The Demonology of King James I forms one of the most intriguing and well made texts of the burning times. Crafted at the end of the 16th century, it details the nature of sorcery, witches, Satan, fairies, and hauntings. Simultaneously blasting witchery and Papistry, King James prescribes various witch hunting methods, classifies demons, and suggests the sole method of dealing with all forms of witches, including those practicing the healing arts; namely, death.

The Golden Tractate of Hermes, first created in the Renaissance and rendered into English in 1850, is one of a number of texts from its era attempting to explain alchemy, along with the works of Pontanus and Artephius. Through a veil of symbolism it attempts to inform the reader of the process of creating Ixir, and thus the universal medicine of alchemy.

"On the Philadelphian Gold" is a late 17th century tract originally produced by the Philadelphian Society- a mystic and philosophical school of sorts. The content herein is partially philosophy, partially alchemical. Regarding alchemy it theorizes the spiritual existence of perfected matter. It is written in the form of dialogue between Philochrysus and Philadelphus, whose conversation eventually uses several religious premises to prove its content.

Strangely, despite the allusion to Hermeticism in the title of this manuscript, which was penned in the early 17th century, its content revolves not around Hermetic Philosophy so much as alchemy and natural processes. Casting off most of the metaphor and much of the veil of confusion enshrouding the meaning of such texts, "The Secret Work" not only describes alchemical workings in near-literal terms but openly and explicitly alludes to the practice of alchemists as being hidden on a deliberate level.

"Phallism," circa 1892, is one of the most in depth academic studies of phallus symbolism created in the pre-modern era. Focusing on the Hindu tradition, Tibetan lore, Mesoamerican spirituality, and more, the work explains the pagan origins of the cross and then-modern debate over the meaning of cross symbolism in Egypt. Filled with secondary sources and anecdotal tales from the height of the British Empire, "Phallism" is an invaluable spiritual work for the occultist, and an invaluable anthropological compilation for the academic.

"Ophiolatreia," or "Serpent Worship," is one of the finest academic texts of the late 1800s. Not content to speak only of one time or culture, it delves into Hinduism, Druidism, Greek lore, the Roman Empire, Egypt ancient and then-modern, and Mesoamerica, and details a multitude of serpent-related rites, ruins, and religions therein. Invaluable to the academic and interesting to the occultist, the scope of this work is vast and its sources frequent and intricate. It lays bare the lore of a dozen ancient cultures and, in many cases, their modern counterparts, exposing the worldwide and...

This work is one of a number of manuscripts crafted towards the end of the 1800s well into the 1920s containing material related to all aspects of the occult; mesmerism, ceremonial magic, the black arts, talismans, and more. What is interesting, here, is that all of the above and more are contained in one work, instead of separately. Speaking of everything from fortune telling to folk healing, the Book of Forbidden Knowledge is perhaps better classed as a modern grimoire than most contemporary works of similar origin; the paper covers of any of a number of competing Victorian and Edwardian...