33 traditions · 28,753 placements
Twenty-nine rooms in the reading room.
Traditions are discovery categories. Membership means relevance, not endorsement — a book on the history of witch trials sits beside a modern spellbook because a reader of one may want the other.
A book can belong to several traditions. Counts are placements, so they add up to more than the catalog. How the taxonomy was built.
01 · 1,342 books
Occultism and esotericism
General occult sciences, esoteric traditions, hidden knowledge, and surveys of the supernatural.
- Occultism397
- History252
- Social Sciences198
- Philosophy195
02 · 1,319 books
Ritual magic and grimoires
Ceremonial and ritual magic, grimoires, spellcraft, talismans, sigils, and magical manuals.
- Magic440
- History231
- Social Sciences171
- Magie158
03 · 1,323 books
Witchcraft and folk magic
Historical and contemporary witchcraft, Wicca, cunning craft, Hoodoo, Vodou, and related vernacular traditions.
- Witchcraft496
- History285
- Magic160
- Sorcellerie115
04 · 1,336 books
Alchemy and Hermeticism
Alchemy, Hermetic philosophy, Hermetica, and spiritual or laboratory transformation traditions.
- Alchemy472
- Alchemy, Magic and Kabbalah (C.G. Jung collection)227
- History171
- Early works to 1800135
05 · 1,149 books
Astrology
Natal, judicial, mundane, horary, medical, and historical astrology.
- Astrology474
- Astrologie230
- Divination200
- Hindu astrology169
06 · 1,367 books
Divination and oracles
Tarot, cartomancy, numerology, palmistry, scrying, geomancy, runes, and other divinatory systems.
- Divination483
- Hindu astrology145
- India145
- Tarot137
07 · 864 books
Kabbalah and Jewish esotericism
Kabbalah, Qabalah, Cabala, Merkavah traditions, and Jewish mystical or magical texts.
- Cabala283
- Kabbala178
- Judaism152
- Kabbalah114
08 · 702 books
Gnosticism and esoteric Christianity
Gnostic texts, Christian esotericism, mystical apocrypha, and heterodox cosmologies.
- gnosticism236
- Gnosis136
- Gnosticisme113
- Philosophy84
09 · 917 books
Theosophy, Anthroposophy, and New Thought
Modern esoteric syntheses, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, New Thought, and related metaphysical movements.
- Theosophy289
- Theosophie216
- New thought128
- Anthroposophy121
10 · 856 books
Initiatory orders and secret societies
Rosicrucian, Masonic, Golden Dawn, and other initiatory, fraternal, or secret organizations.
- Secret societies227
- Freemasonry145
- History143
- Sociétés secrètes105
11 · 1,196 books
Demonology, angelology, and possession
Demons, angels, spirit hierarchies, possession, exorcism, Satanism, and Goetic traditions.
- Demonology341
- Fiction182
- History159
- Démonologie127
12 · 1,321 books
Spiritualism, mediumship, and channeling
Séance culture, mediums, spirit communication, channeling, automatic writing, and psychography.
- Spiritualism449
- Spirit writings164
- Spiritismus154
- Spiritisme148
13 · 1,386 books
Ghosts, hauntings, and poltergeists
Apparitions, haunted places, poltergeists, ghost lore, and investigations of hauntings.
- Ghosts330
- Fiction246
- Ghost stories194
- Haunted places129
14 · 1,013 books
Afterlife, reincarnation, and near-death experiences
Survival after death, reincarnation, near-death experiences, and accounts of the afterlife.
- Reincarnation323
- Future life150
- Social Sciences123
- Philosophy119
15 · 1,015 books
Parapsychology and psychical research
Experimental, historical, popular, and skeptical studies of psi and psychical phenomena.
- Parapsychology498
- Psychology142
- Parapsychologie138
- Social Sciences127
16 · 917 books
Telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
Thought-transference, clairvoyance, precognition, second sight, and related forms of anomalous cognition.
- Telepathy293
- Telepathie212
- Fiction169
- Clairvoyance115
17 · 273 books
Psychokinesis and remote viewing
Psychokinesis, telekinesis, remote viewing, psychic intelligence programs, and anomalous physical effects.
- Psychokinesis118
- Parapsychology74
- Psychokinese74
- Fiction58
18 · 497 books
Out-of-body, astral, and dream studies
Astral projection, out-of-body experiences, lucid dreams, dream interpretation, and dream divination.
- Astral projection156
- Dreams122
- Dream interpretation117
- Lucid dreams66
19 · 747 books
Psychic healing, auras, and subtle energy
Auras, chakras, Reiki, kundalini, psychic healing, subtle bodies, and energy medicine.
- Mental healing165
- Geistheilung151
- Chakras112
- Aura95
20 · 914 books
UFOs, extraterrestrials, and contact
UFO/UAP reports, flying saucers, extraterrestrial life, alien contact or abduction, contactees, and ancient-astronaut claims.
- Fiction319
- Science fiction255
- Extraterrestrial beings242
- Human-alien encounters220
21 · 482 books
Cryptozoology and Forteana
Cryptids, Bigfoot, lake monsters, anomalous animals, Fortean collections, and unexplained phenomena.
- Cryptozoology130
- Curiosities and wonders128
- Loch Ness monster95
- Cryptozoologie80
22 · 807 books
Shamanism and spirit practice
Shamanic traditions, spirit journeys, trance practices, and cross-cultural spirit mediation.
- Shamanism282
- Schamanismus144
- Chamanisme111
- Spirit possession111
23 · 689 books
Asian esoteric and internal traditions
Tantra, Daoist internal alchemy, the I Ching as divination, and esoteric Buddhist or yogic practice.
- Taoismus156
- Taoïsme134
- Taoism117
- China100
24 · 973 books
Legendary beings and transformations
Fairies, elementals, vampires, werewolves, and other beings discussed in folklore, occult literature, or anomalous reports.
- Fiction283
- Vampires244
- Juvenile fiction166
- Fairies150
25 · 956 books
Prophecy, oracles, and revelation
Prophetic traditions, private revelation, oracle literature, and claimed predictions.
- Prophecies170
- History119
- Prophecy105
- Bible89
26 · 676 books
Mesmerism, animal magnetism, and hypnosis
Animal magnetism, mesmerism, suggestion, and historical borders between trance science and occult practice.
- hypnotism178
- animal magnetism158
- Mesmerism153
- Mesmerismus116
27 · 602 books
Lost civilizations and anomalous archaeology
Atlantis, Lemuria, lost civilizations, ancient mysteries, and anomalous-archaeology claims.
- Atlantis216
- Atlantis (Legendary place)164
- Lost continents88
- Fiction59
28 · 725 books
Megaliths, stone circles, and archaeoastronomy
Megalithic monuments, stone circles, standing stones, dolmens, henges, ancient observatories, and archaeological study of astronomy and celestial alignments.
- Megalithic monuments246
- Antiquities222
- Archaeoastronomy102
- Dolmens95
29 · 450 books
Pyramids, ancient engineering, and sacred architecture
Pyramids, monumental construction, ancient engineering and technology, sacred architecture, and competing interpretations of how major ancient structures were designed and built.
- Pyramids132
- Egypt62
- Pyramides60
- Pyramide45
30 · 398 books
Rock art, geoglyphs, and ancient symbols
Petroglyphs, pictographs, rock and cave art, geoglyphs, the Nazca lines, megalithic art, and interpretations of ancient symbolic landscapes.
- Petroglyphs135
- Antiquities102
- Archaeology70
- Rock paintings64
31 · 15 books
Archaeological mysteries, hoaxes, and pseudoarchaeology
Enigmatic or allegedly anomalous artifacts and ruins, archaeological mysteries, hoaxes and forgeries, pseudoarchaeological claims, and scholarly or skeptical responses to them.
- Archaeology8
- History8
- Pseudoarchaeology5
- Ancient Civilization3
32 · 172 books
Sacred geometry, symbolism, and numerical mysticism
Sacred geometry, esoteric symbols, correspondences, and number mysticism.
- Symbolism of numbers96
- Numerology41
- Text28
- Non-fiction literature24
33 · 1,354 books
Consciousness, mysticism, and metaphysics
Works at the boundary of mystical experience, consciousness studies, metaphysics, and paranormal interpretation.
- Mysticism469
- Philosophy238
- History194
- Social Sciences177
