How do I start learning about the occult and mysticism? I need book recs because I have no idea where to start
Grab a copy of Hanegraaf's Esotericism jn Western Culture: Counter Normativity something something. Owl on the cover. It has a very broad overview but also quite shallow. The man's politics show and he has the odd moment that's just him performing a virtue signal or pushing idiocy, but other than that it's fine. Just ignore the lefty stuff. I actually own a physical copy.From there I'd recommend getting weird with stuff you like. Or read Goodrick's Western Esoteric Traditions. Agrippa's three books if you like magic, or even some of Evola's stuff: He's a lot more comprehensible in a magical context. A lot beyond that depends on what you are actually interested in. I don't agree with Evola's ideas but his work on Buddhist ascesis is thorough and practical. The greek magical papyri are weird as all get out, and Bruno Giordano got odd. Stuff from the Nag Hammadi Library. I've only skimmed the Gnostic gospels and McGinm's essential writings of Christian Mysticism but they were interesting: Though the real treasure of Christian Mysticism is anything by Meister Eckhardt.
You want something practical or academic? What kind of occultism? Magic circle and ceremonial sword Solomonic grimoire type of magic, or nails in a wax doll hoodoo folk magic?
>>25310027
>>25310065I don't know yet, which is why I want to know more generally and see what sticks out the most to me I was raised in a cult (Mormonism) and recently deconstructed my entire belief system and now I am just looking at all these different belief systems that I previously would have immediately dismissed I don't believe in a god like in Christianity but I am open to the idea of a higher power in the universe. I just don't know where to start
>>25310094You might instead want a general "religions of the world"-type of book if that's the case, instead of developing into occultism and esotericism.Nevertheless, if you want some decent, spooky reads about magic take a look at:>"The Secret Lore of Magic" by Idries Shah.>"The Black Arts" by Richard Cavendish>"Mysteries and Secrets of Magic" by C.J.S Thompsonfor a very broad overview of the magical tradition. These books are from the early to mid 20th century, so they don't have that modern flair about them (where everything is labeled problematic and caveats are constantly given). Because of their age they're maybe not the most accurate in all regards and certainly not up to date with the latest research, but they're good reads nevertheless.
>>25310124instead of delving into*
>occult and mysticism being conflated insofar as pseudo-intellectuals always already associate the two
>>25310144Shut up
>>25310027Hutton and Lecouteux, as always
>>25310027The gayest shit ever invented. If you are not a homo or a woman, study folklore and learn some ancient languages.
>>25310156The real redpill is knowing it's all related and connected
>>25310027The Lesser Key of Solomon.
>>25310027Start with the Greeks. This is the best advice you will ever get.
>>25310144This.Anybody who actually wanted to learn would be lurking /x/.
Couliano
>>25310156Thats just philology. I'd rather study historical anthropology.
>>25310027Aleister Crowley's Book 4 is clear, concise and comprehensive.It leans somewhat into his own Thelemic system, but you can take or leave that as you please.
>>25310027You should scour the reference section of the Wiki article for academic book recs.What you should absolutely not do is start reading works published by crackpota like Meister Eckhart and Madame Blavatsky.
>>25310646All occultists sound more or less like crackpots. The best you can do is choose the ones who can write coherently, and apply critical thinking to the subject.This is why I usually recommend Crowley, who endeavoured to bring a scientific approach to occultism. He was also a first-rate intellect and a consummate writer.
>>25310027>>25310094Start by getting familiar with the Golden Dawn. A great deal of Western magic has led to or been derived from the Golden Dawn.>I don't believe in a godDespite the prevalence of Jewish and Christian imagery, Kabbalah can be surprisingly atheistic.My suggestions:(1) Use the Google Doc below and figure out where your interests like.https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caKNlW7sogEF7lAeYNbOQF9pt5O5b70yAXa-icUJO3o/edit?tab=t.0(2) If you want to practice, look for a pdf of The Magician's Workbook by Donald Tyson or The One Year Manual by Israel Regardie. Neither of these books require any degree of knowledge to perform.
>>25310027>How do I start learning about the occult and mysticism?Just make up your own shit. I recommend taking inspiration from a cool battle shounen manga.
>>25310686>The best you can do is choose the ones who can write coherently, and apply critical thinking to the subject.>This is why I usually recommend CrowleyYou must be new to this; Crowley -Although a genius in his own right- is considered a crackpot among the occult community.There is a reason why he was kicked out of the golden drawn then got stomped on by William Yeats when he tried to come back lol>>25310027Oh also, jfyi occultism and mysticism are like two completely different things and each should have thread in of itself (But atp you should just be on /x/ although 90% of the guys there are spazzes)Op if you want to start with western esotericism and want something hands on I would recommend Franz Bardon and start with his "Initiation into Hermetics"https://annas-archive.gl/md5/2be34b8e18e5b3bcfb0a608db3d51d5fthis>>25310688 is also an alt If you want to start with eastern esotericism and again want something hands on I would recommend Dr. Yang, JM's "Qigong Meditation. Embryonic Breathing"https://archive.org/details/QigongMeditation.EmbryonicBreathingByYangJwingMing/mode/1upI think this would be a good start for you, best of luck
>>25310728>I recommend taking inspiration from a cool battle shounen manga.If you knew how much inspiration all these mangas take from occultism/esotericism you would be shockedQuick example>image and Gnosticism
>>25310027Evolanon gave some recommendations here:https://warosu.org/lit/thread/S10911950#p10912718
>>25310751>considered a crackpot among the occult communityLike I said, all occultists can seem like crackpots, especially to other occultists.As for the "occult community," a herd mentality will get you nowhere in this business.
>>25310756yeah, it's funny how interested the japs have been in western esoteric stuff
>>25310772The reason why I said occult community is because if I gave myself as an example I doubt you would care; if I used non-occultist/academics all of them will see him as a crackpots. Still me appealing to the consensus of other occultist doesn't mean that I have a "herd mentality">>25310775Especially kabbalah; I think this will interest you https://archive.is/yvqkSAnd thisユダヤは日本に何をしたか
>>25310646Eckhart wasn't a crackpot, dick face
>>25310646Eckkie was definitely not a crackpot. Blatblat was. Funny, though. I've got a nasty feeling she believed her own tripe.
>>25310775I saw an anon ranting in v once about how dark souls was an 'inversion ritual'. Something about how it took greek mythology and reworked it into something familiar but still alien to an eastern audience, similar to how a lot of eastern stuff gets taken over here. With more magic stuff and howling about qlippothic induction of zeus? It's been a while, but I assume he got lost on the way over from x. Maybe he was right.
>>25310813The way they mix the systems is very interesting. For example in Final Fantasy, or in their JRPGs in general, they like to mix together the kabbalah, the medieval mythos, and then throw in some greek godnames or gnostic concepts. Gaia or Terra for earth is another.
>>25310840>>25310813Just a remainder that their media is heavily controlled by FM
>>25310869
>>25310027A bunch of shells in here. I'll cut the joke about how all the pill poppers need Jewish mysticism. You won't know anything no matter how much you read. You better start training on guessing fast because if you ask anyone claiming to know what magic is all they can tell you is shit changes. Shit always changes, completely worthless, it doesn't mean anything. I'm serious, Daath is knowledge and it's a purported black hole. You're not encouraged to know things. If you can't guess right first then it's a complete waste of time.
>>25310840Well, it is an inversion. I agreed with him about that. We don't get 'authentic' eastern stuff in our media, we get it tweaked enough that it's familiar enough for us to latch onto and have reference points. They're coming at it from the other end.
>>25311010I'm sure there are a few weeboo stuff that is genuinely eastern esoterica, just not aware of it. The brain (or team of brains) behind this knew the western one well.
>>25310775The Japanese got into the occult after the "occult boom" when books on the subject were imported thanks to a particular Japanese Jungian. Japan had already fixated on exotic mysticism and spirituality (a likely consequence of the country's varied and diverse folk religion being forcibly merged together into a single whole by the government in an attempt to look impressive) and coupled with the rise of cults, it's how we got crazy shit like Aum in the 90s.There's plenty of Japanese pop fiction that use the occult as set dressing, but there's an awful lot that shows that the author is very well-read on the topic. The MOTHER series, FMA, Ergo Proxy, Silent Hill, Dark Souls, the list goes on.What often gets left out of the conversation is how influential Twin Peaks was in the 90s for Japanese pop media. It is a deeply occult work that has gone on to inspire pretty much everything made since. Deadly Premonition, Persona, FF7, Monster, Lain, JJBA Part 4, Animal Crossing, Link's Awakening, Nier, Soul Eater, Texhnolyze, FLCL, etc.FF7 is especially noteworthy as it was influenced by both NGE and Twin Peaks, two works that pulled from Kabbalah and Buddhism.
>>25310094I'd recommend that ex-Mormons get into Buddhism, Kabbalah, and Gnostic Christianity.
>>25311146I can see that, considering how 80s pop and its aesthetic took them over too a decade before.
>>25310027The Hermetic Tradition by Julius EvolaIf you like Hermetic Tradition then the three volume Introduction to Magic by Evola and the UR Group is good.There are are also big books likeLiber ABA/Book 4 by CrowleyGolden Dawn by Israel RegardieI also like Self-Initiation Into the Golden Dawn Tradition by the Ciceros
>>25310094>I don't believe in a god like in Christianity but I am open to the idea of a higher power in the universe.I would consider the highest aspect of a human being to be our rational nature. Therefore, anything 'higher' than us would also have a rational nature. But a higher power that is intelligent would seem to me to be in the realm of godlike being(s) (Big G or small g). If the higher power is not intelligent, then it what way is it 'higher' than us rather than 'lower?'
i am almost done with this
Thanks for all the recs, bros
>>25310027>Hanegraaf's Esotericism jn Western Culture + Secret Teachings of All Ages, Manley Palmer Hall for survey>Hall's Initiates of the Flame (Antiquity)>Corpus Hermeticum>Porphyry >Agrippa>St. Theresa of Avila >pick a Gershom Sholem work on KabbalahAnd Blavatsky's Isis Unveiled + Rudolf Steiner Angelic Hierarchies for late 19th century through contemporary Theosophy/New Age. The throughline: the 'occult' was a track for non-dogmatic metaphysical & inquiry and philosophy, and even (Christian) Kabbala, in parallel to Renaissance art and thereafter choosing classical & biblical subjects for plausible deniability, whilst deploying steganography et. al. (and more recently, spycraft and cryptography). >>25310094>I was raised in a cult (Mormonism)Look up BILL SCHNOEBELEIN, ex-Mormon that got roped into higher organized Satanism; an insider's look into Smith & Mormonism's occult priors heavy British involvement, same as with Dispensationalism which Crowley came out from, his family being original Plymouth Bretherens under John Nelson Darby-- Utah does the most business with The United Kingdom out of all the 50 states ....
good introductory books by>Wouter Hanegraaff>Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke>Antoine Faivre>Pierre Riffard
They’re literally all Jesuits in this thread lol.
