What is the single most important Occult Book or media you own?

[SkullTraill]

If for some reason, the internet stopped working, and you had to relocate, and you could bring only one book with you, what would you bring?

Alternatively, let's say your memory was being erased, and your posessions taken away by aliens, but they are allowing you to keep one book!

What would it be?

 

[Samurael/Dusk]

That'd be a very tough choice between my Red Pine of the Tao Te Ching, my Harris of the Book of Five Rings, or the Quareia.

 

[Mart]

I don't actually own any physical copies.. however, of the one's that I would like to have in my possession and probably the one that intrigues me the most, would likely be Picatrix. That is, at this moment.

 

[Scottish_Pride]

Definitely IIH, as I'm still working through it. And most my other books are on more niche, specific topics.

 

[Korvin]

I don't own physical copies, either. But, come to think of it, my personal grimoire is a physical book and it contains what I think is the best of everything else I've read, so it would have to be that. I would certainly be devastated if I lost it!

But. my grimoire is... unusual. I have a bit of an unorthodox opinion about what magic is. My grimoire contains not only what one might expect, such as ceremonies, magical recipes, correspondence tables, sigils and such, but also other things I found meaningful to my way of practice: a quote from the movie Second Hand Lions, a chart on how to use the Bayes Formula, instructions on the Mayfair Cypher...

 

[Mart]

I don't own physical copies, either. But, come to think of it, my personal grimoire is a physical book and it contains what I think is the best of everything else I've read, so it would have to be that. I would certainly be devastated if I lost it!

But. my grimoire is... unusual. I have a bit of an unorthodox opinion about what magic is. My grimoire contains not only what one might expect, such as ceremonies, magical recipes, correspondence tables, sigils and such, but also other things I found meaningful to my way of practice: a quote from the movie Second Hand Lions, a chart on how to use the Bayes Formula, instructions on the Mayfair Cypher...

I guess you meant your Book of Shadows?

 

[Scottish_Pride]

I guess you meant your Book of Shadows?

I've heard more than one people call it their grimoire. Hell, I used to call it that, back when I was newer and had read some authors who called it that.

 

[Mart]

I think it's a good distinction to make

 

[YiSaga]

What about retorter's notebook instead of reporter's notebook?

Exorcists handbook because it road maps gnostic practice like a beast

 

[Korvin]

I don't have a Book of Shadows. I am not a Wiccan.
I have a Grimoire.

 

[Callie]

Do my volumes of Jake Stratton-Kent's Encyclopaedia Goetica count as one work? It's difficult not to pick that one for sheer density and usefulness of information.

 

[Scottish_Pride]

Do my volumes of Jake Stratton-Kent's Encyclopaedia Goetica count as one work? It's difficult not to pick that one for sheer density and usefulness of information.

Don't see why not.

 

[Nana]

If for some reason, the internet stopped working, and you had to relocate, and you could bring only one book with you, what would you bring?

Alternatively, let's say your memory was being erased, and your posessions taken away by aliens, but they are allowing you to keep one book!

What would it be?

While I've certainly made and kept notes detailing what I've learned from the spirits over the years, I don't need them or esteem any of the books of interests to my practice. Most were confirmations of what the spirits had already explained.
In such a situation I wouldn't save a book, I'd save my mirror.

 

[Mart]

I don't have a Book of Shadows. I am not a Wiccan.
I have a Grimoire.

The terms are not exclusive to Wiccan tradition.
"Grimoire" is typically what you call an original magickal text, like The Key Of Solomon, Greek Magical Papyri etc.
"Book of Shadows" is a personal journal/book of a practitioner.

 

[YiSaga]

"Praxis" is a set of rules

Even stephen king writes spellbooks if you've never generated a tree or land formation in your head (the dirt but also the plant growing in the dirt). Rather than being taught step by step to look within, you get the template to act coked out and be mildly witchy, To the personal Grimoire gods, I'm sorry I couldn't reinvent the wheel with being a mfiking space alien I'm a basic bitch that way.

 

[SkullTraill]

While I've certainly made and kept notes detailing what I've learned from the spirits over the years, I don't need them or esteem any of the books of interests to my practice. Most were confirmations of what the spirits had already explained.
In such a situation I wouldn't save a book, I'd save my mirror.

I see, that makes complete sense!

 

[Korvin]

The terms are not exclusive to Wiccan tradition.
"Grimoire" is typically what you call an original magickal text, like The Key Of Solomon, Greek Magical Papyri etc.
"Book of Shadows" is a personal journal/book of a practitioner.

I am aware of the "typical" use of the terms, I just don't agree with the distinction. It seems to me the only difference is that grimoire is a "Book of Shadows" that eventually got published.

I read and study the older grimoires of magicians who came before me, but I see myself as a part of that tradition. Theirs were based on materials they had cobbled together from various sources, mostly older grimoires, along with personal tweaks and revelations, just like mine.

 

[Korvin]

Hey, Mart, I'd love to discuss this further, but maybe we should take it to a new thread. I'd hate to derail OP's thread too much.

 

[Mart]

Theirs were based on materials they had cobbled together from various sources, mostly older grimoires, along with personal tweaks and revelations, just like mine.

In my view, what you described here is still what you call a "book of shadows".

Feel free to start a new thread in General Occult Discussion, if you think there's a discussion to be had here.
I just think those are rather simple terms.

 

[Korvin]

In my view, what you described here is still what you call a "book of shadows".

Well... obviously... it's not what I call it. The most you can maybe say is that it is what the members of your community would call it if my grimoire were theirs, and that's fine. I simply don't subscribe to that community's "official lexicon." "Book of Shadows" is something Gerald Gardner made up. I don't recognize his authority, no matter how many later non-Wiccans may have adopted his term. I have a grimoire and several journals.

What I have that is more akin to what you might call a "book of shadows" would be my journal where I keep observations, readings, things that need to be tweaked, things I am working on and such. My grimoire is only the more refined materials - things I will need to refer to later or that hold great significance to me. It is indexed and cross-referenced - a working manual and a consecrated tool.

Maybe I will start a General discussion. In doing a quick search, it seems to be something that has come up a lot. It's a matter I gave considerable thought to a long time ago, and pretty much forgot about over the years. "Grimoire" may sound a bit presumptuous, I admit, but it is not inaccurate.

By the way, with all the controversial views I hold, I would never have imagined this one would be the first to spark a debate here!