A public secret

"The Western Esoteric Traditions" by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is a very basic introduction to the subject. To be honest, I found it boring! But then, I've read quite a bit on the subject, including some of the author's other books, which are much more detailed.

In this work, Goodrick-Clarke takes us on a journey through the often bewildering maze of European occultism. It's all in there: ancient Hermetism, Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism; the magic, alchemy and Naturphilosophie of the Renaissance; the Christian Kabbala of Jacob Boehme and the speculations of Swedenborg; Rosicrucianism and "Scottish" Freemasonry; Theosophy and its offshoots; ritual magic á la the Golden Dawn; and modern developments, which are sometimes "scientist" in character. Even Rupert Sheldrake, Wilhelm Reich and James Randi's adversary Jacques Benveniste have been crammed into this overview.

The differences between the various periods are obvious enough (to take just one example, 17th century Rosicrucianism was "progressive", while 18th century Scottish Masonry was "reactionary"), but the continuity is nevertheless fascinating, as is the geographical spread of the phenomenon. The Western world is often portrayed as strictly Christian before becoming strictly scientific, but that view of history is a polemical oversimplification. Judging by Goodrick-Clarke's overview, occultism always had support in high society, including Church and scientific circles. Esotericism must be the West's most public secret...

I'm not sure how to rate this book, since it feels very basic, but in the end, I give it three stars.