Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual - Hardcover

Levi, Eliphas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1648372341 ISBN 13: 9781648372346

Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC, 2022

Synopsis

Delve into Ancient Occult Philosophy and Mysticism

French author Éliphas Lévi (born Alphonse Louis Constant, 1810-1875), who is often referred to as "the last magi," defined magic as "the traditional science of the secrets of Nature which has been transmitted to us from the Magi." And to those who studied this arcane art came a power: "By means of this science the adept is invested with a species of relative omnipotence and can operate superhumanly-that is, after a manner which transcends the normal possibility of men." 

Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual is Arthur Waite's esteemed English translation of Éliphas Lévi's original, groundbreaking exploration of ancient occult philosophy. Lévi was one of the first occultists to integrate the tarot into the discipline of magi-a development that significantly influenced the field in the years that followed. Bringing to light wisdom and information that were previously restricted to secret society initiates and practitioners of the ancient esoteric arts, Levi's work summarizes the common themes of multiple traditions into a single, understandable whole. 

Lévi initially focuses on doctrine and theory, illuminating the foundations of magic and examining the relationships between science, formal religion, and occultism from Kabalistic, Hermetic, and Christian viewpoints. He also explains the meaning of symbols such as the tetragram and the pentagram (including the difference between them pointing up or down), as well as letters, numbers, necromancy, and witchcraft. In subsequent chapters, originally published several years later, Lévi describes specific rituals, ceremonies, and divinations, listing the actual materials, tools, and processes involved in practicing magic, identifying the proper vestments and settings for performing rituals, as well as the ideal mindset to adopt and how to avoid falling prey to dark magic.  

As translator, Waite adds notes to the text, further elucidating Levi's writings with explanations and commentary.

Replete with occult wisdom and teachings designed to enable disciplined initiates to shape their environment, this seminal book is a critical resource for any student of magic or Western occultism, and a must-have reference item for any occult science library. 

This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a paperback (ISBN 164837235X).

About this title

About the Author

Eliphas Levi, who was the Abbe Louis Constant, has given us in this book a classic of High Magic. Steeped in the Western occult tradition, Levi was a master of the Rosicrucian interpretation of the Qabalah, which forms the basis of magic as practised in the West today.

Edition details

• Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1648372341
• ISBN 13: 9781648372346
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 474