Occult America: White House Seances, Ouija Circles, Masons & the Secret Mystic History of the United States | Paranormal History Book, Spiritualism & Secret Societies | Perfect for History Buffs & Occult Enthusiasts

OCCULT AMERICA is a fascinating and long-overdue trip through America's esoteric landscape. I am grateful for this book. Here's why...As Horowitz so eloquently pointed out at a recent speaking engagement, certain occult ideas are so prevalent and pervasive in our culture that we can't even see them any more. And yet, even now, there still remains this weird stigma attached to occultism. A sliding scale of sorts, from woo-woo to crackpot to dangerous and beyond. As Horowitz said during our lecture, "it's time for a more grown-up view" of these ideas and how they shaped our history. Can I get an amen?Okay, so, admittedly, being an unapologetic occultist myself (longtime Tarot practitioner, Wiccan initiate, ritualist, intrepid explorer), I was aligned with this book before I even cracked it open. High expectations can always lead to disappointment. This book does NOT disappoint.Sure, there's a lot left out. Frankly, you'll get no quibbling from me there - the book could easily have been twice as long, and writing is ultimately a series of choices, simple as that. Also, the epilogue, wherein our author sums up the past 50 or so years of occult in America in about 5 minutes, felt a little phoned in. (Whatever - it's an epilogue!)These are minor whinges in the face of what this book really is: the first readable, impeccably researched account of esoteric ideas and their impact on this country by an intelligent, articulate, life-long advocate of the same, written for what I'll just call the NPR audience. That's more than good reason for 5 stars in my book.(Well, the first that I know of, anyway. If you know of any others, by all means, comment. Straight up: I want more peeps like Mitch Horowitz doing their thing!)Plus, I simply enjoyed the heck out of it. Some parts are laugh-out-loud funny and there's no shortage of underlines and margin banter in my copy (always a good sign). All the while, Horowitz treats his subjects with respect and the genuine sympathy of someone who has been deeply and personally affected yet still retains plenty of objectivity and healthy skepticism.The one thing that mildly got up my nose was Horowitz's distain for the secrecy and pagentry of the 19th c. European occult orders, which he dismisses as "esoteric drama." There are practical and energetic reasons for secrecy, and while the practical reasons have certainly fallen away, the energetic reasons are as valid as they ever were. And while there were no shortage of shenanigans in the lives of the Golden Dawn members, both inside and outside of the lodge (hoo boy, that's a 3-beer conversation, right there), again, in ritual, costumes and props have a purpose.(One big thing thing lacking in the American tradition Horowitz describes is what can only be described as the mysteries - as in, the mystery that can only be experienced through ritual, not explained. But that's another 3-beer conversation.)As I said, I'm grateful for this book. I'm amazed at how many women come up to me and speak of their "new age" interests in hushed tones, like it's something to be ashamed of. If I live long enough to see Western occultism truly "quit the night and seek the day," I'll be ecstatic.If that day is to come, it will be because of work like this. Mitch Horowitz, thank you for doing your thing!