I get this question from time to time and it’s definitely a good one to nerd out on. Perhaps a surprise (then maybe not) I’m not as well-read as your garden variety pedant/occultist, but I still have enough context and library space to offer some interesting recommendations.
I should clarify a bit of deceptiveness on my part with the title. By occultist I purely mean magician of some sort, i.e. one who cast spells or engages in specifically magical operations.
I know I am abusing the term “occult”, no need to holler in the comments or email a correctional lecture. At this point, however, I believe we can all agree that occult publications are either a) info that was hidden from the public at one time, b) modern content that, had it been published during the Dark Ages or even Colonial America, it would have been considered “occult”, or most often, c) material similar in nature, ideology, et al to classical occult literature.
Without much detail or fuss, here is my short list of books to help both total newbs and those who have taken their first magical steps already.
Recommended Books In no special order:
- Basic Candle Magic by Phillip Cooper
- Basic Sigil Magic by Phillip Cooper
- Tree of Life by Israel Regardie
- Elements of Qabalah by Will Par
- Techniques of High Magic by King & Skinner
- Basic Practical Magic by Brandi Williams
- Complete Book of Magical Correspondences by Sandra Kynes
- Magician’s Companion by Bill Whitcomb
- Everyday Magic by Dorothy Morrison
- a few more but have to stop here because Word Press “block editor” is a buggy piece of shit, won’t respond even to magical efforts to adjust, people around me soon in danger from rage building up.