The History of Magic

About this book

A magician draws a circle. An adept seeks the philosopher's stone. A religious symbol acquires a second, hidden meaning. Éliphas Lévi ranges across these subjects with the confidence of a writer rebuilding an entire history of magic.

His influential survey mixes occult philosophy, legend, personal interpretation and episodes from European religious history. Many of its historical assertions need correction, but Lévi's own role in shaping modern ceremonial occultism is undeniable. The book shows how nineteenth-century magic became an intellectual project as well as a collection of ritual practices.