The Occult Digest

Vault July 28, 2019

A Journal of Esoteric Thought, Practice, and Expression

Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

This current manifestation of the title, The Occult Digest, is also a digest in the true sense of the word, which does not refer to its size (8” x 10” book), but its content. It does link its title and lineage to The Occult Digest published by Danelson, saying:

“The Occult Digest originated in the early 1920s and endured several re-births and transformations. Black Moon is honoured to be instrumental in the current re-birth of this historical publication and it is our goal to bring this time-tested entity into the present day to give voice to the many writers, artists and poets representing the myriad facets of esoteric thought, practice, and expression.“

A regular contributor to TDE, Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004 to July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Vault July 13, 2019

Marie Harlowe

Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

The Occult Digest was taken over by [Marie] Harlowe who merged it with her own publication, The Telepathic Magazine, that she had been publishing through her own Maha Publishing Company located at 1221 East 55th Street, Chicago. The Occult Publishing Company was replaced by Maha Publishing, the name coming from the first two letters of Harlowe’s first and last names. Costs were cut once more after Harlowe took over, the magazine was literally down-sized to 5.25” x 8.25” with thirty pages, no illustrations, and less ads. It was in many ways a different magazine from late 1939 on. And, the subtitle was changed to “Dedicated to the laws of higher Mind-Soul expansion.”

A regular contributor to TDE, Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004 to July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Vault May 4, 2019

Ads from The Occult Digest

Advertising in digest magazines often feature other publications, books, and pamphlets that may be of interest to their readers. Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven includes several ads from the magazine. Two of them are shown below.

A regular contributor to TDE, Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Uncategorized March 30, 2019

Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

“The Occult Digest Stands for ‘ONE LAW – ONE LIFE – ONE TRUTH – Eternal Progress Through Successive Embodiments’” “The ‘Occult’ You Will Quickly ‘Digest’ – Read with Zeal – Studied With Zest” The Occult Digest’s first issue was dated January 1925 and stated on the contents page, “Volume 1 – No. 1 – Old Serial No. Vol. IV No.1 formerly ‘Psychic Power.’” There were ten issues of The Occult Digest published in 1925, all of which had interesting artwork on the covers and illustrations inside. The first issue was edited by Effa Danelson and the Managing Editor, Ross K. New, and, it had a cover illustration by Louise Huelster; the other covers were by Paul Lehman (1889–1945) who did six covers and S. Mahrea Cramer (1896–1991) who did three covers; they both did inside illustra- tions as well. The three by Cramer were beautiful illustrations, the best of the ten covers in my opinion.

The Occult Digest Dec. 1925 cover image from Galactic Central.

A regular contributor to TDE, Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Vault March 6, 2019

Psychic Power

Excerpts from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

Psychic Power: Evolutionary Immortality started its publication with volume 2, number 1, dated February 1923 and was published monthly through volume 3, number 12, December 1924.

An ad for the magazine in its own pages read: “Psychic Power is the largest Magazine of its kind on this continent or elsewhere. Newsy, up-to-date, and with a well informed staff of writers at its disposal. 5,ooo Copies Every Month For Sale at Book Stores and News Stands.”

A regular contributor to TDE, Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Uncategorized February 14, 2019

Effa Danelson’s Psychic Leader

Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

Psychic Leader (July–December 1922) was the title of Effa Danelson’s first magazine and was essentially the first volume of what would eventually become The Occult Digest. Later, she would offer a bound volume of the Psychic Leader for sale in her subsequent publication, Psychic Power.

Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Vault January 27, 2019

Journeys Through Space

Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

Effa Danelson’s earliest published effort was a 3.75 x 5.75 inch, one-hundred-page booklet/pamphlet titled, Journeys Through Space: Experiences of Effa E. Danelson (1922). Ads for it appeared in all the Danelson publications, Psychic Leader, Psychic Power, and The Occult Digest.

Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Vault December 24, 2018

Effa E. Danelson (1869–1939)

Excerpt from Tom Brinkmann’s article on The Occult Digest from The Digest Enthusiast book seven:

“While the history of The Occult Digest is interesting and complex, it is also the history of Effa E. Roddel who was born to James and Catherine Roddel in Warrens, Wisconsin on June 1, 1869; strangely enough, sharing her birth month and day with Marilyn Monroe who would be born on that day in 1926. Unlike Monroe, Danelson came from a large family with seven brothers and three sisters. She became Effa E. Danelson on June 19, 1905 when she married Gustav E. Danelson, originally from Varnamo, Sweden. That same year, Mrs. Danelson was getting messages from a ‘spirit teacher’ and had become a lecturer and spirit medium by the time she and her husband had made their home in St. Louis, Missouri.”

Tom Brinkmann writes about unusual, off-the-beaten-path magazines, digests, and tabloids. His Bad Mags website was active from June 2004–July 2017. His books, Bad Mags Volume 1 (2008) and Volume 2 (2009) are available from secondary outlets, including amazon.com

Vault December 6, 2018