Book Discussion Books that shouldn't be practiced or even read

[Morell]

Magic and dangerous books simply mix in minds of many people. So I thought, that we should discuss them in serious matter, because I'm convinced that there are books that one should use for practice. What books do you NOT recommend for practicing? Be it partly or as a whole, I'm interested where to take extra caution...

The most dangerous books I poses are written by Jasmuheen. Although not directly occult, they claim to offer energy work that allows you to live without food. Written the way that they can convince you that after taking about 20 something days long detoxication course along with practice of ineffective exercises you can quit eating completely - in calm logical sense this book could be considered suicide tutorial.

M.T.H.O.S.
Honestly, this book does have interesting prep work, but sigils have very unpleasant energy by just looking at them I dislike them a lot and the way of becoming a vampire feels really wrong, as it is inviting into you some sort of demonic servitor or demon to poses you. I'm convinced that there are better ways to become a vamp than through possession.

Which books do you recommend to avoid in practice?

 

[Loam]

Yeah this is up my alley. Nice thread idea!

“Liber Lilith” is pretty dark and destructive.
I had a first edition that bothered me after reading. Not that it was haunted or anything. Just a dark process of deprivation and insanity.

 

[Aguilero]

In my opinion, a vampire is always a dark creature that does not act completely independently, because its powers originate from darkness; therefore, proximity to Evil is necessary for the vampire, because that is where its exceptional powers originate. As for books that should not be used for practice, I don't think there are any in particular... I would say... All and none... Use your reason, your preparation, your experience, and your ability to discern.

 

[Lu_CiD]

Yeah this is up my alley. Nice thread idea!

“Liber Lilith” is pretty dark and destructive.
I had a first edition that bothered me after reading. Not that it was haunted or anything. Just a dark process of deprivation and insanity.

Liber Lilith is supposed to be fiction isn't it?

 

[Romolo]

Maybe an aspect to add here is cognitohazard: a stimuli (visuals, audio, etc..) that can cause physical, psychological or spiritual harm just by experiencing it. Good occult systems have in-built protection ("never remove the last Veil") to protect their adepts from going insane, and wrap up the wisdom in such a way that there is no danger. But I'm pretty sure we have all read texts or imagery where we think, "damn, I wish I had never read that."

 

[silencewaits]

Good occult systems have in-built protection ("never remove the last Veil") to protect their adepts from going insane, and wrap up the wisdom in such a way that there is no danger.

Good occult systems produce adepts that don't need built-in protections, and they produce adepts that can court danger with ease.

 

[FireBorn]

Liber Lilith is supposed to be fiction isn't it?

Yes, Donald Tyson has said publicly that it wasn't his personal grimoire on Lilith. It is a novel written to look like a grimoire (not hard to do just add in some Lovecraftian horror to be edgy).

 

[Romolo]

Good occult systems produce adepts that don't need built-in protections, and they produce adepts that can court danger with ease.

I don't believe that. Watch straight into the sun and you lose your eyes. The moon reflects and illuminates the occult. Occult wisdom is transferred through layers, in levels that reflect aspects of what lies ahead. There is always an n-1. This lies at the core of all magical work. We work with symbols, sigils, strange names that all contain something which lies concealed. In the same way we help each other out on the Path: we have to find ways to bundle our thoughts in indirect ways, in images/metaphors that have to be unraveled.

 

[Morell]

Good occult systems produce adepts that don't need built-in protections, and they produce adepts that can court danger with ease.

Sorry, but I disagree. We can never be fully safe on any front. Occult mastery gives you tools and means to deal with the dangers, but doesn't give certainty that you will use them or even rightfully recognize theme very single time.

Thinking that it makes you safe is in fact contra-productive, it makes you close your eyes and then you can miss the danger way easier.

 

[Mannimarco]

The bible, and any book that talks about the Lovecraftian Old One's. Both the old ones and any version of yahweh are incredibly difficult to get rid of fully, are absolutely relentless in their agendas, and have no respect at all for humanity.

The vibes I get from my experience/intuition/divination with the qliphoth is also extremely negative, and while I'm not sure what actually is going on with it, there is definitely a lot going on that the experts and spirits are not telling us. Same with "western" systems of dragon magick.

All four of the above mentioned systems brought me nothing but severe trouble and spiritual setbacks, and some of them contine to do so. Of course, everyone has their own experiences, but i shouldn’t have practiced them.

 

[silencewaits]

I don't believe that. Watch straight into the sun and you lose your eyes. The moon reflects and illuminates the occult. Occult wisdom is transferred through layers, in levels that reflect aspects of what lies ahead. There is always an n-1. This lies at the core of all magical work. We work with symbols, sigils, strange names that all contain something which lies concealed. In the same way we help each other out on the Path: we have to find ways to bundle our thoughts in indirect ways, in images/metaphors that have to be unraveled.

This is true for most beginners, or those not involved with any serious occult training. The process of initiation reveals that which at first seems hidden, or mysterious, and makes it plain. The initiate develops a complete and coherent synthesis with their symbolic system; makes what is unconscious conscious. As the initiate completes their initiation and works to attain adepthood, they must grapple with Sol. Luna lies at the entrance of the path.

That's not to say there aren't things that can fuck you up tremendously. Kill you, drive you insane. But someone's not going to encounter those effects from simply reading a book or listening to some audio unless, again, they're a complete beginner/not involved with any serious occult training.

An adept should know what they are doing; if they call themselves an adept and do something they aren't skilled enough to do? They better learn from their experience. If not? Good riddance.

Sorry, but I disagree. We can never be fully safe on any front. Occult mastery gives you tools and means to deal with the dangers, but doesn't give certainty that you will use them or even rightfully recognize theme very single time.

Thinking that it makes you safe is in fact contra-productive, it makes you close your eyes and then you can miss the danger way easier.

Respectfully, that is exactly what mastery does. The vast majority of occultists, myself especially, are nowhere near that point. Being well-studied does not make one an adept by any means, and simply being involved in the occult for vast amounts of time does not make one a master.

 

[FireBorn]

Respectfully, that is exactly what mastery does. The vast majority of occultists, myself especially, are nowhere near that point. Being well-studied does not make one an adept by any means, and simply being involved in the occult for vast amounts of time does not make one a master.

100% Absolutely. You can read all the books you want, cool story. But if you’re not doing the Work, that knowledge is theoretical. That doesn’t make someone a practitioner. No shame in that, but let’s call it what it is.
Most people in occult spaces are curious observers looking in from the outside. I was one of them for a long time. And yeah, I bought into the "this is too dangerous!" LARP and let it keep me on the sidelines longer than it should have.

Re: initiation, our point is valid, but it still rubs me a little raw. Most of Western occultism was heavily gatekept (and still is, in quieter ways). The whole “initiation = access” model often boils down to: whose ring do I have to kiss to get the next piece of the puzzle? Crowley loved that kind of hierarchical gatekeeping, and for what? Ego. Authority. Prestige. It’s the same game, just with incense.

One thing I will push back on though: The idea that time served makes a master, what even is “mastery” in this context? Who decides? How do you prove it? To whom? That smells a lot like ego or guru cosplay to me, I loath that shit. I’ll keep doing the work and let the spirits tell me when I’m ready for what’s next. No medals needed. That's just me.

Back to the topic of “dangerous” books in the occult: I think the only dangerous books are the ones you decide are dangerous. It all depends on the framework you hold. If you think demons are out to kill you, then yeah, maybe you shouldn’t be invoking. (Just my personal take.) Fear is okay, rational healthy fear, not the irrational, over the top fear. Face it and see what happens.

If you're someone who hears voices or struggles with reality boundaries, then any book on magick might carry danger. But not because demons or the occult are inherently dangerous, it's the fragile psyche and the rigid framework that's dangerous. The real risk isn’t the content. It’s what happens when the content meets a shaky foundation. YMMV

 

[MorganBlack]

Dangerous grimoires? Hmmm. OK, 80% of a traditional shaman's work is protecting the tribe from hostile spirits, so there is a place for exorcism and protections, but these are not very useful when de-contexualized into a fear-based occult practice.

Sure, there are things in the spirit world that are not your friend , but probably due to the influence of Christian paranormal investigators, internet occultism worries far, far too much about attachments, parasites, and trickster spirits. Best to leave those ideas behind.

Just as there are sharks in the oceans, there are dangerous things out there, but worrying about them each time you go swimming is counterproductive. If you notice, there are proportionally far fewer martial-type spirits in the spirit lists of the grimoires. Martial spirits are generally more aggro, so over time magicians left them out of the spirt list they compiled , and selected the ones that want to work with humans, or are at least neutral to us.

Speaking of cool stories: while I don't accept as "real" the stories of the Faustian grimoires, I do like them . Yes, they are horror fiction for Christians, but what they do is make a good story, one where the magican places their very immortal soul on the line, risking eternal damanation for love, money, wisdom or knowledge That's awesome. That's a great story!

As I've said for over a decade, magic is made of stories. The universe ( the one we can experience) is made of stories. Pick one, or several good stories, and the spirits to meet you half way. The stories will shape your experience and their manifestations.

So pick a good one, that will not turn them, or you, into monsters.

 

[Aguilero]

Hello,

in my opinion, having studied and practiced the occult sciences for 46 years now, you never stop learning in this field. Despite my years of experience and the countless cases I have dealt with, I still feel like a student.

 

[Sabbatius]

I will be the first to admit that I objectively dislike Enochian work. There are a lot of written systems for Enochian magic because the original Enochian works are incomplete. The authors and core sourcebooks utilize a system which is to their interpretation, however every author has their own system for use. This in turn makes some, not all but much of it, limiting without consistent practice.

When I attempted to crack open and work with the Enochian system, I used Schueler's works, which were successful, but the air of caution was heavy. I attempted to work with Rowe's works which albeit to some success, I was shifting into areas which seemed like a giant veil was being held up, hiding abominations from the viewers' eye. There was something not right. When I attempted the last time, I used Tyson only because I had success with his workings on many other projects. Oddly, I did not succeed with anything and nothing was accomplished. Whether it was me or some veiled shift refused me, I care not.

So, I just suck with Enochian work.

 

[Vandheer]

M.T.H.O.S

Seconded, the way its author was tweaking through twitter and reddit is a big red flag, alongside the points you have made.

 

[Seeker_Kieffer]

The bible, and any book that talks about the Lovecraftian Old One's. Both the old ones and any version of yahweh are incredibly difficult to get rid of fully, are absolutely relentless in their agendas, and have no respect at all for humanity.

The vibes I get from my experience/intuition/divination with the qliphoth is also extremely negative, and while I'm not sure what actually is going on with it, there is definitely a lot going on that the experts and spirits are not telling us. Same with "western" systems of dragon magick.

All four of the above mentioned systems brought me nothing but severe trouble and spiritual setbacks, and some of them contine to do so. Of course, everyone has their own experiences, but i shouldn’t have practiced them.

You're surprisingly right. Proponents of Qlipoth magic overly promote personal empowerment and "becoming a living god," talking about how the entities of these Shells disrupt social norms. It all seems seductive to the young person rebelling against traditional religion. What they don't mention is that these Shells are the energies of spirits that delight in the worst acts a human being can commit. I don't believe they are the cause, but there is a kind of action and reaction: Humans commit atrocities, spirits encourage and feed on them.

I once had an unwilling experience with these energies. It lasted half an hour, and only at the end did I realize I'd gone through every path until I reached the end, wanting to kill myself. I wasn't depressed, and at that moment it woke me up. I realized it wasn't something I was doing, but something external. My thoughts dissociated, like voices trying to convince me of something I would never do. Those thoughts became distinguishable from my normal thoughts and the whole illusion that it was my real way of thinking was gone.

Newbies need to think seriously about the kind of energy they want influencing their lives. A supposed "Spirit of Violence" can be helpful and care for you, but what kind of person do you have to be for it to want to care for you? If you're not that kind of person, its energies will only harm you.

 

[IllusiveOwl]

I don't think I've ran into any occult books that I would say are dangerous in the implied "forbidden knowledge" sense, of course for many to harm you you'd have to be stupid enough to implement them, so the axiom: "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" should be followed strictly when considering practice.

The only book I've ran into that I would consider genuinely dangerous is an antinadalist philosophy book called "The Conspiracy Against The Human Race", which posits that the only noble cause would be to destroy the entire universe thoroughly so life can never possibly crop up anywhere ever again.

I've also heard worrying things about Spinal Catastrophism, you may be doing yourself a favor by avoiding that rabbit hole.

 

[silencewaits]

I don't think I've ran into any occult books that I would say are dangerous in the implied "forbidden knowledge" sense, of course for many to harm you you'd have to be stupid enough to implement them, so the axiom: "be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" should be followed strictly when considering practice.

The only book I've ran into that I would consider genuinely dangerous is an antinadalist philosophy book called "The Conspiracy Against The Human Race", which posits that the only noble cause would be to destroy the entire universe thoroughly so life can never possibly crop up anywhere ever again.

I've also heard worrying things about Spinal Catastrophism, you may be doing yourself a favor by avoiding that rabbit hole.

I concur with the antinatalists; they should definitely stop breeding. It would do the human race a favor.

You're surprisingly right. Proponents of Qlipoth magic overly promote personal empowerment and "becoming a living god," talking about how the entities of these Shells disrupt social norms. It all seems seductive to the young person rebelling against traditional religion. What they don't mention is that these Shells are the energies of spirits that delight in the worst acts a human being can commit. I don't believe they are the cause, but there is a kind of action and reaction: Humans commit atrocities, spirits encourage and feed on them.

I once had an unwilling experience with these energies. It lasted half an hour, and only at the end did I realize I'd gone through every path until I reached the end, wanting to kill myself. I wasn't depressed, and at that moment it woke me up. I realized it wasn't something I was doing, but something external. My thoughts dissociated, like voices trying to convince me of something I would never do. Those thoughts became distinguishable from my normal thoughts and the whole illusion that it was my real way of thinking was gone.

Newbies need to think seriously about the kind of energy they want influencing their lives. A supposed "Spirit of Violence" can be helpful and care for you, but what kind of person do you have to be for it to want to care for you? If you're not that kind of person, its energies will only harm you.

It's not even "left-hand path"--it's just edgy nonsense. As Baruch Spinoza said: “By substance I understand what is in itself and is conceived through itself”; “By attribute I understand what the intellect perceives of a substance, as constituting its essence”; “By God I understand a being absolutely infinite, i.e., a substance consisting of an infinity of attributes, of which each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence.”

The vamachara (at least in the traditional sense) is another way of connecting with what is divine. It is a mode of practice and apprehension. The qlippoth are outer shells which conceal the sephiroth, or perhaps contain them. Meditating or evoking a demon of war is not particularly transgressive--it would be considered sorcery. Finding the clear light of Geburah in the horrors of war, concealed, would be a mode closer to the left-hand path. Seeing that even the darkest and most forbidden things ha-Shem is still present, that all is His Will, that He encompasses all. This may include embracing sorcery, but that can be done without following the left-hand path. How many grimoires call upon His name to produce the same results? Besides, is not the demon of war a Creation of ha-Shem--does it not serve a place in His All-Encompassing Will?

I don't really follow anything Kabbalistic. But why be half in and half out? Nothing good could result from a system formed from ill-conceived notions of a tradition. At its core the Christian separation between Heaven and Hell, Satan and God, mortal definitions of 'good and evil' does not exist within it. Trying to implant these things to sell a product leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Post automatically merged: Oct 4, 2025

Sidenote: Sabbatai Zevi and his religious ideology is of relevance.

 

[zamradiel]

The "becoming a living god" phrase is straight out of E.A. Koetting's modern marketing of the Left-Hand Path... a kind of occult self-help wrapped in infernal aesthetics. It's understandable why it appeals to younger practitioners: it frames rebellion as transcendence. But the concept drifts far from the deeper initiatory current it borrows from.

If you're genuinely interested in the Nightside or Qliphothic current, I'd really encourage staying close to the original material, especially as outlined by Kenneth Grant. His Typhonian work treats these forces as conditions of consciousness rather than deities to worship or command. Grant's approach is phenomenological and initiatory-about transformation through confrontation with the Unknown, not personal glorification.

In short: Koetting promotes empowerment through dominance; Grant maps metamorphosis through surrender. The difference is profound, one inflates the ego, the other refines it in fire.

And as you said... a "Spirit of Violence" might well offer care, but only to those who mirror its nature. If you're not that kind of being, its current will burn rather than bless. Discernment is the real initiation.

You're surprisingly right. Proponents of Qlipoth magic overly promote personal empowerment and "becoming a living god," talking about how the entities of these Shells disrupt social norms. It all seems seductive to the young person rebelling against traditional religion. What they don't mention is that these Shells are the energies of spirits that delight in the worst acts a human being can commit. I don't believe they are the cause, but there is a kind of action and reaction: Humans commit atrocities, spirits encourage and feed on them.

I once had an unwilling experience with these energies. It lasted half an hour, and only at the end did I realize I'd gone through every path until I reached the end, wanting to kill myself. I wasn't depressed, and at that moment it woke me up. I realized it wasn't something I was doing, but something external. My thoughts dissociated, like voices trying to convince me of something I would never do. Those thoughts became distinguishable from my normal thoughts and the whole illusion that it was my real way of thinking was gone.

Newbies need to think seriously about the kind of energy they want influencing their lives. A supposed "Spirit of Violence" can be helpful and care for you, but what kind of person do you have to be for it to want to care for you? If you're not that kind of person, its energies will only harm you.