Arcane Knowledge

A dark outline of an S-shaped snake with start and moon images along its length.
ar·cane
/ärˈkān/
adjective. understood by few; mysterious or secret.

Curated over decades by librarians in the General Collections & Humanities Center, the SF Public Library’s Arcane Knowledge Collection features over 2,500 titles on esoteric subjects including: astrology, Celtic magic, divination, Hoodoo, neopaganism, Obeah, runes, Santería, secret societies, tarot, Vodou, Wicca, witchcraft and more. With new titles added each month, the collection continues to expand in size and diversity.

Arcane Knowledge books and eBooks to borrow can be found throughout the system. To see a list of all titles, run a search in our catalog for Subject = Arcane Knowledge. The search can be limited with additional keywords and refined by location, publication date and other criteria. 

To explore the Reference Collection, which includes many rare and out of print books, visit the Humanities Desk on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library
 

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If you’d like to research a specific subject area within the Arcane Knowledge Collection, searching by subject rather than keyword can help return more refined results. Some Library of Congress Subject Headings in our collection are listed below. The terms below include links to searches that have been customized by librarians to manage the number of results. They may not encompass the entirety of the library’s holdings on the subject. 

 

To view titles that are part of our Arcane Knowledge Reference Collection located on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library, perform a search in our online catalog, then use the filter "Titles I Can..." to select "Only use in a library." See Research and Reference below for more information.

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Many titles in Arcane Knowledge subject areas hail from small presses with limited print runs. In order to preserve access to the knowledge of these books, we have set aside many library-use-only copies to form an Arcane Knowledge Reference Collection. Because the Reference Collection includes many rare, out-of-print and irreplaceable books, these titles can only be accessed on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library.* These books will appear in our catalog with a location of MAIN - 3rd Floor - Page Desk/Ref.

For locating titles on subtopics within the Reference Collection, see the Navigating the Collection section above.

For assistance, please connect with staff at the Humanities Center Reference Desk: generalcollections@sfpl.org or 415-557-4545.

To view a book with location listed as MAIN - 3rd Floor - Page Desk/Ref:

  1. Write down the call number on a slip of paper with the words “Page Desk/Ref”
  2. Bring the slip to the Page Desk on the 3rd Floor of the Main Library.
  3. Staff will fetch the book and take your library card or photo ID as collateral. You may take the book anywhere on the 3rd floor and read it until the Page Desk closes.
  4. Return the book when you have finished looking at it, and collect your library card/ID.
  5. Revisit the Page Desk to view that book or others as many times as you like.

*For persons with who cannot physically visit the Main Library in person, select Reference materials may be sent to a branch location for viewing there. Please call or email us for more information: generalcollections@sfpl.org or 415-557-4545.

book cover: Tarot: The Library of Esoterica by Taschen

Booklist: The Mysteries of the Tarot

A selection of SFPL's tarot books, with titles for beginners to advance practitioners and featuring instructions on throwing and reading the cards, books of tarot art, symbol dictionaries and modern, inclusive interpretation guides. 

 

 

 

Book cover: Parker's Astrology

Booklist: Astrology for Everyone

A selection of SFPL's astrology books, including Western and Chinese astrology, books focusing on planets and houses, relationship compatibility, and modern, inclusive interpretation guides.