Denis' Essential Reading List
(Amazon Associate Links)
Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magick
Alan Moore, Stephen Moore
Everything you need to know about the Western Magical tradition's history (with plenty of theory and practice thrown in) - all delivered in Alan Moore's trademark riotous, irreverent style.
Magickal Cashbook
Damon Brand
A perfect first practical working - safe, easy, yet makes use of several effective magical technologies, a friendly spirit, and quantifiable results.
Graeco Egyptian Magical Papyri, THe (PGM)
Hans Dieter Betz (Editor)
The working notes of professional sorcerers of late antiquity, this is the magic that is at the root of most modern praxis.
Ensouling the Effigy
Matthew Venus
This book does so much more than just teach you how to bring a spirit into an object...
I wish this had been available when I was getting started!
Love the practical exercises!
The Big Book of Magical Incense
Sara Mastros
The best modern reference for botanical offerings bar none.
Book of Sacred Names, The
Jacobus G. Swart
All of Swart's books are what I would call "Essential", but as the unacknowledged origin for the Gallery of Magick's "Sword Banishing RIte", I believe this particular book merits a special mention!
Psychic Witch
Mat Auryn
The global success of Mat's seminal work speaks for itself. Approachable, endearing, inclusive, powerful, steeped in accurate tradition, while remaining flexible to the modern world, this is a great one for the beginner and advanced practitioner alike.
Hekataeon
Jack Grayle
Probably the single most successful modern grimoire, this initiatory text invites the reader to approach the triple Goddess, queen of Heaven and Hell, and everything in between in a very immediate, powerful way.
Jack's lived experience and approach to tradition authenticity make this one a gold standard among modern grimoires.
Protection & Reversal Magick
Jason Miller
A thorough overview of how to stay safe when you start getting into these kinds of activities from one of the great modern voices of magic.
Angelical Language, The
Aaron Leitch
A comprehensive overview of Angel lore, and a complete dictionary of Enochian. Among other things. Essential reference.
Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life
Carole Taylor
Despite a cover that screams dumbed-down slop, this is a fantastic introduction to Astrology that will give you ALL the astrological grounding you need for everyday understanding of Magical workings (without getting bogged down with historical corner cases and the differences between ancient hellenic systems, or vedic remediations etc)
Benighted Path, The
Richard Gavin
An initiatory text (with practical actions to take should you decide to engage, though this is not required) that will help the reader to understand the value that some find in taking a "darker" path to spirituality, even if it is not your own path.
Low Magick
Lon Milo Duquette
Insights into the lived experiences of a real-life Magic practitioner
Holy Daimon
Frater Acher
After a historic overview of the concept of the Holy Guardian Angel, Frater Acher shares his own exerience establishing contact with his own HGA, and finally shares a simple working that readers can try for themselves - far more straightforward and modern-life friendly than the Book of Abramelin
Gateways Through Stone and Circle
Frater Ashen Chassan
Frater Ashen Chassan shares his own experiments and results using Trithemius's method of "Drawing Spirits into Crystals".
Very methodical, I'd also encourage you to check out his follow up "Gateways through Light and Shadow"
Quareia Trilogy
Josephine McCarthy
Beginning to end magic course of the best quality you will ever find, though not for the faint-of-heart: working through the material will take around 10 years, if you work hard, fast and diligently.
Enochian Vision Magick
Lon Milo Duquette
Practical, simple, modern use of John Dee's complicated system of magic.
Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon
Ebenezer Sibley,
Frederick Hockley,
Joseph H. Peterson
A beautiful facsimile of a 19th century hand-copied version of what many of us know as the Greater Key of Solomon.
Full transcription in the back of the book for those who struggle to read cursive.
This is my favourite way to access the planetary, telesmatic magic of the Greater Key of Solomon - (alternatively search for "The Key of Solomon The King" also edited by Joseph Peterson.
This manuscript facsimile brings much more than just the planetary pentacles though with evocation experiments at the end also.
Grimorium Verum
Joseph H. Peterson
Proper dark magic here... yet workable if you know how to swap out the obviously silly "dark" suggestions for energetically equivalent substitutes.
Jake Stratton Kent's favourite Grimoire, you can also check his (less beginner friendly, but fascinating if you get into it) book "The True Grimoire".
Joseph brings 20+ years of additional insights and corrections to this new second edition.
Planetary Magick
Melita Denning,
Osborne Phillips
Planetary correspondences and magick from the Aurum Solis Magic lodge.
Insightful, abundantly complete, and accurate
Demons of Magick
Gordon Winterfield
3 methods (of increasing levels of "involvement") for reaching out to the 72 spirits/demons listed in the Lemegeton's "Ars Goetia".
Good results with safety baked in, accessible to beginners, but I would still recommend learning some protection magic first.
Raziel's Paths of Power
Jareth Tempest
A simple, and enjoyable method for calling upon the 72 angels of the Shem Ha-Mephorash - Check out volume 2 as well for access to Archangels!
This is my own favourite method for working with angellic energies.
Quantum Psychology
Robert Anton Wilson
Essential reading for navigating a modern world in which many contradictory "systems" of magic still seem to work.
In my opinion this text is more foundational to Chaos Magick than anything Peter Carroll wrote
Visual Magick
Jan Fries
Jan Fries encourages you to explore your own magical style, exploring the fine line between imagination and vision
Seidways: Shaking, Swaying and Serpent Mysteries
Jan Fries
An overview of potent shamanic practices that you can incorporate into your own magical practice to help take your work to the next level.
Six Ways
Aiden Wachter
A modern, powerful take on magic that leans heavily into visualisation - Extremely accessible and enjoyable for magic practitioners at any level of advancement.
Black Pullet, The
Paul Summers Young
Another essential Bibliotheque Bleue grimoire that got heavily plundered by the Gallery of Magick - This one gives you designs for magic rings that bring desirable effects into your life.
Red Dragon, The
Paul Summers Young
An infamous grimoire from the Bibliotheque Bleue period which claims to give access to the demon Lucifuge Rofocale and the demons under his command.
Orphic Hymns, The
Patrick Dunn
A translation of the Orphic Hymns designed especially for occult practitioners
Promethea Trilogy
Alan Moore
A PERFECT introduction to Kabbalah and the principles underlying Western Magic, presented as an entertaining (and BEAUTIFULLY illustrated) trilogy of graphic novels (Deluxe edition book 1 is linked - the cheapest way to collect the full saga, cheaper than paperbacks, though you can also search for the larger fromat "Absolute" edition)
Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, The
Agrippa,
Donald Tyson
Containing such classics as The Arbatel, The Heptameron, and Agripa's treatise on geomancy, Donald Tyson shares his extensive working practitioner's notes to aid the reader in their own application of the material.
Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
Joseph Peterson
A classic Grimoire plundered extensively by the Gallery of Magick, brought to us with notes and commentary from one of the modern great masters of the Grimoire tradition revival.
Claves Spirituum
David Rankine
One of the world's foremost Grimoire specialists shares his successful experimental tweaks to his workable, yet authentically inspired evocation method for the 21st Century.
Dancing Sorcerer, The
P. T. Mistleberger
An important work on the importance of embracing both the Mundane and the transcendentals aspects of Magic.
Theurgic High Magic?
Thaumaturgic Low Magic?
The true sorcerer dances in between.
Arbatel
Joseph H. Peterson
You can find the Arbatel as part of the 4th Book of Occult Magic alongside the Heptameron, but Joseph H. Peterson brings his signature careful observations and commentary to this critical edition.
Picatrix
John Michael Greer, Christopher Warnock
The original Astrological Talisman grimoire. Brought to life by passionate practitioners
Perennial Philosophy, The
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley explores the common threads that seem to underpin the major world religions. A book of deep spiritual truths that persist regardless of time and place.
Abramelin, The Book of
Abraham Von Worms, Georg Dehn
The most up-to-date treatment of this classic grimoire, designed to give the practitioner Knowledge and Conversation of their Holy Guardian Angel
Goetia of Dr Rudd The
Dr Thomas Rudd, Dr Stephen Skinner, David Rankine
An in-depth analysis of the Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton) Includes all books traditionally included in the Lesser key except Ars Notoria (published separately as 2 volumes)
This is still the best treatment of the Ars Goetia out there.
Golden Dawn, The
Israel Regardie, John Michael Greer
The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order
Some may consider this outdated, but it's at the root of most modern magic. Absolutely essential baseline (from which to naturally evolve)
Alchemy & Mysticism
Alexander Roob
A lavishly illustrated bird's-eye-view of the late Medieval to Renaissance Western mystico-magical traditions.
Familiar Unto Me
BJ Swain
With so much misinformation out there about Familiars, BJ Swain's masterpiece is a breath of fresh (accurately informed) air.
Magickal Protection
Damon Brand
Accessible to absolute beginners, yet providing solid protection.
The Master Ritual and the Sword Banishing Rite should be in every beginner's magical arsenal before even considering attempting to approach unknown entities.
Better to know this stuff and never have to use it than not know it and wish you did.
Unquiet Voices
Rob Douglas, Nonie Douglas
A thorough overview of the types of entities you may encounter over the course of your magical career, and how to deal with them.
Elucidation of Necromancy
Peter D'Abano, Joseph H. Peterson
A deep-dive into the manuscripts that informed one of the most well-loved, workable traditional grimoires: The Heptameron
Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Agrippa, Eric Perdue
One of the foundational texts of Western magic, meticulously translated and edited over a period of 10 years by Eric Perdue
Weaving Fate
Aiden Wacher
Accessible, powerful, a joy to read and practice, with profound effects for the practitioner's life, this is an easy recommendation at all levels, and regardless of your path
Feeding Your Demons
Tsultrim Allione
The powerful Vajrayana (Tibetan Buddhist) practice of Chöd (cutting a bond) brought to a western audience by a monk who has navigated both traditions. Transformative.
Tantra Illuminated
Christopher D. Wallis
The eastern philosophy that inspired most of the Western Occult revival of the late 19th and 20th Century, revealed here as a vivid, living tradition, shared with grace, and reverence and care for the reader, making no assumptions about previous knowledge. A powerhouse of knowledge and praxis delivered like a gentle walk in the park.
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
Lon Milo Duquette
Lon explains the fundamentals of Qabalah, the Universe, and Everything in under 120 pages... and then goes on to explain the Tarot in a way that will stick with you forever.
Deep complex knowledge presented simply and concisely by someone who cares about your understanding more than he cares about "seeming clever" - this is the ultimate flex.