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Pilgrims Of The Night: Pathfinders of the Magical Way
Traces the evolution of magical theory its practice in Western culture from ancient to modern times. Explores works by Roger Bacon, Aleister Crowley, others, as well as mystic movements organizations. BW photos illus.
- GenresNonfictionOccult
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 18, 2015
This is a fairly typical history of “the occult,” which is to say that it is full of rumor and conjecture, lacks a grounding in the broader understanding of context, and represents the author’s particular biases in terms of what is portrayed in a positive or negative light. The thing that makes it stand out, to the degree that it does, is a willingness to examine the “darker” side of certain trends within the esoteric world, and an acknowledgement that this appeal is what draws most modern people to its study.
When I read it, I was moved to such annoyance that I frequently scribbled notes in the margin, not a usual practice for me. By far the majority of them say “source?” or in some way express my desire for footnotes or other verifying information. I also wrote “HA!” next to the place where Lindholm states, “Most of the references to the classical masters and their names on various works, or second-hand information about them, was mostly written several centuries after their deaths by people who gracefully dispensed with the habit of leaving clues to their sources.” Lindholm continues in this “graceful” tradition, also failing to provide an index to make it easier to recover information from this source after use.
In fairness, all of that friction did help me clarify my own biases and beliefs, so I can’t say that the book is completely without value, but as is so often the case with the occult, the actual meaning is “hidden” beneath a veneer of silliness.
When I read it, I was moved to such annoyance that I frequently scribbled notes in the margin, not a usual practice for me. By far the majority of them say “source?” or in some way express my desire for footnotes or other verifying information. I also wrote “HA!” next to the place where Lindholm states, “Most of the references to the classical masters and their names on various works, or second-hand information about them, was mostly written several centuries after their deaths by people who gracefully dispensed with the habit of leaving clues to their sources.” Lindholm continues in this “graceful” tradition, also failing to provide an index to make it easier to recover information from this source after use.
In fairness, all of that friction did help me clarify my own biases and beliefs, so I can’t say that the book is completely without value, but as is so often the case with the occult, the actual meaning is “hidden” beneath a veneer of silliness.
May 26, 2022
This book looks at the history of western occult traditions and focusing on the main players. In many ways a good primer on who's who in the occult world.
July 19, 2014
A surprisingly good work that had slipped by the radar of most readers of this subject matter
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews