http://www.forgottenbooks.org/ republishes old books and offers free full-text free versions online through Google books. There are several occult and magick -related works from the late 1800's and early 1900's that might be of interest as inspiration for pseudo-magic symbols, esoteric quotes, incantations, and other stuff for steam/occult stories, props or LARPs.
After a quick scan through the titles here's a few I saw that might be worth looking at, and there are few more I think I missed
Ancient and Modern Initiation
The Book of Ceremonial Magic
The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage
The Coming of the Fairies
Demonology, by King James I
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
The Gardnerian Book of Shadows
Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft
The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy Vol 1 & 2
The Vampire, his Kith and Kin
Please don't forget the classics!
The Geotia - The Greater and Lesser Seals of Solomon
The Maleaus Malifacarum (Witches Hammer)
Picatrix (I have only found a partial translation of this work, and only in Seattle. The second half of the book is supposed to be translated soon, but will be limited in only short run publication). Note - my copy of the first two segments of this work cost me over a C-Note to finally get an english translation of a text, to date, had only been available in Latin.
The Emerald Tablets of Hermes Trimagesticus
The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor
Magus (the collected works of John Dee) or The Celestial Inteligencer.
The Kabalah
The Kabalion
Anything by the Order of the Rose...
I wish I had my library on hand but unfortunately, it's currently in storage, or I would add a few other titles to the list.
Contempory esoteric works during the day...
Magik in Theory and Practice
Aridia, Gospel of the Witches
Note: Some words have been misspelled intentionly, this was done deliberately. For my own reasons.
Second Note: Gardener was really a late commer into the occult community. Dorine Valeante was his main source and she would be more "period". Also, please dig a bit and also find her ties with Crowely, it's an interesting read.
One of the things I have found working in the esoteric communities is how tightly interwoven the circles of practioners are...and how few realize it.
v/r
Connor
PS
The occult was as much, if not more of an aspect of Victorian culture that Verne, H.G. Wells and Doyle. It is a viable subject for discussion in Steam Punk forums. Especially if we were to start discussions of clockwork computers whose activation would cause an esoteric formula to be executed. (The Hellraiser Puzzle Boxes come to mind. :-) )
Count me in, not only as a tinkerer in the punk, but a practioner of the Arts for almost 20 years.
Paganism
Herbalism
Tarot
Magik (Ceremonial and Natural)
Shamanism
Earth Magik (Ley Line) studies
Paranormal Investigation (Ghost Hunting)
Psychic research and investigation
Crypto-biology
The Golden Compass has been acknowledged as Punk. How does it not touch on Tarot, Magick/Mana/Dust and clockwork technology all working together? Why can't we do the same? IMO Shelly and Frankenstein is as much steampunk as Verne.