Customer Reviews

The New Encyclopedia of the Occult

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a huge undertaking and a very intense collection of Occult information placed into a very usable reference book. Mr. Greer has outdone himself here with a very timely and informative work on the subject of the Occult.

This encyclopedia covers most of the major topics on the occult, from organizations to practices to tools and so much more. The information is derived from classic works and material of well respected past practitioners. There are no biographies of current living practitioners, which adds to the strength of the collection in my opinion.

This book contains some better known material from a variety of sources that are carefully noted in the very large and well documented bibliography. There is also some very obscure material and some 'gee, I didn't know that' material included here which makes this book worth reading from cover to cover.

And to his credit the introduction asks if anyone finds fault with the material he has researched in this volume, to please let him know what and why. A very noble and practical move on his part, as there is always Occult material that will be debated and argued.

The book contains some small black and white illustrations for some of the material presented and the contents are listed alphabetically. However, the book lacks an index for reference, leaving you to hunt through the listings to see if the material you are looking for is there. However, this is not a bad thing, as there is a lot of material that reaches out to be read and sparks interest.

Mr. Greer will quote directly from the source material, but also explains well some of the more obscure references and provides pronunciations and translations when needed. His style is light considering the heavy topic he covers and is a pleasure to read. No boring or dull textbook material here.

This is a valuable resource for having all the information collected in one place; it can augment any library and be approached by anyone who may have an interest in the Occult as well as those who are well versed in the material. boudica

If you have even a borderline interest in the mystic and the occult, and have been struggling with terms like Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Tree of Life, Merkabah.. not being able to figure out what they were about, and more importantly, what was their connection and inner logic? Well, this book will explain and organize it for you in the first reading (i had a number of AHAAAA! moments during the first read), and then it will be a permanent reference source. Real nice book to own.

This is a great occult reference encyclopedia about the occult and literally contains everything you ever wanted to know about the occult and magick.

I cannot imagine the amount of time that must have went into researching this book and Greer's writings seem incredibly accurate even about some of the less known items.

The book also has a huge bibliography section which could be very useful to enlarge your magical library.

I was so impressed by this book that I will be ordering another one of Greer's books next.

I'll join my fellow reviewers and say this book is excellent! It has the right philosophical standards every encyclopedia should have: Neutrality and a very slight skeptical nodd at the more controversial subjects (like the life of LaVey, things like womenbreast-divination and the more racistical occult philosopies). Unlike most other occult refference books it has a very wide time range, covering topics dating from the ancient past to postmodern suburbian Americanism. I won't bother to highlight interesting topics for they are too great in number but I can say that I like the special attention for geomancy (because you have to admit, this subject was getting a little bit dusty). I know Greer is an expert on geomancy, I think that's the reason. This is one of those rare encyclopedias that you will read in bed before going to sleep.

Without doubt, anyone who is involved in occult studies at any level should have this book. It provides comprehensive yet concise explanations of almost every term, concept, and general practice common to the various traditions of Western occultism, as well as some Eastern items that have worked their way into common usage. Brief biographies on major personalities, and for some lesser known yet important individuals, are also included, as are short histories and descriptions of many organizations.

The scholarship in this volume is excellent. Greer relies on a number of contributors and reviewers to fill in the gaps and smooth out the rough spots of his own considerable knowledge. About 99.9% of the time, the entries seem to stick to the facts, and they are always dealt with in a serious and respectful manner. There is no pseudo-skepticism in this work because it is the product of someone who actually practices occultism as a way of life. On the same token, it also isn't charaterized by a lack of critical thinking or by the naive hyperbole that so often gushes out of popular works on occultism. Solid scholarship plus practical experience make Greer's occasional analysis and commentary not only valuable, but pleasantly refreshing.

Why didn't I give it 5 stars? First, though it has some illustratios, the encyclopedia is obviously lacking in in this respect. Credit is due here for using that space to include more information, but there are a number of places where illustrations would have been very useful. Second, Greer intentionally avoids making entries on persons still in the flesh. There is a lot of wisdom in that practice, but there are a number of very influential authors and leaders still living, ones for which it would be nice to have at least some basic information.

Despite its minor shortcomings, this encyclopedia could easily live up to its billing as THE reference text in occult studies for many years to come.

NO Pagan, Witch, Occulist, Magickian or Philosopher should be without this book. There is NO EXCUSE. This is the most phoenomenal book of its kind. JMG must have spent years creating this. I have never found a more helpful, clear yet complete guide for the Occult sciences and all things Pagan. This cleared more things up for me than many other books ever could. This is brilliant. Pick up a copy; you will be thrilled that you did.

One of the most extensive publications on the occult, "The New Encyclopedia of the Occult" does an excellent job of explaining various words, philosophies, historical events, individuals, and practices of the occult traditions without pushing a personal agenda. This is what a reference work should be - a neutral exposition of the facts. Everything imaginable is covered in this exhaustive tome. For most entries there is also at least one reference at the end to point the reader to additional material on that entry. To give you an idea of the breadth of the information, some of the areas covered include magic, alchemy, astrology, tarot cards, palmistry, geomancy, the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucians, Freemasons, and religions like Wicca, Thelema, Thosophy, and paganism. "The New Enclyclopedia of the Occult" is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in a scholarly reference work on the occult.

The New Encyclopedia of the Occult by John Michael Greer is a monumental achievement in modern occult literature. It is a thorough, respectful, sane, well-researched and unsuperstitious reference work -- the finest of its kind ever written. I give it my highest recommendation.

Great resource!

I'm doing some research for a fiction book I want to write and this is the first book I picked up on the occult. For a beginner that wants a basic overview on the mystical and magical religions and spiritual practices throughout the ages, I highly recommend this book.

Besides being a great reference book, it's written so well you'll probably want to read each and every entry.

I got the book today and just a few minutes of skimming it I found an important mistake( maybe a publisher's fault) : The sigil of Och (pg. 339)is printed with the Phaleg's one and vice-versa pg.370 . I hope I don't find another big errors since someone uses this book to practice without consulting other ones would be lead to a grave mistake and perhaps serious problems since these sigils are used in talismans among other things in cerimonial magic, for example. The author asks to let him know about any incorrections and I wil do that. So my tip is take care with this good book since more faults may be present !