''The most arresting, entertaining, and brilliant of
all studies on the subject.'' -- Arthur Edward Waite A
great work of literature as well as a pioneering classic
of occultism, this voluminous historical survey traces
the roots and manifestations of magic through the ages
as a secret tradition persisting from remote times.
Author Eliphas Levi, pseudonym of Alphonse Louis
Constant (1810-75), was a leader of the French occult
revival, a spiritual teacher and magus who is today
considered by some to be a founding father of the New
Age movement. One of his most stunning (and original)
revelations connects the Kabbalah with the Tarot, thus
helping to inspire the ongoing fascination with the
symbols of both, and their correspondences with each
other. In this 1860 work, Levi's discussions include
topics that continue to intrigue modern readers,
subjects as seemingly disparate as the mathematical
magic of Pythagoras, magical monuments, magic and
Christianity, the devil, the Knights Templar, alchemy,
the illuminati, hallucinations, and many others that are
equally alluring. The first part of the book explains
the principles underlying magical operations, while the
second part addresses the actual ritual and practice of
transcendent magic. An essential resource for the
library of anyone interested in mysticism and the occult
sciences, this influential work appears here in its
first English translation (from the original French) by
the distinguished scholar and co-creator of the
Rider-Waite Tarot deck, A. E. Waite. |
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