The Life of Author Edward C. Peach - Ophiel

One author most people in the occult circuit are familiar with is Ophiel, which is the pen-name for the man Edward C. Peach. His life was a mystery to many and there is little in the way of a bio for him on the Internet. In spite of his many books, Wikipedia has no article for him.

One of my various hobbies is genealogy. So, taking matters into my own hands, this is what I've gleaned about the life and times of Edward C. Peach or the Occult author "Ophiel". I've searched and searched for a portrait of this man, whose writing style is both casual and friendly, but could find nothing. Many in the occult community are familiar with his books. I have nearly all of them, either in hard copy or on Kindle.

His mother Alice, ordered this birth certificate later in years, after Ophiel was an adult. I can just imagine that his original BC got lost somehow while moving. It's happened to many of us.

Edward Compator Peach was born on Jan 4,1904 in Johnson City Iowa. His parents were Joseph Peach 1865-1938 and Alice Peach (nee Boberich) 1876-1963. His mother was listed as a housekeeper and his father as a cigar maker on an early census. Another census mentions that he purchased an appliance or stove shop. They were both Lutheran. Later census and records state that his parents divorced. His father Joseph, subsequently married Edna Hevern in 1923. Joseph Peach sold kitchen appliances in the 1930s in Iowa and died of a stroke in 1938.

Edward's paternal grandparents were both from the Kingdom of Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. His maternal grandparents were immigrants from Baden-Württemberg Germany, and both sets of grandparents must have been part of the Great Westward Movement, as they all settled in Iowa and Edward's parents were born there as well.

Edward C. Peach is one of two children born to the family. The other sibling, a brother he never met, was named Carl. Brother Carl died at age three a year before Edward was born.

Between 1905 and 1910, Edward lived with his his aunt and uncle, his mother's sister and her husband. These two were named Annie (nee Boberich) and John W. Bolton in North Dodge, Iowa. This must have been around the time that Alice and Joseph Peach's marriage broke up. Alice later found work as a housekeeper in California and Edward came to live with her shortly thereafter.

I do not see evidence that Ophiel was ever married or fathered children. He traveled to Sydney Australia in the 1960s. He must have made a decent living selling his many books because he did not die a poor man.

It appears he may have worked as a clerk on an ocean liner as well as a clerk in a stock broker's office. It also appears that he went to college in his early 30s and had a 4 year degree by 36. He might have gone to California Berkley, because he resided in Berkeley during those years.

There are many missing pieces to the life of Ophiel.   Who were his friends ?  How did he become interested in the occult ?  Who was his one true love ?      But this is more than I've seen listed anywhere about him online.  Sometimes we have to do our own extensive research to find answers.

His last known address was 401 Twin Peaks Blvd San Francisco, CA 94114. Here is a picture of his home when he passed in 1988, from google maps. According to Zillow, his home is worth approximately $3,816,208 today. (see attached picture, beautiful views of the city from this hilltop home).

Edward has at least a 4 year college degree according the the records. He died on 14 Aug 1988 (age 84) in Alameda County San Francisco, CA and is buried at the Abbey of the Palms Mausoleum Sanctuary of Worship (South Section, 1st Floor) 16 Tiers, Tier 1 at bottom Tier 15. Upon subsequent research, it appears he never married.

BELOW WAS EDWARD PEACH'S HOME IN SAN FRANCISCO. 4 bdrm 4 bath, gorgeous views.

Views of San Francisco from Ophiel's home.

In reading his book, The Art of Contacting the Demiurge, Ophiel leaves an address for his students to correspond to in 1974, in Oakland CA.  He was 72 years old then.  Here is a google image of his home in 1974:  

From reading Ophiel's books, I got that he was a caring man, who cared about his readers.  He always urged his readers to write to him and ask questions if they didn't understand something.  He knew a lot about high ceremonial magic, but he never alluded to where he learned what he knew.   Anyone with any more information about Edward C. Peach, aka Ophiel, please leave a comment.

Here is a link to Ophiel's  Find-A-Grave memorial  

Edward C Peach Memorial Link

Here are the 9 most popular books written by Ophiel:

• The Art and Practice of Astral Projection
• The Art and Practice of Caballa Magic
• The Art and Practice of the Occult
• The Art and Practice  of Clairvoyance
• The Art and Practice  of Contacting the Demiurge
• Art and Practice  of Talismanic magic
• Oracle of Fortuna
• The Art and Practice of Getting Material Things Through Creation Visualization

UPDATE:  I recently got a message from a man on ancestry.com, who informed me that Ophiel's one true love was a man named Tony Degenova, his common law husband, to whom he left everything to when he died at age 84.  Tony would be 91 years old today.