Book Review-The Call of the Old Gods: My Occult Journey on the Pagan Path by Christopher McIntosh

Book Review

The Call of the Old Gods: My Occult Journey on the Pagan Path

By Christopher McIntosh

Publisher: Inner Traditions

264 Page E-Book

Release Date: May 6th, 2025

The Call of the Old Gods is a well-written memoir from one of my favorite Pagan and Occult authors, Christopher McIntosh. Instead of telling you what to do, he relays the experience to you, as well as the academic background, to inspire the reader to form their own practices, etc. This book, instead of his usual, scholarly approach, focuses on a well-storied life full of trials, lessons and friendships. McIntosh has lived a long life and has had the opportunity to encounter many different people, places, experiences and beliefs.

I really resonated personally with McIntosh’s view of the Occult and the Old Pagan Gods being intertwined-very rarely do you come across something in the Occult without mention of a pagan deity, and vice versa. Occultism is a tool in the toolbox of many modern Pagans, especially those seeking the deeper mysteries of life, like calling in divinity, or learning hidden secrets in a myth or ritual practice.

Sometimes, a book can’t teach you what you need to know, it can only be lived, it can only be experienced, and that’s what I’ve taken away from this book first and foremost. So many people in the modern occult and pagan communities are hung up on theory, semantics and similar, insignificant things, when really, we should just be working with our spirituality in whatever way calls to us. McIntosh has graciously illustrated this point in this memoir which is another entry into his already wonderful bibliography. This book is at once a memoir, and a manual for spiritual growth through relayed wisdom and experience. I have no critiques, and I thoroughly enjoyed this break from the usual style of books I read to review; as such, I give it 5/5 Pentagrams!

Christoper McIntosh is a British born historian who writes on many subjects. He has lived in Germany for over 30 years, and has a Doctorate in History, and degrees in the German Language, as well as the Russian Language. He is the author of many other books, including Occult Russia. He lives in Lower Saxony, North Germany.

 

***

Author Bio:

The Modern Merlin is a Polytheist, Pagan, Animist, Witch, Sorcerer, Necromancer and Occultist. He embarked on his spiritual and magickal journey over 15 years ago! As such, he has extensive knowledge of The Occult, Ceremonial Magick, Witchcraft, Sorcery, and both modern and ancient world religions and folklore. He is a practicing Sorcerer, blending ceremonial high magick and witchcraft, as well as plant medicine, poisonous plants and entheogens, shamanic techniques, and mysticism. He believes that magick can be as simple or as complex as one needs it to be, and rejects dogma, instead trusting his intuition, and encourages other magickal and spiritual folks to do the same! He venerates and casts magick with a wide array of spirits and deities, and works with both the Left and Right Hand Paths, having experience in both. He is an Astrologer and Tarot reader with 15 years’ experience in both, and actively studies and practices many other forms of divination including Runes, Ogham, Palmistry and Scrying. An animal lover, he sees divinity in nature-the trees, plants, animals and sky.  Also an avid reader, you’re hard pressed to not find him nose deep in a book, most likely on an occult, mystical, religious or magickal subject. He is the Co-Editor of PaganPages.Org and the author of multiple columns, including The Modern Merlin’s Corner, Entheogens for the New Gen, Stellium, and Scary, Strange and Mythical Encounters. He gives readings and other spiritual services through his Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see! You can reach him on Facebook, or e-mail him at [email protected]