What books would you save from the flames?

Lets say there was going to be a massive book burning campaign and you were given the chance to select five books which contain esoteric/occult teachings to be saved from the flames what five books would you chose and why?

"The Sephiroth" By Sir Mark Bruback - I don't exactly understand all of it, but its really interesting.

"The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs" By Rev. Ivan Stang

"Grimoires: A History of Magic Books" By Owen Davies

"Low Magick: It's All In Your Head ... You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is" By Lon Milo DuQuett

"Letters From the Devil: The Lost Writing of Anton Szandor LaVey" By Anton LaVey



Edit: Forgot the whys, I think all of them are really great reads and come from many different viewpoints. Especially The Sephiroth, although very weird.

P.S. If I had to go with fiction, I would take the "Grapes Of Wrath"

This is a tough one.

Two of the said five books would have to be:

At least one on Tantra or Dzogchen written by a Bonpo or Buddhist Tulku, Rinpoche, or Lama; and one on Gnosis written by Samael Aun Weor.

Another one that would most likely be included would be:

The Dayspring of Youth by Master M:. (Moria or Morya).

As for the other two, I'd likely end up choosing books written by the following authors:

H.P. Blavatsky, Dion Fortune, Gurdjieff, Manly P. Hall, Thomas á Kempis, Eliphas Levi, Swami-Sivananda, Rudolf Steiner, and Thomas Taylor.

Although this list is somewhat tentative, as there could be some very old and rare books about Alchemy or Occultism that aren't coming to mind at the moment. Or also perhaps some books on Yoruba and Sufism that I've not yet studied, that would make the list.

Now if there were any books written objectively about pre-Vedic Dravidian Mother-Goddess Tantra, or books written objectively about Sumerian and/or Canaanite/Phoenician Kabbalah; they would most definitely make the list.

Anything that's true and gives you an advantage in life save it. Otherwise to hell with it.

From a personal view this *book burning* has already started. Libraries everywhere having their funding cut and closing. People veering ever away from actual hard copies in favour of downloading them to some electronic device. We have adults around us now that without any excuse freely admit to having never read a book in their lives!.
When all the books are on electrical devices, what happens when they fail? We all know of scenarios here that could prompt that...

I would probably save four classic fiction books, and a Bible, just for show. Prior to that I would take ALL the books I really wanted to save (including the Bible), wrap in plastic and cache them in screw-top plastic buckets with dessicant in them.

Not takin' my books.

Limited -- for whatever reason -- to only five books, say an apocalyptic walkabout where I could only spare room for five:

1) Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 38th edition, published by Chemical Rubber Publishing Company.

2) Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger.

3) Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb

4) The Holy Bible

5) Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant...........

aaaaaand really, not because I'm wholly unable to confine myself to set parameters, but because I think his works have been misjudged and shouldn't be lost for all time, I'd HAVE to find room for my first edition, signed copy of The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker.

ETA: OP, I didn't ignore the 'occult' angle of your premise....... I just believe that some of the above fit the bill -- at least within my perceptions.

Originally posted by argentus
OP, I didn't ignore the 'occult' angle of your premise....... I just believe that some of the above fit the bill -- at least within my perceptions.

Likewise, I was planning on starting my list with One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish as an important tome of esoteric wisdom, but I was too lazy to come up with four more. (Probably would have included the CRC Handbook of Mathematical Tables and Formulae as well...)

reply to post by LUXUS


I have only one to mention:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/eafcf60d0a4b.jpg[/atsimg]


If you don't get it, read it and you will...the other four choices can be copies of this one.

reply to post by facelift


I'd forgotten that one. That's a fine choice, in my opinion. It sorta encompasses much of the human experience: sense of entitlement, taking things for granted, betrayal, regret, joy, forgiveness, acceptance, and..... dare I say (yes I do) love.

I may have to punt Kant.

i can't say i know a lot about esotericianism but i like brother of the 3rd degree. frankenstein is a good book also.

Hard choice, although I am going to strain the parameters a mite in my choices.

1) A Brave New World

2) Catcher in the Rye

3) The Federalist Papers

4) Almost anything by Emerson, or Thoreau

and at the risk of being superfluous

5) Fahrenheit 451, cause it'd be important for that day and age

I would want to save the knowledge of:

1,Kabbalah/Kundalini
2, sacred geometry/music
3, Astrology
4, Alchemy
5, Raja (mind) yoga

Very tough but of the books I have read would probably go for

The Codex Rosae Crucis D.O.M.A

The Hermetic Museum by A.E. Waite

The Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians By Magus Incognito

Occult Geometry and Hermetic Science of Motion & Number By A.S Raleigh

The Esoteric Tradition By G. de Purucker