From "Aarab Zereq" to "Zos Kia Cultus," this is the most up-to-date, comprehensive guide to the history, philosophies, and personalities of Western occultism.
Written by an occult scholar and practitioner with the assistance of hundreds of experts in the field, this volume presents the latest in scholarly research and points out errors in previous writings-revealing truths much more interesting and dramatic than the fictional histories that obscured them.
The New Encyclopedia of the Occult is an invaluable reference guide to magic, alchemy, astrology, divination, Tarot, palmistry, and geomancy; magical orders such as the Golden Dawn and Rosicrucians; important occultists; and religions and spiritual traditions associated with occultism such as Wicca, Thelema, Theosophy, and the modern Pagan movement.
Praise:
"This is an important source for libraries to have in their collections to assist anyone seeking information about the many aspects of occult traditions."--Booklist
"Greer delivers a well researched, informative, and unbiased encyclopedia...Highly recommended for all public libraries and where interest merits."--Library Journal
Tales throughout time have spoken of monsters and frightening beings and things that go "bump" in the night, and for most people these tales are as close to the unknown as they are willing to get. But for those few who find their curiosity peaked when they hear of local hauntings or monster sightings, there is finally a handbook just for you! "Monsters - An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings" by John Michael Greer...
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I accidentally dismissed this book, because of the cover, until my wife brought me a copy to peruse. The cover doesn't really do the book justice--although, I am sure it sells many copies, normally. If this book had an entirely different cover, I believe it would be taken Very Seriously by many students of The Mysteries, Anthropology (especially), and could possibly be used in a College Course on Mythology. Greer's explanation...
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This is one of the most fantastic books I've read in ages. Note that this has very little to do with cryptozoology; most of the creatures discussed are not always material.In this surprisingly readable book, we have a discussion of various common preternatural and supernatural monsters. Not all of these would ordinarily be considered monsters (such as mermaids and angels), but are classified as such for ease of use.Mr. Greer...
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Greer defines monsters as "beings that cannot exist, according to currently accepted scientific theories about the way the universe works, but which are routinely encountered by credible witnesses and described in traditional folklore". The major portion of the book extracts the common threads from world-wide folklore and modern day sightings of vampires, ghosts, werewolves, creatures of faery, mermaids, dragons, spirits,...
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