Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation [Hardcover]

Mitch Horowitz rescues many colorful characters from obscurity in this entertaining tour through the byways of American religious history. My favorite sections of the book were those describing individuals whose teachings flourished in the early twentieth century but are almost forgotten today. Psychiana was a successful mail-order religion that did not long survive the death of its founder Frank Robinson. Baird Spaulding concocted tall tales about encounters with Oriental spiritual Masters in books that were widely read in the 1930s and 40s. The Moorish Science Temple is a fascinating amalgamation of occult doctrines with black nationalism, whose founder Noble Drew Ali has been little studied by historians. Manly P. Hall authored an occult classic, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, in his twenties and led an organization that epitomized southern California eclecticism through most of the twentieth century. Benjamin Williams popularized astrology and Tarot under his pen name C.C. Zain, but like Hall was famous mainly in the Los Angeles area. All these individuals are given their place in the American religious landscape as pioneers of a movement Horowitz calls occultism or "the occult" which he concludes "resulted in a vast reworking of arcane practices and beliefs from the Old World and the creation of a new spiritual culture." The obscure characters are placed into historical context with exploration of occult ideas in better known movements like Mormonism and New Thought, which contributed to a new spiritual culture. Familiar but little-understood topics like Hoodoo and the history of the Ouija board are illuminated in new ways by Horowitz's groundbreaking research.

While amusing and entertaining, Occult America is grounded in years of scholarship and depicts its subjects with a mixture of respect and detachment that might be called "sympathetic objectivity." The final chapter about Edgar Cayce is the most thoughtful, balanced account of the "sleeping prophet" seen in years, appreciative without being credulous. On Theosophy, Horowitz is well-informed and wise, recognizing its contribution to religious pluralism along with its penchant for fantastic claims and scandal. Andrew Jackson Davis was far more the founder of Spiritualism than the Fox sisters, and Horowitz gives him the attention he deserves as an American original. Having written on those subjects I can endorse the author's scholarship as thorough and his commentary as insightful; in areas less familiar to me the book gives every indication of consistent reliability. I have been reading books on what might be called "occult history" for thirty years, and cannot recall one that is more enjoyable to read, or more informative about a diverse cast of characters, than Occult America.

Mitch Horowitz, as editor-in-chief at Tarcher/Penguin has brought forth many excellent volumes of esoteric and New Age books. The same depth of understanding of his material and outstanding research also contributes to this important historical account that he has delivered in "Occult America." In my opinion, this book is important because it ties together much of the esoteric history of the U.S. from a journalistic perspective, in a very readable manner. Horowitz knows his subject intellectually, historically, and as one who has cultivated the promotion of these ideas as his life work. His passion for, and depth of understanding of, his subject is obvious throughout this book. I found "Occult America" to be extremely interesting and entertaining, providing a view of the people and ideas that shaped the religious and philosophical life of the country, including Paul Foster Case, Manly Hall, Henry Steel Olcott, Ernest Holmes, Edgar Cayce, Joseph Smith, Henry A. Wallace, Frederick Douglass, Mary Baker Eddy, and the list goes on.

Among the profiles of religious seekers, prophets, teachers, and often colorful individuals, one important point Horowitz makes is that some of these "New Age" beliefs have become widely-accepted, including:

"1. Belief in the therapeutic value of spiritual or religious ideas.
2. Belief in a mind-body connection in health.
3. Belief that human consciousness is evolving to higher stages.
4. Belief that thoughts, in some greater or lesser measure, determine reality.
5. Belief that spiritual understanding is available without allegiance to a specific religion or doctrine."

Another important point made by Horowitz is that new thought has been openly promoted in this country since the very beginning as the land of religious freedom and experimentation. Much of this fascinating history and its tremendous impact has been overlooked, ignored, and in some cases, maybe suppressed. As part of the historical record, none of it should not be pushed under the rug. Thankfully, Horowitz has reminded us all about the diverse and esoteric spiritual heritage of this country, treating the subject with scholarship and respect.

Mitch Horowitz's podcast interviews are a wonderful introduction to the subjects in "Occult America" for anyone who is still on the fence about reading it.

This is a fascinating and long overdue look at a largely ignored side of American history. This is must-reading not just for history buffs and students of esotericism, but for anyone wanting to better understand the roots of the American character, since it's all-too-easily overlooked how profoundly these mystical undercurrents have shaped this nation's values, politics, and dreams. I knew a fair amount this topic before going in, but he's managed to unearth some facts and characters even I knew nothing about.

I notice some of the other reviews here mentioning what this book leaves out, but as an editor and writer myself, I can't agree with that. By focusing on the key characters and episodes that he does, Horowitz gives us a concise overview of a very complex subject, leaving the reader to pursue its many leads if they so choose--and in so doing will certainly reach a far wider audience than otherwise, in the respectable tradition of writers like Stephen Jay Gould. He's managed to take a potentially dry subject and make it extremely accessible--and that's no small feat. Kudos.