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Beginner’s Guide: Recommended Occult Books

ByAmoris313

As a long-time fan of fantasy books and movies in the 1980s, I found myself wondering about the historical practices that inspired them. Clearly those authors must have taken their inspiration from somewhere, right? So, I did some digging into history. What young me quickly discovered was that Real Magick has existed in various forms around the world for thousands of years. What the slightly older university aged me eventually learned in the 1990s was that the world of magick was still very active, and that there were well-trodden entrance points. However, the vast amount of information to be absorbed to make sense of this new world was staggering.

As a new occultist, you’ll need a fairly broad range of familiarity with multiple traditions and standard terminology. To that end, I’ve provided a series of recommended books to help fill in your knowledge of Occult topics as you immerse yourself in this new world.

Recommendations for Study

This topic covers a vast amount of ground across unrelated traditions and practices. The initial difficulty in learning about magick and occult topics is that there are several modalities, styles, or traditions to study depending on what you want to do. If you’re completely new and lost, start with Occult History, then try out a few spells and see what you think.

If you’re not quite a beginner, then I recommend picking ONE system, for now, and studying its curriculum, rituals, meditation and energy exercises until you achieve proficiency with them. A lot of people jump around learning snippets of this and that but never making any progress. If that’s been your experience, then pick one system and give it at least a year or two before moving on. You’ll learn far more taking a deep dive in one practical direction than you ever would hopping around from one unrelated idea to the next without any direction or goals for your studies.

Occult History

If you’re completely new to occult topics, then you’ll need to read a little bit about occult history to see what it’s about:

  • A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and The Occult – DK. I love big format occult and witchcraft picture books (especially old ones from the 1960s-70s), and this one will make a nice addition to any occultist’s library. It covers a nice range of topics, especially the ones that are most relevant to people wanting to learn to practice magick as found within Wicca, Witchcraft, Folk Magick, and Ceremonial Magick.
  • The Occult, Witchcraft, and Magick – Christopher Dell. Another decent large format picture book.
  • The Occult Book – John Michael Greer. This author has several good books (especially his book ‘Inside a Magical Lodge’) and is himself a practitioner of magick.
  • The Secret Teachings of All Ages – Manly P. Hall. This will give you an overview of many Occult topics. It’s a little dated, but still a classic.
  • The Magical Universe: Everyday Ritual and Magic in Pre-Modern Europe – Stephen Wilson. This is a very thick History book, not a how-to magick book. If you like knowing where things come from, you’ll find it interesting to see where many old ideas, traditions, superstitions, and folk magick practices came from before migrating to the new world.

Witchcraft: The Basics

Just want to try out a few things and see what you think? Start with these books on basic Witchcraft:

  • Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting – This book provides a good well-rounded intro into the basics of witchcraft. Time spent digesting this material isn’t time wasted, as you will make use of these principles elsewhere.
  • Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells – Judika Illes. A nice compendium with a little bit of theory to get you started. Metaphorically speaking, it won’t turn you into a master chef of the magickal world, but it’ll teach you a little about ‘how to cook.’
  • Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft – Raymond Buckland. Many people can cite this as their first book on witchcraft. It’s not perfect from an historical perspective and it’s Wicca-centric, but it covers a lot of ground and it’s easy to read. For that, I recommend it as a first book.
  • Bucklands Book of Spirit Communications – Raymond Buckland. Another classic intro to channeling and mediumship.

Psychic & Energy Skills

Most forms of magick will require these skills at some point, whether you’re studying healing, witchcraft, or spirit communication.

  • READ THIS – FREE – New Energy Ways V.2 by Robert Bruce. It will teach you a simple method for learning how to sense energy. Practice every day for a few weeks and you may be surprised.
  • Psychic Witch – Mat Auryn. This book contains good exercises for developing psychic skills.
  • Hands of Light – Barbara Ann Brennan. This book is frequently used as a textbook at alternative medicine schools. Contains pictures illustrating clairvoyant observations of layers of the aura, what illnesses look like etc. The author was a physicist and some of the presentation is a little new-agey, but her observations match many of mine well enough that I can recommend her books without hesitation.
  • Light Emerging – Barbara Ann Brennan. Also highly recommended. This is the 2nd book in the series. It contains useful pictures to help give you an idea of what structures to look for when diagnosing issues within yourself and others. Surprisingly useful for magickal applications.

A Note on Auras:

Your aura isn’t just a single unchanging color. If anything, it’s more like a visual phenomenon resulting from the interaction of your personal energies with the universe around you. There are many intersecting layers like an onion, and many energy structures within depending on the layer.

Astral Projection

Not everyone can or needs to learn how to have out-of-body experiences, but it is a common element of most traditions. It’s such an interesting phenomenon, I recommend that you try it!

  • Astral Dynamics – Robert Bruce. One of the best books on the topic. All of his methods are road-tested by a group of volunteers.
  • The Phase – Michael Raduga. Quite a few people have had success with this author’s methods.

Psychic Self-Defense

Most students won’t have major issues, but it pays to be aware and prepared before you venture out into the unknown.

  • Psychic Self Defense – Robert Bruce. I wish I’d had this book 30 years ago! It’s not as advanced as I’d like, but it’s far better than most other texts. He provides methods for finding and removing astral parasites that work.
  • The Witch’s Guide to the Paranormal – J. Allen Cross. I’m still evaluating this one, but so far I think it contains enough practical real world information to be worth reading. This author’s experiences and approach are often eerily similar to my own.
  • Entity Possession: Freeing the Energy Body of Negative Influences – Samuel Sagan. Talks about astral fragments of the dead and how they wreak havoc on the living. I’ve actually visited the author’s Clairvision school in Sydney, Australia, and indirectly witnessed part of a healing session that was nearly an exorcism. Their methods are as sound as other similar clinics I’ve encountered in-person.
  • Protection & Reversal Magick – Jason Miller. A no-nonsense guide with practical methods.
  • Deliverance – Khi Armand. Sometimes you just need to perform an Uncrossing, Cleansing, and Road Opener. (See Crossed Conditions in Hoodoo/Conjure.) This is one of many small affordable booklets on Hoodoo/Conjure offered by Lucky Mojo. Has a short bibliography page for further research.
  • Psychic Self Defense – Dion Fortune. This book is considered a classic and it still has a few useful ideas, but it’s EXTREMELY dated and very limited in scope. She comes from a ceremonial magick background (Golden Dawn). I found her book of limited use in real-world situations, which require concise instructions for solving immediate problems. It’s worth reading for the anecdotes, however.

If the methods outlined in the above books do not work for you, then you may be dealing with a serious medical issue or mental illness. Seek professional help if you are hearing voices that you can’t control, especially if they’re telling you to do things.

Other books of interest:

  • The Exorcist’s Handbook – Josephine McCarthy (author of the Quareia material). An interesting glimpse into the life of a non-denominational kind of exorcist specializing in the removal of parasitic or harmful entities. Note that this item may be out-of-print. The price should only be around $20 – $30. You may need to search brick-and-mortar booksellers for a copy.

For Defense Against Physical People and Situations:

  • Deliverance – Khi Armand. Listing this book again because it can help against physical situations too. See below for more information on Hoodoo/Conjure.
  • Paper in My Shoe – Catherine Yronwode. How to make petitions and name papers.
  • Cursing & Crossing – Miss Aida. You don’t have to use these methods to curse. Some are useful for defense, hot-footing, or freezing people out of your life etc.
  • The Conjure Workbook – Starr Casas. Contains a range of workings for inspiration.
  • Magickal Attack: Silence Bind and Crush Your Enemies – Gordon Winterfield. I hesitate to recommend this and similar books, but if your need is great and your own magickal defenses are strong (do not neglect those preparations), you may try it at your own risk as a last resort option to find relief.

Complete Magickal Systems

If you’ve read up on occult history and have a general understanding of most major topics and terminology, then you may be ready to take a deep dive into a system of study and build a solid foundation for practice. Here are some systems that have easier entry points and/or full curriculums of study:

The Golden Dawn

  • The Golden Dawn was a 19th century British Occult Order from which many modern systems of magick have sprung. They sought to combine almost every form of Western Esotericism into an airtight system of magick. By studying their curriculum, you’ll learn a smattering of everything e.g. Qabalah, Astrology, Banishing, Divination, Tarot, Enochian Magick, and more! This is Israel Regardie’s account of the original teachings he received, formerly known as the ‘black brick’ because of the publisher’s original color scheme and by how thick this tome is.
    • Golden Dawn – Israel Regardie. Often referred to as the ‘black brick’ because of its previous black cover from Lewellyn, this is the source book of all rites and teachings of the order as published by Regardie when he broke his oath for the preservation of the Order.
    • The Tree of Life – Israel Regardie. This book makes for a good overview of the goals and concepts of the tradition.
    • Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition – the Ciceros. This book makes for an EXCELLENT self-study guide! It’s set up like a textbook with questions at the ends of chapters and covers quite a few standard occult topics such as Qabalah, Tarot, Astrology, Alchemy, and more. Even if you don’t perform the condensed self-initiation workings (these are usually performed by a group in a lodge), the book itself can be used as a good primer for standard occult study.
    • Golden Dawn Magic: A Complete Guide to the High Magical Arts – the Ciceros. This one is simpler than the Self-Initiation text above and easier to read for a complete beginner. Less comprehensive but also less overwhelming. Also good for more advanced students due to its explanations.
    • Aleister Crowley’s system is built on a Golden Dawn foundation, but you would benefit by studying the original material first.
    • Best for people wanting to focus on Spiritual Development rather than practical thaumaturgy or ‘low magick’.
    • The “Yoga of the West.”

Bottom Line

The Golden Dawn offers the most complete system, in my opinion. It ties together nearly every European occult practice of the past 500 years and covers all standard occult terminology and ritual magick methodology. If you want to understand nearly every magickal text you read, then this is the system for you. By studying their curriculum, you’ll learn a smattering of nearly every major occult topic e.g. Meditation, Ritual Magick, Qabalah, Astrology, Divination, Tarot, Enochian Magick, and more!

Wicca

  • Wicca is a modern pagan syncretic nature religion that includes witchcraft. It was formed by Gerald Gardner with considerable creative input by Doreen Valiente who wrote many of the liturgies.
    • Buckland’s Guide – the ‘Big Blue Book’ – very good easy intro to concepts. Covers a lot of ground!
    • A Witches’ Bible – I’ve always liked this one. Covers Rites and Sabbats.
    • Best for people who feel in harmony with nature and identify with the symbols of European Witchcraft. Note that Traditional Witchcraft is not a religion like Wicca but a collection of methods, and is more difficult to get into as there is no official ‘system’. 

Wiccan Traditions

The forms of Wicca found on Tik Tok and on shelves at bookstores represent what is known as Eclectic Wicca. The version being presented can sometimes be a sort of hodgepodge of ideas that may or may not be effective practice. Many of the concepts made popular on Tik Tok are particularly inaccurate or just plain silly. I recommend consulting older source books whenever possible.

Wicca was originally an Initiated Tradition. The original form is known as Gardnerian Wicca, after the founder Gerald Gardner. While many of the practices of Gardnerian Wicca have entered the public domain over the years, there are still some that are kept secret and known only to initiates. If you’d like to know more about joining a traditional Gardnerian Coven, then I recommend reading this book first: Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide. It may help to put your expectations into perspective.

Alexandrian Wicca is the other of the two major branches that formed early on, and is known to include more techniques of ceremonial magick (Golden Dawn, Thelema etc.). I’ve personally worked with both Alexandrians and Gardnerians and can recommend either as legitimate paths of study.

Quareia

  • Quareia
    • This free system will take years to get through!
    • Designed to take you from Beginner to Adept.
    • Completely Solitary training. No Orders to Join.
    • Western Esotericism – not strictly Hermeticism, and bordering on shamanic.
    • If you’re not sure what system to study and nothing else appeals to you, then you may as well dive in here!
       

Franz Bardon

  • Franz Bardon’s system consists of three books: 
  • You need only start with the first book Initiation into Hermetics.
  • Bardon’s terminology and his arrangement of the Tarot are both quirky and non-standard, so it can be a difficult system to study without commentary from other authors. However, many of the exercises are quite useful and will prepare a student for much more advanced work.
  • If you could only afford one book on magick, you’d make a surprising amount of progress with Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics if you devoted consistent daily practice to it.
  • Rawn Clark’s book will help to make sense of Bardon’s material and clarify your expectations with this system.

Non-European or Non-Hermetic Systems of Magick

The following practices often do not make use of standard occult terminology. One wouldn’t study them to learn about ‘the occult’ per se, but to learn about niche areas of occult practice around the world.

Hoodoo / Conjure

  • Hoodoo / Conjure
    • African-American Folk Magick, widely practiced in the South.
    • Contains practical hands-on methods to achieve tangible goals with magick in the physical world.
    • Built around an African (especially Congo) worldview, African methods of handling/preparing physical spell components, with some Native American herbal knowledge, and European occultism (likely late 19th c. onward). The growth of mail order metaphysical suppliers in the early 20th c. allowed for even more incorporation of European occultism e.g. use of colored candles, 6th and 7th books of Moses and other texts.
    • Similar to witchcraft in the sense of being a non-religious set of methods.
    • Not filled with rituals like Ceremonial Magick or Wicca, though it contains many concepts that have been shared across every magickal system going back 2,000+ years.
    • HOODOO HERITAGE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF AMERICAN FOLK RELIGION – FREE This informative paper describes the historical origins of Hoodoo / Conjure, a unique melting pot born from slavery that continues to influence the cultural fabric of the U.S. today.
    • This series of comprehensive articles will also provide a good overview of the History and Methods with references for further research. The associated web store also sells a range of decent and affordable booklets by Catherine Yronwode filled with practical methods that work. Topics include Candle magick, Bottle/Jar spells, Mojos, Cursing/Crossing, Bible Magick, and more! She usually tells you where the methods came from and frequently references other historical material.
    • Mojo Workin’ – Interesting theories and history, though the author intentionally goes against conventional scholarship. I would caution the reader to be on the look-out for potential historical revisionism catering to an agenda.
    • Mules and Men – Zora Neale Hurston. Another classic on the culture. Interestingly, this is one of the only accounts of an initiation ceremony used in Hoodoo. For most practitioners, there are no initiations or barriers to entry. Anyone can be taught the techniques by another practitioner. Traditionally, most would learn from friends and family.
    • Harry Hyatt’s Classic 5-Volume Set – FREE – A collection of interviews with hoodoo practitioners from the 1930s. Fascinating stuff!
    • The Conjure Workbook – Southern Conjure (some people make a distinction between Hoodoo and Conjure). This is a collection of spells that can be used as-is or modified.
    • Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic – A valuable reference book on the herbs, minerals, and curios used in Hoodoo. Also contains spells and other useful data.

Folk Catholicism

The following practices don’t represent complete magickal systems, but are folk traditions associated with Catholicism. If you are already a practicing Catholic, then moving into these directions wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

  • Devoted to Death – Andrew Chesnut. This is THE book on Santa Muerte and her history. Probably the best book to start with for understanding her.
  • Santa Muerte – Tracy Rollin. This one isn’t as well received in the Santa Muerte community, but neither are most other books in English. Most of the info seems sound, but it may contain some practices that most devotees wouldn’t recommend for beginners.
  • Hoodoo Bible Magic – Prof. Charles Porterfield.
  • The Magical Power of the Saints – Rev. Ray Malbrough. This would fall under the category of Hoodoo.
  • Italian Folk Magic – Mary Grace Fahrun. On my list but haven’t read it. There will likely be a ton of Catholicism in here.
  • Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages – Judika Illes.
  • A Book of the Magi – Alexander Cummins

Brujeria & Curandismo

These topics are best learned from a teacher in person, but the following books may provide an overview.

Other Christian Influenced Magick

  • The Grimoire of St Cyprian – Stephen Skinner. There are a few versions of this grimoire. It had an influence on South American spirituality.
  • The Black School – Jason Miller. This is an online class using a system that Jason has put together after working with St Cyprian. Both light and dark workings.

More to be added as time permits!

Amoris is a occultist who has been active in the pagan and occult communities in the U.S. and Australia for the past 30 years. His areas of interest include Ritual Magick, Witchcraft, History and Folklore, Ancient Magick (PGM), Reiki (Usui Reiki Ryoho), and Energy Work. He was previously a member of the O.P.A., a Thelemic Golden Dawn order in Sydney formed by the late Barry Salkilld.

Amoris currently moderates the following communities on Reddit: RealMagick, Hekate101, Hekate, EnochianMagick, and Hecate (co-moderator). He previously ran the popular Real Magick e-group on Yahoo servers in the late 90s-00s and created the Enochian e-group at Yahoo as a backup for the famed Hollyfeld Enochian-l e-list. Amoris and his web forums were cited in the 2012 book Arguing with Angels by Egil Asprem. He is the creator of realmagick.org and a primary contributor.