I must confess. I love Twitter. Say all you want about the average user’s attention span and what the 140 character limit is doing to the language – as the official Twit for Weiser Books I have found it to be a rewarding and (dare I say it) inspiring tool for connecting with a vibrant and intelligent community. I can count on our Tweeps for snappy conversation, honest opinions, and excellent advice. Case in point -Ankhie recently asked what kinds of posts followers  would like to see here on the blog. Outstanding suggestions immediately ensued, among them:

• The effects of moon phases on magical practice – @crisbrown
• Alchemy and hermeticism – @kimcascone
• Female magicians in the golden age – @temperatelogic
• Core books for an esoteric home library – @gnostalgia

Great ideas all, but that last one really got my attention – because if there is one question that I am asked more than any other (aside from “How do I get published by Weiser Books?”) it is “What books should I be reading?” Now, as an art and literature freak, I am most likely to respond with suggestions in keeping with those interests. Yeats! say I, Robert Graves! Ted Hughes!  Yes, the savvy reader might respond, but what books did they read? Aha..!

Whether your interest in the occult is professional, personal, alchemical or artistic, there are certain books that form the basis for all that we currently know about things that go bump in the night (or in our heads).

Here is where I need your help. Over the next several weeks I will be asking various occult professionals and experts on what they consider to be essential books. But even the most well-read are likely to miss a title or two, so if you have a book  that you consider absolutely indispensable, tell me about it here and I will add it to the list – which I plan on posting at the end of summer.

So readers… have at it! What books are essential to your Esoteric Home Library?