Books on Occultism

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Is this book a trap to snare new students ? There is no need to trap prospective students at all. Unlike ants, wasps and greenfly, I do not see them as pests at all. The main problem is their sheer number, though. They can double overnight. They sprout like mushrooms. I feel less like Moses leading the Chosen People to the Promised Land, and more like the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. Where on earth am I going to put them all, I ask myself. Perhaps I could send them to a football match or the Glastonbury Pop Festival?

No matter what I do, potential students seem to wait for me to walk by. They lurk everywhere-in damp corners, in the dark corners of bookshops, and under tables in restaurants. Do not get me wrong; I like them, but one can have too much of a good thing. So, far from seeking any new ones, or replacements for those that have passed their sell-by date, I have a few second-hand ones for sale.

I am joking, of course. I hope you realized that. We might as well start off on the right footing: to be a successful Master these days, one has to have a strong sense of humour. In all honesty, no, I did not design this book to attract new students. Like bait for fish, you mean, or like a lump of cheese for mice?

People catch slugs by putting a small dish of beer under a half-grapefruit in the garden, and they trap flies with sugar and sticky paper. Oh, but do please be serious. I may joke about students, but they are not such pests. If I were a spider waiting patiently on its web, my parlour door would be wide open and I would offer tea and cakes. I would not have put this question as second on the list. No, no, no! Instead of mentioning topics that could just rouse your suspicions, I would have avoided all mention of the subject. I would have kept clear of it. I would not have said anything to trigger your alarm. So there! Do you think so? Why would I go to so much trouble when-false modesty aside- I am a reputable Magician who could achieve those goals by other means?

We could go on playing games and rehearsing complicated conspiracy theories until the cows come home, and we would all end exhausted. Look, I am sorry, but I refuse to enter a futile discussion. I give you my solemn word that this book is a straightforward attempt to present common questions to do with Occultism and to offer direct answers clearly. That is all there is to it.

Oh and by the way, there is one small Occult group in the South of England whose titular head is a snob of the worst possible kind. When my first book appeared, he criticised my use of grammar, and he suggested that I never went to university. Well I did. I have three degrees, but not one of them is to do with grammar. I have taken great care to adopt a style that makes my writing accessible to people from all social and educational backgrounds. I am not an elitist who thinks that Occultism, like medicine, is a field best reserved for gentlemen. Truth must be open to all-comers. Enough to keep me busy.

As you might have guessed, since my humour arises out of experience, I do not need to stand at a street corner and bang a drum to rustle up more business. My diary is already full of dates for meeting new applicants, and appointments to give talks to existing groups of students. I sift every newcomer, and, even in these permissive days, not all of them enjoy it. I am a total stranger, after all. I do it gently, sensitively, but I cannot accept all who present themselves.

Some people have been guided towards me. They have felt some impulse to walk in my direction. Therefore, instead of choosing the ones I like, it becomes a case of identifying the ones that I am meant to teach. If I am not the right person for the job then I try to point them towards someone more fitting.

Some people would do better with a different teacher, so it is wise to pick out the ones that are best suited to my method and, what is more to the point, my personality. To be frank, I am not everyone's cup of tea. I am good-looking and wonderfully gifted, but for reasons that escape me, a certain number of rare and possibly sick people cannot stand the sight of me. However, I take no offence at all. We have to be adult about these matters, so I can live with it. I just change them into frogs and send them to someone else. (Joking again!)

Besides, I am getting on in years and I do not have enough time. I have even stopped doing the crossword, or that is my excuse at least. I do keep busy: writing books, recording lessons on cassettes, visiting student groups, doing graphic work and so on. I also have a home-life where I enjoy cooking the occasional meal and taking my Rottweilers for a walk. Anyway, like parcels put in the post at Christmas, not all students carry a clear label and not all of them are addressed to me. I suspect that I get other masters' rejects. When I look at them, it is hard not to feel that I have bitten off more than I can chew. Many are, but this is ineptitude rather than design.

A good Occultist can be a bad writer, of course, but only a few really set out to deceive. The ones to watch out for are usually expensive, eye-catching, and polemical. If one could see beneath the surface, one would find that they had the backing of wealthy bodies, or that they had sponsors with a hefty budget to spend on publicity. Take a close look. Certain groups do not concern themselves with God or spiritual truth. They think about the size of their membership, and the income that this brings in. Perhaps they are into expansion and hope one day to takeover the world. A case for special agent 777 perhaps?And like mushrooms, they come in many shapes, sizes, and colours. They target a different public, they serve different purposes, and it costs different amounts to print them. Books are a business and, while authors' standards of literacy vary, most are trying to earn a living, but some are writing to show-off and a few have hidden motives. What can I say?

The public are all grown up and responsible for what they buy. If they are gullible yokels and uncritical tourists, then they make ripe pickings. It is up to each person to look carefully and decide for himself whether he has lit on the Three-Card Trick or a date with destiny.That is hardly a question. I remember it as a puzzle in a Christmas cracker - "What is black-and-white and 'red' all over? Answer: A book." However, those words 'black-and-white' are significant. People say: "I have seen it in black-and-white", meaning that it is real, true, definite. In other words, simple folk believe anything they see in print. If it is in a book or in a newspaper then it must be true. I hope that you are little more sophisticated than that.These people twist all information to the advantage of the person who is paying them. In that sense, yes, there are books that aim to put the facts in a certain light. They are propaganda. They support some cause or some person. But they are no worse for that, if they leave the reader free to think his own way through the arguments. What is dangerous is when the 'spin' aims to manipulate not just opinion but thought.

Books on spiritual themes should be clear, cogent, and contain a minimum of claptrap. Pilgrims who have set out on a quest are vulnerable and they yearn so much for truth that they may swallow ideas that seem appealing - even when they are toxic.

A man who asks for water is thirsty; and whoever seeks the truth is hungry for it. He would prefer to find rock-solid belief on which he could rely. He wants a pool into which he can jump without taking his clothes off. He is eager, maybe even desperate, and several times already, his haste has led to bitter disappointment. He does not want that to happen again, but he half expects that it will, so he braces himself. He gets himself ready for lies. But, in so doing, he misses the truth when he does finally stumble on it. He fails to recognise it when it passes before his eyes. He is so frightened of being a victim of dupery again that he lets the real thing fall from his fingers.What a curious choice of word. Hunting?

Students are not wild rabbits. If I needed to snare, noose or lasso them-I would resign and take up golf. As I have said though, prospective students are not scarce. Anyway, I do not write for those who are total strangers to Occultism, but aim my words at those who have declared an interest. You do not have to read it; you are not compelled to buy it, and there is no requirement that you swallow everything I say. So, what is the problem? If you have a weird inner feeling about these matters, put the book down now and wend your way to some other department. Try the section on puzzles and pastimes or, better still, go home and watch a quiz show on TV.

It is not a manual called All You Need to Know About Occultism. It is not even an outline. It is just a little information to help you sort out your thoughts. People go into bookshops, come out, come in again, and go back out again. They cannot decide. People have difficulty choosing whom they love; it should be no surprise that, even when they find truth, they may not know how to deal with it. There is much myth and misunderstanding to do with Occultism. It is easy to misinterpret or get wrong. I want to clear the air and put things in perspective.

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