Sane Occultism

by Dion Fortune

Facsimile of 1938 Edition. Dion Fortune is acknowledged as one of the most knowledgeable and level-headed writers on Esoteric matters. In Sane Occultism she is adamant that magic and occult studies, though often dealing with unseen forces, must still be grounded in Reason, and she explains how claims of psychic ability and past lives can, and should, be verified. The book covers a vast swathe of topics, from meditation and psychism, through numerology and astrology, to such 'black' Occult practices as psychic vampirism, blood sacrifice and other aspects of the Left-Hand Path. The need, or otherwise, for vegetarianism, strict obedience to a master, and secrecy, are also covered in detail. Sane Occultism is a refreshing, no-nonsense look at esotericism, being at the same time an excellent introduction to the subject and a book that will give even the experienced practitioner much to think about.

Genres: Occult, Nonfiction, Magic, Magick, Religion, Esoterica, Paganism

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

Violet Mary Firth Evans (better known as Dion Fortune), was a British occultist and author. Her pseudonym was inspired by her family motto "Deo, non fortuna" (Latin for "by God, not fate").

From 1919 she began writing a number of novels and short stories that explored various aspects of magic and mysticism, including The Demon Lover, The Winged Bull, The Goat-Foot God, and The Secrets of Dr. Taverner. This latter is a collection of short stories based on her experiences with Theodore Moriarty. Two of her novels, The Sea Priestess and Moon Magic, became influential within the religion of Wicca, especially upon Doreen Valiente.

Of her non-fiction works on magical subjects, the best remembered of her books are; The Cosmic Doctrine, meant to be a summation of her basic teachings on mysticism; The Mystical Qabalah, an introduction to Hermetic Qabalah; and Psychic Self Defence, a manual on how to protect oneself from psychic attacks. Though some of her writings may seem dated to contemporary readers, they have the virtue of lucidity and avoid the deliberate obscurity that characterised many of her forerunners and contemporaries.

Reviews

[Brendan]

You know how in "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" Harry finds a used potions textbook that has linear notes that help him understand the subject? I found a used copy of this book that was owned by a college professor where the linear notes are just as interesting as the text itself.

[rob]

outdated and bigoted. a few good points on past lives and psychism, but 50 pages from the end she goes full homophobe. she also misunderstands vegetarianism and the left hand path, being a Christian qabbalist.

[Robert S.]

A very straightforward and grounding treatise on the aspects of sound occultism. Will surely assist any serious practitioner in how to approach the plethora of New Age nonsense that is rampant in today's world.

[Becca]

This is a wonderful book for people just breaking into the occult. Yes, it’s laced with Christian values and viewpoints but that’s not the focus. I love how she preaches that occult science can be included with any religion. She breaks down the East vs West methods of reaching higher consciousness, diet in spirituality, occult groups and what to look for, numerology, past lives, and so much more. If you’re looking to dip your feet into the ideology behind esoteric science, this is a really great book to read. There are some really beautiful nuggets of profoundness sprinkled throughout as well. Anyone who has any interest in the occult, spirituality, mysticism, etc, should read this book!

[Ilgın]

Inisiyasyonda ve okült yolda neyin neden yapılması / yapılmaması gerektiğini sade bir dille açıklamış. Dönemine ve koşullarına bağlı yaptığı yorumlamalar dışında (çok normal), temel genel bilgileri veriyor. Ilgililerin yola adım atmadan ancak temel bilgileri aldıktan sonra, "başlangıçta" okuması gereken kitaplardan. Hatta siz siz olun biz olmadan önce, bu kitaptan nasibinizi pirinci taştan ayırır gibi alın.

[Krystian U]

Excellent classical read, great for the beginning of esoteric journey.
Dion Fortune proves that Occultism is more of a philosophy of life derived from personal experiences and the religious nature attributed to them than penny-gaff of XX century.

[Ellen Einkauf Isais]

There were some really deep insights in this this book for me and important topics. But then other topics and chapters were truly awful, condemning, missing the mark, and just plainly offensive and bigoted. I’ve got a love / hate relationship with different aspects of this book.

[Rachel McDonald]

What a wonderful view into the history of the occult, I'm obsessed with her books.

[Myka]

genuinely funny, her wit is outmatched

[Mertcan Aydın]

Nothing extraordinary or mind breaking. Beginner stuff.

[Natasha Snyder]

This book was written in the 20's, and it was originally a VERY critical series of articles that were published in a magazine about occultism. She got in a big heap of trouble with her peers for writing them.

Fortune was a genius, there's no doubt about that, and while many of her articles are still valid today, there are a few that make you go "hmm" since they were a product of the science and social assumptions of their day. Still, worth a read, if you are into that sort of thing, just take some of it with a grain of salt. And - for people who think occultism is anti-Christian - Fortune was a very devout Christian, and one of the most dedicated occultists of modern times, and her organization is still around.

I should point out - Fortune wasn't being critical of occultism in general, just trends she was seeing, and people using occultism to further their own agendas instead of seeking the divine. Same thing we see today and probably will always see as long as humans exist.

[Chaeya Chaeya]

This book is excellent for pagans and others who practice energy work, magic and so on. I'm close to being finished so I think I can review it. I've always liked Dion Fortune because she's very well read, well researched and she's done a lot of work to dispel much of the myth, hype and b.s. in the pagan world. This book will definitely help you keep your feet on the ground. I don't agree with all her beliefs, she still held quite strong to her Christian roots while I let much of mine go; however, this could be due to the time period she lived. This is a good book to read before one makes the journey to venture off into paganism, wicca and magic work.

[Lee Tempest]

Hm. A fascinating read, if hampered by language of the Era and her view on former colleagues. Unfortunately, her views of the Left-Hand Path is the same as the modern-day view, which I thought disappointing. Despite that stale view, her book, which is a collection of essays on various subject concerning the study of the Occult is still a worthwhile book to have.

[Barry]

one of *few* authors on the occult that I feel was truly sane. She seemed to have retained her balance until the end of her life.

[Louise Carlson Stowell]

It was an interesting read. It talked about the pitfalls and the types of personalities that should not engage in magic or occultism. It talked about psychic self-defense. A good read.