Mail-Order Magic: L. W. de Laurence and the Commercialization of Occult Knowledge, 1900–1929

Between 1900 and 1929, the American economy expanded rapidly, driven not only by industrial production and urbanization but also by new forms of cultural enterprise. Among the most unusual, and influential, figures to emerge from this environment was L.W. de Laurence, a Chicago-based occult publisher whose mail-order empire transformed esoteric knowledge into a profitable commercial product. While largely forgotten in mainstream histories or American business, de Laurence was a significant economic influencer whose activities reveal how spiritual and metaphysical ideas became embedded within the mechanisms of early 20th-century capitalism.

L.W. de Laurence: Occult Entrepreneur of Chicago

Born Lauron William de Laurence in 1868, de Laurence entered the American publishing scene around the turn of the century and quickly established his reputation through the De Laurence Company, Inc., founded in Chicago. From approximately 1900 onward, his business produced and distributed a vast array of occult texts, magical manuals, occultic and esoteric material culture, and other spiritual supplies. He was neither a trained scholar nor a member of any established esoteric order. Rather, de Laurence was an entrepreneur who recognized that the rapidly expanding print economy created opportunities for monetizing esoteric belief.

Scholar L.L. Finely’s work helps to see how the early 20th century witnessed an “invisible culture” of occult and metaphysical publishing that blended literary ambition with entrepreneurial strategy.[1] De Laurence participated directly in that culture, using print capitalism and mass distribution to bring occult manuals into American homes at a time when interest in Spiritualism, Theosophy, and ceremonial magic was rapidly increasing in American consumerism.

The Mystic Text Book (19109): Occult Manual as Mass-Market Commodity

A critical primary source for understanding de Laurence’s enterprise is his 1910 edition of The Mystic Text Book, a compendium of Hindu and Egyptian ceremonial magic.[2] Though not an original work, as de Laurence frequently “borrowed” or reprinted earlier European occult texts, its significance lies in how he presented and sold it.

This book was marketed as a practical, instructional manual, promising readers access to secret wisdom through clear diagrams, step-by-step rituals, and illustrations of magical implementation. The text reads less like a mystical treatise and more like a technical handbook, positioning esoteric ritual as a system that could be learned, purchased, replicated. In many editions, advertisements for de Laurence’s magical supplies, talismans, and related literature appeared at the back of the book, transforming the manual into both instruction and catalog.

As Mark S. Morrisson argues, occult publishers of this period strategically adopted the formats and aesthetics of the contemporary scientific and commercial print culture of the time, creating what he calls a “periodical culture of the occult revival,” in which esoteric texts circulated through recognizable commercial channels.[3] The Mystic Text Book exemplifies this hybrid form; that is, a book claiming ancient authority but designed and marketed as a modern commodity.

Mail-Order Mysticism and the Occult Marketplace

De Laurence’s success rested on the efficiency and reach of the early 20th-century mail-order economy. Like other Progressive Era entrepreneurs, he used catalog distribution, direct-response advertising, and department-store marketing techniques to reach customers across the U.S. and beyond.

Finley notes that occult publishing in this period was nothing new and had been built upon a long-standing occult publishing tradition established even in the colonial day of America.[4] De Laurence capitalized on this publishing tradition, issuing dozens of catalogs advertising magical rings, ceremonial robes, incense, crystal balls, “Egyptian charms,” and a plethora of ritual objects. His literature often implied that spiritual power could be acquired through material purchase—“own the tools, gain the power”—a message that resonated deeply within the consumer culture of early 20th-century America.

The global reach of de Laurence’s enterprise was particularly notable. In regions such as the Caribbean and West Africa, his books became so influential that colonial governments banned them, fearing their impact on local religions practices. This reflects what Justin Livingston describes as the “commercial geography” of occult networks, transnational circuits of esoteric print that redefined the spatial and economic landscapes of modern occultism.[5] De Laurence’s Chicago business, through aggressive distribution, became a central node in these global currents.

Esoteric Knowledge as Intellectual Property

A defining feature of de Laurence’s enterprise was his unwavering claim to intellectual ownership over the texts he published, even when they derived from public-domain European sources. His editions often placed his name prominently on the title page, and many readers assumed he was the original author.

Morrison highlights how occult publishers sought scientific legitimacy through modern print strategies;[6] de Laurence extended this pattern by presenting himself as a “Master Adept” whose authority justified commercializing esoteric literature. While ethically questionable, this tactic had major economic implications. It created a recognizable brand identity, De Laurence Magic, that shaped consumer expectations and enhances his commercial influence.

Finley suggests that this blending of esotericism and commerce situated metaphysical literature within the larger American self-help and improvement culture.[7] De Laurence’s business thus anticipated later trends in New Thought, prosperity metaphysics, and the 20th-century self-help industry, where spiritual renewal and growth became a purchasable commodity.

Economic and Cultural Significance, 1900-1929

De Laurence’s career provides valuable insight into the transformation of American economic life in the early 20th century. First, his mail-order empire illustrates how belief systems adapted to the structures of industrial capitalism. His business model, combining print, advertising, branding, and distribution, mirrored those of mainstream commercial enterprises.

Second, de Laurence highlights how material culture and symbolic meaning converged. Ritual objects, instructional manuals, and talismans were not merely products, they were embodiments of spiritual authority that could be bought, sold, and circulated. In this sense, de Laurence stands as a significant, though unconventional, economic influencer of the early 20th century.

Conclusion

Between 1900 and 1929, L.W. de Laurence built on of the most distinctive commercial enterprises of the occult revival. Through The Mystic Text Book, his catalogs, and his global mail-order systems, he transformed esoteric knowledge into a form of mass-market consumerism. His blending of belief, commerce, and print culture illustrates how modern American capitalism absorbed even the most unusual spiritual pursuits. Ultimately, de Laurence’s career reveals that the early 20th-century economy was not only shaped by industrial giants but also by entrepreneurs who traded in the intangible, offering magic, empowerment, and spiritual knowledge through the machinery of modern business.

Footnotes:

[1] L. L. Finley, Occult Americans: A Cultural History of Esoteric Knowledge in the United States, 1848–1945 (PhD diss., University of Kansas, 2014), 59-72.

[2] L. W. de Laurence, The Mystic Text Book of “The Hindu Occult Chambers”: The Magic and Occultism of India Hindu and Egyptian Crystal Gazing The Hindu Magic Mirror (Chicago: de Laurence, Scott & Co., 1910), v, accessed November 15, 2025 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t5q82505p&seq=1.

[3] Mark S. Morrisson, “The Periodical Culture of the Occult Revival: Esoteric Wisdom, Modernity, and Counter-Public Spheres,” Journal of Modern Literature 31, no. 2 (2007): 1-23.

[4] Finley, Occult Americans, 61-62.

[5] Justin Livingstone, “Esoteric exploration: commercial geography and occult secrets in the fiction of Verney Lovett Cameron,” Victorian Literature and Culture, 53(1), (2025): 49-83, accessed November 15, 2025 https://doi.org/10.1017/S1060150324000068.

[6] Morrison, “Periodical Culture of the Occult Revival,” 2-4.

[7] Finley, Occult Americans, 56.