Need guidelines, trying to familiarize myself Options

Hello, people.

I won't waste many words on introduction Actually, I hope you don't mind if I proceed straight to the topic.

I'm really new to stuff of this sort - occultism and such - but lately I've been having a desire to educate myself in this field. Not really in-depth; what I had in mind was more of a general knowledge, which I could then deepen according to the means available. I guess it probably wouldn't be a good idea to try to learn everything from the web, anyway. It's also worth noting that it's not my goal to become a wizard or mystic or anything of the sorts. You could say my interest is based partially on sheer childlike fascination (or what's left of it, sadly) but mainly it's a consequence of the psycho/socio/anthropological leanings of my present, adult (well, kind of), mind.

Now, what I had in mind was if one of those who are versed enough in this field, could compile a list of books (preferrably those available online) which would serve as a basis of sorts; which would provide me with a general knowledge of various magical systems, schools, history, etc. I have, for instance, pdf copies of the three books on occult philosophy by Agrippa somewhere on my drive, and I must admit they have me defeated (you would have thought, from the title, that they were more of an introduction, heh), so what I'm looking for is much more basic. The kind of book that you would perhaps expect to find in a window of a new-age store. Occultism 101 sort of thing. But it has to be relevant, non-mainstream - meaning not watered down, and most of all - non-biased. I don't want to read preaching.

That's about it I guess. I hope you have at least a vague idea of what I'd like.... I'm not an english speaker and my english can be, at times, unintentionally over-elaborate, for a lack of a better word (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) .

That's it for now. Thanks in advance.

Greetings KWC! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Welcome to Sacred-Magick Forums!
We have numerous posts similar to yours that pass our way! I invite you to take some time to peruse the various threads and see/read what strikes your fancy. The Book Review section is nice, for starters...
On the down side of things, I'd be more inclined to be helpful to someone who is more inclined to take the occult abit more seriously rather than a passing fancy to occupy your minds whimsy. That may not be the case here though...in which I'd like to direct your attention to the Library where we have amassed quite a sizable and comprehensive collection, available for download (for a fee, stated in that section).
I hope that you will find what you are looking for! Our members post some rather interesting topics here on Forum and I hope that you will feel comfortable enough to join in! Again, take time to read the guidelines of the Forum and acquaint yourself with the Library and the various topics listed! BTW, your English is quite good!
On a side note, you had mentioned that you'd rather not read 'biased' or 'preaching' based work. Alas, most literature out there has some bias, especially books based on faith or belief systems. You'll just have to separate the wheat from the chafe like the rest of us. Perhaps one or more of our members will be willing to compile such a booklist with such stringent parameters. Good Luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Topic moved to Coffee Shop as being a more suitable intro site - Mod Squad

This post has been edited by bym: Oct 18 2005, 03:42 PM