The things that people in the modern Western world consider occult , secret, forbidden or irrational - amulets and talismans, omens and divinations, spells and charms, good and evil spirits - are part of everyday life in many parts of the world and have been for generations. In this fascinating book, occult scholar and practitioner John Michael Greer shines light on 100 of the dramatic incidents, arcane knowledge and colourful historical figures from occult traditions over two and a half millennia, including: the earliest alchemists of ancient Egypt, Babylon and Greece; pagan rituals; the Philosopher's Stone; Kabbala; the first tarot; the Knights Templar; the Nazi Thule Party; fortune-telling trials; and the birth of modern witchcraft or Wicca. Each entry is illustrated with a stunning image or intriguing item of ephemera.