The Dictionary of the Esoteric: Over 3,000 Entries on the Mystical & Occult Traditions

by Nevill Drury

Including over 3000 cross-referenced entries from the prehistoric to the contemporary, this unique dictionary is an invaluable reference to the mystical and esoteric traditions. It includes biographies of leading figures in the field, such as astrologer Evangeline Adams and the prophet Zarathustra, and also offers a fascinating look at esoteric religious texts such as The Egyptian Book of the Dead , The Dead Sea Scrolls , and the Zohar , revealing both human and divine characters from the great legends and myths of the world.

Genres: Occult, Reference, Nonfiction, Religion, Esoterica

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Nevill Drury PhD is an independent historical researcher whose specialist interests include modern Western magic, shamanism, transpersonal psychology and visionary art. His most recent publications include The Varieties of Magical Experience (co-authored with Lynne Hume; Praeger, January 2013), Dark Spirits: The Magical Art of Rosaleen Norton and Austin Osman Spare (Salamander, 2012); Stealing Fire from Heaven: the Rise of Modern Western Magic (Oxford University Press 2011); Homage to Pan (Creation Oneiros 2009), The Dictionary of Magic (Watkins 2005) and The New Age: the History of a Movement (Thames & Hudson 2004). He received his Ph.D from the University of Newcastle in 2008 for a dissertation on the visionary art and magical beliefs of Rosaleen Norton (awarded 'Best Humanities Ph.D'. in that year).

Born in England in 1947 but resident in Australia since 1963, Nevill has worked as an international art-book publisher, lecturer and magazine editor and is now a full-time writer. He is the author/co-author/editor of seventy books covering a range of subjects like contemporary art (Images in Contemporary Australian Painting, New Sculpture, Australian Painting Now, Fire and Shadow: Spirituality in Contemporary Australian Art), Aboriginal culture (Wisdom from the Earth), holistic health (The Healing Power, Inner Health) and the magical traditions (Dark Spirits; Stealing Fire from Heaven: Sacred Encounters; Homage to Pan, Inner Visions). He is also the author of a work of mythic fiction, The Shaman's Quest, which was described by Publisher's Weekly as a 'poetic' book that 'could become a classic'. His work has been published in 26 countries and 19 languages.