On any metaphysical bookshelf there are going to be books that vary their scope from incredibly broad topics (think Raymond Buckland's "Big Blue Book" and similar) all the way to very specific topics such as specific deities/pantheons or practices for kitchen witchery. If you're looking at <i>a very specific </i> sort of metaphysical bookshelf, out on one edge of it you'll find a clutch of tomes from (typically) smaller-run or maybe even university presses covering incredibly focused topics that while probably not destined for mass consumption are absolute catnip for their intended audiences. Reviewing these kinds of books when you aren't feeling the catnip can be challenging, but Samuel Wagar's Northern Mages: Some Preliminary Sketches Toward A History of the Occult and Metaphysical in Canada (Mostly) is such an undeniably well-crafted book that it deserves its moment in the spotlight.
In truth, if a history of the occult and metaphysical in Canada was going to be written it was going to be by Wagar. His personal and professional biography are grounded completely in Canada, and he has a specific background in organized occult practices there, having participated and founded numerous groups over the years and has been writing on these sorts of subjects since at least 1997 with the publication of "Organizing in the Pagan Communities." And now you ask "so he's got the resume, but how's the book?" It's quite good, particularly when taking it as it's offered. Wagar explains up front that the book leans most heavily into the areas of research he already has expertise in, namely the roiling stew that existed at the turn of the 20th century - fraternal orders, first wave feminism, budding socialist movements and so on. From this nexus, he expands his reach in order to round out his "preliminary sketch". Sure enough, he kicks everything in motion with an examination of available writings from pre-Revolutionary War North America, which may lack in abundance but still manages to surprise - such as the presence of ceremonial magicians amongst the early political leaders despite the "party line" of the haven for persecuted Christians.
The available research, and thus the book, really gets rolling in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, thanks in large part to the Victorian Age. Even when the Victorians were being prudes they were fastidious in documenting it, and even moreso when their activities might draw unwanted attention. Masonic lodges in particular were fertile ground for occultism; according to Wagar they grew like weeds thanks to their largely benign scope of drinking and socializing but, once ensconsed everywhere, provided cover for any cluster of men (only; alas) needing to gather quietly and with no raised suspicion. Beyond the Masons he describes numerous other secret societies (which he defines as "a group some aspect of whose work is secret from non-members." This naturally can cover any number of clubs but his refined focus on the occult and metaphysical organizations keeps the work manageable. Then, not surprisingly given his previous writings, he goes quite deep into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in a way that honestly is beyond this writer's ability to summarize. There's a reason Wagar writes books on these topics after all! To try to at least hint at it, there was a fascinating interplay between the socialist/Marxist movements at that time and the more esoteric-minded organizations. At times they were in accord but often veered off at right angles from one another, with predictably contentious results.
Not every book on our metaphorical, metaphysical bookshelf comes with a 14 page bibliography and nearly 700 in-line citations. And to be clear, I am not dazzled simply by scholarship. As an essentially self-published author with a strong background in, clearly, the things that interest him, "Northern Mages" is absolutely self-indulgent in its form and focus. There are occasional sparkling anecdotes, but the ideal reader of Wagar's book is someone who prefers academic-minded nonfiction as well as hyper-focused topics within occultism. I suspect most who are reading this review, if you even got this far, are thinking "woof, sounds rough." But, I also suspect that there are a few folks who read this and felt their ears prick up; they sat a little straighter and they thought "this sounds fascinating, where do I get it?" And to those folks I say - yes, it's exactly what you're hoping it would be.
~review by Wanderer
Author: Samuel Wagar
Obscure Pagan Press, 2024
p. $20.00, pp.220
