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The New Encyclopedia of the Occult
From "Aarab Zereq" to "Zos Kia Cultus," this is the most up-to-date, comprehensive guide to the history, philosophies, and personalities of Western occultism.
Written by an occult scholar and practitioner with the assistance of hundreds of experts in the field, this volume presents the latest in scholarly research and points out errors in previous writings-revealing truths much more interesting and dramatic than the fictional histories that obscured them.
The New Encyclopedia of the Occult is an invaluable reference guide to magic, alchemy, astrology, divination, Tarot, palmistry, and geomancy; magical orders such as the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucians; important occultists; and religions and spiritual traditions associated with occultism such as Wicca, Thelema, Theosophy, and the modern Pagan movement.
"This is an important source for libraries to have in their collections to assist anyone seeking information about the many aspects of occult traditions." --Booklist
"Greer delivers a well researched, informative, and unbiased encyclopedia... Highly recommended for all public libraries and where interest merits." --Library Journal
COVR Award Winner
Written by an occult scholar and practitioner with the assistance of hundreds of experts in the field, this volume presents the latest in scholarly research and points out errors in previous writings-revealing truths much more interesting and dramatic than the fictional histories that obscured them.
The New Encyclopedia of the Occult is an invaluable reference guide to magic, alchemy, astrology, divination, Tarot, palmistry, and geomancy; magical orders such as the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucians; important occultists; and religions and spiritual traditions associated with occultism such as Wicca, Thelema, Theosophy, and the modern Pagan movement.
"This is an important source for libraries to have in their collections to assist anyone seeking information about the many aspects of occult traditions." --Booklist
"Greer delivers a well researched, informative, and unbiased encyclopedia... Highly recommended for all public libraries and where interest merits." --Library Journal
COVR Award Winner
576 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
26 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
About the author
John Michael Greer
212 books513 followersJohn Michael Greer is an author of over thirty books and the blogger behind The Archdruid Report. He served as Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. His work addresses a range of subjects, including climate change, peak oil, the future of industrial society, and the occult. He also writes science fiction and fantasy. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 26, 2007
I have a bizarre interest in real-world theories on magic, metaphysics and whatnot. John Michael Greer is a major authority in the community and I have a couple of his books.
I don't really believe in this stuff but it is a really interesting topic, so if you have an interest in this kind of thing at all then the Occult Encyclopedia is a good place to start and a good reference for further reading.
I don't really believe in this stuff but it is a really interesting topic, so if you have an interest in this kind of thing at all then the Occult Encyclopedia is a good place to start and a good reference for further reading.
May 4, 2013
Perfect. Exactly as advertised. Invaluable. This is the go to, without equivocation. I have yet to think of a subject which isn't covered satisfactorily. I would suggest the reader also pick up Lewis Spence's "Encyclopedia of Occultism" for cross-reference.
May 6, 2013
Well researched encyclopedia of the occult. What I love about it is that the author, even if he's a druid and a magician, remains open minded, yet objective. None of the terms in the encyclopedia tries to persuade the reader to anything, on the contrary - terms are as objective and informing as possible.
It's a real encyclopedia, and not some "the world of the occult in my eyes" type of book. I recommend it for anyone who need a good reference occult encyclopedia.
It's a real encyclopedia, and not some "the world of the occult in my eyes" type of book. I recommend it for anyone who need a good reference occult encyclopedia.
May 31, 2019
I started to read this and realized that it is a full-blown encyclopedia of the occult from BC to CE. I sent it back to the library and purchased a copy for my own occult collection and recommend it for anyone who needs more info on magic, gods, and monsters (put lightly mind you)
June 21, 2021
This book is a gem. It's a great reference guide to a wide range of occult topics. Some of with I hardly see discussions in other reference guides or occult/witchcraft books. I've grabbed it over and over again when starting a new research project. Highly recommend for any occult library.
February 13, 2020
Brief and casual browsing revealed this to be an interesting and contemporary reference for occult topics. No overt inaccuracies, though some entries might be a bit weighted or misleading.
November 30, 2011
Being a Greer fan, this might be a slightly biased opinion of this book. It has everything "occult" you could possibly imagine. I just wish there was a little more information, and maybe more visual additions.
September 29, 2007
I own this fucker but it's the hardbound 60's press of the original 20's print! take that fools! real magic is for nerds!
May 9, 2018
As a ready reference, it does the business; at least enough to define the term, which one can research more if interested. The inclusion of historical figures; rarely-discussed lodges, orders, n and groups; and cross-referencing, give the reader a very firm foundation to understanding the modern occult movement in the West.
I sat down and read it through-- discovering the sources of now common, and popular ideas fascinated me because non-occult material fail to make that link. Thus, placing much more into its place of importance.
Obviously, it is impossible a single book to be perfect. There is a heavy emphasis on subjects relevant to the Golden Dawn and its inheritors. I would have hoped for more about recent movements, and developing ideas. Yet, with this one can easily understand any book published during and since the Occult Revival--which should have its own entry rather than squeezed into the occult history entry-- of the late 19th century. The article on Magic crams into a few pages, an exacting overview of the several meanings the word has had from ancient to present day theorists. Neo-Paganism does the same plunge to offer key points of developments, and changes.
A bit of a pet peeve that QBL, and all variants, are under Cabala. I do hold that the different transliterations act as a handy guide to the interpretations, and primary literature. Although, the author addresses this point specifically at the beginning of the article.
I sat down and read it through-- discovering the sources of now common, and popular ideas fascinated me because non-occult material fail to make that link. Thus, placing much more into its place of importance.
Obviously, it is impossible a single book to be perfect. There is a heavy emphasis on subjects relevant to the Golden Dawn and its inheritors. I would have hoped for more about recent movements, and developing ideas. Yet, with this one can easily understand any book published during and since the Occult Revival--which should have its own entry rather than squeezed into the occult history entry-- of the late 19th century. The article on Magic crams into a few pages, an exacting overview of the several meanings the word has had from ancient to present day theorists. Neo-Paganism does the same plunge to offer key points of developments, and changes.
A bit of a pet peeve that QBL, and all variants, are under Cabala. I do hold that the different transliterations act as a handy guide to the interpretations, and primary literature. Although, the author addresses this point specifically at the beginning of the article.
December 8, 2025
Being Occult is something that I pride myself on very much, and I love to devour books on the subject. I have yet to find an accurate occult book with the forbidden knowledge that I know is out there, but everytime I read one of these occult books its as if I'm reading the information that was allowed to be put out there, and alot of the time it is nonsensical information, like using urine for a spell, and not giving credit to the demons that clearly fool and laugh at people who think that piss is actually going to work in their favor. You are just someone who will play with their shit and piss for money or whatever it is you want. Demons love those with no or low standards. The book is well presented, but filled with information that is unpopular but has become incredibly popularized as the real thing, and continuously found throughout other books because it's as if the authors of these books are just like those who have covered up forbidden knowledge. The book is beautiful, and there were a few things I learned, but I still have yet to come across an occult book that has everything that I am looking for, it looks like my journey is collecting from one book to another. I feel like the author of these books got a really cool job, but its the same thing repeated over and over again, and there is no passion for the occult or truth.
December 30, 2021
An excellent resource for anyone interested in the occult, this encyclopedia provides concise, interesting, and often humorous summaries of a very wide range of occult topics. Being by John Michael Greer, it specialises in Western esoterica, but it also touches upon some Eastern ideas such as tantra.
While I think it's nearly perfect, my one gripe with it is that it lacks an index!
While I think it's nearly perfect, my one gripe with it is that it lacks an index!
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November 17, 2019I skimmed it, but so far I noticed it IS slightly biased... ...If you describe a book, do it correctly. I will update this review later.
June 2, 2022
Lacking
March 12, 2024
A lovely reference book
August 6, 2017
"The New Encyclopedia of the Occult" is quite fascinating.
I am intrigued by the history of the Occult.
I am intrigued by the history of the Occult.
October 5, 2016
An immense reference work. Being an obsessive freak, I read it page to page and absorbed all I can. It is however best employed as a pick-up and check reference guide to all aspects of the occult. A treasure trove of information.
December 16, 2008
it awsome dudes
March 1, 2011
This was selected as an Outstanding Reference Source for 2005. For the complete list, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rus...
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August 16, 2008The New Encyclopedia of the Occult by John Michael Greer (2003)
August 9, 2010
Not much patience for a book where everything is thrown in the pile, ie religions and practices.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews