Éliphas Lévi, Transcendental Magic
Microcosm in Lévi
Lévi names humanity the microcosm and uses the doctrine of analogy to place the smaller world in correspondence with the larger. Human faculties become a site for reading the order he proposes in nature. The magus is described as the creator of the little world, with self-knowledge placed first among magical sciences. Correspondence therefore also becomes a demand for command of oneself.
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In the sources
Principal account
InterpretationLévi names humanity the microcosm and uses the doctrine of analogy to place the smaller world in correspondence with the larger. Human faculties become a site for reading the order he proposes in nature.
Further detail
InterpretationThe magus is described as the creator of the little world, with self-knowledge placed first among magical sciences. Correspondence therefore also becomes a demand for command of oneself.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows Lévi’s argument in Waite’s English translation. The entry follows the symbolic analogy; the scan’s damaged surrounding text is not used to supply unsupported biological details. The correspondences are attributed to this occult synthesis rather than presented as a universal account of every earlier tradition.
Original passages
Source 1
Transcendental Magic
Man is the microcosm or little worldOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Éliphas Lévi, Transcendental Magic; active reader leaf 100
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0026-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0026-E001-P0100
- Original scan leaf
- 100
- Recorded leaf number
- 100
- Current Reader position
- 94
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Transcendental Magic
the creator of the little worldOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Éliphas Lévi, Transcendental Magic; active reader leaf 62
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0026-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0026-E001-P0062
- Original scan leaf
- 62
- Recorded leaf number
- 62
- Current Reader position
- 56
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Binah
Active Intelligence in Lévi’s symbolic scale, balanced by Wisdom and associated with the four Tarot threes.
Same subject and traditionChesed
Mercy in Lévi’s symbolic scale: benevolent strength expressed through the benefactions of the four Tarot fours.
Same subject and traditionChochmah
Wisdom in Lévi’s symbolic scale, represented by four rivers and associated with the Tarot’s numbered twos.
Same subject and traditionGeburah
Austerity in Lévi’s symbolic scale, joining severity with goodwill and the justice represented by the Tarot fives.