At the Inception: The Beginnings of the Occult Library
We would like to warmly welcome you to the Occult Library. As we publish this first entry, we’d like to extend a word of thanks for your continued interest and support during the past weeks. During this period, our project has been developed with eagerly devoted time and energy. By now, many will have wondered how such a project began, what has been accomplished, and what work will be carried out moving forward. Allow us to inform you in this regard.
The Occult library was established upon identifying a vital lack – as well as a need – within the occult community. In short, we realized that there exists a dearth of centralised resources related to occult literary and artistic materials. Chiefly, this includes published works, periodicals, art & ephemera. Yet, there also exists a dire need for such a space. As the old aphorism goes: if one wishes to see a task accomplished, better to do it oneself.
The reasons for establishing such a space are varied. However, a set of presiding values and aims have guided this project from its inception. The most important of these is the belief that a centralised space – one compiling current, past, and future occult publications – would help guide the community towards relevant and needful resources. This includes practitioners, researchers, collectors, and the purely curious.
The second principle is the understanding that this resource ought to be open, equitable, supportive of the occult community, and offered at no cost. This, for the sake of strengthening the integrity and health of the occult milieu.
Soon, the project expanded to encompass booksellers, artisans, events, resources and people. With this task at hand, we envisioned how the Occult Library might serve as a singular hub for approaching and engaging the community.
As of this writing, a space within the site containing a number of pages displaying various publishers has been added. This catalog constitutes the main portion of the project. Within this space, a comprehensive list of a given publisher’s works may be found – each with detailed information and photos. Each material is, in turn, linked to a page for its author. In this manner, writers are given a considerable degree of visibility, and their adjacent works can be found with ease through an individual page featuring biographical and bibliographic information.
Separate spaces detailing relevant periodicals, authors, artisans, events, resources, and multimedia offerings are also accessible. Many of these entries are linked in order to create easy cross-referencing within a navigable structure.
As we move forward, our users can expect a number of sustained offerings. Chief among these is the continuation of cataloging efforts both as new materials are released, and as new publishers and creators arise. We are also continuing to work on several existing publishers and they will be added over the coming months. As such, a list of forthcoming titles and materials will be maintained regularly each month. Finally, the publication of a weekly blog post and monthly email letter will feature news, notifications of updated catalogs, and special features related to our community.
In carrying out this work, we look to forge a renewed sense of possibility and opportunity among those seeking to inform their practice, engage in study & research, develop a collection, or simply experience the fruits of the community on their own terms.
We look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
– The Occult Library staff
