Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Bantam (2010), Edition: Reprint, 304 pages
Description
From the meaning of the symbols on the one-dollar bill to the origins of the Ouija board,"Occult America" briskly sweeps from the nation's earliest days of mystical and esoteric movements to the birth of the New Age era, tracing the many people and episodes that continue to exert such a powerful pull on the public today.
User reviews
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
Occult America by Mitch Horowitz is engaging, entertaining, and educational. It is not, however--despite the assertion of its subtitle--"the secret history of how mysticism shaped our nation." For one thing, it is not a single history; it is a bricolage of tangentially-related sketches and
Although the book starts with the 18th century and ends with the 1970s, the contents don't progress in a strictly chronological fashion. In one chapter, for example, Horowitz spends the first half discussing the Theosophical Society, and then goes back to describe the advent of Spiritualism in the second half. He jumps forward from there to give the full century-plus history of the Ouija Board, before returning to the early origins of New Thought in the 1830s. This lack of organization in the book is somewhat surprising, since the author's own background is as an editor, and he is currently editor-in-chief at Penguin's Tarcher imprint for metaphysical books. He contributed to the publication of the "reader's edition" of Manly P. Hall's Secret Teachings of All Ages and the trade paper issuance of The Tarot by Paul Foster Case, and when it comes to these figures, and to other trivia of American occult bibliography, Horowitz delivers fascinating and highly credible detail I have never encountered elsewhere.
In a treatment that appears to be attempting a comprehensive sketch, however, the initiatory orders of occultism are markedly absent. Horowitz derides them as being characteristic of the European occult scene, and writes as if they have had only sporadic relevance to America. The one to which he gives the most attention is the Golden Dawn, in his account of Paul Foster Case. But an otherwise-uninformed reader of Horowitz would likely get the impression that in Case's day the US only had a few fledgling Golden Dawn (really Alpha et Omega) groups, with the bulk of the Order still in England, when in fact the American membership may well have outnumbered the British at that time, just as O.T.O. (never mentioned by Horowitz) had its most populous organizing in America then--and ever since. Even AMORC, whose mail-order initiatory arrangement demonstrates so well the themes of popularization and commodification that seem to interest Horowitz, barely rates a few glancing mentions. This is a book purportedly about the deep traditions of American occultism, in which Paschal Beverly Randolph is given only passing notice, in reference to the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor--itself only briefly mentioned as background for the astrological writer C.C. Zain.
His disdain for initiatory orders and the objects of their secrecy puts into question Horowitz's offer of a "secret" history. Still, one of the high points of the volume is the chapter on "Politics and the Occult," with sometimes surprising facts regarding the role of mystics on both the right and left in mid-20th-century US politics. Although he is willing to acknowledge the connection of the occult to political ideologies he finds distasteful, Horowitz seems to be whitewashing other key features of American occultism. He does not introduce his readers to figures like sex-guru Oom the Omnipotent or professed antichrist Jack Parsons, nor does he discuss the historical intersection of occultism and drug culture.
Horowitz concludes the book with a claim that the late 20th-century New Age synthesized the occult currents of America and successfully deposited them in mainstream religion and popular culture. The thesis that the New Age Movement was heir to occultism and esotericism has been amply demonstrated in Wouter Hanegraaff's magisterial New Age Religion and Western Culture, but Horowitz glosses over the more recent fact that the piecemeal adoption of "New Age" ideas and techniques by other groups and personalities has only helped to make superfluous an ostensible movement which was always a shaky sort of coalition.
While Occult America is clearly intended for a popular audience, I think the book's greatest value will be for those who already grasp the larger historical framework of American metaphysical religion that it doesn't really clarify. Its wealth of intriguing detail kept me thoroughly interested, and its neglect of the initiatory culture of American esotericism actually makes it a valuable complement to the reading usually undertaken by those of us who have an established interest in that field.
Show More
investigations regarding a topic that Horowitz never manages to subject to any theoretical treatment, nor to encompass with a larger narrative. (An earlier attempt covering nearly the same domain that did succeed in this regard is Catherine Albanese's A Republic of Mind and Spirit.) The closest he comes to answering his own initial question "What is the occult?" is to propose that it comprehends all those techniques and teachings that purport to put people in communication with an "unseen world." But surely many of the most common and non-"occult" of spiritual traditions do so as well.Although the book starts with the 18th century and ends with the 1970s, the contents don't progress in a strictly chronological fashion. In one chapter, for example, Horowitz spends the first half discussing the Theosophical Society, and then goes back to describe the advent of Spiritualism in the second half. He jumps forward from there to give the full century-plus history of the Ouija Board, before returning to the early origins of New Thought in the 1830s. This lack of organization in the book is somewhat surprising, since the author's own background is as an editor, and he is currently editor-in-chief at Penguin's Tarcher imprint for metaphysical books. He contributed to the publication of the "reader's edition" of Manly P. Hall's Secret Teachings of All Ages and the trade paper issuance of The Tarot by Paul Foster Case, and when it comes to these figures, and to other trivia of American occult bibliography, Horowitz delivers fascinating and highly credible detail I have never encountered elsewhere.
In a treatment that appears to be attempting a comprehensive sketch, however, the initiatory orders of occultism are markedly absent. Horowitz derides them as being characteristic of the European occult scene, and writes as if they have had only sporadic relevance to America. The one to which he gives the most attention is the Golden Dawn, in his account of Paul Foster Case. But an otherwise-uninformed reader of Horowitz would likely get the impression that in Case's day the US only had a few fledgling Golden Dawn (really Alpha et Omega) groups, with the bulk of the Order still in England, when in fact the American membership may well have outnumbered the British at that time, just as O.T.O. (never mentioned by Horowitz) had its most populous organizing in America then--and ever since. Even AMORC, whose mail-order initiatory arrangement demonstrates so well the themes of popularization and commodification that seem to interest Horowitz, barely rates a few glancing mentions. This is a book purportedly about the deep traditions of American occultism, in which Paschal Beverly Randolph is given only passing notice, in reference to the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor--itself only briefly mentioned as background for the astrological writer C.C. Zain.
His disdain for initiatory orders and the objects of their secrecy puts into question Horowitz's offer of a "secret" history. Still, one of the high points of the volume is the chapter on "Politics and the Occult," with sometimes surprising facts regarding the role of mystics on both the right and left in mid-20th-century US politics. Although he is willing to acknowledge the connection of the occult to political ideologies he finds distasteful, Horowitz seems to be whitewashing other key features of American occultism. He does not introduce his readers to figures like sex-guru Oom the Omnipotent or professed antichrist Jack Parsons, nor does he discuss the historical intersection of occultism and drug culture.
Horowitz concludes the book with a claim that the late 20th-century New Age synthesized the occult currents of America and successfully deposited them in mainstream religion and popular culture. The thesis that the New Age Movement was heir to occultism and esotericism has been amply demonstrated in Wouter Hanegraaff's magisterial New Age Religion and Western Culture, but Horowitz glosses over the more recent fact that the piecemeal adoption of "New Age" ideas and techniques by other groups and personalities has only helped to make superfluous an ostensible movement which was always a shaky sort of coalition.
While Occult America is clearly intended for a popular audience, I think the book's greatest value will be for those who already grasp the larger historical framework of American metaphysical religion that it doesn't really clarify. Its wealth of intriguing detail kept me thoroughly interested, and its neglect of the initiatory culture of American esotericism actually makes it a valuable complement to the reading usually undertaken by those of us who have an established interest in that field.
Show Less
LibraryThing member WellReadReviews
I found Occult America to be an absolutely engaging historical account of the spiritual leaders and movements that helped pave the way for Mysticism in the world today. Many people were brought to my attention that I had never before heard of, but have played such a pivotal role in the spiritual
Occult America also discusses well known historical figures such as Mary Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln’s wife) and her fascination with the occult and occult practices, often getting her husband involved in White House seances. Lincoln was well-known for her involvement in Occult matters, especially after the assassination of her husband, the President. Another interesting “celebrity” involved in the occult, so I have found through Occult America, is Sylvia Plath who used the Ouija board along with her husband, Ted Hughes. This is to believed to have been the inspiration for her poem, “Ouija”. It is eerily said that the Ouija predicted fame for Plath, which would cost her both her life with her husband, and her own life. It is a little spooky, if you ask me.
Horowitz’s brief history of the Ouija that both thrilled and terrified me. The account taken from an excerpt in the 2001 International Journal of Parapsychology of an 18 year old’s experiences with the Ouija is enough to give you nightmares for a day or two.
Although Occult America is brief in the subjects it does introduce the reader to (and that is my only true complaint), Horowitz did a wonderful job of introducing subject matters not before heavily discussed. However, because of this – I really felt as if this was almost more of an introductory book about the history of the occult rather than any sort of true detailed literature. Because Occult America frequently jumped from subject to subject, it did have the potential to cause headaches in some readers, who really wish to get more involved in one topic at a time before transitioning to the next. Because of Horowitz’ obvious amount of time spent in research, I hope that this is only a sign of more to come from Horowitz, and am hoping he’ll continue to delve deeper into detailed historical accounts in future books so readers can gain a better understanding of each subject matter.
As there were so many peopled discussed I felt that there were many sections in Occult America that could truly be its own standalone book. I feel it is important that Horowitz takes the introductory information presented in Occult America and use that information as a skeleton for his next books, adding a little bit more meat to the bones so that the reader may truly gain an in depth understanding of the history of Mysticism.
Show More
movements such as Johannes Kelpius, Ann Lee, and Jemima Wilkinson to name just a few.Occult America also discusses well known historical figures such as Mary Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln’s wife) and her fascination with the occult and occult practices, often getting her husband involved in White House seances. Lincoln was well-known for her involvement in Occult matters, especially after the assassination of her husband, the President. Another interesting “celebrity” involved in the occult, so I have found through Occult America, is Sylvia Plath who used the Ouija board along with her husband, Ted Hughes. This is to believed to have been the inspiration for her poem, “Ouija”. It is eerily said that the Ouija predicted fame for Plath, which would cost her both her life with her husband, and her own life. It is a little spooky, if you ask me.
Horowitz’s brief history of the Ouija that both thrilled and terrified me. The account taken from an excerpt in the 2001 International Journal of Parapsychology of an 18 year old’s experiences with the Ouija is enough to give you nightmares for a day or two.
Although Occult America is brief in the subjects it does introduce the reader to (and that is my only true complaint), Horowitz did a wonderful job of introducing subject matters not before heavily discussed. However, because of this – I really felt as if this was almost more of an introductory book about the history of the occult rather than any sort of true detailed literature. Because Occult America frequently jumped from subject to subject, it did have the potential to cause headaches in some readers, who really wish to get more involved in one topic at a time before transitioning to the next. Because of Horowitz’ obvious amount of time spent in research, I hope that this is only a sign of more to come from Horowitz, and am hoping he’ll continue to delve deeper into detailed historical accounts in future books so readers can gain a better understanding of each subject matter.
As there were so many peopled discussed I felt that there were many sections in Occult America that could truly be its own standalone book. I feel it is important that Horowitz takes the introductory information presented in Occult America and use that information as a skeleton for his next books, adding a little bit more meat to the bones so that the reader may truly gain an in depth understanding of the history of Mysticism.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LancasterWays
Occult. Not revealed; not easily apprehended or understood; hidden from view; not manifest or detectable by clinical methods alone. (Definition courtesy of Merriam-Webster.)
The occult, in short, is that which is hidden from view. The term is used to refer to the belief that there are powers in the
Horowitz defines the occult as "a wide array of mystical philosophies and mythical lore, particularly the belief in an 'unseen world' whose forces act upon us and through us." That's an ambiguous statement, and, given one's inclination, could be applied to mainstream religions, which Horowitz assumes exist in contradiction to the occult: "These religious radicals [i.e., practitioners of the occult], acting outside the folds of traditional churches..." The occult, then, may be said to exist in parallel, or in opposition to, mainstream religions, but even that is simplistic: The borders of both the occult and traditional religions are porous, and the two were often in dialogue with one another. Consider Christian Science, Christianity infused with "New Thought," or the occult notion that, in order to be cured of an illness, a sufferer must change her belief about the illness. It's easy for readers to see how "thinking makes it so" traversed from a marginal belief to one enshrined in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century's "prosperity gospel." It might be said that the occult is that which lacks legitimacy according to the majority of society.
Definition, or lack thereof, assigned, Horowitz sets himself the ambitious task of synthesizing several centuries of religious history in less than 300 pages. Horowitz gives short shrift to the eighteenth century and post-World War II era. In truth, his subject is the American occult in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Readers interested in the "New Age" movement, still developing today, will find a perfunctory chapter at the end of the book.
Horowitz treats his true scope, the nineteenth century American occult, extremely well. He devotes two early chapters, "The Psychic Highway" and "Mystic Americans" to the influential topics of the Burned-Over District (so-called) of upstate New York, and the founding of the Theosophical Society, both of which set the stage for the occult movements of the late 1800s. Some readers may be surprised to know that the Church of Latter Day Saints traces it origins to the Burned-Over District, of which Joseph Smith was a resident, and where he practiced "scrying" with a "peep stone" prior to his religious epiphany. Henry Steel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society, which primed America for an explosion of occult activity by insisting upon the equality of all religions and introducing Eastern beliefs to the West.
Subsequent chapters vary in quality. Topics range from the aforementioned New Thought, predecessor of The Secret and influence upon Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking), to various mail order schemes, to the quasi-fascist occult ideologies of the 1920s and '30s. Of these, the strongest is, perhaps, "Go Tell Pharaoh," an exploration of African-American occult belief that touches upon hoodoo and the mysticism of Marcus Garvey.
Horowitz employs a certain formula that identifies the main movement of a particular period and sticking to that them, with some variation in terms of his discussion of historic personalities. Horowitz briefly sums up whatever occult system he's discussing. Some readers may wish for more detail, but Horowitz's brevity is probably a blessing, given the profound tendency toward minutiae of which all religions, occult or otherwise, are capable.
Horowitz is sympathetic toward his subject, perhaps too much so; he tells readers, halfway through the book, that he has arranged for the publication of various occult volumes long out of print. Still, it's refreshing to have a perspective that isn't snide or contemptuous of occult subject matter, and Horowitz seems to recognize that occult seekers are motivated by the quest for meaning and truth. The phonies and charlatans one finds in occult movements have their peers in other human enterprises, from religion, to business, to politics.
Some readers have criticized Occult America on the grounds they they expected more out of it, that its subject matter would point toward an enormous occult influence on American history. Horowitz takes pains to demonstrate the beliefs of Henry Wallace, one of FDR's vice presidents, and their effects both on his support for particular policies and his career: He was turned out of office, in part, because colleagues perceived him as too credulous. Likewise, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated at governor of California several minutes after midnight, a time chosen by his astrologer. And Horowitz cites on numerous occasions the circulations of various occult publications, which are doubtless low estimates, as the believers shared their books and pamphlets with friends and family. One is hard pressed to imagine how Horowitz might have better demonstrated the influence of his subject matter. Perhaps readers expect to learn that Kennedy's response to the Cuban Missile Crisis was guided by the stars?
Occult America is a fine introduction to subject little explored (until recently) by scholars. Horowitz is a sympathetic chronicler who makes accessible to readers the major themes of American occult history. Although Horowitz gives some topics short shrift, readers will find in Occult America a useful primer and a starting point for further exploration. Recommended for readers of nonfiction with an interest in American religious history.
The occult, in short, is that which is hidden from view. The term is used to refer to the belief that there are powers in the
Show More
world unknown or undetectable by peoples' earthly senses. Although unseen, the irony is that the occult is all around us. The pyramid and "all seeing eye" on the back of the dollar bill? You can thank Freemasons FDR and Henry Wallace for that; prior to their administration, paper money tended toward the more mundane eagle. Mitch Horowitz explores the vagaries of the American occult in Occult America: White House Seances, Ouija Circles, Masons, and the Secret Mystic History of Our Nation.Horowitz defines the occult as "a wide array of mystical philosophies and mythical lore, particularly the belief in an 'unseen world' whose forces act upon us and through us." That's an ambiguous statement, and, given one's inclination, could be applied to mainstream religions, which Horowitz assumes exist in contradiction to the occult: "These religious radicals [i.e., practitioners of the occult], acting outside the folds of traditional churches..." The occult, then, may be said to exist in parallel, or in opposition to, mainstream religions, but even that is simplistic: The borders of both the occult and traditional religions are porous, and the two were often in dialogue with one another. Consider Christian Science, Christianity infused with "New Thought," or the occult notion that, in order to be cured of an illness, a sufferer must change her belief about the illness. It's easy for readers to see how "thinking makes it so" traversed from a marginal belief to one enshrined in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century's "prosperity gospel." It might be said that the occult is that which lacks legitimacy according to the majority of society.
Definition, or lack thereof, assigned, Horowitz sets himself the ambitious task of synthesizing several centuries of religious history in less than 300 pages. Horowitz gives short shrift to the eighteenth century and post-World War II era. In truth, his subject is the American occult in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Readers interested in the "New Age" movement, still developing today, will find a perfunctory chapter at the end of the book.
Horowitz treats his true scope, the nineteenth century American occult, extremely well. He devotes two early chapters, "The Psychic Highway" and "Mystic Americans" to the influential topics of the Burned-Over District (so-called) of upstate New York, and the founding of the Theosophical Society, both of which set the stage for the occult movements of the late 1800s. Some readers may be surprised to know that the Church of Latter Day Saints traces it origins to the Burned-Over District, of which Joseph Smith was a resident, and where he practiced "scrying" with a "peep stone" prior to his religious epiphany. Henry Steel Olcott and Madame Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society, which primed America for an explosion of occult activity by insisting upon the equality of all religions and introducing Eastern beliefs to the West.
Subsequent chapters vary in quality. Topics range from the aforementioned New Thought, predecessor of The Secret and influence upon Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking), to various mail order schemes, to the quasi-fascist occult ideologies of the 1920s and '30s. Of these, the strongest is, perhaps, "Go Tell Pharaoh," an exploration of African-American occult belief that touches upon hoodoo and the mysticism of Marcus Garvey.
Horowitz employs a certain formula that identifies the main movement of a particular period and sticking to that them, with some variation in terms of his discussion of historic personalities. Horowitz briefly sums up whatever occult system he's discussing. Some readers may wish for more detail, but Horowitz's brevity is probably a blessing, given the profound tendency toward minutiae of which all religions, occult or otherwise, are capable.
Horowitz is sympathetic toward his subject, perhaps too much so; he tells readers, halfway through the book, that he has arranged for the publication of various occult volumes long out of print. Still, it's refreshing to have a perspective that isn't snide or contemptuous of occult subject matter, and Horowitz seems to recognize that occult seekers are motivated by the quest for meaning and truth. The phonies and charlatans one finds in occult movements have their peers in other human enterprises, from religion, to business, to politics.
Some readers have criticized Occult America on the grounds they they expected more out of it, that its subject matter would point toward an enormous occult influence on American history. Horowitz takes pains to demonstrate the beliefs of Henry Wallace, one of FDR's vice presidents, and their effects both on his support for particular policies and his career: He was turned out of office, in part, because colleagues perceived him as too credulous. Likewise, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated at governor of California several minutes after midnight, a time chosen by his astrologer. And Horowitz cites on numerous occasions the circulations of various occult publications, which are doubtless low estimates, as the believers shared their books and pamphlets with friends and family. One is hard pressed to imagine how Horowitz might have better demonstrated the influence of his subject matter. Perhaps readers expect to learn that Kennedy's response to the Cuban Missile Crisis was guided by the stars?
Occult America is a fine introduction to subject little explored (until recently) by scholars. Horowitz is a sympathetic chronicler who makes accessible to readers the major themes of American occult history. Although Horowitz gives some topics short shrift, readers will find in Occult America a useful primer and a starting point for further exploration. Recommended for readers of nonfiction with an interest in American religious history.
Show Less
LibraryThing member RGazala
For purposes of his workmanlike study of the impact of so-called alternative spiritualism on American society over the past two hundred odd years, author Mitch Horowitz defines American occultism as an enterprise embracing a multitude of "mystical philosophies and mythical lore, particularly the
Show More
belief in an `unseen world' whose forces act upon us and through us." In Horowitz' view, American (as opposed to European) occultism largely has been a crusade for personal self-improvement and beneficent individual empowerment through the good offices of self-anointed seers and dead but altruistic ancestors. He traces the development of this alleged movement from the arrival in New York of a British Shaker named Mother Ann Lee in 1774, through the New Age beliefs and practices popularized during the 1960's and reverberating to the present day. Horowitz' argument hinges on his self-serving definition of what he deems a particularly American brand of occultism that is both scatter-shot in its inclusion of virtually any feel-good unorthodox pietism and generally rigid in its exclusion of the more sinister bypasses on the American esoteric highway. It's an intriguing and informative read, but the subject Horowitz surveys is far more intricately nuanced than his book concedes. Show Less
LibraryThing member Suralon
Occult America is a exceptional good book. One the best i have read this year. The author, Mitch Horowitz is/ was the Chief Editor of Penguin/Tarcher. He has recently seen a re typesetting and correction of the occult classic the Kybilion and the publishing of " Master of the Mysteries " a
The book itself is an anecdotal history of the occult in the United States from colonial times to the present. Tracing the evolution of the esoteric, from Rosicrucian communities in Pennsylvania through the Fox sisters in the " Burnt Over District " in upstate New York to how Christin Science unknowingly started New Thought movement which in turn morphed into the Aquarian and New Age movements much later.
It brings up some interesting if somewhat forgotten facts and lore such as the area of origin for a great religious and occult movements was the Western Upstate New York where New light, Revivalism, the Shakers, the Latter Day Saint movement, the Fox Sisters and Spiritualism, Perfectionism ( the Oneida Community) and many other found roots prospered and spread. Not to mention certain individuals from the same areas such as Joesph Smith the Mormon Prophet and Occult Scholar extraordinaire, Paul Foster Case who lived within a few miles of each other,some decades apart. How some now apparently marginalized thinking and churches have had enormous influence on the way we think about things and what we believe. One of the most important Swedenborgian Church who had an effect to how we think about the afterlife to our architecture.
Anyone who has read and followed my other reviews know that I do not hand out positive reviews often or easily. This one i can unreservedly recommend..
Show More
biography of Manley P. Hall into print. The book itself is an anecdotal history of the occult in the United States from colonial times to the present. Tracing the evolution of the esoteric, from Rosicrucian communities in Pennsylvania through the Fox sisters in the " Burnt Over District " in upstate New York to how Christin Science unknowingly started New Thought movement which in turn morphed into the Aquarian and New Age movements much later.
It brings up some interesting if somewhat forgotten facts and lore such as the area of origin for a great religious and occult movements was the Western Upstate New York where New light, Revivalism, the Shakers, the Latter Day Saint movement, the Fox Sisters and Spiritualism, Perfectionism ( the Oneida Community) and many other found roots prospered and spread. Not to mention certain individuals from the same areas such as Joesph Smith the Mormon Prophet and Occult Scholar extraordinaire, Paul Foster Case who lived within a few miles of each other,some decades apart. How some now apparently marginalized thinking and churches have had enormous influence on the way we think about things and what we believe. One of the most important Swedenborgian Church who had an effect to how we think about the afterlife to our architecture.
Anyone who has read and followed my other reviews know that I do not hand out positive reviews often or easily. This one i can unreservedly recommend..
Show Less
LibraryThing member Sarij
Occult America The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped our Nation by Mitch Horowitz, hands down is one of my favorite 2009 reads. It also was a very pleasant surprise. I was expecting a brief over view of some of America’s quirky religions and “prophets’. The book turned out to be a very
The main argument of the book is that unlike European Mysticism which is shrouded in secret societies, people in dark robes offering questionable dark magic spells, American Mysticism began as a way for the masses to connect with the divine. American Mysticism, Horowitz explains, and as is about doing public good and self help. A byproduct of this was the formation of our religions; The Mormon Church and Christian Science,
The book goes into detail on how the American Spiritual movement took hold and offers a look into the lives of those who took part in the movement. My only complaint is that sometimes Horowitz introduces his readers to mystic then moves on without finishing the person’s story. The Fox sisters are a good example of this. If the reader had no prior knowledge of their story it may seem that they were not important to the spiritual movement and would not know how their story ends. In case you are wondering, year’s later one recants her claim as a psychic but yet her followers do not believe her! They said she was pressured to recant.
I learned a lot more than I expected. Horowitz writes in an engaging easy to follow manner, this is no dry text. The characters Horowitz introduces are all interesting even though many of them are charlatans’ looking to cash in on the movement.
Anyone interested in how many of America’s religions started or anyone looking to read about the
spiritual movement should rush out and buy Horowitz book. I am looking forward to reading the final edition and will gladly include it in my list of must keep books.
Show More
well researched 258 page history of the rise of American Spiritualism and the people who made it possible. As a reviewer I was asked not to quote from the edition I was given as there is some more editing to be done, which is too bad because Horowitz’s work is worth quoting.The main argument of the book is that unlike European Mysticism which is shrouded in secret societies, people in dark robes offering questionable dark magic spells, American Mysticism began as a way for the masses to connect with the divine. American Mysticism, Horowitz explains, and as is about doing public good and self help. A byproduct of this was the formation of our religions; The Mormon Church and Christian Science,
The book goes into detail on how the American Spiritual movement took hold and offers a look into the lives of those who took part in the movement. My only complaint is that sometimes Horowitz introduces his readers to mystic then moves on without finishing the person’s story. The Fox sisters are a good example of this. If the reader had no prior knowledge of their story it may seem that they were not important to the spiritual movement and would not know how their story ends. In case you are wondering, year’s later one recants her claim as a psychic but yet her followers do not believe her! They said she was pressured to recant.
I learned a lot more than I expected. Horowitz writes in an engaging easy to follow manner, this is no dry text. The characters Horowitz introduces are all interesting even though many of them are charlatans’ looking to cash in on the movement.
Anyone interested in how many of America’s religions started or anyone looking to read about the
spiritual movement should rush out and buy Horowitz book. I am looking forward to reading the final edition and will gladly include it in my list of must keep books.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Seti_Scarabeus
I found this to be a fun, entertaining, & enlightening book. Of particular interest to me was the story of Manly P. Hall, who wrote his magnum opus at 27, yet was "apparently" fooled by a charlatan in his old age. The author covers the gamut of American Occultism with wit and understanding. This
Show More
was an advance copy, and I was really glad to have received it. In fact, I am re-reading it as of today. Good book. And if you know occult book-that in itself says a lot. lol. Show Less
LibraryThing member vpfluke
This book takes up an interesting array of people and idea who have operated to some degree under the term occult. I can see that the book's subtitle has changed from my early reviewer edition: the secret history of how mysticism shaped our nation. "Shaped" has been replaced by "conquered". I can
Show More
see the occult as a second tier stream in the history of the U.S. Whether shapd or conquered or second stream, this theme is now whole evident while reading the book. Only as you get to the end do you understand that the U.S. has been transformed to some degree by the ideas of people like Manly Hall, Baird Spalding, Henry Wallace, and Edgar Cayce. It's not easy to see the link between all the people (and there are quite a few expounded upon in this book) written about. But I do think the book is a worthwhile addition to knowledge about influences that are not often mentioned. Show Less
LibraryThing member branadain
Occult America pleasantly surprised me. I half expected some sort of Dan-Brown-esque conspiracy theory, but this has a much more anthropological and serious historical angle. Worth reading if you are interested in America's religious character, the history of spiritualism or the New Age movement,
Show More
or the origins of occultism in general. Show Less
LibraryThing member albanyhill
I put this book aside after the first few chapters, but later found that my interest picked up as the history came closer to the present. I'd almost recommend reading the chapters in reverse order, or at least that the reader can feel free to jump around as desired. Especially appreciated was the
Show More
inclusion of popular culture elements such as ouija boards and dime horoscopes by "Zolar," along with many fascinating figures, from Ann Lee and the Shakers to Edgar Cayce. In the end the book suggests that occult ideas such as spiritual egalitarianism and a focus on individual quests have become mainstream in American spiritual culture. Show Less
LibraryThing member craso
I found this book to be is a great introduction to the history of spiritual and metaphysical philosophies in America. Don't let the word "occult" in the title, or the freemason symbols on the dust jacket, turn you off. It is not a book on satanism or conspiracy theories involving
"Occult" is defined in this book as "a science which confers on man powers apparently superhuman." Occultists in other countries created secret ritualistic societies to practice their beliefs. In America, spirtualists based there doctrine in Christianity and sought to use mystical ideas for self-help and to help others in a Chrisian revivalist fashion. Everything in occult America was done in the open through lectures, pamphlets, books, and mail order courses.
The book covers religions such as Shakers and Mormons and then moves to philosophies like Mesmerism, Transendentalism, Theosophy, New Thought, and New Age. Some of the important figures mentioned are; Madam Blavatsky, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Manly P. Hall, and Edgar Cayce. The book also mentions a few people that sound like sharlatons or eccentrics, but the author never shows a bias; he lets the reader decide for themselves what to believe or disbelieve.
Horowitz seems to know his subject well and writes in an easy to read style. There is a large notes and sources section at the end of the book. I found the subject matter interesting and the book was a very quick read. I recommend it to anyone who is curious about the occult, but is not ready to read an indepth study.
Show More
freemasonry."Occult" is defined in this book as "a science which confers on man powers apparently superhuman." Occultists in other countries created secret ritualistic societies to practice their beliefs. In America, spirtualists based there doctrine in Christianity and sought to use mystical ideas for self-help and to help others in a Chrisian revivalist fashion. Everything in occult America was done in the open through lectures, pamphlets, books, and mail order courses.
The book covers religions such as Shakers and Mormons and then moves to philosophies like Mesmerism, Transendentalism, Theosophy, New Thought, and New Age. Some of the important figures mentioned are; Madam Blavatsky, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Manly P. Hall, and Edgar Cayce. The book also mentions a few people that sound like sharlatons or eccentrics, but the author never shows a bias; he lets the reader decide for themselves what to believe or disbelieve.
Horowitz seems to know his subject well and writes in an easy to read style. There is a large notes and sources section at the end of the book. I found the subject matter interesting and the book was a very quick read. I recommend it to anyone who is curious about the occult, but is not ready to read an indepth study.
Show Less
LibraryThing member whbiii
While factually comprehensive, the sloppy, meandering writing style distracts too much from the content to maintain reader interest. The author wanders back and forth haphazardly and frequently loses his threads.
LibraryThing member burningtodd
An interesting book giving an interesting history of this country. Starting at the in what is called "the burned over district," in upstate New York, this book goes on to trace the history of alternative spirituality and it's impact on both private and public lives. I found it incredibly
Show More
interesting that Christian Scientists, Edgar Cayce, the "Secret, and Theosophy, all came from the same root. It seems that the ingrained spirituality of the and it's peoples, can effect the beliefs of millions. Show Less
LibraryThing member michaelgambill
Mitch Horowitz From the meaning of the symbols on the one-dollar bill to the origins of the Ouija board, Occult America briskly sweeps from the nation’s earliest days to the birth of the New Age era and traces the development of America’s homegrown occult movements, from transcendentalism to
Show More
spiritualism to Christian Science to the positive-thinking philosophy. Show Less
LibraryThing member NielsenGW
In 1774, Mother Ann Lee emigrated from England to New York and started a small but important movement in America: the Shakers. Their belief in a more mystical Christian God led to accusations of heresy from mainline believers. From this small band of radical believers sprang pockets on mysticism
One of the many sticky areas that this book stays away from is conspiracy theories. While many nutters use the symbols on various national icons to point towards a nefarious underbelly of our nation, Horowitz chooses to focus on broader religious history in America. There are tons of minor religious figures here to explore and the author tries desperately to take their work and beliefs at face value. They are a few times where falls into the judgment trap when it comes to some of the more fringe belief systems, but on the whole, Horowitz tends to favor sympathy over cynicism. He finds and explores leaders of fringe movements, including Henry Steel Olcott of the Theosophical Society and Christian Science’s Mary Baker Eddy, and gives them all equal footing.
Overall, there is a lot of interesting history here but at times seems like a mish-mash of people, dates, events, and stories. Because many of these movements were largely temporary and centered on their initial leader, there is no real story to connect them all except the broad theme under which they all fall. Horowitz’s writing clips along, but never makes any grand gestures. It’s amusing, sure, but in trying to capture more than 200 years of American religious history, there is only so much here. Each figure could probably merit their own biography. In the end, though, this book has a fair amount of research behind it to be useful to many readers.
Show More
throughout America over the last 250 years. Mitch Horowitz’s Occult America takes a slightly off-center look at American history through the lens of those who believed, prayed, practiced, and lived a little differently from the rest of us.One of the many sticky areas that this book stays away from is conspiracy theories. While many nutters use the symbols on various national icons to point towards a nefarious underbelly of our nation, Horowitz chooses to focus on broader religious history in America. There are tons of minor religious figures here to explore and the author tries desperately to take their work and beliefs at face value. They are a few times where falls into the judgment trap when it comes to some of the more fringe belief systems, but on the whole, Horowitz tends to favor sympathy over cynicism. He finds and explores leaders of fringe movements, including Henry Steel Olcott of the Theosophical Society and Christian Science’s Mary Baker Eddy, and gives them all equal footing.
Overall, there is a lot of interesting history here but at times seems like a mish-mash of people, dates, events, and stories. Because many of these movements were largely temporary and centered on their initial leader, there is no real story to connect them all except the broad theme under which they all fall. Horowitz’s writing clips along, but never makes any grand gestures. It’s amusing, sure, but in trying to capture more than 200 years of American religious history, there is only so much here. Each figure could probably merit their own biography. In the end, though, this book has a fair amount of research behind it to be useful to many readers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
This is an interesting and nicely sympathetic overview of the popular occult tradition in America, but it's covering so much material in such a short space (only 250 pages!) that it's necessarily very shallow. Still, it's a decent overview, and I did learn about a few people I wasn't already
Show More
familiar with. Show Less
LibraryThing member bohannon
very interesting book... especially towards the conclusion. Hard not to see the influence off certain mindsets on the broader culture and the certain "megachurch" trends.
LibraryThing member SwitchKnitter
This was quite interesting. It is what the title says -- a look at occult movements thoughout America's history. It's curious how most of European occultism was focused on secrecy, whereas the bulk of American mysticism has been about getting the word to John Q. Public so he too can be enlightened.
There are lots of interesting little tidbits in this. For example, I knew a little about the Theosophical Society of the mid-1800s, but I didn't know that its founders helped save native languages and cultures in India and Sri Lanka when those areas were being invaded by Western missionaries. The book is full of ripple effects like these. Did you know spiritual movements in America led to citizens' current obsessions with being obsessed with getting wealthy? Great stuff.
I definitely recommend this. It's a scholarly work that doesn't take sides -- it's not an ode to the occult, but it's not against it either. It's academic, but written in an easy and readable style. Great fun.
Show More
Kind of neat. There are lots of interesting little tidbits in this. For example, I knew a little about the Theosophical Society of the mid-1800s, but I didn't know that its founders helped save native languages and cultures in India and Sri Lanka when those areas were being invaded by Western missionaries. The book is full of ripple effects like these. Did you know spiritual movements in America led to citizens' current obsessions with being obsessed with getting wealthy? Great stuff.
I definitely recommend this. It's a scholarly work that doesn't take sides -- it's not an ode to the occult, but it's not against it either. It's academic, but written in an easy and readable style. Great fun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member szarka
Occult America wasn't quite the book I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same.
In keeping with the book's title, Horowitz chronicles the history of the occult in America; consequently, he focuses more on popular spiritual movements and practices (from "spirit raps" to the ouija board) that are
I found Occult America fascinating largely because of the varied characters Horowitz introduces, from well-known religious and political leaders like Mary Baker Eddy and former US Vice President Wallace to the relatively obscure mail-order prophet Frank B. Robinson. Coverage of those characters, though, seems to be proportional to Horowitz's previous writing and work in publishing rather than their lasting impact. (Jospeh Smith, for example, gets less space than one might expect, given his legacy; and Lovecraft gets barely a mention.) Nor does Horowitz succeed at weaving these stories into a coherent history that develops larger themes. Occult America might have been more successful as a book if Horowitz had simply organized it as a series of short biographies.
Having said that, Occult America has much to recommend it. Horowitz nicely balances the demands of academic rigor and readability: his account has sparked my interest in a subject I knew only a little about, and his eighteen pages of Notes on Sources will surely lead me to explore the subject further. I recommend it to anyone interested in religion, American history, or both.
[2009-08-25]
In keeping with the book's title, Horowitz chronicles the history of the occult in America; consequently, he focuses more on popular spiritual movements and practices (from "spirit raps" to the ouija board) that are
Show More
uniquely American than on, for example, freemasonry. Less obvious from the title is his focus on the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. While this leaves the story of the occult in America incomplete, Horowitz does demonstrate in great detail that the American fascination with the occult began long before the 1960s and suggests some of ways that history relates to the larger American story.I found Occult America fascinating largely because of the varied characters Horowitz introduces, from well-known religious and political leaders like Mary Baker Eddy and former US Vice President Wallace to the relatively obscure mail-order prophet Frank B. Robinson. Coverage of those characters, though, seems to be proportional to Horowitz's previous writing and work in publishing rather than their lasting impact. (Jospeh Smith, for example, gets less space than one might expect, given his legacy; and Lovecraft gets barely a mention.) Nor does Horowitz succeed at weaving these stories into a coherent history that develops larger themes. Occult America might have been more successful as a book if Horowitz had simply organized it as a series of short biographies.
Having said that, Occult America has much to recommend it. Horowitz nicely balances the demands of academic rigor and readability: his account has sparked my interest in a subject I knew only a little about, and his eighteen pages of Notes on Sources will surely lead me to explore the subject further. I recommend it to anyone interested in religion, American history, or both.
[2009-08-25]
Show Less
LibraryThing member kslade
Fascinating account of all the mystics and spiritual seekers dealing in the occult in American history from Theosophy to the New Agers.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
304 p.; 7.97 inches
ISBN
0553385151 / 9780553385151
Other editions
Similar in this library
The secret teachings of all ages an encyclopedic outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian symbolical philosophy being an interpretation of the secret teachings concealed within the rituals, allegories and mysteries of all ages by Manly Palmer Hall
The Theosophical Enlightenment (S U N Y Series in Western Esoteric Traditions) (Suny Series, Western Esoteric Traditions) by Joscelyn Godwin
Paschal Beverly Randolph: A Nineteenth-Century Black American Spiritualist, Rosicrucian, and Sex Magician (Suny Series, Western Esoteric Traditions) by John Patrick Deveney
The Sepher Yetsira, including the original astrology according to the Qabala and its zodiac by Carlo Suarès
De Occulta Philosophia Libri Tres (Studies in the History of Christian Thought, Vol.48) by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa Von Nettesheim