I'm just curious what people read. Who you read does reflect on how you perceive and practice magick. Even if just one paragraph in a book reaches out to you, that author has in fact, influenced your way of thinking (pertaining to a certain subject).
Although I am looking for magick, myth, faith, and philosophical orientated literature, there are many like Yeats who are equally inspiring. So list away!
I'll go first. Socrates is by far, my favorite philosopher. Aristotle and Ovid would be a close second. I read Buddha for inspiration.
I also enjoy Jung and for a bit of fiction, Edgar Allan Poe. I can recite his poem "The Raven" without a book in hand.
For magick I am extremely critical. I don't keep many but read them, make notes from what I found interesting, and discard them. I use my notes to research even further through as many sources as I can get my hands on.
I do have a great respect for Freyja Aswynn and Thorsson aka Stephen Flowers. I also enjoy the ramblings of Agrippa.
Most of my reading material are dead authors or have no author at all. The oldest writings I can get my hands on intrigue me most.
This seems like a great thread. It would be curious to see what people read, as I agree that authors reflect or influence us a great deal.
Related to what I tend to study most, which are icelandic/german/nordic practices, it is hard to find a singular author. I enjoy Stephen Flower's version of the Galdrabok. Lewis Stead has also done a great deal of work that I like. (For kicks I follow Jackson Crawford's blog, which has a lot to do with Old Norse).
Certain Greek literary works appeal to me as well. The Metamorphosis, as written by Ovid, is swell. Most of his writings are things I give pause to. Of course, Homer and Hesiod's works are amazing to read as well. (Depending on the translations you get your hands on).
For psychology: definitely Jung! His work with the archetypes is a particular literary fascination of mine. Erik Homburger Erikson ,Wolfgang Kohler, Alfred Adler are three other notable ones.
When it comes to poetry: J.W. Goethe,Friedrich Nietzsche, Poe.
17th-18th century feminist literature tends to be the type of readings I spend my non-study time looking at, so certain authors such as Charlotte & Emily Bronte, Ann Radcliffe, Jane Austen, Olympe de Gouges, etc.
I'm reading magick. i forgot who the author is. its about two rivalry covens who try killing one another. each with a dark past and curse. one practices dark magick and worships the horngod. the other practice variety of magick and worships the Moon goddess. it's a little far fetched but it has some interesting facts.
The authors that have had the most impact on me:
Donald Tyson, Aliester Crowley, Ray Sherwin, Eliphas Levi, Israel Regardie, Peter Carroll, Frater U.D., and Austin Osman Spare.
As for literature aside from the occult the poems of Taliesin of course. Henry David Thoreau was definitely influential, Ralph Waldo Emerson also.
There's a couple of short print books i want, mostly compiled essays. I do resonate on some level with Jung. A lot of unpublished authors have had a profound effect on me, namely "tobias" of digitalbrilliance.com and Fenwick Rysen of Chaos Matrix.
What a great idea for a thread, thanks for sharing.
I read a great deal of fiction, often because I just want to not think for a little while. Jim Butcher has produced a couple great series with The Dresden Files and Codex Alera; George R.R. Martin has produced such character depth in his pages that I eagerly waited five years for his last book, checking to see if there were updates as to when it would be released almost monthly; Tolkein's works are ever inspirational, with such quality and depth in story, underlying theme, and grasp of ancient traditions blended into the fiction that they made me want to start writing in the first place. In terms of more individual books, Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, though dated and chauvinist, was beautiful, I felt. Dune was pretty amazing as well, though I did not delve further. I also read a great deal of medieval and ancient history, and military history, though the exact book titles and authors of the more recent works elude me at the moment.
In terms of Magical works, I'm usually poking back and forth through various Grimoires, rarely finishing one before it leads me poking at another. I don't have much use for much of the modern stuff, though initially they were a good introduction. There are a handful of authors that intrigue me, most of whom base their concepts in Shamanic practice, the influences of the Golden Dawn, and various energy/astral concepts.
For magic books, mostly Scott Cunningham, but D.J. Conway wrote a couple decent books. Love is in Earth, by Melody is one of my particular favorites because of my love of stones. Most of what I read is fantasy or horror though. It is amazing what inspiration you can gleam from a moment in wonderland lol. Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, Cassandra Clare, and Tolkien among many others.
At the very top of my list of inspirational books/authors I would have to put Rhonda Byrne "The Secret". Not only is her information good for everyday life, but should be on every occultists "to read list". Last but not least "The Art of Shen Ku" by Zeek. It gives you valuable survival information and quite a bit about herbs and palmistry.
