop are based on real individuals well-known to the author whose names have been deliberately changed to protect their identities. During the course of their conversations the reader is gradually introduced to a number of little-known occult laws and principles which have rarely appeared in print before. These reveal who and what man truly is, his material and spiritual origins and the purpose of life on earth.

Some of the subjects Bombast and Flitterflop discuss will be familiar to readers, others will not. What makes this book stand out from the mass of modern occult literature is that it does not consist of the author's personal beliefs, opinions or speculations. All the facts, information and teachings in this book rest on the solid foundation of the Ancient Wisdom, gathered together over many thousands of years, which the profound learning of all the greatest Teachers and Philosophers, aided by Divine Inspiration, has recorded for our minds to dwell on, so that we might behold Truth. There is a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the book which lists the many occult, philosophical and scientific sources the author has drawn upon.

For technical reasons the twelve chapters in this book are presented in a slightly different manner to the articles on our website. However, with the exception of a Preface by the author and a Foreword by the publisher, the content is identical. You can watch a video review of the book on YouTube by 'The Lunar Key'. We would add that the reviewer has no connection with us or the publisher.

Serpents of Wisdom—By Edda Livingston

Originally self-published in 1994 by the author on her own (now defunct) website, Argotique.

Available TO READ & DOWNLOAD HERE IN PDF FORMAT

The author made this remarkable book freely available to all who wished to read it during her lifetime. We have followed her generous example by doing the same in creating our PDF, using many of the same illustrations she used. Written in a refreshingly down-to-earth manner, Serpents of Wisdom describes the search for a genuine Spiritual Master in plain language, indicating the many traps and false teachings the sincere seeker may encounter along the way with insight, warmth and wry humour.

It is impossible in a short review such as this to do justice to the wealth of real occult facts and information packed into this little book of just 72 pages, but the following are some of the many subjects covered: false masters; why asceticism does not lead to illumination; how to distinguish false teachers from genuine ones; willpower; alchemy; true faith versus mere optimism; karma and destiny; magic; reincarnation; sensible spiritual meditation; mental transformation; the higher and lower selves; black magic in modern science (this will be an eye-opener for many); the importance of simplicity; real, effective prayer; and how to make oneself ready for the True Teacher.

Those who have spent many years swimming in an ocean of New Age nonsense, will welcome the clarity this book sheds on the many wrong teachings and speculations masquerading as Truth. The author pulls no punches in lambasting the many past and present vultures in human form who prey upon the weaknesses and gullibility of those seeking a spiritual Master. For this reason alone, we highly recommend this unusual little book to the beginner in occult studies, as well as those who are well advanced upon the path to the Light. You can read a short extract from this book in the sidebar further down this page.

Readers who enjoy this book may also like The White Brother by Michael Juste, reviewed on our OCCULT BIOGRAPHY books page.

The Secret Teachings of All Ages—by Manly P. Hall

An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings concealed within the Rituals, Allegories, and Mysteries of all Ages.
Originally printed by H. S. Crocker Company Inc., San Francisco, USA., 1928. Reprinted 2003 by TarcherPerigee, paperback, 768pps, price £18.35.
ISBN-13: 978-1585422500.

AVAILABLE FROM Amazon.co.uk and other booksellers

AVAILABLE TO READ ONLINE AT Sacred Texts

There cannot be many readers interested in the occult who have not heard of this book. Manly P. Hall self-published this monumental survey of the ancient wisdom and the occult sciences at his own expense in 1928. The only reason we have not reviewed it before is that until recently the book was both scarce and expensive. Fortunately, an excellent e-text is now available at Sacred Texts which is freely available for all to read online. So far as we have been able to ascertain this is an exact facsimile of the original edition complete with all the black and white illustrations found in the printed book, though the colour illustrations which fronted each chapter in the first edition of 1928 and reprints of it, have been omitted for reasons of economy and copyright. There is also an illustrated paperback reprint published by TarcherPerigee in 2003 which is verbatim with the original edition (See note at end).

Those who study this book in its entirety will gain a broad understanding of such varied subjects as the Qabbalah, Alchemy, Magic, Astrology, Neo-Platonism, Egyptian Hermetic Philosophy, Pythagorean mathematics, Native American myths, the esotericism of the Shakespearean dramas, the various Mystery Religions and ancient Mystery Schools of Greece and Egypt, and their modern offshoots of Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry. The number of ancient and modern sources Hall drew upon for his magnum opus is quite extraordinary. Aside from the works of Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Iamblichus, he cites translations of the Gnostic, Nicene, and Hermetic literature, the writings of Paracelsus, Ptolemy, Roger Bacon, Basil Valentine, Cornelius Agrippa, Eliphas Levi and H. P. Blavatsky, to name just a few of the most well-known writers on the ancient wisdom and occult sciences.

This is not to say that the book does not contain several errors. Among these may be mentioned Hall's contention that the Roma or Gypsies came from Egypt, a view which was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We now know this to be incorrect. He also contends that the Tarot may be traced back to the religious symbolism of the ancient Egyptians, when in fact it was the product of the Rosicrucians of the 18th century who drew upon the Jewish mysticism of the Qabbalah for its symbolism, not the ancient Egyptian Wisdom teachings. But these shortcomings in no way spoil what is one of the most comprehensive surveys of the ancient Wisdom and occult sciences ever compiled, and that is the reason we recommend Manly P Hall's book to our readers.

IMPORTANT NOTE! There are now several editions of this book available including various 'print-on-demand' and Kindle versions which are badly typeset and omit many or all of the illustrations of the original. The most complete edition is the hardcover "University Edition" published by the Philosophical Research Society (PRS) in 2008, but at $225 this is very expensive. The "Reduced Size Paperback" published in 1978 and reprinted in 1988 and 2000 by the PRS, costs $75. This includes 54 symbolic colour plates, foldouts and an overlay as well as 200 black and white illustrations, an extensive bibliography and complete index. ISBN 10: 0-89314-830-X. There is also a hardcover edition of this book, price $95 from PRS. ISBN-10: 0-89314-548-3 and a paperback compact "Reader's Edition" with 100 black and white illustrations and a 16-page colour insert, price $26 from PRS. ISBN-10: 1585422509. Finally, there is the illustrated paperback reprint mentioned above, published by TarcherPerigee in 2003. This contains most, but not all of the illustrations included in the original edition of 1928 but omitted from many of the subsequent reprints.

In Tune with the Infinite—by Ralph Waldo Trine

Wilder Publications 2008. ISBN 978-1604590388. Softcover, 128pp.
Price new from £4.99. Also available as a Kindle edition, and second-hand in various editions from as little as £1.00.

AVAILABLE FROM Amazon.co.uk and other booksellers

ALSO AVAILABLE TO READ ONLINE AT SACRED TEXTS

Ralph Waldo Trine presents the eternal Spiritual and material truths of Life in a clear and simple manner which all can understand. It requires no great intellect or education to apply the very simple laws which he so beautifully reveals in this inspired book. In the degree that you do so you will change sadness into joy, failure into success and weakness into strength.

Although claimed by many as a pioneer of 'New Age' teaching, there is nothing in Trine's message that was not known and taught thousands of years ago. We hear the same truths from the immortal lips of inspired teachers like Jesus, Buddha and Krishna. Trine's great accomplishment was to re-state these truths in simple words that even a child can understand and to make them accessible to millions. This is no accident; for the truth is always simple if we are simple enough to recognise it when it is presented to us. Sadly, so many seekers desire mystery, glamour and complexity. Such will turn away from the simplicity of this book. But the simple in mind and heart will recognise the Truth within its luminous pages.

It will remind them in no uncertain manner that the keys to health, happiness and success are to be found within and not without. As the Author says in his Prelude: "THE optimist is right. The pessimist is right. The one differs from the other as the light from the dark. Yet both are right. Each is right from their own particular point of view, and this point of view is the determining factor in the life of each. It determines as to whether it is a life of power or of impotence...of success or of failure."

How true these words are! Do we not all know seekers whose 'glass is always half-empty'?—who fear the worst and anticipate disaster and disappointment at every turn? And is it not also true that such people often live lives of sorrow, confusion, ill-health and failure? But it needn't be like this. In US lies the power to change our own individual lives for the better. And in the degree that we do so we shall change the lives of others around us and the world in general. This is the simple way to bring peace and light into this sorely-troubled world. It needs no 'occult powers' nor special training to do so. All it requires is an understanding of the TRUE LAWS of Life and a willingness to put them into practise in our daily lives. This is the SIMPLE message which Ralph Waldo Trine gave to the world over 100 years ago.

You can find a series of short extracts from In Tune with the Infinite in the afterword to our article on the law of attraction.

The Upanishads—translations from the Sanskrit by Juan Mascaro

Penguin books 1965. Reprinted by Penguin Classics 2005.
ISBN 978-0140441635. Softcover, 144pp. Price new £7.99.
Also available second-hand from as little as £0.01.

AVAILABLE FROM Amazon.co.uk and other booksellers

Read an abstract adapted from the Introduction to the book

The Upanishads have rightly been described as the 'Himalayas of the Soul' and we regard this selection from them by Juan Mascaro as the finest and most accurate translations ever rendered into English. Readers who are unfamiliar with these sublime spiritual treatises on Man, God and the Universe are advised to read our abstract adapted from the translator's introduction to the book.

Born in Majorca of Spanish parents in 1897, Juan Mascaro's own search for Truth began at the tender age of 13 when he studied a book on occultism. This led to his discovery of an inferior English translation of the Bhagavad Gita which inspired him to learn Sanskrit by himself. He went on to study and teach at Cambridge University, in England, where he lectured on the spiritual values in the Bible and Spanish mysticism. He died in Cambridge in 1987 at the ripe old age of 90, having left the world some of the finest translations of the sacred texts of Hinduism ever written.

Rabindranath Tagore, the famous Bengali poet wrote in a letter to Mascaro that he had "caught from those great words the inner voice that goes beyond the boundaries of words." We agree and do not doubt that Mascaro's early occult studies greatly helped him to imbue his masterly translation with the fire of true inspiration which shines from every page of this book. For this is an occult book in the best and highest sense of that much misunderstood word, which contains some of the most elevated spiritual truths ever composed by the hand of man.

These timeless treatises upon Truth are as far removed from the dry and dusty curiosities of religious scholarship as the Sun is removed from a guttering candle in a dark cellar filled with bemused bats. H. P. Blavatsky tells us that upa-ni-shad is a compound word meaning "the conquest of ignorance by the revelation of secret, spiritual knowledge." Mascaro confirms this in his introduction where he says that Upanishad means to "sit at the feet of the Master", which means the same and is the same, for one cannot learn the true occult sciences without a spiritual Master as we point out in many of our articles. The Upanishads are to the Vedas what the Qabbalah is to the Jewish Bible. They treat of and expound the secret meaning of the Vedic texts and the occult sciences.

Every sincere seeker who truly longs to scale the mountain of Truth should read the Upanishads, for in few other sacred texts can we find such clear and simple instructions to guide the feet of the traveller on the path to the Light.

The Holy Bible

King James Version (KJV) of 1611. Various publishers and editions in hard and softcover. Price new from £7.00; second-hand from £1.00.

AVAILABLE NEW FROM Amazon.co.uk and other booksellers

Most seekers after Occult Knowledge and Truth would not regard the Bible as an occult book. The same is true of most occultists too. Devout Christians, on the other hand, would be horrified to hear the Bible called an 'occult' book, given that the word is now universally associated with all that is evil. Nonetheless, we still say that the Bible is an occult book. The word occult, as we point out on our Homepage, simply means 'hidden'. It is in this correct sense that the word is used by doctors to describe blood that is not visibly apparent. The same definition applies to occult truth—knowledge and wisdom which is not visibly apparent.

The fact of the matter is that there is more real occult knowledge and truth hidden in plain sight in the Bible than any other book we can think of. If you doubt us, which would be an eminent attitude to adopt, for we do not expect our readers to take anything we say on trust, we suggest you read any or all of the articles about the Bible written for us by John Temple, a theologian and ex-minister of the Anglican Church. John Temple is not alone in regarding the Bible as belonging to a special category of literature, sometimes called sacred texts. The distinguishing characteristic of this kind of writing is that, while many of its narratives have a historical basis, the language itself is largely, though not entirely, allegorical and symbolical. It is for this reason that we believe the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible published in 1611 should take pride of place in every occultist's library.

You may ask why we favour the KJV over the newer editions such as the New International Version (NIV)? The answer is because it preserves more of the hidden or occult meaning of the book than any other edition, with two exceptions. These are the Greek version of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint and the Latin translation of it known as the Vulgate. But as few people nowadays know Greek or Latin sufficiently well to utilise these editions, we have not reviewed or recommended them. However, those who do know Greek or Latin, or both, will find it profitable to compare the Septuagint and Vulgate with the KJV.

Let us take just one familiar verse from the Bible and compare the ways in which the two versions of the book interpret it. First John 1:5 from the NIV. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Now the same verse from the KJV: "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." Now 'Overcome' is not the same as 'Comprehend'. The KJV preserves the double meaning of the verse where 'light' is in no wise superior to 'darkness' and one principle can stand for the other, for as we point out in several of our articles our Earthly 'light' is darkness to the greater Light of the Spiritual realms and vice versa. This duality, contradiction and subtlety is entirely lost in the NIV.

Many seekers after Truth say they don't like the Bible because they believe it consists of 'fairy-tales' or is a publicity tract for the Christian Church. In adopting such notions and ignoring the Bible, such seekers are depriving themselves of the opportunity to greatly expand their awareness and increase their knowledge of many vital occult truths, both in the macrocosm and the microcosm.

Serpent in the Sky—by John Anthony West
The high wisdom of Ancient Egypt

1st UK Edition, Wildwood House, London 1979. Hardcover 253pp.
ISBN 07045 02690. Illustrated with 140 photographs and line drawings.
Price from £16.00 second-hand. New paperback edition 286pp, Quest Books, USA 1993. ISBN 978-0835606912. Price £30.00.

AVAILABLE NEW FROM Amazon.co.uk and other booksellers

Also available second-hand from Abe books and other booksellers

We first read John Anthony West's groundbreaking reinterpretation of the science and civilisation of Egypt more than 30 years ago and were deeply impressed by it. We remain impressed today, for what he has to say about the wisdom of ancient Egypt has rarely been expressed more clearly or completely by any other popular author. West challenged the prevailing dogmas about ancient Egypt for the very first time, providing a generation of readers with information which had either been suppressed, ignored or misinterpreted by orthodox archaeologists and Egyptologists.

The service West has rendered to scholars and ordinary readers alike cannot be underestimated. By summarising and extending the work of the philosopher and mathematician, R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, he has not only made the ancient Egyptian sciences of art, architecture, mathematics, geometry and philosophy comprehensible to the lay reader who knows little or nothing about these subjects, but provided the serious occult student with a wealth of hitherto scarce and invaluable information on the hidden wisdom of ancient Egypt.

While we would recommend Schwaller de Lubicz's own books to those who wish to delve more deeply into the sacred sciences of ancient Egypt, his magnum opus—The Temple of Man—runs to over 1,000 pages and is not cheap at nearly £170 for the hardcover edition published by Inner Traditions in 1998. For most readers, Serpent in the Sky covers the same ground as de Lubicz, and is considerably easier to read.

West is no New Age apologist promoting the weirder speculations of conspiracy theorists, but a conscientious and accomplished scholar who has the advantage over most orthodox Egyptologists in that he writes with great clarity, acuity and humour, dispelling the many popular misconceptions which surround the subject of ancient Egypt and its civilisation with rapier-like wit and inescapable logic. If you are fascinated by ancient Egypt (and we know few seekers after truth who are not) you will not be disappointed by this book.

NOTE: The paperback edition published in 1993 includes an update on the author's dating of the Sphinx.

Secrets of the Great Pyramid—by Peter Tompkins

Penguin Books, London 1978. ISBN 0140051082. Softcover, 416pp.
Price secondhand from £5.00.

AVAILABLE FROM Abebooks.co.uk and other booksellers

Although written over 40 years ago, this lavishly illustrated book remains the most comprehensive compendium of accurate facts and data about the Great Pyramid we know. As secondhand copies of the 1978 softcover edition (shown at right) are readily available in the UK and USA for less than £10 there has never been a better time to add this book to your occult library. Many contemporary writers about Egypt, such as Graham Hancock, John Anthony West (see previous review) and Robert Bauval, have drawn much of their material from the enormous amount of data Tompkins collected together for his book.

The book contains over 300 illustrations from sources ranging from the twenty-volume survey of Egypt commissioned by Napoleon to the first photographs taken inside the Pyramid in 1865; and an appendix by Professor Stecchini on the relations of ancient measures to the Great Pyramid. From the first Arabian investigations in the 8th century, to the latest theories and explanations, this book relates the complete history of the exploration of the Great Pyramid. Peter Tompkins recounts the explorations and adventures of the archaeologists, treasure-hunters, soldiers, scientists and eccentrics who have tunnelled into and studied the Pyramid over many centuries. He analyses the various theories as to how and why the Pyramid was built, and its relation to other monumental structures of antiquity, including Stonehenge and the ziggurats of Babylon.

Whilst we would not necessarily endorse all the author's conclusions about the purpose and function of the Great Pyramid, we know of no other book in which so many different theories have been presented in such a thoroughly sensible and scientific manner. This is in sharp contrast to many newer books on the subject, which, we are sorry to say, promote the most improbable fantasies based on variations of the same crackpot theories Tompkins demolishes in this book. Among these theories may be included the hair-brained notion that the Great Pyramid was a 'nuclear' power station, a prophetic device to predict the future or was built by aliens.

Several chapters in the book will be of great interest to occult students, not least those which explore the many astronomical, astrological and mystical aspects of this mysterious monument, whose primary purpose was a Temple of Initiation into the ancient Mysteries, as many of our readers will know. For these reasons alone we highly recommend this book.

Egyptian Magic—by Florence Farr

The Aquarian Press, Wellingborough, UK, 1982. Softcover, 85pps.
ISBN 0850302773. Price from £40.00 second-hand.

AVAILABLE FROM Abebooks.co.uk and other booksellers

Also available to read online at the Hermetic Library

This rare book on the metaphysical doctrines, religion and magical practises of ancient Egypt was first published as volume VIII of Collectanea Hermetica (see Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues, reviewed below), in 1896. Although the book was written at a time when the science of Egyptology was in its infancy, this in no way negates the invaluable esoteric lore the author has collected from the translations of Egyptian papyri available to her in the 19th century, which remain as much of an enigma to modern scholars as they were to Egyptologists in Farr's time.

Understandably, she draws heavily on the books of E. A. Wallis Budge, now sadly out of favour among Egyptologists for reasons of political correctness rather than scholarship in which he vastly exceeded all his modern contemporaries put together. The book includes a detailed examination and discussion of reincarnation, initiation, evolution and the afterlife which is in complete accord with the true laws and principles of Occult Science as expounded in many of our articles.

Farr correctly deduced that the principles of Egyptian magic were based on an elaborate series of correspondences derived from the fact that material and spiritual evolution follow the same Hermetic law of 'As above; so below', and that matter and spirit are the opposite states of the one Universal Substance, or Prima Materia.

The book begins with a dissertation upon the seven principles of man as they were known in ancient Egypt, explaining how they enter into the body at birth, what happens to them at death, and the manner in which they are connected. Later chapters include several so-called 'spells' taken from the Book of the Dead, which are nothing of the kind, for all these exhortations and prayers are nothing more nor less than allegorical representations of the various transformations the Higher Self undergoes during life and after death.

Over half the book is taken up with extracts from a Gnostic papyrus entitled The Book of Knowledge of the Invisible God, which forms part of the Bruce codex found in Upper Egypt in 1769, and now preserved in the Bodleian Library, in Oxford. This luminous text is reminiscent of the Pistis Sophia in parts and consists of some of the esoteric teachings Jesus imparted to his disciples after his resurrection. These alone make this little book well worth studying. You can read about the hidden meaning of the resurrection in our article about the esoteric meaning of Easter.

NOTE: Amazon sell a Kindle edition for just over £2.00 but not having seen it we cannot vouch for its quality or accuracy. Kessinger Publishing produced a reprinted edition in 1993, but this may contain errors and omissions. Hence, we recommend that those on a tight budget avail themselves of the free e-text published by the Hermetic Library (see above link).

Qabbalah: The Philosophical Writings of Solomon Ben Yehudah Ibn Gebirol, or Avicebron—by Isaac Myer

First published Philadelphia 1888. Reprinted by Samuel Weiser Inc, New York, 1970 (1st Ed.) & 1972 (2nd Ed). Hardcover, 497pp inc 26pp index.
ISBN 0-87728-008-8. Copiously illustrated with monochrome plates throughout. Price second-hand from £50.00. A paperback edition was published by Elibron Classics in 2001. This is a photographic reprint of the 1888 edition, available from Amazon.co.uk, price new £9.99—see link below.

AVAILABLE FROM Amazon.co.uk 532pp, ISBN 978-1402185038

The Qabbalah (also written "Kabbalah", "Cabala", etc), which word means "doctrines received by tradition"—is a system of Jewish theosophy that played an important part in the establishment of the Christian Church. As such, it is a valuable work for the study of the origin of religions and their philosophy in general, and the origin of the formulations, dogmas and doctrines of early Christianity in particular. We would add that Isaac Meyer's book has nothing whatsoever to do with the fashionable craze of 'kabbalah' popularised by various Hollywood celebrities in recent years!

First published at the author's own expense in 1888, Meyer's Qabbalah remains the most accessible and readable summary of these important Hebrew writings that we know of. The book includes a short account of the life and writings of the philosopher, Solomon ben Yehudah Ibn Gebirol or Avicebron; some parts of the Qabbalistic philosophy, quotations from the Zoharic books, explanations of many New Testament passages, the basic element in Religions, and extracts from the so-called "Pagan" writers on the Invisible and Visible and the Ideal and Real. In addition, the book contains Qabbalistic accounts of the Creation which should be of interest to every seeker, for it is only by carefully comparing the various accounts to be found in the sacred books of all times that the diligent occult student may arrive at a true conception of the origins of Man and the Universe. The book also contains important discussions upon the nature of illusion, sound, colour and rhythm, and an interesting article on an Ancient Lodge of Initiates.

For those interested in making a deeper study of Jewish Mysticism it is important to get as close as possible to the original sources upon which the early philosophers erected the doctrine and teaching of the Kabbalah. For this reason we also recommend two further classic books on this system of Jewish theosophy. These are: The Kabbalah: its Doctrines, Development, and Literature by Christian David Ginsburg, published by G Routledge & Sons, London, 1920 and The Kabbalah or the Religious Philosophy of the Hebrews by Adolphe Franck (translated by I. Sossnitz) 1926. This latter book is available to read online in HTML format at the Internet Sacred Text Archive. We review this superb compendium of sacred and occult texts on our Links page.

NOTE. We recommend the edition published by Weiser Books in 1970/72 (ISBN 0-87728-008-8), OR the photographic reprint by Elibron Classics published by Adamant Media Corporation in 2001 (ISBN 978-1402185038). We do not recommend the Kindle and other electronic editions sold by Amazon as these often suffer from defects and imperfections that make such ebooks virtually unreadable.

Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues
—by W Wynn Westcott

Theosophical Publishing House, London, 1890.
Reprinted in 1973 4th edition, hardcover, 120pps, ISBN 0722950276.

AVAILABLE FROM Abebooks.co.uk and other booksellers

Also available to read online at Sacred Texts

We feel compelled to begin this review with an apology. Numerology cannot be picked up piecemeal in an idle hour or two. Nor can it be used to tell 'fortunes' as many people have been led to believe. If that is your desire, we suggest that you take up reading tea-leaves or the Tarot! As we point out in our article on symbolism, the students of Pythagoras spent seven years learning the basic principles of the sacred science of numbers, as you can read in our article on numerology. Consequently, Westcott's book, like our own article, should be regarded as an introduction to this vast and complex subject, not a complete course of instruction in the science of numbers, which cannot be condensed down into a slim volume of just 120 pages.

The book was first published in 1890 as volume IX of Collectanea Hermetica, a series of 9 books on the occult sciences issued under the imprimatur of the Theosophical Society with Westcott as editor. Westcott expanded and revised the book in 1902 and 1911. A 4th edition was published in 1974, which is the edition shown at right that we have used for this review. Those who judiciously study this book will gain a first-rate understanding of the main principles of the hidden properties and meaning of numbers.

Westcott drew on an immense number of ancient Greek, Roman, Chaldean, Hebraic, Egyptian, Chinese and Sanskrit sources for this book, as well as the writings of Eliphas Levi, the Egyptologist E.A. Wallis Budge, Thomas Taylor, Godfrey Higgins, Michael Maier, Gerald Massey and H. P. Blavatsky. But Westcott's main source, and the reason that this book is of such value to the serious occult student, are the teachings of Pythagoras himself, which the author has collected together from the fragmentary remains of the writings of the Sage's pupils.

The science of numbers is one of the most important keys that unlocks the secrets of man and the universe. As H. P. Blavatsky said so truly: "Everything in the Universe was framed according to the eternal proportions and combinations of numbers—God geometrises—and numbers and numerals are the fundamental basis of all systems of mysticism, philosophy, and religion." Pythagoras stated that the Monad or unity, emanated the Dyad, and thus formed the spiritual trinity, from which is derived the quaternary, or the mystic four, the number of the material world. These numbers comprise the totality of the forces of Nature and the principles of man, both of which are seven in number.

IMPORTANT NOTE! There are several print-on-demand and Kindle editions of this book available from Amazon and other booksellers. These are best avoided as almost all are badly typeset and contain innumerable errors and omissions. If you want a printed copy our advice is to obtain the 4th edition shown above, published by the Theosophical Publishing House in 1973. Otherwise, read the free e-text at the Sacred Text Archive.

The Occult and the Curative Powers of Precious Stones
—by William T. Fernie M.D.

Originally published in 1907 under the title Precious Stones: For Curative Wear; and other Remedial Uses; Likewise The Nobler Metals.
Reprinted by HarperCollins; 1981. Softcover, 486pps.

AVAILABLE FROM Abebooks.co.uk and other booksellers

Although it was first published more than 100 years ago, W. T. Fernie's seminal source book on the various occult, alchemical, historical, mythological and magical lore and properties associated with precious stones and minerals has never been equalled. The book is a virtual encyclopedia of invaluable information about stones and metals, and copiously enlivened with anecdotes and historical information on how precious and semi-precious stones and metals were used in the past.

Given the present-day fascination with "crystals" and the very many uses (and we may say many more "abuses") to which they are now put, the serious student of occultism will find this book indispensable in his researches into the historical and occult lore of gems of all kinds. Having said that, the book is not without errors and should not be taken as an infallible guide to the use of precious stones for occult purposes. The real occult facts about precious stones and their employment have and always will remain a closely-guarded secret for the reasons we give in our Occult FAQ.

NOTE. The edition illustrated above is the HarperCollins paperback reprint of 1981. So far as we have been able to ascertain this is verbatim with the original edition of 1907. When we last updated this page in July 2024, used copied of the HarperCollins reprint were readily available from Abe Book and other booksellers from as little as £15.00 The various print-on-demand editions of this book now being produced are best avoided for the reasons given in our note 'Where and how to buy occult books' in the sidebar.

This page was last updated on 24 July 2024 — © Copyright occult-mysteries.org.

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OCCULT BOOKS

"Of the making of many books there is no end."

Ecclesiastes 12:12

This reminds us of a very good friend of ours, a Mystic and Seer of wide experience and great wisdom, who, when he was asked which of the many thousands of rare occult books in his library he would recommend, he said "None of 'em!!"

We agree with him. The fact of the matter is that with very few exceptions, the books which are recommended to Occult students are often chaotic in their contents and contradict one another. The problem is that it is impossible to put the most profound spiritual and mystical experiences into words that cannot be misunderstood by a large number of seekers.

We only have to consider the many different interpretations of the Bible and other Sacred books to know that this is true. We could easily have reviewed 500 occult books, or 5000, but whether acquiring that many books leads to knowledge and understanding or confusion and mental indigestion, is a question we leave our readers to ponder. . .

Moreover, in all our wide experience of occult and mystical literature, we know of no books that do not contain some errors, while in most truth and error are so inextricably intertwined that only a trained Occultist can sift the one from the other. Yet some truth is better than none. This is especially true of the thousands of new occult books that are now appearing, very few which of contain anything that has not been said better before. This answers the question we have often been asked as to why so many of the books we do review were published in the last century or even earlier.

It is for this reason that we have chosen only those books which contain real occult wisdom and truth which stand out like beacons of Light amongst a sea of mediocrity, plagiarism and fantasy. Books that explain who and what Man truly IS, whence he comes, whither he is going and the purpose and meaning of life. In connection with this, an anonymous alchemist has written:

"Let a Lover of truth suspect things that are quickly understood; for truth lies hid in obscurity; for Philosophers never write more deceitfully—than when plainly, nor ever more truly—than when obscurely."

This is true, though it may come as a shock to those who imagine there is a secret 'Da Vinci' code which at a stroke will magically 'unlock' the obscure allegories, arcane symbolism and archaic language used by occultists, mystics and philosophers. We're afraid that no such 'code' exists, has existed, or ever will exist, except in the minds of novelists and conspiracy theorists. It requires wide reading, long study, intuition and sheer hard work to discover the hidden meaning in the best occult books as we explain in our occult studies course.

Occult books for beginners

We are often asked to suggest the 'best' occult books for beginners. Our invariable answer is that the 'best' books are those that teach us the most. For this reason we suggest that if you know little or nothing about the occult sciences, you start off by reading the following three articles we have published:

Occult FAQ

Why study Occult Science?

There is only One LIGHT

Then, if you wish to learn more, The Secret Teachings of All Ages is a readable and comprehensive introduction to the occult sciences for those who know little or nothing about them. Those who prefer to read the personal experiences of seekers, should enjoy Serpents of Wisdom or The White Brother. Both these books were written by authors who drew on their own personal experience to describe the search for a genuine spiritual teacher and answer the many questions asked by beginners. These two books are reviewed on this website and can be downloaded in PDF format.

In addition, we would also recommend In Tune with the Infinite by Ralph Waldo Trine. Although not an 'occult' book in the strict sense, it presents the Eternal Truths of life with great clarity and simplicity—and just as importantly—how to apply them to improve your life, health, wealth and happiness.

Finally, we strongly recommend that you read and study Astral Conversations—a series of articles in which two typical occult students—one a mere beginner—discuss many different subjects and provide plain, no-nonsense answers to them. A hardcover print edition of these twelve conversations was published by Aula Lucis in 2022. This is arranged slightly differently to the website articles but the content is the same. For further information about this printed edition see our review of the book on this page.

Serpents of Wisdom

An extract adapted from the book by Edda Livingston reviewed on this page

You have probably come to the realization that there are no listings of Masters and true Teachers in the Yellow Pages. It is possible to find psychics, astrologers, and other such flora and fauna, and you may even find advertisements in metaphysical-type magazines for birds of ill-omen who call themselves masters, but unless we have polyps for brains, we ought to know that the only thing they are masters of, is deceit of an expensive kind.

The ill-advised followers of these self-appointed teachers, swallow wholesale the most absurd propositions put forward by these coolies of the Occult; these poachers on Spiritual grounds. But is there a single Master among them? An Adept, perhaps? Or an Initiate? The sad but true answer is NO—not one. There is not even a good imitation of one.

So where will you find one?

Do you think you would recognize a Master if you did meet one? Are you under the impression that he would advertise his Mastership by wearing saffron robes? Flowing locks? Sandals? A halo? A crown of thorns? Or could it possibly be that he is so well hidden because he looks like any one of us, giving us no obvious signs to recognize him by, and, in this manner, throwing us back on our ability to tell Truth from falsehood? How many of us are willing or able to know and welcome Mastership or Adeptship by listening to words of Truth? The majority seem to prefer personality, fame, and drivellers of ineptitude who reconfirms our preconceived opinions.

And anyway, to the ordinary man, all that stuff about Masters, Wisdom, Light and Love, has no meaning—it makes him yawn. What matters to him is profit, the latest football scores, fun, food, and lots of sleep. If you talk to this kind of plebeian about the more elevated things—things of the Spirit and of the Higher man, he will probably brush you aside with: 'In my opinion, that's a lot of bull.' and it will be your own fault for thoughtlessly throwing your pearls before the swine. Your hard gained pearls of wisdom will be trampled underfoot, and neither you nor the plebeian you sought to enlighten will have gained a thing by your eagerness to share your new-found Light. Regretfully, you will soon learn that most men shun the light like so many vampires hiding in their coffins as soon as the sun comes out.

The 19th Century occultist, Eliphas Levi said that: "Fools are the people who kill men of genius", and we might add that they are also fond of killing the Messengers sent to us from God. We all know what crass humanity did to Jesus. Apollonius of Tyana was thrown into prison and later tortured to death; Daniel was thrown to the lions; Raymund Lully was stoned to death; Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake; Ibn Gebirol, the Kabbalist, was murdered; Jaques Cazotte, the seer, was executed, and Socrates was condemned to death. Pythagoras had to flee from the tyranny of Polycrates. Cagliostro died while confined in prison; Giordano Bruno was burnt alive; Sendivogius was imprisoned and tortured; Paracelsus and Agrippa were forced to spend their lives as wretched wanderers. . . and the list goes on.

You may argue that all this took place a long time ago, that we are more civilized these days and would never tolerate such barbaric behaviour. Don't believe it! Human nature does not change much, and however arrogant and self-satisfied modern man is concerning his latest achievements and so-called progress, he is still as stupid and as cruel as ever. Fools are still persecuting and killing messengers, whether physically or by ridicule and calumny, who irritate them, or who hold views considered threatening.

This is one of the reasons why the Wise keep silent as to who, what and where they are—and maybe—to a lesser extent, so should you. It is also wrong to foist your beliefs on others who may be at a different stage on the Path than yourself; or who may simply be going by a different route. Since it is only possible for us to understand something up to our own level, how would we know if we were foisting ourselves and our beliefs on those who have far surpassed us in knowledge and Wisdom? And yet, people do all the time, unaware of the pitying and gentle smiles of those who can see through them.

And although you should always protect the fellow traveller lower than yourself on the ladder to the Light, you must at all times guard against being preached at or dictated to by them. As for the majority, those who care not, let them go on their merry way, without judging them, but at the same time make sure that you see them for what they are, freeing you from the danger of falling for outward trappings.

But if the opportunity to plant a seed in their barren soils presents itself, you should do so. A good seed may lay dormant until the experiences of their lives has watered their soil with tears and enriched it with the ashes of their dreams, sprouting into a beautiful flower of wisdom, years—or lifetimes hence.

It is possible that you yourself are on the Path because someone, at some time, planted a seed in you. A kind soul did the work of the Master on your behalf and you are now reaping the benefits of that kindly act. This is the Way of Service and it is the only Path you can take if you want to reach one of the Masters.

There are no short-cuts to be had on the Path to the Light. We all have to travel the same road and overcome the same obstacles in order to obtain our Goal, and only the strong and steadfast, the loving and faithful, will be crowned with success. Let us at all times remember that even the Masters had to travel along this Path in times gone by, and for this reason they understand fully our aching hearts and our yearnings, but they also know that the Reward is well worth striving for. They know that it is necessary for man to live through material darkness, for we can only be born into the Light from this darkness. But before we start longing for this Birth, we must reach a point where we feel the limitations and the powerlessness of the darkness. We must long, with our whole hearts and minds, to live within the rays of the Light, and we must fearlessly face the Truth. If the Truth hurts, we must have the ability to look within ourselves for the fault, rather than change the Truth in order to spare ourselves.

Then, and only then, can we hope to be noticed by the Masters who live within the Light.

Upanishads

An abstract adapted from Juan Mascaro's introduction to his translations of the Upanishads (see book review at left)

If all the known Upanishads were collected into one volume, they would make an anthology about the length of the Bible. The spirit of the Upanishads can be compared with that of the New Testament summed up in the words 'I and my Father are one' and 'The kingdom of God is within you', the seed of which is found in the words of the Psalms 'I have said: Ye are gods; and all of you are the children of the most High'.

The central message of the Upanishads is that God must not be sought as something far away, abstract, and separate from us, but rather within us in the Higher Self which transcends the limitations and littleness of our earthly personality. In rising to the best in us we rise to the Higher Self in us and to God Himself. Thus when the sage of the Upanishads is pressed for a definition of God, he remains silent, meaning that God is silence. When asked again to express God in words, he says: 'Neti, neti', 'Not this, not this'; but when pressed for a positive explanation he utters the sublimely simple words: 'TAT TVAM ASI', 'Thou art That'.

According to the Upanishads, the reality of God can only be apprehended in a consciousness of joy that is beyond ordinary consciousness. The silent voice of the Eternal is perpetually whispering in us his melodies everlasting. The radiance of the Infinite is everywhere, but our ears cannot hear and our eyes cannot see: the Eternal cannot be grasped by the transient physical senses or the transient material mind. This is beautifully expressed in the Taittiriya Upanishad: 'Words and mind go to him, but reach him not and return. But he who knows the joy of Brahman fears no more.'

Brahman is described as immanent and transcendent, within all and outside all. If the All is imagined as a triangle, the apex might be imagined as God transcendent, who in his expansion creates matter out of Himself—not out of nothing as science believes—and thus becomes immanent until the end of evolution when the immanent has once again become transcendent in the ascension of evolution towards Him. Why? For the joy of creation. Why is there evil? For the joy of good arising from it. Why suffering? For the instruction of the Higher and lower self. Why darkness? That the Light may shine the more brightly and gloriously. This teaching is as old as man and the very essence of true Occult Science.

The Upanishads introduce the reader to the conception of a fourth state of consciousness, above waking, dreaming and deep sleep. The law of attunement, wrongly called Karma—which we discuss in our study course—explains the apparent injustice in the world with sublime simplicity. We alone are the builders of our own destiny, and the results are not limited to one life, since our Higher Self that was never born and will never die must come again and take to itself a fresh body, that both selves may have the reward of their works. Good shall lead to good, and evil to evil. From good, joy shall come, and from evil shall come suffering. And thus the grand scheme of evolution flows on towards perfection.

And when all the transient has been left behind, when final liberation has been attained, when our little self is lost in the greater Self in us and in the ALL, as a drop of water is lost in the sea, does it mean that all consciousness is lost? After the death of the lower self, when the small drop of human consciousness has become one with the vast ocean of Consciousness, does it mean that our individual consciousness is lost? Yes, say some spiritual teachers, both past and present but they err and err profoundly as you can read in our astral conversation on consciousness after death. The truth, as you may read in that article, is that the Higher Self gathers the spiritual qualities of every terrestrial personality into which it incarnates and adds them to its own eternal consciousness.

The Higher Self has then become the Self supreme and not only has it full consciousness of its own experience through its many incarnations, but access to the consciousness of all other selves too. How could the union with God be unconsciousness, unless God Himself was unconsciousness? We all know that caterpillars die in order to transform themselves into beautiful butterflies. Free from its limitations, the little self forgets its limited life in the boundless ocean of life. It is not a death, but a victory over death, a rising and a resurrection to greater and more vivid life.

This is the central message of the Upanishads and why we commend the book to you for serious study and meditation.

NOTE: Juan Mascaro translated portions of several other Indian sacred texts during his lifetime. Foremost among them are the Bhagavad Gita (1962) and the Dhammapada (1973). Both are well worth reading.

Where and how to buy occult books

The occult books we have reviewed have been carefully selected as the best of their kind. We could easily have included many more books which are both scarce and expensive, but being aware of the fact that most sincere seekers have limited means we have favoured those that are free to read online, and/or are readily available in several editions and formats, both new and second-hand, at modest cost.

BUYERS BEWARE!

And now we must issue a strong warning. Whilst Information Technology and the Internet have vastly increased the availability of rare and/or out-of-print books, it has also made buying definitive editions very much harder.

Such books are increasingly being digitally-scanned and published as print-on-demand or e-books. Whilst some are well-reproduced, accurate facsimiles of the original editions, the majority are not. Many are incomplete and contain serious errors and omissions, and in the worst cases, may be completely unreadable.

Notwithstanding these grave shortcomings, such reprints are often prohibitively expensive, so adding insult to injury whilst providing a jolly good income for the publisher! The latter is usually a 'one-man-band' whose sole interest is in making a fast buck from the unsuspecting.

The only way to be sure you are not paying good money for waste paper is to buy the specific edition we recommend, or if that is not possible, contact the publisher or seller to make sure that the book they are selling is an exact facsimile of the original with no errors or omissions.

We have indicated below where to obtain the occult books we have reviewed, but this information is subject to change as titles go in and out of print and/or stock and web links are updated. In most cases a web search will return results from various sellers, and it is also worthwhile contacting booksellers directly.

Don't rely on booksellers' online lists of titles in stock as these are often out-of-date. Do try charity shops, as these often stock rare or unusual books at bargain prices. You will find a short list of booksellers specialising in occult books in the UK and some in the USA below.

Occult booksellers and publishers

Whilst we try to keep this list up-to-date, these websites may become unavailable at any time

Abe books is a major seller of second-hand books but delivery can be slow and customer service rather poor.
Atlantis Bookshop is London's oldest independent occult bookseller established in 1922. Unfortunately, they now seem to focus mainly on books about black magic and witchcraft, do not list their current stock, and provide no search facilities.
Magis Books—mail-order bookseller based in Leicestershire, in the UK. Although their website is awkward and frustrating to use, it does list their current stock and provides a search facility by title, author and category.
Treadwell's Books located in Bloomsbury, in London, sells books on occultism, mythology, folklore and religion. Like the Atlantis Bookshop, Treadwell's favour books on witchcraft and black magic rather than the Ancient Wisdom and Occult Truth.
Courtyard Books based in Glastonbury, sells esoteric and occult books including fine, limited edition titles in hardcover from small publishers and private presses. Their website is easy to use with a good search facility.
Watkins Books—esoteric bookshop in London, established over 100 years ago. Watkins have an extensive list of books on philosophy, metaphysics, mythology, the occult sciences, astrology, magic and mysticism, both new and second-hand, including rare and out-of-print classics.
Wizards Bookshelf—mail-order publisher and bookseller based in Michigan, USA, publishes high quality reprints of many scarce metaphysical classics, such as The Divine Pymander of Hermes Trismegistus, Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland's translation of The Virgin of the World, On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans and Assyrians by Iamblichus, and many of the books referred to by H. P. Blavatsky in her master-work, The Secret Doctrine.

DISCLAIMER

We do not sell or buy books

OCCULT-MYSTERIES is a not-for-profit, non-commercial venture with no financial or commercial interest in any of the books we review and recommend on this page or elsewhere on our website.

We receive no referral fees or any other remuneration from publishers, authors, agents or booksellers, nor are we interested in selling or buying books.

The PDF editions of books listed on this page which we publish under our own imprint or that of others are all made available completely free of charge. See our Terms & Conditions and About page for more information about this website and our aims.

Copyright

The contents of this website are the copyright of occult-mysteries.org and/or the respective authors whose work we have published under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. This website is a not-for-profit, non-commercial venture which is funded solely by private donations for educational, study, research and charitable purposes only. We hope you will respect both the letter and the spirit of our copyright to the fullest extent. Please refer to our TERMS & CONDITIONS page for more information.

occult mysteries

Occult Books for sincere seekers

We review and recommend more than 80 books on occult, philosophical, scientific and religious subjects

Introduction

To learn more about this website and our aims, see our About page.

Occult book reviews

GENERAL OCCULT BOOKS (this page)

General occult Books (this page)

Astral Conversations—By A Listener

Serpents of Wisdom—By Edda Livingston

The Secret Teachings of All Ages—by Manly P. Hall

In Tune with the Infinite—by Ralph Waldo Trine

The Upanishads—translations from the Sanskrit by Juan Mascaro

The Holy Bible

Serpent in the Sky—by John Anthony WestThe high wisdom of Ancient Egypt

Secrets of the Great Pyramid—by Peter Tompkins

Egyptian Magic—by Florence Farr

Qabbalah: The Philosophical Writings of Solomon Ben Yehudah Ibn Gebirol, or Avicebron—by Isaac Myer

Numbers: Their Occult Power and Mystic Virtues—by W Wynn Westcott

The Occult and the Curative Powers of Precious Stones—by William T. Fernie M.D.