The New Encyclopedia of the Occult

I am a student of religion and belief systems so I enjoy reading about different beliefs even when I don't happen to agree with them in practice. A good, basic reference dealing with the under-appreciated set of worldviews held by thousands of people in the U.S. and millions around the world should find a place in the library of any thoughtful reader. Just because the subject seems strange to many, if not most, people nowadays doesn't mean that it's not important or worth trying to understand. The standpoint of the author is vital to understanding what makes this book worth owning. Most works on the subject might be assumed to be written either by uninvolved scholars on one hand or uninformed or biased practitioners on the other. Greer fits in to neither of these categories. He is both a respected practitioner and a MOSTLY unbiased scholar of the subject. One does occasionally meet with a rather humorous indication of the author's opinion of a certain subject, but such instances are fairly rare and easily spotted. There is still more room for improvement from the standpoint of scholarship, but Greer's encyclopedia is heads above most entries in the field. A note to religious people, specifically Christians, would not be out of place. If you are not already a part of the occult scene, this book will not convert you. It does not try to argue for a position. If you believe something is good, it is worth understanding so you can draw closer to it. If you believe something is bad, it is worth understanding so you can keep it away. The uneducated on the topic might be surprised at how much of the occult they encounter in everyday life. Jesus both tells us that the Devil is bad, and explains his nature to us so that we will recognize it. Whether one is a dispassionate observer, a practitioner, or even one who believes that the occult is evil, the subject is still important and worth being educated about.

I have great respect for Mr. Greer's expertise and work, and especially consider his books on Geomancy and collaborative effort with Christopher Warnock on Picatrix with high regard. So it was with disappointment that I found some non-trivial errors upon my very first perusal of his New Encyclopedia of the Occult. Though I am optimistic that additional errors will be few and minor as I continue to examine the contents of the book, my general faith in the quality of the information has been compromised somewhat, in spite of my confidence in Mr. Greer's knowledge, academic professionalism, and experience in the subjects he chooses to write about. The errors of which I speak are found in the entries on the Olympic Spirits; to wit the sigils of Bethor, Phaleg, Och, and Hagith are switched between each other (the sigil for Och is used twice); the sigil of Ophiel is somewhat distorted; and the number of ruled provinces for Bethor is listed as 32 when it should be 42 (at least according to my A.E. Waite and J. Peterson translations of the Arbatel). These errors are most probably due to lack of publishing oversight or editing fatigue, and I think it would be wrong to blame the author for something like this. However, for those who are new to esoterica, or those who are not disposed to laborious academic study and rely on more easily digestible resources, errors like the ones mentioned could cause considerable confusion and compromise one's sincerely invested work. Not everyone has the means or wherewithal to cross-reference and validate every detail of their study; and rely on respected experts like Mr. Greer to provide reliable information in the resources they create.

I bought this book spontaneously along with several others. It sat in a pile for more than a week until one day, I needed to consult my library for some details on an occult subject a friend asked me about. I went to my usual sources, mostly found what I needed but then remembered this book. To my pleasant surprise, it summarized the subject more thoroughly and more accurately than any reference book in my library. I highly recommend this book both as a go-to for quick reference and for any time you just feel like reading. I find myself unable to process more than a few pages at once though as it covers so many diverse subjects so well, too much can make your mind swim (which is, of course, sometimes exactly what you need). In terms of tone, I found the author to be objective and accurate. This is more of an opus-type work from a true professional who has obviously spent a lifetime researching complex subjects to the point where his writing comes from true knowledge of the subject matter. You won't find, for example, New Age type fluff touting one historical figure over another based on opinions, a bit of research and conjecture, which is typical in this area. For those who demand subjects be dealt with objectively and with a professional historical tone, I think this will quickly become one of your favorites.

Fairly comprehensive, and the author sticks to well documented facts without a lot of "woo-woo" speculation. A mature assessment of many prominent practitioners and writers of magical lore over the centuries throughout the world, though woefully lacking in references to Asian practices, such as Tao or Tibetan paths. Other than that I found it to be a useful reference and highly readable. It is a book that belongs on the shelves of researchers in the field and those interested in magic and the supernatural. If nothing else it pointed me to primary sources that I need to fill out my library on magic, witchcraft, the supernatural, divination and the Kabbalah. This book does not deal extensively with the Sidhe or other supernatural or mythic entities so I wouldn't buy this book to investigate pookas or slyphs, naiads, gnomes, kami, skinwalkers, doppelgängers, trolls, ghouls, vampires, zombies, were-creatures, and such. The references to these are sparse and there are other books that treat those topics.

This well written encyclopedia is probably the best of its kind anywhere in the world. John Greer's prose is very clear and he goes into some of the less known aspects of the occult such as Renaissance magic, a subject in which he is clearly an expert in. The articles make such an interesting read I actually read this book from cover to cover.I wish I had this book 10 years ago when I started getting interested in these subjects. This book is very highly recommended

It's a nice book, the only thing is, I expected more images, it just looks like a dictionary. Think twice before buying. But I wouldn't return it.

Très bien illustré et très bien présenté comme une oeuvre de BASE pour toute personne qui veut se renseigner dans le domaine

Very big encyclopedia. Good to reference

Good