what is the difference between a ghost and a demon? What spirits roam the natural world? Did psychedelics play a role in human evolution? This Halloween, we have all the answers.
Dive into areas of the supernatural world you never knew existed with our beautiful and comprehensive collection of occult books. fascinating stories that explore key areas of astrology and cosmology; witchcraft and mysticism; satanism and demonology; science and alchemy.
beautiful covers, ghosts and specters, the spooky and the mystical….available online or in the raw store.
You are reading: Best books about the occult
locks words geary-giffin, rough trade easthaunted air photo by ossian brown
Wooden Books
wooden books is a beautiful series of recycled and paperback books based on a wide variety of supernatural and natural curiosities throughout the worlds of music, the occult, nature and more. we have a simply magnificent collection on a wide variety of subjects, from stonehenge and avebury, to divination and holy springs, crop circles and the elements of music.
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A handful of titles delve into the mystical side of the occult: Divination: Elements of Wisdom go to jewels rocka explain and outline the theory of divination (sheets of tea, objects, cards, etc.) in a condensed pocket book using examples from around the world. in altered states, ben sessa looks into the fascinating world of mushrooms, lsd, alcohol, weed, and even chocolate and coffee! What effects do all these substances have on us? why do we need our dose of coffee? what do psychedelics actually do to us? mythological animals: from basilisks to unicornslook at our undeniable obsession with creatures and our belief in their existence. Vampires and werewolves are so ingrained in our culture that we have become obsessed with them and romanticize them, but where do they come from? griffins to banshees, the loch ness monster, centaurs and more, who discovered them, why do they appear continuously throughout our story? mitozoologisttom o’malley delves into this intriguing world.
haunted air
by ossian brown
all clocks had stopped. a void outside of time. and here they are – looking out and holding still – holding still at that point where two worlds meet – the familiar one – and the other.david lynch
Not for the faint of heart, may we present the world’s most creepy book… With a fitting introduction by David Lynch and afterword by Geoff Cox, Ossian Brown‘s Haunted Air is hands down the most unsettling and nightmare-inducing book in our Occult range. It is a collection of anonymous Halloween photos from 1875-1955 with a vast range of families; rich to poor, city-folk to rural famers. Masks were often made by the children and worn throughout the day by the entire family, with the intention of scaring off the ghouls or ghosts of the year (one of the origins of dressing up or wearing masks during the Halloween period was to protect the individual from malevolent sprits). The vale between the realms was thin and this was a time where the spirits could cross back into our world. Costumes were worn in order to trick these spirits into thinking that the wearers were ghouls, fairies or witches too. The masks in Haunted Air are unsettling to say the least i.e don’t come within an inch of me if you are donning one, thank you!
Rough Trade Books
In association with the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (the world’s oldest and largest collection of items related to witchcraft, magic and the occult), our friends at the excellent rough trade books have published a series celebrating the fascinating alternative history of the museum.
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In this collection, david keinan and sophy hollington have once again combined forces to give us a reworking of the classic tarot deck, autonomic tarot, along with the novel to run wild in it, a tarot workbook with deeply personal meditations on the archetypal energies of the cards. they also present Empty Aphrodite: An Encyclopedia of Fate, an alphabetic poetic sourcebook that combines magic and inspiration in a series of channeled surreal portraits of the ‘powers of now’. Plus, choose your own destiny with five cool stickers that come with the book!
botanical curses and poisons
by fez inkwright
There’s a fine line between healing and poisoning! only the dose matters! In this beautifully illustrated book by Fez Inkwright , we take a journey through the medieval era and beyond, exploring some of history’s most memorable deaths from poisoning. Each page is packed with illustrated folklore and insight into the mystical world of magical herbs, mushrooms, poisonous plants, fruits, and more, exploring everyday flora and fauna to religious uses and witchcraft. we have many more books on poisons, plants, flora, trees, fungi and mushrooms if you want to continue your journey down the rabbit hole!
Of Shadows
by sara hannant
In this beautiful book we are introduced to 100 witchcraft artifacts from the much loved Cornish Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. artist and photographer sara hannant has captured the very essence of these carefully selected artifacts. a collection to whet your appetite and encourage you to make a pilgrimage to the south to see them in the flesh. there are pieces from daggers to pendants, mummified cats and dried frogs, porcelain witches to wax dolls. some look familiar (like a model of the witch from snow white), others may need an explanation. I’m definitely putting the museum on my bucket list for 2022, especially since it’s filled with skulls, Ouija boards, robes, and a massive giant statue.
The Penguin Book of Exorcisms
by joseph p. laycock
A collection of some of the most incredible exorcism stories from throughout history. For example, the ‘Loudon Possessions’ where Urbain Grandier, a local priest accused of invoking evil spirits to possess nuns from a local convent, was tried for witchcraft. Or maybe you want to learn more about the daily levitation of a Zulu woman in 1928 that inspired The Exorcist. there is even an example of a letter to the bishop requesting permission to perform an exorcism after seeing a child walk backwards down a wall. Whatever you fancy, Joseph Playcock dives headfirst into the well-documented accounts throughout history of possession and the differences between belief systems and cultures. we love rolling eyes, speaking in tongues, turning heads (maybe that’s just in the movies), and levitation. we’re obsessed with this idea of demons and spirits creeping into our bodies and taking over, pushing our souls into darkness and wreaking havoc on our friends and family to do their own bidding. there is no logical explanation for it and the fact that it still happens today continues to baffle and intrigue even the most sensible people. I’m literally obsessed… weird possessions around here please.
Other honourable mentions include…
Browse the pages of beautiful skull collections in skulls: portraits of the dead by paul gambino. Add to your library the essential handbook to start your Wiccan journey: The Wiccan Handbook: A Modern Guide to the Symbols, Spells, and Rituals of Witchcraft by Susan Bowes. interested in cursed people and people who curse? collects thomas waters‘ cursed britain: a history of witchcraft and black magic in modern times chronicling the evolution of magic, traditional healers, rouges and deceivers . explore areas of the natural and supernatural world with the tangled life of merlin sheldrake, an exploration of fungi and mushrooms and how these little guys open doors to understanding the planet we live on . and last but not least, a look back through history at our infatuation with haunted literature in merlin coverly‘s wonderful hauntology; a victorian ghost story brought to the present.
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