Thursday 3 October 2024

Review: Occult - Decoding the Visual Culture of Magic


This is the perfect time of year to curl up on the sofa with a magical book. One I'd recommend is Occult - Decoding the Visual Culture of Mysticism, Magic and Divination, by Peter Forshaw. It is a lovely big hardback tome brimming with historical illustrations of esoteric subjects as well as offering a detailed analysis of what they mean. 

Occult starts in antiquity with astrology, alchemy, kabbalah, and ends with 21st century Occulture, covering grimoire traditions of natural, astral and ritual magic in between. It isn't just a history book, it is a dive into arcane visual material throughout the ages. 

Publisher Thames and Hudson gives this overview on its website:

"Searching for the philosophers’ stone in the pursuit of transmutation and immortality; harnessing the properties of the natural world to cast magic spells; seeking visionary experiences to connect with the spiritual world; conjuring demons to enact our desires; using the tarot and astrology to divine the future – the quest to understand the mysteries of the universe and to tap into its powers has fuelled manifold occult philosophies from the early esoteric traditions of the ancient Egyptians to the practices of modern occultists.

"For hundreds of years, occult – or hidden – knowledge has been recorded in esoteric manuscripts, enshrined in illustrated grimoires, inscribed in stelae, incorporated in cryptic paintings and embodied in arcane ritual objects. Delve within these pages and pore over myriad intricate images, ornate manuscripts and intriguing ritual objects, and discover the meaning concealed within the secret ciphers, mysterious symbols and covert rituals of the occult."

I really enjoyed reading - and looking at - Occult - Decoding the Visual Culture of Mysticism, Magic and Divination. This is far more than a pretty coffee table book - it is wonderfully informative and well researched. But it would definitely look good on your shelves or table when any witchy friends come round.

You can view Occult on Amazon

(Please note I earn commission from some links)

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/03/review-pagans-visual-culture-of-pagan.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/02/excerpt-divination-ancient-magic-by.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/11/picrtures-owen-davies-art-of-grimoire.html

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