The History of Magic

Levi, Eliphas

Published by Rider & Company, 1963

About this Item

The History of Magic by Éliphas Lévi, translated by A. E. Waite, published in 1963. A classic work of Western esotericism by the influential French occult philosopher whose writings helped shape modern ceremonial magic, occult revivalism, and the symbolic language of nineteenth-century mysticism. In The History of Magic, Lévi traces the development of magical thought from antiquity through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, examining traditions of Hermeticism, Kabbalah, alchemy, astrology, and ritual magic as expressions of a perennial esoteric wisdom underlying religion, philosophy, and science. Translated and edited by A. E. Waite himself a central figure in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn this edition renders Lévi s complex ideas accessible to an English-speaking audience while preserving the intellectual depth and symbolic richness of the original French text. The work remains a cornerstone for understanding the philosophical foundations of modern occultism and the historical continuity of magical traditions in the Western world. Hardcover, with the original dust jacket, exhibiting only the lightest shelfwear. A clean, bright, and well-preserved copy. Previous owners gift inscription on pastdown.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1768512908616

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The History of Magic
• Publisher: Rider & Company
• Publication Date: 1963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good