AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND'S PREMIER SUPPLIER OF FINE OCCULT, PHILOSOPHICAL AND ESOTERIC TEXTS
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
- Jorge Luis Borges
Blackened Hand Books is the work of two idolatrous bibliophiles with the ultimate - and lofty - goal of disseminating arcane knowledge and democratising access to engagement with new modes of thought. In our own little way, we’re doing our part in the fight for deliberateness and depth, against a world rapidly succumbing to superficial engagement with ideas and commodified attention. We believe that fomenting good thought is best done in a soup of diverse notions and challenged preconceptions, and to that end we aim to offer a wide range of voices and perspectives for your consideration.
We know first-hand the barriers to accessing the incredible range of modern (and not-so-modern) occult and esoteric literature from way down here in the Southern Hemisphere, and we wanted to solve that problem; both for ourselves and for our fellow Antipodeans. We’re working hard to bring to Australia & New Zealand (as well as beyond as we evolve) an ever-expanding curated collection of quality titles and publishers, many of which have never been available from our shores before.
Thanks for taking the time to get to know us - we appreciate you!
T i m + K i r s t e n
About the Blackened Hand
The blackened hand is our talisman of knowledge and gnosis. It echoes the alchemical philosopher’s hand - extended to those who discover the way and blackened by the inevitable alteration of the self from engagement with the mysteries.
Acknowledgement of Country + Our Values
Blackened Hand Books was founded in Meanjin (Brisbane, Australia) on Jagera and Turrbal Country. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders of this land, over which sovereignty was never ceded. We extend this respect to all First Nations peoples of this continent and its adjacent lands, recognising their cultures as the oldest continuous living cultures in human history. We recognise the deep and enduring spiritual connections and relationship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with the lands, oceans, waterways, air, and sky.
Blackened Hand Books stands in solidarity with all First Nations peoples around the world, who continue to stand steadfast in the face of colonial violence, and whose ancestral wisdom and cultural practices have endured in spite of their attempted erasure. We hold immense respect for the invaluable threads their beliefs and traditions weave into the rich fabric of humanity’s collective spiritual understanding. We firmly reject the co-opting and debasement of arcane and wisdom traditions to further fascist and supremacist agendas, and we wish to state decisively that those ideologies will find no hearth here.