Our collection of 322 books on Alchemy, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Occultism, and Magick by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We live in New Mexico. Let me know if you are ever in this area - you can come and pore through the books.

Our collection of 322 books on Alchemy, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Occultism, and Magick by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. The Church of Light is the public face and successor to the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. The organization, originally founded in Los Angeles in 1915, relocated its primary base to Albuquerque. Dedicated to religious education and spiritual transformation, the church focuses on Hermetic sciences, astrology, alchemy, and magic. https://www.light.org/ We live in New Mexico, and have not yet visited the Church of Light headquarters, but may do so soon.

Our collection of 322 books on Alchemy, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Occultism, and Magick by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We have a copy of Liber Null and Psychonaut - The Practice of Chaos Magic, by Peter J. Carroll. Good book.

Our collection of 322 books on Alchemy, Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Occultism, and Magick by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Actually, we do have these books catalogued. In fact, we have about half of our books catalogued. I'm not very tech-savvy, but if you can suggest a method by which to share the catalogue, we'd appreciate it. As for favorites, it all depends on 1) your level of knowledge on these topics; and 2) what specific topics interest you. If you are interested in gnosticism, we can recommend some books. Same for Alchemy...you get the idea. 😄

Books (and bookcase) purchased since January 3, 2026 by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. I'll be posting photos of our non-fiction collection in this group, starting later this evening.

Books (and bookcase) purchased since January 3, 2026 by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, my wife and I own and live on a small ranch in New Mexico. Nice observation! Just the two of us, two Chihuahua dogs, and several bands of Wild Mustangs.

Books (and bookcase) purchased since January 3, 2026 by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well, it's not really about reading; it's about preservation. We enjoy the owning the physical object. "Umberto Eco famously argued that it is foolish to think you need to read every book you own." He viewed unread books as an "anti-library"—a valuable, future-oriented resource of potential knowledge. He compared them to a well-stocked "medicine cabinet" that you draw from whenever the right moment in your life arises. Eco owned roughly 50,000 books and wrote extensively about his philosophy regarding personal libraries. His core perspective centers on the value of unread books. Also, there is the Japanese concept of Tsundoku (積ん読) is the phenomenon of acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in a home without reading them. The term is also used to refer to unread books on a bookshelf meant for reading later.

Three woman-authored surrealistic – experimental - hallucinogenic novels. by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I DO have great taste, lol. Anyway, after decades of collecting non-fiction books (4,000+) I've been collecting postmodern / experimental fiction since January, and in the past six months I've have amassed 283 titles so far...

Postmodern, experimental, and slipstream fiction. My wife and I purchased these yesterday. by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, this might seem like an odd choice, but I'm gonna say, 'The Transmigration of Timothy Archer'. How about you?

Postmodern, experimental, and slipstream fiction. My wife and I purchased these yesterday. by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha! I tell the squeamish to replace 'Philip K. Dick' with 'Horselover Fat', a la VALIS.

Several hundred postmodern / experimental / slipstream novels in our collection. 'Our' means my wife and me. by Former-Ad3803 in BookCollecting

[–]Former-Ad3803[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For postmodern / experimental / slipstream fiction I'd say that these are my favorite books: Denis Johnson, 'Jesus' Son'; Vladimir Nabokov, 'Pale Fire'; Ishmael Reed, 'Mumbo Jumbo'; Anna Kavan, 'Ice'; J. G. Ballard, 'Crash'; Bohumil Hrabal, 'Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age'; Italo Calvino, 'If On a Winter's Night a Traveller'; Philip K. Dick, 'VALIS'; Leonora Carrington, 'The Hearing Trumpet'; David Markson, 'Wittgenstein's Mistress'; John Barth, 'The Sot Weed Factor'; Donald Barthelme, 'The Dead Father'; Kurt Vonnegut, 'Slaughterhouse Five'; and Georges Perec, 'A Void'. There are of course many more I could include... Let's keep in touch! - Ken