The following is a selection of books
which focus upon esoteric and occult subjects. Many of them are academic,
attempting to explain or describe various anthropological systems of belief,
especially the ‘hands-on’ kind of belief which is commonly referred to as
‘magic’. Some of these texts are deliberately abstruse and difficult to
understand; for some authors there was an over-arching necessity to be obscure
in order to avoid criminal or political repercussions. Other works are ironic,
spoofs intended to poke fun at various social issues, but still sufficiently
cloaked in mystery to pass muster. Others are deliberate frauds meant to fool
the gullible and unwary. Finally, some of these works are religious in nature, expounding
an exoteric approach to religious dogma which is often felt to be at odds with
accepted material, or even schismatic, compared to the orthodox pronouncements
of canon religious lore.
It is wholly appropriate for adventurers
to stumble across any of these works in investigating the actions of the Mythos
and their minions in the course of an adventure. Many individuals interested in
the occult will obtain and prowl through an endless stream of published
material before finding the essential kernels of truth that they seek. Having a
handful of these texts cluttering up a suspect’s bookshelf can deflect an
investigation, give hints as to the true nature of the mystery surrounding
various events (due to the presence of harmless books which warn against or
describe other, more abominable, works for instance), or reveal the potential
suspect to be a mere dabbler rather than a ‘hardcore’ Mythos villain. The
tables accompanying each style of magical theory allows any Keeper to randomly
generate a mystical library to suit any occasion.
Many of the books in the following
section, however bizarre they may seem, are real and obtainable through local
libraries, bookstores, or from online publishers, booksellers and websites;
others are fictional, only appearing in the fanciful tales of various
writers...and not only those penning Mythos stories. Where a work is fictional,
I have noted the source after the description in order to avoid confusion.
Grimoires
The grimoire is a workbook of occult lore
and practises. It represents the accumulated knowledge of an occult worker over
their mystical career and can include recipes, ritual instructions, tables of
lore pertaining to magical creatures, herbal lore, or astronomical knowledge
(to name only a few areas). Some authors’ works gain notoriety for their
potency and are passed on, mainly in hand-copied, manuscript form, before ever
seeing print. These authors amass a ‘grimoire tradition’ wherein their works
are added to by later commentators, or spliced together with other material to
form a long, ongoing line of literary attribution, more often spurious than
not. Some of the earliest magical writings have, in this way, survived and
remain in circulation to this day, often in very surprising places. In the
tables, grimoires are indicated with a letter ‘G’, indicating that this volume
can be a properly printed text, a manuscript copy, or a cheap mass-market
knock-off. These books are also added to by their owners and some actual Mythos
material may have crept in, as the Keeper wishes.
*****
The following tables reflect works of
particular esoteric interests or fields of research. The Keeper should roll
percentile dice to select as many titles as they feel will build a significant
flavour to the library which they are trying to assemble. It’s possible that the
NPCs involved will have interests in more than one field so rolling on several
of the tables will reflect that diversity of study. Keep in mind that these
books – even the spoofs and fake titles – indicate a serious dedication to the
craft, so the more that Investigators find on a particular bookshelf, the more
heavily-involved the owner of those books will be.
Alchemical
Anything here will be highly scientific
and grounded in the coded procedures of the alchemical tradition. Hermeticism
is pre-eminent, as is anything overtly contained within the chemists’
apparatus. Herbals and bestiaries, works of a transformative nature, or to do
with codes, are also of a peripheral interest. The Surrealist Art movement of
the early Twentieth Century latched on to the coded and symbolic references in
Alchemy and many new studies of the language of Alchemy were written from the
1920s onwards.
01-11%
|
Book
of Ostanes (1st Century AD) (G)
|
12-22%
|
De
Mirabili Potestate, Artis et Naturae
|
23-33%
|
De
Mysteriis Aegyptiorum...
|
34-44%
|
De
Situ Orbis (1471)
|
45-56%
|
The
Golden Dawn (1936)
|
57-67%
|
A
List of Works Relating to Lycanthropy (1920)
|
68-78%
|
The
Occult Sciences (1891)
|
79-89%
|
Steganographia
(1500s) (G)
|
90-00%
|
The
Zohar (1200s)
|
Book of Ostanes
The Greeks and Romans both ascribed the
creation of magic to Persian magi. Foremost among these was “Zoroaster” (no
real connexion to the creator of the religion and hence referred to as “pseudo
Zoroaster”) and his master, “pseudo Hystapes”. A third figure – Ostanes – was
first mentioned by Hermodorus in the 4th Century BC, whom he calls
an intellectual descendant of Zoroaster. While this Zoroaster and his master
Hystapes were based on actual historical figures, no such foundation exists for
Ostanes – he is entirely fictional.
Regardless, Greek teaching laid the phenomenon
of “dark magic” at his door, as an antithesis to the good magic of Zoroaster.
Many books of magic were compiled and ascribed to him and discussed by
authorities such as Pliny. Ostanes is said to have had the power of divination,
by means of basins and pools of water, glass globes, air, the stars, lamps and
axes, among other props. He was said to be able to speak with the dead, with
ghosts, and to contact the Underworld. By the end of the 1st Century,
he was regarded as an authority on alchemy and necromancy, divination and on
the magical properties of stones and plants. Not bad for an imaginary guy!
Obviously, others were codifying these
texts and attributing them to Ostanes. Copies have appeared in Greek and Latin,
and an Arabic version exists also – the Kitab
al-Fusul al-ithnay ‘ashar fi 'ilm al-hajar al-mukarram (“The Book of the Twelve Chapters on the
Honourable Stone”).
De Mirabili Potestate, Artis et Naturae
Francis Bacon (c.1219/20-c.1292) was an
English monk of the Franciscan Order who was famous for his advocacy of
empirical research in learning the mysteries of nature. He was an unstoppable
polymath who dabbled in almost every type of learning from physics to
linguistics, even alchemy. His “Letter on
the Secret Workings of Art and Nature and on the Vanity of Magic” (more
commonly called “On the Wonderful Powers
of Art and Nature” – “De Mirabili
Potestate, Artis et Naturae”) contains many alchemical procedures including
a formula for the Philosopher’s Stone and a possible recipe for gunpowder. It
also contains theoretical instructions for building flying machines and
submarines. Along the way he roundly debunks necromancy and explores many
so-called supernatural events of his day,
demonstrating how they could be explained by natural phenomena.
“De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum, Chaldaeorum, Assyriorum. Proclus In Platonicum
Alcibiadem De Anima, Atque Daemone: Idem De Sacrificio & Magia. Porphyrius
De Divinis Atque; Daemonibus Psellus De Daemonibus. Mercurii Trismegisti
Pimander: Ejusdem Asclepius.”
Also known as the Theurgia, “De Mysteriis
Aegyptiorum...” (“On the Mysteries of
the Egyptians...”) is attributed to the Neoplatonic scholar Iamblichus
Chalcidensis, who studied under Porphyry. The two disagreed over the practice
of theurgy, that is, the importance of rituals in order to ensure the operation
of higher beings – or gods – in human affairs. The two parted over their
respective views and many of Iamblichus’s responses to his master’s criticisms
are contained with the Mysteries.
However, stylistic differences between this
work and Iamblichus’ other writings have shed the light of suspicion over the
authorship of the Mysteries. Despite this question, whoever wrote it must have
studied under Iamblichus and attended his school. The work traces the emergence
of cult ritual practice in a polytheistic world, noting parallels in worship
and rationalising them in a Neoplatonic framework.
De Situ Orbis
Pomponius Mela was a Roman geographer of
Spanish birth, writing around the year 43 AD. His summation of the known world
is largely inferior to Pliny’s work on a similar subject, which cited Mela as a
source, but it is notable for its use of Latin which has a pleasing and
poetical cast. The work takes the form of an extended travel monologue
travelling the coastlines from Roman occupied Spain around the Mediterranean,
along the coasts of Africa and Asia and northwards around the coasts of Europe
and Britain. Mela’s language during this extended itinerary is playful and
engaging: he focuses not upon the famous structures and accomplishments of
various countries but rather, concentrates on subjects anthropological,
cultural and supernatural.
The book is of interest as an occult text
due to the many apocryphal references said to be contained within its pages.
Mela begins his narrative by describing the world as a ‘puzzle’ to be solved
and invites the reader to embark upon a tour to ‘solve’ it with him. This,
along with an extended passage describing a massive labyrinth in Egypt, seems
to imply that the book is a key in and of itself to the discovery of some great
revelation. It is said that this text makes reference to the Ixaxar Stone, mentioning its sacred
meaning to degenerate races in the Libyan heartland; it is said also to locate
the lost city of Niya in Western China: in actual fact the earliest publication
of Mela dates from Milan in 1471 and makes no reference to either subject.
Unless some other, earlier and unexpurgated text appears, these legends will no
doubt pervade.
The Golden Dawn: An Account of the Teachings, Rites & Ceremonies of
the Order of the Golden Dawn
"...it is essential
that the whole system should be publicly exhibited so that it may not be lost
to mankind. For it is the heritage of every man and woman – their spiritual
birthright."
-Israel Regardie, 1936
The
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
was a fractious group of mystically-inclined individuals who dominated the
spiritual world in the early years of the Twentieth Century. Under the auspices
of S.L. McGregor Mathers and others, it codified a system of magic that still
resonates to this day. Other members of the Golden Dawn included A.E. Waite, W.B. Yeats, Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood, to name but a few. However
there was trouble in paradise: once that mystical pest Aleister Crowley joined,
he caused massive divisions within the group as he tried to wrest control of
the Order from its originators and pervert its rites to his own way of magickal
thinking. The group rapidly fell apart due to his meddling.
Nevertheless, as Crowley
muddied the waters, Golden Dawn adherent Israel Regardie penned this definitive
account of all the theories, rites and procedures of the Order so that its
spirit would survive the catastrophe to come.
A List of Works Relating to Lycanthropy
“An interesting allusion to
the werewolf in Scottish folklore is preserved in the records of the Presbytery
of Kelso. Under the date of November 6, 1660, it is stated that ‘Michell Usher,
or Wishart, at Sproustoun, and Mausie Ker, his wife, complean of John Brown,
weaver ther, for calling him a warwoof, and her a witch.’ I believe this is the
only reference to the werewolf in Scottish folklore.”
-George F. Black
A slight, although
powerful, reference work, this catalogue lists every book in the New York
Public Library system to mention werewolves, their evolution, expression and
eradication. George Black combed through endless card systems to compile this
eight-page pamphlet and one can only wonder what his motivations were. For
those who would obtain and use this source as a useful guide, there can surely
be no doubt...
The Occult Sciences: A Compendium Of Transcendental Doctrine And
Experiment, Embracing An Account Of Magical Practices; Of Secret Sciences In
Connection With Magic; Of The Professors Of Magical Arts; And Of Modern
Spiritualism, Mesmerism, And Theosophy.
"The subject of occultism has been
very fully dealt with during recent years by various students of eminence. It
has remained for the results of their studies to be condensed into a portable
volume, which shall conduct the inquirer into the vestibule of each branch of
'the occult sciences,' and place within his reach the proper means of
prosecuting his researches further in any desired direction."
-A.E. Waite
A.E. Waite was serious magician and a
serious academic, working at the end of the Nineteenth Century and into the
Twentieth. He was instrumental in codifying a lot of the ritual magic that
various practitioners nowadays take for granted. A major undertaking of his (along
with McGregor Mathers) was the translation of the works of Eliphas Levi, thus
bringing the French magical systems to light in London. Most people these days
know Waite’s famous tarot deck – the Rider-Waite Deck – or may even be familiar
with his grand grimoire, The Book of
Ceremonial Magic.
As a means of organising his research,
Waite wrote this work – The Occult
Sciences – as an attempt to pin down all aspects of magical theory and as
an aid to others for the furtherance of their own studies. It pretty much
covers everything from summoning angels and demons, necromancy, divination of
all kinds, alchemy, the creation of talismans, and kabbalism, before expounding
on various organisations and their characters, including the Rosicrucians, the
Freemasons, Mesmerists, Spiritualists and Theosophists. It was published in
London by Kegan Paul, Tench, Trubner & Company Ltd., first in 1891 and then
again in 1923. Since then it has been reproduced in various formats and
excerpted as any number of smaller volumes.
Steganographia
Johannes Trithemius was the occult
teacher of both Agrippa and Paracelsus and he wrote this work at the end of the
Fifteenth Century. It was to become one of the most notorious tomes of the next
two centuries. On the one hand, it appears to be simply a grimoire, a magician’s
work-book containing spells to conjure spirits, a species of Kabbalistic angel
magic and lists of spiritual messengers associated with various divisions of
space and time. On the other hand, it is a code book, and discusses ways of
concealing information within outwardly innocent texts. John Dee noted that a
copy was up for sale in his day for “one thousand crowns” and his own copy
heavily influenced his process of angelic magic, the Enochian system. The book
is known to have circulated widely between magical circles in manuscript form
during the 16th Century but was not committed to print until later.
The
Zohar
“...from the fourteenth
century [the Zohar] held almost unbroken sway over the minds of the majority of
the Jews. In it the Talmudic legends concerning the existence and activity of
the shedhim (demons) are repeated and amplified, and a hierarchy of demons was
established corresponding to the heavenly hierarchy...Even the scholarly and
learned Rabbis of the seventeenth century clung to the belief.”
-M. Gaster, Encyclopaedia
of Religion and Ethics
Devised as a mystical interpretation of
the Torah, known in Christianity as
the Pentateuch or the five Books of Moses from the Bible, The Zohar is the foundation work of the
Jewish mystical system called the Kabbalah. Like the Rabbinic commentary on the
Torah called the Midrash, it offers scriptural interpretations as well as material
on theosophic theology, mystical cosmogony and mystical psychology. It outlines
the nature of God, the origin and formation of the universe, the substance of
the soul, the path to redemption and the complex relationship between the
“universal energy” and humanity.
The
Zohar (lit. “Splendour”,
or “Radiance”) first appeared in Spain in the 13th Century. It was
published by a Jewish writer named Moses de Leon, who ascribed its authorship
to one Shimon bar Yochai, a rabbi of the 2nd Century AD who hid from
Roman persecution in a cave for 13 years and who was inspired to write the work
by the Prophet Elijah. According to Jewish legend, the Kabbalah was an oral
tradition revealed by God to Biblical figures such as Abraham and Moses and
which was then passed on by word of mouth until Shimon bar Yochai chose to
write it down. However, textual analysis has demonstrated that Moses de Leon is
the most likely author of this work: The
Zohar is mostly written in an exalted and eccentric style of Aramaic which,
while not impossible, would be an unusual format for a writer of the 1st
Century AD. Today, non-Orthodox Judaism holds The Zohar to be apocryphal and outside mainstream Judaism; Orthodox
Jews hold the work to be canonical.
Next: Angelology
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